Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studies on measurement of chloride ion concentration in concrete structures with long-period grating sensors

We report the development and demonstration of a simple and low-cost long-period grating (LPG) sensor for chloride ion concentration measurement in concrete structures. The LPG sensor is extremely sensitive to the refractive index of the medium surrounding the cladding surface of the sensing grating, thus allowing it to be used as an ambient index sensor or chemical concentration indicator with high stability and reliability. We have measured chloride ion levels in a concrete sample immersed in salt water solution with different weight concentration ranging from 0 % to 20 %, and results showed that the LPG sensor exhibited a linear decrease in the transmission loss and resonance wavelength shift when the concentration increased. The measurement accuracy for concentration of salt in water solution is estimated to be 0.6 % and the limit of detection for chloride ion is about 0.04 %. To further enhance its sensitivity for chloride concentrations, we have coated gold nanoparticles on the grating surface of the LPG sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the sensitivity of localized surface plasmon resonance of self-assembled Au colloids on the grating portion of the LPG. With this method, a factor of two increases in sensitivity of detecting chemical solution concentrations was obtained. The advantage of this type of the sensor is relatively simple of construction and ease of use. Moreover, the sensor has the potential capability for on-site, in vivo, and remote sensing, and has the potential use for disposable sensors.
T cells expanded from renal cell carcinoma display tumor-specific CD137 expression but lack significant IFN-γ, TNF-α or IL-2 production

ABSTRACT Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has a poor prognosis. Recent advances have shown beneficial responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. As only a subset of RCC patients respond, alternative strategies should be explored. Patients refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy may benefit from autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. Even though efficient TIL expansion was reported from RCC lesions, it is not well established how many RCC TIL products are tumor-reactive, how well they produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to autologous tumors, and whether their response correlates with the presence of specific immune cells in the tumor lesions. We here compared the immune infiltrate composition of RCC lesions with that of autologous kidney tissue of 18 RCC patients. Tcell infiltrates were increased in the tumor lesions, and CD8+ Tcell infiltrates were primarily of effector memory phenotype. Nine out of 16 (56%) tested TIL products we generated were tumor-reactive, as defined by CD137 upregulation after exposure to autologous tumor digest. Tumor reactivity was found in particular in TIL products originating from tumors with ahigh percentage of infiltrated Tcells compared to autologous kidney, and increased CD25 expression on CD8+ Tcells. Importantly, although TIL products had the capacity to produce the key effector cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α or IL-2, they failed to produce significant amounts in response to autologous tumor digests. In conclusion, TIL products from RCC lesions contain tumor-reactive Tcells. Their restricted tumor-specific cytokine production requires further investigation of immunosuppressive factors in RCC and subsequent optimization of RCC-derived TIL culture conditions.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Hospital-Acquired Infection Prevention and Associated Factors Among Healthcare Workers at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Background Hospital-acquired infections can be acquired by a patient or develop among hospital staff, as a more serious problem in low- and middle-income hospital settings. Assessing the level of knowledge, attitude and practice towards hospital-acquired infection prevention among healthcare workers and identifying the associated factors has an unquestionable importance of handling and management of these infections. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the knowledge, attitude and practice towards HAIs prevention and associated factors in healthcare workers at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, North West Ethiopia. Methods Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare workers towards HAIs prevention from January to June 2019. Each study participant was selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used to present frequency and percentage of the main findings. The association between independent variables and KAP scores on HAI prevention was calculated using Pearson’s Chi square and p-values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results A total of 236 participants were included in this study with a 100% response rate; 90% and 57.2% of the participants had good knowledge and positive attitude towards HAI prevention, respectively. Meanwhile, only 36% of the study participants had good practice towards HAI prevention, suggesting less than satisfactory scores in this study. Level of education and work experience were significantly associated with safe-infection prevention attitude and practice (P value <0.005). Conclusion Even though the respondents have good knowledge with a sympathetic attitude about HAI preventions, good knowledge did not translate into prudent practices. Level of education and work experience were the independent risk factors towards HAI prevention of attitude and practice. Provision of continual on-job and off-job trainings together with strict implementation of updated standard operational procedures (SOP) may reduce the identified gap.
The characterization of exosomes from fibrosarcoma cell and the useful usage of Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) for their evaluation

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicles containing mRNA, miRNA, and proteins of origin cells, which can control the characteristics of other cells or surroundings. Despite increasing evidence on oncogenic properties of tumor-derived exosomes, fibrosarcoma-derived exosomes remain largely unrevealed. While the proper extraction and characterization of exosomes is critical in exosomes research, there are various limitations in techniques to measure the size and homogeneity of exosomes. Here, we analyzed exosomes from a fibrosarcoma cell line WEHI-164 compared with a breast cancer cell line MDA-MD-231 as a control. Results from dot blot and western blot analysis demonstrated that GM1 ganglioside, and TSG101, HSC70 and GAPDH proteins were contained in exosomes from the WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cell line. The existence of tetraspanins such as CD81, CD63 and CD9 was confirmed in the exosomes by ExoView analysis. The results obtained from TEM showed their sphere-like shapes of around 50 to 70 nm in radius. Through DLS, we found out that the mean radius of the exosomes derived from WEHI-164 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines was 94.4 nm and 107.8 nm, respectively, with high homogeneity. When comparing the radius measured by TEM with the radius measured by DLS, it was revealed that the difference between the two methods was about 40 nm. This study has significance in characterizing the molecular properties of exosomes from a fibrosarcoma, which has not been researched much before, and in providing clear evidence that DLS can be used as an efficient, convenient and noninvasive technique to simply check the homogeneity and size of exosomes.
National health system cuts and triage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and Spain: ethical implications

In this paper, we analyse the most important documents establishing the criteria for the treatment and exclusion of COVID-19 patients, especially in regard to the giving of respiratory support, in Italy and Spain. These documents reflect a tension that stems from limited healthcare resources which are insufficient to save lives that, under normal conditions, could have been saved, or at least could have received the best possible treatment. First, we analyse the healthcare systems of these two countries before the spread of the virus, both of which have seen decreases in the number of intensive care beds and have been marked by financial cuts during the last ten years. It is a fact that a greater number of people, especially those over 70 years of age, have been left without respiratory support treatment, and therefore, there have been a greater number of deaths. It is also a fact that there has been a higher infection rate among healthcare professionals due to the delay in the management of protective measures and the inability to provide adequate care for those in nursing homes, as recognised by WHO. In the context of this health emergency, healthcare professionals have suffered a real ‘moral distress’ because, knowing first-hand the causes of the limitation of resources, they have had to put triage protocols into practice. Finally, we set forth a series of concrete ethical proposals with which to face the successive waves of COVID-19 infection, as well as other future pandemics.
Measuring femoral neck loads in healthy young and older adults during stair ascent and descent

Understanding the hip loading environment for daily activities is useful for hip fracture prevention, rehabilitation, and the design of osteogenic exercises. Seventeen older adults (50–70 yrs) and twenty young adults (18–30 yrs) were recruited. A rigid body model combined with a musculoskeletal model was used to estimate lower extremity loading. An elliptical cross-section model of the femoral neck was used to estimate femoral neck stress during stair ascent and descent. Two peaks were identified in the stress curves, corresponding to the peaks in the vertical ground reaction force. During stair ascent, significantly higher tension on the superior femoral neck was found for the young group at peak 1 (young: 13.5±6.1 MPa, older: 4.2±6.5 MPa, p<0.001). Also during stair ascent, significantly higher compression on the posterior femoral neck was found for the older group at peak 2 (young: -11.4±4.9 MPa, old: -18.1±8.6 MPa, p = 0.006). No significant difference was found for stair descent. Components of stress (muscle vs. reaction forces; axial forces vs. bending moments) were also examined for each trial of stair ascent and descent. The stresses and their components provided loading magnitude and locations of higher stress on the femoral neck during stair ascent and descent. Understanding femoral neck stresses may be used to help prevent hip fractures, reduce pain, improve rehabilitation, and design osteogenic exercises.
Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Background: Patients with PTSD related to childhood-abuse often experience additional problems such as emotional dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties. Psychotherapy focused on stabilization of symptoms, emotion-regulation, and skills training has been suggested as a treatment for this patient population, either as preparation for further treatment or as a stand-alone intervention. Objective: The present study tests the efficacy of treatment using a group-protocol for stabilizing treatment delivered adjunct with conventional individual therapy. Methods: In a delayed-treatment design with switching replication, a clinically representative sample of 89 patients with PTSD and histories of childhood abuse were randomly assigned to either 20-week stabilizing group treatment or a corresponding waiting-period, both adjunct with conventional individual therapy. After the waiting-period, patients in the control condition were offered group treatment. The primary outcome was psychosocial functioning, measured with interview – assessed Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), while secondary outcome was self-reported PTSD symptoms. These were measured before treatment, after treatment and at 6 months follow up. The trial was preregistered at Clinical Trials (NCT02450617). Results: We found large within-group effect sizes in both conditions on GAF and moderate effects on PTSD symptoms. Linear mixed-models did not indicate significant differences in treatment trajectories between conditions. Conclusion: Stabilizing group treatment focused on emotional-regulation and skills-training does not improve outcomes beyond individual-treatment alone, and should not be recommended as first-line treatment for this patient-group HIGHLIGHTS Stabilizing group treatment focused on emotional-regulation and skills-training does not improve outcomes beyond individual-treatment alone for patients with PTSD after childhood abuse.
Factors associated with virological non-suppression among HIV-positive children receiving antiretroviral therapy at the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Lubowa, Kampala Uganda

Background While the proportion of HIV-positive children (under 15 years) enrolled on antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased in recent years, up to 60% of children started on ART do not achieve virological suppression. We set out to determine the factors associated with virological non-suppression among children living with HIV receiving ART at a peri-urban HIV care clinic in Kampala, Uganda. Method This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at the pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic at the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) in Kampala, Uganda. Three hundred (300) HIV-positive children (0–14 years) were randomly selected from existing medical records and data on children’s socio-demographic and clinical characteristics (age at ART initiation, WHO clinical staging, and ART-induced side effects) were abstracted using a data abstraction form. Virological non-suppression was defined as a viral load ≥1000 copies/Ml of blood after six months of ART initiation. Incident rate ratios (IRRs) were determined as a measure of association between virological non-suppression and child/patient characteristics. The IRRs were obtained via a modified Poisson regression with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). All analyses were done using statistical package, Stata version 15. Results The overall non-suppression rate among HIV-positive children on ART was 23%. Being at WHO clinical stage 4 at ART initiation [adj. IRR 2.74; 95%CI: 1.63, 4.61] and ART-induced side effects [adj. IRR 1.77; 95%CI: 1.06, 2.97] were significantly associated with non-suppression. Older age at ART initiation (age 5–9 years: [adj. IRR 0.42; 95%CI: 0.28, 0.65]; age 10–14 years: [adj. IRR 0.34; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.64] was less likely to be associated with virological non-suppression. Conclusion Nearly a quarter of HIV-positive children on ART had a non-suppressed viral load after six months of treatment. Being at WHO clinical stage 4 at ART initiation and ART-induced side effects were significantly associated with virological non-suppression while older age at ART initiation was protective. Our findings suggest a need for age-specific interventions, particularly those targeting children below five years of age, to improve virological suppression among HIV-positive children receiving ART in this setting.
Peripheral Blood Markers Associated with Immune-Related Adverse Effects in Patients Who Had Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with PD-1 Inhibitors

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the treatment landscape for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC), but immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have been evidenced curtailed the clinical use of them. Purpose The aim of this study was to research the influences of inflammation-related peripheral blood markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) levels, on anti-PD-1 inhibitor-induced irAEs. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors for stage III–IV NSCLC at a single center from 2017 to 2020 were included. Clinical characteristics, peripheral blood markers at the baseline and before subsequent treatment cycles were collected. NLR and PLR were calculated by division of neutrophil and platelet by lymphocyte measured in peripheral blood. The development of irAEs was evaluated and monitored from the therapy start based on CTCAE V4.03. Results A total of 150 patients were included. Fifty-seven patients had occurred at least one irAEs during follow-up, and mainly grade 1–2 (73.68%). Pruritus, rash and thyroiditis were the most commonly irAEs. Low NLR, PLR and neutrophil at baseline were significantly associated with the development of severe irAEs (P-values were 0.023, 0.0016 and 0.009). The levels of neutrophil, NLR and PLR also significantly decreased when occurred irAEs compared with baseline (P-values were 0.0069, 0.017 and 1.18E-5, respectively). Conclusion The levels of NLR, PLR and neutrophil were associated with the increased risk of severe irAEs when baseline levels were low. NLR, PLR, and neutrophil are simple and available biomarkers that can be used to help predict severe adverse effects in NSCLC patients treated with anti-PD-1 inhibitors.
The association of body mass index with functional dyspepsia is independent of psychological morbidity: A cross-sectional study

Background and aim The association between body mass index (BMI) and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) has been inconsistent. We aimed to explore the association of BMI with FGIDs in a primary care setting to provide more data in this area. Methods A cross-sectional study of consecutive Asian adults attending a primary healthcare setting was conducted. This study was conducted in 2 phases: The association between BMI and common FGIDs (functional diarrhea/FD, irritable bowel syndrome/IBS, functional diarrhea and functional constipation/FC) was studied initially. The influence of anxiety and depression on BMI and FGIDs was additionally explored in phase 2. Results A total of 1002 subjects (median age 32 years, 65.4% females, 90.7% Malay ethnicity, 73.2% higher than secondary level education) were recruited between August 2019 to January 2020. The majority of subjects were obese (39.2%), and had central obesity (51.7%), while 6.1% had metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of FD, IBS, functional diarrhea and FC were 7.5% (n = 75), 4.0% (n = 40), 1.2% (n = 12) and 10.5% (n = 105) respectively, based on the Rome III criteria. Among individual FGIDs, FD subjects had more underweight adults (BMI<18.5kg/m2) compared to controls (13.3% vs 3.5%, P = 0.002) and being underweight remained as an independent association with FD [OR = 3.648 (95%CI 1.494–8.905), P = 0.004] at multi-variate analysis. There were no independent associations between BMI and other FGIDs. When psychological morbidity was additionally explored, anxiety (OR 2.032; 95%CI = 1.034–3.991, p = 0.040), but not depression, and a BMI<18.5kg/m2 (OR 3.231; 95%CI = 1.066–9.796, p = 0.038) were found to be independently associated with FD. Conclusions FD, but not other FGIDs, is associated with being underweight. This association is independent of the presence of anxiety.
Moisture Adsorption Isotherms of Watermelon Seed and Kernels

The moisture adsorption isotherms of watermelon seeds and kernels from Citrullus lanatus Cv Mateera and Citrullus vulgaris Cv Sugar baby were obtained using standard static method with saturated salt solutions over a range of water activities from 0.113 to 0.92 at 20–60°C. The adsorption capacity of seeds decreased with the increase in temperature at constant water activity. Sorption models were used to explain the adsorption behavior involving water activity and moisture content (Type I) and also temperature (Type II). Oswin's models gave best fit among Type I with coefficient of determination of 0.953–0.995, standard error of 0.031–0.0571, mean relative error of 0.071–0.152, and scattered residual plots. Modified Oswin was the best fit model among Type II for the seeds and kernels of both the cultivars with coefficient of determination of 0.997–0.999, standard error of 0.151–0.255, mean relative error of 0.018–0.244, and scattered residual plots. The net isoelectric heat of adsorption, estimated from Clausius-Clapeyron decreased from about 27.0 to 0.5 kJ/mol in kernels and 18.0 to 0.5 kJ/mol in seeds of both the cultivars as the moisture content increased from 5 to 25% (dry basis).
Potassium Leaching from Millet Straw as Affected by Rainfall and Potassium Rates

Abstract Pearl millet (Penisetum glaucum) is an interesting species to be used as cover crop in tropical areas, showing a high ability in potassium uptake. Potassium (K) is not linked to organic compounds in the plant, and can easily be released from decaying straw becoming available for subsequent crops. This experiment evaluated K leaching from millet straw grown under potassium rates (0, 100, 200, and 300 mg dm−3), and submitted to five levels of simulated rain (5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mm). Plants were grown in soil filled pots in a greenhouse. On the 50th day after emergence, the plants were desiccated with glyphosate. Artificial rain was applied over the straw. Potassium deficiency speeds up millet dehydration after herbicide application and increases lightly rain water retention in the straw. The amount of K leached right after plant desiccation is correlated with the residue nutrient content and can be as high as 64 kg ha−1 considering a mulch of 8 t ha−1. Although well‐nourished millet plants release considerable amounts of K with the first rains, a large percentage of the nutrient is still retained in the straw.
Increased methane uptake but unchanged nitrous oxide flux in montane grasslands under simulated climate change conditions

Montane grasslands of Central Europe are expected to be exposed to strong warming and to altered precipitation patterns, suggesting that biosphere–atmosphere–hydrosphere exchange of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) compounds may be vulnerable to future climatic conditions. By transferring small lysimeters along an altitudinal gradient, we assessed the impact of climate change conditions on soil–atmosphere exchange of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) as well as on ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) in soil water in extensively managed montane grassland in southern Germany. Lysimeter transfer to lower altitude increased air and soil temperatures by more than 2°C and reduced summer precipitation as well as soil moisture throughout the year compared with a control transfer within the high altitude site. This simulation of climate change conditions almost doubled the CH4 sink strength from −0.11 to −0.19 g C m−2 year−1, which appeared to be mainly related to improved gas diffusion after reduced soil moisture. Mean NH4+ and NO3− concentrations in soil water (0.05 mg NH4+–N l−1 and 0.08 mg NO3−–N l−1) and N2O emissions (approximately 0.03 g N m−2 year−1) remained small and unaffected by climate change simulation. Our study suggests that expected climate change conditions will have positive effects on the non‐CO2 greenhouse gas balance in extensively managed montane grassland because of increased net CH4 uptake in soil. For N2O emission, we conclude that potential effects of management changes may override the small effects of simulated climate change on N2O emissions observed in this study.
Udder cleft dermatitis in dairy cows

This thesis investigates the epidemiology and etiology of udder cleft dermatitis (UCD) in Swedish dairy cows. The results show that UCD is common in Swedish dairy herds, and several risk factors for the condition were identified. The duration of UCD is often long, especially if the cow has severe UCD. No specific pathogen was associated with the development of UCD, and the origin of the lesions are most likely multifactorial. An association between severe UCD lesions and mastitis was found.