Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consequences of Type-2 diabetes mellitus and Malaria co-morbidity on sperm parameters in men; a case-control study in a district hospital in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and malaria infection are highly prevalent in Africa particularly, in the Sub-Saharan Region. A greater number of people in the Ghanaian population who have T2DM are also reported to harbor malaria parasites. This study aimed to investigate the influence of T2DM & Malaria co-morbidity on sperm parameters among patients in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. This hospital-based cross-sectional analytic case-control study comprised 254 adult male study participants comprising 80 T2DM & Malaria co-morbidity, 80 T2DM only, and 94 normal controls. A blood sample (10mL) was drawn from each participant to measure FBG, HbA1c levels, Testosterone levels, Total cholesterol, and determination of Malaria parasite density. Seminal fluid was also collected from each participant for semen analysis. Sperm kinetics of the T2DM & Malaria co-morbidity group particularly; total motility, rapid progressive motility, and slow progressive motility were negatively affected compared to both T2DM only (p<0.0001) and the Normal control (p<0.0001). Normal sperm morphology was significantly affected in the co-morbidity group compared to T2DM only (p<0.0001). Sperm vitality was also statistically significantly reduced in the T2DM & Malaria co-morbidity than in T2DM only (t (64) = -8.62; p<0.001). There was a significant decline in testosterone levels in the T2DM & Malaria co-morbidity group than in the T2DM only (p<0.0001) and the control (p <0.0001). In conclusion, T2DM and malaria infection have a stronger propensity to alter sperm morphology and lower sperm motility and vitality.
Exploration of Flexible Pes Planus as a Potential Risk Factor for Cardiac Pathologies in Pediatric Cases

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between flexible pes planus (FPP) and cardiac pathologies in pediatric patients, with a particular emphasis on hypermobility status. Methods: Between January and June 2022, a retrospective screening was conducted on a total of 68 patients aged between 6 and 18 years who had been diagnosed with FPP. Eight patients were excluded from the study due to suspicion of connective tissue or neuromuscular diseases following systemic examinations conducted by a pediatric specialist. The included 60 patients underwent comprehensive cardiac examinations conducted by pediatric cardiology specialists and were evaluated through echocardiography (ECHO) as part of the study. Simultaneously, a control group of healthy individuals aged 6 to 18, without a diagnosis of pes planus (PP), was selected from those who applied for health reports for the purpose of obtaining sports licenses. Patients diagnosed with FPP were compared to a control group in terms of the presence of cardiac pathology. Furthermore, the Beighton Hypermobility Scores (BHSs) of patients diagnosed with FPP were compared based on the presence of cardiac pathology. Results: A total of 60 patients (40 males, 20 females) diagnosed with FPP were included in the study, and a control group consisting of 453 healthy individuals (287 males, 166 females) was selected. The incidence of cardiac pathology in patients diagnosed with FPP (23.3%) was found to be significantly higher compared to the control group (7%) (p <0.01). The risk of cardiac pathology in patients diagnosed with FPP was determined to be four times higher compared to the control group (Odds ratio: 4 (1.993-8.046), p<0.01). Among patients with FPP, individuals who were found to have cardiac pathology had statistically significantly higher average BHSs compared to those without cardiac pathology (p: 0.043). Conclusions: Our study suggested that there may be a significant relationship between FPP and high cardiac pathology risk in pediatric patients. We observed a significant increase in the incidence of cardiac pathologies among patients diagnosed with FPP. Additionally, the presence of higher hypermobility scores among patients diagnosed with FPP suggests a potential connection between the two. In the evaluation of FPP in the pediatric population, it should be considered as a potential risk factor for cardiac pathologies and its potential association with hypermobility.
"My doctor self and my human self": A qualitative study of physicians' presentation of self on social media

Introduction When using social media, physicians are encouraged and trained to maintain separate professional and personal identities. However, this separation is difficult and even undesirable, as the blurring of personal and professional online presence can influence patient trust. Thus, to develop policies and educational resources that are more responsive to the blurring of personal and professional boundaries on social media, this study aims to provide an understanding of how physicians present themselves holistically online. Methods 28 physicians based in the United States that use social media were interviewed. Participants were asked to describe how and why they use social media, specifically Twitter (rebranded as "X" in July 2023), which is especially popular among physicians. Interviews were complimented by data from participants' Twitter profiles. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis guided by Goffman's theory of presentation of self. This theory uses the metaphor of a stage to characterize how individuals attempt to control the aspects of the identities-or faces-they display during social interactions. Results We identified seven faces presented by the participants. Participants crafted and maintained these faces through discursive choices in their tweets and profiles, which were motivated by their perceived audience. We identified overlaps and tensions that arise at the intersections of faces, which posed professional and personal challenges for participants. Conclusions Physicians strategically emphasize their more professional or personal faces according to their objectives and motivations in different communicative situations, and tailor their language and content to better reach their target audiences. While tensions arise in between these faces, physicians still prefer to project a rounded, integral image of themselves on social media. This suggests a need to reconsider social media policies and related educational initiatives to better align with the realities of these digital environments.
Velocity Field of the Aegean-Anatolian Region from 3D Finite Element Models

In order to investigate the geodynamic processes and rheological parameters, which are principally responsible for the observed surface deformation, a three-dimensional finite element model of the Eastern Mediterranean was built up. The northward movement of the Arabian and the African plate relative to the Eurasian plate has been assumed to control the tectonic evolution of the Aegean-Anatolian block since the Miocene. The indentation of Arabia forces the Anatolian region to escape westwards along the North and the East Anatolian fault, whilst the Aegean region is extended by southward retreat of the Hellenic arc subduction zone. Major faults were modelled as contact surfaces with Coulomb friction. Boundary conditions imposed were the slab pull beneath the Hellenic arc and the northward movement of the African and the Arabian plate using a rigid plate model. An elasto-visco-plastic rheology was applied for the modeling time of 0.5 Ma. By varying the properties a set of parameters was determined which gives a minimal mean deviation between the modeled velocity field and GPS data from 45 observation sites. This comparison is considered justified, since even though the geodetic observations are representing a short time period, the geodetically derived displacement rates coincide with long-term rates derived from seismicity and fault-slip data. The best-fitting model was attained with the following parameters: (a) friction coefficient between 0.2 and 0.45 along the subduction zones and the main faults, (b) slab pull stresses of 150 MPa, (c) cohesive strength of 460 MPa in Anatolia (compressional regime) and (d) cohesive strength
Synergistic combination of doxorubicin with hydralazine, and disulfiram against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Disulfiram and hydralazine have recently been reported to have anti-cancer action, and repositioned to be used as adjuvant in cancer therapy. Chemotherapy combined with other medications, such as those that affect the immune system or epigenetic cell profile, can overcome resistance with fewer adverse effects compared to chemotherapy alone. In the present study, a combination of doxorubicin (DOX) with hydrazine (Hyd) and disulfiram (Dis), as a triple treatment, was evaluated against wild-type and DOX-resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Both wild-type MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7_WT) and DOX-resistant MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7_DoxR) were treated with different combination ratios of DOX, Dis, and Hyd followed by measuring the cell viability using the MTT assay. Synergism was determined using a combination index, isobologram analysis, and dose-reducing index. The anti-proliferation activity and mechanism of the triple combination were investigated by apoptosis analysis. The results showed a reduction in the IC50 values of DOX in MCF-7_WT cells (from 0.24 μM to 0.012 μM) and MCF-7_DoxR cells (from 1.13 μM to 0.44 μM) when treated with Dis (0.03μM), and Hyd (20μM) combination. Moreover, The triple combination DOX/Hyd/Dis induced significant apoptosis in both MCF-7_WT and MCF-7_DoxR cells compared to DOX alone. The triple combination of DOX, Dis, and Hyd showed a synergistic drugs combination to decrease the DOX dose needed to kill both MCF-7_WT and MCF-7_DoxR cancer cells and enhanced chemosensitivity to DOX.
Diffusion theory improves chamber‐based measurements of trace gas emissions

Chambers temporarily sealed to the soil surface are an important and for many purposes the only means of measuring trace gas emissions to the atmosphere. However, past interpretations of chamber data systematically underestimated actual emission rates in most applications because they ignored or poorly modeled the effect of the chamber on the gas exchange process. To address this issue, we introduce a time‐dependent diffusion model applicable to non‐steady‐state chamber observations and evaluate its performance, as well as that of previously published models, using concentration data simulated by an independent, 3‐dimensional numeric diffusion model. The results demonstrate that commonly cited past measurement practices underestimate emission rates 15% to 25% under most circumstances and that the error varies with chamber height, soil air‐filled porosity and flux model used to interpret the concentration data. In contrast, our model proved accurate and readily applicable over the entire range of soil and chamber dimensions evaluated.
Coevolution of the CDCA7-HELLS ICF-related nucleosome remodeling complex and DNA methyltransferases

5-Methylcytosine (5mC) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are broadly conserved in eukaryotes but are also frequently lost during evolution. The mammalian SNF2 family ATPase HELLS and its plant ortholog DDM1 are critical for maintaining 5mC. Mutations in HELLS, its activator CDCA7, and the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3B, cause immunodeficiency-centromeric instability-facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome, a genetic disorder associated with the loss of DNA methylation. We here examine the coevolution of CDCA7, HELLS and DNMTs. While DNMT3, the maintenance DNA methyltransferase DNMT1, HELLS, and CDCA7 are all highly conserved in vertebrates and green plants, they are frequently co-lost in other evolutionary clades. The presence-absence patterns of these genes are not random; almost all CDCA7 harboring eukaryote species also have HELLS and DNMT1 (or another maintenance methyltransferase, DNMT5). Coevolution of presence-absence patterns (CoPAP) analysis in Ecdysozoa further indicates coevolutionary linkages among CDCA7, HELLS, DNMT1 and its activator UHRF1. We hypothesize that CDCA7 becomes dispensable in species that lost HELLS or DNA methylation, and/or the loss of CDCA7 triggers the replacement of DNA methylation by other chromatin regulation mechanisms. Our study suggests that a unique specialized role of CDCA7 in HELLS-dependent DNA methylation maintenance is broadly inherited from the last eukaryotic common ancestor.
Seismic transpressive basement faults and monocline development in a foreland basin (Eastern Guadalquivir, SE Spain)

We examine the late Tortonian to present‐day deformation of an active seismic sector of the eastern Iberian foreland basement of the Betic Cordillera, in southern Spain. Transpressive faults affecting Paleozoic basement offset up to Triassic rocks. Late Triassic clays and evaporites constitute a décollement level decoupling the basement rocks and a ~100 m thick cover of Jurassic carbonates. Monoclines trending NE‐SW to ENE‐WSW deform the Jurassic cover driven by the propagation of high‐angle transpressive right‐lateral basement faults. They favor the migration of clays and evaporites toward the propagated fault tip, i.e., the core of the anticline, resulting in fluid overpressure, fluid flow, and precipitation of fibrous gypsum parallel to a vertical σ3. The overall geometry of the studied monoclines, as well as the intense deformation within the clays and evaporites, reproduces three‐layer discrete element models entailing a weak middle unit sandwiched between strong layers. Late Tortonian syn‐folding sediments recorded the initial stages of the fault‐propagation folding. Equivalent unexposed transpressive structures and associated monoclines reactivated under the present‐day NW‐SE convergence are recognized and analyzed in the Sabiote‐Torreperogil region, using seismic reflection, gravity, and borehole data. A seismic series of more than 2100 low‐magnitude earthquakes was recorded within a very limited area of the basement of this sector from October 2012 to May 2013. Seismic activity within a major NE‐SW trending transpressive basement fault plane stimulated rupture along a subsidiary E‐W (~N95°E) strike‐slip relay fault. The biggest event (mbLg 3.9, MW 3.7) occurred at the junction between them in a transpressive relay sector.
Soil biological activity after a sixty-year fertilization practice in a wheat-maize crop rotation

This study aimed to survey the long-term effects of fertilization practices on the functional diversity of the soil microbiota. A 60-year fertilization experiment with mineral fertilizers, farmyard manure and combined treatments was sampled in two consecutive years in maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Soil chemical properties, plant growth and physiological parameters were measured. The MicroRespTM method was applied to assess the community level physiological profiles (CLPPs) of the rhizosphere soil, and the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) colonization of the roots was determined. Samples were taken in the early vegetative stages, at flowering, and at harvest in both years. The measured parameters were analysed using multifactorial ANOVA to determine treatment effects, crop-dependent differences, and seasonality. PCA analysis was performed on the data matrix to reveal more complex correspondences, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation was used to confirm relationships between some of the measured soil and plant parameters. Fertilization treatments caused long-term changes in some biological parameters such as: MicroRespTM parameters, citrate utilization, total substrate-induced respiration value, and the ratio of utilization of amino acids and sugars. The rate of AMF colonization responded mainly to the plant nutrition status and the plant requirements, suggesting a plant-mediated effect in the case of mycorrhiza. Mineral nitrogen fertilization and soil acidification were found to be the main factors affecting the catabolic activity of soil microbiota, while AMF colonization responded to the balance of plant nutrition.
The dynamics of entrepreneurial agglomeration formation: Social selection and simulation

From the facts that numerous regions with initially similar economic conditions end up with different levels of entrepreneurial agglomeration, this paper constructs a model assuming that the sequential entrants make their career choices based on existing entrepreneurial ratio and describing the dynamics of entrepreneurial agglomeration formation. After mathematical analysis and numerical simulation using NetLogo, it is found that under social selection, a nonlinear Polya process with self-reinforcing and path-dependency characters will emerge, and the repeated entrants’ career choices will lead to the agglomeration of entrepreneurship; the agent’s risk compensation value, the initial population of agents, the number of role models in the early stage and the initial entrepreneurial ratio are determinants to the formation of entrepreneurial agglomeration. The findings confirm that entrepreneurship has “memory” and the entrepreneurial history could have influence on the future. In order to forge the entrepreneurial agglomeration, our suggestions include exerting influence on the determinants from an early age, and improving the individual’s risk-taking abilities.
Spatio-temporal evolution of acoustic emission events and initiation of stress fields in the fracturing of rock mass around a roadway under cyclic high-stress loading

To study fracture mechanisms and initiation of stress fields in the rock mass around a roadway subjected to cyclic stress, a series of loading and unloading tests were conducted on the rock mass around the roadway by using high-precision acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. The results show that intense AE activities occur in a specimen during cyclic load-holding at different levels. With the increase in the number of cycles, the overall stability of the specimen gradually decreases. In the cyclic loading and unloading process, the specimen exhibits a Kaiser effect. As the number of cycles increases, more AE events occur in the unloading stage and a Felicity effect is manifest. The spatial distribution of AE events is related to the stress regime and structure of the specimen, crack propagation in the roadway exhibits directionality due to effects of the principal stress. High stress is conducive to microcrack initiation and propagation in the specimen, which accelerates damage accumulation and macrofracture formation in a rock mass. The research provides a reference for roadway support work and disaster prevention and control in deep mines.
Regulation of Vg 1 biogenesis during mesendoderm induction

The TGF-beta signals Vg1 and Nodal form heterodimers to induce the vertebrate mesendoderm. The Vg1 proprotein is a monomer retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is processed and secreted upon heterodimerization with Nodal. Here we investigate the mechanisms underlying Vg1 retention, processing, secretion and signaling in zebrafish. First, using a newly devised Synthetic Processing (SynPro) system, we find that Vg1 can be processed by intraor extracellular proteases. Second, Vg1 can be processed without Nodal but requires Nodal for secretion and signaling. Third, Vg1-Nodal signaling activity requires Vg1 processing, whereas Nodal can remain unprocessed. Fourth, Vg1 employs exposed cysteines, glycosylated asparagines, and BiP chaperone-binding motifs for monomer retention in the ER. Our results establish SynPro as a new in vivo processing system and define molecular mechanisms and motifs that facilitate the generation of active Vg1-Nodal heterodimers. These observations suggest two strategies for rapid mesendoderm induction: chaperone-binding motifs help store Vg1 as an inactive but ready-toheterodimerize monomer in the ER, and the flexibility of Vg1 processing location allows efficient generation of active heterodimers both intraand extracellularly.
Complexity of D″ in the presence of slab‐debris and phase changes

A lower mantle S‐wave triplication with a Scd branch is easily observed beneath Central American and its lateral variations has been studied extensively. Attempts to model Scd depth variations with a phase boundary based on tomography predict smooth variations [e.g., Sidorin et al., 1999a]. Recently, Hutko et al. [2005] presents evidence of a sharper feature with a vertical step‐like jump of over 50 km, for paths sampling the western edge of a fast lower mantle structure beneath the Cocos Plate. We present a similar type of very anomalous Scd waveforms sampling the edge further to the east. We are able to model these waveforms by adopting the phase‐boundary model but enhancing the existing tomographic anomaly just above the velocity jump, which appears to be a folded‐slab.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Pediatric Feeding Disorder in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Background: The exact prevalence of feeding problems in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) is unknown. Pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) encompasses poor oral intake with associated medical, nutrition, psychosocial, or feeding skill dysfunction. We hypothesized that PFD is common in CF and aimed to categorize feeding dysfunction across various domains in children with CF. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in children with CF. Data collected included anthropometrics, nutrition data (including need for tube feeding/enteral nutrition [EN] or high-energy beverages, dietary diversity), feeding skills (Pediatric version of the Eating Assessment tool [pEAT]), and psychosocial function (About Your Child’s Eating questionnaire [AYCE] in children 2–17 years of age/Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale [BPFAS] in children 12–23 months of age). PFD was defined as poor oral intake with: (a) pEAT score > 5; and/or (b) AYCE or BPFAS score > 2 standard deviation of normative controls; and/or (c) nutrition dysfunction (body mass index/weight-for-length z score < −1 and/or preference of oral high energy beverages or dependence on EN and/or decreased dietary diversity). Results: Of 103 children in the study, 62 (60.1%) had PFD, 7 children (6.8%) were malnourished, 10 needed EN (9.7%), and 30 (29.1%) needed oral high-energy beverages. Dietary diversity was decreased in 42 children (41.5%), 1 child had feeding skill dysfunction, and 11 (10.8%) met criteria for psychosocial dysfunction. Conclusion: Almost 2/3rd of children with CF have PFD and many have poor dietary diversity. A significant percentage of children rely on EN and oral supplements, but psychosocial dysfunction is less prevalent.