Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and Predictors of Overweight and Obesity among Young Children in the Children’s Healthy Living Study on Guam

This study is part of the Children’s Healthy Living program in U.S. Affiliated Pacific region. The objectives were to estimate overweight and obesity (OWOB) prevalence and identify possible related risk factors among ethnic groups in Guam. In 2013, 865 children (2–8 years) were recruited via community-based sampling from select communities in Guam. Children’s demographic and health behavior information; dietary intake; and anthropometric measurements were collected. Logistic regression, odds ratio, t-tests, and chi-square tests were used to determine differences and assess covariates of OWOB. The results indicate that 58% of children were living below the poverty level, 80% were receiving food assistance, and 51% experienced food insecurity. The majority of children surveyed did not meet recommendations for: sleep duration (59.6%), sedentary screen-time (83.11%), or fruit (58.7%) and vegetable (99.1%) intake, and consumed sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) (73.7%). OWOB affected 27.4% of children. Children affected by OWOB in this study were statistically more likely (p = 0.042) to suffer from sleep disturbances (p = 0.042) and consume marginally higher amounts (p value = 0.07) of SSB compared to children with healthy weight. Among Other Micronesians, children from families who considered themselves ‘integrated’ into the culture were 2.05 (CI 0.81–5.20) times more likely to be affected by OWOB. In conclusion, the OWOB prevalence among 2–8-year-olds in Guam was 27.4%; and compared with healthy weight children, children with OWOB were more likely to have educated caregivers and consume more SSBs. Results provide a basis for health promotion and obesity prevention guidance for children in Guam.
Validation of Fabric-Based Thigh-Wearable EMG Sensors and Oximetry for Monitoring Quadriceps Activity during Strength and Endurance Exercises

Muscle oximetry based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electromyography (EMG) techniques in adherent clothing might be used to monitor the muscular activity of selected muscle groups while exercising. The fusion of these wearable technologies in sporting garments can allow the objective assessment of the quality and the quantity of the muscle activity as well as the continuous monitoring of exercise programs. Several prototypes integrating EMG and NIRS have been developed previously; however, most devices presented the limitations of not measuring regional muscle oxyhemoglobin saturation and did not embed textile sensors for EMG. The purpose of this study was to compare regional muscle oxyhemoglobin saturation and surface EMG data, measured under resting and dynamic conditions (treadmill run and strength exercises) by a recently developed wearable integrated quadriceps muscle oximetry/EMG system adopting smart textiles for EMG, with those obtained by using two “gold standard” commercial instrumentations for EMG and muscle oximetry. The validity and agreement between the wearable integrated muscle oximetry/EMG system and the “gold standard” instrumentations were assessed by using the Bland-Altman agreement plots to determine the bias. The results support the validity of the data provided by the wearable electronic garment developed purposely for the quadriceps muscle group and suggest the potential of using such device to measure strength and endurance exercises in vivo in various populations.
MicroRNAs Dysregulation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases are debilitating and currently incurable conditions causing severe cognitive and motor impairments, defined by the progressive deterioration of neuronal structure and function, eventually causing neuronal loss. Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these disorders are essential to develop therapeutic approaches. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs implicated in gene expression regulation at the post-transcriptional level. Moreover, miRNAs are crucial for different processes, including cell growth, signal transmission, apoptosis, cancer and aging-related neurodegenerative diseases. Altered miRNAs levels have been associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS formation occur in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. The crosstalk existing among oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and miRNAs dysregulation plays a pivotal role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on this evidence, in this review, with a focus on miRNAs and their role in mitochondrial dysfunction in aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Diving behaviour of yellow-eyed penguins, Port Pegasus/Pikihatiti, Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand

Yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho, Megadyptes antipodes) are a Nationally Vulnerable species, restricted in distribution to the lower South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, and the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands. The foraging behaviour of penguins is considered an indicator of marine ecosystems because when breeding they rely on the availability of prey close to their nests. Time–depth recorders were attached to eight nesting hoiho at Port Pegasus/Pikihatiti, Stewart Island. While at sea, hoiho spent 55% of their time diving in water > 3 m deep. Their mean dive depth was 61 ± 6.1 m with mean dive duration 2 ± 0.1 min. Based on bathymetric charts, hoiho could undertake these dives < 10 km from their nesting sites. There was significant variability in hoiho foraging behaviour within New Zealand depending on bathymetry and anthropogenic impacts. Understanding hoiho foraging behaviours could help to determine to what extent they impact on this species' life history and its role as an ecosystem indicator.
Teosinte (Zea mays ssp parviglumis) growth and transcriptomic response to weed stress identifies similarities and differences between varieties and with modern maize varieties

Transcriptomic responses of plants to weed presence gives insight on the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in the stress response. This study evaluated transcriptomic and morphological responses of two teosinte (Zea mays ssp parviglumis) (an ancestor of domesticated maize) lines (Ames 21812 and Ames 21789) to weed presence and absence during two growing seasons. Responses were compared after 6 weeks of growth in Aurora, South Dakota, USA. Plant heights between treatments were similar in Ames 21812, whereas branch number decreased when weeds were present. Ames 21789 was 45% shorter in weedy vs weed-free plots, but branch numbers were similar between treatments. Season-long biomass was reduced in response to weed stress in both lines. Common down-regulated subnetworks in weed-stressed plants were related to light, photosynthesis, and carbon cycles. Several unique response networks (e.g. aging, response to chitin) and gene sets were present in each line. Comparing transcriptomic responses of maize (determined in an adjacent study) and teosinte lines indicated three common gene ontologies up-regulated when weed-stressed: jasmonic acid response/signaling, UDP-glucosyl and glucuronyltransferases, and quercetin glucosyltransferase (3-O and 7-O). Overall, morphologic and transcriptomic differences suggest a greater varietal (rather than a conserved) response to weed stress, and implies multiple responses are possible. These findings offer insights into opportunities to define and manipulate gene expression of several different pathways of modern maize varieties to improve performance under weedy conditions.
Pharmacological modulation of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels alters nociception arising from the female reproductive tract.

Dyspareunia, also known as vaginal hyperalgesia, is a prevalent and debilitating symptom of gynaecological disorders such as endometriosis and vulvodynia. Despite this, the sensory pathways transmitting nociceptive information from female reproductive organs remain poorly characterised. As such, the development of specific treatments for pain associated with dyspareunia are currently lacking. Here we examined, for the first time, i) the mechanosensory properties of pelvic afferent nerves innervating the mouse vagina; ii) the expression profile of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels within these afferents; and iii) how pharmacological modulation of these channels alters vaginal nociceptive signalling ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo. We developed a novel afferent recording preparation and characterised responses of pelvic afferents innervating the mouse vagina to different mechanical stimuli. Single-cell RT-PCR determined mRNA expression of NaV channels within vagina-innervating dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Vagina-innervating DRG neuroexcitability was measured using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Nociception evoked by vaginal distension was assessed by dorsal horn neuron activation within the spinal cord and quantification of visceromotor responses. We found that pelvic afferents innervating the vagina are tuned to detect various mechanical stimuli, with NaV channels abundantly expressed within these neurons. Pharmacological modulation of NaV channels (with veratridine or tetrodotoxin) correspondingly alters the excitability and mechanosensitivity of vagina-innervating afferents, as well as dorsal horn neuron activation and visceromotor responses evoked by vaginal distension. This study identifies potential molecular targets that can be used to modulate vaginal nociceptive signalling and aid in the development of approaches to manage endometriosis and vulvodynia-related dyspareunia.
Foliar blight of bigflower vetch caused by Ascochyta fabae f. sp. vicia

Bigflower vetch (Vicia grandiflora var. kitaibeliana) is a winter-annual legume developed for use in pastures and as a winter cover crop in specialized situations. During evaluation in a rotation experiment in Connecticut, bigflower vetch became severely diseased by a foliar blight. Symptoms consisted of reddish brown spots with tan centers on leaves. Spots were oval and often coalesced to form larger blotches. A fungus identified as Ascochyta fabae was isolated from diseased tissues, and this fungus induced leaf spots plus necrosis of stems, petioles, and tendrils on bigflower vetch by artificial inoculation. The fungus caused leaf spots (<2 mm in diameter) on V. faba. V. hirsuta, and V. tenuifolia, minor leaf flecking on four other legume species, and no symptoms on 54 other species [. ]
Spatio-temporal patterns in juvenile habitat for 13 groundfishes in the California Current Ecosystem

Identifying juvenile habitats is critical for understanding a species’ ecology and for focusing spatial fishery management by defining references like essential fish habitat (EFH). Here, we used vector autoregressive spatio-temporal models (VAST) to delineate spatial and temporal patterns in juvenile density for 13 commercially important species of groundfishes off the US west coast. In particular, we identified hotspots with high juvenile density. Three qualitative patterns of distribution and abundance emerged. First, Dover sole Microstomus pacificus, Pacific grenadier Coryphaenoides acrolepis, shortspine thornyhead Sebastolobus alascanus, and splitnose rockfish Sebastes diploproa had distinct, spatially-limited hotspots that were spatially consistent through time. Next, Pacific hake Merluccius productus and darkblotched rockfish Sebastes crameri had distinct, spatially limited hotspots, but the location of these hotspots varied through time. Finally, arrowtooth flounder Atheresthes stomias, English sole Parophrys vetulus, sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria, Pacific grenadier Coryphaenoides acrolepis, lingcod Ophiodon elongatus, longspine thornyhead Sebastolobus altivelis, petrale sole Eopsetta jordani, and Pacific sanddab Citharichthys sordidus had large hotspots that spanned a broad latitudinal range. These habitats represent potential, if not likely, nursery areas, the location of which will inform spatial management.
Screening for Keratoconus in a High-Risk Adolescent Population

ABSTRACT Purpose To estimate the prevalence of keratoconus (KC) in a majority-Emirati adolescent population and to demonstrate the feasibility of screening using a dual Scheimpflug and Placido imaging device. Methods Adolescent subjects from two secondary schools in Abu Dhabi, UAE underwent corneal imaging with the Galilei tomographer (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port, Switzerland). The prevalence of KC and KC suspects was determined using a combination of both subjective and objective criteria. Objective criteria included these KC indices: percent probability of keratoconus, inferior-superior index, asphericity asymmetry index, maximum keratometry and thinnest pachymetry. Subjective pattern analysis was performed by four experienced cornea specialists. Subjects were classified by each cornea specialist into three groups: normal, KC and KC suspect. The final classification was made by group reconciliation of cases where disagreement was present. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with the kappa statistic. Results A total of 839 eyes of 420 students between 10 and 19 years of age underwent corneal tomography. After the exclusion of 251 eyes due to insufficient scan quality based on internal instrument-derived standards, 588 eyes of 339 subjects were included in the analysis. The prevalence of KC and KC suspect was estimated to be 2.7% (95% CI [1.2%, 5.0%]) and 19.8% (95% CI [15.7%, 24.4%]), respectively. There was a strong inter-observer agreement between examiners’ classification of the subjects’ KC status (kappa = 0.84). Conclusion KC is highly prevalent in Emirati adolescents. Screening secondary school students for keratoconus appears to be feasible and may be indicated in this population to improve early detection and intervention.
Human Biomonitoring of Glyphosate Exposures: State-of-the-Art and Future Research Challenges

Glyphosate continues to attract controversial debate following the International Agency for Research on Cancer carcinogenicity classification in 2015. Despite its ubiquitous presence in our environment, there remains a dearth of data on human exposure to both glyphosate and its main biodegradation product aminomethylphosphonic (AMPA). Herein, we reviewed and compared results from 21 studies that use human biomonitoring (HBM) to measure urinary glyphosate and AMPA. Elucidation of the level and range of exposure was complicated by differences in sampling strategy, analytical methods, and data presentation. Exposure data is required to enable a more robust regulatory risk assessment, and these studies included higher occupational exposures, environmental exposures, and vulnerable groups such as children. There was also considerable uncertainty regarding the absorption and excretion pattern of glyphosate and AMPA in humans. This information is required to back-calculate exposure doses from urinary levels and thus, then compare these levels with health-based guidance values. Back-calculations based on animal-derived excretion rates suggested that there were no health concerns in relation to glyphosate exposure (when compared with EFSA acceptable daily intake (ADI)). However, recent human metabolism data has reported as low as a 1% urinary excretion rate of glyphosate. Human exposures extrapolated from urinary glyphosate concentrations found that upper-bound levels may be much closer to the ADI than previously reported.
An Exo-Polygalacturonase Pgc4 Regulates Aerial Hyphal Growth and Virulence in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (Foc4) causes Fusarium wilt that affects banana plants, and hence, the molecular mechanisms of its virulence need to be investigated. We purified an exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG), Pgc4, from Foc4. Pgc4 has an apparent molecular weight of 50.87 kDa based on sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We further performed its sequence analysis and biochemical characterization. The two pgc4 genes encoding Pgc4 from Foc4 and Foc1 were 1434 bp in length and encoded 477 amino acids with differences, due to some nucleotide differences between the two. The Km and Vmax values of Pgc4 purified from Foc4 were determined to be 0.45 mg/mL and 105.26 Units·mg·protein−1 ·min−1, respectively. The recombinant proteins, r-Foc1-Pgc4 and r-Foc4-Pgc4, were expressed and purified from Pichia pastoris and showed optimal Pgc4 activity at 55 °C and pH 4.0; both could induce tissue maceration and necrosis in the “Guangfen-1” and “Baxi” varieties of banana but to a different extent. Phenotypic assays and complementation analyses revealed that, compared to the wild-type, the generated Foc4Δpgc4 mutant strain showed a lower aerial hyphal growth, grew slower, and had a reduced virulence. Therefore, our results demonstrate the function of Pgc4 as a pathogenicity factor of Foc4.
Medicines Acceptability in Hospitalized Children: An Ongoing Need for Age-Appropriate Formulations

Although knowledge on medicine acceptability remains fragmented, this multi-faceted concept has emerged as a key factor for compliance in pediatrics. In order to investigate the acceptability of medicines used in the University Medical Centre Ibn Sina (CHIS) of Rabat, Morocco, an observational study was conducted. Using a multivariate approach integrating the many aspects of acceptability, standardized observer reports were collected for 570 medicine intakes in patients up to the age of 16, then analyzed on a reference framework. Tablets appeared to be well accepted in children greater than 6 years old, but were crushed/dissolved for 90% of the 40 children aged from 3 to 5, and 100% of the 38 patients younger than 3. Moreover, the prescribed dose was fully taken for only 52% and 16% of these younger children, respectively. Despite this, tablets represented 24% of evaluations in children from 3 to 5 and 20% in infants and toddlers. Oral liquid preparations appeared to be better accepted than tablets in preschoolers, but not for those under 3. Overall, these findings highlight the lack of suitable alternatives for the younger children, especially for formulations of antiepileptics, antithrombotic, and psycholeptic agents in the local context.
Learning from Monocyte-Macrophage Fusion and Multinucleation: Potential Therapeutic Targets for Osteoporosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts (OCs) covers an essential role in developing bone diseases, such as osteoporosis (OP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Monocytes or macrophages fusion and multinucleation (M-FM) are key processes for generating multinucleated mature cells with essential roles in bone remodelling. Depending on the phenotypic heterogeneity of monocyte/macrophage precursors and the extracellular milieu, two distinct morphological and functional cell types can arise mature OCs and giant cells (GCs). Despite their biological relevance in several physiological and pathological responses, many gaps exist in our understanding of their formation and role in bone, including the molecular determinants of cell fusion and multinucleation. Here, we outline fusogenic molecules during M-FM involved in OCs and GCs formation in healthy conditions and during OP and RA. Moreover, we discuss the impact of the inflammatory milieu on modulating macrophages phenotype and their differentiation towards mature cells. Methodological approach envisaged searches on Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and EMBASE databases to select relevant studies on M-FM, osteoclastogenesis, inflammation, OP, and RA. This review intends to give a state-of-the-art description of mechanisms beyond osteoclastogenesis and M-FM, with a focus on OP and RA, and to highlight potential biological therapeutic targets to prevent extreme bone loss.
Noise-Aware and Light-Weight VLSI Design of Bilateral Filter for Robust and Fast Image Denoising in Mobile Systems

The range kernel of bilateral filter degrades image quality unintentionally in real environments because the pixel intensity varies randomly due to the noise that is generated in image sensors. Furthermore, the range kernel increases the complexity due to the comparisons with neighboring pixels and the multiplications with the corresponding weights. In this paper, we propose a noise-aware range kernel, which estimates noise using an intensity difference-based image noise model and dynamically adjusts weights according to the estimated noise, in order to alleviate the quality degradation of bilateral filters by noise. In addition, to significantly reduce the complexity, an approximation scheme is introduced, which converts the proposed noise-aware range kernel into a binary kernel while using the statistical hypothesis test method. Finally, blue a fully parallelized and pipelined very-large-scale integration (VLSI) architecture of a noise-aware bilateral filter (NABF) that is based on the proposed binary range kernel is presented, which was successfully implemented in field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The experimental results show that the proposed NABF is more robust to noise than the conventional bilateral filter under various noise conditions. Furthermore, the proposed VLSI design of the NABF achieves 10.5 and 95.7 times higher throughput and uses 63.6–97.5% less internal memory than state-of-the-art bilateral filter designs.
Antimicrobial Susceptibilities and Laboratory Profiles of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis Isolates as Agents of Urinary Tract Infection in Lebanon: Paving the Way for Better Diagnostics

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are major healthcare problems that are usually treated empirically. However, antimicrobial resistance has been increasing across many settings. This study aims to elucidate the antibiotic resistance profiles of three common uropathogens, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), and Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) and compare between extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and non-ESBL strains among Lebanese patients. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at multiple tertiary healthcare centers in South Lebanon, between January and September 2017, including 551 patients of all age groups. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients were collected and analyzed statistically. Results: The prevalence of UTI in Lebanon was highest in adults between 19 and 64 years (44%). E. coli was the predominant uropathogenic organism (67.1%) followed by K. pneumoniae (10%) and P. mirabilis (3.7%). ESBL represented 32.9% of the UTI agents. The three common uropathogens studied were found to be most susceptible to imipenem (100%) and meropenem (100%). Interestingly, 115 (25.1%) out of the 458 E. coli isolates were resistant to more than eight antibiotics while 107 (23.4%) were susceptible to all antibiotics studied. Conclusions: Our study underlined the importance of adequate antimicrobial prescription for UTIs in Lebanon to avoid multidrug resistance.