Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Duration of Lactation and Maternal Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death of women across all ages, and targeting modifiable risk factors, such as those comprised in metabolic syndrome (MetS) (e.g., waist circumference, lipid profile, blood pressure, and blood glucose), is of great importance. An inverse association between lactation and CVD has been suggested, and lactation may decrease the risk of MetS. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined how lactation may affect the development and prevalence of MetS in women. A literature search was performed using Cinahl, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed. A total of 1286 citations were identified, and finally, ten studies (two prospective and eight cross-sectional) were included. Seven studies (two prospective and five cross-sectional) revealed associations between lactation and MetS, suggesting that breastfeeding might prevent or improve metabolic health and have a protective role in MetS prevention. This protective role might be related to the duration of lactation; however, a lack of controlling for potential confounders, such as parity, might inflict the results. The pooled effect was non-conclusive. Additional research is required to further explore the duration of lactation and its potential role in improving or reversing MetS and its components.
Chinese herbal fumigant and lotion for postoperative complication in surgical wound of anal fistula

Abstract Background: Surgery is the most common and effective therapy for anal fistula, while the postoperative complication, such as pain, edema, pruritus, turgescence, and exudation in surgical wound, can have serious impact on wound healing and patients’ quality of life. Chinese herbal fumigant and lotion have been commonly used in postoperative treatment and achieved satisfied effect in China. However, clinical evidence-based literature of Chinese herbal fumigant and lotion for postoperative anal fistula is not sufficient. This protocol is described for a systematic review to investigate the beneficial effects. Methods: A systematic search will be conducted in database involving PubMed, the Cochrane library, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SinoMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), VIP, Wanfang Database, CiNii(National Institute of Informatics), and KISS(Koreanstudies Information Service System) from inceptions to December 31, 2019. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCT) regarding Chinese herbal fumigant and lotion in the treatment of complication in surgical wound of anal fistula. Quality of included RCTs will be assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook 5.1. 0. GRADE will be used to assess the quality of evidence. The summary results will be pooled using the random-effects model or fixed-effects model according to the heterogeneity of included studies. Results: After peer-review, the study will be disseminated in scientific journals and conferences. Conclusion: This systematic review will provide evidence for the efficacy of Chinese herbal fumigant and lotion for curing postoperative complication of anal fistula. In addition, it might provide suggestions for Chinese medicine clinical practice or guideline. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020164975.
Spatial Metagenomics of Three Geothermal Sites in Pisciarelli Hot Spring Focusing on the Biochemical Resources of the Microbial Consortia

Terrestrial hot springs are of great interest to the general public and to scientists alike due to their unique and extreme conditions. These have been sought out by geochemists, astrobiologists, and microbiologists around the globe who are interested in their chemical properties, which provide a strong selective pressure on local microorganisms. Drivers of microbial community composition in these springs include temperature, pH, in-situ chemistry, and biogeography. Microbes in these communities have evolved strategies to thrive in these conditions by converting hot spring chemicals and organic matter into cellular energy. Following our previous metagenomic analysis of Pisciarelli hot springs (Naples, Italy), we report here the comparative metagenomic study of three novel sites, formed in Pisciarelli as result of recent geothermal activity. This study adds comprehensive information about phylogenetic diversity within Pisciarelli hot springs by peeking into possible mechanisms of adaptation to biogeochemical cycles, and high applicative potential of the entire set of genes involved in the carbohydrate metabolism in this environment (CAZome). This site is an excellent model for the study of biodiversity on Earth and biosignature identification, and for the study of the origin and limits of life.
Evolutionary Genomics of Niche-Specific Adaptation to the Cystic Fibrosis Lung in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract The comparative genomics of the transition of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a free-living environmental strain to one that causes chronic infection in the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients remain poorly studied. Chronic infections are thought to originate from colonization by a single strain sampled from a diverse, globally distributed population, followed by adaptive evolution to the novel, stressful conditions of the CF lung. However, we do not know whether certain clades are more likely to form chronic infections than others and we lack a comprehensive view of the suite of genes under positive selection in the CF lung. We analyzed whole-genome sequence data from 1,000 P. aeruginosa strains with diverse ecological provenances including the CF lung. CF isolates were distributed across the phylogeny, indicating little genetic predisposition for any one clade to cause chronic infection. Isolates from the CF niche experienced stronger positive selection on core genes than those derived from environmental or acute infection sources, consistent with recent adaptation to the lung environment. Genes with the greatest differential positive selection in the CF niche include those involved in core cellular processes such as metabolism, energy production, and stress response as well as those linked to patho-adaptive processes such as antibiotic resistance, cell wall and membrane modification, quorum sensing, biofilms, mucoidy, motility, and iron homeostasis. Many genes under CF-specific differential positive selection had regulatory functions, consistent with the idea that regulatory mutations play an important role in rapid adaptation to novel environments.
Efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for herpes zoster

Abstract Introduction: Herpes zoster (HZ) is currently treated primarily with antiviral drugs, yet this treatment has been debated. Acupuncture is becoming a more important treatment in this protocol. For example, pain intensity is lower among HZ patients who receive acupuncture plus moxibustion than among those who receive pharmacotherapy. There are many types of acupuncture interventions, including electroacupuncture, moxibustion, bloodletting. In this study, a network meta-analysis (NMA) is used to rank various interventions of acupuncture. Methods and analysis: Electronic searches of abstracts and titles will be performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CBM, CNKI, CQVIP, and Wanfang Data databases, from inception to December 31, 2019. Published and unpublished controlled trials with different acupuncture interventions will be selected, trials of antiviral drugs as the control group. All patients of HZ will be included, except for those diagnosed with PHN, immunocompromised patients, or those with complications. The effective therapy rate and the incidence of PHN are primary outcomes. The NMA will be analyzed with Stata 13.0 and GeMTC 0.14. 3. Discussion: The NMA will be established to compare various interventions of acupuncture for the therapy of HZ, that could resolve the limitations of previous methodologies with this protocol. It will be possible to determine the best acupuncture intervention for more primary outcomes of therapy, including subgroup analysis of patients with aged ≥50 years and those of aged <50 years. Ethics and dissemination: The NMA does not require ethical approval. The data analyzed is not personal. It is only systematically used to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments. The results will be disseminated through international conference reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts. Strength and limitations of this study: A comprehensive methodology is established to rank various interventions of acupuncture by which best evidence-based intervention may be recommended for those population groups of aged ≥50 years and aged <50 years. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019118369.
Being in the Moment So You Can Keep Moving Forward: Mindfulness and Rumination Mediate the Relationship between Attachment Orientations and Negative Conflict Styles

Attachment insecurity has been associated with negative behaviors during conflict and decreased relationship satisfaction. We theorize that individuals high in attachment anxiety and/or avoidance are less mindful during conflict with their romantic partners, and thus more likely to ruminate. Decreased mindfulness and higher levels of rumination may be important mechanisms in the relationship between attachment insecurity and conflict behavior, as it may be more difficult to engage in constructive problem-solving skills when one is distracted from the present moment. We conducted an online survey assessing 360 participants’ attachment orientations, levels of mindfulness and rumination, behavior during conflict, and experience with mindfulness activities. Using a serial mediation model, we found that mindfulness and rumination mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and negative conflict behaviors. We further discovered that individuals high in attachment insecurity were more likely to report negative experiences with mindfulness activities (i.e., meditation and yoga), and that this relationship was mediated by higher levels of experiential avoidance, or a fear of engaging with one’s own thoughts and feelings. We discuss the importance of increasing mindfulness and decreasing both rumination and experiential avoidance to assist individuals high in attachment insecurity in navigating relationship conflict using more constructive and relationship-promoting strategies.
Production of Antimicrobial Substances by Strains of Myxobacteria Corallococcus and Myxococcus

We prepared culture extracts of 174 Corallococcus and 207 Myxococcus strains isolated in Korea, and compared their antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The percentage of strains showing antifungal activity was lower in Corallococcus (7.5% [13 of the 174 strains]) than in Myxococcus (51.7% [107 of the 207 strains]). However, the percentage of strains exhibiting antibacterial activity was higher in Corallococcus (12.1% [21 strains]) than in Myxococcus (1% [2 strains]). The culture extracts of 6 Corallococcus strains inhibited both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus and displayed similar high-performance liquid chromatography chromatograms, although the shapes of their fruiting bodies were dissimilar. The rate of production of antibacterial substances was the highest when the strains were cultured in CYS medium for more than 6 days.
Immunohistochemical Observation of Osterix Appearing in the Mouse Orthodontic Periodontal Tissues

The purpose of the study is to investigate the expression of Osterix in the mouse orthodontic periodontal tissues using Waldo method. Immunohistochemecally in the control group, without experimental orthodontic mechanical stress, there was almost negative and/or quietly weekly positive reactions in the periodontal tissues. In the experimental group after 9 hours, orthodontic tension sties react positively. The positive reactions became stronger over time. The result suggest that Osterix expression in the orthodontic periodontal tension sides act as one of the key factors of osteagenic cell differentiatim.
Associations between maternal stress, early language behaviors, and infant electroencephalography during the first year of life

Abstract Associations have been observed between socioeconomic status (SES) and language outcomes from early childhood, but individual variability is high. Exposure to high levels of stress, often associated with low-SES status, might influence how parents and infants interact within the early language environment. Differences in these early language behaviors, and in early neurodevelopment, might underlie SES-based differences in language that emerge later on. Analysis of natural language samples from a predominantly low-/mid-income sample of mother-infant dyads, obtained using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system, found that maternal reports of exposure to stressful life events, and perceived stress, were negatively correlated with child vocalizations and conversational turns when infants were 6 and 12 months of age. Greater numbers of vocalizations and conversational turns were also associated with lower relative theta power and higher relative gamma power in 6- and 12-month baseline EEG – a pattern that might support subsequent language development.
RNA Sequencing of Hepatobiliary Cancer Cell Lines: Data and Applications to Mutational and Transcriptomic Profiling

Simple Summary Research on gallbladder cancer (GBC) has been largely neglected and molecular GBC data is underrepresented in public databases. Cancer cell lines constitute a valuable tool to examine the mechanisms of malignant transformation and identify potential therapeutic targets. Here we use RNA sequencing to characterize 23 commercial hepatobiliary cancer cell lines, including ten GBC cell lines, and provide detailed mutation and gene expression data to the research community. We illustrate the practical utility of the released information by (1) assessing the presence of specific mutations in the investigated cancer cell lines, (2) comparing global gene expression patterns in cell lines and primary biliary tumours and (3) examining the expression levels of specific genes. The released data and showcase applications will ease the design of in vitro cell culture assays for future studies. Abstract Cancer cell lines allow the identification of clinically relevant alterations and the prediction of drug response. However, sequencing data for hepatobiliary cancer cell lines in general, and particularly gallbladder cancer (GBC), are sparse. Here, we apply RNA sequencing to characterize 10 GBC, eight hepatocellular carcinoma, and five cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cell lines. RNA extraction, quality control, library preparation, sequencing, and pre-processing of sequencing data were implemented using state-of-the-art techniques. Public data from the MSK-IMPACT database and a large cohort of Japanese biliary tract cancer patients were used to illustrate the usage of the released data. The total number of exonic mutations varied from 7207 for the cell line NOZ to 9760 for HuCCT1. Researchers planning experiments that require TP53 mutations could use the cell lines NOZ, OCUG-1, SNU308, or YoMi. Mz-Cha-1 showed mutations in ATM, SNU308 presented SMAD4 mutations, and the only investigated cell line that showed ARID1A mutations was GB-d1. SNU478 was the cell line with the global gene expression pattern most similar to GBC, intrahepatic CCA, and extrahepatic CCA. EGFR, KMT2D, and KMT2C generally presented a higher expression in the investigated cell lines than in Japanese primary GBC tumors. We provide the scientific community with detailed mutation and gene expression data, together with three showcase applications, with the aim of facilitating the design of future in vitro cell culture assays for research on hepatobiliary cancer.
Cognition and Other Predictors of Functional Disability Among Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Background: Limitations in everyday functioning are frequently reported by veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Multiple factors are associated with functional disability among veterans, including depression, poor social support, cognition, and substance use. However, the degree to which these factors, particularly cognitive capacities, contribute to functional limitations remains unclear. Methods: We evaluated performance on tests of processing speed, executive functioning, attention, and memory as predictors of functioning on the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS) 2.0 in 288 veterans. Participants were placed in one of the following groups: PTSD-only, mTBI-only, mTBI + PTSD, and neither PTSD nor mTBI (deployed control group). Cognitive test performances were evaluated as predictors of WHODAS 2.0 functional ratings in regression models that included demographic variables and a range of mood, behavioral health, and postconcussive symptom ratings. Results: Multiple cognitive test performances predicted WHODAS 2.0 scores in the deployed control group, but they generally did not predict functioning in the clinical groups when accounting for demographics, mood, behavioral health, and postconcussive symptoms. Conclusions: In veterans with mTBI and/or PTSD, cognitive test performances are less associated with everyday functioning than mood and postconcussive symptoms.
Nurses’ Perspectives on Health Education and Health Literacy of Older Patients

In the context of population aging, enhancing the health of older patients has become an urgent issue for public health. Health education and health literacy need to be further understood from the healthcare providers’ standpoint to increase older patients’ effective application of such information into their daily lives. We aimed to further understand nurses’ perspectives on the education of older patients and their health literacy, as nurses are one of the frontline providers interacting with older patients. In total, 16 nurses and nurse practitioners who had 5 or more years of clinical experience participated. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews and emails. Data analysis followed the thematic analysis suggested by Braun and Clarke. Five themes emerged from the analysis, as follows: attitudes that are hard to change; physical and cognitive functional barriers to understanding teaching materials; family caregivers—surrogate vs. gatekeeper; major contexts that moderate the elderly’s health literacy; and strategies to enhance teaching effectiveness and health literacy. These findings illustrate the conditions pertinent to communication with older adults from the patients’, providers’ and healthcare delivery viewpoints. Systemic assistance and interventions specialized for older patients and their healthcare providers need to be developed and tested to improve clinical practice and patient health literacy.
Reproduction in the Granite Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus orcutti

Sceloporus orcutti was investigated from 1958 through 1961. On the basis of presence of motile sperm and large testis size, males were considered reproductively mature when they reached 90 mm snout-vent length. Adult lizards emerged from hibernation in January and February with relatively small testes. These organs reached maximum size in April, followed by a gradual decline during May, June, and July. Testes reached their smallest size in August and September. Males appeared to be potential breeders from mid-March to mid-August, when motile sperm were present in the vas deferens. Females were 85 mm (S.-V.) before they were believed sexually mature. Ova began to accumulate yolk in late April. Eggs were found in oviducts from late May to late July. Females averaged 11 eggs per clutch. The short period of time when females possessed eggs in the oviducts suggests that only one clutch of eggs is laid per year. An incubation experiment indicated a high relative humidity alone would not prevent excessive desiccation of eggs. The dates first hatchlings were seen varied from 30 July to 27 September. One of the major causes of variability in abundance of these lizards appeared to be reproductive success, which might be greatly influenced by seasonal rainfall.
Resveratrol protects retinal ganglion cells against ischemia induced damage by increasing Opa1 expression

Loss of idiopathic retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) leads to irreversible vision defects and is considered the primary characteristic of glaucoma. However, effective treatment strategies in terms of RGC neuroprotection remain elusive. In the present study, the protective effects of resveratrol on RGC apoptosis, and the mechanisms underlying its effects were investigated, with a particular emphasis on the function of optic atrophy 1 (Opa1). In an ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury model, the notable thinning of the retina, significant apoptosis of RGCs, reduction in Opa1 expression and long Opa1 isoform to short Opa1 isoform ratios (L-Opa1/S-Opa1 ratio) were observed, all of which were reversed by resveratrol administration. Serum deprivation resulted in reductions in R28 cell viability, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Opa1 expression and induced apoptosis, which were also partially reversed by resveratrol treatment. To conclude, results from the present study suggest that resveratrol treatment significantly reduced retinal damage and RGC apoptosis in I/R injury and serum deprivation models. In addition, resveratrol reversed the downregulated expression of Opa1 and reduced SOD activity. Mechanistically, resveratrol influenced mitochondrial dynamics by regulating the L-Opa1/S-Opa1 ratio. Therefore, these observations suggest that resveratrol may exhibit potential as a therapeutic agent for RGC damage in the future.
COVID-19 and primary care in six countries

With the focus of the COVID-19 pandemic on the many challenges in public health, acute and long-term care, what has happened within primary care has remained largely below the radar. Yet primary care physicians (family doctors and GPs) can constitute up to 50% of the medical workforce1 and are highly susceptible to contracting emerging infectious diseases themselves, as they are often the first point of contact people have with the health system.2 This article comments on what is happening to primary care provision in six well-resourced countries: Australia, New Zealand (NZ), Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US. Although primary care has been on the front line with COVID-19 cases, this has come at great cost. In all six countries, primary care physicians participated in the initial assessment and triage of people with possible COVID-19, although how that was done varied between countries, and was rarely in the physician’s office (Table 1). They decided who could be managed at home, and who needed specialist referral or hospital admission. Physicians often deferred routine follow-up visits in their offices, instead offering patients remote assessments by telephone, email, and videoconferencing, and assisting in assessment centres. View this table: Table 1. Site of primary care assessment of potential COVID patients in six countries.a Countries differed, however, in terms of pre-existing universal health coverage, pandemic readiness, and the level of government and public support for public health measures. We define support for public health measures as endorsement and general abidance with travel restrictions, physical distancing, use of masks, and minimising numbers of social contacts. Of the six countries, Australia and NZ were the best prepared. Both had universal health coverage and up-to-date pandemic plans. In Australia, guidelines were in place for GPs for both pandemic influenza and public health emergencies.3,4 Widespread testing was rapidly established, and national and state governments assisted in the provision of personal …