Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Is It My Responsibility?”: A Qualitative Review of University Students’ Perspectives on Bystander Behavior

Bystander interventions focus on framing violence as a community problem and encourage all community members to act as prosocial bystanders if they witness a dangerous situation. Research has demonstrated there are multiple barriers and facilitators that might discourage or encourage an individual to act as a prosocial bystander. A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) of existing literature was conducted to determine university students’ perspectives on bystander facilitators and barriers. A systematic search of the literature was completed to identify articles that included university students’ perspectives on bystander facilitators and barriers, utilized a qualitative methodology, and contained participant quotations in the published article. The search yielded 181 articles and after screening 10 articles were included in the QIMS. The original themes and participant quotations were qualitatively coded to develop five new themes: (1) the impact of alcohol, (2) beliefs about responsibility, (3) peer perceptions, (4) indicators and situational dilemmas, and (5) the role of friendship and group impact. The results of this synthesis reveal important implications for the continued development of bystander intervention programs for universities. By incorporating the perspectives of university students, bystander intervention programs may be more effective at encouraging students to be prosocial bystanders by confronting perceived barriers to intervention.
Modelling Spatial Scales of Dose Deposition and Radiolysis Products from Gold Nanoparticle Sensitisation of Proton Therapy in A Cell: From Intracellular Structures to Adjacent Cells

Gold nanoparticle (GNP) enhanced proton therapy is a promising treatment concept offering increased therapeutic effect. It has been demonstrated in experiments which provided indications that reactive species play a major role. Simulations of the radiolysis yield from GNPs within a cell model were performed using the Geant4 toolkit. The effect of GNP cluster size, distribution and number, cell and nuclear membrane absorption and intercellular yields were evaluated. It was found that clusters distributed near the nucleus increased the nucleus yield by 91% while reducing the cytoplasm yield by 7% relative to a disperse distribution. Smaller cluster sizes increased the yield, 200 nm clusters had nucleus and cytoplasm yields 117% and 35% greater than 500 nm clusters. Nuclear membrane absorption reduced the cytoplasm and nucleus yields by 8% and 35% respectively to a permeable membrane. Intercellular enhancement was negligible. Smaller GNP clusters delivered near sub-cellular targets maximise radiosensitisation. Nuclear membrane absorption reduces the nucleus yield, but can damage the membrane providing another potential pathway for biological effect. The minimal effect on adjacent cells demonstrates that GNPs provide a targeted enhancement for proton therapy, only effecting cells with GNPs internalised. The provided quantitative data will aid further experiments and clinical trials.
A prospective surveillance of surgical site infections: Study for efficacy of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis

To estimate the incidence and risk factors of surgical site infections, to determine theantimicrobial susceptibility pattern among the organisms isolated and to assess the ability of our protocol for preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infections (SSI), a prospective SSI surveillance in Cairo University hospital using the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control of elective procedures, 881 patients were recruited in six months. Data of surgical procedures, and preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis were collected. Patients were followed up for 30 days after surgery. The incidence of SSI infections was 9.2%. A significant increase was associated with a prolonged preoperative hospital stay, prolonged surgery, contaminated wounds and presence of the drain. The most common organism was Staphylococcus aureus (24.3%) then Klebsiella pneumonia(18.5%). MRSA constituted 68% of S. aureus, ESBL-producing Gram negative bacilli 41.8% and multidrug-resistant 25.4%. This is an insight to risk factors associated with SSI, the causative pathogens and their sensitivity in our hospital that can help in updating the preoperative antimicrobial prophylaxis. Key words: Surgical site infection, surveillance, preoperative antibiotics policy, antimicrobial prophylaxis.
Subgroups with typical courses of depressive symptoms in an elderly population during 13 years of observation: Results from the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study

Background: Depressive symptoms are volatile over time but empirical studies of intra-individual variations of depressive symptoms over longer periods are sparse. Aims: We aim to examine fluctuation patterns of depressive symptoms and to investigate the possible influence of age, sex and socioeconomic factors on fluctuation in a population-based sample over a period of 13 years. Methods: We used data of 4,251 participants (45–75 years; 51.0% women at baseline) of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study with at least two of nine possible measurements obtained in the period between 2000 and 2017. Depressive symptoms were assessed via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) short form. Based on the individual mean values and standard deviation from all measurements, we categorized participants as G1 ‘stable low’, G2 ‘stable high’, G3 ‘stable around cutoff’ and G4 ‘large fluctuations’. Results: Most participants (82.3%) showed stable low depressive symptoms (G1), whereas 2.3% performed stable high values (G2), 6.9% stable around the cutoff (G3) and 8.6% large fluctuations (G4). Conclusion: Our longitudinal results reveal that almost 18% (G2, G3 and G4) of the participants have an increased depression score or strong fluctuations at times. According to our classification, a higher proportion of the participants show anomalies with regard to depression compared to a simple classification into depressed and nondepressed, especially if this is based on a single measurement. Thus, longitudinal measurements of depression can prevent misclassification and provide valuable information about the course of depressive symptoms for a better understanding of the changes of depression.
Predictors of Problematic Social Media Use: Personality and Life-Position Indicators

Given the preponderance of social media in our increasingly saturated media environments, there is a need for greater understanding of how personality traits and states can influence problematic social media use. This study examines whether contextual age indicators (life satisfaction, interpersonal interaction, social activity), the fear of missing out, and the Big Five personality traits are significant predictors of Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat addictions. A survey of 337 college students reveals that greater social activity is a positive predictor of addiction to Snapchat. Another significant finding is a positive relationship between social media addiction and the fear of missing out, which explained the most variance in addiction scores for Snapchat (16%). An inductive analysis of open-ended responses indicated strong similarities between those who claimed that they were addicted to these social media apps and those said that they were not addicted. Both groups described largely similar usage patterns and media dependency, yet several users did not self-identify as addicted to social media. These patterns indicate that more research is needed to determine how social media users differentiate between normative, heavy, and addicted usage.
A brief review of interplay between vitamin D and angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2: Implications for a potential treatment for COVID‐19

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is rapidly expanding and causing many deaths all over the world with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a pandemic in March 2020. Current therapeutic options are limited and there is no registered and/or definite treatment or vaccine for this disease or the causative infection, severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 syndrome (SARS‐CoV‐2). Angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a part of the renin‐angiotensin system (RAS), serves as the major entry point into cells for SARS‐CoV‐2 which attaches to human ACE2, thereby reducing the expression of ACE2 and causing lung injury and pneumonia. Vitamin D, a fat‐soluble‐vitamin, is a negative endocrine RAS modulator and inhibits renin expression and generation. It can induce ACE2/Ang‐(1‐7)/MasR axis activity and inhibits renin and the ACE/Ang II/AT1R axis, thereby increasing expression and concentration of ACE2, MasR and Ang‐(1‐7) and having a potential protective role against acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Therefore, targeting the unbalanced RAS and ACE2 down‐regulation with vitamin D in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is a potential therapeutic approach to combat COVID‐19 and induced ARDS.
Risk of Psoriasis in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A National Population-Based Cohort Study

Both polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and psoriasis are associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Nonetheless, the incidence of psoriasis in patients with PCOS is unclear. We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Research Database (LHID) in Taiwan from 2000 to 2012 to perform a retrospective population-based cohort study to elucidate the occurrence of psoriasis in PCOS patients. Patients with PCOS without psoriasis in the index year (the year of PCOS diagnosis) were recruited as the PCOS group. Those without PCOS nor psoriasis (control group) were selected using propensity score matching at a ratio of 4:1. Hazard ratios (HRs) were obtained using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. In total, 4707 and 18,828 patients were included in the PCOS and control groups, respectively. The incidence rates of psoriasis in the control and PCOS groups were 0.34 and 0.70 per 1000 person-years, respectively. The risk of psoriasis was higher in the PCOS group by an HR of 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.25–3.43) compared with the control group. In conclusion, the incidence of psoriasis in the PCOS group was higher than that in the control group. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the mechanism underlying the association, and to benefit the long-term management of patients with PCOS.
Song bout length is indicative of spatial learning in European starlings

Female songbirds are attracted to male song, and song may honestly signal male quality. Song is a phenotypic expression of a complex learned behavior and therefore could be indicative of other cognitive abilities. Stressful conditions during early development are known to adversely affect the development of the mammalian and avian brain, and recent evidence suggests a positive association between song quality and learning ability. However, prior studies have not assessed how early-life stress affects both general cognitive functioning and song learning. We subjected nestling- and juvenile-caught European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to either an ad libitum or food-restricted diet until approximately 90 days of age. As adults, birds’ cognitive abilities were assessed via spatial foraging and social learning tasks, while controlling for the effects of neophobia. Song learning was assessed in undirected and directed singing contexts. We found that birds fed the ad libitum diet had significantly longer song bouts in both singing contexts, made fewer errors in the spatial foraging task, but performed worse on the social learning task than food-restricted birds. Overall, song performance only correlated with performance on the spatial foraging task: Males with longer mean song bouts in the directed singing context committed fewer errors. These data suggest that the neural structures supporting song and spatial abilities are both affected by nutritional stress during development. Female starlings are attracted to longer song bouts and may thus use song bout length to infer spatial learning abilities of potential mates.
Unique Genetic and Histological Signatures of Mouse Pericardial Adipose Tissue

Obesity is a major risk factor for a plethora of metabolic disturbances including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Accumulating evidence is showing that there is an adipose tissue depot-dependent relationship with obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction. While some adipose depots, such as subcutaneous fat, are generally metabolically innocuous, others such as visceral fat, are directly deleterious. A lesser known visceral adipose depot is the pericardial adipose tissue depot. We therefore set out to examine its transcriptional and morphological signature under chow and high-fat fed conditions, in comparison with other adipose depots, using a mouse model. Our results revealed that under chow conditions pericardial adipose tissue has uncoupling-protein 1 gene expression levels which are significantly higher than classical subcutaneous and visceral adipose depots. We also observed that under high-fat diet conditions, the pericardial adipose depot exhibits greatly upregulated transcript levels of inflammatory cytokines. Our results collectively indicate, for the first time, that the pericardial adipose tissue possesses a unique transcriptional and histological signature which has features of both a beige (brown fat-like) but also pro-inflammatory depot, such as visceral fat. This unique profile may be involved in metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity.
Antibody production and identity of MLOs associated with sugar-cane whiteleaf disease and bermuda-grass whiteleaf disease from Thailand

Cuttings from sugar-cane plants with symptoms of whiteleaf disease and bermuda-grass plants also showing whiteleaf symptoms were collected in Thailand and transferred to a glasshouse at East Mailing. Using these plants as source material, procedures were devised for the partial purification of MLO-associated immunogens. Antisera were raised separately to the sugar-cane whiteleaf and bermuda-grass whiteleaf immunogens. These antisera exhibited specificity for their homologous MLO antigens in F(ab′)2 indirect enzyme immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Detection of MLO infection was possible in crude tissue extracts diluted several hundredfold. No cross-reactions were observed in reciprocal tests between these two MLO sources and their antisera, nor were there reactions between either antiserum and extracts of other graminaceous hosts showing symptoms of natural whiteleaf infection. No cross-reactions were obtained in reciprocal tests with Spiroplasma citri or aster yellows MLO and their homologous antibodies.
MOTOR NERVE ENDINGS OF TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS IN HIPPOCAMPUS HUDSONIUS

The structure of the motor end plate of striated skeletal muscle has been studied in considerable detail by light and electron microscopy (1-3). However, it has been only recently that electron microscope studies have shown that the end plates on twitch and slow tonic striated skeletal fibers have a distinctive structural organization which may serve to distinguish the two types of muscle fibers. In brief, Hess (4-6) and Hess and Pilar (7) have shown that twitch muscle fibers possess one or more rather circumscribed nerve endings which can be readily recognized by their highly folded postsynaptic membrane (sarcolemma). ~fhis is the "en plaque" type of motor nerve ending. On the other hand, Kuffler and VaughanWilliams (8, 9), Hess (4-6), Hess and Pilar (7), Pilar and Hess (10), Page (11), and others have shown that slow tonic muscle fibers have multiple motor nerve endings which are strung out along the length of the muscle fiber. The postsynaptic membrane or sarcolemma does not exhibit the extensive folding found in the twitch fiber. This type of nerve ending has been designated as the " en grappe" type. Although the work cited above illustrates the neuromuscular pattern found in many species, several variations have been reported. For examples, Gray (12) has demonstrated that the motor end plates of twitch fibers may have a more extensive distribution than the multiple endings associated with the slow tonic fibers in the same muscle. Nakaj ima (13) has shown in a study of snake fish red and white muscles that the motor nerve endings are similar to the endings typically found on slow tonic muscle fibers. Similar findings were reported by Nishihara (14) for carp red and white muscles. In addition, Reger (15) has found motor nerve endings of the same type in the extraocular muscle fibers of the killifish, Fundulus. In an abstract, Hess (16) has also reported that the striated muscle of the avian iris has an internal structure similar to that of twitch muscle fibers, but the motor nerve endings are similar to those found on slow tonic muscle fibers (the en grappe type). As yet, no functional studies have been reported to determine the physiological properties of either the muscle fibers or the motor nerve endings. Recent investigations of the structure of the twitch muscle fibers which drive the dorsal fin of Hippocampus also suggested that the motor nerve endings are of the en grappe type and are strung out along the muscle fiber and lack any infoldings of the postsynaptic muscle membrane characteristic of other twitch muscles (17-I9). That these muscle fibers are twitch fibers has been verified by their mechanical properties and fine structure (19, 20). In addition, the muscle fibers of which the dorsal fin musculature is composed appear to be structurally homogeneous and vary primarily in fiber diameter.
Down‐regulation of macaque ΓΔ+ T cells in lymphoid compartments after rectal infection with SIVsmmPBj14

The dynamics of T cells expressing the ΓΔ T‐cell receptor in mucosae and other compartments during the course of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 infection are poorly understood. To examine the impact of an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome virus on the ΓΔ+ T‐cell population, rectal inoculation of macaques with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)‐PBj14 was used as a model. After rectal inoculation, five macaques were sacrificed on days 4, 5, or 7 and then assessed for changes in the ΓΔ T‐cell receptor repertoire in different lymphoid compartments. There was decreased representation of ΓΔ+ T cells in the intestinal mucosae, blood, and spleens. Overall, the reduced number of total ΓΔ+ T cells was consistent with decreases in the VΓ or VΔ T‐cell sub‐populations. Nevertheless, there was no consistent deletion or expansion of a selected VΓ+ or VΔ+ cell sub‐population. These results demonstrate that SIV‐PBj14 replication and dissemination after mucosal inoculation resulted in a decline of detectable ΓΔ+ T cells, suggesting that macaque ΓΔ+ T cells are susceptible to down‐regulation or destruction during acute SIV‐PBj14 infection.
Development of a SYBR Green quantitative PCR assay for detection of Lates calcarifer herpesvirus (LCHV) in farmed barramundi

Lates calcarifer herpes virus (LCHV) is a new virus of farmed barramundi in Southeast Asia. However, a rapid detection method is yet to be available for LCHV. This study, therefore, aimed to develop a rapid quantitative PCR (qPCR) detection method for LCHV and made it timely available to public for disease diagnostics and surveillance in barramundi farming countries. A newly designed primer set targeting a 93-bp fragment of the LCHV putative major envelope protein encoding gene (MEP) was used for developing and optimizing a SYBR Green based qPCR assay. The established protocol could detect as low as 10 viral copies per µl of DNA template in a reaction containing spiked host DNA. No cross-amplification with genomic DNA extracted from host as well as common aquatic pathogens (12 bacteria and 3 viruses) were observed. Validation test of the method with clinical samples revealed that the virus was detected in multiple organs of the clinically sick fish but not in the healthy fish. We thus recommend that barramundi farming countries should promptly initiate active surveillance for LCHV in order to understand their circulation for preventing possibly negative impact to the industry. Highlights This study reported a new SYBR Green qPCR method for detection of LCHV The qPCR method had detection limit of 10 copies per µl plasmid DNA template when spiked with genomic DNA from the host The aforementioned method is highly specific to LCHV Validation with clinical samples revealed that LCHV could be detected from multiple organs with fin and brain the best organs for qPCR detection
Climate Change and Agricultural Production in South Africa: Impacts and Adaptation options

The primary aim of the paper was to identify the impacts and adaptation options of climate variability and change on agricultural production in Limpopo province. The following objectives were identified: to understand the impacts of climate variability and change on agricultural production in Limpopo province ; to assess the impacts of climate variability and change on agricultural production in Limpopo province and to identify adaptation measures that reduces the impacts of climate variability and change on agricultural production in Limpopo province. A representative sample of 300 farmers aged 16 – 65+ years (46 percent males and 54 percent females) participated in the study. The study involved Sekhukhune and Capricorn districts, with 56 percent farmers in Capricorn and 44 percent in Sekhukhune district. The following 11 local municipalities were visited: Elias Motsoaledi, Makhuduthamaga, Fetakgomo, Ephraim Mogale, Tubatse, Lepelle Nkumpi, Blouberg, Aganang, Polokwane, and Molemole. Statistics was used to determine climate variability and change impact on agricultural production. Results indicate that farmers are aware that Limpopo province is getting warmer and drier with increased frequency of droughts, changes in the timing of rains, observed trends of temperature and precipitation. This paper also confirmed that being full time farmer, gender, information on climate change, information received through extension services and adaptation to climate change are some of the important determinants of agricultural production, food scarcity and unemployment. The paper also presented perceived adaptation strategies of selected Limpopo province farmers. Some of their perceived adaptation strategies included: (a) soil management strategies, (b) water management strategies and (c) others like use of subsidies and use of insurance. Other important adaptation options being used by farmers were also discussed in this paper including different adaptation measures against colds, heat, frost, abnormal wind, hail, lack of extension support, nematodes, insecticides, worms, temperature and rainfall. The results of this paper are potentially valuable to the agricultural sector considering the threates that climate change poses across climate sensitive sectors
1R chromosome nucleolus organizer region activation by 5-azacytidine in wheat × rye hybrids.

Nucleolar activity was studied in several lines of Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring, Triticum turgidum cv. Durum, and F1 hybrids from euploid and aneuploid lines of T. aestivum and Secale cereale cv. Centeio do Alto, in cells from root tips of seeds germinated in water or in 5-azacytidine. 5-Azacytidine, an analog of cytidine modified in the 5 position of the pyrimidine ring, inhibits DNA methylation. By using silver staining to determine the number of nucleolus organizer regions and the average number of nucleoli per root-tip cell from seeds germinated in both situations, it became apparent that the presence of 5-azacytidine during germination allowed for the expression of the nucleolus organizer region locus belonging to the rye genome, in contrast to the usual observed cytological absence of the rye nucleolus organizer region in wheat–rye hybrids. It is suggested that wheat nucleolar dominance in wheat–rye hybrids is mainly a consequence of methylation of rRNA genes or its regulators located on the.