Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis and Secondary Infertility in Cameroon: A case-control study

Objective Data on the prevalence and etiology of infertility in Africa are limited. Secondary infertility is particularly common, defined as the inability of a woman to conceive for at least one year following a full-term pregnancy. We describe a prospective study conducted in Cameroon designed to test the hypothesis of an association between common treatable sexually transmitted infections (STI): Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and secondary infertility in women. Methods In this case-control study, we enrolled women in Fako Division, Cameroon between November 2017 and December 2018 with secondary infertility (cases) or current pregnancy (controls). We conducted a baseline survey to collect sociodemographic, and sexual and medical history information. Nucleic acid amplification testing using Aptima (Hologic, San Diego, CA, US) was performed on endocervical swabs for CT, NG, MG, and TV. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between active STI and secondary infertility. Results A total of 416 women were enrolled: 151 cases and 265 controls. Compared to controls, cases were older (median age 32 vs 27 years) and had more lifetime sexual partners (median 4 vs 3) (p<0.001). Cases were more likely to report dyspareunia, abnormal menses, prior miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy (all p<0.05). STI positivity was not significantly different among cases and controls (2.7% vs 5.4% for CT, 1.3% vs 2.9% for NG, 6.0% vs 7.0% for MG, respectively), with the exception of TV which was more common in pregnant controls (0.7% vs 5%; p = 0.02). Conclusion Study findings did not support an association between active STI and secondary infertility in Cameroon. Given high rates of pre-existing tubal damage, routine STI screening and treatment in younger women may be more impactful than costly STI testing during infertility assessments.
The regulatory domains of the lipid exporter ABCA1 form domain swapped latches

ABCA1 and ABCA4 are enigmatic because they transport substrates in opposite directions yet share >50% amino acid identity. ABCA4 imports lipid conjugates but ABCA1 exports lipids. Both hydrolyze ATP to drive transport, and both contain cytoplasmic regulatory domains (RDs) following nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) in the primary structure. The tertiary structures of several ABC importers, including ABCA4, show that each RD forms a domain-swapped latch that locks onto the opposing RD and holds the NBDs close together. Crucially, sequences encoding the RDs and their bridges are among the most conserved in the entire ABC-A subfamily. In the original cryo-EM structure of ABCA1, the RDs were modeled without crossover. After close inspection of that cryo-EM density map and the recent structure of ABCA4, we propose that the RDs of ABCA1 also form a domain-swapped latch. A refined ABCA1 model containing latches exhibited significantly improved overall protein geometry. Critically, the conserved crossover sequence leading to the RD-domain swap is directly supported by the original cryo-EM density map of ABCA1 and appears to have been overlooked. Our refined ABCA1 model suggests the possibility that ABCA1, despite being an exporter, has highly restrained NBDs that suggest a transport mechanism that is distinct from ‘alternating access’.
Giving birth: A hermeneutic study of the expectations and experiences of healthy primigravid women in Switzerland

Switzerland experiences one of the highest caesarean section rates in Europe but it is unclear why and when the decision is made to perform a caesarean section. Many studies have examined from a medical and physiological point of view, but research from a women’s standpoint is lacking. Our aim was to develop a model of the emerging expectations of giving birth and the subsequent experiences of healthy primigravid women, across four cantons in Switzerland. This longitudinal study included 30 primigravidae from the German speaking, 14 from the French speaking and 14 from the Italian speaking cantons who were purposively selected. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews taking place around 22 and 36 weeks of pregnancy and six weeks and six months postnatally. Following Gadamer’s hermeneutic, which in this study comprised 5 stages, a model was developed. Four major themes emerged: Decisions, Care, Influences and Emotions. Their meandering paths and evolution demonstrate the complexity of the expectations and experiences of women becoming mothers. In this study, women’s narrated mode of birth expectations did not foretell how they gave birth and their lived experiences. A hermeneutic discontinuity arises at the 6 week postnatal interview mark. This temporary gap illustrates the bridge between women’s expectations of birth and their actual lived experiences, highlighting the importance of informed consent, parent education and ensuring women have a positive birth and immediate postnatal experiences. Other factors than women’s preferences should be considered to explain the increasing caesarean section rates.
Conversion effects of farmland to Zanthoxylum bungeanum plantations on soil organic carbon mineralization in the arid valley of the upper reaches of Yangtze River, China

Farmland conversion to forest is considered to be one of the effective measures to mitigate climate change. However, the impact of farmland conversion to forest land or grassland on soil CO2 emission in arid areas is unclear due to the lack of comparative information on soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization of different conversion types. The SOC mineralization in 0–100 cm soil layer in farmland (FL), abandoned land (AL) and different ages (including 8, 15, 20 and 28 years) of Zanthoxylum bungeanum plantations were measured by laboratory incubation. The size and decomposition rate of fast pool (Cf) and slow pool (Cs) in different land-use types and soil layers were estimated by double exponential model. The results showed that: 1) Farmland conversion increased the cumulative CO2-C release (Cmin) and SOC mineralization efficiency, and those indexes in AL were higher than that in Z. bungeanum plantations. The Cmin and SOC mineralization efficiency of 0–100 cm soil increased with the ages of Z. bungeanum plantation. Both Cmin and SOC mineralization efficiency decreased with the increase of soil depth; 2) Both soil Cf and Cs increased after farmland converted to Z. bungeanum plantations and AL. The Cs in the same soil layer increased with the ages of Z. bungeanum plantation, and the Cf showed a “V” type with the increased ages of Z. bungeanum plantation. The Cf and Cs decreased with the increase of soil depth in all land-use types; 3) Farmland conversion increased the decomposition rate of Cf (k1) in all soil layer by 0.008–0.143 d−1 and 0.082–0.148 d−1 in Z. bungeanum plantations and AL, respectively. The k1 was obviously higher in the 0−20 cm soil layer than that in other soil layers, while the decomposition rate of Cs (k2) was not affected by FL conversion and soil depth; and 4) The initial soil chemical properties and enzyme activity affected SOC mineralization, especially the concentrations of total organic nitrogen (TON), SOC, easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). It indicated that the conversion of farmland to Z. bungeanum plantations and AL increases SOC mineralization, especially in deeper soils, and it increased with the ages. The conversion of farmland to Z. bungeanum plantation is the optimal measure when the potential C sequestration of plant-soil system were taken in consideration.
Parous rate and longevity of anophelines mosquitoes in bure district, northwestern Ethiopia

The intensity of malaria transmission is measured by parous rate, daily survival rate, human blood meal frequency, sporozoite rate, and entomological inoculation rates. Female parous status is a key index of vector competence, adult vector longevity, recruitment rate of adult, and the length of a gonotrophic cycle. Hence, the present study was aimed to investigate the parous rate and the longevity of Anopheles mosquitoes in Bure District, Northwestern Ethiopia. Parous rate was estimated as the number of mosquitoes with parous ovaries divided by the number of females dissected multiplied by 100. Mosquito life expectancy (longevity as d) was estimated by. One way- ANOVA was applied to confirm the presence of parous rate difference in the villages (p < 0.05). A total of 952 unfed hosts-seeking Anopheles mosquitoes was dissected for parous rate determination. The overall parous rate of An. arabiensis in the district was 52.0%, and the highest parous rate was recorded in Shnebekuma than other villages (F 2, 33 = 6.974; p = 0.003). Similarly, the parous rate of An. cinereus showed significant variation among villages (F 2, 33 = 5.044, p = 0.012) and the highest rate (63.0%) was recorded in Bukta. The mean longevity of An. funestus, An. arabiensis, An. coustani, An. squamosus, An. pharoensis, and An. cinereus was 6.5 days, 4.6 days, 3.5 days, 3.7 days, 2.7 days, and 2.2 days, respectively. The longevity of each species was not sufficient to complete the life cycle of malaria parasite for malaria transmission throughout the year because P. falciparum requires from 12–14 day.
Exposure to 1.8 GHz radiofrequency field modulates ROS in human HEK293 cells as a function of signal amplitude

ABSTRACT The modern telecommunications industry is ubiquitous throughout the world, with a significant percentage of the population using cellular phones on a daily basis. The possible physiological consequences of wireless emissions in the GHz range are therefore of major interest, but remain poorly understood. Here, we show that exposure to a 1.8 GHz carrier frequency in the amplitude range of household telecommunications induces the formation of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) in human HEK293 cultured cells. The ROS concentrations detected by fluorescent imaging techniques increased significantly after 15 minutes of RF field exposure, and were localized to both nuclear and cytosolic cellular compartments. qPCR analysis showed altered gene expression of both anti-oxidative (SOD, GPX, GPX, and CAT) and oxidative (Nox-2) enzymes. In addition, multiple genes previously identified as responsive to static magnetic fields were found to also be regulated by RF, suggesting common features in response mechanisms. By contrast, many RF effects showed evidence of hormesis, whereby biological responsivity does not occur linearly as a function of signal amplitude. Instead, biphasic dose response curves occur with ‘blind’ spots at certain signal amplitudes where no measureable response occurs. We conclude that modulation of intracellular ROS can be a direct consequence of RF exposure dependent on signal frequency and amplitude. Since changes in intracellular ROS may have both harmful and beneficial effects, these could provide the basis for many reported physiological effects of RF exposure.
RNA splicing analysis contributes to reclassifying variants of uncertain significance and improves the diagnosis of monogenic disorders

Background Numerous variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) have been identified by whole exome sequencing in clinical practice. However, VUSs are not currently considered medically actionable. Objective To assess the splicing patterns of 49 VUSs in 48 families identified clinically to improve genetic counselling and family planning. Methods Forty-nine participants with 49 VUSs were recruited from the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to preliminarily predict the splicing effects of these VUSs. RT-PCR and minigene analysis were used to assess the splicing patterns of the VUSs. According to the results obtained, couples opted for different methods of reproductive interventions to conceive a child, including prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Results Eleven variants were found to alter pre-mRNA splicing and one variant caused nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, which resulted in the reclassification of these VUSs as likely pathogenic. One couple chose to undergo in vitro fertilisation with PGT treatment; a healthy embryo was transferred and the pregnancy is ongoing. Three couples opted for natural pregnancy with prenatal diagnosis. One couple terminated the pregnancy because the fetus was affected by short-rib thoracic dysplasia and harboured the related variant. The infants of the other two couples were born and were healthy at their last recorded follow-up. Conclusion RNA splicing analysis is an important method to assess the impact of sequence variants on splicing in clinical practice and can contribute to the reclassification of a significant proportion of VUSs. RNA splicing analysis should be considered for genetic disease diagnostics.
Active Catheter Using Multi-Link-Joint Structure Fabricated in Silicon Wafer

An active catheter using silicon multi-link-joint structure has been developed. This catheter has a function of controllable bending motion like a snake by incorporation of distributed shape memory alloy (SMA) coil actuators and restoring silicon springs. The mechanical structure that consists of links and connecting bendable beams was fabricated in silicon wafers by using bulk micromachining technique. This method has an advantage that plural catheters can be fabricated by batch process.
Design Legacies: Why Service Designers are not able to Embed Design in the Organisation

Much talk about service design has focused on how to bring design practices, design thinking and design methods into an organization in order to transform or change the way it is going about business. There is only one thing that researchers and practitioners have overlooked: Design principles, methods and practices are already deeply embedded in organizations. That is, in fact, the real problem: Organizations are full of design legacies, however flawed and poorly suited. If service designers want to effect real change in real organizations, they have to be able to articulate these organizational design practices. This paper explains the concept of design legacies and describes three elements of organizational design legacies: organizational purpose, organizational design approaches and organizational design practices. Using a matrix developed around designing for, with and by, the paper explains how we can make sense of existing organizational design practices.
Alpha and Beta Synucleins: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Application as Biomarkers

The synuclein family includes three neuronal proteins, named α‐synuclein, β‐synuclein, and γ‐synuclein, that have peculiar structural features. α‐synuclein is largely known for being a key protein in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other synucleinopathies, namely, dementia with Lewy bodies and multisystem atrophy. The role of β‐synuclein and γ‐synuclein is less well understood in terms of physiological functions and potential contribution to human diseases. α‐synuclein has been investigated extensively in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood as a potential biomarker for synucleinopathies. Recently, great attention has been also paid to β‐synuclein, whose CSF and blood levels seem to reflect synaptic damage and neurodegeneration independent of the presence of synucleinopathy. In this review, we aim to provide an overview on the pathophysiological roles of the synucleins. Because γ‐synuclein has been poorly investigated in the field of synucleinopathy and its pathophysiological roles are far from being clear, we focus on the interactions between α‐synuclein and β‐synuclein in PD. We also discuss the role of α‐synuclein and β‐synuclein as potential biomarkers to improve the diagnostic characterization of synucleinopathies, thus highlighting their potential application in clinical trials for disease‐modifying therapies. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Definition, prevalence, and clinical significance of mitral annular disjunction in different patient cohorts: A systematic review

Mitral annular disjunction (MAD) is a structural abnormality involving a distinct separation of the left atrium/mitral valve annulus and myocardium continuum. The literature around MAD has increased over recent years, thus we sought to review the current data on the definition, prevalence, and clinical outcomes of MAD.
La Gestione Dei Crediti Deteriorati: Un’Indagine Presso Le Maggiori Banche (The Management of Non-Performing Loans: A Survey Among the Main Italian Banks)

Italian Abstract: Questo studio illustra i risultati di un’indagine sull’efficacia delle procedure di recupero dei crediti alle imprese condotta dalla Banca d’Italia nel 2015 presso i maggiori gruppi bancari. Il tasso di recupero delle liquidazioni nel periodo 2011-14 e stato leggermente superiore al 40 per cento e la maggior parte del recupero e conseguito nei primi cinque anni dall’avvio della procedura. A quattro anni dal loro avvio, quasi due terzi delle ristrutturazioni risulta ancora in corso. L’eta media delle liquidazioni aperte alla fine del 2014 era il doppio rispetto a quella delle ristrutturazioni e i crediti sottoposti a ristrutturazione sono assistiti da garanzia reale per circa otto punti percentuali in piu rispetto alle liquidazioni. Nel 2014 la gestione dei crediti deteriorati ha assorbito il 2,8 per cento dei costi operativi delle banche, una percentuale in crescita rispetto agli anni precedenti. I diversi assetti organizzativi delle banche per la gestione dei crediti deteriorati si sono associati anche a una diversa disponibilita di informazioni sui temi oggetto dell’indagine.English Abstract: This study presents the results of a survey carried out by the Bank of Italy in 2015 on the efficiency of credit recovery procedures undertaken by the main Italian banking groups. The recovery rate for liquidations in the years 2011-2014 was slightly above 40 per cent, and the largest share of the recovery was obtained within the first five years from the start of the procedure. Four years after the debt restructurings began, almost two thirds are still underway. The average age of liquidations at the end of 2014 was twice that of debt restructurings and eight percentage points more of loans being restructured are collateralized than those being liquidated. In 2014 the management of non-performing loans absorbed 2.8 per cent of banks’ operating costs, a larger share than in previous years. The study found not only differences in the systems adopted by the banks for managing non-performing loans but also differences in the amount of information available on the topics covered by the survey.
Method development and evaluation for the determination of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in multiple food matrices

ABSTRACT A method for the determination of 21 perfluorinated and 10 polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) was developed for application in different food matrices. Acetonitrile was used as the extraction solvent with solid phase extraction weak anion-exchange (SPE-WAX) clean up, with LC-MS/MS analysis using both surrogate and performance standards to correct for losses during sample preparation and matrix effects. The method has been evaluated in four different matrices (fish, pizza, chicken nuggets and spinach). Originally, the focus was to develop a method for foods commonly thought to be a source of PFASs (e.g. fish). It was expanded to include foods where PFAS exposure would be possible through their presence in grease-proof food packaging (e.g. pizza, chicken nuggets). Vegetables (lettuce) and fruit (tomato) have recently been considered as part of proficiency testing programmes, so the inclusion of some testing in a vegetable matrix (i.e. spinach) was also added to the testing. Limits of quantification ranged from 0.018 ng g−1 (L-PFDS) to 5.28 ng g−1 (FHEA), although method quantification limits for PFBA (12.4 ng g−1), 6:2 PAP (8.96 ng g−1) and 8:2 PAP (3.49 ng g−1) were elevated above instrumental limits owing to their consistent detection in reagent blank samples. PFAS analyses were strongly impacted by matrix, therefore the use of isotopically labelled internal standards was critical to the development of accurate results. The accuracy of the method using numerous proficiency testing schemes or interlaboratory comparison studies has shown the developed method to be successful with z-scores for all concerned analytes in all test matrices remaining within ±2.0, with the exception of PFBA in wheat flour which was −2.4. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Is ride-sharing really as novel as it claims - Understanding Uber and its supply-side impacts in New Zealand

In recent years, the emergence of multi-sided platforms has allowed peer-to-peer networks to grow exponentially, allowing individuals to form a collaborative economy by the sharing of underutilized resources. Within the realm of sharing economy, ride-sharing is the social phenomenon of allowing drivers and riders to congregate through a web-based platform to match the demand and supply sides in real time. The ride-sharing industry has posed as a major disruption to taxi industries worldwide. This paper seeks to investigate the industry dynamics surrounding Uber, a global ride-sharing company, in the New Zealand context, with main focus on the implications it has on the supply-side players (i.e. taxi companies and drivers) to evaluate if it has a sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Uber is the first ride-sharing company coming to New Zealand, established originally in San Francisco. Due to various differences in the market and legal factors, Uber has adapted its business model to suit this unique environment. Although it does not position itself as a ride-sharing business in New Zealand, but rather a private hire service company, Uber is using the same tools and resources to pool drivers and riders together under its multi-sided platform. The main competitive advantages Uber brings are the convenience, flexibility to drivers and the lower cost to consumers. While more and more ride-sharing and taxi-booking apps join in the competition; while taxi companies begin to innovate to create a stronger differentiating factor; and while regulators start to narrow the gaps in the regulations where Uber is deemed to have been given unfair advantages; Uber is facing stronger competition and challenges in the New Zealand market incrementally.
Drone Law: A Reply to UN Special Rapporteur Emmerson

Mr. Ben Emmerson is the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms While Combatting Terrorism. In his March 2013 report to the UN General Assembly on “targeted killings”, Emmerson asks States to respond to a series of legal questions related to drone operations by next session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2014. In the piece, Professor Schmitt examines each of the questions and the international law issues they raise. The work is designed to assist States in providing responses to Emmerson’s call and to provide a general overview of the contentious issues surrounding such operations.