Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biogeography and Change among Regional Coral Communities across the Western Indian Ocean

Coral reefs are biodiverse ecosystems structured by abiotic and biotic factors operating across many spatial scales. Regional-scale interactions between climate change, biogeography and fisheries management remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluated large-scale patterns of coral communities in the western Indian Ocean after a major coral bleaching event in 1998. We surveyed 291 coral reef sites in 11 countries and over 30° of latitude between 2004 and 2011 to evaluate variations in coral communities post 1998 across gradients in latitude, mainland-island geography and fisheries management. We used linear mixed-effect hierarchical models to assess total coral cover, the abundance of four major coral families (acroporids, faviids, pocilloporids and poritiids), coral genus richness and diversity, and the bleaching susceptibility of the coral communities. We found strong latitudinal and geographic gradients in coral community structure and composition that supports the presence of a high coral cover and diversity area that harbours temperature-sensitive taxa in the northern Mozambique Channel between Tanzania, northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar. Coral communities in the more northern latitudes of Kenya, Seychelles and the Maldives were generally composed of fewer bleaching-tolerant coral taxa and with reduced richness and diversity. There was also evidence for continued declines in the abundance of temperature-sensitive taxa and community change after 2004. While there are limitations of our regional dataset in terms of spatial and temporal replication, these patterns suggest that large-scale interactions between biogeographic factors and strong temperature anomalies influence coral communities while smaller-scale factors, such as the effect of fisheries closures, were weak. The northern Mozambique Channel, while not immune to temperature disturbances, shows continued signs of resistance to climate disturbances and remains a priority for future regional conservation and management actions.
Aberrant splicing in maize rough endosperm3 reveals a conserved role for U12 splicing in eukaryotic multicellular development

Significance The last eukaryotic common ancestor had two spliceosomes. The major spliceosome acts on nearly all introns, whereas the minor spliceosome removes rare, U12-type introns. Based on in vitro RNA-splicing assays, the RGH3/ZRSR2 RNA-splicing factor has functions in both spliceosomes. Here, we show that the maize rgh3 mutant allele primarily disrupts U12 splicing, similar to human ZRSR2 mutants, indicating a conserved in vivo function in the minor spliceosome. These mutant alleles block cell differentiation leading to overaccumulation of stem cells in endosperm and blood, respectively. We found extensive conservation between maize and human U12-type intron-containing genes, demonstrating that a common genetic architecture controls at least a subset of cell differentiation pathways in both plants and animals. RNA splicing of U12-type introns functions in human cell differentiation, but it is not known whether this class of introns has a similar role in plants. The maize ROUGH ENDOSPERM3 (RGH3) protein is orthologous to the human splicing factor, ZRSR2. ZRSR2 mutations are associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and cause U12 splicing defects. Maize rgh3 mutants have aberrant endosperm cell differentiation and proliferation. We found that most U12-type introns are retained or misspliced in rgh3. Genes affected in rgh3 and ZRSR2 mutants identify cell cycle and protein glycosylation as common pathways disrupted. Transcripts with retained U12-type introns can be found in polysomes, suggesting that splicing efficiency can alter protein isoforms. The rgh3 mutant protein disrupts colocalization with a known ZRSR2-interacting protein, U2AF2. These results indicate conserved function for RGH3/ZRSR2 in U12 splicing and a deeply conserved role for the minor spliceosome to promote cell differentiation from stem cells to terminal fates.
Discrimination of human and nonhuman blood using Raman spectroscopy with self-reference algorithm

Abstract. We report a self-reference algorithm to discriminate human and nonhuman blood by calculating the ratios of identification Raman peaks to reference Raman peaks and choosing appropriate threshold values. The influence of using different reference peaks and identification peaks was analyzed in detail. The Raman peak at 1003 cm−1 was proved to be a stable reference peak to avoid the influencing factors, such as the incident laser intensity and the amount of sample. The Raman peak at 1341 cm−1 was found to be an efficient identification peak, which indicates that the difference between human and nonhuman blood results from the C–H bend in tryptophan. The comparison between self-reference algorithm and partial least square method was made. It was found that the self-reference algorithm not only obtained the discrimination results with the same accuracy, but also provided information on the difference of chemical composition. In addition, the performance of self-reference algorithm whose true positive rate is 100% is significant for customs inspection to avoid genetic disclosure and forensic science.
Fast-food exposure around schools in urban Adelaide

Abstract Objective To assess whether exposure to fast-food outlets around schools differed depending on socio-economic status (SES). Design Binary logistic regression was used to investigate the presence and zero-inflated Poisson regression was used for the count (due to the excess of zeroes) of fast food within 1000 m and 15000 m road network buffers around schools. The low and middle SES tertiles were combined due to a lack of significant variation as the ‘disadvantaged’ group and compared with the high SES tertile as the ‘advantaged’ group. School SES was expressed using the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics, socio-economic indices for areas, index of relative socio-economic disadvantage. Fast-food data included independent takeaway food outlets and major fast-food chains. Setting Metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. Subjects A total of 459 schools were geocoded to the street address and 1000 m and 1500 m road network distance buffers calculated. Results There was a 1·6 times greater risk of exposure to fast food within 1000 m (OR=1·634; 95 % 1·017, 2·625) and a 9·5 times greater risk of exposure to a fast food within 1500 m (OR=9·524; 95 % CI 3·497, 25·641) around disadvantaged schools compared with advantaged schools. Conclusions Disadvantaged schools were exposed to more fast food, with more than twice the number of disadvantaged schools exposed to fast food. The higher exposure to fast food near more disadvantaged schools may reflect lower commercial land cost in low-SES areas, potentially creating more financially desirable investments for fast-food developers.
Is Patients’ Numeracy Related to Physical and Mental Health?

Objective. There is compelling evidence showing that health literacy influences health outcomes. However, there is a dearth of research investigating this issue in the vast literature on numeracy—the ability to accurately interpret numerical information about risk, a skill that is only moderately correlated with health literacy. In a cross-sectional study, we investigated whether objective and subjective numeracy is related to objective and subjective health outcomes. Objective (subjective) numeracy is actual (self-reported) numerical competence. Objective outcomes include prevalence of comorbidity and prescribed medications. Subjective outcomes include perceptions of physical and mental health. Methods. A convenience sample of 502 male individuals receiving outpatient care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center reported their demographics and answered a survey measuring objective and subjective numeracy, trust in physicians, satisfaction with role in medical decision making, perceptions of physical and mental health, and risky habits. We computed patients’ body mass index (BMI) and their age-adjusted Charlson index—an extensively studied comorbidity index for predicting mortality in clinical research. We retrieved number of prescribed medications from medical records. Results. Compared with patients who had high objective numeracy, patients with low objective numeracy showed higher prevalence of comorbidities and took more prescribed medications. Compared with patients who had high subjective numeracy, patients with low subjective numeracy had more negative perceptions of their physical and mental health. These conclusions held after controlling for the effect of demographics, risky habits, BMI, trust in physicians, and satisfaction with role in decision making, suggesting that numeracy has a unique, significant contribution to health outcomes beyond the effect of these factors. Conclusions. Our research documents for the first time that self-reported numeracy is related to perceptions of health, whereas objective numeracy is related to actual health, laying the groundwork for future research on the effect of numeracy on health outcomes.
Tamoxifen Acceptance and Adherence among Patients with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) Treated in a Multidisciplinary Setting

Tamoxifen and other endocrine agents have proven benefits for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), but low patient acceptance is widely reported. We examined factors associated with tamoxifen acceptance and adherence among DCIS patients who received a recommendation for therapy in a multidisciplinary setting. Using our institutional database, we identified women diagnosed with DCIS, 1998 to 2009, who were offered tamoxifen. We recorded data on demographics, tumor and therapy variables, tamoxifen acceptance, and adherence to therapy for ≥4 years. Univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted using logistic regression to identify factors specific to each group that were related to acceptance and adherence. A total of 555 eligible women identified, of whom 369 were offered tamoxifen; 298 (81%) accepted, among whom 214 (72%) were adherent, 59 of 298 (20%) were nonadherent, and for 25 (8%), adherence was undetermined. After stepwise elimination in adjusted logistic regression models, acceptance of breast radiotherapy was associated with acceptance of tamoxifen [OR, 2.22; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26–3.90; P < 0.01], as was a medical oncology consultation (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 0.99–3.15; P = 0.05). Insured patients were more likely to adhere to tamoxifen (OR, 6.03; 95% CI, 2.60–13.98; P < 0.01). The majority of nonadherent women (n = 38/56, 68%) discontinued the drug during the first year of treatment with 48 (86%) citing adverse effect(s) as the reason. In a multidisciplinary, tertiary care setting, we observed relatively high rates of acceptance and adherence of tamoxifen. Acceptance of tamoxifen and radiotherapy were associated, and adherence was influenced by insurance status. Key Message: Tamoxifen acceptance and adherence following resection of DCIS of the breast is related to acceptance of radiotherapy and may be improved by confirmation of the recommendation by a medical oncologist. Despite the low cost of tamoxifen, adherence to therapy is significantly impacted by lack of insurance; those who discontinue therapy report adverse effects as a major reason. Cancer Prev Res; 10(7); 389–97. ©2017 AACR.
STBucket: A Self-Tuning Bucket Index in DAS Paradigm

In the Database-As-a-Service (DAS) paradigm, data owners outsource their data to the third-party service provider. Since the service provider is untrusted, the data should be encrypted before outsourced. Various approaches have been proposed to query on encrypted data, among which bucket based method is effective. However, previous researches just look at the data distribution with respect to a given workload, which is ineffective in changing workload behaviors. In this paper, we propose a Self-Tuning Bucket scheme: STBucket. By gathering and analyzing query feedback, STBucket achieves adaptation to workload through online bucket splitting and merging. Experimental results show that STBucket is workload aware and performs well with reasonable overhead. )
Merits and complexities of modeling multiple sclerosis in non-human primates: implications for drug discovery

ABSTRACT Introduction: The translation of scientific discoveries made in animal models into effective treatments for patients often fails, indicating that currently used disease models in preclinical research are insufficiently predictive for clinical success. An often-used model in the preclinical research of autoimmune neurological diseases, multiple sclerosis in particular, is experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Most EAE models are based on genetically susceptible inbred/SPF mouse strains used at adolescent age (10–12 weeks), which lack exposure to genetic and microbial factors which shape the human immune system. Areas covered: Herein, the authors ask whether an EAE model in adult non-human primates from an outbred conventionally-housed colony could help bridge the translational gap between rodent EAE models and MS patients. Particularly, the authors discuss a novel and translationally relevant EAE model in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) that shares remarkable pathological similarity with MS. Expert opinion: The MS-like pathology in this model is caused by the interaction of effector memory T cells with B cells infected with the γ1-herpesvirus (CalHV3), both present in the pathogen-educated marmoset immune repertoire. The authors postulate that depletion of only the small subset (<0.05%) of CalHV3-infected B cells may be sufficient to limit chronic inflammatory demyelination.
Circadian Rhythm of Wrist Temperature among Shift Workers in South Korea: A Prospective Observational Study

Background: Human body temperature varies with circadian rhythm. To determine the effect of shift work on the circadian rhythm of the distal-skin temperature, wrist temperatures were measured. Methods: Wrist-skin temperatures were measured by an iButton® Temperature Logger. It was measured every 3 min for two and eight consecutive working days in the day and shift workers, respectively. Mesor, amplitude, and acrophase were measured by Cosinor analysis. Results: The shift-worker amplitude dropped significantly as the night shift progressed (0.92 to 0.85 °C), dropped further during rest (0.69 °C), and rose during the morning-shift days (0.82 °C). Day workers still had higher amplitudes (0.93 °C) than the morning-shift workers. The acrophase was delayed during the four night-shift days, then advanced during rest days and the morning-shift days. Nevertheless, the morning-shift worker acrophase was still significantly delayed compared to the day workers (08:03 a.m. vs. 04:11 a.m.). Conclusions: The further reduction of wrist-temperature amplitude during rest after the night shift may be due to the signal circadian rhythm disruption. Reduced amplitudes have been reported to be associated with intolerance to shift work. The findings of our study may help to design the most desirable schedule for shift workers.
MicroRNAs in endothelial cell homeostasis and vascular disease

Purpose of review Since the first discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) in 1993, the involvement of miRNAs in different aspects of vascular disease has emerged as an important research field. In this review, we summarize the fundamental roles of miRNAs in controlling endothelial cell functions and their implication with several aspects of vascular dysfunction. Recent findings MiRNAs have been found to be critical modulators of endothelial homeostasis. The dysregulation of miRNAs has been linked to endothelial dysfunction and the development and progression of vascular disease which and open new opportunities of using miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for vascular disease. Summary Further determination of miRNA regulatory circuits and defining miRNAs-specific target genes remains key to future miRNA-based therapeutic applications toward vascular disease prevention. Many new and unanticipated roles of miRNAs in the control of endothelial functions will assist clinicians and researchers in developing potential therapeutic applications.
POSTERIOR CRUCIATE-RETAINING VERSUS POSTERIOR STABILIZED TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Introduction: Cruciate-retaining implants with cement less fixation were developed in the 1990s and refined to enable bone integration, some using hydroxyapatite coating. Mobile- bearing prostheses were created to maximize articular conformity throughout flexion. A perceived advantage was the potential for rotational self- alignment of femoral and tibial components, and reduced wear.Today, the selection of a TKR is from a variety of modular surface arthroplasties. Material & Methods: Sixty-four consecutive patients underwent total knee arthroplasty utilizing a posterior-stabilized prosthesis, and another group of sixty consecutive patients received a cruciate-retaining implant. All patients who had osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis and who were indicated for a total knee arthroplasty were invited to take part in a prospective study to follow their outcomes. Results & Conclusions: At a mean follow-up time of 60 months, the clinical scores of the two groups were similar, but the cruciate-retaining group had a higher mean range of motion. The mean Knee Society knee scores of the cruciate-retaining and posterior-stabilized groups were 85 points and 80 points, respectively (p=0.920). The implants used in the current study more closely represent the current philosophy of orthopaedic surgeons, who have a preference of one implant design over the other. Aside from retaining or substituting for the PCL, all knees were implanted with the identical surgical technique.
Comparison of Single-Task versus Dual-Task for Listening Effort

Background and Objectives Depending on the kind of task and/or material, listeners sometimes need to pay attention to understand communication. The present study aimed to estimate a listener’s amount of effort needed to understand communication by using recognition score and response time as a function of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and to confirm his/ her task dependency for listening effort. Subjects and Methods Forty-eight young adults with normal hearing participated in the study. As stimuli, Korean Speech Perception in Noise test without a question tag and three consecutive digits were used for sentence recognition (or single-task) and arithmetic (or dual-task), respectively. Both tasks were measured in quiet and under four SNR (i.e., 0, -4, -8, -12 dB) conditions. Their outcomes were analyzed and compared in terms of percent correct and response time. Results Sentence recognition scores and arithmetic scores decreased as the level of noise increased. Response time for sentence recognition decreased as noise increased, whereas the response time for arithmetic increased as noise increased. In addition, there was a negative correlation between error percent and response time in the sentence recognition. Conversely, a positive correlation between error percent and response time appeared in the arithmetic test. Conclusions Listening effort showed a different pattern based on the kind of task, single vs. dual, while the dual-task required greater effort from the listener.
Non-severe Hypoglycemia Risk Difference between Sulfonylurea and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT2-I) as an Add-On to Metformin in Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND Non-severe hypoglycemia reduces well-being, lowers quality of life, reduces productivity and increases treatment costs. The non-severe hypoglycemia rate, attributable to sulfonylurea (SU) utilization compared with newer classes such as SGLT2-I, could be of clinical significance. OBJECTIVES To explore the non-severe hypoglycemia risk difference (RD) for SU use compared with SGLT2-I in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as an add on to metformin. METHODS A search was conducted for RCTs of SGLT2-I. PubMed database were utilized for this search. The search was limited to RCTs reported in English language for canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin. SU dose comparison was utilized to convert the dose of SUs to glimepiride equivalent doses. RESULTS Totally, 118 RCTs were reviewed; 6 articles had an arm for a SU as add on to metformin. Six articles belong to 3 RCTs, which reported results for 52 weeks and 104 weeks. Average non-severe hypoglycemia rate for SU arm was 30% (5.5%) [Mean (SD)] for 52 weeks and 35.6% (6.1%) for 104 weeks. RD for non-severe hypoglycemia events for SU compared to SGLT2-I was 26.7% (4.9%) for 52 weeks (p-value less than 0.001) and 30.6% (5.5%) for 104 weeks (p-value less than 0.001). There was a significant correlation between dose of SU and hypoglycemia rate (Pearson correlation 0.995; R-square 99%). CONCLUSIONS This study illustrated that a large proportion of patients who had exposure to SU in RCTs of SGLT2-I experienced non-severe hypoglycemia compared to SGLT2-I. There was a close relation between SU dose and increased probability of non-severe hypoglycemia events.
Efficacy and Safety of Ketamine Added to Local Anesthetic in Modified Pectoral Block for Management of Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Modified Radical Mastectomy.

BACKGROUND Breast surgery is an exceedingly common procedure with an increased incidence of acute and chronic pain. Pectoral nerve block is a novel peripheral nerve block alternative to neuro-axial and paravertebral blocks for ambulatory breast surgeries. OBJECTIVES This study aims to compare the analgesic efficacy and safety of modified Pecs block with ketamine plus bupivacaine versus bupivacaine in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. STUDY DESIGN A randomized, double-blind, prospective study. SETTING Academic medical center. METHODS This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov under number: (NCT02620371) after approval by the ethics committee of South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assuit University, Assuit, Egypt. Sixty patients aged 18 - 60 years scheduled for modified radical mastectomy were enrolled and randomly assigned into 2 groups (30 patients each): Control group patients were given ultrasound-guided, Pecs block with 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine only. Ketamine group patients were given ultrasound-guided, Pecs block with 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine plus ketamine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg). Patients were followed up for 48 hours postoperatively for vital signs, VAS score, first request of rescue analgesia and total morphine consumption, sedation score, and side effects. RESULTS Ketamine plus bupivacaine in Pecs block compared to bupivacaine alone prolonged the mean time of first request of analgesia (18.25 ± 1.98), (12.56 ± 2.64), respectively (P < 0.001), reduced total morphine consumption (12.50 ± 4.63), (18.86 ± 6.28), respectively (P = 0.016). With no significant difference in hemodynamics, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, VAS and sedation scores, and side effects observed between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). LIMITATIONS This study is limited by its sample size. CONCLUSION The addition of ketamine to modified Pecs block prolonged the time to first request of analgesia and reduced total opioid consumption without serious side effects in patients who underwent a modified radical mastectomy. KEY WORDS Ketamine, bupivacaine, pecs block, postoperative, pain, breast cancer.