Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel Antimicrobial Agents for Gram-Negative Pathogens

Gram-negative bacterial resistance to antimicrobials has had an exponential increase at a global level during the last decades and represent an everyday challenge, especially for the hospital practice of our era. Concerted efforts from the researchers and the industry have recently provided several novel promising antimicrobials, resilient to various bacterial resistance mechanisms. There are new antimicrobials that became commercially available during the last five years, namely, cefiderocol, imipenem-cilastatin-relebactam, eravacycline, omadacycline, and plazomicin. Furthermore, other agents are in advanced development, having reached phase 3 clinical trials, namely, aztreonam-avibactam, cefepime-enmetazobactam, cefepime-taniborbactam, cefepime-zidebactam, sulopenem, tebipenem, and benapenem. In this present review, we critically discuss the characteristics of the above-mentioned antimicrobials, their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties and the current clinical data.
Moderate Dose Bovine Colostrum Supplementation in Prevention of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Medical University Students: A Randomized, Triple Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Colostrum supplementation has been confirmed to protect from upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in athletes. Our trial was designed to find out whether other young adults who have potentially been exposed to increased risk of developing URTIs can also benefit. Homogenous population of medical (MED) students (at risk) and health science (HSci) peers were supplemented with a relatively low dose (0.5–1.0 g/day) of bovine colostrum (COL) or placebo (PBO) over 45 days and then once again over 7 days starting at day 87. The trial lasted 107 days. Subjects were monitored solely by them filling out online daily questionnaires containing questions about frequency and severity of URTIs symptoms, well-being, and potential gastrointestinal side-effects. A significant level of protection from URTIs was observed as expressed by dropping frequency of symptomatic days in COL vs. PBO group among MED vs. HSci students. The same effect was also recorded for severity of symptoms, as well as general well-being perception. Overall, it can be concluded that although young healthy people seem to have sufficient defenses from URTIs, COL supplementation can provide significant support in such protection among those at higher infectious risk because of exposure to a heavy workload and increased contact with infectious agents.
Contributions of social participation to the dynamic balance, mobility, and muscle strength of different age groups of older people: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the contributions of social participation in health promotion groups and regular physical exercise programs to the physical and functional performance of different age groups of community-dwelling older adults. This is a cross-sectional study including 266 older adults. Physical and functional performances (dependent variables) were characterized based on dynamic balance (alternate step test), mobility (timed up and go test), upper (handgrip dynamometer) and lower limbs muscle strength (Sit-to-stand test). Participants were questioned about active social participation in primary care groups and in physical exercise programs. The data were analyzed by linear regressions. Among individuals aged over 80 years, women participated in less health promotion groups and both sexes practiced less physical exercise. Age combined with regular exercise significantly explained 18.7% of dynamic balance and 22.8% of lower limb muscle strength in women. Despite social participation, for men, age alone explained 11.9% of lower limb strength and 11.5% of mobility. Therefore, social participation in physical exercise programs was a protective factor for these physical and functional differences between women’s age groups. Among men, mobility and lower limb strength performance reduced with aging, regardless of social participation.
Where and when does reconnection occur in the tail?

We comment on the question of when and where reconnection begins in the tail and how it is related to the onset of auroral expansion. This question was addressed in a workshop dedicated to Unsolved Problems in Magnetospheric Physics held in Scarborough, UK, in September 2015. The answer is that it typically occurs first in the midtail a little beyond 20 Re somewhat before midnight about 55 min after a southward turning of the solar wind magnetic field. It appears to be a consequence of plasma sheet thinning down to the scale of an ion gyroradius. The onset of the activation and expansion of auroral activity and accompanying magnetic signatures typically occur within 1 or 2 min of the appearance of signatures of midtail reconnection. The unanswered question is which comes first and whether reconnection is the cause of the auroral expansion. We point out that older observations clearly established that plasmoids (flux ropes) are released from near 20 Re within a few minutes of the usual signatures of expansion onset. This is only possible if reconnection occurs close to the Earth. More detailed observations with modern spacecraft have led to the development of new explanations for the cause of the substorm expansion that appear to neglect older observations. We conclude that it is essential to carefully define the various terms used in the study of substorms and to develop quantitative methods that enable statistical studies of the various processes associated with auroral expansion onset.
A prediction model identifying glycolysis signature as therapeutic target for psoriasis

Background The hyperproliferation featured with upregulated glycolysis is a hallmark of psoriasis. However, molecular difference of keratinocyte glycolysis amongst varied pathologic states in psoriasis remain elusive. Objectives To characterize glycolysis status of psoriatic skin and assess the potential of glycolysis score for therapeutic decision. Methods We analyzed 345414 cells collected from different cohorts of single-cell RNA seq database. A new method, Scissor, was used to integrate the phenotypes in GSE11903 to guide single-cell data analysis, allowing identification of responder subpopulations. AUCell algorithm was performed to evaluate the glycolysis status of single cell. Glycolysis signature was used for further ordering in trajectory analysis. The signature model was built with logistic regression analysis and validated using external datasets. Results Keratinocytes (KCs) expressing SLC2A1 and LDH1 were identified as a novel glycolysis-related subpopulation. Scissor+ cells and Scissor− cells were defined as response and non-response phenotypes. In Scissor+ SLC2A1+ LDH1+ KCs, ATP synthesis pathway was activated, especially, the glycolysis pathway being intriguing. Based on the glycolysis signature, keratinocyte differentiation was decomposed into a three-phase trajectory of normal, non-lesional, and lesional psoriatic cells. The area under the curve (AUC) and Brier score (BS) were used to estimate the performance of the glycolysis signature in distinguishing response and non-response samples in GSE69967 (AUC =0.786, BS =17.7) and GSE85034 (AUC=0.849, BS=11.1). Furthermore, Decision Curve Analysis suggested that the glycolysis score was clinically practicable. Conclusion We demonstrated a novel glycolysis-related subpopulation of KCs, identified 12-glycolysis signature, and validated its promising predictive efficacy of treatment effectiveness.
Moral Identity and the Acquisition of Virtue: A Self-Regulation View

The acquisition of virtue can be conceptualized as a self-regulatory process in which deliberate practice results in increasingly higher levels of skillfulness in leading a virtuous life. This conceptualization resonates with philosophical virtue theories as much as it converges with psychological models about skill development, expertise, goal motivation, and self-regulation. Yet, the conceptualization of virtue as skill acquisition poses the crucial question of motivation: What motivates individuals to self-improve over time so that they can learn from past experience, correct mistakes, and expand their ethical knowledge to new and unfamiliar circumstances? In this paper, it is argued that the motivation to increase one’s level of skillfulness in leading a virtuous life is supported by a specific identity goal, namely the goal to be a moral person. However, this moral identity goal needs to carry specific goal characteristics in order to effectively provide this motivation. It needs to be sufficiently abstract, internally motivated and promotion- rather than prevention-oriented. Research in developmental psychology suggests that the moral identity of children is rather concrete, externally motivated, and prevention-oriented. With development, higher levels of abstraction, internal motivation, and promotion-orientation gain importance providing an important motivational basis for a self-regulated process of virtue acquisition.
Numerical Ranges Arising from Simple

A unified formulation is given to various generalizations of the classical numerical range including the c-numerical range, congruencenumerical range, q-numerical rangeand von Neumann range. Attentionis giventothosecaseshavingconnectionswithclassical simplerealLiealgebras. Convexityandinclusionrelation involving those generalized numerical ranges are investigated. The underlying geometry is emphasized.
More Biological Entities from the Stratosphere Including a Diatom Fragment -Further Evidence for a Space Origin

Details of stratosphere-isolated biomorphs are given, including a fragment of a diatom frustule and an inorganic particle-rich mass containing biological filaments. We argue that this mass which is around 300 micron in size is, like the other biological entities shown, too large to have been carried from Earth to the stratosphere. As a result, we conclude that the biological entities arrived from space, probably from comets, and their existence in the stratosphere provides prima facie evidence in support of the Hoyle-Wickramasinghe theory of cometary panspermia.
Promising M2CO2/MoX2 (M = Hf, Zr; X = S, Se, Te) Heterostructures for Multifunctional Solar Energy Applications

Two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures are potential candidates for clean energy conversion materials to address the global energy crisis and environmental issues. In this work, we have comprehensively studied the geometrical, electronic, and optical properties of M2CO2/MoX2 (M = Hf, Zr; X = S, Se, Te) vdW heterostructures, as well as their applications in the fields of photocatalytic and photovoltaic using density functional theory calculations. The lattice dynamic and thermal stabilities of designed M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures are confirmed. Interestingly, all the M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures exhibit intrinsic type-II band structure features, which effectively inhibit the electron-hole pair recombination and enhance the photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the internal built-in electric field and high anisotropic carrier mobility can separate the photo-generated carriers efficiently. It is noted that M2CO2/MoX2 heterostructures exhibit suitable band gaps in comparison to the M2CO2 and MoX2 monolayers, which enhance the optical-harvesting abilities in the visible and ultraviolet light zones. Zr2CO2/MoSe2 and Hf2CO2/MoSe2 heterostructures possess suitable band edge positions to provide the competent driving force for water splitting as photocatalysts. In addition, Hf2CO2/MoS2 and Zr2CO2/MoS2 heterostructures deliver a power conversion efficiency of 19.75% and 17.13% for solar cell applications, respectively. These results pave the way for exploring efficient MXenes/TMDCs vdW heterostructures as photocatalytic and photovoltaic materials.
Inhibition of ROS-Scavenging Enzyme System Is a Key Event in Tomato Genetic Resistance against Root-Knot Nematodes

Genetic resistance in plants against incompatible pests is expressed by the activation of an immune system; however, the molecular mechanisms of pest recognition and expression of immunity, although long the object of investigation, are far from being fully understood. The immune response triggered by the infection of soil-borne parasites, such as root-knot nematodes (RKNs), to incompatible resistant tomato plants was studied and compared to the compatible response that occurred when RKNs attacked susceptible plants. In compatible interactions, the invading nematode juveniles were allowed to fully develop and reproduce, whilst that was impeded in incompatible interactions. In crude root extracts, a first assay of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzymatic activity was carried out at the earliest stages of tomato–RKN incompatible interaction. Membrane-bound and soluble CAT, which is the most active enzyme in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging, was found to be specifically inhibited in roots of inoculated resistant plants until 5 days after inoculation, with respect to uninoculated plants. The expression of genes encoding for antioxidant enzymes, such as CAT and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), was not always inhibited in roots of nematode-infected resistant tomato. Therefore, the biochemical mechanisms of CAT inhibition were further investigated. Two CAT isozymes were characterized by size exclusion HPLC as a tetrameric form with a molecular weight of 220,000 dalton and its subunits (55,000 dalton). Fractions containing such isozymes were tested by their sensitivity to both salicylic acid (SA) and H2O2. It was evidenced that elevated concentrations of both chemicals led to a partial inactivation of CAT. Elevated concentrations of H2O2 in incompatible interactions have been suggested to be produced by membrane-bound superoxide anion generating, SOD, and isoperoxidase-enhanced activities. Such partial inactivation of CAT has been depicted as one of the earliest key metabolic events, which is specifically associated with tomato immunity to RKNs. Enhanced ROS production and the inhibition of ROS-scavenging systems have been considered to trigger all the metabolic events leading to cell death and tissue necrosis developed around the head of the invading juveniles by which this special type of plant resistance is exerted.
Morphological responses of maize hybrids under competition with hairy beggarticks

ABSTRACT The study of competitive interactions between crops and weeds can be an important tool in integrated weed management. The objective of this work was to evaluate the competitive ability of maize hybrids in the presence of hairy beggarticks, testing different proportions of plants in the associations. For maize hybrids (Dekalb 230 PRO3, Pioneer 30F53 VYH, Brevant 2B433 PW, and Syngenta 505 VIP3) and for hairy beggarticks, the final density was 20 individuals pot-1, which was determined in preliminary experiments. Experiments were carried out on a substitutive series, on different combinations of the species, varying the relative proportions (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100%). The analysis of species competitiveness was performed using diagrams applied to the substitutive experiments and relative competitiveness indices. The maize hybrids showed less loss when reducing the morphological variables of the hairy beggarticks and demonstrated superiority in competitive ability in relation to the weed. Competition occurred between maize hybrids in the presence of hairy beggarticks, being negatively affected, regardless of the proportion of plants, causing reductions in plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, and dry mass. An average reduction of 10% and 86% of the MS of maize hybrids and weed was observed, respectively, when comparing the absence of competition with any associated densities, intraspecific competition being more harmful than interspecific. Maize hybrids and hairy beggarticks compete for the same environmental resources, with the crop being more competitive than the competitor.
Ultrasound Imaging of Thoracolumbar Fascia Thickness: Chronic Non-Specific Lower Back Pain versus Healthy Subjects; A Sign of a “Frozen Back”?

The thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) plays an important role in lower back pain (LBP). Recent studies have revealed an association between increases in TLF thickness and reduced TLF gliding in patients with LBP. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare by ultrasound (US) imaging the thickness of the TLF at the bilateral L3 level of the lumbar spine in the longitudinal and transverse axes in chronic non-specific LBP and in healthy subjects. A cross-sectional study was performed using US imaging to measure the longitudinal and transverse axes with a new protocol in a sample of 92 subjects: 46 chronic non-specific LBP patients and 46 healthy participants. The findings for TLF thickness revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the longitudinal and transverse axes between the two groups. Moreover, in the healthy group, a statistically significant difference was found between the longitudinal and transverse axes (p = 0.001 for left and p = 0.02 for right), which was not evident in the LBP patients. These findings suggest that the LBP patients lost anisotropy of the TLF, with it becoming homogeneously thicker and losing adaptability in the transversal direction. The US imaging evaluation suggests that TLF thickness behavior points out altered fascial remodelling compared to healthy subjects, a sort of “frozen back”.
The Effects of an In Vitro Oocyte Maturation System and Chlorogenic Acid Supplementation during Embryo Culture on the Development of Porcine Cloned Embryos Derived from Native Vietnamese Ban Pigs

The aim of this study was to improve the production efficiency of Vietnamese native Ban pig embryos using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Fibroblast cells from Ban pigs were injected into the enucleated cytoplasts of crossbred gilts, and the reconstructed embryos were subsequently cultured. In the first experiment, cytoplasts were isolated from oocytes matured in either a defined porcine oocyte medium (POM) or in TCM199 medium supplemented with porcine follicular fluid. Both media were supplemented with gonadotropic hormones, either for the first 22 h of in vitro maturation (IVM) or for the entire 44 h of IVM. In the second experiment, the reconstructed SCNT embryos were cultured with or without 50 μM chlorogenic acid (CGA). Furthermore, this study examined parthenogenetic embryos. The IVM medium and duration of hormone treatment did not affect embryo development. CGA supplementation to the culture medium significantly increased blastocyst formation rates in parthenogenetic embryos but not in SCNT embryos. However, CGA supplementation significantly reduced the apoptotic index in blastocysts regardless of embryo source. In conclusion, the IVM method did not affect SCNT embryo production, while CGA supplementation during embryo culture improved the quality of SCNT embryos in indigenous pig breeds.
On the relation between types and tokens in literary text

The ratio of the number Xn of different words (types) in a text of length n (token) words to n has received considerable attention in the literature of statistical linguistics. The present note contains two stochastic models for Xn based on an inhomogeneous discrete Markov process of the pure birth type where the transition probabilities take certain forms depending only upon n. These models are then tested against data obtained from the plays of William Shakespeare.
Provision of Microbiology, Infection Services and Antimicrobial Stewardship in Intensive Care: A Survey across the Critical Care Networks in England and Wales

Infection rounds in Intensive Care Units (ICU) can impact antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). The aim of this survey was to assess the availability of microbiology, infection, AMS services, and antimicrobial prescribing practices in the UK ICUs. An online questionnaire was sent to clinical leads for ICUs in each region listed in the Critical Care Network for the UK. Out of 217 ICUs, 87 deduplicated responses from England and Wales were analyzed. Three-quarters of those who responded had a dedicated microbiologist, and 50% had a dedicated infection control prevention nurse. Infection rounds varied in their frequency, with 10% providing phone advice only. Antibiotic guidance was available in 99% of the units; only 8% of those were ICU-specific. There were variations in the availability of biomarkers & the duration of antibiotics prescribed for pneumonia (community, hospital, or ventilator), urinary, intra-abdominal, and line infections/sepsis. Antibiotic consumption data were not routinely discussed in a multi-disciplinary meeting. The electronic prescription was available in ~60% and local antibiotic surveillance data in only 47% of ICUs. The survey highlights variations in practice and AMS services and may offer the opportunity to further collaborations and share learnings to support the safe use of antimicrobials in the ICU.
Changes of Peripapillary Capillary Density in Patients with Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada Disease Evaluated by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Objective To analyze the longitudinal changes in peripapillary capillary density in patients with acute VKH with or without optic disc swelling by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods Retrospective case series. 44 patients (88 eyes) were enrolled and were divided into two groups according to presence/absence of optic disc swelling before treatment. Peripapillary capillary images were obtained by OCTA before and after 6 months of corticosteroid treatment and used to determine the radial peripapillary capillary (RPC), retinal plexus, and choriocapillaris vessel perfusion densities. Results Optic disc swelling was present in 12 patients (24 eyes) and absent in 32 patients (64 eyes). The sex distribution, age, intraocular pressure, and best-corrected visual acuity before and after treatment were not significantly different between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Compared to those in nonoptic disc swelling group, the percentages of decreased vessel perfusion densities after treatment in the supranasal (RPC, 100.00% vs. 75.00%), infranasal (RPC, 100.00% vs. 56.25%), infratemporal (RPC, 66.67% vs. 37.50%), and infranasal quadrants (retinal plexus, 83.33% vs. 56.25%) were significantly more in optic disc swelling group. The choriocapillaris vessel perfusion density increased after treatment in both groups. Conclusions Decreases in vessel perfusion densities of the RPC and retinal plexus after treatment in VKH patients with optic disc swelling were more common than in those without optic disc swelling. The choriocapillaris vessel perfusion density increased after treatment, regardless of the presence/absence of optic disc swelling.