Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tooth Fairy Study- The South Texas Oral Health Network Collaboration.

Purpose This study's purpose was to examine the processes and the potential for dental practitioners to address environmental health exposure risks to their patients through dental practice-based research participation. To explore this, the South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN) initiated a collaboration with The Tooth Fairy National Study investigating toxicants stored in deciduous teeth as a potential neurodevelopmental risk factor. Background Neurodevelopmental disorders (ND), like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), affect 1 in 68 live births. Evidence suggests that environmental chemicals may play a role in ASD risk and/or etiology by acting independently or through interactions with genetic vulnerabilities. Provider awareness of environmental exposure risk during pregnancy and early childhood in South Texas is low. Therefore, it is important to increase provider knowledge and awareness to enable greater communication with patients. STOHN serves as a conduit reaching large numbers of patients. This study also engaged practitioners in an ongoing national study with minimal impact on their practice. Methods The goal was to enroll twenty parents with children via ten dental practitioners. STOHN pediatric and general practitioners were recruited for the study. Practitioners were contacted by phone and in person. Upon completion of Human Subject Protection training, each practitioner participated in a study training taught by a public health educator in the department of Family and Community Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA). Training topics included NDs, environmental health exposures, patient engagement, survey administration, and how to collect donated teeth. This collaboration allowed STOHN to gather control teeth as well as demographic and health information for the Tooth Fairy Study repository for future analyses. Participants received a thank you card from the Tooth Fairy and participating providers were highlighted in the monthly STOHN newsletter. Evaluation Results Evaluation was threefold: Practitioner enrollment and retention; practitioner confidence in educating their patients about potential environmental risk exposures and completed surveys with donated teeth. Conclusion The interdisciplinary collaboration between dental practitioners and medical researchers through STOHN provided an opportunity to increase practitioner knowledge and awareness of a novel health concern, while also raising their confidence and willingness to educate their patients about potential environmental exposure risks. UTHSCSA IRB Protocol # HSC20170132E.
Emotion and threat detection: The roles of affect and conceptual knowledge.

Prior research has demonstrated that angry participants exhibit biased threat detection whereby they are more likely to misidentify neutral objects as guns. Yet, it is unclear whether independent components of anger, such as conceptual knowledge about anger or the affective features of an anger instance, could lead to altered bias alone. Consistent with constructionist theories of emotion, the present set of two experiments demonstrates that threat-detection bias only differs significantly between participants in an emergent-anger condition, who had engaged both components of anger (i.e., conceptual knowledge of anger and negative, high arousal affect), and participants in a control condition, who had engaged neither. Study 2 demonstrates that this pattern of findings also extends to another threat-relevant emotional state (i.e., fear). Implications for studying anger and fear, and emotions more generally, as constructed mental experiences are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Exposure to pesticides and oxidative stress in Brazilian agricultural communities

Abstract Background Oxidative stress may be an important mechanism linking pesticide exposure to several diseases. We evaluated the association between pesticide exposures and oxidative stress biomarkers in Brazilian agricultural workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in healthy agricultural (N = 52) and non-agricultural workers (N = 68) in a rural community in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Regular pesticide use, sociodemographic, and lifestyle information was obtained by questionnaire. Oxidative stress biomarkers (N = 7) were measured in serum and plasma. We calculated percent differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in oxidative stress biomarkers for use of pesticides adjusted for sex, age, education, smoking, and alcohol consumption, using multiple linear regression. Results Living close to or in the fields was associated with glutathione peroxidase activity but not with any other markers. We observed significant positive associations between 8-isoprostane levels and activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase with reported use of certain insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Our results also indicate a significant and negative association between glutathione-S-transferase activity and insecticide use. Conclusions These findings suggest that use of pesticides may be associated with differences in oxidative stress biomarkers.
Green and Red Brazilian Propolis: Antimicrobial Potential and Anti‐Virulence against ATCC and Clinically Isolated Multidrug‐Resistant Bacteria

Brazilian green and red propolis stand out as commercial products for different medical applications. In this article, we report the antimicrobial activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts of green (EGP) and red (ERP) propolis, as well as guttiferone E plus xanthochymol (8) and oblongifolin B (9) from red propolis, against multidrug‐resistant bacteria (MDRB). We undertook the minimal inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations, inhibition of biofilm formation (MICB50), catalase, coagulase, DNase, lipase, and hemolysin assays, along with molecular docking simulations. ERP was more effective by displaying MIC and MBC values <100 μg mL−1. Compounds 8 and 9 displayed the lowest MIC values (0.98 to 31.25 μg mL−1) against all tested Gram‐positive MDRB. They also inhibited the biofilm formation of S. aureus (ATCC 43300 and clinical isolate) and S. epidermidis (ATCC 14990 and clinical isolate), with MICB50 values between 1.56 and 6.25 μg mL−1. The molecular docking results indicated that 8 and 9 might interact with the catalase's amino acids. Compounds 8 and 9 have great antimicrobial potential.
Effect of phosphorus-loaded biochar and nitrogen-fertilization on release kinetic of toxic heavy metals and tomato growth

Abstract In this study, we investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer application rates with and without phosphorus-loaded biochar (BCP) on the productivity of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv GS) planted on a contaminated soil based on pot and incubation experiments. The release kinetic of toxic metals as affected by BCP was also investigated. BCP at rate of 2% (w/w) and nitrogen levels (250 and 500 mg N kg−1) were added to sandy loam soil polluted with Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu. The experiment consisted of five treatments including: Control (C), nitrogen a rate of 250 (N250), or 500 mg kg (N500), BCP + N250, and BCP + N500. Maximum tomato growth was achieved in the soil that was treated with BCP + N500, followed by BCP + N250, while lowest one was observed in the control. Tomato yield as affected by the BCP and N-fertilization was in the descending order: BCP + N500 > BCP + N250 > N500 = N250 > C. The addition of N250, N500, BCP + N250, and BCP + N500 increased the fruit yield by 24, 31, 35, 58% in comparison with the control. Levels of Zn, Cu, and Pb in tomato fruit was in the descending order: N500> N250 > C > BCP + N500 > BCP + N250. The combined application of BCP and N-fertilization augmented the availability and uptake of essential nutrients and effectively reduced those of toxic ones. The addition of BCP + N250 decreased Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb content in fruit of tomato by 16, 10, 54, 54, and 58%, respectively, compared to the control soil, while these decreases were 13, 16, 60, 60, and 72% in the case of BCP + N500. BCP succeeded significantly in reducing the release of toxic chemicals, which ultimately may restrict the transfer of toxic chemical to the food chain solution. Novelty statement Tomato grown on metal-contaminated soils contains high levels of toxic metals. Phosphorus-loaded biochar (BCP) reduced the negative effects of high inorganic-N rates by reducing the release of toxic metals to the soil solution. BCP enhanced the soil quality indicators and increased the soil microbe’s activity.
Global Mittag–Leffler Stability of the Delayed Fractional-Coupled Reaction-Diffusion System on Networks Without Strong Connectedness

In this article, we mainly consider the existence of solutions and global Mittag–Leffler stability of delayed fractional-order coupled reaction-diffusion neural networks without strong connectedness. Using the Leary–Schauder’s fixed point theorem and the Lyapunov method, some criteria for the existence of solutions and global Mittag–Leffler stability are given. Finally, the correctness of the theory is verified by a numerical example.
Mucormycosis medications: a patent review

ABSTRACT Introduction Mucormycosis is an uncommon but life-threatening infection with nonspecific clinical manifestations that make its diagnosis/treatment difficult. The current literature indicates that mucormycosis case incidences are on the rise in developing and developed countries, and, unfortunately, there are only a few treatments available. Accordingly, it is essential to provide more treatment options for mucormycosis. Area Covered This patent review focuses on the granted patents and patent applications related to medication for mucormycosis treatment from the publication year of the amphotericin-B patent application (1958) till 30 January 2021. Expert Opinion Mucormycosis has few available treatments, including amphotericin-B, isavuconazonium sulfate, posaconazole, or their combination. A few anti-mucormycosis medicines are under clinical development. The exact burden of mucormycosis is unknown, but it is expected to be higher than the reported cases because of mucormycosis epidemiological changes. This patent review has shown that scientists are progressing toward developing a new treatment for mucormycosis in the form of new chemical compounds, new drug combinations, and dosage forms, vaccines, plant products, drug repurposing, and derivatives of the biomolecules. This progress is encouraging to fight this devastating illness.
The Effects of Synbiotic Supplementation on Serum Anti-Inflammatory Factors in the Survivors of Breast Cancer with Lymphedema following a Low Calorie Diet: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Clinical Trial

Abstract Background and Aim Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a treatment-related inflammatory complication in breast cancer survivors (BCSs). This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of synbiotic supplementation on serum concentrations of IL-10, TGF-β, VEGF, adiponectin, and edema volume among overweight or obese BCSs with lymphedema following a low-calorie diet (LCD). Method In a randomized double-blind, controlled clinical trial, 88 obese and overweight BCSs women were randomized to synbiotic supplement (n = 44) or placebo (n = 44) groups and both groups followed an LCD for 10 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention comparisons were made regarding the anti-inflammatory markers which included IL-10, TGF-β, VEGF, adiponectin, edema volume, and anthropometric measurements. Also, the same factors were analyzed to find inter-group disparities. Results There were no significant differences among participants in the baseline, except for IL-10 and adiponectin. Post-intervention, no significant differences were observed regarding the anti-inflammatory markers, including IL-10, VEGF, adiponectin, and TGF-β between the groups. After 10 weeks of intervention edema volume significantly decreased in the synbiotic group; additionally, anthropometric measurements (body weight, BMI, body fat percent, and WC) decreased in both groups significantly (P < 0.001 and P < 0.005; respectively). Conclusion Synbiotic supplementation coupled with an LCD in a 10-week intervention had beneficial effects on increasing the serum TGF-β, IL-10, and adiponectin levels in women with BCRL. It also reduced arm lymphedema volume. Therefore, synbiotic supplementation can be effective in improving health status in BCRL patients.
An Australian Regional Response to Marriage Equality: Newcastle and the Hunter

ABSTRACT In Australia same-sex marriage was passed in 2017 following public debates, a postal survey, and legislative reform. This article explores the impact of this process on the rainbow community, with a specific focus on the regional site of Newcastle, New South Wales and the adjacent Hunter Valley. As part of a research project titled “Waiting for Equality,” semi-structured interviews with individuals were conducted that focused on the marriage equality debates, the postal survey and current issues pertaining to equality. The analysis found that the debates and survey exposed many members of the rainbow community to stigma, discrimination, and that there were concerns about how their human rights could be legislatively unwound.
Venestatin from parasitic helminths interferes with receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)-mediated immune responses to promote larval migration

Parasitic helminths can reside in humans owing to their ability to disrupt host protective immunity. Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which is highly expressed in host skin, mediates inflammatory responses by regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and endothelial adhesion molecules. In this study, we evaluated the effects of venestatin, an EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein secreted by the parasitic helminth Strongyloides venezuelensis, on RAGE activity and immune responses. Our results demonstrated that venestatin bound to RAGE and downregulated the host immune response. Recombinant venestatin predominantly bound to the RAGE C1 domain in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Recombinant venestatin effectively alleviated RAGE-mediated inflammation, including footpad edema in mice, and pneumonia induced by an exogenous RAGE ligand. Infection experiments using S. venezuelensis larvae and venestatin silencing via RNA interference revealed that endogenous venestatin promoted larval migration from the skin to the lungs in a RAGE-dependent manner. Moreover, endogenous venestatin suppressed macrophage and neutrophil accumulation around larvae. Although the invasion of larvae upregulated the abundance of RAGE ligands in host skin tissues, mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, cyclooxygenase-2, endothelial adhesion molecules vascular cell adhesion protein-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, and E-selectin were suppressed by endogenous venestatin. Taken together, our results indicate that venestatin suppressed RAGE-mediated immune responses in host skin induced by helminthic infection, thereby promoting larval migration. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of venestatin may be targeted for the development of anthelminthics and immunosuppressive agents for the treatment of RAGE-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Genomic insights into the adaptation and evolution of the Nautilus, an ancient but evolving "living fossil".

The nautilus, commonly known as a "living fossil," is endangered and may be at risk of extinction. The lack of genomic information hinders a thorough understanding of the biology and evolution of nautilus, which can shed light on the conservation of this endangered species. Here, we report the first high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of Nautilus pompilius. The assembled genome size comprised 785.15 Mb. Comparative genomic analyses indicated that transposable elements (TEs) and large-scale genome reorganizations may have driven lineage-specific evolution in the cephalopods. Remarkably, evolving conserved genes and recent TE insertion activities were identified in N. pompilius, and we speculate that these findings reflect the strong adaptability and high survival of the nautilus. Besides, we also identified gene families that are potentially responsible for specific adaptation and evolution events. Our study provides unprecedented insights into the specialized biology and evolution of the N. pompilius, and the results serve as an important resource for future conservation genomics of the nautilus and its closely related species.
Promoting Patient Engagement in Medical Informed Consent – A Qualitative Study of Chinese Doctors’ Communication Strategies

ABSTRACT Patient engagement is now widely endorsed as an essential ingredient for high-quality healthcare, yet there has been limited research on how patient engagement can be facilitated in medical informed consent (IC) communication. To address this gap, a fine-grained discourse analysis was conducted to identify communication strategies adopted by doctors to facilitate information delivery and ascertain patients’ understanding, which translate into an increase in patient engagement. Data was collected from a public hospital in mainland China. Nonparticipating observations of 14 IC sessions were audio-recorded, followed by in-depth, semi-structured interviews with those observed patients. Four communication strategies emerged from the analysis: 1) seeking patients’ understanding of their condition; 2) explaining medical information by reference to shared knowledge and practice; 3) recognizing and addressing patients’ psychological concerns; 4) repeating critical information and checking patients’ understanding through teach-back. The adoption of these strategies enables doctors to tailor the scope and delivery of information to accommodate and address patients’ preferences, rather than defaulting to one-way information dumping. This study sheds light on the complexity of IC and further contributes to the ongoing endeavors to improve IC communication by raising the awareness of the role of patients in making mutually acceptable decisions. These identified strategies can be incorporated into medical communication training to facilitate delivery of healthcare that is sensitive to patients’ needs and expectations.
Impact of chemically defined culture media formulations on extracellular vesicle production by amniotic epithelial cells

The therapeutic properties of cell derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) make them promising cell‐free alternative to regenerative medicine. However, clinical translation of this technology relies on the ability to manufacture EVs in a scalable, reproducible, and cGMP‐compliant manner. To generate EVs in sufficient quantity, a critical step is the selection and development of culture media, where differences in formulation may influence the EV manufacturing process. In this study, we used human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) as a model system to explore the effect of different formulations of chemically defined, commercially sourced media on EV production. Here, we determined that cell viability and proliferation rate are not reliable quality indicators for EV manufacturing. The levels of tetraspanins and epitope makers of EVs were significantly impacted by culture media formulations. Mass spectrometry‐based proteomic profiling revealed proteome composition of hAEC‐EVs and the influence of media formulations on composition of EV proteome. This study has revealed critical aspects including cell viability and proliferation rate, EV yield, and tetraspanins, surface epitopes and proteome composition of EVs influenced by media formulations, and further insight into standardised EV production culture media that should be considered in clinical‐grade scalable EV manufacture for generation of therapeutic EVs.
Gender difference in unmet need for assistance with activities of daily living among disabled seniors in China : a cross-sectional study

Objectives This study explores the gender difference in unmet need for assistance with activities of daily living among older adults with disabilities in China. Design Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the gender difference and identify influential factors among disabled male and female seniors. Setting 23 provinces throughout China. Participants A total of 1700 disabled seniors were included in the analysis. Results Of 1700 respondents, 619 (36.4%) were disabled male seniors. Overall, the possibility of unmet need for activity of daily living assistance among disabled female seniors was significantly lower than that among male group (OR 0.728; 95% CI 0.559 to 0.948) than males. Family care resources, economic status and loneliness were influential factors among disabled seniors regardless of genders. Furthermore, disabled female seniors from rural area (p=0.011), whose primary caregiver was willing to take care of them (p=0.022), whose community could provide daily life service (p=0.002) were more likely to have unmet need. Meanwhile, disabled female seniors whose community could provide medical service(p=0.001) were less likely to report unmet need. Conclusions The study showed that disabled male seniors were more likely to experience unmet need compared with female ones. Reducing unmet need for assistance with activities of daily living among disabled seniors and existing gender disparities therefore requires not only universal strategy, but also targeted policies which should be made or modified for disabled seniors of different genders.
The unmet needs of patients with advanced incurable head and neck cancer and their carers: A systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative data.

INTRODUCTION Patients with advanced-stage head and neck cancers (HNC) endure a significant symptom burden and suffer greatly towards the end of their lives. Qualitative evidence can provide insight into how existing services meet their needs. We aimed to synthesise qualitative data from patients with advanced HNC and their carers to inform improvements to services and care. METHODS A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies containing qualitative data from patients with advanced HNC and their carers. An interpretive account was generated using the meta-ethnography methodology. RESULTS We identified 8 studies including 38 patients and 25 carers. Twenty-six themes were synthesised into five concepts: psychological impact and adjustment, physical limitations and deliverance of symptomatic care, communication and information needs from healthcare professionals, social support and dependence, and needs of the primary caregiver. We identified that patients had complex psychological needs, centred on uncertainty and fear of suffering. Patients desired full information and found poor communication highly distressing. There was a dearth of literature on the subjective impact of physical limitations. Patients became reliant on social networks, and those with lower quality relationships coped poorly. However, caregivers struggled to meet patients' complex needs, resulting in distress and isolation. CONCLUSIONS Patients with advanced HNCs have complex needs that are not met in current systems. Further qualitative work focusing on the physical and psychological impact of advanced HNC would be of value.