Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Okinawan-Based Nordic Diet Leads to Profound Effects on Gut Microbiota and Plasma Metabolites Linked to Glucose and Lipid Metabolism

Dietary interventions modify gut microbiota and clinical outcomes. Weight reduction and improved glucose and lipid homeostasis were observed after adopting an Okinawan-based Nordic diet (O-BN) in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the present study was to explore changes in metabolomics and gut microbiota during O-BN and correlate changes with clinical outcomes. A total of 30 patients (17 women), aged 57.5 ± 8.2 years, diabetes duration 10.4 ± 7.6 years, 90% over-weight, were included. Participants were provided an O-BN for 12 weeks. Before and after intervention, and 16 weeks afterwards, anthropometry and clinical data were estimated and questionnaires were collected, as well as samples of blood and stool. Plasma metabolomics were determined by gas- (GC-MS) or liquid- (LC-MS) chromatography-based mass spectrometry and fecal microbiota determination was based on 16S rRNA amplicons from regions V1–V2. During the intervention, weight (6.8%), waist circumference (6.1%), and levels of glucose, HbA1c, insulin, triglycerides, and cholesterol were decreased. Of 602 metabolites, 323 were changed for any or both periods; 199 (101 lipids) metabolites were decreased while 58 (43 lipids) metabolites were increased during the intervention. Changes in glucose homeostasis were linked to changes in, e.g., 1,5-anhydroglucitol, thyroxine, and chiro-inositol. Changes of microbe beta diversity correlated positively with food components and negatively with IL-18 (p = 0.045). Abundance differences at phylum and genus levels were found. Abundances of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia correlated with anthropometry, HbA1c, lipids, inflammation, and food. Changes in metabolites and microbiota were reversed after the intervention. The O-BN-induced changes in metabolomics and gut microbiota correspond to clinical outcomes of reduced weight and inflammation and improved glucose and lipid metabolism.
High Expression of Adrenal Cortisol Synthases Is Acquired After Intrauterine Inflammation in Periviable Sheep Fetuses

Abstract Context Intrauterine inflammation, a representative stressor for the fetus, has been shown to alter the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity in preterm fetuses and increase postnatal cortisol production. However, the mechanism of this alteration has not yet been elucidated. Objective We aimed to clarify the effects of endotoxin-induced intrauterine inflammation on the HPA axis of periviable sheep fetuses. Methods Fetal sheep (0.63 term) were divided into 2 groups: (1) the endotoxin group, in which the endotoxin was injected into the amniotic fluid; and (2) the control group, in which the saline solution was injected instead. A corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) challenge test was performed on the third day after injection to evaluate the cortisol-producing capacity of each group. Gene expression levels in the fetal adrenal glands of each group were analyzed by RNA-seq. Results The cortisol levels were significantly higher in the endotoxin group than in the control group after CRH challenge (P = .02). There were no significant differences in the responsiveness of adrenocorticotropin and cortisone between the 2 groups. Gene expression levels of the following enzymes involved in cortisol synthesis were significantly elevated in the endotoxin group: cytochrome P450 family (CYP) 11 subfamily A member 1 (log2FC 1.75), CYP 17 subfamily A member 1 (log2FC 3.41), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I (log2FC 1.13), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (log2FC 1.09), and CYP 21 (log2FC 0.89). Conclusion Periviable fetuses exposed to inflammation in utero have altered the responsiveness of the HPA axis with increased expression of enzymes involved in cortisol synthesis in the adrenal gland.
Relationship between Q-Tip Test and Urethral Hypermobility on Perineal Ultrasound

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between the overall rest–stress distance measured by transperineal ultrasound (TPUS) and Q-tip test angle in women with urodynamic stress incontinence (USI), and determine a cut-off value of rest–stress distance for predicting urethral hypermobility (UH). Methods: Women with USI scheduled for mid-urethral sling surgery were retrospectively recruited. UH was defined as a Q-tip angle more than or equal to 30 degrees. Ultrasonic measurement of the overall rest–stress distance was defined as the linear distance of bladder-neck position change from resting status to maximal strain. Results: Among the 132 enrolled women, the Pearson correlation coefficient between the overall rest–stress distance in TPUS and Q-tip test angle was 0.9104 (95% CI, 0.8758–0.9357, p < 0.001). In receiver-operating-characteristic-curve analysis, a rest–stress distance of more than 13.3 mm was an optimal cut-off value to predict UH (sensitivity = 76.47%, specificity = 93.3%; area = 0.937, 95% confidence interval: 0.881–0.972). Conclusions: The overall rest–stress distance in TPUS correlated well with the Q-tip test angle, indicating that it can be an alternative method for the assessment of USI. A rest–stress distance of more than 13.3 mm was an optimal cut-off value to predict UH in women with USI.
Prescription and Effects of Cardiorespiratory Training in Individuals with Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review

This study aims to systematize effects of cardiorespiratory training (CT) programs in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and identifying the fundamental and structuring aspects for the prescription of CT. This systematic review was carried out through four databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus), considering data from the period between 2013 and 2022. From 257 studies, 12 studies were included in this systematic review. Three studies used interval CT, while seven used continuous CT. Seven were carried out in the population with Down syndrome, while only three were carried out with participants with ID. The CT programs had the following characteristics: duration of 8 to 12 weeks, weekly frequency of three sessions, for 20 to 60 min, the intensity of 50% to 80% of maximal heart rate or 70% to 80% of peak oxygen consumption, using an ergometer cycle or an outdoor walking. The studies reported improvements in cardiorespiratory function, lipid, hemodynamic and metabolic profile, body composition, and neuromuscular and cognitive capacity. This review presents characteristics and recommendations that technicians can follow when structuring, prescribing, and implementing CT programs to individuals with ID.
Interpolating High-Resolution Well Log Volume Using Seismic Dip Vectors and Control Grids

The URTeC Technical Program Committee accepted this presentation on the basis of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). The contents of this paper have not been reviewed by URTeC and URTeC does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information herein. All information is the responsibility of, and, is subject to corrections by the author(s). Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this paper does so at their own risk. The information herein does not necessarily reflect any position of URTeC. Any reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of URTeC is prohibited.
Cosmological implications from supersymmetric axion models - origin of matter and its fluctuations

The matter-antimatter asymmetry and the existence of dark matter are unsolved mysteries that current cosmology and the Standard Model cannot explain. Supersymmetry (SUSY), the symmetry of bosons and fermions, adds a full new set of partner particles to the Standard Model and the partner particles are thought to be candidates of dark matter. On the other hand, axion is a particle beyond the Standard Model, which is introduced as a solution of the strong CP problem. Thus, we consider axion models in the framework of SUSY that solve these problems. In SUSY axion models, axino, a supersymmetric partner of the axion exists and is also a candidate for dark matter. In this thesis, we investigate SUSY axion models that solve the matter-antimatter asymmetry and the dark matter problem simultaneously. The Aﬄeck-Dine (AD) mechanism is a promising baryogenesis model that explains the matter-antimatter asymmetry, and can generate a non-topological soliton, Q -ball during generating the baryon number. If one assumes that Q -balls decay into dark matter particles, baryons and dark matter have same origin, Q -ball. Therefore the Q -ball decay can naturally explain the observational fact that the energy densities of the two components are at some order. In the thesis, we assume axino dark matter and the gauge mediated SUSY breaking to produce Q -balls. The decay takes place well before the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) and also the decay into the supersymmetric particles of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is kinematically prohibited until the very end of the decay. As a result, we can safely make their abundances small enough for the successful BBN. and Planck observations, we constrain the axion model parameters.
Hybrid Weighting Schemes For Collaborative Filtering

Neighborhood based algorithms are one of the most common approaches to Collaborative Filtering (CF). The core element of these algorithms is similarity computation between items or users. It is reasonable to assume that some ratings of a user bear more information than others. Weighting the ratings proportional to their importance is known as feature weighting. Nevertheless in practice, none of the existing weighting schemes results in significant improvement to the quality of recommendations. In this paper, we suggest a new weighting scheme based on Matrix Factorization (MF). In our scheme, the importance of each rating is estimated by comparing the coordinates of users (items) taken from a latent feature space computed through Matrix Factorization (MF). Moreover, we review the effect of a large number of weighting schemes on item based and user based algorithms. The effect of various influential parameters is studied running extensive simulations on two versions of the Movielens dataset. We will show that, unlike the existing weighting schemes, ours can improve the performance of CF algorithms. Furthermore, their cascading capitalizes on each other's improvement.
Trypanosoma cruzi Secreted Cyclophilin TcCyP19 as an Early Marker for Trypanocidal Treatment Efficiency

Cyclophilins (CyPs) are a family of enzymes involved in protein folding. Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, has a 19-kDa cyclophilin, TcCyP19, that was found to be secreted in parasite stages of the CL Brener clone and recognized by sera from T. cruzi-infected mice and patients. The levels of specific antibodies against TcCyP19 in T. cruzi-infected mice and subjects before and after drug treatment were measured by an in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mice in the acute and chronic phase of infection, with successful trypanocidal treatments, showed significantly lower anti-TcCyP19 antibody levels than untreated mice. In children and adults chronically infected with T. cruzi, a significant decrease in the anti-TcCyP19 titers was observed after 12 months of etiological treatment. This decrease was maintained in adult chronic patients followed-up 30–38 months post-treatment. These results encourage further studies on TcCyP19 as an early biomarker of trypanocidal treatment efficiency.
Implementing Electronic Discharge Communication Tools in Pediatric Emergency Departments: Multicountry, Cross-Sectional Readiness Survey of Nurses and Physicians

Background Pediatric emergency departments (ED) in many countries are implementing electronic tools such as kiosks, mobile apps, and electronic patient portals, to improve the effectiveness of discharge communication. Objective This study aimed to survey nurse and physician readiness to adopt these tools. Methods An electronic, cross-sectional survey was distributed to a convenience sample of currently practicing ED nurses and physicians affiliated with national pediatric research organizations in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Survey development was informed by the nonadoption, abandonment, scale-up, spread, sustainability framework. Measures of central tendency, and parametric and nonparametric tests were used to describe and compare nurse and physician responses. Results Out of the 270 participants, the majority were physicians (61%, 164/270), female (65%, 176/270), and had 5 or more years of ED experience (76%, 205/270). There were high levels of consensus related to the value proposition of electronic discharge communication tools (EDCTs) with 82% (221/270) of them agreeing that they help parents and patients with comprehension and recall. Lower levels of consensus were observed for organizational factors with only 37% (100/270) agreeing that their staff is equipped to handle challenges with communication technologies. Nurses and physicians showed significant differences on 3 out of 21 readiness factors. Compared to physicians, nurses were significantly more likely to report that EDs have a responsibility to integrate EDCTs as part of a modern system (P<.001) and that policies are in place to guide safe and secure electronic communication (P=.02). Physicians were more likely to agree that using an EDCT would change their routine tasks (P=.04). One third (33%, 89/270) of participants indicated that they use or have used EDCT. Conclusions Despite low levels of uptake, both nurses and physicians in multiple countries view EDCTs as a valuable support to families visiting pediatric ED. Leadership for technology change, unclear impact on workflow, and disparities in digital literacy skills require focused research effort.
The Cauchy problem for nonlinear hyperbolic systems

On etudie l'existence locale et l'unicite des solutions de la classe de Gevrey du probleme de Cauchy pour les systemes non lineaires hyperboliques non stricts. On reduit les systemees hyperboliques non stricts aux systemes paraboliques par l'application exponentielle et on demontre le theoreme d'existence de solutions en appliquant le theoreme de point fixe de Schauder
EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION PLAN IN SMALL TO MEDIUM ENTERPRISES’ PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA

The South African Government, through the Department of Transport (DoT), offers financial support to various engineering companies to use in their road construction projects to improve the country’s road infrastructure. However, many road projects allocated to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are not completed on schedule. Communication plan was used as a lens to track essential elements involved in ensuring project success. A probability stratified random sampling method was used to select 34 respondents from the DOT who completed questionnaires as part of this quantitative study. Employees of the DoT’s Finance department in KwaZulu-Natal province were chosen because they were well placed to highlight the communication plan followed and challenges experienced in handling financial contracts and monitoring of such between themselves and the SMEs. On the one hand, the respondents generally claimed to have sound measures to monitor the progress of funded projects and apply appropriate techniques to cope with awarded contracts. On the other hand, they conceded that poor planning and poor communication management were the main challenges facing the department. The study calls for regular, open communication to enhance the success of projects which should be monitored in every phase following clear performance indicators. If problems are identified, a communication strategy to resolve them should be established; this strategy should be evaluated against its objectives.
The effect of oxygen vacancy on switching mechanism of ZnO resistive switching memory

Oxygen vacancy (Vo) is believed to control the switching mechanism of metal oxide resistive switching memory. However, an accurate and quantitative theory to prove this point of view remains absent. In this letter, we propose a model combining the Poole-Frenkel effect, space charge limited current, and the modification of Vo density to simulate the current-voltage curves. The calculated results show reasonable agreements with the experimental data, which indicates that resistive switching between high resistance state and low resistance state in the devices of Al/ZnO/p+-Si is led by the density change of Vo. Furthermore, the essence of this leading effect of Vo density is explained by electrons capture and emission via oxygen vacancies. This research demonstrates the significance of Vo in theory and gives an insight into the switching mechanism.
A Maximum Entropy Model of the Distribution of Dengue Serotype in Mexico

Pathogen strain diversity is an important driver of the trajectory of epidemics. The role of bioclimatic factors on the spatial distribution of dengue virus (DENV) serotypes has, however, not been previously studied. Hence, we developed municipality-scale environmental suitability maps for the four dengue virus serotypes using maximum entropy modeling. We fit climatic variables to municipality presence records from 2012 to 2020 in Mexico. Bioclimatic variables were explored for their environmental suitability to different DENV serotypes, and the different distributions were visualized using three cutoff probabilities representing 90%, 95%, and 99% sensitivity. Municipality-level results were then mapped in ArcGIS. The overall accuracy for the predictive models was 0.69, 0.68, 0.75, and 0.72 for DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4, respectively. Important predictors of all DENV serotypes were the growing degree days for December, January, and February, which are an indicator of higher temperatures and the precipitation of the wettest month. The minimum temperature of the coldest month between −5°C and 20°C was found to be suitable for DENV-1 and DENV-2 serotypes. Respectively, above 700–900 mm of rainfall, the suitability for DENV-1 and DENV-2 begins to decline, while higher humidity still favors DENV-3 and DENV-4. The sensitivity concerning the suitability map was developed for Mexico. DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4 serotypes will be found more commonly in the municipalities classified as suitable based on their respective sensitivity of 91%, 90%, 89%, and 85% in Mexico. As the microclimates continue to change, specific bioclimatic indices may be used to monitor potential changes in DENV serotype distribution. The suitability for DENV-1 and DENV-2 is expected to increase in areas with lower minimum temperature ranges, while DENV-3 and DENV-4 will likely increase in areas that experience higher humidity. Ongoing surveillance of municipalities with predicted suitability of 89% and 85% should be expanded to account for the accurate DENV serotype prevalence and association between bioclimatic parameters.
Sterile Fecal Filtrate From A Healthy Donor Improves Microbial Diversity In Patients With Hepatic Encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) remains one of the most debilitating complications of liver cirrhosis. Changes in gut microbiome composition have been linked to liver diseases and its complications including HE. Recent randomized controlled trials showed fecal microbiota transplantation to be safe and effective in HE treatment, however transferring unidentified live bacteria could cause various complications, including infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sterile fecal filtrate transfer (SFFT) for the modulation of the intestinal microbiome of patients with cirrhosis and HE. METHODS A custom-made air pressure filtration device was used for the sterile fecal filtrate preparation. Seven patients received SFFT from the same healthy donor. Patients were monitored at least 30 days after the procedure. Cognition tests, blood and stool sampling were performed to assess the safety and efficacy of SFFT on HE, liver function, and stool microbiome composition on follow-up days 7 and 30. RESULTS SFFT was well tolerated and resulted in fluctuations in the microbial composition of study participants: α-diversity increased in 4/7 of the patients, without robust engraftment of donors' microbial composition as assessed by β-diversity analysis. No significant effect on cognition tests or liver function was noted after the procedure. One death occurred three months after the procedure, however, it was not related to the SFFT. CONCLUSIONS Despite the effect on the gut microbiome, we did not observe robust improvement in patients' liver function or HE cognition tests after the procedure.
Associations between patterns of physical activity, pain intensity, and interference among older adults with chronic pain: a secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials

Background: Clinical management of chronic pain often includes recommendations to engage in physical activity (PA), though there are little data on the interplay between pain symptoms and key aspects of PA participation (e.g., intensity and bout duration) among older adults. Herein we investigate the longitudinal relationships between changes in PA behavior and changes in pain intensity and interference among low-active older adults with obesity and chronic pain. Methods: Participants (N = 41) were enrolled in two randomized pilot trials wherein they were assigned to an intervention focused on participation in frequent PA across the day, or to a low-contact control. Participants completed the 3-item PROMIS pain intensity scale and 8-item PROMIS pain interference scale before and after the interventions. Participants also wore an ActivPAL accelerometer for 7 days before and during the final week of the interventions. Results: A series of linear regression analyses demonstrated that increased time spent stepping at a high-light intensity in very short bouts was associated with increased pain intensity scores. By contrast, increased time spent stepping at a high-light intensity in bouts of 5–20 min was associated with reductions in pain intensity and interference scores. Increased time spent stepping at a moderate intensity overall was associated with reduced pain intensity scores, and time spent stepping at a moderate intensity for 10–20 min associated with reduced pain interference. Conclusion: These findings suggest older adults with chronic pain may benefit by moving at high-light or moderate intensities in brief bouts of at least 5 min in duration.