Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adenosine Deaminase Activity In Pleural Effusions

Adenosine deaminase activity was estimated in 80 patients of pleural effusions of different etiologies. Patients were classified into three groups (tuberculous (62) / malignant (13) / transudates (5)) based on etiological diagnosis made on pleural biopsy, fluid examination and other investigations. ADA activity was found to be significantly higher In tuberculous effusions (66.41 Â± 29.31) when compared to malignant and transudative effusions (p 38 IU. No correlation was found between ADA activity and total lymphocyte count as well as Mantoux reactivity (r =0.337, p > 0.05). The estimation of ADA activity proved to be simple, cheap and sensitive (98.4%) with positive predictive value of 100%.
Molecular dynamics simulations of copper binding to N-terminus mutants of amyloid-β

Abstract We report results of molecular dynamic (MD) simulations on N-terminus mutants of the copper-bound, amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Eight structures of Aβ were modelled, including seven mutant peptides in addition to the unaltered wild-type (WT). Trajectories analysed for each individual system were all approximately 1.4 μs in length, yielding a total of over 11 μs in total. The impact of these mutations are marked and varied compared to the wild-type peptide, including effects on secondary structure, stability and conformational changes. Each system showed differing levels of stability with some showing consistent, compact conformations whereas others displayed more flexible structures. Contrasts between comparable mutations at similar sites, such as A2T/A2V and D7H/D7N, show the location as well as the type of mutation have effects on protein structure observed in Ramachandran plots. We also report notable changes in peptide structure at residues remote to the site of substitution showing these mutations influence the entirety of Aβ. Salt-bridge profiles show this most clearly: addition or removal of charged residues affecting all salt-bridge interactions present in WT, even those remote from the site of mutation. Effects on secondary structure differ between mutations, most notably a change in incidence of β-strand, which has been linked to enhanced aggregational properties for the peptide. GFN2-xTB semi-empirical calculations show clear differences in binding energies of the copper-centre for each system. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Psychometric validation of the Job Satisfaction of Persons with Disabilities Scale in a sample of peer support specialists.

OBJECTIVE The primary purpose of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Job Satisfaction of Persons with Disabilities Scale in a sample of peer support specialists. METHOD A total of 121 employed peer support specialists with lived experience of a serious mental health condition were recruited for this study from statewide peer certification training programs and the International Association of Peer Supporters. Respondents completed an online survey on job satisfaction and related constructs. A principal components analysis was used to explore and identify the instrument subscales. RESULTS The findings identified 2 factors: (a) the 9-item job satisfaction with intangible benefits factor and (b) the 5-item job satisfaction with tangible benefits factor. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The Job Satisfaction of Persons with Disabilities Scale demonstrates good-to-excellent psychometrics. The use of this scale among peer support specialists within training and supervision practices in psychiatric rehabilitation settings is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Breastfeeding Initiation, Duration, and Supplementation Among Mexican-Origin Women in Texas

In this study, we find differences in breastfeeding initiation and duration by acculturation despite similar breastfeeding intentions and universally high prevalence of early supplementation with formula. BACKGROUND: Mexican-origin women breastfeed at similar rates as white women in the United States, yet they usually breastfeed for less time. In our study, we seek to identify differences in Mexican-origin women’s breastfeeding intentions, initiation, continuation, and supplementation across nativity and country-of-education groups. METHODS: The data are from a prospective cohort study of postpartum women ages 18 to 44 recruited from 8 Texas hospitals. We included 1235 Mexican-origin women who were born and educated in either Texas or Mexico. Women were interviewed at delivery and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post partum. Breastfeeding intentions and initiation were reported at baseline, continuation was collected at each interview, and weeks until supplementation was assessed for both solids and formula. Women were classified into 3 categories: born and educated in Mexico, born and educated in the United States, and born in Mexico and educated in the United States. RESULTS: Breastfeeding initiation and continuation varied by nativity and country of birth, although all women reported similar breastfeeding intentions. Women born and educated in Mexico initiated and continued breastfeeding in higher proportions than women born and educated in the United States. Mexican-born and US-educated women formed an intermediate group. Early supplementation with formula and solid foods was similar across groups, and early supplementation with formula negatively impacted duration across all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nativity and country of education are important predictors of breastfeeding and should be assessed in pediatric and postpartum settings to tailor breastfeeding support. Support is especially warranted among US-born women, and additional educational interventions should be developed to forestall early supplementation with formula across all acculturation groups.
Relationship between sperm telomere length and sperm quality in infertile men

Telomeres, noncoding and repetitive DNA sequences play a significant function in chromatin integrity. Telomere length is age‐dependent in somatic cells, while it increases in sperm cell with age. Therefore, we aimed to assess sperm chromatin, leucocyte and sperm telomere length (LTL, STL) in spermatozoon of 38 infertile and 19 fertile men aged between 20 and 50 years. Protamine deficiency (chromomycin A3 test), DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay), lipid peroxidation (Bodipy probe) and telomere length (quantitative real‐time PCR) were assessed. A significant decrease in mean of sperm concentration and motility and a significant increase in means of sperm abnormal morphology, DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation and protamine deficiency were observed in infertile compared with fertile men. In addition, the mean of LTL and STL were significantly shorter in infertile men compared with fertile individuals. We observed significant associations between telomere length with sperm concentration, DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation. We hypothesised that increased oxidative stress in spermatozoa of infertile men can result in abnormal packaging of chromatin, damage of DNA and shorter sperm telomere length. Together, these anomalies may account for fertility failure in these individuals.
Are people most in need utilising health facilities in post-conflict settings? A cross-sectional study from South Kivu, eastern DR Congo

ABSTRACT Background: The disruptive effect of protracted socio-political instability and conflict on the health systems is likely to exacerbate inequities in health service utilisation in conflict-recovering contexts. Objective: To examine whether the level of healthcare need is associated with health facility utilisation in post-conflict settings. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among adults with diabetes, hypertension, mothers of infants with acute malnutrition, informal caregivers (of participants with diabetes and hypertension) and helpers of mothers of children acutely malnourished, and randomly selected neighbours in South Kivu province, eastern DR Congo. Healthcare need levels were derived from a combination, summary and categorisation of the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Health facility utilisation was defined as having utilised in the first resort a health post, a health centre or a hospital as opposed to self-medication, traditional herbs or prayer homes during illness in the past 30 days. We used mixed-effects Poisson regression models with robust variance to identify the factors associated with health facility utilisation. Results: Overall, 82% (n = 413) of the participants (N = 504) utilised modern health facilities. Health facility utilisation likelihood was higher by 27% [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.27; 95% CI: 1.13–1.43; p < 0.001] and 18% (aPR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.06–1.30; p = 0.002) among participants with middle and higher health needs, respectively, compared to those with low healthcare needs. Using the lowest health need cluster as a reference, participants in the middle healthcare need cluster tended to have a higher hospital utilisation level. Conclusion: Greater reported healthcare need was significantly associated with health facility utilisation. Primary healthcare facilities were the first resort for a vast majority of respondents. Improving the availability and quality of health service packages at the primary healthcare level is necessary to ensure the universal health coverage goal advocating quality health for all can be achieved in post-conflict settings.
Bitumen surface microstructure evolution in subzero environments

Bitumen is a widely used material employed as a binder in pavement engineering and as a surface sealant in construction. Its surface microstructure and microscale properties have been shown to be temperature‐dependent, with effects manifesting themselves on surface composition and texture, including the formation of the visually striking catana ‘bee’‐like structures. Despite the importance of a good performance of bitumen in subzero environments (<0°C), the behaviour of bitumen surface texture and composition at cold temperatures, affecting cracking, degradation and road icing, has received practically no attention. In particular, such knowledge is relevant to world regions experiencing long periods of subzero temperatures during the year. Employing advanced atomic force microscopy combined with infrared spectroscopy (AFM‐IR) and an environmental chamber, we demonstrate the ability to characterise surface structure and composition with nanoscale precision for a broad range of temperatures. We show that cooling bitumen to subzero temperatures can have several interesting effects on its surface microtexture, nanotexture and composition, especially on its three surface domains, catana, peri and para. We found that the para domain coarsens and extends to form an interfacial transition domain (characterised by increasing surface roughness with peri domain composition) between the para and peri domains. We show that the catana and peri domains have a similar composition, but have different mechanical and chemical properties compared to the para domain. The essential findings of this work improve our understanding of the behaviour of bitumen in subzero environments, aiding us in our quest towards attaining better road and sealant performance.
Determination of Oroxylin A, Oroxylin A 7-O-glucuronide, and Oroxylin A sodium sulfonate in beagle dogs via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry: Application in a pharmacokinetic study.

Oroxylin A, obtained from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is a flavonoid with anti-tumor and other pharmacological activities. Our previous studies showed for the first time that it is mainly metabolized to Oroxylin A sodium sulfonate by sulfotransferase enzymes in beagle dogs. In this study, rapid, universal, selective, and robustly ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry methods were established and fully validated to quantitatively detect Oroxylin A, Oroxylin A 7-O-glucuronide, and Oroxylin A sodium sulfonate in beagle dog plasma. The quantitative analysis for Oroxylin A sodium sulfonate was reported for the first time. Plasma samples were processed with acetonitrile, a universal protein precipitant. Gradient elution was performed to resolve carryover effects and to achieve separation efficiency and sufficient chromatographic retention. The linear relationships of Oroxylin A, Oroxylin A 7-O-glucuronide, and Oroxylin A sodium sulfonate in plasma were in the range of 2.0∼500.0 ng/mL, 5.0∼500.0 ng/mL, and 1.881∼940.5 ng/mL, respectively. The assay method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic study. This is the first paper that reveals the pharmacokinetic profile of Oroxylin A, Oroxylin A 7-O-glucuronide, and Oroxylin A sodium sulfonate after single-dose intravenous and oral administration of Oroxylin A in beagle dogs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Defects in Galactose Metabolism and Glycoconjugate Biosynthesis in a UDP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase-Deficient Cell Line Are Reversed by Adding Galactose to the Growth Medium

UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) is synthesized by UGP2-encoded UDP-Glc pyrophosphorylase (UGP) and is required for glycoconjugate biosynthesis and galactose metabolism because it is a uridyl donor for galactose-1-P (Gal1P) uridyltransferase. Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts harboring a hypomrphic UGP(G116D) variant display reduced UDP-Glc levels and cannot grow if galactose is the sole carbon source. Here, these cells were cultivated with glucose in either the absence or presence of galactose in order to investigate glycoconjugate biosynthesis and galactose metabolism. The UGP-deficient cells display < 5% control levels of UDP-Glc/UDP-Gal and > 100-fold reduction of [6-3H]galactose incorporation into UDP-[6-3H]galactose, as well as multiple deficits in glycoconjugate biosynthesis. Cultivation of these cells in the presence of galactose leads to partial restoration of UDP-Glc levels, galactose metabolism and glycoconjugate biosynthesis. The Vmax for recombinant human UGP(G116D) with Glc1P is 2000-fold less than that of the wild-type protein, and UGP(G116D) displayed a mildly elevated Km for Glc1P, but no activity of the mutant enzyme towards Gal1P was detectable. To conclude, although the mechanism behind UDP-Glc/Gal production in the UGP-deficient cells remains to be determined, the capacity of this cell line to change its glycosylation status as a function of extracellular galactose makes it a useful, reversible model with which to study different aspects of galactose metabolism and glycoconjugate biosynthesis.
Preferences of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Persons in Gender-Confirming Surgical Care

Introduction Increased awareness for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals may lead to increased demand for surgical interventions in gender-confirming care. However, limited literature exists regarding transgender and gender-nonconforming preferences and experiences with medical or surgical care. The authors aim to characterize the medical and surgical care sought by this population, as well as their surgical preferences, motivations, and barriers to care. Methods An online questionnaire about opinions and personal experiences with medical and surgical care during gender transition was publicized via regional online social networking forums in Connecticut and surrounding areas catering to transgender communities. Results Responses were received from 313 participants. Participants were 97% male gender at birth and 92% white with an average (SD) age of 51.6 (13.5) years. Fifty-nine percent identified as male-to-female transgender and 20% as gender nonconforming. Respondents were aware of their gender identity at a mean (SD) age of 9.6 (9.0) years, but did not begin transitioning until a mean (SD) age of 38.9 (20.8) years, with gender-nonconforming respondents choosing to transition at a significantly younger age as compared with transgender respondents (29.8 vs 41.4 years; P = 0.0061, unpaired t test). Only 42% of all respondents, with a significantly greater number of transgender as opposed to gender-nonconforming individuals, had previously met with a physician to discuss transitioning (49% vs 21%, P = 0.002, χ2 test). Eight percent of the study population had undergone gender confirmation surgery (GCS), 52% were interested in GCS, and 40% were not interested in GCS. Primary motivation for GCS included discomfort in one's current body (28%), and barriers to GCS included cost (40%) and reactions of family (40%), partners (32%), and friends (25%). Conclusions Transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals lack medical support for gender transition, with fewer than half of survey respondents reporting a prior meeting with a physician to discuss transitioning. The reported perspectives offer important insight into transgender preferences that should act as the basis of future efforts to improve the efficacy of gender-confirming care.
A very short version of the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ‐3oo7) for use as a routinely applied Patient‐Reported Outcome Measure

Abstract Background Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) are valuable supplements in regular care to facilitate routine monitoring of quality of life from the patient’s perspective. The 25‐item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI‐VFQ‐25) is a widely used PROM in ophthalmology. However, the NEI‐VFQ‐25 is too time‐consuming and cumbersome for routine evaluations in regular care. The aim of this study is to construct a 7‐item questionnaire of which only 3 items are presented to the patient, by means of routing. This VFQ 3 out of 7 (VFQ‐3oo7) should have a minimal loss of information compared with the NEI‐VFQ‐25. Methods An historical database including 3293 administrations of the NEI‐VFQ‐25 was constructed involving patients with retinal detachment, cataract, corneal diseases, glaucoma, macular degeneration, uveal melanoma and a normal population sample. The data were subjected to Rasch analyses, in particular a generalized partial credit model. Items were sorted on the latent trait and divided into seven categories. From each category, the item with the highest discriminative value was selected. Through routing, only three out of the seven remaining questions are used, where the answers navigate patients to a fitting trait level. Results A one‐dimensional structure was considered fitting. The VFQ‐3oo7 showed a small loss of information compared with the total score of the NEI‐VFQ‐25: correlation 0.927 and a relative precision of 0.868. Conclusion The very short, but valid, VFQ‐3oo7 can be applied to evaluate the patient's perceived vision‐related health status in routine evaluations of treatments in regular care, with a small burden for patients.
Prevalence and genetic–phenotypic characteristics of patients with USH2A mutations in a large cohort of Chinese patients with inherited retinal disease

Aims To investigate the frequency of USH2A mutation and the clinical and genetic differences between Usher syndrome type II (USH2) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in a large cohort of Chinese patients. Methods A total of 1381 patients with inherited retinal disease (IRD) were recruited. The phenotypic and genotypic information of patients with USH2A mutations was evaluated. Results The prevalence of patients with USH2A mutations was 15.75%, which was the most frequently detected gene in this cohort of patients. Hotspot of USH2A mutations was c.8559-2A >G and c.2802T >G. Patients with USH2 had an earlier and more serious decline of visual function and damage to retina structure than did patients with RP in the first 10 years (p<0.05), but there was no difference in the visual prognosis between the two groups when the course of disease exceeded 10 years (p>0.05). Missense variants had less severe consequences and were found more commonly in RP, whereas more deleterious genotypes were associated with an earlier onset of disease and were found more commonly in USH2. Conclusions This study provides detailed clinical–genetic assessment of patients with USH2A mutations of Chinese origin, enabling precise genetic diagnoses, better management of these patients and putative therapeutic approaches.
RNAi pathways repress reprogramming of C. elegans germ cells during heat stress

Abstract Repression of cellular reprogramming in germ cells is critical to maintaining cell fate and fertility. When germ cells mis-express somatic genes they can be directly converted into other cell types, resulting in loss of totipotency and reproductive potential. Identifying the molecular mechanisms that coordinate these cell fate decisions is an active area of investigation. Here we show that RNAi pathways play a key role in maintaining germline gene expression and totipotency after heat stress. By examining transcriptional changes that occur in mut-16 mutants, lacking a key protein in the RNAi pathway, at elevated temperature we found that genes normally expressed in the soma are mis-expressed in germ cells. Furthermore, these genes displayed increased chromatin accessibility in the germlines of mut-16 mutants at elevated temperature. These findings indicate that the RNAi pathway plays a key role in preventing aberrant expression of somatic genes in the germline during heat stress. This regulation occurs in part through the maintenance of germline chromatin, likely acting through the nuclear RNAi pathway. Identification of new pathways governing germ cell reprogramming is critical to understanding how cells maintain proper gene expression and may provide key insights into how cell identity is lost in some germ cell tumors.
Learning biases to angry and happy faces during Pavlovian aversive conditioning.

Learning biases in Pavlovian aversive conditioning have been found in response to specific categories of threat-relevant stimuli, such as snakes or angry faces. This has been suggested to reflect a selective predisposition to preferentially learn to associate stimuli that provided threats to survival across evolution with aversive outcomes. Here, we contrast with this perspective by highlighting that both threatening (angry faces) and rewarding (happy faces) social stimuli can produce learning biases during Pavlovian aversive conditioning. Using a differential aversive conditioning paradigm, the present study (N = 107) showed that the conditioned response to angry and happy faces was more readily acquired and more resistant to extinction than the conditioned response to neutral faces. Strikingly, whereas the effects for angry faces were of moderate size, the conditioned response persistence to happy faces was of relatively small size and influenced by interindividual differences in their affective evaluation, as indexed by a Go/No-Go Association Task. Computational reinforcement learning analyses further suggested that angry faces were associated with a lower inhibitory learning rate than happy faces, thereby inducing a greater decrease in the impact of negative prediction error signals that contributed to weakening extinction learning. Altogether, these findings provide further evidence that the occurrence of learning biases in Pavlovian aversive conditioning is not specific to threat-related stimuli and depends on the stimulus' affective relevance to the organism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
TAVR outcome after reclassification of aortic valve stenosis by using a hybrid continuity equation that combines computed tomography and echocardiography data

In the continuity equation, assumption of a round‐shaped left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) leads to underestimation of the true aortic valve area in two‐dimensional echocardiography. The current study evaluated whether inclusion of the LVOT area, as measured by computed tomography (CT), reclassifies the degree of aortic stenosis (AS) and assessed the impact on patient outcome after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).