Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seroprevalence of Gestational and Neonatal Toxoplasmosis as well as Risk Factors in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Background Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women, is a significant public health problem due to risk of mother to child transmission. The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and corresponding cord blood among women attending Biyem-Assi and CASS Nkoldongo hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2019 and May 2020 on 300 pregnant women from late second trimester to third trimester. A total of 259 cord blood samples were collected at birth from these women. Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in maternal and cord blood were detected using the Toxoplasma Enzyme Immunosorbent Assay kit, and potential risk factors captured through questionnaire were identified using binary logistic regression model. Statistical significance was measured at P < 0.05. Results The overall seroprevalence of gestational and neonatal toxoplasmosis was 80% and 88%, respectively. IgG seropositivity was 72.7%, IgM only was 1.3% and cooccurrence of IgG/IgM was 6% amongst pregnant women. Out of 259 newborn cord bloods, 72.2% were positive for IgG only, 8.9% for IgM only, and 23.9% for both IgG/IgM. Pregnant women 15-24 years (AOR = 4.6, P = 0.011) and women with primary level of education (AOR = 3.9, P = 0.042) were significantly at risk of infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Conclusion Gestational and neonatal toxoplasmosis appears to be more common with higher risk of infection in younger women and less educated women. Hence, these findings will serve as baseline data for further investigations on mother to child transmission of toxoplasmosis in Yaoundé and the need for reinforcement of pregnant women toxoplasmosis-related health measures.
Optimization of LIB Electrolyte and Exploration of Novel Compounds via the Molecular Dynamics Method

Due to great interest in the development of electric vehicles and other applications, improving the performances of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is crucial. Specifically, components of electrolytes for LIBs should be adequately chosen from hundreds of thousands of candidate compounds. In this study, we aimed to evaluate some physical properties expected for combinations of molecules for electrolytes by microscopic simulations. That is, the viscosity, ionic conductivity, degree of dissociation, diffusion coefficient, and conformation of each molecule were analyzed via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We aimed to understand how molecular-sized structures and properties collaboratively affect the behavior of electrolytes. The practical models of molecules we used were ethylene carbonate (EC), fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), propylene carbonate (PC), butylene carbonate (BC), γ-butyrolactone (GBL), γ-valerolactone (GVL), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), ethyl-methyl carbonate (EMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6). Many molecular systems of electrolytes were simulated, in which one molar LiPF6 was mixed into a single or combined solvent. It was found that small solvent molecules diffused with relative ease, and they contributed to the higher ionic conductivity of electrolytes. It was clarified that the diffusion coefficient of lithium (Li) ions is greatly affected by the surrounding solvent molecules. We can conclude that high-permittivity solvents can be selectively coordinated around Li ions, and Li salts are sufficiently dissociated, even when there is only a small content of high-permittivity solvent. Thus, we can confirm solely by MD simulation that one of the better candidates for solvent molecules, formamide (F), will exhibit higher performance than the current solvents.
Ecological Stoichiometry in Pinus massoniana L. Plantation: Increasing Nutrient Limitation in a 48-Year Chronosequence

Stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are considered indicators of nutrient status and ultimate ecosystem health. A detailed investigation of these elements in the leaves, branches, forest layer vegetation and soil, depending on stand age, was carried out. We investigated the effects of stand age (9-, 18-, 28-, and 48-year) on the aboveground plant parts (leaf, branch, herb, shrub, plant litter) and belowground pools (soil, roots) of P. massoniana plantations. The CNP stoichiometry of trees was affected by stand age. Mean N content in the aboveground parts in the nine-yr stand was greater than the other stands (18-, 28-, 48-yr), which decreased with increasing stand age. As stands aged, the nutrient demands of the plantations increased as well as their N:P ratios in soil. C content in the soil ranged from 30 to 105, the total N was 0.06 to 1.6, and the total P content ranged from 3.3–6.4 g kg−1. Soil C, N and P contents were greatly influenced by both stand age and soil depth, because surface soil sequester C and N more actively compared to deeper horizons, and more nutrients are released to the topsoil by the plant litter layer. Similarly, the ratios of other layers had a similar pattern as CNP because more nutrients were taken up by the plantations, decreasing nutrient supply in the deeper soil horizons. The green leaves N:P ratios (16) indicate limited growth of P. massoniana, as the range for global nutrient limitation for woody plants oscillated between 14–16, indicating N and P limitation. Young stands were observed to have greater P content and P resorption efficiency (56.9%–67.3%), with lower C:P and N:P ratios (704.4; 14.8). We conclude that with stand development, the nutrient demands of the plantations also increase, and soil N:P stoichiometry shows that these improve soil quality.
Molecular Processes in Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review of Human and Animal Studies

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common and burdensome condition. Because of the large knowledge gap around the molecular processes involved in its pathophysiology, the aim of this review was to provide a systematic overview of genetic variants, gene and protein expression changes related to SUI in human and animal studies. On 5 January 2021, a systematic search was performed in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library. The screening process and quality assessment were performed in duplicate, using predefined inclusion criteria and different quality assessment tools for human and animal studies respectively. The extracted data were grouped in themes per outcome measure, according to their functions in cellular processes, and synthesized in a narrative review. Finally, 107 studies were included, of which 35 used animal models (rats and mice). Resulting from the most examined processes, the evidence suggests that SUI is associated with altered extracellular matrix metabolism, estrogen receptors, oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, neurodegenerative processes, and muscle cell differentiation and contractility. Due to heterogeneity in the studies (e.g., in examined tissues), the precise contribution of the associated genes and proteins in relation to SUI pathophysiology remained unclear. Future research should focus on possible contributors to these alterations.
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression, Anxiety and Insomnia Symptoms Among Patients Receiving Ophthalmic Consultation Online During the COVID-2019 Pandemic

Objective This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety and insomnia symptoms among patients undergoing ophthalmic consultation online during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic. Methods We reviewed the data of patients who received online ophthalmic consultations during the lockdown period from February to August 2020, and an online survey was conducted among them. We collected the respondents' demographic data and their attitudes toward the online consultation, assessed the depression, anxiety and insomnia symptoms and estimated associated factors by logistic regression analysis. Results The online service provided 425 consultations during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Of these eligible subjects, 139 patients responded to an invitation to participant in the study (105/75.5% were females, and 40/28.8% were health care workers). More than half of the participants reported that they trusted and were satisfied with the online consultation (109/78.4% and 82/59%, respectively). Fifty-two (37.4%), 32 (23.0%), and 53 (38.1%) patients showed symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia, respectively. Depression was found to be significantly more common in health care workers (P = 0.019) and those who were basically satisfied with online consultation (P = 0.024). Anxiety was more common among participants who had used electronics for a long time (P = 0.038). Binary logistic regression showed health care work as a risk factor for depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 2.424; 95% CI: 1.143–5.143; P = 0.021). Conclusion Psychological distress is highly prevalent among patients who were involved in online consultation for ocular manifestations during the COVID-19 lockdown period. In the context of a major public health event, ophthalmologists should focus not only on ocular symptoms but also on the mental health of their patients, and appropriate psychological support should be given.
Determination of Mycotoxins in Dried Fruits Using LC-MS/MS—A Sample Homogeneity, Troubleshooting and Confirmation of Identity Study

To monitor co-exposure to toxic mycotoxins in dried fruits, it is advantageous to simultaneously determine multiple mycotoxins using a single extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. In this study, we applied a stable isotope dilution and LC-MS/MS method to multi-mycotoxin analysis in dried fruits, selecting raisins, plums, figs, and cranberries for matrix extension. Samples were prepared using cryogenic grinding, followed by the fortification of carbon-13 (13C) uniformly labeled internal standards for twelve mycotoxins, and extraction using 50% acetonitrile. Homogeneity of prepared samples, defined as particle size Dv90 < 850 µm for the tested matrices, was characterized using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer, and reached using cryogenic grinding procedures. The majority of recoveries in the four matrices for aflatoxins and ochratoxin A spiked at 1–100 ng/g; fumonisins, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, and zearalenone spiked at 10–1000 ng/g, ranged from 80 to 120% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of <20%. Deoxynivalenol was not detected at 10 and 100 ng/g in plums, and additional troubleshooting procedures using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid phase extraction (SPE), and elution gradient were evaluated to improve the detectability of the mycotoxin. Furthermore, we confirmed the identity of detected mycotoxins, ochratoxin A and deoxynivalenol, in incurred samples using enhanced product ion scans and spectral library matching.
Neural Correlates of Non-ordinary States of Consciousness in Pranayama Practitioners: The Role of Slow Nasal Breathing

The modulatory effect of nasal respiration on integrative brain functions and hence consciousness has recently been unambiguously demonstrated. This effect is sustained by the olfactory epithelium mechanical sensitivity complemented by the existence of massive projections between the olfactory bulb and the prefrontal cortex. However, studies on slow nasal breathing (SNB) in the context of contemplative practices have sustained the fundamental role of respiratory vagal stimulation, with little attention to the contribution of the olfactory epithelium mechanical stimulation. This study aims at disentangling the effects of olfactory epithelium stimulation (proper of nasal breathing) from those related to respiratory vagal stimulation (common to slow nasal and mouth breathing). We investigated the psychophysiological (cardio-respiratory and electroencephalographic parameters) and phenomenological (perceived state of consciousness) aftereffects of SNB (epithelium mechanical – 2.5 breaths/min) in 12 experienced meditators. We compared the nasal breathing aftereffects with those observed after a session of mouth breathing at the same respiratory rate and with those related to a resting state condition. SNB induced (1) slowing of electroencephalography (EEG) activities (delta-theta bands) in prefrontal regions, (2) a widespread increase of theta and high-beta connectivity complemented by an increase of phase-amplitude coupling between the two bands in prefrontal and posterior regions belonging to the Default Mode Network, (3) an increase of high-beta networks small-worldness. (4) a higher perception of being in a non-ordinary state of consciousness. The emerging scenario strongly suggests that the effects of SNB, beyond the relative contribution of vagal stimulation, are mainly ascribable to olfactory epithelium stimulation. In conclusion, slow Pranayama breathing modulates brain activity and hence subjective experience up to the point of inducing a non-ordinary state of consciousness.
Application of a Novel Biosensor for Salivary Conductivity in Detecting Chronic Kidney Disease

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, and it brings an enormous healthcare burden. The traditional measurement of kidney function needs invasive blood tests, which hinders the early detection and causes low awareness of CKD. We recently designed a device with miniaturized coplanar biosensing probes for measuring salivary conductivity at an extremely low volume (50 μL). Our preliminary data discovered that the salivary conductivity was significantly higher in the CKD patients. This cross-sectional study aims to validate the relationship between salivary conductivity and kidney function, represented by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We enrolled 214 adult participants with a mean age of 63.96 ± 13.53 years, of whom 33.2% were male. The prevalence rate of CKD, defined as eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, is 11.2% in our study. By multivariate linear regression analyses, we found that salivary conductivity was positively related to age and fasting glucose but negatively associated with eGFR. We further divided subjects into low, medium, and high groups according to the tertials of salivary conductivity levels. There was a significant trend for an increment of CKD patients from low to high salivary conductivity groups (4.2% vs. 12.5% vs. 16.9%, p for trend: 0.016). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves disclosed an excellent performance by using salivary conductivity combined with age, gender, and body weight to diagnose CKD (AUC equal to 0.8). The adjusted odds ratio of CKD is 2.66 (95% CI, 1.10–6.46) in subjects with high salivary conductivity levels. Overall, salivary conductivity can serve as a good surrogate marker of kidney function; this real-time, non-invasive, and easy-to-use portable biosensing device may be a reliable tool for screening CKD.
Quercetin Alleviates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced Apoptosis in Buffalo Ovarian Granulosa Cells

Simple Summary Granulosa cells are critical components of the ovary that nurture germ cells and sustain oocyte maturation. Apoptosis of granulosa cells leads to follicular atresia, which in turn leads to female infertility. There are many reasons for the apoptosis of granulosa cells, one of which is apoptosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress. We found that quercetin could attenuate the effects of endoplasmic reticulum stress on granulosa cells by the PERK/CHOP signaling pathway. The results provide a novel strategy for inhibiting the apoptosis of granulosa cells. Abstract Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a crucial role in granulosa cell (GCs) apoptosis, which is the main cause of follicular atresia. Quercetin (QC), a plant-derived flavonoid, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other biological properties. However, whether QC can alleviate the effects of ER stress on buffalo GCs remains unknown. In this study, we constructed an ER stress model in buffalo GCs by using tunicamycin (TM) and pre-treated with QC to explore the effect of QC on cells under ER stress. Apoptosis was detected by Annexin fluorescein 5 isothiocyanate (V-FITC), and the expressions of mRNA and related proteins involved in ER stress and apoptosis were detected via real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The results revealed that ER stress can cause apoptosis in GCs, whereas QC pre-treatment can prevent apoptosis caused by ER stress. After pre-treatment with QC, the expression levels of ER stress-related genes and proteins significantly decreased, pro-apoptotic genes were significantly down-regulated, and anti-apoptotic genes were significantly up-regulated. Furthermore, the results of Chop gene overexpression suggested that QC alleviated ER stress via the PERK/CHOP signaling pathway. In this study, we preliminarily elucidated that QC alleviates ER stress-induced apoptosis in buffalo GCs, and the results suggest a novel strategy for delaying follicular atresia by inhibiting GCs apoptosis.
Development of Novel Membranes Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol Modified by Pluronic F127 for Pervaporation Dehydration of Isopropanol

Membrane methods are environmentally friendly and can significantly improve the design and development of new energy consumption processes that are very important nowadays. However, their effective use requires advanced membrane materials. This study aims to improve the performance of pervaporation polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based membrane for isopropanol dehydration. To achieve this goal, two methods were applied: (1) bulk modification of PVA by Pluronic F127 and (2) development of supported PVA-based membrane using polyphenylene isophthalamide (PA) as a substrate with a various porosity. Developed membranes were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurement, and swelling experiments. The concentration influence of PA casting solution (12–20 wt.%) on the performance of porous PA membranes (substrates) was investigated in ultrafiltration of pure water and bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution as well as by microscopic methods (SEM and atomic force microscopy). The developed dense and supported PVA-based membranes were tested in the pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol. Optimal transport characteristics were obtained for a supported membrane with a PVA-based selective layer containing 3 wt. % Pluronic F127 onto an ultrafiltration PA (17 wt.%) substrate: improved permeation flux 0.100–1.164 kg/(m2 h) and 98.8–84.6 wt. % water content in the permeate in pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol (12–80 wt.% water).
Evaluation of the Taxonomic Status of Lesser Egyptian Jerboa, Jaculus jaculus: First Description of New Phylogroups in Tunisia

Simple Summary Rodents systematically represent a major issue owing to their biodiversity assessment. These micromammals exhibit phenotypic and genetic diversity and can be found in different ecosystems. The current study was undertaken to examine the morphometric and genetic patterns recently adapted by Jaculus (J.) jaculus in Tunisia. Moreover, we investigated micro-geographic clustering according to the species and/or the biotope ecosystem. Forty-six rodents were captured and analyzed for body measurements. At the genetic level, we confirmed the presence of two species, J. jaculus and J. hirtipes, but we found that each of these rodent species harbored two phylogroups that were genetically distant without any geographical and/or environmental structuring. Abstract The taxonomy of the Lesser Egyptian jerboa, Jaculus (J.) jaculus (Dipodinae subfamily), was recently reevaluated, and the taxonomic status was defined by the presence of two cryptic species, J. jaculus (Linnaeus 1758) and J. hirtipes (Lichtenstein, 1823), with a higher genetic divergence in the sympatric North African populations than in other studied parapatric populations. Using phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome b (Cytb) gene from 46 specimens, we confirmed the new status in Tunisia; rodents were collected from two different biotopes belonging to the same locality at the ecological level (mountainous vs. Saharan) in the south of the country. The study of the eye lens weight of these specimens allowed the definition of a cutoff value (58.5 g), categorizing juveniles from adults. Moreover, this study confirmed the phylotaxonomic status of J. jaculus in Tunisia, as recently illustrated, into two distinct species, J. jaculus and J. hirtipes, and recorded for the first time the presence of two phylogroups among each of these rodent species. The lack of clear micro-geographical structure and biotope specificity between the two rodent species and their phylogroups was also highlighted.
Sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba for selected mid-Atlantic vegetable crops

Abstract Dicamba is a synthetic auxin herbicide that may be applied over the top of transgenic dicamba-tolerant crops. The increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds has resulted in increased reliance on dicamba-based herbicides in soybean production systems. Because of the high volatility of dicamba it is prone to off-target movement, and therefore concern exists regarding its drift onto nearby specialty crops. The present study evaluates 12 mid-Atlantic vegetable crops species for sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba. Soybean, snap bean, lima bean, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, cucumber, summer squash, watermelon, pumpkin, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale were grown in a greenhouse and exposed to dicamba at 0, 0.056, 0.11, 0.28, 0.56, 1.12, 2.24 g ae ha–1, which is, respectively, 0, 1/10,000, 1/5,000, 1/2,000, 1/1,000, 1/500, and 1/250 of the maximum recommended label rate for soybean application (560 g ae ha–1). Vegetable crop injury was evaluated 4 wk after treatment using visual rating methods and leaf deformation index measurements. Overall, snap bean was the most sensitive crop, with dicamba rates as low as 0.11 g ae ha–1 resulting in significantly higher leaf deformation levels compared with the nontreated control. Other Fabaceae and Solanaceae species also demonstrated high sensitivity to sublethal rates of dicamba with rates ranging 0.28 to 0.56 g ae ha–1 causing higher leaf deformation compared with the nontreated control. While cucumber, pumpkin, and summer squash were no or moderately sensitive to dicamba, watermelon showed greater sensitivity with unique symptoms at rates as low as 0.056 g ae ha–1 based on visual evaluation. Within the range of tested dicamba rates, sweet basil, lettuce, and kale demonstrated tolerance to dicamba with no injury observed at the maximum rate of 2.24 g ae ha–1. Nomenclature: dicamba; sweet basil; Ocimum basilicum L. ; bell pepper; Capsicum annuum L. ; cucumber; Cucumis sativus L. ; eggplant; Solanum melongena L. ; kale; Brassica oleracea var. acephala DC. ; lettuce; Lactuca sativa L. ; lima bean; Phaseolus lunatus L. ; pumpkin; Cucurbita pepo L. ; snap bean; Phaseolus vulgaris L. ; soybean; Glycine max (L.) Merr. ; summer squash; Cucurbita melopepo L. ; tomato; Solanum lycopersicum L. ; watermelon; Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai
Mechanisms and Applications of Bacterial Sporulation and Germination in the Intestine

Recent studies have suggested a major role for endospore forming bacteria within the gut microbiota, not only as pathogens but also as commensal and beneficial members contributing to gut homeostasis. In this review the sporulation processes, spore properties, and germination processes will be explained within the scope of the human gut. Within the gut, spore-forming bacteria are known to interact with the host’s immune system, both in vegetative cell and spore form. Together with the resistant nature of the spore, these characteristics offer potential for spores’ use as delivery vehicles for therapeutics. In the last part of the review, the therapeutic potential of spores as probiotics, vaccine vehicles, and drug delivery systems will be discussed.