Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of the Association of Fasting Plasma Glucose and HbA1c Levels with Diabetic Retinopathy in Japanese Men

Introduction The relationship between HbA1c and diabetic retinopathy is expected to differ between different races. This study was designed to verify whether HbA1c or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is more effective in detecting diabetic retinopathy in a Japanese population. Materials and Methods The study subjects underwent health examinations between 2008 and 2009 with fasting. Of these participants, we analyzed the data for 2,921 Japanese men who had undergone an ophthalmologic examination. Retinopathy was classified into 7 categories according to a simplified diabetic retinopathy scale. The odds ratios of retinopathy according to the eight groups of FPG and HbA1c were estimated using multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for age. Receiver operator characteristic analysis was used to evaluate each value associated with the presence or absence of retinopathy. Results and Discussion. The odds ratios (95% CI) of retinopathy for HbA1c level categories, in ascending order, were 1.0 (ref.), 0.88 (0.28-2.75), 1.27 (0.44-3.69), 1.52 (0.48-4.79), 1.89 (0.52-6.85), 2.70 (0.66-11.10), 4.10 (0.80-21.00), and 6.34 (2.37-16.97) where the odds ratios significantly increased with HbA1c ≥ 6.8%. The area under the curve (SE) for FPG and HbA1c was almost the same, at 0.668 (0.043) and 0.680 (0.043), respectively. Conclusions It was clarified that the higher the level of HbA1c, the higher the prevalence of retinopathy, and there was no clear threshold. The detection ability of retinopathy was almost the same, suggesting that it is possible to detect the risk of retinopathy by HbA1c only.
Forbs Dominate Diets of the Threatened Endemic Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus)

Abstract Many ground squirrels in western USA persist in degraded grass-dominated habitats where diet choices are more limited than prior to European settlement. This study provided a rare opportunity to investigate ground squirrel diets in relatively undisturbed habitats with a wide range of native diet options. We studied the diet of the northern Idaho ground squirrel, Urocitellus brunneus, a Threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act. It currently has a small, fragmented distribution of about 20 km2 in west-central Idaho. We collected fecal pellets over three years at five study sites with high vascular plant diversity (93 to 133 species) and analyzed them using a microhistological technique. Over all sites and seasons, diets were diverse (74 diet items); 45 species of forbs contributed 86.3% of the observed diet, whereas nine species of graminoids contributed 7.8%. Forb foliage was most utilized, followed by underground parts (roots, bulbs, etc.), and then flowers, whereas seeds were a minor component. Principal components analysis showed that season and age class contributed more to diet variation than sex or site. Kernel regression tracked changes in forb utilization over the active season from foliage to underground parts, and then to flowers and seeds. These data suggest that a prudent restoration strategy for ground squirrel habitat should focus on establishing and maintaining local native forb diversity, especially species with heavily utilized underground parts, flowers, and/or seeds. Legumes and composites are especially important. However, local ecotypes of short-statured grasses such as Poa secunda may also be useful.
Targeting MYCN in Molecularly Defined Malignant Brain Tumors

Misregulation of MYC genes, causing MYC overexpression or protein stabilization, is frequently found in malignant brain tumors highlighting their important roles as oncogenes. Brain tumors in children are the most lethal of all pediatric malignancies and the most common malignant primary adult brain tumor, glioblastoma, is still practically incurable. MYCN is one of three MYC family members and is crucial for normal brain development. It is associated with poor prognosis in many malignant pediatric brain tumor types and is focally amplified in specific adult brain tumors. Targeting MYCN has proved to be challenging due to its undruggable nature as a transcription factor and for its importance in regulating developmental programs also in healthy cells. In this review, we will discuss efforts made to circumvent the difficulty of targeting MYCN specifically by using direct or indirect measures to treat MYCN-driven brain tumors. We will further consider the mechanism of action of these measures and suggest which molecularly defined brain tumor patients that might benefit from MYCN-directed precision therapies.
The potential of trees to record aluminum mobilization and changes in alkaline earth availability

The mobilization of exchangeable soil cations by atmospheric depositions of mineral acid anions and the distribution of polyvalent cations in the xylem are described to provide the basis for interpreting both radial concentration and concentration ratio patterns of polyvalent cations in annual growth rings of trees. There is strong circumstantial evidence that increases in Al:Ca ratios in annual rings are related to aluminum mobilization, and that changes in the availability of alkaline earth elements and radial growth rated may also be related to cation mobilization. Suggestions for further research are presented.
Fate of antibiotic resistant enterococci and selected tetracycline resistance genes during wastewater treatment.

X CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW 1 1.1. Major hotspots for antibiotic resistant Enterococci (ARE) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) 4 Hospitals and clinical settings 4 Gastrointestinal tract of mammals 5 Food sources 8 Wastewater treatment plants 11 1.2. Overview of the general processes involved in a wastewater treatment plant 12 1.2. 1. Primary treatment process 13 1.2. 2. Secondary treatment process 14 1.2. 3. Tertiary treatment process 15 1.3. Prevalence of ARB and ARGs in wastewater treatment plants 20 1.4. Factors influencing ARB and ARG concentration in treated wastewater effluent 23 1.4. 1. Source of influent 23 1.4. 2. Treatment methods in WWTPs 25 treatment solutions for significant reduction in levels of ARB and ARGs in treated wastewater effluent 26 Ultraviolet disinfection 26 Advanced oxidation processes 28 Microfiltration 30 1.6. Scope of the present study 31
Symmetry transitions during gating of the TRPV2 ion channel in lipid membranes

The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) channel is a member of the temperature-sensing thermoTRPV family. Recent advances in cryo-electronmicroscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallography have provided many important insights into the gating mechanisms of thermoTRPV channels. Interestingly, crystallographic studies of ligand-dependent TRPV2 gating have shown that the TRPV2 channel adopts two-fold symmetric arrangements during the gating cycle. However, it was unclear if crystal packing forces played a role in stabilizing the two-fold symmetric arrangement of the channel. Here we employ cryo-EM to elucidate the structure of full-length rabbit TRPV2 in complex with the agonist resiniferatoxin (RTx) in nanodiscs and amphipol. We show that RTx induces two-fold symmetric conformations of TRPV2 in both environments. However, the two-fold symmetry is more pronounced in the native-like lipid environment of the nanodiscs. Our data offers insights into a gating pathway in TRPV2 involving symmetry transitions.
SHIV.CH505-infected infant and adult rhesus macaques exhibit similar HIV Env-specific antibody kinetics, despite distinct T-follicular helper (Tfh) and germinal center B cell landscapes

Pediatric HIV infection remains a large global health concern despite the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Thus, global elimination of pediatric HIV infections will require the development of novel immune-based approaches, and understanding infant immunity to HIV is critical to guide the rational design of these intervention strategies. Despite their immunological immaturity, HIV-infected children develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) more frequently and earlier than adults do. Furthermore, T-follicular helper (Tfh) cells have been associated with bnAb development in HIV-infected children and adults. To further our understanding of age-related differences in the development of HIV-specific immunity, we evaluated the generation of virus-specific humoral immune responses in infant (n=6) and adult (n=12) rhesus macaques (RMs) infected with a transmitted/founder (T/F) simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV.C.CH505). The plasma HIV envelope-specific IgG antibody kinetics were similar in SHIV-infected infant and adult RMs, with no significant differences in the magnitude or breadth of these responses. Interestingly, autologous tier 2 virus neutralization responses also developed with similar frequency and kinetics in infant and adult RMs, despite infants exhibiting significantly higher Tfh and germinal center B cell frequencies compared to adults. Our results indicate that the humoral immune response to SHIV infection develops with similar kinetics among infant and adult RMs, suggesting that the early life immune system is equipped to respond to HIV-1 and promote the production of neutralizing HIV antibodies. Importance There is a lack of understanding on how the maturation of the infant immune system influences immunity to HIV infection, or how these responses differ from those of adults. Improving our knowledge of infant HIV immunity will help guide antiviral intervention strategies that take advantage of the unique infant immune environment to successfully elicit protective immune responses. We utilized a rhesus macaque model of SHIV infection as a tool to distinguish the differences in HIV humoral immunity in infants versus adults. Here, we demonstrate that the kinetics and quality of the infant humoral immune response to HIV are highly comparable to that of adults during the early phase of infection, despite distinct differences in their Tfh responses, indicating that slightly different mechanisms may drive infant and adult humoral immunity.
Characterization and cross-species transferability of a novel set of microsatellites derived from root transcriptomes of Camellia oleifera

Abstract Camellia oleifera is an important woody plant producing healthy edible oils. People need a large number of molecular markers, especially microsatellite, in breeding of C. oleifera. In this study, we sequenced the root transcriptomes of C. oleifera, and then designed a novel set of microsatellite markers based on the root-expressed genes. We assembled a total of 57,121 unigenes with a length of 42.63 Mb, which harboured 15,902 microsatellites. Among these microsatellites, di-nucleotide repeat motifs were the most abundant group (56.45%), then followed by tri- (25.20%), mono- (12.12%), hexa- (3.21%), penta- (2.18%) and quad-nucleotide ones (0.84%). In total, 6738 primer pairs were designed successfully to amplify the microsatellite loci. To test these microsatellite markers, 48 primer pairs were randomly selected and synthesized and validated in C. oleifera and its eight relatives. Up to 75% of the primer pairs amplified in C. oleifera and its relatives, and 62.5% displayed polymorphism. The transferability and diverse alleles across its eight relatives were detected for each polymorphic primer pair. The novel set of microsatellites derived from the root transcriptomes here provided a useful resource for future molecular genetics improvement of C. oleifera and its relatives.
Pharmacognostic study of the leaf of Ageratina adenophora

Ageratina adenophora (Asteraceae), commonly known as Crofton weed or sticky snakeroot, leaves are used for various health conditions in traditional medicines. They are used for treatment such as wound, itching, measles, skin diseases, uterine bleeding and also acts as antibacterial and astringent activity. Macroscopic and quantitative microscopic methods were applied to determine the diagnostic features for the identification and standardization of the fresh leaf samples of A. adenophora. Macroscopically, the leaves were found to have an opposite trowel-shaped serration that are 6–10 cm long by 3–6 cm in width. They have a mild characteristic smell and bitter in taste. They are dark-green in colour, while the stems are reddish in colour. The flowers are creamy white coloured followed by a small brown seed with a white feathery parachute. The light and electron microscope images of cross-section of leaf revealed useful diagnostic features. They have anomocytic type of stomata. The stomatal number, stomatal index, vein islet and vein termination number were determined. In the transverse section of the leaf, collenchyma cells, parenchyma cells, vascular bundles, trichomes, palisade cells, upper and lower epidermis were observed. These findings are helpful in authentication of A. adenophora, as well as in laying down its pharmacopoeial standards.
PhD researchers, pedagogy and primary education: A perspectivepiece on breaking barriers to Higher Education

Barriers to fair Higher Education access are often determined at an early age, particularly for students from working class backgrounds with no parental history of Higher Education and who live in some of the lowest socio-economic areas in the United Kingdom. But barriers can be broken. One such method is through The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme which mobilises PhD researchers by placing them in UK state schools to teach subjects which are not traditionally taught on the school curriculum such as human rights, contractual rights, and rights protected by the criminal law, amongst many other subjects and disciplines. The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme assists in increasing university awareness as well as developing the core skills necessary for academic success. Liberational pedagogy can also assist in breaking barriers as it encourages creativity, critical thought and awareness in students. Part I of this paper outlines what The Brilliant Club does in the context of social justice and breaking barriers to Higher Education. Part II explains my own experience working as a PhD tutor on the Scholars Programme with Key Stage 2 students and how I used liberational pedagogy in the context of problem-posing teaching methods to encourage critical discussion and to learn in dialogue with the students.
Rhetorical Appeals and Tactics in New York Times Comments About Vaccines: Qualitative Analysis

Background Improving persuasion in response to vaccine skepticism is a long-standing problem. Elective nonvaccination emerging from skepticism about vaccine safety and efficacy jeopardizes herd immunity, exposing those who are most vulnerable to the risk of serious diseases. Objective This article analyzes vaccine sentiments in the New York Times as a way of improving understanding of why existing persuasive approaches may be ineffective and offers insight into how existing methods might be improved. We categorize pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine arguments, offering an in-depth analysis of pro-vaccine appeals and tactics in particular to enhance current understanding of arguments that support vaccines. Methods Qualitative thematic analyses were used to analyze themes in rhetorical appeals across 808 vaccine-specific comments. Pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine comments were categorized to provide a broad analysis of the overall context of vaccine comments across viewpoints, with in-depth rhetorical analysis of pro-vaccine comments to address current gaps in understanding of pro-vaccine arguments in particular. Results Appeals across 808 anti-vaccine and pro-vaccine comments were similar, though these appeals diverged in tactics and conclusions. Anti-vaccine arguments were more heterogeneous, deploying a wide range of arguments against vaccines. Additional analysis of pro-vaccine comments reveals that these comments use rhetorical strategies that could be counterproductive to producing persuasion. Pro-vaccine comments more frequently used tactics such as ad hominem arguments levied at those who refuse vaccines or used appeals to science to correct beliefs in vaccine skepticism, both of which can be ineffective when attempting to persuade a skeptical audience. Conclusions Further study of pro-vaccine argumentation appeals and tactics could illuminate how persuasiveness could be improved in online forums.
The Design and Development of a Personalized Leisure Time Physical Activity Application Based on Behavior Change Theories, End-User Perceptions, and Principles From Empirical Data Mining

Introduction: Many adults do not reach the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines, which can lead to serious health problems. A promising method to increase PA is the use of smartphone PA applications. However, despite the development and evaluation of multiple PA apps, it remains unclear how to develop and design engaging and effective PA apps. Furthermore, little is known on ways to harness the potential of artificial intelligence for developing personalized apps. In this paper, we describe the design and development of the Playful data-driven Active Urban Living (PAUL): a personalized PA application. Methods: The two-phased development process of the PAUL apps rests on principles from the behavior change model; the Integrate, Design, Assess, and Share (IDEAS) framework; and the behavioral intervention technology (BIT) model. During the first phase, we explored whether location-specific information on performing PA in the built environment is an enhancement to a PA app. During the second phase, the other modules of the app were developed. To this end, we first build the theoretical foundation for the PAUL intervention by performing a literature study. Next, a focus group study was performed to translate the theoretical foundations and the needs and wishes in a set of user requirements. Since the participants indicated the need for reminders at a for-them-relevant moment, we developed a self-learning module for the timing of the reminders. To initialize this module, a data-mining study was performed with historical running data to determine good situations for running. Results: The results of these studies informed the design of a personalized mobile health (mHealth) application for running, walking, and performing strength exercises. The app is implemented as a set of modules based on the persuasive strategies “monitoring of behavior,” “feedback,” “goal setting,” “reminders,” “rewards,” and “providing instruction. ” An architecture was set up consisting of a smartphone app for the user, a back-end server for storage and adaptivity, and a research portal to provide access to the research team. Conclusions: The interdisciplinary research encompassing psychology, human movement sciences, computer science, and artificial intelligence has led to a theoretically and empirically driven leisure time PA application. In the current phase, the feasibility of the PAUL app is being assessed.
Changes in α-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant, and phytochemical profiles during the growth of Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn)

ABSTRACT Tartary buckwheat has become popular healthful food due to its antidiabetic and antioxidant activities. In the current study, the in-vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidative activities of different parts of Tartary buckwheat were evaluated throughout the growth stages. In addition, the phytochemical profiles and quantitative analysis were further achieved by HPLC-DAD. Tartary buckwheat root extracts at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL showed significant inhibition more than 80% in the flowering and yield stage, while acarbose was 87.4% inhibition at 5 mg/mL. It also showed good antioxidant capacity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl, 2, 2ʹ-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, and ferric reducing antioxidant power determination. The antioxidant capacities of roots ranged from 128 to 158 μM VC, from 226 to 409 μM VC, and from 77 to 205 μM butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (equaling VC or BHT per 1 g of dry weight), respectively. Chemical composition analysis showed that the leaf contained more rutin and the root more phenylpropanoid. The results may provide a better understanding of the variation of Tartary buckwheat as a functional food for preventing diabetes and antioxidant.
Effectivity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and zinc combination to sperms of male white rats (Rattus norvegicus) exposed to monosodium glutamate

Factors causing infertility include unhealthy lifestyle, such as excessive use of MSG which can produce free radicals and can affect morphology and motility of spermatozoa. Antioxidant is needed to prevent free radicals, which can be obtained from various sources such as tomatoes and zinc. This study was used experimentally with post test only control group design with divided into 5 groups (K1 to K5). K1 were exposed standard feed, K2 were exposed to 4 mg/day of MSG, K3 were exposed 3.7 g/day of tomatoes + 4 mg/day of MSG, K4 were exposed 0.27 mg/day of zinc + 4 mg/day of MSG and K5 were exposed combination of 3.7 g/day of tomatoes + 0.27 mg/day of zinc + 4 mg/day of MSG. Tomatoes or zinc and the combination of tomatoes and zinc were effective to improve the morphology and motility of male white rats Rattus norvegicus spermatozoa which were exposed to MSG. The combination of tomatoes and zinc were the most effective in improving morphology and motility of spermatozoa exposed to MSG.
Anthropogenic increases in nutrients alter sexual selection dynamics: a case study in butterflies

Anthropogenic increases in nutrient availability offer opportunities to study evolutionary shifts in sexual selection dynamics in real time. A rapid increase in nutrient availability may reduce the utility of condition-dependent ornaments as signals of quality and lessen any nutritional benefits to females from re-mating. We explored these ideas using cabbage white butterflies, focusing on nitrogen as a nutrient, as it is important to this species in not only in ornamentation, but also as a key macronutrient transferred in spermatophores. We compared a nonagricultural population to an agricultural population, which has seen an increase in nitrogen availability over the last 40 years due in part to fertilizer application. When reared in a common garden, both male and female butterflies from the agricultural population allocate significantly more to nitrogen-rich wing pigments used in mate choice. However, this increase in allocation is not correlated with an increase in the ability to assimilate nitrogen from their diet. Spermatophore counts from wild females show that females in the agricultural population rarely mate more than once, while those in the nonagricultural population are much more likely to be polyandrous. Similarly, the structure in the female reproductive tract that processes spermatophores has evolved lower tooth density in the agricultural population, consistent with the idea that these females benefit less from high throughput of spermatophores. These results suggest that anthropogenic increases in nutrient availability have resulted in a decline in the nutritional benefits of remating in females along with evolutionary increases in ornamentation in both males and females.