Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influência do pulso de inundação na fenologia foliar e conteúdo de clorofila em duas espécies da floresta de Igapó da Amazônia Central, Brasil

In order to verify the influence of flood-pulse dynamics on leaf phenology and concentrations of chlorophyll a, b and total, 15 individuals of two species typical of the black-water igapo forest, Eschweilera tenuifolia and Hevea spruceana, were studied in the lower course of the river Taruma-Mirim, Amazonas, Brazil. Leaf phenology was followed weekly from July 1993 to Dezember 1994 and the chlorophyll content was measured in the laboratory every month. Variations in the chlorophyll contents were related to leaf age. Mean concentrations of total chlorophyll in mature and old leaves of E. tenuifolia were 473.5 and 288.6 mg m-2, and 418.5 and 199.0 mg m-2 in H. spruceana. The peak shedding and flush occurred during the aquatic phase.
Accuracy of digital image enhancement in detection of vertical and horizontal root fracture

Background: Two-dimensional intraoral radiography is the most common tool for recognizing root fractures. Improving the quality of images by means of enhancement tools can increase the recognition power of them. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of digital image enhancement on vertical and horizontal root fractures (HRFs) diagnostic accuracy. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 100 human extracted teeth, involving 50 mandibular premolars and 50 maxillary incisors, were investigated. In total, 25 premolar teeth were vertically fractured and other 25 sound teeth served as testing group. According to the verified methods, 25 incisor teeth were fractured and other 25 teeth of this group served as testing ones. Following, by using the charge-coupled device sensor, preapical digital images were recorded. The original images were altered using reverse-contrast and colorization enhancement tools. Two different observers independently investigated all of the images. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) and sensitivity and specificity of all images. Data analyzde using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Two-ways variance analysis was used to assess differences in the values (P = 0.05 ). Results: AUC and sensitivity and specificity related to the original, reverse-contrast, and colorized images were calculated (0.84, 0.64, 0.99), (0.84, 0.64, 0.96), and (0.82, 0.64, 0.92) respectively, for vertically root fractured images. AUC and sensitivity and specificity related to the original, reverse-contrast, and colorized images were calculated (0.49, 0.44, 0.56), (0.50, 0.44, 0.60), and (0.48, 0.48, 0.48), respectively, for horizontally root-fractured images. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that reverse-contrast and colorized enhancement filters cannot be used as critical methods in detecting in vitro vertical and HRF.
Survival in patients with surgically treated spinal metastases

Background: Despite the various treatment protocols available, survival evaluation is a fundamental criterion for the definition of surgical management; there are still many inconsistencies in the literature on this topic, especially in terms of the value of surgery and its morbidity in patients with very short survival. Objective: The objective was to analyze the association of clinical, oncological, and surgical factors in the survival of patients undergoing spinal surgery for spinal metastases (SM). Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort of forty patients who were surgically treated at our institution for SM between 2010 and 2018 were included in the study. We applied the prognostic scales of Tomita and Tokuhashi in each patient and evaluated the systemic status using Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Scale. Survival rate in months was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier curve, with death considered as primary outcome and, for the evaluation of the association between the variables, the Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, or Fisher–Freeman–Halton test was applied for better survival. The level of statistical significance was considered as 5% (P ≤≤ 0.05). Results: The mean survival was 8.4 months. Patients with KPS <70 had a mean survival of 6.36 months, while those with KPS >70 had a mean survival of 14.48 months (P = 0.04). The mean survival of patients classified as ECOG 2 was 7.05 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.4–10.7), and that of patients classified as ECOG 3 and 4 was 1.24 months (95% CI: 0.8–1.59). The mean survival rate among the patients with unresectable metastases in other organs was 6.3 months (95% CI: 3.9–8.9), while the survival rate of those who did not have metastases was 13.8 months (95% CI: 10.0–17.68; P = 0.022). Conclusion: Survival was associated with the preoperative functional status defined by the KPS and ECOG scales and with the presence of nonresectable visceral metastases.
Nutrient management for enhancing the productivity of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea)

A field experiment was conducted on clay loam soil in rabi seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2013 with 5 nutrient management practices in Indian mustard for sustained crop and soil productivity in vertisols of irrigated condition at farmer's field in Kota, Rajasthan. Production (17.75 kg ha−1 d−1) and economics efficiency (Rs. 429 ha−1 d−1) was significantly higher in treatment T2 (RDF + 40 kg S ha−1 by bentonite sulphur) over T (RDF + without sulphur) and farmer practices and at par with T5 (RDF + 40 kg S ha−1 by elemental sulphur) and T1 (RDF + 40 kg S ha−1 by gypsum)
A new species of Platerus Distant (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from southern India

Platerus bhavanii sp. nov. has been described from southern India. This species can be readily recognised from P. pilcheri Dist by the sericeous punctations of the posterior lobe of pronotum; lateral longitudinal dark fascia of the anterior lobe; unstriped condition of the femora and tibiae; and also by the expanded condition of the sixth abdominal segment.
Full-Duplex Amplify-and-Forward MIMO Relaying: Impairments Aware Design and Performance Analysis

Full-Duplex (FD) Amplify-and-Forward (AF) Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) relaying has been the focus of several recent studies, due to the potential for achieving a higher spectral efficiency and lower latency, together with inherent processing simplicity. However, when the impact of hardware distortions are considered, such relays suffer from a distortion-amplification loop, due to the inter-dependent nature of the relay transmit signal covariance and the residual self-interference covariance. The aforementioned behavior leads to a significant performance degradation for a system with a low or medium hardware accuracy. In this work, we analyse the relay transfer function as well as the Mean Squared-Error (MSE) performance of an FD-AF MIMO relaying communication, under the impact of collective sources of additive and multiplicative transmit and receive impairments. Building on the performed analysis, an optimization problem is devised to minimize the communication MSE and solved by employing the recently proposed Penalty Dual Decomposition (PDD) framework. The proposed solution converges to a stationary point of the original problem via a sequence of convex quadratic programs (CQP)s, thereby enjoying an acceptable arithmatic complexity as the problem dimensions grow large. Numerical simulations verify the significance of the proposed distortion-aware design and analysis, compared to the common simplified approaches, as the hardware accuracy degrades.
The Relationship between KIT Copy Number Variation, Protein Expression, and Angiogenesis in Sporadic Breast Cancer.

Background KIT is a protooncogene that encodes for the KIT oncoprotein, which is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor that holds a critical role in a variety of normal physiological and pathological processes including angiogenesis. KIT has been shown to be involved in tumorigenesis, contributing to the development of gastrointestinal carcinoma and leukemia. A link between KIT overexpression and breast cancer development has previously been reported. In the current study, we explored KIT gene expression and exonic copy number variants (CNV) and the relationship with angiogenesis (CD34) and the clinicopathological features of breast cancer. Methods MLPA technique was used to determine the CNV in 64 breast cancer tumor samples from patients diagnosed with primary sporadic breast cancer. Results were confirmed by quantitative PCR. Expression of KIT and CD34 was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results Our results show that 28.1% of the tumor samples from patients with primary sporadic breast cancer had CNV in the KIT gene. Among the breast tumor samples, 54.7% showed positive KIT expression. The expression of the CD34 angiogenesis marker was reported in 43.8% of the tumor samples as low, 42.2% as moderate and 14.1% as high. A significant correlation between increased CNV of KIT exons, a high level of angiogenesis (CD34) and increased tumor grade was observed (p< 0.05). Conclusion A significant correlation between the KIT CNV and the angiogenesis marker was found. Examining KIT expression and CNV has the potential to function as a biomarker for tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs in breast cancer.
Role of the locus coeruleus arousal system in cognitive control

Cognitive control lies at the core of human adaptive behaviour. Humans vary substantially in their ability to execute cognitive control with respect to optimally facing environmental challenges, although the neural origins of this heterogeneity are currently not well understood. Recent theoretical frameworks implicate the locus coeruleus noradrenergic arousal system (LC‐NE) in that process. Invasive neurophysiological work in rodents has shown that the LC‐NE is an important homeostatic control centre of the body. LC‐NE innervates the entire neocortex and has particularly strong connections with the cingulate gyrus. In the present study, using a response conflict task, functional magnetic resonance imaging and concurrent pupil dilation measures (a proxy for LC‐NE firing), we provide empirical evidence for a decisive role of the LC‐NE in cognitive control in humans. We show that the level of individual behavioural adjustment in cognitive control relates to the level of functional coupling between LC‐NE and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, as well as dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we show that the pupil is substantially more dilated during conflict trials requiring behavioural adjustment than during no conflict trials. In addition, we explore a potential relationship between pupil dilation and neural activity during choice conflict adjustments. Our data provide novel insight into arousal‐related influences on cognitive control and suggest pupil dilation as a potential external marker for endogenous neural processes involved in optimising behavioural control. Our results may also be clinically relevant for a variety of pathologies where cognitive control is compromised, such as anxiety, depression, addiction and post‐traumatic stress disorder.
Challenge of diagnosing ANCA-associated vasculitis during COVID-19 pandemic: a missed ‘window of opportunity’

There is concern around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and rheumatic diseases. Systemic vasculitis was the fourth most common rheumatic disease among patients hospitalised for COVID-19.1 However, the diagnosis of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) can be challenging during COVID-19 pandemic for several reasons: first, clinical presentation of patients with AAV partially overlaps with COVID-19; second, patients with initial symptoms of AAV may be concerned to seek medical help in order not to get into close contact with other patients; and third, diagnosis may be delayed because non-urgent tests and visits might have been postponed due to COVID-19 related closure of services. Herein, we report the poor and irreversible clinical outcomes of diagnostic delay of AAV during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recently encountered a cluster of nine life-threatening presentations of new-onset or relapsing AAV admitted to a Verona hospital, all negative for SARS-CoV-2 by nasopharyngeal swab or bronchoalveolar fluid aspiration. We compared clinical characteristics of this group presenting in the time frame of 6 weeks during the second trimester of 2020 …
Cercosporamide inhibits bone morphogenetic protein receptor type I kinase activity in zebrafish

ABSTRACT Zebrafish models are well-established tools for investigating the underlying mechanisms of diseases. Here, we identified cercosporamide, a metabolite from the fungus Ascochyta aquiliqiae, as a potent bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR) type I kinase inhibitor through a zebrafish embryo phenotypic screen. The developmental defects in zebrafish, including lack of the ventral fin, induced by cercosporamide were strikingly similar to the phenotypes caused by renowned small-molecule BMPR type I kinase inhibitors and inactivating mutations in zebrafish BMPRs. In mammalian cell-based assays, cercosporamide blocked BMP/SMAD-dependent transcriptional reporter activity and BMP-induced SMAD1/5-phosphorylation. Biochemical assays with a panel of purified recombinant kinases demonstrated that cercosporamide directly inhibited kinase activity of type I BMPRs [also called activin receptor-like kinases (ALKs)]. In mammalian cells, cercosporamide selectively inhibited constitutively active BMPR type I-induced SMAD1/5 phosphorylation. Importantly, cercosporamide rescued the developmental defects caused by constitutively active Alk2 in zebrafish embryos. We believe that cercosporamide could be the first of a new class of molecules with potential to be developed further for clinical use against diseases that are causally linked to overactivation of BMPR signaling, including fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Cercosporamide, a metabolite from the fungus Ascochyta aquiliqiae, was identified as a potent bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR) type I kinase inhibitor through a zebrafish embryo phenotypic screen.
Hypothetical assessment of efficiency, willingness-to-accept and willingness-to-pay for dengue vaccine and treatment: a contingent valuation survey in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT In 2019, Bangladesh has grappled with a record-breaking surge in dengue fever, experiencing the highest number of dengue cases since the year 2000. Together, the intensification of dengue fever combined with a lack of dengue vaccines and appropriate medicines is expected to further the public and government’s interests in appropriate and potential dengue vaccines to control the epidemic. We considered people’s characteristics, dengue experience, and knowledge to assess their willingness-to-accept (WTA) and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a hypothetical dengue vaccine and ex-post treatment in Bangladesh (June–July 2019). This study implemented a contingent valuation (CV) method with 3,251 respondents in 10 different locations of Bangladesh. All respondents participated in a hypothetical dengue vaccine scenario consisting of 65% (vaccine A), 80% (vaccine B), and 95% (vaccine C) effectiveness levels with three doses of each vaccine and ex-post dengue treatment. Around 71.2% of respondents were willing to pay for at least one of the hypothetical vaccines: A, B, or C. The average WTPs of the three vaccines amounted to US$ 47.0, US$ 66.0, and US$ 89.0, which were defined as the total cost of the doses necessary to obtain immunity. In Bangladesh, there is a significant demand for low-priced dengue vaccines, which was proven by people’s higher acceptance of vaccination practices. Though dengue vaccines are not yet available in Bangladesh, this study provides significant support that both the government and private sectors should work together to develop a reliable and affordable dengue vaccine.
Understanding the effects of dietary chemopreventive agents on metabolism and mutagenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by human cytochrome p450 and human glutathione S -transferase enzymes

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and its metabolite benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol (BPD) are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that have been implicated as potent lun g carcinogens. They are activated in the cell to their more carcinogenic meta boli es by cytochrome P450 (CYP) Phase I enzymes, causing them to be more reactive tow ards cellular DNA and possibly leading to cancer. Resveratrol, found in grapes and as a mi nor component of wine, is a known inhibitor of CYP1A1 and CYP1B1. We investigated whether dir ct inhibition of human cytochrome P450 (hCYP) activity, as measured by cl eavage of the fluorescent VIVID BOMCC substrate in intact cells, was predic tive of resveratrol’s effects on the cytotoxicity and / or mutagenicity of B[a]P or BPD. We e mployed V79MZ cells stably transfected to express hCYP1A1 or hCYP1B1. Inhibiti on of CYP activity by 30μM resveratrol was 94% in hCYP1B1 cells as compared to 90% inhibition in hCYP1A1 cells. The CYP activity inhibition assay predicted protect ion by resveratrol against the parent compound B[a]P, reflecting a significant 3.4-fold a nd 2-fold reduction in cytotoxicity in hCYP1B1 and hCYP1A1 cell lines, respectively. S imilarly, resveratrol significantly reduced mutagenicity of B[a]P at the hprt locus of the V79 cell in hCYP1A1 cell line (2.1-fold). Based on data from the enzyme inhibition assay , we hypothesized inhibition of BPD metabolism by resveratrol and therefore, protecti on against BPD
Haploidentical mixed chimerism cures autoimmunity in established type 1 diabetic mice.

Clinical trials are currently testing whether induction of MHC-haploidentical mixed chimerism (Haplo-MC) induces organ transplantation tolerance. Whether Haplo-MC can be used to treat established autoimmune diseases remains unknown. Here, we show that established autoimmunity in euthymic and adult-thymectomized NOD (H-2g7) mice was cured by induction of Haplo-MC under a non-myeloablative anti-thymocyte globulin-based conditioning regimen and infusion of CD4+ T-depleted hematopoietic graft from H-2b/g7 F1 donors that express autoimmune-resistant H-2b or from H-2s/g7 F1 donors that express autoimmune susceptible H-2s. The cure was associated with enhanced thymic negative selection, increased thymic Treg (tTreg) production, and anergy or exhaustion of residual host-type autoreactive T cells in the periphery. The peripheral tolerance was accompanied with expansion of donor- and host-type CD62L1Helios+ tTreg as well as host-type Helios-Nrp1+ peripheral Treg (pTreg) and PD-L1hi plasmacytoid DCs (pDC). Depletion of donor- or host-type Treg cells led to reduction of host-type PD-L1hi pDCs and recurrence of autoimmunity; whereas PD-L1 deficiency in host-type DCs led to reduction of host-type pDCs and Helios-Nrp1+ pTreg cells. Thus, induction of Haplo-MC re-established both central and peripheral tolerance through mechanisms that depend on allo-MHC+ donor-type DC, PD-L1hi host-type DCs, and the generation and persistence of donor and host-type tTreg and pTreg cells.
Acute pericarditis as a primary presentation of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is a highly contagious viral illness which conventionally manifests primarily with respiratory symptoms. We report a case whose first manifestation of COVID-19 was pericarditis, in the absence of respiratory symptoms, without any serious complications. Cardiac involvement in various forms is possible in COVID-19. We present a case where pericarditis, in the absence of the classic COVID-19 signs or symptoms, is the only evident manifestation of the disease. This case highlights an atypical presentation of COVID-19 and the need for a high index of suspicion to allow early diagnosis and limit spread by isolation.
Saprochaete clavata Outbreak Infecting Cancer Center through Dishwasher

Saprochaete clavata is a pathogenic yeast responsible for rare outbreaks involving immunocompromised patients, especially those with hematologic malignancies. During February 2016–December 2017, we diagnosed S. clavata infections in 9 patients (8 with fungemia), including 3 within 1 month, at a cancer center in Marseille, France. The patients (median age 58 years), 4 of 9 of whom had acute myeloid leukemia, were hospitalized in 3 different wards. Ten environmental samples, including from 2 dishwashers and 4 pitchers, grew S. clavata, but no contaminated food was discovered. The outbreak ended after contaminated utensils and appliances were discarded. Whole-genome sequencing analysis demonstrated that all clinical and environmental isolates belonged to the same phylogenetic clade, which was unrelated to clades from previous S. clavata outbreaks in France. We identified a dishwasher with a deficient heating system as the vector of contamination.
The protective effect of green tea on diabetes-induced hepato-renal pathological changes: a histological and biochemical study

Abstract We investigated the protective effect of green tea on diabetic hepato-renal complications. Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five equal groups: normal control, diabetic control, glibenclamide-treated, green tea-treated, and combined therapy-treated groups; ethical approval number “BERC-014-01-20. ” After eight weeks, animals were sacrificed by CO2 euthanasia method, liver and kidney tissues were processed and stained for pathological changes, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Diabetic rats showed multiple hepato-renal morphological and apoptotic changes associated with significantly increased some biochemical parameters, while serum albumin and HDL decreased significantly compared to normal control (p < .05). Monotherapy can induce significant improvements in pathological and biochemical changes but has not been able to achieve normal patterns. In conclusion, green tea alone has a poor hypoglycaemic effect but can reduce diabetic complications, whereas glibenclamide cannot prevent diabetic complications. The addition of green tea to oral hypoglycaemic therapy has shown a potent synergistic effect.
Mental health literacy about depression among rural left-behind children in China: a comparative and cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Mental health literacy (MHL) is vital for raising mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and improving health-related decision making, which may have lifelong consequences for patients with mental disorders. Aims To examine MHL about depression among rural left-behind children (LBC) in China and explore differences between LBC and non-left-behind children (NLBC). Methods A total of 3456 rural school children (mean age = 13.02 years) in fourth to ninth grades who were living in Sichuan, Anhui, and Henan provinces were surveyed in April and July 2018 using stratified random cluster sampling. Results More NLBC correctly recognized depression compared with LBC (p < 0.05). The most common sources of mental health information were the TV and the Internet. LBC felt more uneasy if they asked for help (p < 0.01). Statistical differences in help-seeking barriers were observed between LBC and NLBC (p < 0.05). Conclusions Respondents showed low levels of depression-related MHL compared with peer groups in other countries, LBC showed lower MHL than NLBC in terms of the correct recognition rate of depression, attitude toward seeking help, etc. More school-based interventions should be implemented in rural schools, and parent involvement and digital-based educational strategies should be considered.