Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability and predictors of weekly pesticide exposure in applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional smallholder farms in Costa Rica

Objective Estimates of pesticide exposure among applicators from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce, and exposure assessment methods are sometimes costly or logistically unfeasible. We examined the variability in weeklong pesticide exposure among applicators in Costa Rica and its predictors. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 221 pesticide applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional farms in 2016. We administered structured questionnaires to assess pesticide application practices at two time points (4–6 weeks apart). We adapted an existing algorithm to fit the context of smallholders and derive weekly pesticide exposure scores. We used linear mixed-effect models to examine within-worker and between-worker score variability. We then identified sociodemographic and occupational predictors of weekly pesticide exposure scores. Results We observed high within-worker and between-worker variability in weekly pesticide exposures (eg, up to 180-fold and 70-fold differences in average weekly exposures within and between workers, respectively; intraclass correlation coefficient=0.4). Applicators working on conventional and sustainable farms had exposure scores twofold and 1.5-fold higher than those working in organic farms, respectively. Farm workers who received training on pesticide use had weekly pesticide exposure scores of 33% (95% CI 1% to 55%) lower than those who did not receive any training. Conclusions In this study of applicators from smallholder farms in Costa Rica, we determined the importance of collecting questionnaire data on self-reported pesticide use repeatedly due to its high variability within workers and absence of application records. Our questionnaire-based exposure algorithm could allow the calculation of semiquantitative estimates of average pesticide exposure for applicators from other LMICs.
Muscle strength, size and composition following 12 months of gender-affirming treatment in transgender individuals.

CONTEXT As many sports are divided in male/female categories, governing bodies have formed regulations on the eligibility for transgender individuals to compete in these categories. Yet, the magnitude of change in muscle mass and strength with gender-affirming treatment remains insufficiently explored. OBJECTIVE This study explored the effects of gender-affirming treatment on muscle function, size and composition during 12 months of therapy. DESIGN, SETTINGS, PARTICIPANTS In this single-center observational cohort study, untrained transgender women (TW, n=11) and transgender men (TM, n=12), approved to start gender-affirming medical interventions, underwent assessments at baseline, 4 weeks after gonadal suppression of endogenous hormones but before hormone replacement, and 4 and 12 months after treatment initiation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Knee extensor and flexor strength was assessed at all examination time points, and muscle size and radiological density (using MRI and CT) at baseline and 12 months after treatment initiation. RESULTS Thigh muscle volume increased (15%) in TM, which was paralleled by increased quadriceps cross-sectional area (CSA) (15%) and radiological density (6%). In TW, the corresponding parameters decreased by -5% (muscle volume) and -4% (CSA), while density remained unaltered. The TM increased strength over the assessment period, while the TW generally maintained their strength levels. CONCLUSIONS One year of gender-affirming treatment resulted in robust increases in muscle mass and strength in TM, but modest changes in TW. These findings add new knowledge on the magnitude of changes in muscle function, size and composition with cross-hormone therapy, which could be relevant when evaluating the transgender eligibility rules for athletic competitions.
Long-Term Fatigue and Cognitive Disorders in Breast Cancer Survivors

Survivors of early-stage breast cancer may report treatment-related side effects that persist for several years after the end of primary treatment. Among these, fatigue and cognitive disorders are frequent complaints and can negatively impact quality of life. Cancer-related fatigue is a very prevalent and distressing long-term side effect among breast cancer survivors that typically improves after completion of treatment, although many patients report severe fatigue several years post-treatment. Cognitive disorders are also common among survivors of breast cancer, especially if treated with chemotherapy. These symptoms are usually mild-to-moderate and often transient. Cognitive recovery is frequently observed within months or a few years after completion of chemotherapy or endocrine therapy. However, some breast cancer survivors may have persistent cognitive difficulties. Several types of interventions have proved to be beneficial in reducing cancer-related fatigue and cognitive difficulties. Most of these interventions for cancer-related fatigue are thought to be effective by reducing inflammation or disrupting pro-inflammatory circuits. Further studies are needed on cognitive management that has showed promising results. This narrative review summarizes the state of the art regarding long-term fatigue and cognitive disorders in patients with early breast cancer, describing prevalence, impact, pathophysiology, and risk factors, and focusing on available interventions.
Stability Limitations of Optical Frequency Transfer in Telecommunication DWDM Networks

This article investigates the fundamental limitations of optical frequency transfer stability related to cost-effective implementation of signal transmission in duplex, unidirectional optical paths offered by a standard dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network. We pointed out the effect of a significant mismatch of phase fluctuations observed in pairs of fibers even when located in a common cable. We also measured the thermal sensitivities of individual DWDM optical modules in the context of the effectiveness of the signal stabilization system. Finally, we present the real implementation of the coherent optical carrier transfer in the operational DWDM network, showing the overall impact of all individual effects. We demonstrated that it is possible to obtain the long-term stability (one day averaging) within the range from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${2} \times {10}^{-{16}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${4} \times {10}^{-{16}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and typical frequency offset at the level of few times 10<sup>−16</sup> in a 1500-km-long line by using the soil-deployed cables.
A Meta-Analysis of Candidate Gene Association Studies on the Blood Pressure Response to Aerobic Exercise

by two coders (MLB, KAL) for inclusion/exclusion criteria. To confirm the accuracy of the screening process, the coders re-screened all studies that were initially excluded to check for subtle errors (e.g., identifying excluded studies meeting the predetermined inclusion criteria). Studies were included if they: 1) involved an acute
Prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders in Adults in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study.

AIM Assess the prevalence of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) in adults in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 years and above during their routine visit to primary care dental centers in the city in 2018. Five-hundred participants enrolled in this study. Primary healthcare centers are clustered geographically in five areas of the city (north, south, west, east, and center) by the ministry of health. One-hundred participants were recruited from each area. The TMD/pain screener questionnaire was completed by participants. The first item used a scoring mechanism of 0-2 (a = 0, b = 1, c = 2), and the second and third items were scored 0-1 (a = 0, b = 1). A total score of 3 or more indicates the presence of TMD. t test was used to evaluate gender differences in TMD prevalence with a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS There were 250 females and 250 males participants. The mean age was 40.6 years (range: 18-89 years; standard deviation: 13.7 years). Answers to the first question showed that 52% of participants had no pain in the temple area, or jaw in the last 30 days, 46% of participants had intermittent pain, and 2% had persistent pain. Twenty-seven percent of participants had pain or stiffness in the jaw upon waking up, whereas 39% of participants had pain while chewing food, 29% experienced pain from opening the mouth or moving the jaw, 34% during jaw habits such as holding the teeth together, clenching, or chewing gum, and 18% during other jaw activities such as talking, kissing, or yawning. A total score of 3 or more was found in 175 participants, indicating a prevalence of 35%. TMD was significantly more prevalent in females (105 participants, 42%) than in males (70 participants, 28%) with p = 0.0008. CONCLUSION The prevalence of TMD in adult population in Jeddah is considered high. It is significantly more prevalent in females than in males. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE TMD prevalence is relatively high in adults of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Public health efforts should be directed at increasing TMD awareness in patients and healthcare professionals.
Heavy Metal in Paddy Soil and its Bioavailability in Rice Using In Vitro Digestion Model for Health Risk Assessment

Rice ingestion is one of the major pathways for heavy metal bioaccumulation in human. This study aimed to measure the heavy metal content of paddy soils and its bioavailability in paddy grain in order to assess the health risk. In total, 10 rice samples (50 g each) of paddy plants were harvested from the Selangor and Terengganu areas of Malaysia to assess the bioavailability of heavy metal (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Pb) using the in vitro digestion model of Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu. The bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations in rice samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The findings showed the bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations was decreased in the order Cr > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. Chromium was found to be the most abundant bioavailable heavy metal in cooked rice, which was the result of its high content in paddy soil. Hazard Quotient values for the bioavailability of the heavy metal studied were less than one indicating no non-carcinogenic health risks for adults and children. Meanwhile, the total Lifetime Cancer Risk exceeded the acceptable value showing a potential of carcinogenic health risk for both adults and children. The application of in vitro digestion model in assessing bioavailability of heavy metal produces a more realistic estimation of human health risks exposure. However, a regular monitoring of pollution in Selangor and Terengganu areas is crucial since the exposure of heavy metals through rice consumption poses the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk to the local residents.
Effect of Sintering on In Vivo Biological Performance of Chemically Deproteinized Bovine Hydroxyapatite

The influence of the manufacturing process on physicochemical properties and biological performance of xenogenic biomaterials has been extensively studied, but its quantification on bone-to-material contact remains poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different heat treatments of an experimental chemically-deproteinized bovine hydroxyapatite in vivo in terms of new bone formation and osteoconductivity. Protein-free hydroxyapatite from bovine origin was produced under sub-critical conditions and then either sintered at 820 °C or 1200 °C. Structural and morphological properties were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), measurement of surface area and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The materials were then implanted in standardized alveolar bone defects in minipigs and histomorphometric evaluations were performed using non-decalcified sections. Marked topographical differences were observed by SEM analysis. As the sintering temperature of the experimental material increased, the surface area significantly decreased while crystallite size increased. In vivo samples showed that the highly sintered BHA presented a significantly lower percentage of newly formed bone than the unheated one (p = 0.009). In addition, the percentage of bone-to-material contact (BMC) was significantly lowered in the highly sintered group when compared to the unsintered (p = 0.01) and 820 °C sintered (p = 0.02) groups. Non-sintered or sintered at 820 °C BHA seems to maintain a certain surface roughness allowing better bone regeneration and BMC. On the contrary, sintering of BHA at 1200 °C has an effect on its morphological and structural characteristics and significantly modify its biological performance (osteoconductivity) and crystallinity.
Proactive Scheduling for Job-Shop Based on Abnormal Event Monitoring of Workpieces and Remaining Useful Life Prediction of Tools in Wisdom Manufacturing Workshop

The job-shop scheduling is an important approach to manufacturing enterprises to improve response speed, reduce cost, and improve service. Proactive scheduling for job-shop based on abnormal event monitoring of workpieces and remaining useful life prediction of tools is proposed with radio frequency identification (RFID) and wireless accelerometer in this paper. Firstly, the perception environment of machining job is constructed, the mathematical model of job-shop scheduling is built, the framework of proactive scheduling is put forward, and the hybrid rescheduling strategy based on real-time events and predicted events is adopted. Then, the multi-objective, double-encoding, double-evolving, and double-decoding genetic algorithm (MD3GA) is used to reschedule. Finally, an actual prototype platform to machine job is built to verify the proposed scheduling method. It is shown that the proposed method solves the integration problem of dynamic scheduling and proactive scheduling of processing workpieces, reduces the waste of redundant time for the scheduling, and avoids the adverse impact on abnormal disturbances.
Self-Harming in Depressed Patients: Pattern Analysis

Objective: As deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a common concomitant of depressive disorders, we undertook a study examining the relevance of possible determinants and correlates of DSH. Method: Three separate samples of depressed outpatients were studied to determine consistency of identified factors across samples, with principal analyses involving gender, age and diagnosis-matched DSH and non-DSH subjects. Results: Across the samples, some 20% of subjects admitted to episodes of DSH. Women reported higher rates and there was a consistent trend for higher rates in bipolar patients. Univariate analyses examined the relevance of several sociodemographic variables, illicit drug and alcohol use, past deprivational and abusive experiences, past suicidal attempts and disordered personality functioning. Multivariate analyses consistently identified previous suicide attempts and high ‘acting out’ behaviours across the three samples, suggesting the relevance of an externalizing response to stress and poor impulse control. Conclusions: Results assist the identification and management of depressed patients who are at greater risk of DSH behaviours.
Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum 2-Carboxyethyl-Phenyl-Phosphinate and Its Flame-Retardant Application in Polyester

A flame retardant aluminum 2-carboxyethyl-phenyl-phosphinate (CPA-Al) was synthesized through the salification reaction. The molecular structure of CPA-Al and thermal stability were characterized by solid nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Subsequently, CPA-Al mixed in polyurethane was coated on polyester textile to obtain flame-retardant samples. The addition of 14.7 wt. % CPA-Al in textile sample can bring a limited oxygen index (LOI) value of 24.5%, 0 s after flame time, and the vertical burning B1 rating. Meanwhile, the incorporated CPA-Al reduced the peak heat release rate, total heat release, average effective heat of combustion, and increased the charring capacity of polyester textiles in contrast to the samples without CPA-Al. CPA-Al exerted not only its flame inhibition effect in gas phase, but also the charring and barrier effect in the condensed phase. Besides, with an increasing CPA-Al ratio in polyester textile, the contact angle gradually decreased from 123.6° to 75.6°, indicating that the surficial property of coating from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, thereby increasing the moisture permeability of polyester textile.
Iatrogenic poverty [editorial]

Fighting iatrogenic poverty calls for more than just establishing some kind of social health insurance. It should be strongly emphasized that the solution lies to a large extent within the health sector; however a wide coalition is necessary to tackle the issue. Other government departments such as Ministries of Social Affairs must be involved. Civil societies have a role to play. Programmes of social assistance will require a massive support by the donors and the national governments. Eventually the scientific community has to urgently provide other actors with a better understanding of the exact relationship between illness and poverty in a given situation. (excerpt)
Quality of Life and Related Risk Factors in a Taiwanese Village Population 21 Months after an Earthquake

Objective: To investigate quality of life and related risk factors of Taiwanese earthquake survivors with different psychiatric disorders 21 months after the earthquake. Method: This was a population survey. Trained assistants used the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) and questionnaires to interview 461 respondents (209 males and 252 females) 16 years or older who were equally exposed to the earthquake. Psychiatrists interviewed the same respondents using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), with an adjusted response rate of 79.9%. Results: The prevalence of varied psychiatric disorders in earthquake survivors ranged from 3.3% to 18%. However, there was almost a positive trend in quality of life in survivors among the following groups: posttraumatic stress disorder combined with major depressive episode; major depressive episode; posttraumatic stress disorder; other psychiatric diseases; and healthy mentality groups on the physical aspect or mental aspect of the MOS SF-36. When survivors were elderly or female and had experienced prominent financial loss immediately after the earthquake, social network change, and mental impairment, their quality of life tended to be worse. Conclusion: The earthquake survivors had a higher percentage of psychiatric disorders. The risk factors that affected quality of life in survivors were age, female sex, financial loss, social network change, and mental impairment.
Fate of Mutagenic Chemicals in Soil Amended Petroleum and Wood Preserving Sludges

A field study using monoliths (lysimeters) of a sandy clay loam soil was conducted to assess the fate of mutagenic chemicals after refinery and wood preserving bottom sediment sludges were land treated. The Ames Salmonelialmicrosome assay* was used to determine the direct (without metabolic activation, S9) and indirect (with metabolic activation, + S9) mutagenicity of the wastes, unamended soil, waste amended soils, and leachate. Extracts having a mutagenic ratio (MR) (MR=No. colonies from sample extract/No, colonies from DMSO solvent control) of ≥ 2 were considered positively mutagenic. Extracts of the wood preserving waste sludge without activation were non-mutagenic (MR < 2) but extracts with activation (+ S9) produced very strong indirect mutagenicity (MR = 7.9). After soil incorporation, the waste amended soil produced very strong direct (MR =8.9) and indirect (MR = 11.9) mutagenicity by day 180 and remained mutagenic (MR = 5.7, S9; MR = 3.95, + S9) through day 350. The amount of residue in leachate from the wood preserving waste amended lysimeters was significantly greater (P<0.05) than the unamended soil during the first 90 days after waste application, but was not different after 90 days. The leachate residue from wood preserving waste amended lysimeters in the 90-180day period produced mutagenic responses both with (MR = 2.24 and 2.51) and without (MR = 2.29) activation. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were the main constituents identified in the leachate residues that produced a mutagenic response. Soil treatment of the refinery sludge reduced its weak indirect mutagenicity before soil incorporation (MR = 2) to non-mutagenic (MR =1.4) immediately following soil treatment. The MR of the waste amended soil increased to L7 by day 180 but by day 350 decreased to a level equal to that observed at day 0 (MR = 1.4). Leachate from the refinery amended lysimeters had significantly greater (P<0.05) amounts of organic residue than unamended lysimeters 180 to 350 days after waste application. The leachate from one refinery waste amended Ivsimeter (90-180 days after waste application) produced a mutagenic response (MR =3.16). The refinery sludge was detoxified shortly after soil treatment, but the wood preserving sludge required > 350
Enriching footsteps sounds in gait rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients: a pilot study

In the context of neurorehabilitation, sound is being increasingly applied for facilitating sensorimotor learning. In this study, we aimed to test the potential value of auditory stimulation for improving gait in chronic stroke patients by inducing alterations of the frequency spectra of walking sounds via a sound system that selectively amplifies and equalizes the signal in order to produce distorted auditory feedback. Twenty‐two patients with lower extremity paresis were exposed to real‐time alterations of their footstep sounds while walking. Changes in body perception, emotion, and gait were quantified. Our results suggest that by altering footsteps sounds, several gait parameters can be modified in terms of left–right foot asymmetry. We observed that augmenting low‐frequency bands or amplifying the natural walking sounds led to a reduction in the asymmetry index of stance and stride times, whereas it inverted the asymmetry pattern in heel–ground exerted force. By contrast, augmenting high‐frequency bands led to opposite results. These gait changes might be related to updating of internal forward models, signaling the need for adjustment of the motor system to reduce the perceived discrepancies between predicted–actual sensory feedbacks. Our findings may have the potential to enhance gait awareness in stroke patients and other clinical conditions, supporting gait rehabilitation.