Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health literacy and weight management – Results of a nationwide survey in Taiwan

Given the significant health, economic, and social burden it imposes on societies, obesity has become a serious, worldwide public health problem. Globally, 39% of adults aged 18 years and older were overweight in 2016 and 13% were obese. The rate of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, and the epidemic is expected to worsen. Maintaining healthy body weight is determined mainly by energy intake from diet and energy expenditure through physical activity. Overweight and obesity are results of a longterm energy imbalance, characterized by unhealthy eating behavior and/or a sedentary lifestyle. Managing weight involves a generative capability in which cognitive, psychosocial, and behavioral skills are organized into an integrated course of action. Existing evidence suggests that cognitive and psychosocial factors such as health knowledge, health attitudes, and self-efficacy, are key factors influencing weight management behavior and weight status. Health literacy—defined as the “cognition and social skills individuals use to obtain, process, and understand basic health information in order to promote and maintain good health”—is emerging as an important factor that influences health behaviors and health outcomes. Commonly cited theoretical models suggest that health literacy influences health behaviors partially through its effects on individuals’ knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and skills8–10. Previous studies showed that people with poorer numeracy and/or lower nutrition literacy were less likely to use food labels or nutritional information to adjust the dietary quality and adhere to healthful dietary habits and more likely to consume sugary beverages11–14. Additional studies suggested that people with lower nutritional literacy had poorer knowledge with respect to daily caloric requirements and energy intake versus expenditure, had a lower likelihood of accurately estimating portion sizes, and had a higher body mass index (BMI). 15–19 Other studies, however, found no significant relationships among health literacy, nutritional behaviors, and BMI.20–22 This mixed evidence may be due to the fact that investigations have mainly employed nutritional composition and knowledge-based questions in their assessment of health literacy. Those measures may not accurately capture weight-specific health literacy in relation to weight management, as
Modalities of Protein Denaturation and Nature of Denaturants

Denaturation of protein is a biological phenomenon in which a protein loses its native shape due to the breaking or disruption of weak chemical bonds and interactions which makes the protein biologically inactive. It is the process where properly folded proteins formed under physiological conditions is transformed to an unfolded protein under non-physiological conditions. The process of denaturation of proteins can occur under different physiological and chemical conditions. Denaturation can be reversible or irreversible. Denaturation mostly takes places when the protein is subjected under external elements like inorganic solutes, organic solvents, acids or bases, and by heat or irradiations. The denaturing agents or denaturants widely used in protein folding or unfolding experiments are urea and guanidinium chloride (GdmCl). In denaturation, the alpha-helix structure and beta sheets structure of the native protein are disrupted and unfolds it into any random shape. We can also say that denaturation occurs due to the disruption of bonding interactions which are responsible for secondary structure and the tertiary structure of the proteins.
Maize stover biochar increases urea ( 15 N isotope) retention in soils but does not promote its acquisition by plants during a 4-year pot experiment

Biochar as a soil amendment has been shown to improve soil quality and crop growth. However, biochar’s effect on urea-N use efficiency in long term is not well elucidated. Here we studied urea-N (15N isotope) allocation in plants and soil in the presence of maize (Zea mays L.) stover biochar (equivalent to 46 t ha-1) during a 4-yr pot trial. Results showed that biochar only increased maize biomass (about 9%) with high amount of urea addition, which indicates the increased maize dry weight by biochar application could be attributed to synergistic effects between biochar and urea. Soil total N contents and fertilizer N retention were increased by 20% and 10.47% to 94.52%, respectively, indicating that biochar was more capable for fertilizer N retention than promote plant adsorption. Moreover, inorganic N content in biochar treatment was greatly increased, which implies the increased N mineralization. In total, we concluded that biochar application was a potential urea enhancer during plant production.
1 Chapter 9 . Trust and Emotions

In the current chapter, we review research investigating the influences of affective states on trust. To delineate the behavioral and neural effects of emotions on trust decisions we consider research from multiple fields, including Behavioral Economics, Psychology and Neuroeconomics. We focus on behavioral and neural research that examined the impact of moods and emotions experienced at the moment of choice. In particular, we critically examine evidence concerning the role played by both positive and negative incidental and integral emotions in the decision to trust. Overall, a pattern emerges from previous findings that strongly suggests that both incidental and integral emotions can influence decisions to trust. Specifically, positive incidental emotions, such as happiness, can enhance trust while negative incidental emotions, such as anxiety, typically reduce trust. At the same time, evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that this behavioral effect is paralleled by emotions having specific effects on decision-relevant neural circuitry. Brain regions affected by emotions during trust decisions include the temporoparietal junction and medial PFC, both of which have been implicated in theory of mind, as well as the anterior insula, which is commonly implicated in anticipatory negative affect. We conclude by pointing at important open avenues of research regarding the role of emotions in trust in the context of learning from past experiences with interaction partners, and chronic distortions of affect and social behavior, due to underlying psychopathological conditions.
Effect of Protein Supplementation in the Bee Apis mellifera L. Exposed to the Agrochemical Fipronil

Inadequate quantity and quality of proteins in honey bee diet can cause weakening of their colonies and damage their resistance to agrochemical contamination, such as fipronil, which is highly toxic to bees. Thus, we tested the hypothesis if protein supplementation would improve longevity and locomotion of honeybees exposed to fipronil pesticide. Colonies of Apis mellifera Africanized were distributed into Control Group without protein supplementation and Supplemented Group with 25% crude protein provided as a paste form at 100 g per week. After four weeks, frames with sealed brood were removed and kept in an incubator until the emergence of worker bees, which were marked, returned to their hives and recaptured six days later to measure protein concentration in the hemolymph. The bee population development was measured by evaluating frames containing the queen’s oviposition from each colony. Also, nursing bees were recaptured exposed by contact to fipronil LD50% (0.009 ± 0.003 μg/bee), and the longevity and motor activity were measured. The results showed that the bee swarms protein supplementation promoted a significant increase in the sealed brood area. However, it did not promote changes in the protein content of the hemolymph. Protein supplementation of bee swarms did not influence the survival of bees exposed to fipronil in the locomotion tests; however, fipronil was toxic to bees and promoted changes in the locomotion of bees.
Selective Extraction of Rare-Earth Elements from NdFeB Magnets by a Room-Temperature Electrolysis Pretreatment Step

NdFeB magnets are used in wind turbines and hybrid electric vehicles and are instrumental in progression toward a low-carbon economy. Recycling rare-earth elements (REEs) from NdFeB magnet waste is an important step toward building a sustainable REE supply chain. In this study, we describe an electrochemical process to selectively extract REEs from NdFeB magnet waste at room temperature. First, an electrolysis pretreatment step was performed to convert the elements present in the magnet waste into the respective hydroxides. A dual anode system was used where NdFeB magnet waste was taken as an anode along with an inert anode in an electrochemical reactor. The inert anode was used to ensure that iron in the magnet waste was converted into the Fe(III) form in the mixed hydroxides precipitate. Subsequently, the mixed hydroxides were leached with HCl. More than 97% of REEs and cobalt leached into the solution leaving iron in the residue. REEs were then selectively precipitated as rare-earth oxalates using oxal.
Photosynthesis from stolen chloroplasts can support sea slug reproductive fitness

Some sea slugs are able to steal functional chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) from their algal food sources, but the role and relevance of photosynthesis to the animal host remain controversial. While some researchers claim that kleptoplasts are slowly digestible ‘snacks’, others advocate that they enhance the overall fitness of sea slugs much more profoundly. Our analysis shows light-dependent incorporation of 13C and 15N in the albumen gland and gonadal follicles of the sea slug Elysia timida, representing translocation of photosynthates to kleptoplast-free reproductive organs. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with reported roles in reproduction were produced in the sea slug cells using labelled precursors translocated from the kleptoplasts. Finally, we report reduced fecundity of E. timida by limiting kleptoplast photosynthesis. The present study indicates that photosynthesis enhances the reproductive fitness of kleptoplast-bearing sea slugs, confirming the biological relevance of this remarkable association between a metazoan and an algal-derived organelle.
Implementation, interrupted: Identifying and leveraging factors that sustain after a programme interruption

ABSTRACT Many implementation efforts experience interruptions, especially in settings with developing health systems. Approaches for evaluating interruptions are needed to inform re-implementation strategies. We sought to devise an approach for evaluating interruptions by exploring the sustainability of a programme that implemented diabetes mellitus (DM) screening within tuberculosis clinics in Uganda in 2017. In 2019, we conducted nine interviews with clinic staff and observed clinic visits to determine their views and practices on providing integrated care. We mapped themes to a social ecological model with three levels derived from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): outer setting (i.e. community), inner setting (i.e. clinic), and individuals (i.e. clinicians). Respondents explained that DM screening ceased due to disruptions in the national supply chain for glucose test strips, which had cascading effects on clinics and clinicians. Lack of screening supplies in clinics limited clinicians’ opportunities to perform DM screening, which contributed to diminished self-efficacy. However, culture, compatibility and clinicians’ beliefs about DM screening sustained throughout the interruption. We propose an approach for evaluating interruptions using the CFIR and social ecological model; other programmes can adapt this approach to identify cascading effects of interruptions and target them for re-implementation.
Genome organization and evolution of a eukaryotic nicotinate co-inducible pathway

In Aspergillus nidulans a regulon including 11 hxn genes (hxnS, T, R, P, Y, Z, X, W, V, M and N) is inducible by a nicotinate metabolic derivative, repressible by ammonium and under stringent control of the nitrogen-state-sensitive GATA factor AreA and the specific transcription factor HxnR. This is the first report in a eukaryote of the genomic organization of a possibly complete pathway of nicotinate utilization. In A. nidulans the regulon is organized in three distinct clusters, this organization is variable in the Ascomycota. In some Pezizomycotina species all 11 genes map in a single cluster; in others they map in two clusters. This variable organization sheds light on cluster evolution. Instances of gene duplication followed by or simultaneous with integration in the cluster, partial or total cluster loss, and horizontal gene transfer of several genes (including an example of whole cluster re-acquisition in Aspergillus of section Flavi) were detected, together with the incorporation in some clusters of genes not found in the A. nidulans co-regulated regulon, which underlie both the plasticity and the reticulate character of metabolic cluster evolution. This study provides a comprehensive phylogeny of six members of the cluster across representatives of all Ascomycota classes.
THE USE OF EPHEDRINE TO TREAT ANESTHESIA-ASSOCIATED HYPOTENSION IN PINNIPEDS

Abstract: Hypotension is a common adverse effect of general anesthesia that has historically been difficult to measure in pinniped species due to technical challenges. A retrospective case review found seven pinniped cases that demonstrated anesthesia-associated hypotension diagnosed by direct blood pressure measurements during general anesthesia at The Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, CA) between 2017 and 2019. Cases included five California sea lions (CSL: Zalophus californianus), one Hawaiian monk seal (HMS: Neomonachus schauinslandi), and one northern elephant seal (NES: Mirounga angustirostris). Patients were induced using injectable opioids, benzodiazepines, and anesthetics including propofol and alfaxalone. Excluding the HMS, all patients required supplemental isoflurane with a mask to achieve an anesthetic plane allowing for intubation. Each patient was maintained with inhalant isoflurane in oxygen for the duration of the anesthetic event. Each patient was concurrently administered continuous IV fluids and four patients received fluid boluses prior to administration of ephedrine. All hypotensive anesthetized patients were treated with IV ephedrine (0.05–0.2 mg/kg). The average initial systolic (SAP) and mean (MAP) arterial blood pressures for the CSL prior to ephedrine administration were 71 ± 14 mmHg and 48 ± 12 mmHg respectively. The average SAP and MAP for the CSL increased to 119 ± 32 mmHg and 90 ± 34 mmHg respectively within 5 m of ephedrine administration. The NES initial blood pressure measurement was 59/43 (50) (SAP/diastolic [MAP]) mmHg and increased to 80/51 (62) mmHg within 5 m. The initial HMS blood pressure was 79/68 (73) mmHg and increased to 99/78 (85) mmHg within 5 m following ephedrine administration. All patients recovered from anesthesia. These results support the efficacy of IV ephedrine for the treatment of anesthesia-associated hypotension in pinnipeds.
DETECTION OF OPHIDIOMYCES OPHIDIICOLA IN THREE FILE SNAKES (ACROCHORDUS GRANULATUS) IMPORTED FROM INDONESIA TO THE MOSCOW ZOO (RUSSIA)

Abstract: Three file snakes (Acrochordus granulatus) were delivered to the Moscow Zoo (Russia) from Jakarta (Indonesia). Shortly after arrival, multiple white blisters were detected on their bodies. All three snakes died within a month of arrival. On microscopy, arthrospores and mycelium were seen in exudate from the lesions. Ophidiomyces ophidiicola was isolated from two of three snakes and identified by internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Dermatophyte test medium turned red in positive cultures and can be potentially employed for detection of O. ophidiicola, the causative agent of snake fungal disease. This is the first report of O. ophidiicola in Russia and the second reported case of ophidiomycosis in file snakes. The possible source of O. ophidiicola in snakes imported from Southeast Asia is discussed.
BIOMARKERS OF GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE IN CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS)

Abstract: Gastrointestinal disease is a common clinical problem in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). It is reported that gastritis affects the vast majority of the captive population of cheetahs. Pancreatitis and acute and chronic enteritis have also been reported. These issues pose significant long-term health and welfare implications for cheetahs. Cobalamin, folate, methylmalonic acid (MMA), gastrin, feline pancreatic-specific lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI), and feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity (fTLI) immunoassays are important biomarkers of gastrointestinal disease in domestic cats. The goal of this study was to determine if these immunoassays validated in domestic cats could be used clinically in cheetahs, by establishing reference intervals (RI) for these biomarkers in cheetahs. A cohort of 40 clinically healthy cheetahs was selected from three zoological institutions on the basis of being free of clinical gastrointestinal disease and extra-gastrointestinal disease that could affect biomarkers, as well as having banked frozen serum. Cheetah biomarker RI, with domestic cat RI for comparison in parentheses, are as follows: cobalamin 470–618 pg/ml (290–1500 pg/ml), folate 2.2–15.7 ng/ml (9.7–21.6 ng/ml), MMA 365–450 nM/L (139–897 nM/L), fPLI 0.5–1.2 µg/L (0–4 µg/L), and gastrin 30–50 pg/ml (<10–39.5 pg/ml). This study shows that RI for gastrointestinal biomarkers can be notably different, even between species that are as closely related as the domestic cat and the cheetah. Additionally, it was found that the fTLI assay does not cross-immunoreact with cheetahs. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of developing species-specific RI for biomarker assays and using caution when extrapolating RI from other species.
Azimuthally and radially polarized orbital angular momentum modes in valley topological photonic crystal fiber

Abstract Artificially tailoring the polarization and phase of light offers new applications in optical communication, optical tweezers, and laser processing. Valley topological physics provides a novel paradigm for controlling electromagnetic waves and encoding information. The proposed fiber has the inner and outer claddings possessing opposite valley topological phases but the same refractive indices, which breaks through the polarization constraints of the traditional fiber. Robust valley edge states exist at the domain walls between the inner and outer claddings because of bulk edge correspondence. The valley topological fiber modes exhibit the unprecedented radial and azimuthal polarization with high-order azimuthal index. Those topological modes are robust against the disorder of the fiber structure. These results enable guide and manipulate the optical polarization and angular momentum in fiber with high fidelity. The proposed fiber has the potential to become a powerful optical spanner for the application of bio-photonics.
An interpersonal framework of international ecological discourse

Abstract This paper explores an interpersonal framework for international ecological discourse analysis using systemic functional linguistics. It shows that the sub-categories of the functional interpersonal framework need to be extended in terms of delicacy along the ecological cline to construe the ecological features in the context under investigation. The extension can be achieved through an integration of the following ecological parameters into a functional framework: a system of international ecological factors, a system of international ecological environment, and the international ecosophy “多元和谐, 交互共生” (duoyuan hexie, jiaohu gongsheng, ‘diversity and harmony, interaction and co-existence’). This integration builds an “ecological” interpersonal framework for international ecological discourse analysis, which is composed of an “ecological” Mood system, an “ecological” Modality system, and an “ecological” Appraisal system. The construction of an ecological interpersonal framework is accompanied by specific case analysis.
The significance of HERC5, IFIH1, SAMD4, SEMA3A and MCTP1 genes expression in resistance to cytotoxic drugs in ovarian cancer cell lines

Abstract Resistance to chemotherapy is the main obstacle in contemporary ovarian cancer treatment. The aim of this study was the evaluation of expression of HERC5, IFIH1, SAMD4, MCTP1 and SEMA3A mRNA and assessment their role in resistance to cisplatin, paclitaxel, doxorubicin and topotecan in seven ovarian cancer cell lines. MTT assay was used in resistance assessment. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure the expression levels of the genes. We observed different levels of resistance among cell lines. The resistance was not related to the expression of drug transporters genes. The expression of HERC5 and IFIH1 genes was upregulated, and the expression of SEMA3A gene was downregulated. Expression of SAMD4 was upregulated in PEA1, PEA2, and PEO23 cell lines, and expression of MCTP1 was downregulated in A2780, PEA2, and PEO23 cell lines. Upregulation of HERC5, IFIH1, and SAMD4 and downregulation of SEMA3A and MCTP1 in TOP-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines may suggest some role of those genes in topotecan resistance development.
Changing Ohio Corrections

ABSTRACT Ohio corrections has demonstrated an impressive and growing commitment to reform shaped by the extraordinary reach and collaborative efforts of Ed Latessa. Joining the University of Cincinnati as an assistant professor of criminal justice in 1980, Ed went on to grow the program in size and reputation and helped catalyze key rehabilitative ideas, collaborative networks, and research institutions over the next four decades. Through an “Ohio-centric” lens, this paper seeks to highlight Latessa’s unwavering devotion to helping correctional agencies adopt and implement evidence-based practices and the lasting imprint of his expansive portfolio of work that started in the Buckeye State.