Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of mHealth and Face-to-Face Interventions for Smoking Cessation Among People Living With HIV: Meta-Analysis

Background The prevalence of smoking among people living with HIV (PLHIV) is higher than that reported in the general population, and it is a significant risk factor for noncommunicable diseases in this group. Mobile phone interventions to promote healthier behaviors (mobile health, mHealth) have the potential to reach a large number of people at a low cost. It has been hypothesized that mHealth interventions may not be as effective as face-to-face strategies in achieving smoking cessation, but there is no systematic evidence to support this, especially among PLHIV. Objective This study aimed to compare two modes of intervention delivery (mHealth vs face-to-face) for smoking cessation among PLHIV. Methods Literature on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating effects of mHealth or face-to-face intervention strategies on short-term (4 weeks to <6 months) and long-term (≥6 months) smoking abstinence among PLHIV was sought. We systematically reviewed relevant RCTs and conducted pairwise meta-analyses to estimate relative treatment effects of mHealth and face-to-face interventions using standard care as comparison. Given the absence of head-to-head trials comparing mHealth with face-to-face interventions, we performed adjusted indirect comparison meta-analyses to compare these interventions. Results A total of 10 studies involving 1772 PLHIV met the inclusion criteria. The average age of the study population was 45 years, and women comprised about 37%. In the short term, mHealth-delivered interventions were significantly more efficacious in increasing smoking cessation than no intervention control (risk ratio, RR, 2.81, 95% CI 1.44-5.49; n=726) and face-to-face interventions (RR 2.31, 95% CI 1.13-4.72; n=726). In the short term, face-to-face interventions were no more effective than no intervention in increasing smoking cessation (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.94-1.58; n=1144). In terms of achieving long-term results among PLHIV, there was no significant difference in the rates of smoking cessation between those who received mHealth-delivered interventions, face-to-face interventions, or no intervention. Trial sequential analysis showed that only 15.16% (726/1304) and 5.56% (632/11,364) of the required information sizes were accrued to accept or reject a 25% relative risk reduction for short- and long-term smoking cessation treatment effects. In addition, sequential monitoring boundaries were not crossed, indicating that the cumulative evidence may be unreliable and inconclusive. Conclusions Compared with face-to-face interventions, mHealth-delivered interventions can better increase smoking cessation rate in the short term. The evidence that mHealth increases smoking cessation rate in the short term is encouraging but not sufficient to allow a definitive conclusion presently. Future research should focus on strategies for sustaining smoking cessation treatment effects among PLHIV in the long term.
A salivary effector enables whitefly to feed on host plants by eliciting salicylic acid-signaling pathway

Significance Phytohormone pathways provide plants with a powerful regulatory potential to prioritize their defense strategies to different attackers. However, some pathogens and herbivores can manipulate plant defenses for their own benefits by leveraging these pathways. Identification of effectors that modulate host defenses could provide new insights into pathogens/herbivores-plant interaction. Here we report that a newly discovered insect salivary effector, injected into plant tissues during feeding, facilitates insect performance by activation of plant salicylic acid-signaling pathway. The insect salivary effector achieves this function via interacting with a plant KNOTTED 1-like homeobox transcription factor. These findings extend the existing pathogen effector paradigm to herbivores and give valuable clues for developing novel strategies for pest management. Phloem-feeding insects feed on plant phloem using their stylets. While ingesting phloem sap, these insects secrete saliva to circumvent plant defenses. Previous studies have shown that, to facilitate their feeding, many phloem-feeding insects can elicit the salicylic acid- (SA-) signaling pathway and thus suppress effective jasmonic acid defenses. However, the molecular basis for the regulation of the plant's defense by phloem-feeding insects remains largely unknown. Here, we show that Bt56, a whitefly-secreted low molecular weight salivary protein, is highly expressed in the whitefly primary salivary gland and is delivered into host plants during feeding. Overexpression of the Bt56 gene in planta promotes susceptibility of tobacco to the whitefly and elicits the SA-signaling pathway. In contrast, silencing the whitefly Bt56 gene significantly decreases whitefly performance on host plants and interrupts whitefly phloem feeding with whiteflies losing the ability to activate the SA pathway. Protein-protein interaction assays show that the Bt56 protein directly interacts with a tobacco KNOTTED 1-like homeobox transcription factor that decreases whitefly performance and suppresses whitefly-induced SA accumulation. The Bt56 orthologous genes are highly conserved but differentially expressed in different species of whiteflies. In conclusion, Bt56 is a key salivary effector that promotes whitefly performance by eliciting salicylic acid-signaling pathway.
Compassion focused therapy for eating disorders.

Although Cognitive Behavioral treatments for eating disorders are improving, recovery rates, particularly for Anorexia Nervosa, remain low. Recent developments in the understanding of the etiological and maintenance factors in eating disorders have indicated that transdiagnostic treatments may be effective. Compassion Focused Therapy for Eating Disorders (CFT-E) has been developed as a transdiagnostic approach to eating disorders, specifically to address affect regulation difficulties, shame, self-directed hostility, and pride in eating disordered behavior. The current article outlines the philosophical model of CFT-E and describes the stages and phases of CFT-E.
An Experiment to Characterize the Decomposer Community Associated with Carcasses (Sus scrofa domesticus) on Oahu, Hawaii

Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) carcasses were decomposed on the soil surface of a terrestrial habitat on the island of Oahu, Hawaii to begin characterizing the decomposer community. Results showed that carcasses can decompose rapidly on Oahu, primarily due to the activity of fly larvae, with ~80% of mass lost by 8 days (~220 ADD) postmortem. Scavenging was conducted exclusively by the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), first feeding on larvae then feeding on the remains. Carcasses were habitats of warm temperature, little to no oxygen, slightly acidic/neutral pH, and high sodium concentration. Larval masses selected for a microbial community comprised of multiple bacterial taxa from phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, particularly genera Clostridium, Proteus, and Providencia. These larval masses were well established from 3 to 8 days (~90 to ~220 ADD) postmortem. These data provide helpful, novel insight into the structure and activity of carcass decomposer communities on Oahu.
Exploring genotype–phenotype relationships of the CRABP2 gene on growth traits in beef cattle

Abstract Cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 (CRABP2) is essential to myoblast differentiation. However, there was no report about the function of CRABP2 gene in cattle. This study explored the association of CRABP2 gene polymorphisms with growth traits in cattle breeds by several methods, such as DNA sequencing, PCR, PCR–RFLP and forced PCR–RFLP. Two sequence variants were determined. There were 621 individuals in six cattle breeds from China for the experiment, and three breeds were used to test validation of polymorphisms and extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD). The results showed that both SNPs (SNP1, g.2458 G > T, SNP2, g.3878 G > A) were in intron1. Two SNPs were in low linkage disequilibrium. Association analysis suggested that SNP1 had the significant difference on growth traits with body height, height at hip cross and body slanting length (P < .05), while SNP2 showed a significant difference in growth traits with body height, height at hip cross and body slanting length(P < .05). The results of this investigation displayed that the CRABP2 gene is an available candidate gene and may be used for breed selection and conservation.
Helix aspersa as sentinel of development damage for biomonitoring purpose: A validation study

Environmental health has always been threatened by the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the terrestrial ecosystem, affecting its quality and safety. The aim of this review is to investigate the effects of heavy metal soil contamination, using the land snail Helix aspersa as a bioindicator. H. aspersa, a common species of land snail present in the area, has been used as a bioindicator of metal contamination and represents a promising ecological indicator. Various land snails species have become popular in microcosm studies because they accumulate high concentrations of certain trace metals. They express contamination as a whole through ingestion of polluted foods, such as live plants, microorganisms, soil, and water and also through cutaneous contact and from the polluted air they breathe. Land snails are considered appropriate sentinel species because trace metals tend to accumulate in their digestive gland to allow biomonitoring of metal pollution. Different experiments demonstrate that exposure in areas chronically polluted with metals, especially with lead, often causes changes in reproduction, with a variation in the mineral composition in the snail's eggs and also in its development, due to increased energy expenses associated with detoxiﬁcation and the excretion process.
Latanoprostene bunod ophthalmic solution 0.024%: a new treatment option for open‐angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension

Latanoprostene bunod (LBN) ophthalmic solution 0.024% is a novel, once‐daily, nitric oxide‐donating prostaglandin analogue for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open‐angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The IOP‐lowering actions of LBN are mediated by dual mechanisms of the molecule for increasing aqueous humour outflow. The prostaglandin analogue moiety (latanoprost acid) increases uveoscleral outflow, whereas nitric oxide, released by the nitric oxide‐donating moiety (butanediol mononitrate), increases outflow through the trabecular meshwork and the Schlemm's canal. The clinical efficacy and safety of LBN 0.024% in patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were established in two similarly designed, double‐masked, pivotal phase 3 studies, APOLLO and LUNAR, the pooled three‐month efficacy phase of which demonstrated significantly greater IOP‐lowering of once‐daily LBN 0.024% over twice‐daily timolol 0.5% at all time points. Additional support for the IOP‐lowering effects of LBN 0.024% was provided by two phase 2 studies in patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension (a dose ranging study versus latanoprost and a 24‐hour IOP crossover study versus timolol) and a phase 1 study of healthy volunteers with IOP in the normal range. In addition, long‐term efficacy and safety were demonstrated in the open‐label safety‐extension phases of the phase 3 pivotal studies and a phase 3 52‐week open‐label study of patients with open‐angle glaucoma (including normal‐tension glaucoma) or ocular hypertension. In conclusion, LBN 0.024% has demonstrated both short‐term and long‐term IOP‐lowering efficacy in patients with open‐angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, including in healthy volunteers and patients with IOP in the normal range, without apparent clinically‐limiting safety or tolerability concerns.
A CD40 Agonist and PD-1 Antagonist Antibody Reprogram the Microenvironment of Nonimmunogenic Tumors to Allow T-cell–Mediated Anticancer Activity

Reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment from immune resistance to responsiveness was achieved by triple combination therapy with a T cell–inducing vaccine, CD40 agonist, and PD-1 antagonist in mouse models of breast and metastatic pancreatic cancers. In cancers with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block immune checkpoints such as CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 promote antitumor T-cell immunity. Unfortunately, most cancers fail to respond to single-agent immunotherapies. T regulatory cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and extensive stromal networks within the tumor microenvironment (TME) dampen antitumor immune responses by preventing T-cell infiltration and/or activation. Few studies have explored combinations of immune-checkpoint antibodies that target multiple suppressive cell populations within the TME, and fewer have studied the combinations of both agonist and antagonist mAbs on changes within the TME. Here, we test the hypothesis that combining a T-cell–inducing vaccine with both a PD-1 antagonist and CD40 agonist mAbs (triple therapy) will induce T-cell priming and TIL activation in mouse models of nonimmunogenic solid malignancies. In an orthotopic breast cancer model and both subcutaneous and metastatic pancreatic cancer mouse models, only triple therapy was able to eradicate most tumors. The survival benefit was accompanied by significant tumor infiltration of IFNγ-, Granzyme B-, and TNFα-secreting effector T cells. Further characterization of immune populations was carried out by high-dimensional flow-cytometric clustering analysis and visualized by t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). Triple therapy also resulted in increased infiltration of dendritic cells, maturation of antigen-presenting cells, and a significant decrease in granulocytic MDSCs. These studies reveal that combination CD40 agonist and PD-1 antagonist mAbs reprogram immune resistant tumors in favor of antitumor immunity.
Occupational engagement of people living with a life‐limiting illness: Occupational therapists’ perceptions

BACKGROUND/AIM Occupational therapists working in palliative care aim to enable clients living with a life-limiting illness to continue participating in meaningful activities for as long as possible. However, little is published about the occupations people living with a life-limiting illness wish to engage in, and how occupational therapists can best enable occupational engagement. Therefore, this study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of occupational therapists' perceptions on clients' occupational engagement post-diagnosis of a life-limiting condition. METHODS Occupational therapists working in Australia with people with a life-limiting illness were recruited to participate in a national online survey over the period of a month. Recruitment used a purposive, snowball sampling technique, resulting in 144 survey responses. Data were analysed using modified grounded theory methods. RESULTS Findings revealed two interrelated categories and four subcategories. The first category, focusing on life is concerned with therapists' perceptions of how clients continue to focus on living post diagnosis and encompasses two subcategories: (i) prioritised engagement and (ii) altered engagement. The second category, preparing for death, centres on therapists' perceptions of what clients do to practically prepare for death and find closure as their illness progresses, and is comprised of the two subcategories: (i) practical preparation for death and (ii) "facilitating closure". CONCLUSION Therapists perceived that meaningful occupational engagement changes over time as occupational performance levels decrease and clients prepare for death.
Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents: Psychometric Properties Among Portuguese Adolescents

Reasons for living are protective factors against suicidal behavior in adolescents. One of the most useful measures to assess them is the Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A) developed by Osman et al. The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of its Portuguese version of the RFL-A. To this end, we recruited 512 high school adolescents (mean age = 16.7 years), who completed the RFL-A, a Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, and a hopelessness scale. Exploratory factor analysis replicated the original five-factor model and confirmatory factor analysis obtained satisfactory adjustment values. The RFL-A shows good reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability) as well as good convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validities. These results indicate that the RFL-A is a valid and reliable measure to study protective factors against suicidal behaviors in Portuguese adolescents.
Acute tryptophan loading decreases functional connectivity between the default mode network and emotion‐related brain regions

It has been shown that the functional architecture of the default mode network (DMN) can be affected by serotonergic challenges and these effects may provide insights on the neurobiological bases of depressive symptomatology. To deepen our understanding of this possible interplay, we used a double‐blind, randomized, cross‐over design, with a control condition and two interventions to decrease (tryptophan depletion) and increase (tryptophan loading) brain serotonin synthesis. Resting‐state fMRI from 85 healthy subjects was acquired for all conditions 3 hr after the ingestion of an amino acid mixture containing different amounts of tryptophan, the dietary precursor of serotonin. The DMN was derived for each participant and session. Permutation testing was performed to detect connectivity changes within the DMN as well as between the DMN and other brain regions elicited by the interventions. We found that tryptophan loading increased tryptophan plasma levels and decreased DMN connectivity with visual cortices and several brain regions involved in emotion and affect regulation (i.e., putamen, subcallosal cortex, thalamus, and frontal cortex). Tryptophan depletion significantly reduced tryptophan levels but did not affect brain connectivity. Subjective ratings of mood, anxiety, sleepiness, and impulsive choice were not strongly affected by any intervention. Our data indicate that connectivity between the DMN and emotion‐related brain regions might be modulated by changes in the serotonergic system. These results suggest that functional changes in the brain associated with different brain serotonin levels may be relevant to understand the neural bases of depressive symptoms.
Long QT syndrome caveolin‐3 mutations differentially modulate Kv4 and Cav1.2 channels to contribute to action potential prolongation

Mutations in the caveolae scaffolding protein, caveolin‐3 (Cav3), have been linked to the long QT type 9 inherited arrhythmia syndrome (LQT9) and the cause of underlying action potential duration prolongation is incompletely understood. In the present study, we show that LQT9 Cav3 mutations, F97C and S141R, cause mutation‐specific gain of function effects on Cav1.2‐encoded L‐type Ca2+ channels responsible for ICa,L and also cause loss of function effects on heterologously expressed Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 channels responsible for Ito. A computational model of the human ventricular myocyte action potential suggests that the major ionic current change causing action potential duration prolongation in the presence of Cav3‐F97C is the slowly inactivating ICa,L but, for Cav3‐S141R, both increased ICa,L and increased late Na+ current contribute equally to action potential duration prolongation. Overall, the LQT9 Cav3‐F97C and Cav3‐S141R mutations differentially impact multiple ionic currents, highlighting the complexity of Cav3 regulation of cardiac excitability and suggesting mutation‐specific therapeutic approaches.
Validation of the Mobile Phone Addiction among Under-graduate Students Using SAS

— We explored the factors influencing mobile phone addiction in under-graduate students. This investigation is based on age, gender, social status, monthly income and hours of daily phone use time, sending and receiving text messages on weekends, monthly call charges ,internet usage, Wi-Fi usage, media specific factors, social networking, performance in academics etc. To collect data, questionnaire probing mobile phone addiction consisting of several factors were distributed among students. The data were analyzed using the SAS Enterprise guide (ANOVA). The findings are divided as heavy users, average users and light users. There was a statistical difference between females and males were found. These scales were applied for 527 students who are from different Departments of AITS, Tirupati. We found that cell phone use appears to be a sedentary leisure behavior and inserts loneliness.
LEGO: a research-oriented software development model

The large-scale evaluation and gradual optimization (LEGO) model of software development was designed to be capabilities-driven. Although the motivation for its structure was support of research projects, this model is applicable to development of any system where the identification and implementation of incremental levels of functionality is critical. It differs from other existing development models in that system functionality is emphasized over prototyping. Given the time and level-of-effort constraints inherent to contracted work, ground-up system development is neither desirable nor possible. At the same time, a cursory technology survey and assessment is inadequate and unacceptable. Maximal results are realized when work is focused on the judicious extension of pre-existing technologies and the development of new capabilities where required. The LEGO methodology was designed to approach system development from this perspective. This paper will describe some current models of software development, the research environment which motivated design of LEGO, the LEGO model itself, as well as application of LEGO to research and development of RADIUS, an image-understanding project currently being worked by Hughes.