Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anthropogenic Threats to Wild Cetacean Welfare and a Tool to Inform Policy in This Area

Human activities and anthropogenic environmental changes are having a profound effect on biodiversity and the sustainability and health of many populations and species of wild mammals. There has been less attention devoted to the impact of human activities on the welfare of individual wild mammals, although ethical reasoning suggests that the welfare of an individual is important regardless of species abundance or population health. There is growing interest in developing methodologies and frameworks that could be used to obtain an overview of anthropogenic threats to animal welfare. This paper shows the steps taken to develop a functional welfare assessment tool for wild cetaceans (WATWC) via an iterative process involving input from a wide range of experts and stakeholders. Animal welfare is a multidimensional concept, and the WATWC presented made use of the Five Domains model of animal welfare to ensure that all areas of potential welfare impact were considered. A pilot version of the tool was tested and then refined to improve functionality. We demonstrated that the refined version of the WATWC was useful to assess real-world impacts of human activity on Southern Resident killer whales. There was close within-scenario agreement between assessors as well as between-scenario differentiation of overall welfare impact. The current article discusses the challenges raised by assessing welfare in scenarios where objective data on cetacean behavioral and physiological responses are sparse and proposes that the WATWC approach has value in identifying important information gaps and in contributing to policy decisions relating to human impacts on whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Building High Power Density of Sodium-Ion Batteries: Importance of Multidimensional Diffusion Pathways in Cathode Materials

Emerging sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) devices hold the promise to leapfrog over existing lithium-ion batteries technologies with respect to desirable power/energy densities and the abundant sodium sources on the earth. To this end, the discoveries on novel cathode materials with outstanding rate capabilities are being given high priority in the quest to achieve high power density SIBs devices, and the multi-dimensional Na+ migration pathways with low diffusion energy barriers are crucial. In light of this, the recent development of Prussian blue analogs and sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)-type materials with 3D Na+ diffusion pathways for building high power density NIBs are provided in this perspective. Ultimately, the future research directions to realize them for real applications are also discussed.
Rapid Detection of KPC-Producing Enterobacterales Susceptible to Imipenem/Relebactam by Using the MALDI-TOF MS MBT STAR-Carba IVD Assay

KPC-producing Enterobacterales represent a serious public health concern. Limited therapeutic options are available for treatment, however, the novel combination of imipenem/relebactam represents a promising alternative. To preserve the activity of this new antibiotic combination, only targeted treatments will be recommended, and rapid tests to detect susceptible bacteria are therefore urgently needed. Here, we propose a MALDI-TOF-based method using the MBT STAR-Carba IVD assay, Bruker Daltonik, to detect KPC-producing Enterobacterales susceptible to imipenem/relebactam in a random selection of 143 clinical isolates previous molecular characterized, carrying 97 blaKPC, 1 blaGES, 12blaVIM, 4blaIMP, 3blaNDM, and 26blaOXA–48–like. Species identification was confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS. The molecular characterization of the isolates was performed by the Xpert Carba-R Assay and the results were used as gold standard. Besides, all isolates were submitted to imipenem and imipenem/relebactam microdilution susceptibility testing. The assay showed an overall sensitivity and specificity to detect class A-producing Enterobacterales susceptible to imipenem/relebactam of 98% (96/98) and 93% (42/45), respectively. This MALDI-TOF-based methodology, with a turnaround time of less than 1 h, is a reliable test for detecting imipenem/relebactam activity and its inclusion in routine laboratory screening would facilitate the correct use of this new combination of antimicrobials as a targeted treatment.
Mouse models for muscular dystrophies: an overview

ABSTRACT Muscular dystrophies (MDs) encompass a wide variety of inherited disorders that are characterized by loss of muscle tissue associated with a progressive reduction in muscle function. With a cure lacking for MDs, preclinical developments of therapeutic approaches depend on well-characterized animal models that recapitulate the specific pathology in patients. The mouse is the most widely and extensively used model for MDs, and it has played a key role in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying MD pathogenesis. This has enabled the development of therapeutic strategies. Owing to advancements in genetic engineering, a wide variety of mouse models are available for the majority of MDs. Here, we summarize the characteristics of the most commonly used mouse models for a subset of highly studied MDs, collated into a table. Together with references to key publications describing these models, this brief but detailed overview would be useful for those interested in, or working with, mouse models of MD. Summary: This Review and its accompanying comprehensive table summarize the most commonly used mouse models for a subset of highly studied muscular dystrophies.
An Optimization Study of Estimating Blood Pressure Models Based on Pulse Arrival Time for Continuous Monitoring

Continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring has a significant meaning for the prevention and early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. However, under different calibration methods, it is difficult to determine which model is better for estimating BP. This study was firstly designed to reveal a better BP estimation model by evaluating and optimizing different BP models under a justified and uniform criterion, i.e., the advanced point-to-point pairing method (PTP). Here, the physical trial in this study caused the BP increase largely. In addition, the PPG and ECG signals were collected while the cuff bps were measured for each subject. The validation was conducted on four popular vascular elasticity (VE) models (MK-EE, L-MK, MK-BH, and dMK-BH) and one representative elastic tube (ET) model, i.e., M-M. The results revealed that the VE models except for L-MK outperformed the ET model. The linear L-MK as a VE model had the largest estimated error, and the nonlinear M-M model had a weaker correlation between the estimated BP and the cuff BP than MK-EE, MK-BH, and dMK-BH models. Further, in contrast to L-MK, the dMK-BH model had the strongest correlation and the smallest difference between the estimated BP and the cuff BP including systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) than others. In this study, the simple MK-EE model showed the best similarity to the dMK-BH model. There were no significant changes between MK-EE and dMK-BH models. These findings indicated that the nonlinear MK-EE model with low estimated error and simple mathematical expression was a good choice for application in wearable sensor devices for cuff-less BP monitoring compared to others.
TCR-Like CAR-T Cells Targeting MHC-Bound Minor Histocompatibility Antigens

Minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAgs) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are highly immunogenic as they are foreign antigens and cause polymorphism between donors and recipients. Adoptive cell therapy with mHAg-specific T cells may be an effective option for therapy against recurring hematological malignancies following transplantation. Genetically modified T cells with T cell receptors (TCRs) specific to mHAgs have been developed, but formation of mispaired chimeric TCRs between endogenous and exogenous TCR chains may compromise their function. An alternative approach is the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)–T cells with TCR-like specificity whose CAR transmembrane and intracellular domains do not compete with endogenous TCR for CD3 complexes and transmit their own activation signals. However, it has been shown that the recognition of low-density antigens by high-affinity CAR-T cells has poor sensitivity and specificity. This mini review focuses on the potential for and limitations of TCR-like CAR-T cells in targeting human leukocyte antigen–bound peptide antigens, based on their recognition mechanisms and their application in targeting mHAgs.
Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Presenting in Association With Neuroblastoma: A Case Report

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a common systemic vasculitis affecting children. It is managed in the outpatient setting and rarely associated with malignancy. We present a case of neuroblastoma in a 7-year-old boy diagnosed after suspected HSP. Our case highlights the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis in children with atypical HSP and performing a skin biopsy with immunofluorescence when a rash is present.
Improvement of Power Quality in a Three-Phase System Using an Adaline-Based Multilevel Inverter

The existence of harmonics in the power distribution system (PDS) is treated as the most serious issue that affects its stability and reliability. The active power filter (APF) therefore plays a vital role in PDS to compensate for the harmonics for the improvement of the power quality (PQ) and to keep the total harmonic distortion (THD) below 5% as per IEEE-519. In this work, a three-phase four-wire (3P-4W) multi-level inverter (MLI)-based APF is proposed to overcome the shoot-through effect (STE) and reduce the distortions in the supply current. The control of the voltage source inverter (VSI) is achieved using an Adaline-based LMS (A-LMS) algorithm with a hysteresis current controller. The proposed filter that uses the A-LMS technique is compared with the conventional recursive least square (RLS) algorithm. The A-LMS approach is mainly operated for maintaining the dc link voltage of MLI, which follows the principle of capacitor energy and reduces the total harmonic distortion (THD) under different load variations. The performance of MLI under different load conditions is designed, developed, and validated by using a MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the preeminent features are established.
Identification of a Modified HOXB9 mRNA in Breast Cancer

First identified as a developmental gene, HOXB9 is also known to be involved in tumor biological processes, and its aberrant expression correlates with poor prognosis of various cancers. In this study, we isolated a homeodomain-less, novel HOXB9 variant (HOXB9v) from human breast cancer cell line-derived mRNA. We confirmed that the novel variant was produced from variationless HOXB9 genomic DNA. RT-PCR of mRNA isolated from clinical samples and reanalysis of publicly available RNA-seq data proved that the new transcript is frequently expressed in human breast cancer. Exogenous HOXB9v expression significantly enhanced the proliferation of breast cancer cells, and gene ontology analysis indicated that apoptotic signaling was suppressed in these cells. Considering that HOXB9v lacks key domains of homeobox proteins, its behavior could be completely different from that of the previously described variationless HOXB9. Because none of the previous studies on HOXB9 have considered the presence of HOXB9v, further research analyzing the two transcripts individually is warranted to re-evaluate the true role of HOXB9 in cancer.
Global Trends in Incidence Rates of Primary Adult Liver Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Primary liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Global burden varies, reflecting geographical distribution of viral hepatitis. Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published current trends in incidence of adult liver cancers and histological types worldwide. Methods: This study used systematic searches of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases for English-language peer-reviewed articles published from 1 January 2008 to 01 September 2019. Inclusion criteria were population-based studies of adult liver cancer patients with quantitative estimates of temporal trends in incidence for liver cancers and/or histological types. For multiple studies from the same geographical area, only the publication that reported the most recent trends for the same cancer type and population subgroup was included. Review was conducted per PRISMA guidelines. Two authors independently extracted data and critically assessed studies. Proposed contributors to observed trends were extracted from included articles. Study-specific estimates of the annual percentage change (APC) in incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis models. Heterogeneity was measured using the I2 statistics and publication bias evaluated using funnel plots and Egger's tests. Results: Overall, 53 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 31 were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, pooled APC estimates were +0.8 (95% CI −0.3, +2.0) for liver cancers combined, +2.6 (95% CI +1.2, +4.0) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and +4.3 (95% CI +2.5, +6.1) for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Subgroup analyses indicated increasing trends for liver cancers (APC +3.2, 95% CI +2.5, +3.9) and HCC (APC +3.6, 95% CI +2.9, +4.4) in the region of North America/Europe/Australia, whereas corresponding trends were decreasing (APC −1.7, 95% CI −2.2, −1.1) and stable (APC −0.7, 95% CI −1.9, +0.5) in Asia, respectively. Conclusions: Incidence is increasing for adult liver cancers and HCC in Western countries, whereas trends are decreasing in the Asian region, although still remaining high. Our findings highlight the importance of viral hepatitis control and lifestyle interventions to reduce global liver cancer burden. Ongoing surveillance is also vital to detect early shifts in incidence trends.
Stacking Tolerance to Drought and Resistance to a Parasitic Weed in Tropical Hybrid Maize for Enhancing Resilience to Stress Combinations

Maize is a food security crop cultivated in the African savannas that are vulnerable to the occurrence of drought stress and Striga hermonthica infestation. The co-occurrence of these stresses can severely damage crop growth and productivity of maize. Until recently, maize breeding in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has focused on the development of either drought tolerant or S. hermonthica resistant germplasm using independent screening protocols. The present study was therefore conducted to examine the extent to which maize hybrids simultaneously expressing resistance to S. hermonthica and tolerance to drought (DTSTR) could be developed through sequential selection of parental lines using the two screening protocols. Regional trials involving 77 DTSTR and 22 commercial benchmark hybrids (STR and non-DTSTR) were then conducted under Striga-infested and non-infested conditions, managed drought stress and fully irrigated conditions as well as in multiple rainfed environments for 5 years. The observed yield reductions of 61% under managed drought stress and 23% under Striga-infestation created desirable stress levels leading to the detection of significant differences in grain yield among hybrids at individual stress and non-stress conditions. On average, the DTSTR hybrids out-yielded the STR and non-DTSTR commercial hybrids by 13–19% under managed drought stress and fully irrigated conditions and by −4 to 70% under Striga-infested and non-infested conditions. Among the DTSTR hybrids included in the regional trials, 33 were high yielders with better adaptability across environments under all stressful and non-stressful testing conditions. Twenty-four of the 33 DTSTR hybrids also yielded well across diverse rainfed environments. The genetic correlations of grain yield under managed drought stress with yield under Striga-infestation and multiple rainfed environments were 0.51 and 0.57, respectively. Also, a genetic correlation between yields under Striga-infestation with that recorded in multiple rainfed environments was 0.58. These results suggest that the sequential selection scheme offers an opportunity to accumulate desirable stress-related traits in parents contributing to superior agronomic performance in hybrids across stressful and diverse rainfed field environments that are commonly encountered in the tropical savannas of Africa.
Observation of various demographic, socio-economic and physical factors with Sthaulya (obesity) in individuals preferring day sleep: A cross sectional survey

Background and Aim: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality as well as reduced life expectancy. Ayurveda has emphasized that the sleep pattern of the individual is equally responsible for obesity alike food. The aim of this study is to identify the association between day sleep and Sthaulya (Obesity) among patients aged between 20 and 60 years. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 250 Sthaulya (obesity) patients visiting the outpatient department. Sleep pattern questionnaire was used for the survey study. Results: The survey study revealed that habit of sleeping during daytime for more than 1 h, especially just after having lunch, waking up late after 6 AM in the morning, and sleeping for more than 8 h in a day is the important factors associated with Sthaulya (obesity). Conclusion: To prevent obesity, sleep after lunch and getting-up late in the morning should be avoided.
The Cycad Genus Cycas May Have Diversified From Indochina and Occupied Its Current Ranges Through Vicariance and Dispersal Events

Biogeographically, cycads were once widely distributed but the extant cycads are restricted to tropical and subtropical regions. They originated ∼ 300 Ma and re-diversified recently around 12 Ma, with the genus Cycas being the most rapidly diversified and largely distributed lineage. However, the forces that shaped the diversification and biogeography of the genus remain to be fully understood. Here, we first retrieved and used DNA sequences from GenBank (nuclear: PHYP, RPB1, HZP, AC3, F3H, SAMS, and GTP; chloroplasts: plant barcode trnH-psbA, trnL-trnF, trnS-trnG, and psbM-trnD) to assemble a complete dated phylogeny of Cycas. Then, we employed the Bayesian Binary Method to reconstruct the historical biogeography of the extant Cycas and finally, using the Bayesian approach for diversification analysis, we explored the evolutionary events that might have shaped the rapid diversification and large distribution of Cycas across the Pacific Islands. Our analysis pointed to Indo-China as the origin of the genus, which may have dispersed firstly across the Pacific Islands during the late Miocene aided by multiple excursions of sea levels and the development of a key innovation, i.e., a spongy endocarp particularly in the seeds of the subsection Rumphiae. The colonization of South China, which was thought to be the origin of the genus, may have occurred more recently aided by both dispersal and vicariance events. However, no significant shifts in the evolutionary events (speciation, extinction, mass extinction) that shaped the diversity of the genus were observed. Overall, our study re-clarifies the historical biogeography and the evolutionary forces that shaped the current diversity of the genus Cycas.
Full-endoscopic interlaminar surgery of lumbar spine: Role in stenosis and disc pathologies

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of full-endoscopic interlaminar operations for symptomatic lumbar disc herniations and lumbar canal stenosis and to compare their results with conventional open procedures. A comprehensive systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed for articles, including randomized trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), reviews, and meta-analysis with the following search terms: full-endoscopic discectomy, also known as percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, interlaminar discectomy, endoscopic, and percutaneous stenosis decompression in various combinations. Results were analyzed for their effectiveness, safety, complications, recurrence rate, and learning curve, and compared with standard open procedures. Overall, the endoscopic techniques had shorter operating times, less blood loss, less operative site pain, and faster postoperative rehabilitation/shorter hospital stay/faster return to work than the microsurgical techniques for both disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis surgeries. The advantages and disadvantages of variations in techniques and choice of anesthesia are discussed. This comprehensive literature review shows that full-endoscopic surgeries for lumbar disc herniations and lumbar spinal stenosis are safe and effective alternative to open surgery. These can achieve the same clinical results with added benefits of minimally invasive spine surgeries.
Attitude of healthcare providers to adolescent contraception in Abakaliki, South East Nigeria

Background: Adolescent fertility regulation and pregnancy prevention is a pressing health challenge. Family Planning providers should possess the knowledge necessary to enhance adolescent reproductive health and rights. This study was aimed at assessing the attitude of healthcare providers to adolescent contraception in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study of 360 healthcare providers at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria. Statistical analysis was both descriptive and inferential at 95% confidence interval using Epi Info 7.2. 1 Atlanta Georgia software. Results: A total of 260 respondents (72.8%) would offer contraception to sexually active adolescents. The commonest reason why they would offer contraception was to prevent unwanted pregnancies/unsafe abortions (90.8%). The other reasons were to prevent sexually transmitted infections (65.6%) and because adolescent contraception was a sexual and reproductive right (36.7%). On the other hand, the healthcare providers who would not offer adolescent contraception believed that contraception would make adolescents promiscuous (66.3%) or infertile (7.1%). Condom was the commonest type of contraceptive that most respondents (76.8%) would offer to adolescents. Majority of the respondents (64.2%) felt that adolescents must have pregnancy test done before offered any contraceptives.Medical doctors were more likely to offer adolescents contraception than nurses/midwives (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Majority of healthcare providers in Abakiliki, Nigeria would offer contraception to adolescents. However, more than a quarter would not offer contraception to adolescents because of some unfounded misconceptions. There is need for further training of some healthcare providers in order to meet with the current needs for adolescent contraception in the study population.
Global Contagion of Non-Viral Information

Contagion in Online Social Networks (OSN) is typically measured by the tendency of users to re-post information or to adopt a new behavior after exposure to that information/behavior. Most contagion research is bound by modeling: (i) only local neighbor-to-neighbor contagion (ii) the spread of viral information. However, most contagion events are non-viral and can also occur globally by non-neighbors through for example, exposure to information by exploratory browsing, or by content recommendation algorithms. This study is the first to address the phenomenon of both global and local contagion of non-viral information in a quantitative way. Analysis of Twitter networks reveals the prevailing nature of global contagion, the different temporal patterns between global and local contagion, and the ways it varies across topical categories. An interesting finding shows that users who retweeted due to global contagion have more Followers than those who retweeted due to local contagion.