Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caloric Restriction and Weight Loss Are Primary Factors in the Early Tissue-Specific Metabolic Changes After Bariatric Surgery

OBJECTIVE To evaluate changes in insulin sensitivity, hormone secretion, and hepatic steatosis immediately after caloric restriction, vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Obese subjects were assessed for 1) insulin sensitivity with hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp with glucose tracer infusion, 2) adipokine concentrations with serum and subcutaneous adipose interstitial fluid sampling, and 3) hepatic fat content with MRI before and 7–10 days after VSG, RYGB, or supervised caloric restriction. RESULTS Each group exhibited an ∼5% total body weight loss, accompanied by similar improvements in hepatic glucose production and hepatic, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity. Leptin concentrations in plasma and adipose interstitial fluid were equally decreased, and reductions in hepatic fat were similar. CONCLUSIONS The improvements in insulin sensitivity and adipokine secretion observed early after bariatric surgery are replicated by equivalent caloric restriction and weight loss.
Hearing impairment and tinnitus among older construction workers employed at DOE facilities.

BACKGROUND Few studies have defined the risk of hearing impairment and tinnitus after retirement. This report measures hearing impairment and tinnitus prevalence among older construction trades workers. METHODS The study cohort included 21,340 participants in a national medical screening program (www.btmed.org). Audiometric hearing impairment was classified according to the Global Burden of Disease Study. Tinnitus was determined by self-report. An internal subcohort of nonconstruction trades workers served as a reference group. Stratified analyses and multivariate analyses were used to measure the prevalence of hearing impairment and tinnitus by age, sex, and job category. RESULTS Prevalence of any hearing impairment was 55.2% (males, 57.7%; females, 26.8%) and increased rapidly with age. Construction trades workers were 40% more likely to have hearing impairment than the reference group. The overall prevalence of tinnitus was 46.52% and followed patterns similar to hearing impairment. Workers with hearing impairment were more likely to also have tinnitus, but tinnitus was frequently reported in the absence of measured hearing impairment. CONCLUSIONS Hearing impairment and tinnitus prevalence were much higher in this study than in previous research. A significant reason for the difference is that BTMed follows participants after they have retired. To draw conclusions about the risk for work-related chronic diseases and disorders it is important to monitor workers through their lifetimes. Also, tinnitus by itself should be given greater significance. These findings reinforce the need to promote noise reduction and hearing conservation in construction.
Inhibition of the postsynaptic density protein 95 on the protective effect of Ang-(1-7)–Mas on cerebral ischaemia injury

Background Postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD95) plays an important role in cerebral ischaemia injury, but its mechanism needs further research. This study aimed to explore the role of PSD95 in (Ang-(1-7))-Mas-mediated cerebral ischaemia protection and its regulatory mechanism. Methods Oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) neuron and rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were used as in vitro and in vivo models, respectively. TAT-MAS9C was used to disrupt the interaction between PSD95 and Mas. The recombinant PSD95 adenovirus (Ad-PSD95) was used to overexpress PSD95 in neurons. Results Results showed that in OGD neurons, Ang-(1-7) could promote cell viability; reduce cell apoptosis; reduce the cell membrane localisation of Mas; upregulate the expression levels of pAKT, bcl-2 and I-κB; and downregulate the expression levels of Bax, pI-κB, tumour necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β. TAT-MAS9C could enhance the aforementioned effects of Ang-(1-7). However, the PSD95 overexpression inhibited the aforementioned effects of Ang-(1-7). In the MCAO rat model, the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that Ang-(1-7) reduced the infarct volume. The Morris water maze test showed that the number of crossings over the platform area in the Ang-(1-7) group was significantly increased. TAT-MAS9C could promote the protective effect of Ang-(1-7). Conclusions Results suggested that PSD95 alleviated the activation of AKT and the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B signalling pathway mediated by the Ang-(1-7)–Mas complex, thereby reducing neuronal activity, increasing apoptosis and inhibiting the Ang-(1-7)–Mas-mediated cerebral ischaemia protection.
Integrative review of the literature on screening for gender‐based violence during pregnancy: Barriers, facilitators, and tools

Abstract An integrative review of the literature has been developed to explore barriers and facilitators in screening for gender‐based violence in pregnant women and identify available tools for this screening. Studies were identified via a systematic search on the PubMed, CINAHL Plus (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature Complete), Scopus, and LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature) databases and a manual reverse reference search to obtain literature published between 2015 and 2020. The methodology followed the recommendations made by Whittemore & Knafl. The quality of studies was evaluated using the Critical Skills Appraisal Program tool. Twenty‐three of the 4202 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The principal barriers identified were lack of training for professionals (mainly nurses and midwives), lack of support policies, and lack of human and material resources. The main facilitators were to increase professional training programs on case detection, availability of effective instruments, and greater investment in resources to guarantee safety and referral of cases. With regard to the available tools, the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) continues to be the most widely used, although others such as the Humiliation, Afraid, Rape, and Kick questionnaire (HARK) could be suitable for antenatal care settings.
Facemask ventilation and vocal cord angle following neuromuscular blockade: a prospective observational study#

Numerous studies support the idea that neuromuscular blockade facilitates facemask ventilation after induction of anaesthesia. Although improved airway patency or pulmonary compliance and a resolution of laryngospasm have been suggested as possible causes, the exact mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to assess whether neuromuscular blockade improves facemask ventilation and to clarify whether this phenomenon is associated with the vocal cord angle. This prospective observational study included patients aged between 20 and 65 years scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia. After induction of anaesthesia, patients' lungs were ventilated with pressure‐controlled ventilation using a facemask. During facemask ventilation, a flexible bronchoscope was inserted through a self‐sealing diaphragm at the elbow connector attached to the facemask and breathing circuit and positioned to allow a continuous view of the vocal cords. The mean tidal volume and vocal cord angle were measured before and after administration of neuromuscular blocking drugs. Of 108 patients, 100 completed the study. Mean (SD) tidal volume ((11.0 (3.9) ml.kg‐1 vs. 13.6 (2.6) ml.kg‐1; p < 0.001) and mean (SD) vocal cord angle (17° (10°) vs. 26° (5°); p < 0.001) increased significantly after neuromuscular blockade. The proportional increase in mean tidal volume after neuromuscular blockade was positively correlated with vocal cord angle (Spearman's ρ = 0.803; p < 0.001). In conclusion, neuromuscular blockade facilitated facemask ventilation, and the improvement was correlated with further opening of the vocal cords.
Noncellular components in the liver cancer stem cell niche: Biology and potential clinical implications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are now recognized as one of the major root causes of therapy failure and tumor recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Early studies in the field focused primarily on the intrinsic regulators of CSC maintenance, but in recent years, mounting evidence has demonstrated the presence and role of extrinsic regulators in the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the control of liver CSCs. In addition to direct interaction with cellular components, noncellular components, including the extracellular matrix, hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, and secreted molecules within the tumor stroma and hepatitis viruses, also play a critical role in shaping the CSC niche. In this review, we highlight how various noncellular components in the TME play a role in regulating CSCs and how CSCs secrete components to interact with the TME to generate their own niche, working hand in hand to drive tumor physiology in HCC. In addition, we describe the potential clinical applications of these findings and propose perspectives on future research of noncellular components in the liver CSC niche.
Borcs6 is required for endo‐lysosomal degradation during early development

Early development and differentiation require precise control of cellular functions. Lysosomal degradation is a critical component of normal cellular homeostasis, allowing for degradation of signaling molecules, proteins, and other macromolecules for cellular remodeling and signaling. Little is known about the role of lysosomal function in mammalian embryos before gastrulation. Borcs6 is a protein involved in lysosomal trafficking as well as endo‐lysosomal and autophagosome fusion. Here, we show that Borcs6 is necessary for efficient endo‐lysosomal degradation in the early embryo. Although embryos lacking Borcs6 are developmentally comparable to control littermates at E5.5, they are characterized by large cells containing increased levels of late endosomes and abnormal nuclei. Furthermore, these embryos display a skewed ratio of extraembryonic and embryonic cell lineages, are delayed by E6.5, and do not undergo normal gastrulation. These results demonstrate the essential functions of lysosomal positioning and fusion with endosomes during early embryonic development and indicate that the early lethality of BORCS6 mutant embryos is primarily due to defects in the HOPS‐related function of BORC rather than lysosomal positioning.
Application of source biasing technique for energy efficient DECODER circuit design: memory array application

Researchers have proposed many circuit techniques to reduce leakage power dissipation in memory cells. If we want to reduce the overall power in the memory system, we have to work on the input circuitry of memory architecture i.e. row and column decoder. In this research work, low leakage power with a high speed row and column decoder for memory array application is designed and four new techniques are proposed. In this work, the comparison of cluster DECODER, body bias DECODER, source bias DECODER, and source coupling DECODER are designed and analyzed for memory array application. Simulation is performed for the comparative analysis of different DECODER design parameters at 180 nm GPDK technology file using the CADENCE tool. Simulation results show that the proposed source bias DECODER circuit technique decreases the leakage current by 99.92% and static energy by 99.92% at a supply voltage of 1.2 V. The proposed circuit also improves dynamic power dissipation by 5.69%, dynamic PDP/EDP 65.03% and delay 57.25% at 1.2 V supply voltage.
Morphological Approach in Creative Requirements Elicitation from Crowdsourcing

Creativity is a subject that gained increasing interest in requirements engineering field. Creative-based requirements elicitation helps in generating requirements in original and innovative ways. Lately, crowdsourcing has been emerged in requirements elicitation after realizing the benefits of crowd. Crowdsourcing allows a wide diversity of stakeholders able to express their perceptions about product. However, to analyze the large amount of ideas from crowd would be a great challenge. This work focuses on how ideas gathered from the crowd and then analyzed using morphological approach in deriving requirements for the software product. Furthermore, the involvement of crowd in the approach helps in eliciting creative ideas for producing an innovative software product.
Orthogonal spiral structures for energy harvesting applications: Theoretical and experimental analysis

The capture of energy from vibration of mechanical systems has been extensively studied with the goal of providing power for various microelectromechanical systems. The traditional cantilever beam approach was used as a starting design for more complex, multiple-beam structures like zigzag or spiral geometries. This work presents the orthogonal spiral structure, an alternative compact periodic structure for reduced frequency energy harvesting. The proposed orthogonal spiral structure design is inspired by a combination of zigzag and Archimedean spiral geometries. The orthogonal spiral structure takes advantage of a simple cantilever beam-based design as with the zigzag, but includes the compact concentric-type design of an Archimedean spiral. First, the fundamental frequency is estimated using a lumped parameter model for the substrate beam and the results are compared with experimental results for two different sizes of orthogonal spiral structures. Then, the same model is updated to include a layer of piezoelectric material and used to identify the strain nodes along each beam obtained from the first mode shape. Finally, electromechanical modeling is developed allowing for the evaluation of the energy harvested from base excitations. The results show that the orthogonal spiral structure can be used as an alternative to current energy harvesting systems for micro scale applications.
Numerical Analysis to Determine Reliable One-Diode Model Parameters for Perovskite Solar Cells

With the aim to determine the photo-generated current, diode saturation current, ideality factor, shunt, and series resistances related to the one-diode model for p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells, reference cells with active area of approximately 1 cm2 and efficiencies ranging between 4.6 and 12.2% were fabricated and characterized at standard test conditions. To estimated feasible parameters, the mean square error between the I-V curve data of these cells and the circuital model results were minimized using a Genetic Algorithm combined with the Nelder-Mead method. When considering the optimization process solutions, a numerical sensitivity analysis of the error as a function of the estimated parameters was carried out. Based on the errors behavior that is showed graphically through maps, it was demonstrated that the set of parameters estimated for each cell were reliable, meaningful, and realistic, and being related to errors lower than 9.1 × 10−9. Therefore, these results can be considered as global solutions of the optimization process. Moreover, based on the lower errors obtained from the optimization process, it was possible to affirm that the one-diode model is suitable to model the I-V curve of perovskite solar cells. Finally, the estimated parameters suggested that the average ideality factor is close to 2 when the fill factor of the I-V curves is higher than 0.5. Lower fill factors corresponded to ideality that was higher than 3, linked to lower efficiencies, and high loses effects reflected on lower shunt resistances. Lower ideality factor of 1.4 corresponds to the best performing solar cells.
Inhibition during Postirradiation Cell Incubation

It has been shown previously that the synthesis of small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) Ul, U2, U3, U4, and U5, in contrast to that of all other RNA species tested, decreases markedly within 2 h of cell incubation after exposure to UV light (254 nm), while pyrimidine dimers are being removed from DNA. We examined the possibility that the postirradiation cell incubation-dependent, UV light-induced inhibition of snRNA synthesis might reflect hypersensitivity of the snRNA transcriptional domains to single-stranded DNA nicks or relaxation ofDNA torsional stress or both that occur during DNA repair. This late suppression ofsnRNA biosynthesis was as pronounced in UV light-irradiated (DNA incision-deficient) xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts (complementation group A) as in irradiated normal human fibroblasts. The synthesis of snRNAs was not preferentially sensitive to -y radiation (which produces single-stranded DNA breaks) or novobiocin or nalidixic acid (which induce DNA relaxation). Neither of these two drugs prevented the UV light-induced inhibition of snRNA synthesis observed during postirradiation cell incubation. These results suggest that the late suppression of snRNA synthesis does not result from hypersensitivity of snRNA transcriptional domains to single-stranded DNA cleavages or relaxation ofDNA torsional strain. The UV light-induced late inhibition of snRNA synthesis: (i) shows an inactivation curve whose slope differs from that observed immediately after irradiation; (ii) is seen in untransformed cells as well as established cells lines; and (iii) has been conserved between birds and mammals.
Design and Implementation of Video using Elliptical Curve Cryptography

Video encryption is gaining popularity in the recent times because of growing demands of communication over the internet. The video information has to pass to and fro through several transmissions between different senders and receivers. The existing cryptographic techniques involve a complex signal processing algorithm which utilize high bandwidth and requires high processing time. Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) is an algorithm that provides security with reduced processing time because of its small key size. The implementation of this video encryption algorithm has been made in Python 2.7 version. The paper gives the basic understanding of ECC followed by methodology of implementation and shows the result of encryption and decryption of the sample video.
OPTIMIZATION OF SALT COMPOSITION OF NUTRIENT MEDIUM FOR LIPASE PRODUCTION BY RHIZOPUS ARRHIZUS,

The relationship between some morphological and biochemical traits in ten domestic rice varieties (Kocanski, Osogovka, Biser-2, Nada-115, Ranka, Prima riska, Montessa, N 51, N 69 and B 30-303), and three lines of special interest (79/22-2, 78/12-3-4 and 78/12-3-5) were analyzed. The results showed that shape of grain has the highest significantly positive correlation with length of grain (r=0.897). Number of grain per panicle is significantly correlated with mass of grains per panicle (r=0.877) and fertility with leaf area (r=0.689). Proteins content has significantly negative correlation with iron in paddy (r=-0.862) and with carbohydrates content in white rice (r=-0.686), while iron content with width of grain (r=-0.719 in paddy). The derived results can be used as selection index for future rice improvement.
Association between Psychosocial Needs, Negative Lust Behaviour with Sexual Risk Behaviours among Young Girls Living in Kigali, Rwanda

Young girls living in shanty town experience life that may subject them to psychosocial needs (PNs), negative lust behavior (NLB), associated with sexual risk behaviors (SRBs). We aimed to understand how these variables not only independently affect girls who do not purposely use condom or abstain, but also how they shape antisocial behaviors that lead to unintended pregnancy (UP). Participants were 875 girls’ members of Young Girls Association (YGA) living in set barracks. We assessed the pitfall symptoms of NLB and SRB (who do not use condom, use condom, abstained) among 19500 sexually active girls as participants. Descriptive statistics and correlation among observed variables for left-behind girls and non left-behind girls were analyzed. The results showed that independent variables were significance to dependent variable, moreover, independent variables were insignificance status to predict SRB. These results provide novel evidence of girls who have had an UP and effectively were ready to change. Our findings provide important information for future researchers based on SRB. Poor relationship, poor mental perceptions, sense of satisfaction are targeted in unplanned pregnancies prevention programs in the key population.
Comparison of Decisions Quality of Heuristic Methods with Limited Depth-First Search Techniques in the Graph Shortest Path Problem

Abstract The article deals with the problem of analysis of effectiveness of the heuristic methods with limited depth-first search techniques of decision obtaining in the test problem of getting the shortest path in graph. The article briefly describes the group of methods based on the limit of branches number of the combinatorial search tree and limit of analyzed subtree depth used to solve the problem. The methodology of comparing experimental data for the estimation of the quality of solutions based on the performing of computational experiments with samples of graphs with pseudo-random structure and selected vertices and arcs number using the BOINC platform is considered. It also shows description of obtained experimental results which allow to identify the areas of the preferable usage of selected subset of heuristic methods depending on the size of the problem and power of constraints. It is shown that the considered pair of methods is ineffective in the selected problem and significantly inferior to the quality of solutions that are provided by ant colony optimization method and its modification with combinatorial returns.
MODELLING THE CD4+ COUNT PROGRESSION OF HIV+ PATIENTS USING GENERALIZED ESTIMATING EQUATIONS: A CASE OF DEBRE BERHAN REFERRAL HOSPITAL, ETHIOPIA

CD4+ count is used to assess the clinical status of HIV-infected patients and making informed decisions about the initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy. To determine the progression of patient characteristics, the CD4+ count should be measured repeatedly per individual who used to evaluate the evolution of CD4+ count over time from baseline. Thus, the main objective of the study was modeling the progression of CD4+ counts of HIV + patients under ART in Debre Berhan Referral Hospital, Ethiopia. A retrospective cohort study is used; and out of a population of HIV-patients who were taking ART in the hospital during September, 2013 to February, 2019, data on 322 patients was taken to the study from which 225 (69.88%) were females and 97(30.12%) were males. Generalized Estimating Equations model is used to analyze the non-independent data measured for each patients for specified period of time. The result of this study showed that CD4+ count patients improved from average baseline, 335.7 to 408.6 after all follow-up times. The average CD4+ count of female patients was changed 0.5793 squared times than average CD4+ count of male patients (β = 0.5793 , p-value = 0.02618). HIV+ patients‟ age had negatively significant effect on the average progression of CD4+ count(β = -0.0321, p-value=0.0139). Its negative estimate indicated that the average CD4+ count older patients reduced by 0.0321 squared times than younger individuals. The predictors of patients‟ baseline CD4+count, sex, age, functional status, marital status, treatment regimen class, WHO clinical stage and follow up time found to be significant association with the progression of CD4+ count. HIV+ patients who had lowest initial CD4+ count need special attention as patients with higher baseline CD4 count tend to have higher rate of change over time than those with lower baseline CD4+ count.