Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defining characteristics of genital health in South African adolescent girls and young women at high risk for HIV infection

The genital tract of African women has been shown to differ from what is currently accepted as ‘normal’, defined by a pH≤4.5 and lactobacilli-dominated microbiota. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) from sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk for HIV, and we hypothesized that specific biological factors are likely to be influential. This study aimed to compare characteristics of vaginal health in HIV-negative AGYW (16-22-years-old), from two South African communities, to international norms. We measured plasma hormones, vaginal pH, presence of BV (Nugent scoring), sexually transmitted infections (multiplex PCR for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma genitalium) and candidiasis (Gram stain) in AGYW (n = 298) from Cape Town and Soweto. Cervicovaginal microbiota was determined by 16S pyrosequencing; 44 genital cytokines were measured by Luminex; and cervical T-cell activation/proliferation (CCR5, HLA-DR, CD38, Ki67) was measured by multiparametric flow cytometry. 90/298 (30.2%) AGYW were negative for BV, candidiasis and bacterial STIs. L. crispatus and L. iners were the dominant bacteria in cervicovaginal swabs, and the median vaginal pH was 4.7. AGYW with L. crispatus-dominant microbiota (42.4%) generally had the lowest cytokine concentrations compared to women with more diverse microbiota (34/44 significantly upregulated cytokines). Frequencies of CCR5+CD4+ T-cells co-expressing CD38 and HLA-DR correlated positively with interleukin (IL)-6, TNF-α, GRO-α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, and IL-9. While endogenous oestrogen had an immune-dampening effect on IL-6, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and IL-16, injectable hormone contraceptives (DMPA and Net-EN) were associated with significantly lower endogenous hormone concentrations (p<0.0001 for oestrogen and progesterone) and upregulation of 34/44 cytokines. Since genital inflammation and the presence of activated CD4+ T cells in the genital tract have been implicated in increased HIV risk in South African women, the observed high levels of genital cellular activation and cytokines from AGYW may point towards biological factors increasing HIV risk in this region.
Physician Mediation Theory and Pediatric Media Guidance in the Digital Age: A Survey of Autism Medical and Clinical Professionals

ABSTRACT Research on physician mediation suggests that physicians actively discuss media use (e.g., seeking online health information) with their patients. This theory has been limited though with respect to incorporating key behavioral determinants, varied forms of mediation, and samples beyond primary care physicians (MDs). A survey of 335 U.S.-based medical and clinical professionals (MCPs) treating pediatric clients on the autism spectrum (e.g., pediatricians, speech-language pathologists) examined how they advise caregivers about managing their child’s recreational media and technology use, also known as media guidance. Results indicate the frequency of these discussions varies by MCP type. Hierarchical regression analyses show, as hypothesized, that additional behavioral and contextual determinants not previously considered (i.e., perceived norms, self-efficacy, information sources and child factors) are significantly associated with positive, negative and redirective mediation practices. Results expand existing theory and justify extending physician mediation research beyond MDs. Implications for clinical practice and health communication research are discussed.
Human Biofield Therapy and the Growth of Mouse Lung Carcinoma

Biofield therapies have gained popularity and are being explored as possible treatments for cancer. In some cases, devices have been developed that mimic the electromagnetic fields that are emitted from people delivering biofield therapies. However, there is limited research examining if humans could potentially inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and suppress tumor growth through modification of inflammation and the immune system. We found that human NSCLC A549 lung cancer cells exposed to Sean L. Harribance, a purported healer, showed reduced viability and downregulation of pAkt. We further observed that the experimental exposure slowed growth of mouse Lewis lung carcinoma evidenced by significantly smaller tumor volume in the experimental mice (274.3 ± 188.9 mm3) than that of control mice (740.5 ± 460.2 mm3; P < .05). Exposure to the experimental condition markedly reduced tumoral expression of pS6, a cytosolic marker of cell proliferation, by 45% compared with that of the control group. Results of reversed phase proteomic array suggested that the experimental exposure downregulated the PD-L1 expression in the tumor tissues. Similarly, the serum levels of cytokines, especially MCP-1, were significantly reduced in the experimental group (P < .05). Furthermore, TILs profiling showed that CD8+/CD4− immune cell population was increased by almost 2-fold in the experimental condition whereas the number of intratumoral CD25+/CD4+ (T-reg cells) and CD68+ macrophages were 84% and 33%, respectively, lower than that of the control group. Together, these findings suggest that exposure to purported biofields from a human is capable of suppressing tumor growth, which might be in part mediated through modification of the tumor microenvironment, immune function, and anti-inflammatory activity in our mouse lung tumor model.
Cryptococcal Meningitis in an Apparent Immunocompetent Patient

Cryptococcal meningitis is an uncommon and severe infection that tends to affect immunocompromised hosts worldwide and in the United States. Annually it is estimated that there are 200 000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis, with the most recent estimate of 3400 cases per year in the United States alone. However, despite the low incidence, 1-year mortality is estimated at 20% to 30% even with long-term consolidation antifungal therapy. A 37-year-old man presented to the emergency department with headaches, dysarthria, hallucinations, and acute worsening of altered mental status, and he was found to have increased intracranial pressure, cerebrospinal fluid leukocytosis, and few encapsulated yeasts consistent with Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in addition to radiologic evidence consistent with a cryptococcoma of the lungs. This report highlights the occurrence of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis in a presumed immunocompetent host. The clinician should be aware of sources of minor immunosuppression, as they may contribute to development of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis. Mortality in this condition remains high due to subacute presentations and delayed diagnosis in non-immunocompromised patients.
Using an acoustic levitator to investigate the drying kinetics and solids forming process of individual droplets during spray drying

Spray drying is a widely used process to turn slurries into dry powders and is especially important for thermally-sensitive materials, that are often found in the food or pharmaceutical industry. However, detailed insight into the drying kinetics during spray drying is difficult to investigate due to the boundary conditions in a spray drying tower. As a result, there is a lack of important information on the drying process and subsequent solidification of individual droplets. In this context, an experimental setup for a droplet positioned in a stationary ultrasonic field of an acoustic levitator is designed to enable a non-contacting measurement of the drying kinetics and the subsequent solidification process. To generate a comparable situation like in a real spray drying process, the droplet is positioned in an airflow, where air temperature, humidity, and velocity can be adjusted over wide range. Using an infrared camera to measure the surface temperature and a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) camera for object recognition, the droplet can be observed continuously and drying kinetics of the droplet can be determined from the measured surface temperature and decreasing droplet size. Result of a 10 wt. % aqueous micro particle TiO2 suspension are reported and show that the investigated method is a very valuable and fast tool to safely scale-up spray drying systems very close to real process conditions. Especially when only small sample amounts are available in an early development stage.
Clinico-pathological Diagnosis of Transmissible Venereal Tumour with Hepatozoon canis and Babesia canis Infection in a Chippiparai Dog

Background: The concurrent infection of tick borne haemoprotozoan diseases like B.canis, E.canis and H.canis were commonly recorded in breed dogs. There is paucity in recording the combined haemoprotozoan infection with neoplasms in the native breeds of Tamil Nadu. The current investigation was documented to study the clinico-pathological changes, diagnosis and treatment of the concomitant infection of Hepatozoon canis and Babesia canis along with transmissible venereal tumor in a native dog.Methods: This Clinical investigation was carried out during April’ 2019 for about a month. A male Chippiparai dog was presented to the Veterinary Clinical Complex, VCRI, Tirunelveli with history of mass and bleeding from the genital area. The impression cytology from the mass and the whole blood and serum samples were collected for the laboratory diagnosis.Result: The hematological examination showed marked anaemia and the blood smear revealed the presence of H.canis gamonts in neutrophils and B.canis piroplasm in red bloods cells. The serum biochemical values showed the elevation of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and reduction of total protein, albumin. The impression cytology revealed the presence of uniform sheets discrete round cells with punctuate vacuolation in the cytoplasm, confirmed the sexually transmitted venereal tumor.
Group formation and cohesion of active particles with visual perception–dependent motility

Seeing whom you interact with Schools of fish and flocks of birds are familiar examples of biological active matter. The motion of individuals is guided by the collective, but without obvious neighbor-to-neighbor interactions. This behavior can be designed into synthetic particles with the right shape or surface properties. Lavergne et al. made Janus particles that become active upon light irradiation, but only when they can “see” their neighbors. This property led to the formation of groups of particles that flock together in particular ways without specific pairwise or flow-generated interactions. Science, this issue p. 70 Particles actively interact upon illumination only when they perceive neighbors within a visual cone angle. Group formation in living systems typically results from a delicate balance of repulsive, aligning, and attractive interactions. We found that a mere motility change of the individuals in response to the visual perception of their peers induces group formation and cohesion. We tested this principle in a real system of active particles whose motilities are controlled by an external feedback loop. For narrow fields of view, individuals gathered into cohesive nonpolarized groups without requiring active reorientations. For wider fields of view, cohesion could be achieved by lowering the response threshold. We expect this motility-induced cohesion mechanism to be relevant not only for the self-organization of living systems, but also for the design of robust and scalable autonomous systems.
Inhibitors of the Neisseria meningitidis PilF ATPase provoke type IV pilus disassembly

Significance A number of multimeric protein nanomachines such as secretion systems and surface appendages allow bacteria to adapt and survive in a variety of environments. Type IV pili are one of the most common of such machineries. The human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis uses type IV pili to colonize blood vessels and cause disease. Here, we identify compounds that trigger the rapid retraction of type IV pili. Furthermore, we identify the target of these small molecules as an ATPase known as PilF among the 20 proteins involved in pilus assembly and function. This study paves the way for an innovative treatment strategy for different pathogens and provides information on the molecular mechanisms driving the assembly and dynamics of bacterial machineries. Despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines, Neisseria meningitidis remains a major cause of meningitis and sepsis in humans. Due to its extracellular lifestyle, bacterial adhesion to host cells constitutes an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we present a high-throughput microscopy-based approach that allowed the identification of compounds able to decrease type IV pilus-mediated interaction of bacteria with endothelial cells in the absence of bacterial or host cell toxicity. Compounds specifically inhibit the PilF ATPase enzymatic activity that powers type IV pilus extension but remain inefficient on the ATPase that promotes pilus retraction, thus leading to rapid pilus disappearance from the bacterial surface and loss of pili-mediated functions. Structure activity relationship of the most active compound identifies specific moieties required for the activity of this compound and highlights its specificity. This study therefore provides compounds targeting pilus biogenesis, thereby inhibiting bacterial adhesion, and paves the way for a novel therapeutic option for meningococcal infections.
Comparison of structures and cytotoxicity of mupirocin and batumin against melanoma and several other cancer cell lines.

Aim: To determine the computer-predicted anticancer activity of mupirocin and to compare its activities with those determined for another polyene antibiotic, batumin. Materials & methods: Molecular docking, cytotoxicity assays, cell microscopy and cell cycle progression were studied in cancer and nontumorigenic cell lines. Results & conclusion: Cytotoxicity of mupirocin against several cancerous cell lines was detected with the highest one (IC50 = 5.4 μg/ml) against melanoma cell line. The profile of cytotoxicity of mupirocin was similar to that reported for batumin. Nevertheless, the morphology of cells treated with these antibiotics and alterations in cell cycle progression suggested possible dissimilarity in their mechanisms of action. Selective cytotoxicity of mupirocin against melanoma cells potentiates further studies to discover nontoxic drugs for melanoma prevention.
Neuroimaging Findings in Moebius Sequence

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Moebius sequence comprises a spectrum of brain congenital malformations predominantly affecting the function of multiple cranial nerves. Reported neuroimaging findings are heterogeneous and based on case reports or small case series. Our goal was to describe the neuroimaging findings of Moebius sequence in a large population of patients scanned with MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was performed to assess brain MR imaging findings in 38 patients with Moebius syndrome studied between 2013 and 2016. RESULTS: Retrospective analysis of MR imaging studies showed flattening of the floor of the fourth ventricle floor secondary to a bilateral absent facial colliculus in 38 patients (100%) and unilateral absence in 1. A hypoplastic pons was found in 23 patients (60.5%). Mesencephalic malformations consisted of tectal beaking in 15 patients (39.5%) and increased anteroposterior midbrain diameter with a shallow interpeduncular cistern in 12 (31.6%). Infratentorial arachnoid cysts were found in 5 patients (13.2%), and cerebellar vermis hypoplasia, in 2 (5.3%). Supratentorial findings included the following: thalamic fusion (26.3%), periventricular nodular heterotopias (26.3%), ventriculomegaly (26.3%), callosal abnormalities (23.7%), and hippocampal malrotations (23.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings seen in this large patient cohort agreed with previously published reports. Flattening of the fourth ventricle floor secondary to a bilaterally absent facial colliculus was the most frequent MR imaging finding. The presence of other brain stem and cerebellar malformations as well as supratentorial abnormalities may help explain clinical symptoms and achieve a correct diagnosis.
Molecular design of self-coacervation phenomena in block polyampholytes

Significance By combining field-theoretic simulations and molecular-dynamics simulations, we show how the charge sequence of block polyampholytes affects their solution-phase behavior and accessible chain conformations. We find a striking effect of like charge block length and connectivity on their self-coacervation or liquid–liquid phase separation. Charge patterning on smaller lengthscales allows for more expanded chain configurations and increased stability in dilute solution. These findings may provide insight into the condensation of intrinsically disordered proteins in vivo. Coacervation is a common phenomenon in natural polymers and has been applied to synthetic materials systems for coatings, adhesives, and encapsulants. Single-component coacervates are formed when block polyampholytes exhibit self-coacervation, phase separating into a dense liquid coacervate phase rich in the polyampholyte coexisting with a dilute supernatant phase, a process implicated in the liquid–liquid phase separation of intrinsically disordered proteins. Using fully fluctuating field-theoretic simulations using complex Langevin sampling and complementary molecular-dynamics simulations, we develop molecular design principles to connect the sequenced charge pattern of a polyampholyte with its self-coacervation behavior in solution. In particular, the lengthscale of charged blocks and number of connections between oppositely charged blocks are shown to have a dramatic effect on the tendency to phase separate and on the accessible chain conformations. The field and particle-based simulation results are compared with analytical predictions from the random phase approximation (RPA) and postulated scaling relationships. The qualitative trends are mostly captured by the RPA, but the approximation fails catastrophically at low concentration.
Neural Coding for Shape and Texture in Macaque Area V4

The distinct visual sensations of shape and texture have been studied separately in cortex; therefore, it remains unknown whether separate neuronal populations encode each of these properties or one population carries a joint encoding. We directly compared shape and texture selectivity of individual V4 neurons in awake macaques (1 male, 1 female) and found that V4 neurons lie along a continuum from strong tuning for boundary curvature of shapes to strong tuning for perceptual dimensions of texture. Among neurons tuned to both attributes, tuning for shape and texture were largely separable, with the latter delayed by ∼30 ms. We also found that shape stimuli typically evoked stronger, more selective responses than did texture patches, regardless of whether the latter were contained within or extended beyond the receptive field. These results suggest that there are separate specializations in mid-level cortical processing for visual attributes of shape and texture. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Object recognition depends on our ability to see both the shape of the boundaries of objects and properties of their surfaces. However, neuroscientists have never before examined how shape and texture are linked together in mid-level visual cortex. In this study, we used systematically designed sets of simple shapes and texture patches to probe the responses of individual neurons in the primate visual cortex. Our results provide the first evidence that some cortical neurons specialize in processing shape whereas others specialize in processing textures. Most neurons lie between the ends of this continuum, and in these neurons we find that shape and texture encoding are largely independent.
Tofacitinib Treatment of Refractory Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The JAK inhibitor tofacitinib may be an effective oral alternative to available biologics for treatment of refractory sJIA. Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is an aggressive form of childhood arthritis accompanied by persistent systemic inflammation. Patients with sJIA often exhibit poor response to conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and chronic glucocorticoid use is associated with significant adverse effects. Although biologics used to target interleukin 1 and interleukin 6 are efficacious, the long-term commitment to frequent injections or infusions remains a challenge in young children. Janus-activated kinase (JAK) inhibitors block the signaling of numerous proinflammatory cytokines and are now used clinically for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Whether this new class of medication is effective for sJIA has not been reported. Here, we describe the case of a 13-year-old girl with recalcitrant sJIA characterized by polyarticular arthritis, fever, lymphadenopathy, and serological features of inflammation. She showed minimal response to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and etanercept. She also developed osteoporosis and vertebral compression fracture as the result of chronic glucocorticoid therapy. Oral therapy with the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib was initiated, and the patient experienced steady improvement of both arthritis and systemic features. Complete remission was achieved after 3 months, and no evidence of disease activity or adverse effects was seen through 6 months of follow-up. Our experience reveals the effectiveness of JAK inhibition in a case of refractory sJIA. Tofacitinib is an intriguing oral alternative to the available biologics for children with sJIA, and its efficacy and safety should be further assessed by clinical trial.
The Dunn Worry Questionnaire and the Paranoia Worries Questionnaire: new assessments of worry

Abstract Background The cognitive process of worry, which keeps negative thoughts in mind and elaborates the content, contributes to the occurrence of many mental health disorders. Our principal aim was to develop a straightforward measure of general problematic worry suitable for research and clinical treatment. Our secondary aim was to develop a measure of problematic worry specifically concerning paranoid fears. Methods An item pool concerning worry in the past month was evaluated in 250 non-clinical individuals and 50 patients with psychosis in a worry treatment trial. Exploratory factor analysis and item response theory (IRT) informed the selection of scale items. IRT analyses were repeated with the scales administered to 273 non-clinical individuals, 79 patients with psychosis and 93 patients with social anxiety disorder. Other clinical measures were administered to assess concurrent validity. Test-retest reliability was assessed with 75 participants. Sensitivity to change was assessed with 43 patients with psychosis. Results A 10-item general worry scale (Dunn Worry Questionnaire; DWQ) and a five-item paranoia worry scale (Paranoia Worries Questionnaire; PWQ) were developed. All items were highly discriminative (DWQ a = 1.98–5.03; PWQ a = 4.10–10.7), indicating small increases in latent worry lead to a high probability of item endorsement. The DWQ was highly informative across a wide range of the worry distribution, whilst the PWQ had greatest precision at clinical levels of paranoia worry. The scales demonstrated excellent internal reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity and sensitivity to change. Conclusions The new measures of general problematic worry and worry about paranoid fears have excellent psychometric properties.