Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Efficacy of Various Handwashing Methods against Enveloped and Non-Enveloped Viruses

ABSTRACT. Respiratory and diarrheal diseases are leading causes of death worldwide. Handwashing may reduce disease; however, recommended methods (soap and water for 20 seconds) are not always possible, particularly in low-resource settings. The aim of this study is to evaluate handwashing when recommended methods are not feasible, including washing with water only, washing with soapy water, washing for a short duration, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS), and cleaning hands with towels. To evaluate laboratory efficacy, we seeded MS2 (a non-enveloped virus) and Phi6 (an enveloped virus) onto the hands of volunteers who then washed their hands. Viruses remaining were recovered and quantified using culture-based and molecular methods to determine the log reduction value (LRV) after washing. Results indicated that washing with water only and with soapy water were similar to washing with soap and water for 20 seconds for both viruses (median LRV for MS2 = 2.8; Phi6 = 3.2). Most towel alternative conditions had LRVs significantly smaller than LRVs from washing with soap and water for either virus. LRVs of ABHS and soap and water for 5 seconds were similar to soap and water for 20 seconds for Phi6 but less for MS2 (median MS2 LRV differences = 2.5 and 0.51 for ABHS and soap and water for 5 seconds, respectively). Additionally, LRVs determined using molecular methods were in agreement with those obtained using culture-based methods. These results suggest some handwashing alternatives were as effective as recommended methods whereas others were not, and inform recommendations and future research on handwashing alternatives in low-resource settings.
Transcriptome analysis reveals that yeast extract inhibits synthesis of prodigiosin by Serratia marcescens SDSPY-136

Abstract Prodigiosin (2-methyl-3-pentyl-6-methoxyprodiginine) is a valuable medicinal and edible natural pigment derived from Serratia marcescens. How prodigiosin synthesis is suppressed by environmental factors has not been investigated. Previous studies described a low level of prodigiosin production in the presence of yeast extracts. However, we have observed that S. marcescens SDSPY-136 did not synthesize prodigiosin in yeast extract culture. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of yeast extract cultures was used to estimate the metabolic control of the synthetic prodigiosin pathway in S. marcescens. Key phosphorylation enzymes in the glycolysis pathway, 6-phosphofructokinase, and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, were downregulated by yeast extract and other carbon metabolism pathway genes were enhanced. Genes related to ribosomes, amino acid metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis were also highly up-regulated. The presence of metal ions in yeast extracts and the accumulation of fermentation metabolites alter the two-component signaling system, which regulated metabolism to various degrees. The results of metal ion testing suggested that prodigiosin inhibition could be caused by metal ions, such as zinc ion. The findings indicate that yeast extract may affect metabolism through multiple pathways in S. marcescens. This research sheds light on the mechanism of prodigiosin regulatory inhibition. Graphical Abstract
Automatic calibration of resolver signals via state observers

Resolver sensors are utilized as absolute position transducers in many industrial applications. To get position information from resolvers, envelope detection and angle demodulation are required. Ideally, the signals after envelope detection are two sinusoidal orthogonal envelope signals. However, these sinusoidal envelope signals are often disturbed by unexpected actions such as DC offsets, amplitude deviation, and non-orthogonal phase shift. To overcome the influences of these factors and improve demodulation accuracy, an offline automatic calibration method for the two sinusoidal envelope signals is proposed. A state observer is introduced to estimate the amplitude and DC offsets of the envelope signals. To estimate the phase shift, a sinusoidal signal whose DC offset is a function of the phase shift of the envelope signals is constructed based on properties of triangle functions. Its offset could also be estimated by an observer. The simulation results revealed that the proposed method can converge to a single root accurately without complicated parameter selection. The validity and performance of the calibration method are verified in an experimental prototype.
Is central sensitization relevant in acute low back pain?

1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA 2Clinical Learning, Evidence and Research (CLEAR) Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA 3Harborview Injury Preventions and Research Center (HIPRC), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA 4Center for SensoryMotor Interaction, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark
Genetic and epigenetic control of the plant metabolome

Plant metabolites are mainly produced through chemical reactions catalysed by enzymes encoded in the genome. Mutations in enzyme‐encoding or transcription factor‐encoding genes can alter the metabolome by changing the enzyme's catalytic activity or abundance, respectively. Insertion of transposable elements into non‐coding regions has also been reported to affect transcription and ultimately metabolite content. In addition to genetic mutations, transgenerational epigenetic variations have also been found to affect metabolic content by controlling the transcription of metabolism‐related genes. However, the majority of cases reported so far, in which epigenetic mechanisms are associated with metabolism, are non‐transgenerational, and are triggered by developmental signals or environmental stress. Although, accumulating research has provided evidence of strong genetic control of the metabolome, epigenetic control has been largely untouched. Here, we provide a review of the genetic and epigenetic control of metabolism with a focus on epigenetics. We discuss both transgenerational and non‐transgenerational epigenetic marks regulating metabolism as well as prospects of the field of metabolic control where intricate interactions between genetics and epigenetics are involved.
Periostin secreted from podoplanin‐positive cancer‐associated fibroblasts promotes metastasis of gastric cancer by regulating cancer stem cells via AKT and YAP signaling pathway

Cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are heterogeneous stromal cells present in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which play a critical role in gastric cancer (GC) progression. Here, we examined a subset of CAFs with high podoplanin (PDPN) expression, which is correlated with tumor metastasis and poor survival in GC patients. Animal models of gastric cancer liver metastasis monitored by micro‐PET/CT confirmed that periostin (POSTN) derived from PDPN(+) CAFs regulated CAFs’ pro‐migratory ability. Mechanistically, PDPN(+) CAFs secreted POSTN to modulate cancer stem cells (CSCs) through FAK/AKT phosphorylation. Furthermore, POSTN could also activate FAK/YAP signaling in GC cells to produce increased amounts of IL‐6, which in turn induced phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT in PDPN(+) CAFs. Prolonged PI3K/AKT pathway activation in PDPN(+) CAFs maintains the production of POSTN and the effect on CSC enrichment and GC cell migration. In conclusion, our study demonstrated a positive feedback loop between PDPN(+) CAFs and CSCs during GC progression and suggested a selective target for GC treatment.
Disrupting future discounting: a commentary on an underutilised psychological approach for improving adherence to diet and physical activity interventions

Abstract Non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as CVD and type 2 diabetes mellitus are major contributors to the burden of disease. NCD are largely driven by modifiable lifestyle factors including poor diet and insufficient physical activity, and consequently, prevention is a public health priority. Although diet and physical activity levels can be improved via lifestyle interventions, long-term adherence to such interventions remains low, which limits their effectiveness. Thus, it is critical to identify the underlying mechanisms that challenge uptake and adherence to such interventions. The current commentary discusses an important, but underexplored, psychological driver of poor adherence to lifestyle interventions, namely, future discounting, which describes the tendency to prefer smaller, short-term rewards over larger, long-term rewards. For example, in the nutrition domain, future discounting refers to valuing the immediate reward of excessive intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor, discretionary foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat, and insufficient intake of low-energy, nutrient-dense, whole foods such as vegetables. Prominent theoretical models propose that excessive future discounting is a major contributor to the development of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours. Furthermore, a vast body of evidence suggests that future discounting plays a key role in risk of NCD. Thus, the evidence to date supports the idea that future discounting is an important multi-behaviour target for supporting lifestyle behaviour change; however, this approach has been largely neglected in preventive health efforts. Furthermore, this commentary discusses promising techniques (e.g. Episodic Future Thinking) for disrupting future discounting to promote improved adherence to lifestyle interventions aimed at reducing NCD risk.
Aquifer Recharge and Overexploitation: The Need for a New Storyline

Groundwater has been the star in 2022, with a UN World Water Development Report and countless other policy documents, reports, conferences and webinars devoted to the “invisible resource. ” Unsurprisingly, groundwater overexploitation emerged as a central theme; yet, a puzzling—and very damaging—storyline was frequently reiterated. (A storyline is defined by Hajer [2006:69] as “a condensed statement summarizing complex narratives, used by people as ‘short hand’ in discussions.”) It describes overexploitation as occurring when groundwater abstraction exceeds recharge, suggesting first that there is a clear point at which an aquifer becomes “overexploited,” or “overabstracted” and second that this threshold can be quantitatively equated with the “recharge” term of the mass balance. There are many variations of this storyline. In some cases, the statement is just flatly wrong: “If groundwater abstraction exceeds the natural groundwater recharge for extensive areas and long times, overexploitation or persistent groundwater depletion occurs” (Wada et al. 2010). But many formulations, implicitly or explicitly, equate overexploitation—or even the fact that water tables are falling—with abstraction exceeding recharge, indirectly suggesting that, as there is no overexploitation when pumping less, this is therefore allowable. In the Arab region “limited renewable groundwater resources continue
A tale of two CETs: Untangling cyclic electron transfer

Open Access Received December 20, 2022. Accepted January 17, 2023. Advance access publication February 14, 2023 © The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. V ie w s
Oncological surgery follow-up and quality of life: meta-analysis

Abstract Background Previous trials found that more intensive postoperative surveillance schedules did not improve survival. Oncological follow-up also provides an opportunity to address psychological issues (for example anxiety, depression, and fear of recurrence). This systematic review assessed the impact of a less intensive surveillance strategy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), emotional well-being, and patient satisfaction. Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane database, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar to identify studies comparing different follow-up strategies after oncological surgery and their effect on HRQoL and patient satisfaction, published before 4 May 2022. A meta-analysis was conducted on the most relevant European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscales. Results Thirty-five studies were identified, focusing on melanoma (4), colorectal (10), breast (7), prostate (4), upper gastrointestinal (4), gynaecological (3), lung (2), and head and neck (1) cancers. Twenty-two studies were considered to have a low risk of bias, of which 14 showed no significant difference in HRQoL between follow-up approaches. Five studies with a low risk of bias showed improved HRQoL or emotional well-being with a less intensive follow-up approach and three with an intensive approach. Meta-analysis of HRQoL outcomes revealed no negative effects for patients receiving less intensive follow-up. Conclusion Low-intensity follow-up does not diminish HRQoL, emotional well-being, or patient satisfaction.
MicroRNAs as a biomarker in lung cancer

Introduction: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common cancer in the world.Well known causes are long term smoking, environmental influences and genetic variations. LC is divided into two main types based on their histological phenotypes; small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The high specificity of these new screening methods, which are non-invasive, safe, inexpensive and simple to perform, is important in the early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. MicroRNAs are significant biomarkers on the diagnosis metastasis and targeted therapies of NSCLC. In our study, we aimed to investigate the potential of using microRNAs as a biomarker in the early diagnosis of lung cancer. Patients and methods: Twenty patients diagnosed with lung cancer and twenty healthy individuals of the same age and gender were selected as the control group. Sixteen microRNAs were studied from blood samples. Results: Sixteen miRNAs (Let -7c, Let-7g, miR-1, miR-21, miR-29a, miR-31, miR-34a, miR 103a, miR-141, miR-155, miR-193b, miR-200b, miR-205, miR-340, miR-486, miR-708) were selected for tests and MiR 181 and miR 192 were used as the endogenous control group in line with their binding potentials and gene expression levels. The most specific and sensitive miRNAs were mirR-29a, miR-103a, and miR486 according to endogen controls in patients and healthy volunteer subjects. Discussion: A meta-analysis study showed that circulating miRNAs could be promising biomarkers for early diagnosis of lung cancer. Overall, 17 studies were included evaluating 35 miRNA markers and 19 miRNA panels in serum or plasma. Conclusion: In conclusion, there is a need for further validation studies for the use of three miRNAs as a biomarker in the early diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Electronic Health Record–Based Absolute Risk Prediction Model for Esophageal Cancer in the Chinese Population: Model Development and External Validation

Background China has the largest burden of esophageal cancer (EC). Prediction models can be used to identify high-risk individuals for intensive lifestyle interventions and endoscopy screening. However, the current prediction models are limited by small sample size and a lack of external validation, and none of them can be embedded into the booming electronic health records (EHRs) in China. Objective This study aims to develop and validate absolute risk prediction models for EC in the Chinese population. In particular, we assessed whether models that contain only EHR-available predictors performed well. Methods A prospective cohort recruiting 510,145 participants free of cancer from both high EC-risk and low EC-risk areas in China was used to develop EC models. Another prospective cohort of 18,441 participants was used for validation. A flexible parametric model was used to develop a 10-year absolute risk model by considering the competing risks (full model). The full model was then abbreviated by keeping only EHR-available predictors. We internally and externally validated the models by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration plots and compared them based on classification measures. Results During a median of 11.1 years of follow-up, we observed 2550 EC incident cases. The models consisted of age, sex, regional EC-risk level (high-risk areas: 2 study regions; low-risk areas: 8 regions), education, family history of cancer (simple model), smoking, alcohol use, BMI (intermediate model), physical activity, hot tea consumption, and fresh fruit consumption (full model). The performance was only slightly compromised after the abbreviation. The simple and intermediate models showed good calibration and excellent discriminating ability with AUCs (95% CIs) of 0.822 (0.783-0.861) and 0.830 (0.792-0.867) in the external validation and 0.871 (0.858-0.884) and 0.879 (0.867-0.892) in the internal validation, respectively. Conclusions Three nested 10-year EC absolute risk prediction models for Chinese adults aged 30-79 years were developed and validated, which may be particularly useful for populations in low EC-risk areas. Even the simple model with only 5 predictors available from EHRs had excellent discrimination and good calibration, indicating its potential for broader use in tailored EC prevention. The simple and intermediate models have the potential to be widely used for both primary and secondary prevention of EC.
iWakeUp: A video‐based alarm clock for smart bedrooms

Abstract We present a video‐based monitoring system to determine the sleep status and optimal wakeup time in this paper. We envision a smart living space in which a data collection and processing module named iWakeUp is installed in the bedroom to record and monitor sleep in a non‐invasive manner. We describe the overall structure of the iWakeUp system, including the procedure to measure amount of motion, the method for inferring wake/sleep status from the acquired video and the logic for deciding the optimal wakeup time. In particular, a time‐dependent decision rule has been incorporated to account for unequal penalties when classification error occurs. Validation experiments have been carried out to compare alertness levels upon awakening with/without the assistance of iWakeUp. It was found that participants using iWakeUp reported a lower level of sleepiness and higher level of vigor in comparison to the control group. The proposed iWakeUp module has been integrated into the Sleep Coach system which is currently under extensive field tests to validate its efficacy and efficiency in practical situations.
Alignment of the L3 shell of magnesium induced by electron excitation

The alignment of the L3 shell of magnesium following electron excitation has been measured by studying the anisotropic angular distribution of electrons emitted in the Auger process 2p53s2(2P32/)-2p6(1S0)(L3-M12) (threshold 57.54 eV). Measurements of the anisotropy parameter A2 are presented for incident electron kinetic energies in the range 67.5-500 eV, and comparison is made with recent experimental and theoretical data. The results are in general agreement with the data of DuBois et al. (1981).
Pigment-dispersing factor and CCHamide1 in the Drosophila circadian clock network

ABSTRACT Animals possess a circadian central clock in the brain, where circadian behavioural rhythms are generated. In the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), the central clock comprises a network of approximately 150 clock neurons, which is important for the maintenance of a coherent and robust rhythm. Several neuropeptides involved in the network have been identified, including Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) and CCHamide1 (CCHa1) neuropeptides. PDF signals bidirectionally to CCHa1-positive clock neurons; thus, the clock neuron groups expressing PDF and CCHa1 interact reciprocally. However, the role of these interactions in molecular and behavioural rhythms remains elusive. In this study, we generated Pdf 01 and CCHa1SK8 double mutants and examined their locomotor activity-related rhythms. The single mutants of Pdf 01 or CCHa1SK8 displayed free-running rhythms under constant dark conditions, whereas approximately 98% of the double mutants were arrhythmic. In light-dark conditions, the evening activity of the double mutants was phase-advanced compared with that of the single mutants. In contrast, both the single and double mutants had diminished morning activity. These results suggest that the effects of the double mutation varied in behavioural parameters. The double and triple mutants of per 01, Pdf 01 , and CCHa1SK8 further revealed that PDF signalling plays a role in the suppression of activity during the daytime under a clock-less background. Our results provide insights into the interactions between PDF and CCHa1 signalling and their roles in activity rhythms.
The influence of dietary protein concentration on digestive enzyme activities, growth, and body composition in juvenile bullseye snakehead (Channa marulius)

The bullseye snakehead (Channa marulius) is considered as an affordable and robust freshwater fish for farming in Asia. However, there is limited knowledge on the species’ full nutritional requirements to date with extensive gaps in our knowledge and particularly in precision aspects of protein requirements. Therefore, a three-month feeding trial was conducted under semi-intensive farming conditions to determine the protein requirement of bullseye snakehead using test diets containing 40 (P40), 45 (P45), 50 (P50), and 55% (P55) crude protein levels. The growth performance results revealed that the 55% dietary protein group (P55) had the highest final mean weight (14.09 g fish-1), and net weight gain (12.82 g fish-1). When compared to other dietary treatments, the final weight (R2 = 0.921), and weight gain (R2 = 0.913), displayed a linear increasing trend as dietary protein is raised. The lowest FCR was observed in 50% (1.94±0.01) and 55% (1.97±0.01) CP diet groups compared to dietary treatments. Further analysis has shown that the body protein content also significantly increased as dietary protein was raised to 55%. Although, a reverse trend was found in body lipid levels with increasing protein in the diet. The incremental dietary protein also elevated proximal intestinal protease activity but decreased amylase and lipase activity. The overall essential and non-essential amino acids levels of snakehead fillet muscle reflected an increase in dietary protein. Overall, this study has shown that the fish fed a diet with 55% crude protein attained the highest growth performance and nutrient profile of the whole fish when compared to other dietary treatments tested. It would appear we did not obtain the maximum potential for growth under the present experimental conditions due to the upper protein constraint of 55% in the diet. Further quantitative studies are suggested.