Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A conserved malaria parasite protein required for maintenance of sporozoite cell shape and transmission

Malaria parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes and a substantial part of the parasite's complex life cycle takes place inside the insect. Parasite transmission starts with the uptake of parasite stages called gametocytes from the vertebrate host with the blood meal of a female vector mosquito, completing several weeks later with the injection of parasite stages called sporozoites into the vertebrate host by mosquito bite. The sporozoites form in their thousands inside ookinete‐derived oocysts situated on the abluminal side of the mosquito midgut epithelium by a process of cell division known as sporogony. After their formation, sporozoites egress from the oocyst into the haemolymph, invade the salivary glands and mature to become infective to the vertebrate. This MicroCommentary reviews recent reports describing a conserved plasma membrane‐associated protein of Plasmodium berghei, PBANKA_1422900, and its role in maintaining the shape and structural integrity of sporozoites in salivary glands and during inoculation into the vertebrate host. Combined results from three separate studies provide mechanistic insights into how this protein achieves structural maintenance of the sporozoite, and how in turn this promotes the sporozoite's ability to overcome several physical obstacles and allow it to establish infection in the vertebrate.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials for Intimate Partner Violence: The Effects of the Programs Based on Their Purposes

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex global problem that has serious health consequences for victims. Many intervention programs have been introduced for IPV, with various target populations, purposes, designs, and outcomes. However, a consensus has not been reached regarding which type of program has the greatest impact. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of existing interventions on IPV risk and to compare the effects of the interventions based on their purposes and designs. Method: A systematic review and meta-analytic method were utilized in this study. Through a rigorous database search, 13 randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected and included in the analysis. Results: The included interventions had a small effect size, which was statistically significant. The couple interventions aiming to reduce the risk of IPV perpetration and victimization simultaneously showed the greatest impact, compared to bystander interventions and interventions targeting either perpetrators or victims. The interventions aiming to reduce the risk of IPV perpetration showed a significant impact on changing gender equality-related knowledge and attitudes, and those aiming to reduce the risk of IPV victimization were effective in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes related to traditional norms, empowerment, and health conditions. The interventions targeting bystanders showed significant effects on increasing bystander-related attitudes and behaviors. Conclusion: Our findings provide strong evidence for future intervention programs for IPV. Long-term research to follow-up actual IPV reductions after interventions will be needed to confirm the findings of this study.
What’s new and what’s next for gene therapy in Pompe disease?

ABSTRACT Introduction Pompe disease is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency of acid-α-glucosidase (GAA), an enzyme responsible for hydrolyzing lysosomal glycogen. A lack of GAA leads to accumulation of glycogen in the lysosomes of cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle cells, as well as in the central and peripheral nervous system. Enzyme replacement therapy has been the standard of care for 15 years and slows disease progression, particularly in the heart, and improves survival. However, there are limitations of ERT success, which gene therapy can overcome. Areas covered Gene therapy offers several advantages including prolonged and consistent GAA expression and correction of skeletal muscle as well as the critical CNS pathology. We provide a systematic review of the preclinical and clinical outcomes of adeno-associated viral mediated gene therapy and alternative gene therapy strategies, highlighting what has been successful. Expert opinion Although the preclinical and clinical studies so far have been promising, barriers exist that need to be addressed in gene therapy for Pompe disease. New strategies including novel capsids for better targeting, optimized DNA vectors, and adjuctive therapies will allow for a lower dose, and ameliorate the immune response.
Distinct responsiveness to rifaximin in patients with hepatic encephalopathy depends on functional gut microbial species

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is the neuropsychiatric complication of liver cirrhosis (LC). The influence of gut microbiota on HE pathogenesis has been suggested but not precisely elucidated. Here, we investigate how the gut microbial profile changed in patients with HE to clarify the functional gut microbial species associated with HE. We focused on their responses to rifaximin (RFX), a nonabsorbable antibiotic used in HE therapy. Feces samples were collected from patients with decompensated LC (all HE), patients with compensated LC, and healthy controls, and fecal gut microbial profiles were compared using 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon and metagenomic sequencing. The linear discriminant analysis effect size was used to identify specific species. Urease‐positive Streptococcus salivarius, which can produce ammonia, was identified as the most significantly abundant gut microbiota in the HE group, and its ability to elevate the levels of blood ammonia as well as brain glutamine was experimentally verified in mice. Urease‐negative Ruminococcus gnavus was also identified as a significantly abundant species in patients with RFX‐nonresponsive HE after RFX administration. Interestingly, R. gnavus enhanced urease activity of recombinant urease itself, implying that R. gnavus could amplify ammonia production of surrounding urease‐positive microbiota. Furthermore, the sensitivity of S. salivarius and R. gnavus to RFX depended on conjugated secondary bile acid levels, suggesting a therapeutic potential of the combined use of secondary bile acid levels with RFX for enhancing the efficacy of RFX. This study identified specific gut bacterial species abundant in patients with HE and verified their functions linked to HE pathophysiology. Targeting these bacteria could be a potentially effective strategy to treat HE.
Proximate composition, fungal isolation and contamination of aflatoxin B1 in chickpea seeds from the Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract Chickpea, Cicer arietinum L. , is a nutrient rich crop that is widely cultivated and consumed in Pakistan. However, chickpea is highly prone to fungal growth leading to contamination with aflatoxins, the most potent carcinogen found in nature. In this study, fifty chickpea seed samples were collected from the local markets of the Punjab, Pakistan, to evaluate their nutritional quality, fungal and AFB1 contamination. Proximate analysis suggested that chickpea seeds contained 5.5–6.93% moisture, 62.24–63.24% carbohydrates, 22.75–23.44% protein, 4.99–5.4% fat, 5.62–5.84% fiber and 2.92–3.16% ash. Morphological identification techniques revealed fourteen fungal species belonging to six fungal genera from which Aspergillus flavus was the leading contaminant. AFB1 analysis revealed that sixty-two percent samples were contaminated with AFB1. All the AFB1 positive samples contained AFB1 level more than 2 ppb and 12.9% samples contain AFB1 level more than 20 ppb, exceeded the maximum limit (ML) assigned by EU and USA (FDA & FAO) respectively. The results of the present studies reported that chickpea is a highly contaminated commodity in terms of fungi and AFB1 that’s why further investigations and monitoring are required to reduce the fungal and AFB1 contamination. These baseline data are an initial step in the effort to deal with this significant food safety issue. Graphical Abstract
Prolonged Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Results From a Large Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study

Abstract Context It is still debated whether prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) might affect metabolic health. Objective To investigate the relationship between prolonged use of PPIs and the risk of developing diabetes. Methods We performed a case-control study nested into a cohort of 777 420 patients newly treated with PPIs between 2010 and 2015 in Lombardy, Italy. A total of 50 535 people diagnosed with diabetes until 2020 were matched with an equal number of controls that were randomly selected from the cohort members according to age, sex, and clinical status. Exposure to treatment with PPIs was assessed in case-control pairs based on time of therapy. A conditional logistic regression model was fitted to estimate the odds ratios and 95% CIs for the exposure-outcome association, after adjusting for several covariates. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of our findings. Results Compared with patients who used PPIs for < 8 weeks, higher odds of diabetes of 19% (95% CI, 15-24), 43% (38-49), and 56% (49-64) were observed among those who used PPIs for between 8 weeks and 6 months, 6 months and 2 years, and > 2 years, respectively. The results were consistent when analyses were stratified according to age, sex, and clinical profile, with higher odds ratios being found in younger patients and those with worse clinical complexity. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the association was consistent and robust. Conclusions Regular and prolonged use of PPIs is associated with a higher risk of diabetes. Physicians should therefore avoid unnecessary prescription of this class of drugs, particularly for long-term use.
Higher genetically predicted low‐density lipoprotein levels increase the renal cancer risk independent of triglycerides and high‐density lipoprotein levels: A Mendelian randomization study

The causation between lipids and renal cancer remains inconclusive. Our purpose is to explore the causal relationships between the three primary lipid metabolism‐related substances, namely triglycerides (TG), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) with the risk of renal cancer using Mendelian randomization (MR) methods. Genetic instruments for lipids were acquired from the UK Biobank. Outcome data were from the FinnGen study (1397 renal cancer cases and 204 070). Single‐variable MR (SVMR) and multi‐variable MR (MVMR) analyses were conducted with TwoSampleMR package based on R 4.0. 3. The random‐effect inverse‐variance weighted (IVW), MR‐Egger, weighted‐median method, and weighted mode were the four main computing methods. We found that per 1 SD elevated LDL level was causally associated with renal cancer occurrence based on SVMR (OR, 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05‐1.64, P = .016). Similar significant associations were found in other methods. However, the results of SVMR did not support significant associations between TG, and HDL with renal cancer risk in all methods. The association between LDL and renal cancer was still significant in MVMR analysis (OR for IVW method: 1.22 per 1 SD higher trait (SD, 95% CI: 1.11‐1.34, P < .001; OR for MR‐Egger: 1.22 per 1 SD higher trait, 95% CI: 1.01‐1.47, P = .042) when taking TG and HDL into consideration. Our study supported that elevated serum LDL levels is causally associated with an increased risk of renal cancer independent of TG and HDL.
Long‐term incidence in hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic bile duct cancer in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, role of Thorotrast?

We analyzed long‐term incidence trends in liver cancer (including hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) with an aim to interpret the changes in terms of known risk factors and hypothesize that historical exposure to Thorotrast, a radiographic contrast medium emitting alpha particles, has changed population rates. The NORDCAN database was used to collect cancer registry data from Denmark (DK), Finland (FI), Norway (NO) and Sweden (SE), which we used from 1953 (DK, FI and NO) and 1960 (SE) through 2019. Thorotrast, which caused a 100‐fold risk of liver cancer was used in DK and SE, and probably also in FI between 1930 and 1950, but not in NO. The incidence trend for liver cancer showed a broad maximum at around 1980, most prominent and statistically significant in SE and DK men and women, and in all countries, a steadily increasing trend towards the end of follow‐up. Incidence for NO was lower than for the other countries and the rates showed no peaking at around 1980. Birth cohort analysis identified a transient risk which could be dated to a period between 1930 and 1950 in countries other than NO. Considering a lag time between Thorotrast use and liver cancer appearance, the large incidence peak around 1980 in DK and DE was probably contributed by Thorotrast but considering the ecological nature of the findings, the association should be considered cautiously as hypothesis generating. The late increase in liver cancer risk is most likely lifestyle related and largely preventable.
Ganglion Cell Layer Thickness Variance Using SPECTRALIS Optical Coherence Tomography

Background: To determine the normal variance of the mean macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume among subjects without significant ocular pathology using SPECTRALIS optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Fifty subjects underwent a baseline scan using SPECTRALIS OCT followed by 2 more studies with (reg-ON) and without (reg-OFF) eye registration all taken at the same session. The mean GCL volume was measured using built-in SPECTRALIS software. Eyes with macular pathology were excluded. The reproducibility of the measurements of the GCL volume was evaluated with Bland–Altman plots and limits of agreement, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and the coefficient of repeatability (CR). Results: A total of 98 eyes met criteria for the analysis. The mean GCL volume difference was 0.0002 ± 0.029 and −0.0005 ± 0.035 mm3 for scans 1 versus 2 (baseline vs reg-ON) and 3 (baseline vs reg-OFF), respectively. The ICCs were 0.985 and 0.977 for the baseline vs reg-ON and reg-OFF groups. The CR for baseline vs reg-ON was 0.056 while CR for baseline vs reg-OFF was 0.069. Ninety percent of eyes fell within 0.04 mm3 of test–retest reliability. Conclusions: Our model found a predictable threshold of 0.07 mm3 or less for SPECTRALIS OCT mean GCL volume variance, which did not significantly change with eye registration in eyes without macular pathology. Clinicians may also consider a threshold of 0.04 mm3 when determining stable vs progressive changes in mean GCL volume using this device.
The effects of psychological manners on visual and tactile evaluation of towel preferences of Turkish and Japanese consumers

Abstract This study investigated the visual and tactile evaluation of 10 towel samples made from different fiber contents. The survey was conducted by Turkish and Japanese panelists. It was also studied how psychological manners can change their preferences. To test these facts, two kinds of trial (blind test and open test) were applied on panelists. In this way, it was observed that some of the panelists changed their first preferences from synthetic fiber-based towel to natural fiber-based towel. This fact verified that psychological manners had a great effect on Turkish consumers’ preferences, and fiber content and thickness were the most distinctive properties. Then, the preferences of the panelists were ranked and the most preferred samples were determined and compared with Japanese consumers’ preferences. It was also found that Japanese people were more consistent than Turkish people and external factors and psychological manners were not effective on their decisions.
Adverse childhood experiences and implications of perceived stress, anxiety and cortisol among women in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Objectives Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to poor maternal mental health. The goal of this study is to examine the associations between ACEs and multiple manifestations of stress (including perceived stress, anxiety and cortisol) among mothers in rural Pakistan. Design This study used a cross-sectional design. Mothers were originally recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy and followed until 36 months post partum. Cortisol was collected at 12 months post partum, and self-report data were collected at 36 months post partum. Setting All participants reside in rural villages in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The measures were administered at home visits by field interviewers. Participants Data were collected from 889 mothers. All mothers in the sample provided data on ACEs and perceived stress, 623 provided data on anxiety and 90 provided hair cortisol. Primary and secondary outcomes measures ACEs were captured retrospectively using an adapted version of the ACE International Questionnaire, and represented as a continuous variable and subdomains (neglect, home violence, family psychological distress, community violence). Primary outcomes included perceived stress measured with the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and anxiety measured with the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7). Hair-derived cortisol was included as a secondary outcome. Generalised linear models with cluster-robust SEs were used to estimate associations between ACEs and the outcome variables. Results All models featured positive associations between ACE items and PSS. The continuous total ACE score (B=0.4; 95% CI 0.0 to 0.8) was associated with higher anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7. Home violence (B=6.7; 95% CI 2.7 to 10.8) and community violence (B=7.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 13.6) were associated with increased hair cortisol production. Conclusions All four ACE domains were associated with elevated levels of perceived stress, anxiety and cortisol, with varying precision and strength of estimates, indicating that the type of ACE has a differential impact. This study informed our understanding of the differential impact of specific ACEs on perceived stress, anxiety and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal-axis functioning, providing implications for future clinical intervention and research development.
Artificial Intelligence‐Augmented Pediatric Lung POCUS: A Pilot Study of Novice Learners

Respiratory symptoms are among the most common chief complaints of pediatric patients in the emergency department (ED). Point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) outperforms conventional chest X‐ray and is user‐dependent, which can be challenging to novice ultrasound (US) users. We introduce a novel concept using artificial intelligence (AI)‐enhanced pleural sweep to generate complete panoramic views of the lungs, and then assess its accuracy among novice learners (NLs) to identify pneumonia.
Extraarticular Manifestations and Comorbidities in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

We read with great interest the article by Gunderson et al, which reported the multimorbidity burden in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 1 We appreciate that the authors estimated comorbidities in RA with a novel perspective, thus giving us a chance to further clarify the RA patient complexity. We would like, however, to discuss some key points.
L1CAM expression as a predictor of platinum response in high‐risk endometrial carcinoma

For high‐risk endometrial cancer (EC) patients, adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended to improve outcome. Yet, predictive biomarkers for response to platinum‐based chemotherapy (Pt‐aCT) are currently lacking. We tested expression of L1 cell‐adhesion molecule (L1CAM), a well‐recognised marker of poor prognosis in EC, in tumour samples from high‐risk EC patients, to explore its role as a predictive marker of Pt‐aCT response. L1CAM expression was determined using RT‐qPCR and immunohistochemistry in a cohort of high‐risk EC patients treated with Pt‐aCT and validated in a multicentric independent cohort. The association between L1CAM and clinicopathologic features and L1CAM additive value in predicting platinum response were determined. The effect of L1CAM gene silencing on response to carboplatin was functionally tested on primary L1CAM‐expressing cells. Increased L1CAM expression at both genetic and protein level correlated with high‐grade, non‐endometrioid histology and poor response to platinum treatment. A predictive model adding L1CAM to prognostic clinical variables significantly improved platinum response prediction (C‐index 78.1%, P = .012). In multivariate survival analysis, L1CAM expression was significantly associated with poor outcome (HR: 2.03, P = .019), potentially through an indirect effect, mediated by its influence on response to chemotherapy. In vitro, inhibition of L1CAM significantly increased cell sensitivity to carboplatin, supporting a mechanistic link between L1CAM expression and response to platinum in EC cells. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the role of L1CAM in the prediction of response to Pt‐aCT in two independent cohorts of high‐risk EC patients. L1CAM is a promising candidate biomarker to optimise decision making in high‐risk patients who are eligible for Pt‐aCT.
Determinantes da formação de board interlocking no mercado de capitais brasileiro

The objective in this article was to identify the main determinants of Board Interlocking in the Brazilian capital market. As the theoretical structure, the Agency theory and Corporate Governance, the Resource Dependence theory and the Board of Administrators and the Characteristics of Board Interlocking. The sample consists of 58 Brazilian companies that participate in the Bovespa Index (Ibovespa). An empirical analytic study was undertaken. With regard to the objectives, it is characterized as exploratory and, with regard to the procedures, a documentary research was undertaken. The data on the Boards of Administrators were collected from the Reference Forms available on the website of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (BMF (2) governmental control; (3) formation of pension funds; and (4) presence of professionals with acknowledged market experience. The results also suggest that the first three factors give rise to long-lasting links and that these connections are hard to break. On the other hand, the links established through professionals with market experience tend to be more unstable because the presence of these professionals is highly demanded to serve on the board of different companies.
Genetic sequence data evidence that human faecal‐associated HF183 sequences are on human skin and in urine

The DNA marker HF183 is a partial 16S rRNA gene sequence highly specific to human‐associated Bacteroides including Bacteroides dorei. While HF183 is used to assess human faecal contamination in aquatic environments worldwide, little is known about the existence of HF183 and B. dorei in human microbiomes outside of the human gastrointestinal tract and faeces.