Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A randomized trial involving a multifunctional diet reveals systematic lipid remodeling and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors in middle aged to aged adults

Background A multifunctional diet (MFD) combining foods and ingredients with proven functional properties, such as fatty fish and fiber-rich foods, among others, was developed and shown to markedly reduce cardiometabolic risk-associated factors. Objective Here, we aim at examining metabolic physiological changes associated with these improvements. Methods Adult overweight individuals without other risk factors were enrolled in an 8-week randomized controlled intervention following a parallel design, with one group (n = 23) following MFD and one group (n = 24) adhering to a control diet (CD) that followed the caloric formula (E%) advised by the Nordic Nutritional Recommendations. Plasma metabolites and lipids were profiled by gas chromatography and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Results Weight loss was similar between groups. The MFD and CD resulted in altered levels of 137 and 78 metabolites, respectively. Out of these, 83 were uniquely altered by the MFD and only 24 by the CD. The MFD-elicited alterations in lipid levels depended on carbon number and degree of unsaturation. Conclusion An MFD elicits weight loss-independent systematic lipid remodeling, promoting increased circulating levels of long and highly unsaturated lipids. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02148653? term=NCT02148653&draw=2&rank=1, NCT02148653.
Application of Protein-Protein Interaction Network Analysis in Order to Identify Cervical Cancer miRNA and mRNA Biomarkers

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the world's most common and severe cancers. This cancer includes two histological types: squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC). The current study aims at identifying novel potential candidate mRNA and miRNA biomarkers for SCC based on a protein-protein interaction (PPI) and miRNA-mRNA network analysis. The current project utilized a transcriptome profile for normal and SCC samples. First, the PPI network was constructed for the 1335 DEGs, and then, a significant gene module was extracted from the PPI network. Next, a list of miRNAs targeting module's genes was collected from the experimentally validated databases, and a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was formed. After network analysis, four driver genes were selected from the module's genes including MCM2, MCM10, POLA1, and TONSL and introduced as potential candidate biomarkers for SCC. In addition, two hub miRNAs, including miR-193b-3p and miR-615-3p, were selected from the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and reported as possible candidate biomarkers. In summary, six potential candidate RNA-based biomarkers consist of four genes containing MCM2, MCM10, POLA1, and TONSL, and two miRNAs containing miR-193b-3p and miR-615-3p are opposed as potential candidate biomarkers for CC.
Not so different after all? An event-related potential study on item and source memory for object-scene pairs in German and Chinese young adults

In recent years, several cross-cultural studies reported that Westerners focus more on central aspects of a scene (e.g., an object) relative to peripheral aspects (e.g., the background), whereas Easterners more evenly allocate attention to central and peripheral aspects. In memory tasks, Easterners exhibit worse recognition for the central object when peripheral aspects are changed, whereas Westerners are less affected by peripheral changes. However, most of these studies rely on hit rates without correcting for response bias, whereas studies accounting for response bias failed to replicate cultural differences in memory tasks. In this event-related potential (ERP) study, we investigated item and source memory for semantically unrelated object-scene pairs in German and Chinese young adults using memory measures corrected for response bias (i.e., the discrimination index Pr). Both groups completed study-test cycles with either item memory tests or source memory tests. In item memory blocks, participants completed an old/new recognition test for the central object. Source memory blocks entailed an associative recognition test for the association between object and background. Item and source memory were better for intact than for recombined pairs. However, as verified with frequentist and Bayesian analyzes, this context effect was not modulated by culture. The ERP results revealed an old/new effect for the item memory task in both groups which was again not modulated by culture. Our findings suggest that cultural differences in young adults do not manifest in intentional memory tasks probing memory for object-scene pairs without semantic relations when using bias-corrected memory measures.
Adaptation of the International Fitness Scale and Self-Perceived Health-Related Physical Fitness Questionnaire into Turkish

This study aims to investigate the Turkish validity and reliability of the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) and the Self-Perceived Health-Related Physical Fitness Questionnaire for Children (SPHQ-C) aged 10–17. The measurement tools were translated into Turkish by two independent researchers and back-translated. Then, the content validity was established with a group of 13 individuals (Sample 1) who presented to the sports medicine clinic. The pilot application phase was initiated. A sample of 372 individuals (Sample 2) studying in the provincial center was selected for piloting the measurement tools with the ALPHA-FIT Test Battery. The test–retest application of the measurement tools with a 15-day interval was carried out with 207 individuals (Sample 3) not included in Sample 2. The authors calculated that the content validity ratio values for the items in the IFIS ranged from 0.85 to 1.00, with a content validity index of 0.94 for the scale. In the SPHQ-C, these values were found to be between 0.92 and 1.00, with a content validity index of 0.99. According to the Z-score difference analysis for both measurement tools, the construct validity of all items was achieved (p < 0.05). In the Bland–Altman plot test conducted for the IFIS-TR, the mean difference was calculated as 0.11, the standard deviation of the differences was 1.57, and the p-value was determined as 0.31. For the SPHQ-C-TR, the mean difference was −0.15, the standard deviation of the differences was 1.95, and the p-value was determined as 0.26. The Kappa coefficients for the items of the IFIS-TR ranged from 0.45 to 0.52, while for the SPHQ-C-TR, the Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.47 to 0.75. Confirmatory factor analysis conducted on Sample 2 confirmed model fit indices with covariance among some items of the measurement tools (IFIS-TR: e1–e3; SPHQ-C-TR: e1–e2, e1–e3, e2–e3, e3–e4, e6–e7, e8–e9). The IFIS and SPHQ-C measurement tools have been adapted into Turkish, and their validity and reliability have been established.
ABC methods for model choice in Gibbs random fields Application to protein 3 D structure prediction

Gibbs random fields are polymorphous statistical models that can be used to analyse different types of dependence, in particular for spatially correlated data. However, when those models are faced with the challenge of selecting a dependence structure from many, the use of standard model choice methods is hampered by the unavailability of the normalising constant in the Gibbs likelihood. In particular, from a Bayesian perspective, the computation of the posterior probabilities of the models under competition requires special likelihood-free simulation techniques like the Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) algorithm that is intensively used in population Genetics. We show in this paper how to implement an ABC algorithm geared towards model choice in the general setting of Gibbs random fields, demonstrating in particular that there exists a sufficient statistic across models. The accuracy of the approximation to the posterior probabilities can be further improved by importance sampling on the distribution of the models. The practical aspects of the method are detailed through two applications, the test of an iid Bernoulli model versus a first-order Markov chain, and the choice of a folding structure for a protein of Thermotoga maritima implicated into signal transduction processes.
On a collection of blennies from Gujarat Coast with some new records

While collecting the shore fishes from the Gujarat coast during 1961-63, a few interesting blennioid fishes were obtained, of which Antennablennius bifilum (Gflnther), Rhabdoblennius cornifer (Rflppell), Ecsenius pulcher (Murray) are new records for Indian waters. Along with them the known sptcies, Petroscirtes mitratus (RappellJ, Helcogramma ellioti (Herre), Salarius dussumieri (C.V.), Dasson cyprinoides (C.V.), Omobranchus punctatus (C.V.) and Pholioides thomaseni Nielsen were also collected. Pholioides thomaseni Nielsen is described here as it is a recently,(Nielsen, 1960) discovered fish and the sole representative of the family Haliophidae from India. The collection was restricted to the tidal ponds of Rupan, Okha, Pirotan Island and the Kiew Point of Gujarat Coast. The fishes were collected by draining off the water from the tidal pools. Often small quantities of formalin were poured to bring them out from crevices.
Asset Returns, the Business Cycle and the Labor Market

Abstract We review the labor market implications of recent real-business cycle and New Keynesian models that successfully replicate the empirical equity premium. We document the fact that all models reviewed in this article that do not feature either sticky wages or immobile labor between two production sectors as in Boldrin et al. (2001) imply a negative correlation of working hours and output that is not observed empirically. Within the class of Neo-Keynesian models, sticky prices alone are demonstrated to be less successful than rigid nominal wages with respect to the modeling of the labor market stylized facts. In addition, monetary shocks in these models are required to be much more volatile than productivity shocks to match statistics from both the asset and labor market.
Patterns of waterbird diversity in central western Madagascar: where are the priority sites for conservation?

Madagascar still retains extensive wetlands important for fishing, hunting and agriculture. They also support a high proportion of the island’s globally threatened endemic birds. However, as a result of widespread modification through human activity, wetlands are under severe pressure across the island, resulting in the decline of many waterbird species. For the effective conservation of waterbirds in Madagascar, it is vital that wetlands supporting important assemblages of species are identified and protected. In this study, we surveyed the wetlands of central western Madagascar (southern Melaky and Menabe Regions) to investigate patterns of waterbird diversity and map priority sites. Thirty-four wetland sites were surveyed in 2004, during which a total of 56 waterbird species were recorded. Waterbird species richness was associated with the size of the water body and presence of rice cultivation. All sites were ranked according to an index of vulnerability, based on the cumulative score of the degree of threat for every wetland bird species found in a site. We show that wetlands in western Madagascar hold important numbers of several globally threatened species; five of the rarest bird species in Madagascar are found here. The 10 highest-ranking wetland sites fall within BirdLife International IBAs, but four wetlands fall outside current or planned protected areas. We recommend that monitoring of wetland sites in western Madagascar is undertaken at regular intervals and that all sites are included in a network of protection that can ensure the survival of wetland bird diversity in the country.
Council’s Online Disclosure of Accountability Practices: Isomorphism Inquiries

The study aimed to explain the reasons for disclosing the accountability practices information on the Malaysian local councils’ websites using the isomorphism tenet. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with officers from 12 selected Malaysian local councils involved in the disclosure of accountability practices on websites. The interviews revealed that the reasons for disclosure of accountability practices information were classified into six themes – regulatory requirements, website administration, community, organisational goals, leadership, and others, which are subsequently linked to the three isomorphism pressures and strategic controls concept. This study demonstrates the effect of the isomorphic influences by local councils on the disclosure of accountability practices on websites. This paper contributes to the public sector accounting research on the use of the isomorphism concept to explain the disclosure of accountability practices on websites and subsequently linked to behavioural control and informational control concepts that are not commonly used in disclosure studies. The findings of this paper are helpful to local councils and policymakers in identifying the reasons for the disclosure of accountability practices on websites, hence, enabling them to improve in the future. Keywords: Accountability practices, local council, isomorphism, disclosure, websites, strategic controls
Molecular Docking of the Cannabis sativa L. Bioactive Compound Against Inflammation Induced by Cigarette Smoke Exposure

Cigarette smoke can modulate and increase chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract. The constituents of cigarette smoke-induced inflammation can activate several cell signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), and activatory protein-1 (AP-1). Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.) contains many phytochemical compounds including cannabinoids, terpenes and phenolic compounds, which have potential in medicine, one of them is as an anti-inflammatory. This study aims to determine the interactions formed between bioactive compounds from cannabis plants in anti-inflammatory activity caused by cigarette smoke induction in the JAK/STAT and MAPK pathways through a study in silico. This research method was carried out in a descriptive exploratory manner using online databases such as PubChem, PASS online, SEA (Similarity Ensemble Approach) and Swiss Target Prediction, STRING. Docking simulation was carried out using PyRx 0.8. Data from software and web devices were analyzed descriptively and compared with control compounds. The docking results show that the compounds from Cannabis sativa L. can act as an anti-inflammatory in the context of cigarette smoke-induced inflammation. This is indicated by the similarity of amino acid residues resulting from the interaction of the aspirin drug (control) with the anti-inflammatory receptor protein in the compound cannabidihydrophenanthrene with PDGFRA and KDR receptors and compounds cannabicyclol with AKT1 and KDR receptors. This is indicated by the presence of value affinity is low indicating a stable and strong bond.
Improving precipitation nowcasting for high-intensity events using deep generative models with balanced loss and temperature data: a case study in the Netherlands

Precipitation nowcasting is essential for weather-dependent decision-making, but it remains a challenging problem despite active research. The combination of radar data and deep learning methods have opened a new avenue for research. Radar data is well-suited for precipitation nowcasting due to the high space-time resolution of the precipitation field. On the other hand, deep learning methods allow the exploitation of possible nonlinearities in the precipitation process. Thus far, deep learning approaches have demonstrated equal or better performance than optical flow methods for low-intensity precipitation, but nowcasting high-intensity events remains a challenge. In this study, we have built a deep generative model with various extensions to improve nowcasting of heavy precipitation intensities. Specifically, we consider different loss functions and how the incorporation of temperature data as an additional feature affects the model’s performance. Using radar data from KNMI and 5-90 minutes lead times, we demonstrate that the deep generative model with the proposed loss function and temperature feature outperforms other state-of-the-art models and benchmarks. Our model, with both loss function and feature extensions, is skilful at nowcasting precipitation the high rainfall intensities, up to 60 minutes lead time.
Development and Testing of a Daily Activity Recognition System for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Those who survive the initial incidence of a stroke experience impacts on daily function. As a part of the rehabilitation process, it is essential for clinicians to monitor patients’ health status and recovery progress accurately and consistently; however, little is known about how patients function in their own homes. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop, train, and test an algorithm within an ambient, in-home depth sensor system that can classify and quantify home activities of individuals post-stroke. We developed the Daily Activity Recognition and Assessment System (DARAS). A daily action logger was implemented with a Foresite Healthcare depth sensor. Daily activity data were collected from seventeen post-stroke participants’ homes over three months. Given the extensive amount of data, only a portion of the participants’ data was used for this specific analysis. An ensemble network for activity recognition and temporal localization was developed to detect and segment the clinically relevant actions from the recorded data. The ensemble network, which learns rich spatial-temporal features from both depth and skeletal joint data, fuses the prediction outputs from a customized 3D convolutional–de-convolutional network, customized region convolutional 3D network, and a proposed region hierarchical co-occurrence network. The per-frame precision and per-action precision were 0.819 and 0.838, respectively, on the test set. The outcomes from the DARAS can help clinicians to provide more personalized rehabilitation plans that benefit patients.
Effect of Vitamin D on the Proliferation and Barrier of Atrophic Vaginal Epithelial Cells

Atrophic vaginitis is very common in postmenopausal women due to declining estrogen levels. Vitamin D plays an important role in promoting epithelial cell proliferation, migration and adhesion. We established a rat model of ovariectomy (OVX) induced atrophic vaginitis with the aim of investigating the effects of Vitamin D supplementation on the vaginal epithelial barrier. The results showed that ovariectomised rats had significantly higher vaginal pH, reduced Lactobacillus, significantly lower uterine and vaginal weights, and lower vaginal epithelial PCNA, occludin, and E-cadherin mRNA expression compared with sham-operated rats. Vitamin D supplementation could reduce the vaginal pH, promote the proliferation and keratinization of vaginal epithelial cells, enhance the expression of PCNA mRNA in vaginal tissues, and improve the vaginal and uterine atrophy. Vitamin D can also increase the expression of E-cadherin and occludin proteins in vaginal tissues, maintain the integrity of the vaginal epithelium, increase the number of Lactobacillus, and reduce pathogenic bacterial infections. In vitro experiments demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2D3 could promote the proliferation and migration of VK2/E6E7 vaginal epithelial cells and increase the expression of E-cadherin protein. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Vitamin D can regulate the expression of vaginal epithelial tight junction proteins, promotes cell proliferation, and improves vaginal atrophy due to estrogen deficiency.
Canadian and Australian Devonian spores: zonation and correlation

Microscopic observations in conjunction with a literature review of all available Australian Middle and Upper Devonian spore floras, and comparisons of these with coeval, palynostratigraphically zoned Canadian assemblages, reveal clear intercontinental similarities. Resemblages are evident in shared taxa (form, genera and species), morphons, and sequential introductions of particular morphological spore features. They are of sufficient scope to permit preliminary recognition in Australia in some of the palynozones established in 1986 for the Devonian in Canada and elsewhere in Euramerica, despite the present sporadic and incomplete knowledge of the Australian Devonian spore succession. -from Authors
Visuospatial cognition in acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy

Background This study aims to investigate the presence of spatial cognitive impairments in patients with acute unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy (vestibular neuritis, AUPV) during both the acute phase and the recovery phase. Methods A total of 72 AUPV patients (37 with right-sided AUPV and 35 with left-sided AUPV; aged 34–80 years, median 60.5; 39 males, 54.2%) and 35 healthy controls (HCs; aged 43–75 years, median 59; 20 males, 57.1%) participated in the study. Patients underwent comprehensive neurotological assessments, including video-oculography, video head impulse and caloric tests, ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials, and pure-tone audiometry. Additionally, the Visual Object and Space Perception (VOSP) battery was used to evaluate visuospatial perception, while the Block design test and Corsi block-tapping test assessed visuospatial memory within the first 2 days (acute phase) and 4 weeks after symptom onset (recovery phase). Results Although AUPV patients were able to successfully perform visuospatial perception tasks within normal parameters, they demonstrated statistically worse performance on the visuospatial memory tests compared to HCs during the acute phase. When comparing right versus left AUPV groups, significant decreased scores in visuospatial perception and memory were observed in the right AUPV group relative to the left AUPV group. In the recovery phase, patients showed substantial improvements even in these previously diminished visuospatial cognitive performances. Conclusion AUPV patients showed different spatial cognition responses, like spatial memory, depending on the affected ear, improving with vestibular compensation over time. We advocate both objective and subjective visuospatial assessments and the development of tests to detect potential cognitive deficits after unilateral vestibular impairments.