Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weight loss between glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery in adults with obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists recently demonstrated 15% to 20% weight loss in adults with obesity, a range which has previously been achieved only with bariatric surgery. This systematic review and meta‐analysis compares weight loss between GLP‐1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery.
Proteomics, dietary intake, and changes in cardiometabolic health within a behavioral weight‐loss intervention: A pilot study

Identifying associations among circulating proteins, dietary intakes, and clinically relevant indicators of cardiometabolic health during weight loss may elucidate biologically relevant pathways affected by diet, allowing for an incorporation of precision nutrition approaches when designing future interventions. This study hypothesized that plasma proteins would be associated with diet and cardiometabolic health indicators within a behavioral weight‐loss intervention.
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis and the question of the right to self-determination

ABSTRACT Is Southern Cameroons entitled to self-determination under international law? This article examines that critical question against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Southern Cameroons and the people’s quest for self-determination. While varied factors cause conflict, it has customarily been attributed to poor governance, non-compliance with the rule of law, injustice, inequality, abuse of minority rights, marginalisation, and colonially induced cleavages. Does this apply to the current crisis in Southern Cameroons? This article answers in the affirmative, highlighting that the current conflict in the regions arises from decades of marginalisation and underrepresentation of English-speaking Cameroonians in administrative, political, and socio-economic decisions.
Conformal standard model and inflation

This thesis presents a possible inflation scenario as a consequence of non-minimal gravitational couplings in the Conformal Standard Model. That model consists, in comparison to the SM, of additional right-chiral neutrinos and a complex scalar sextet which, in distinction to the Higgs boson, is not coupled to the SM particles. The inflation is driven by two non-minimally coupled fields. One of those is the SU(2) Higgs-like doublet and the second is associated with the trace of the sextet. These two fields are related to the Higgs particle and ``shadow'', heavier Higgs via the mass mixing matrix. Since these type of models, with non-minimal coupling(s), can match the observational data related to inflation, they are of high interest. For this particular model, as it turned out, the tensor to scalar ratio and spectral tilt match the current data for a wide range of parameters. Also the unitary issue was addressed.
Collision Detection in Interactive 3D Environments

1 Introduction 1.1 Problem Domain 1.2 Historical Background 1.3 Organization 2 Concepts 2.1 Geometry 2.1.1 Notational Conventions 2.1.2 Vector Spaces 2.1.3 Affine Spaces 2.1. 4 Euclidean Spaces 2.1. 5 Affine Transformations 2.1. 6 Three-dimensional Space 2.2 Objects 2.2.1 Polytopes 2.2.2 Polygons 2.2.3 Quadrics 2.2.4 Minkowski Addition 2.2.5 Complex Shapes and Scenes 2.3 Animation 2.4 Time 2.5 Response 2.6 Performance 2.6.1 Frame Coherence 2.6.2 Geometric Coherence 2.6.3 Average Time 2.7 Robustness 2.7.1 Floating-Point Numbers 2.7.2 Stability 2.7. 3 Coping with Numerical Problems 3 Basic Primitives 3.1 Spheres 3.1.1 Sphere-Sphere Test 3.1.2 Ray-Sphere Test 3.1.3 Line-Segment-Sphere Test 3.2 Axis-Aligned Boxes 3.2.1 Ray-Box Test 3.2.2 Sphere-Box Test 3.3 Separating Axes 3.3.1 Line-Segment-Box Test 3.3.2 Triangle-Box Test 3.3.3 Box-Box Test 3.4 Polygons 3.4.1 Ray-Triangle Test 3.4.2 Line Segment-Triangle Test 3.4.3 Ray-Polygon Test 3.4. 4 Triangle-Triangle Test 3.4. 5 Polygon-Polygon Test 3.4. 6 Triangle-Sphere Test 3.4. 7 Polygon-Volume Tests 4 Convex Objects 4.1 Proximity Queries 4.2 Overview of Algorithms for Polytopes 4.2.1 Finding a Common Point 4.2.2 Finding a Separating Plane 4.2.3 Distance and Penetration Depth Computation 4.3 The Gilbert-Johnson-Keerthi Algorithm 4.3.1 Overview 4.3.2 Convergence and Termination 4.3.3 Johnson's Distance Algorithm 4.3.4 Support Mappings 4.3. 5 Implementing the GJK Algorithm 4.3. 6 Numerical Aspects of the GJK Algorithm 4.3. 7 Testing for Intersections 4.3. 8 Penetration Depth 5 Spatial Data Structures 5.1 Nonconvex Polyhedra 5.1.1 Convex Decomposition 5.1.2 Polyhedral Surfaces 5.1.3 Point in Nonconvex Polyhedron 5.2 Space Partitioning 5.2.1 Voxel Grids 5.2.2 Octrees and k-d Trees 5.2.3 Binary Space Partitioning Trees 5.2.4 Discussion 5.3 Model Partitioning 5.3.1 Bounding Volumes 5.3.2 Bounding-Volume Hierarchies 5.3.3 AABB Trees versus OBB Trees 5.3.4 AABB Trees and Deformable Models 5.4 Broad Phase 5.4.1 Sweep and Prune 5.4.2 Implementing the Sweep-and-Prune Algorithm 5.4.3 Ray Casting and AABBs 6 Design of SOLID 6.1 Requirements 6.2 Overview of SOLID 6.3 Design Decisions 6.3.1 Shape Representation 6.3.2 Motion Specification 6.3.3 Response Handling 6.3.4 Algorithms 6.4 Evaluation 6.5 Implementation Notes 6.5.1 Generic Data Types and Algorithms 6.5.2 Fundamental 3D Classes 7 Conclusion 7.1 State of the Art 7.2 Future Work Bibliography Index About the CD-ROM Trademarks
Ultra-early weaning alters growth performance, hematology parameters, and fecal microbiota in piglets with same genetic background

Piglets with the same genetic background were used to investigate the effects of different lengths of suckling period on growth performance, hematology parameters, and fecal microbiota. All piglets were born by a sow (Landrace×Yorkshire). On day 14 postpartum, a total of 16 piglets [Duroc×(Landrace×Yorkshire)] with a similar initial body weight (2.48 ± 0.25 kg) were randomly assigned into two groups with four replicates per group, two pigs per replicate pen (one barrow and one gilt). On day 14 of age, experiment started, piglets from the first group were weaned (14W), whereas the others continued to receive milk until day 28 of age (28W). The experiment completed on day 70 of age, last 56 days. Growth performance parameters including body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, and growth rate and hematology parameters including immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), albumin, globulin, and total protein were measured in this study. Additionally, a technique of 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to analyze fecal microbiota for revealing how the changes in the lengths of suckling period on intestinal microbiota. We found that ultra-early weaning impaired growth performance of piglets, whose worse body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, and growth rate were observed in 14W group at all measured timepoints in comparison with those in 28W group (P < 0.05). Moreover, higher contents of serum IgA (P = 0.028), IgG (P = 0.041), and IgM (P = 0.047), as well as lower contents of serum albumin (P = 0.002), albumin-to-globulin ratio (P = 0.003), and total protein (P = 0.004), were observed in 14W group in comparison with those in 28W group on day 28 of age, but not on day 70 of age. High-throughput pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA indicated that the intestinal microbiota richness in 14W group was lower than that in 28W group (P < 0.05); moreover, in comparison with 28W group at all sampling timepoints, fecal microbiota in 14W group showed more beneficial bacteria and fewer pathogenic bacteria (P < 0.05). Therefore, we considered that ultra-early weaning had positive effects on immune status and fecal microbiota composition in piglets, but negative effects on growth performance and fecal microbiota abundance.
Plastid phylogenomics and morphological character evolution of Chloridoideae (Poaceae)

Chloridoideae is one of the largest subfamilies of Poaceae, containing many species of great economic and ecological value; however, phylogenetic relationships among the subtribes and genera of Cynodonteae are controversial. In the present study, we combined 111 plastomes representing all five tribes, including 25 newly sequenced plastomes that are mostly from Cynodonteae. Phylogenetic analyses supported the five monophyletic tribes of Chloridoideae, including Centropodieae, Triraphideae, Eragrostideae, Zoysieae and Cynodonteae. Simultaneously, nine monophyletic lineages were revealed in Cynodonteae: supersubtribe Boutelouodinae, subtribes Tripogoninae, Aeluropodinae, Eleusininae, Dactylocteniinae, supersubtribe Gouiniodinae, Cleistogenes and Orinus, and subtribe Triodiinae. Within the tribe of Cynodonteae, the basal lineage is supersubtribe Boutelouodinae and Tripogoninae is sister to the remaining lineages. The clade formed of Aeluropodinae and Eleusininae is sister to the clade composed of Dactylocteniinae, supersubtribe Gouiniodinae, Cleistogenes and Orinus, and subtribe Triodiinae. The clade comprising Dactylocteniinae and supersubtribe Gouiniodinae is sister to the clade comprising Cleistogenes, Orinus, and Triodiinae. Acrachne is a genus within Eleusininae but not within Dactylocteniinae. Molecular evidence determined that Diplachne is not clustered with Leptochloa, which indicated that Diplachne should not be combined into Leptochloa. Cleistogenes is sister to a clade composed of Orinus and Triodia, whereas the recently proposed subtribe Orininae was not supported. Cynodonteae was estimated to have experienced rapid divergence within a short period, which could be a major obstacle in resolving its phylogenetic relationships. Ancestral state reconstructions of morphological characters showed that the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of Chloridoideae has a panicle, multiple florets in each spikelet, the peaked type of stomatal subsidiary cells, and a saddle-shaped phytoliths, while the ancestral morphological characters of Cynodonteae are the panicle, peaked type of stomatal subsidiary cells, sharp-cap cell typed and equal-base-cell microhair, and square-shaped phytoliths. Overall, plastome phylogenomics provides new insights into the phylogenetic relationships and morphological character evolution of Chloridoideae.
New understanding of gut microbiota and colorectal anastomosis leak: A collaborative review of the current concepts

Anastomotic leak (AL) is a life-threatening postoperative complication following colorectal surgery, which has not decreased over time. Until now, no specific risk factors or surgical technique could be targeted to improve anastomotic healing. In the past decade, gut microbiota dysbiosis has been recognized to contribute to AL, but the exact effects are still vague. In this context, interpretation of the mechanisms underlying how the gut microbiota contributes to AL is significant for improving patients’ outcomes. This review concentrates on novel findings to explain how the gut microbiota of patients with AL are altered, how the AL-specific pathogen colonizes and is enriched on the anastomosis site, and how these pathogens conduct their tissue breakdown effects. We build up a framework between the gut microbiota and AL on three levels. Firstly, factors that shape the gut microbiota profiles in patients who developed AL after colorectal surgery include preoperative intervention and surgical factors. Secondly, AL-specific pathogenic or collagenase bacteria adhere to the intestinal mucosa and defend against host clearance, including the interaction between bacterial adhesion and host extracellular matrix (ECM), the biofilm formation, and the weakened host commercial bacterial resistance. Thirdly, we interpret the potential mechanisms of pathogen-induced poor anastomotic healing.
Canine polarized macrophages express distinct functional and transcriptomic profiles

Macrophage differentiation and function in disease states is highly regulated by the local microenvironment. For example, macrophage exposure to IFN-γ (interferon gamma) initiates the development of inflammatory (M1) macrophages, which acquire anti-tumoral and antimicrobial activity, while exposure to IL-4 (interleukin-4) and IL-13 (interleukin-13) drives an anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophage phenotype, which promotes healing and suppression of inflammatory responses. Previous studies of canine polarized macrophages have identified several surface markers that distinguished GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor), IFN-γ and LPS (lipopolysaccharide) derived M1 macrophages or M2 macrophages; and reported a subset of genes that can be used to differentiate between polarization states. However, the need remains to understand the underlying biological mechanisms governing canine macrophage polarization states. Therefore, in the present study we used transcriptome sequencing, a larger panel of flow cytometry markers, and the addition of antimicrobial functional assays to further characterize canine macrophage polarization. Transcriptome analysis revealed unique, previously unreported signatures and pathways for polarized canine M1 and M2 macrophages. New flow cytometric markers were also identified, along with new characterization of how macrophage polarization impacted antimicrobial functions. Taken together, the findings reported here provide new insights into canine macrophage biology and identify new tools for the evaluation of polarized macrophages in dogs.
HSP90AA1 interacts with CSFV NS5A protein and regulates CSFV replication via the JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling pathway

Classical swine fever (CSF), caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV), is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease, posing a significant threat to the swine industry. Heat shock protein 90 kDa alpha class A member 1 (HSP90AA1) is a very conservative chaperone protein that plays an important role in signal transduction and viral proliferation. However, the role of HSP90AA1 in CSFV infection is unknown. In this study, we found that expression of HSP90AA1 could be promoted in PK-15 and 3D4/2 cells infected by CSFV. Over-expression of HSP90AA1 could inhibit CSFV replication and functional silencing of HSP90AA1 gene promotes CSFV replication. Further exploration revealed that HSP90AA1 interacted with CSFV NS5A protein and reduced the protein levels of NS5A. Since NS5A has an important role in CSFV replication and is closely related to type I IFN and NF-κB response, we further analyzed whether HSP90AA1 affects CSFV replication by regulating type I IFN and NF-κB pathway responses. Our research found HSP90AA1 positively regulated type I IFN response by promoting STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation processes and promoted the nuclear translocation processes of p-P65. However, CSFV infection antagonizes the activation of HSP90AA1 on JAK/STAT and NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, our study found that HSP90AA1 overexpression significantly inhibited CSFV replication and may inhibit CSFV replication by interacting with NS5A and activating JAK/STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways. These results provide new insights into the mechanism of action of HSP90AA1 in CSFV infection, which abundant the candidate library of anti-CSFV.
Case report: Kaposi hemangioendothelioma of the right upper limb with the Kasabach–Merritt phenomenon: A potentially lethal diagnostic challenge

Kaposi hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare vascular neoplasm that presents usually within the first year of life. Because of its rarity and complexity, there is often a delay in diagnosis. KHE could be associated with a life-threatening consumptive coagulopathy named the Kasabach–Merritt phenomenon (KMP). Here, we present the case of a 2-month-old girl who presented with progressive redness and swelling of her right upper limb over 6 weeks. Multiple health practitioners misdiagnosed her condition as an insect bite, cellulitis, and necrotizing fasciitis and gave treatment accordingly, which proved futile. A full blood count revealed bicytopenia of anemia and thrombocytopenia, a normal coagulation cascade, low fibrinogen, and raised D-Dimer levels. The imaging was suggestive of a high-flow vascular tumor likely to be a KHE. Subsequently, she was started on single-agent oral sirolimus with a dose increment to achieve satisfactory therapeutic levels and was treated for 1 year. She successfully completed the treatment regimen and had only transient hypertriglyceridemia, which resolved upon the completion of treatment. Currently, she is in remission 3 years after treatment. Keeping her case as an example, we would like to highlight the potentially lethal misdiagnosis of KHE with KMP, the importance of an early diagnosis of this condition, and the successful treatment outcome with single-agent sirolimus.
Identification and investigation of a novel NADP+-dependent secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase from Isatis indigotica

Cofactors are crucial for the biosynthesis of natural compounds, and cofactor engineering is a useful strategy for enzyme optimization due to its potential to enhance enzyme efficiency. Secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase (SIRD) was reported to convert secoisolariciresinol into matairesinol in an NAD+-dependent reaction. Here, a SIRD designated as IiSIRD2 identified from Isatis indigotica was found to utilize NADP+ as the cofactor. To explore the structural basis for this unique cofactor preference, model-based structural analysis was carried out, and it was postulated that a variation at the GXGGXG glycine-rich motif of IiSIRD2 alters its cofactor preference. This study paves way for future investigations on SIRD cofactor specificity and cofactor engineering to improve SIRD’s catalytic efficiency.
Specific alterations of gut microbiota in patients with membranous nephropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The pathogenesis of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) has not yet been thoroughly clarified, and gut dysbiosis may be a contributor to IMN. However, the characterization of gut microbiota in patients with IMN remains uncertain. Methods: Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Internet, Web of Science, and Embase were used to search for studies through 18 May 2022. A meta-analysis based on the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was conducted on the alpha diversity index. The between-group comparison of the relative abundance of gut microbiota taxa and the beta diversity were extracted and qualitatively analyzed. Results: Five studies were included involving 290 patients with IMN, 100 healthy controls (HCs), and 129 patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The quantitative combination of alpha diversity indices indicated that although bacterial richness was impaired [ACE, SMD = 0.12, (−0.28, 0.52), p = 0.55, I 2 = 0%; Chao1, SMD = −0.34, (−0.62, −0.06), p < 0.05, I 2 = 36%], overall diversity was preserved [Shannon, SMD = −0.16, (−0.64, 0.31), p = 0.50, I 2 = 53%; Simpson, SMD = 0.27, (−0.08, 0.61), p = 0.13, I 2 = 0%]. The beta diversity was significantly varied compared to HCs or DKD patients. Compared to HCs, the abundance of Proteobacteria increased, while that of Firmicutes decreased at the phylum level. Furthermore, the abundance of Lachnospira were depleted, while those of Streptococcus were enriched at the genus level. Proteobacteria and Streptococcus were also increased compared to DKD patients. Conclusions: The expansion of Proteobacteria and depletion of Lachnospira may be critical features of the altered gut microbiota in patients with IMN. This condition may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IMN and could provide bacterial targets for diagnosis and therapy.
Selecting the right therapeutic target for kidney disease

Kidney disease is a complex disease with several different etiologies and underlying associated pathophysiology. This is reflected by the lack of effective treatment therapies in chronic kidney disease (CKD) that stop disease progression. However, novel strategies, recent scientific breakthroughs, and technological advances have revealed new possibilities for finding novel disease drivers in CKD. This review describes some of the latest advances in the field and brings them together in a more holistic framework as applied to identification and validation of disease drivers in CKD. It uses high-resolution ‘patient-centric’ omics data sets, advanced in silico tools (systems biology, connectivity mapping, and machine learning) and ‘state-of-the-art‘ experimental systems (complex 3D systems in vitro, CRISPR gene editing, and various model biological systems in vivo). Application of such a framework is expected to increase the likelihood of successful identification of novel drug candidates based on strong human target validation and a better scientific understanding of underlying mechanisms.
Two-fluid model of superluminal radio sources - Application to cosmology

Les sources superluminiques dans les fortes radiosources doubles avec des points chauds dans les lobes etendus, peuvent etre expliquees par un modele 2-fluides caracterise par un jet non relativiste de plasma e − -p, un faisceau relativiste de plasma e − -e + et un champ magnetique parallele au jet et au faisceau. L'ejection de materiel ayant une vitesse proche de celle de la lumiere, par le noyau des fortes radiosources doubles, peut permettre de determiner les parametres cosmologiques q 0 et H 0 independamment de toute calibration de luminosite
A Study on Semi-distributed Hydrologic Drought Assessment Modifying SWSI

A hydrological drought index, MSWSI (Modified Surface Water Supply Index) was suggested based on SWSI. South Korea was divided into 32 regions considering the distribution of available gauge station of precipitation, dam storage, stream water level and natural groundwater level. The indices estimated in the regions represent a spatially distribution of drought. Monthly MSWSI was evaluated for the period of 1974 and 2001. The result was compared with PDSI and checked the applicability of the suggested index in our hydrologic drought situation.
Synergetic effect of temperature and humidity on the leakage of KOH electrolyte and related reliability of zinc-air batteries

The Zinc-air primary batteries (ZAB’s) are prone to electrolyte leakage upon exposure to high temperature and humidity conditions. Potassium hydroxide is a hygroscopic and corrosive compound and it can cause various electrochemical corrosion failures for the attached electronics inside a device. In this study, the effect of temperature and humid conditions on the leakage of Potassium hydroxide electrolyte from three different Zinc Air Battery variants were investigated. The batteries were exposed to hot and humid conditions, and a qualitative Gel test with pH indicator was used to visually observe the leakage from the individual set of battery variants. The residues of the released electrolyte was identified by FTIR and quantified using a titration method. SEM-EDS analysis was also performed to examine the surface of the batteries and sealants for eventual damage. The related effect of electrolyte leakage on the reliability of the batteries was performed by a voltage discharge test. The hygroscopicity properties of pure Potassium hydroxide were studied using a water sorption/desorption equipment and was correlated with electro impedance spectroscopy analysis using an interdigitated test board. The results from the study indicate that the increase in temperature caused an increased amount of electrolyte leakage under saturated humid conditions. Leakage of Potassium hydroxide electrolyte caused damage to the sealant gasket, clogged the oxygen ventilation holes of the batteries, and exhibits high hygroscopic properties when exposed to high temperature and humid conditions.