Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
"Emotional stress is more detrimental than the virus itself": Towards an understanding of HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among internal migrant men in South Africa

Introduction South Africa has one of the highest rates of internal migration on the continent, largely comprised of men seeking labor in urban centers. South African men who move within the country (internal migrants) are at higher risk than non-migrant men of acquiring HIV yet are less likely to test or use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, little is known about the mechanisms that link internal migration and challenges engaging in HIV services. Methods We recruited 30 internal migrant men (born outside Gauteng Province) for in-depth qualitative interviews at sites in Johannesburg (Gauteng) where migrants may gather (i.e., factories, homeless shelters). Interviewers used open-ended questions, based in the Theory of Triadic Influence, to explore experiences and challenges with HIV testing and/or PrEP. A mixed deductive inductive content analytic approach was used to review data and explain why participants may or may not use these services. Results Migrant men come to Johannesburg to find work, but their struggle to survive without reliable income causes daily stress. Stress and time constraints limit their availability to seek health services, and many men lack knowledge about the opportunity for PrEP should they test negative. In addition, migrants must also adjust to life in Johannesburg, where they may be unfamiliar with where to access HIV services and lack social support to help them do so. Migrants may also continue to travel intermittently for work or social purposes, which can make it hard to take a daily pill like PrEP. Yet Johannesburg also presents opportunities for HIV services for migrant men, especially those who perceive greater availability and anonymity of HIV information and services in the city as compared to their rural homes of origin. Conclusions Bringing HIV services to migrant men at community sites may ease the burden of accessing these services. Including PrEP counseling and services alongside HIV testing may further encourage men to test, particularly if integrated into counseling for livelihood and coping strategies, as well as support for navigating health services in Johannesburg.
On the hypothesized outflow control of tropical cyclone intensification

We present idealized, three‐dimensional, convection‐permitting numerical experiments to evaluate the premise of the revised theory of tropical cyclone intensification proposed by Emanuel, . The premise is that small‐scale turbulence in the upper tropospheric outflow layer determines the thermal stratification of the outflow and, in turn, an amplification of the system‐scale tangential wind field above the boundary layer. The aim of our article is to test whether parametrized small‐scale turbulence in the outflow region of a developing storm is an essential process in the spin‐up of the maximum tangential winds.
Productivity, physiology, community dynamics, and ecological impacts of a grassland agro-ecosystem: integrating field studies and ecosystem modeling

Mixtures of native grassland perennials are characterized by high productivity and large carbon sequestration capacity, and thus have a potential as biofuel feedstocks. However, the balance among yield, biomass quality, and impacts on environment needs to be carefully considered when selecting a harvest time for prairie mixtures because of the biofuel quantityquality tradeoff. The effects of harvest time on nitrogen (N) concentration and biomass was evaluated in a restored tallgrass prairie in Urbana, IL. Prairie biomass yield was highest in October, and stayed relatively constant during winter. N varied both across and within species throughout the growing season. Most species achieved lowest N in January. There was little overall change in N between January and April. Harvesting the prairie in November would potentially remove 84.6kg N/ha. Our results suggest that the optimal harvest time that balances feedstock quality and yield is between November and January. __________________ This chapter appeared in its entirety in Aspects of Applied Biology and is referred to later in this dissertation as “Feng & Dietze, 2011”. Feng, X. , & Dietze, M. , (2011). Prairie yield, moisture and nitrogen content response to harvest time. 112 (Biomass and Energy Crops IV) 271-277. This article is reprinted with the permission of the publisher and is available from http://www.aab. org.uk
Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes

Ultrafiltration (UF) polymeric membranes are widely used in water treatment and support desalination and gas separation membranes. In this article, we enhance the performance of Polysulfone (PSF) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by dispersing different concentrations of thermally reduced graphene (TRG) nanofillers. The UF PSF-TRG MMMs were fabricated via the phase inversion process, and the impact of TRG loading on the characteristics of the membrane, including hydrophilicity, porosity, roughness, and morphology, were analyzed using a contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic mechanical analysis. Incorporating TRG into the PSF matrix led to favorable effects in the instantaneous de-mixing during phase inversion, increasing the porosity and hydrophilicity of MMMs and improving the mechanical properties of the membranes. Moreover, membrane performance was examined to remove dispersed oil from oil–water emulsion and support air-dehumidification membranes. MMM performance in terms of flux and oil rejection was superior to the control PSF membrane. Incorporating 0.25% TRG into PSF resulted in a 70% water flux increase and higher oil rejection compared to the control PSF membrane. As a support for air-dehumidification membranes, the MMM also demonstrated enhanced humidity reduction and an over 20% increase in water vapor permeance over the control PSF membrane. These results indicate that the PSF-TRG MMMs are an excellent candidate for reliable oil–water separation and as a support for air-dehumidification membranes.
Species Diversity of Amanita Section Vaginatae in Eastern China, with a Description of Four New Species

Species of Amanita sect. Vaginatae (Fr.) Quél. are challenging to delimitate due to the morphological similarity or morphostasis among different taxa. In this study, a multi-locus (nuc rDNA region encompassing the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 with the 5.8S rDNA, the D1–D3 domains of nuc 28S rDNA, partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-a, and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II) phylogeny was employed to investigate the species diversity of the section in eastern China. Sixteen species were recognized, including four new species; namely, A. circulata, A. multicingulata, A. orientalis, and A. sinofulva. They were documented with illustrated descriptions, ecological evidence, and comparisons with similar species. A key to the species of the section from eastern China is provided.
Lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in patients with Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Lipid metabolism and oxidative stress are key mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The link between plasma lipid metabolites and oxidative stress in AD patients is poorly understood. This study was to identify markers that distinguish AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from NC, and to reveal potential links between lipid metabolites and oxidative stress. We performed non‐targeted lipid metabolism analysis of plasma from patients with AD, aMCI, and NC using LC–MS/MS. The plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were assessed. We found significant differences in lipid metabolism between patients with AD and aMCI compared to those in NC. AD severity is associated with lipid metabolites, especially TG (18:0_16:0_18:0) + NH4, TG (18:0_16:0_16:0) + NH4, LPC(16:1e)‐CH3, and PE (20:0_20:4)‐H. SPH (d16:0) + H, SPH (d18:1) + H, and SPH (d18:0) + H were high‐performance markers to distinguish AD and aMCI from NC. The AUC of three SPHs combined to predict AD was 0.990, with specificity and sensitivity as 0.949 and 1, respectively; the AUC of three SPHs combined to predict aMCI was 0.934, with specificity and sensitivity as 0.900, 0.981, respectively. Plasma MDA concentrations were higher in the AD group than in the NC group (p = 0.003), whereas plasma SOD levels were lower in the AD (p < 0.001) and aMCI (p = 0.045) groups than in NC, and GSH‐Px activity were higher in the AD group than in the aMCI group (p = 0.007). In addition, lipid metabolites and oxidative stress are widely associated. In conclusion, this study distinguished serum lipid metabolism in AD, aMCI, and NC subjects, highlighting that the three SPHs can distinguish AD and aMCI from NC. Additionally, AD patients showed elevated oxidative stress, and there are complex interactions between lipid metabolites and oxidative stress.
Interpretable Machine Learning in Kidney Offering: Multiple Outcome Prediction for Accepted Offers

The decision to accept an organ offer for transplant, or wait for something potentially better in the future, can be challenging. Especially, clinical decision support tools predicting transplant outcomes are lacking. This project uses interpretable methods to predict both graft failure and patient death using data from previously accepted kidney transplant offers. Precisely, using more than twenty years of transplant outcome data, we train and compare several survival analysis and classification models in both single and multiple risk settings. In addition, we use post hoc interpretability techniques to clinically validate these models. In a single risk setting, neural networks provide comparable results to the Cox proportional hazard model, with 0.71 and 0.81 AUROC for predicting graft failure and patient death at year 10, respectively. Recipient and donor ages, primary renal disease, donor eGFR, donor type, and the number of mismatches at DR locus appear to be important features for transplant outcome prediction. We also extended the neural network approach to multiple outcome prediction, maintaining consistent performances and clinical interpretation. Thus, owing to their good predictive performance and the clinical relevance of their post hoc interpretation, neural networks represent a promising core component in the construction of future decision support systems for transplant offering.
Molecular mechanism of the common and opposing cosolvent effects of fluorinated alcohol and urea on a coiled coil protein

Alcohols and urea are widely used as effective protein denaturants. Among monohydric alcohols, 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol (TFE) has large cosolvent effects as a helix stabilizer in proteins. In contrast, urea efficiently denatures ordered native structures, including helices, into coils. These opposing cosolvent effects of TFE and urea are well known, even though both preferentially bind to proteins; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains controversial. Cosolvent‐dependent relative stability between native and denatured states is rigorously related to the difference in preferential binding parameters (PBPs) between these states. In this study, GCN4‐p1 with two‐stranded coiled coil helices was employed as a model protein, and molecular dynamics simulations for the helix dimer and isolated coil were conducted in aqueous solutions with 2 M TFE and urea. As 2 M cosolvent aqueous solutions did not exhibit clustering of cosolvent molecules, we were able to directly investigate the molecular origin of the excess PBP without considering the enhancement effect of PBPs arising from the concentration fluctuations. The calculated excess PBPs of TFE for the helices and those of urea for the coils were consistent with experimentally observed stabilization of helix by TFE and that of coil by urea. The former was caused by electrostatic interactions between TFE and side chains of the helices, while the latter was attributed to both electrostatic and dispersion interactions between urea and the main chains. Unexpectedly, reverse‐micelle‐like orientations of TFE molecules strengthened the electrostatic interactions between TFE and the side chains, resulting in strengthening of TFE solvation.
The EDC4‐XRN1 interaction controls P‐body dynamics to link mRNA decapping with decay

Deadenylation‐dependent mRNA decapping and decay is the major cytoplasmic mRNA turnover pathway in eukaryotes. Many mRNA decapping and decay factors are associated with each other via protein–protein interaction motifs. For example, the decapping enzyme DCP2 and the 5'–3' exonuclease XRN1 interact with the enhancer of mRNA‐decapping protein 4 (EDC4), a large scaffold that has been reported to stimulate mRNA decapping. mRNA decapping and decay factors are also found in processing bodies (P‐bodies), evolutionarily conserved ribonucleoprotein granules that are often enriched with mRNAs targeted for decay, yet paradoxically are not required for mRNA decay to occur. Here, we show that disrupting the EDC4‐XRN1 interaction or altering their stoichiometry inhibits mRNA decapping, with microRNA‐targeted mRNAs being stabilized in a translationally repressed state. Importantly, we demonstrate that this concomitantly leads to larger P‐bodies that are responsible for preventing mRNA decapping. Finally, we demonstrate that P‐bodies support cell viability and prevent stress granule formation when XRN1 is limiting. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the interaction between XRN1 and EDC4 regulates P‐body dynamics to properly coordinate mRNA decapping with 5′–3′ decay in human cells.
Nutrition literacy status and its association with adherence to the Mediterranean diet, anthropometric parameters and lifestyle behaviours among early adolescents

Abstract Objective: To evaluate nutrition literacy status and its association with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), anthropometric parameters and lifestyle behaviours among early adolescents. Design: This is a cross-sectional study. Nutrition literacy was evaluated using the ‘Adolescent Nutrition Literacy Scale’. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h food recall. The ‘Mediterranean Diet Quality Index’ was used to evaluate adolescents’ adherence to the MD. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Body weight, height, waist, hip and neck circumference were measured. Setting: Four secondary schools in İzmir, Türkiye Participants: The study included 1074 secondary school students. Results: Adolescents’ nutrition literacy was at a moderate level. Nutrition literacy scores were significantly lower in those who skip main meals. Adolescents with high nutrition literacy had higher intakes of fibre, protein, protein, Ca, K, Mg, P, vitamin C, folate and Fe intake than those with low and moderate nutrition literacy (P < 0·05). According to IPAQ, active adolescents had higher nutrition literacy scores than inactive adolescents. There was no significant difference in BMI and anthropometric measurements of the adolescents according to their nutrition literacy level. Linear regression analysis showed that each unit increase in nutrition literacy increased adherence to the MD by 0·286 points (β = 0·286) and decreased total screen time by 0·182 points (β = –0·182). Conclusions: These findings showed that nutrition literacy among early adolescents was not optimal, and a higher nutrition literacy score was significantly associated with higher MD adherence, and healthy eating habits and lifestyle behaviours.
PROBABILISTIC ANALYSIS OF SEEPAGE

A method was developed for the analysis of seepage through nonhomogeneous soil deposits. The layers of pervious soils in the deposit were considered as inclusions within a medium of much lower permeability. The locations and dimensions of the inclusions were assumed to be random variables. Field studies of excavations provided the basis for the statistical representation of the inclusions. Data obtained from the Mississippi River alluvium and fluvial glacial deposits were interpreted by means of the statistical model. The results were used to compute the seepage at the Port Allen Lock excavation and the Granville Dam. The computed seepage is of the right order of magnitude when compared with the measured seepage.
Complementary analysis of specific absorption rate safety for an 8Tx/16Rx array with central symmetry of elements for magnetic resonance imaging of the human heart and abdominopelvic organs at 7 T

A complementary safety assessment of the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the electromagnetic energy was performed in a prototype 8Tx/16Rx RF array for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 T. The study aimed to address two critical aspects of 7‐T SAR safety not always explicitly examined by coil vendors: (i) the influence of an RF‐array position on a peak SAR value, and (ii) the risk of exceeding the permitted maximal SAR in the tissue surrounding conductive passive implants. The full‐wave 3D electromagnetic simulations for the thorax with shifted array position and the whole‐body volume in the presence of a dental retainer, an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), and a hip joint implant, were performed for two human voxel models. The effect of the array displacement on the SAR was simulated for seven array locations on the thorax shifted from the central position in different directions on 50 mm. The peak SAR values for both models were analyzed for the three phase‐only transmit vectors optimized for B1+ homogeneity and transmit efficiency. Peak SAR values due to the shifts of the array position increase up to ≈50%. The worst‐case peak SAR value for a dental retainer was found to be in the range of 10% of the maximal SAR in the tissue within the array's borders. For the IUD and artificial hip joint implants the effect was found to be negligible (peak SAR < 1% of the SAR within array borders). In addition to simulations for cardiac MRI, we performed a preliminary B1+ shimming and SAR‐safety analysis for the same RF‐array at various positions lower on the body trunk to assess a potential application in imaging abdominopelvic organs (prostate, kidney, and liver). The most promising target for an ad hoc alternative application of the array was found to be the prostate.
Dampening HOTAIR sensitizes the gastric cancer cells to oxaliplatin through miR‐195‐5p and ABCG2 pathway

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNA) have an extensive role in the progression and chemoresistance of gastric cancer (GC). Deeply study the regulatory role of lncRNAs could provide potential therapeutic targets. The aim of this study is to explore the regulatory role of HOTAIR in the progression and oxaliplatin resistance of GC. The expression of HOTAIR in GC and cell lines were detected by using qRT‐PCR. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were analysed by CCK‐8, EdU incorporation and flow cytometry. Luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the interaction between HOTAIR and ABCG2 (ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) superfamily G member 2, ABCG2) via miR‐195‐5p. The regulatory functions were verified by using molecular biology experiments. HOTAIR was significantly overexpressed in GC and associated with poor prognosis. Knock‐down of HOTAIR inhibited the GC cells proliferation and oxaliplatin resistance, while overexpression of HOTAIR showed opposite functions. Further studies found that HOTAIR acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to absorb miR‐195‐5p and elevated the expression of ABCG2, which leads to resistance of GC cells to oxaliplatin. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that HOTAIR regulates ABCG2 induced resistance of GC to oxaliplatin through miR‐195‐5p signalling and illustrate the great potential of developing new therapeutic targets for GC patients.
Efficacy of Ustekinumab Optimization by 2 Initial Intravenous Doses in Adult Patients With Severe Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND Although increasing studies have reported that dose escalation can improve treatment response to ustekinumab in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), their strategies mainly focus on maintenance regimen. Evidence of ustekinumab dose escalation in induction regimen, particularly in severe CD, remains limited. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of intravenous ustekinumab with 2 initial doses in patients with severely active CD. METHODS A retrospective observational study of 99 adult patients with severe CD treated with ustekinumab from 3 IBD centers included 48 patients with standard and 51 with optimized induction treatment. Clinical outcomes, inflammatory biomarkers including fecal calprotectin (FC) normalization, and endoscopic outcomes were evaluated at weeks 16 and 48. Adverse events and treatment decisions after initial induction were also collected. RESULTS Compared with the standard group, 2 initial intravenous injections of ustekinumab achieved higher clinical response (92.2%, 47 of 51, P = .656), clinical remission (88.2%, 45 of 51, P = .221), endoscopic response (75.8%, 25 of 33, P = .125), and FC normalization (70.6%, 36 of 51, P = .138) at week 16. The mucosal healing rate at week 16 (63.6%, P = .022) was statistically higher in the optimization group. At week 48, patients with optimized treatment achieved higher clinical response (80.4%, 41 of 51, P = .003), clinical remission (70.6%, 36 of 51, P = .007), FC normalization (66.7%, 34 of 51, P = .031), endoscopic response (72.7%, 24 of 33, P = .006), and mucosal healing (57.6%, 19 of 33, P = .004). At the last follow-up, 82.4% of optimally treated patients adhered to continued treatment with ustekinumab (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Optimization of ustekinumab by 2 initial intravenous inductions is more effective than standard therapy for adult patients with severe CD.
Controlling an Underactuated Two-Wheeled Mobile Robot: A Constraint-Following Approach

Controlling underactuated systems is a challenging problem in control engineering. This paper presents a novel constraint-following approach for control design of an underactuated two-wheeled mobile robot (2 WMR), which has two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) to be controlled but only one actuator. The control goal is to drive the 2 WMR to follow a set of constraints, which may be holonomic or nonholonomic constraints. The constraint is considered in a more general form than the previous studies on constraint-following control (hence including a wider range of constraints). No auxiliary variables or pseudo variables are required for the control design. The proposed control only uses physical variables. We show that the proposed control is able to deal with both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints by forcing the constraint-following error to converge to zero, even if the system is not initially on the constraint manifold. Using this control design, we investigate two cases regarding different constraints on the 2 WMR motion, one for a holonomic constraint and the other for a nonholonomic constraint. Simulation results show that the proposed control is able to drive the 2 WMR to follow the constraints in both cases. Furthermore, the standard linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control is applied as a comparison in the simulations, which reflects the advantage of the proposed control.