Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patients’ knowledge about medicines improves when provided with written compared to verbal information in their native language

Background Patient’s knowledge on the medicines prescribed is vital in reducing medication errors and improving adherence and patient satisfaction. This study assessed the patients’ knowledge on medicines prescribed and compared improvement following verbal or written information given in patients own language. Methods Seventy-five trainee pharmacists randomised to verbal or written groups, provided information to consecutive consenting patients attending medical and surgical clinics in the outpatient department of National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Baseline knowledge and immediate recall knowledge was scored on 5 categories (name, indication, dose, frequency of administration, and additional relevant details) for each drug prescribed. Scores <5/10, 5-7/10 and > 7/10 were considered as poor, moderate, and good knowledge. Sample of 384 in each group had 80% power to detect a 10% difference in knowledge level. Data was analysed using SPSS v26. Results Of the 747 patients, 429(57%) were females, mean age was 54.3 years(SD±12), 450(60%) were on 5 or more drugs and 149(20%) were elderly (>65 years). At baseline, knowledge scores were comparable in both groups with 47% (352/747) patients having poor knowledge, 34% (254/747) moderate knowledge and only 19% (141/747) good knowledge. Patients knew the name only on 1653(42%) drugs prescribed, indication on 1603(41%), dose on 860(22%), administration details on 2255(58%) and additional details (adverse effects/storage) only on 267(7%) medicines prescribed. After the intervention, 276(74%) patients had good knowledge (score>7), in written group vs 217(58%) in verbal group (p<0.05). In all 5 aspects knowledge improved significantly more in written group compared to the verbal group. Binomial logistic regression analysis indicated that ordinary level (OR:2.32), advanced level(OR:2.13) and university education(OR:3.72), and lower number of medicines prescribed(OR:0.83) significantly increased the odds of having a “Good Knowledge on Medicines”. Conclusion Patient’s knowledge on medicines prescribed was poor and providing the medication plan in writing in patients’ own language would improve the knowledge significantly compared to providing verbal information.
Placing juvenile specimens in phylogenies: An ontogenetically sensitive phylogenetic assessment of a new genus of iguanodontian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation, South Africa

The phylogenetic relationships of the new dryosaurid genus Iyuku are explored using parsimony analysis. As all known specimens are juvenile, each character of the data matrix was examined across all included taxa for morphological changes through ontogeny in the phylogenetic characters. Any character that changed in any taxon was considered an ontogenetically sensitive character (OSC) and coded as unknown for juvenile specimens, including all specimens of Iyuku. This method was tested with three other genera in the data set that are known from juvenile and adult specimens: Orodromeus, Dryosaurus, and Hypacrosaurus. Four separate analyses were performed: (1) standard phylogenetic coding, (2) coding OSCs as unknown for juveniles, with both juvenile and adult OTUs present, (3) removal of adult specimens from second analysis, (4) adult specimens where known, taxa known only from juveniles coded as unknown for OSCs. In all taxa, congeneric juvenile and adult specimens were recovered as sister taxa (analysis 2), and juveniles in analysis 3 were found at a congruent node to the congeneric adult in analyses 1 and 4, though with a loss of resolution in the tree. Consideration of the changes in morphology through ontogeny across a given set of taxa can allow some confidence in the phylogenetic affinities of juvenile specimens. In all analyses, Iyuku is recovered as the sister taxon to Dysalotosaurus within Dryosauridae.
Latest R&D news and beam test performance of the highly granular SiW-ECAL technological prototype for the ILC

High precision physics at future colliders as the International Linear Collider (ILC) require unprecedented high precision in the determination of the energy of final state particles. The needed precision will be achieved thanks to the Particle Flow algorithms (PF) which require highly granular and hermetic calorimeters systems. The physical proof of concept of the PF was performed in the previous campaign of beam tests of physic prototypes within the CALICE collaboration. One of these prototypes was the physics prototype of the Silicon-Tungsten Electromagnetic Calorimeter (SiW-ECAL) for the ILC. In this document we present the latest news on R&D of the next generation prototype, the technological prototype with fully embedded very front-end (VFE) electronics, of the SiW-ECAL. Special emphasis is given to the presentation and discussion of the first results from the beam test done at DESY in June 2017. The physics program for such beam test consisted in the calibration and commissioning of the current set of available SiW ECAL modules; the test of performance of individual slabs under 1T magnetic fields; and the study of electromagnetic showers events.
Eye mechanics and their implications for eye movement control

The topic of this thesis is the investigation of the mechanical properties of the oculomotor system and the implications of these properties for eye movement control. The investigation was conducted by means of computer models and simulations. This allowed us to combine data from anatomy, physiology and psychophysics with basic principles of physics (mechanics) and mathematics (geometry). In chapter 2 we investigate the degree to which mechanical and neural non-linearities contribute to the kinematic differences between centrifugal and centripetal saccades. On the basis of the velocity profiles of centrifugal and centripetal saccades we calculate the forces and muscle innervations during these eye movements. This was done using an inverted model of the eye plant. Our results indicate that the non-linear force-velocity relationship (i.e. muscle viscosity) of the muscles is probably the cause of the kinematic differences between centrifugal and centripetal saccades. In chapter 3 we calculate the adjustment of the saccadic command that is necessary to compensate for the eye plant non-linearities. These calculations show that the agonist and antagonist muscles require different net saccade signal gain changes. In order to better understand how this gain change is accomplished we use the inverted model of the eye plant (chapter 2) to calculate the muscle innervation profiles of saccades with different starting orientations. Based on these calculations we conclude that the saccade signal gain changes are accomplished primarily by changes in the magnitude of the saccade signal. In chapter 4 we examine the requirements that the oculomotor system must meet for the eye to be able to make desired gaze changes and fixate at various eye orientations. We first determine how the axes of action (i.e. unit moment vectors) of the muscles are related to eye orientation and the location of the effective muscle origin (i.e. the muscle pulleys). Next we show how this relation constrains muscle pulley locations if the eye movements are controlled by specific rules. The two control theories we investigate are: 1. Eye movements that obey Listing's law, and the binocular extension of Listing's law, actively use only the horizontal and vertical muscle pairs. 2. Oculomotor control involves perfect agonist-antagonist muscle alignment. In chapter 5 we test two assumptions that are commonly made in models of the oculomotor plant. The first is the assumption that the antagonistic muscles can be viewed as a single bi-directional muscle. The second is the assumption that the three muscle pairs act in orthogonal directions. On the basis of the geometrical properties governing the muscle paths we show how these assumptions give rise to incorrect predictions for the oculomotor control signals. Using the same muscle activation patterns for eye plant models with and without these assumptions we calculate the eye orientations that are reached. Finally in chapter 6 we discuss some general conclusions concerning the consequences of the mechanics of the eye for oculomotor control.
Identification and Characterization of a Bacteriocin from the Newly Isolated Bacillus subtilis HD15 with Inhibitory Effects against Bacillus cereus

Natural antimicrobial substances are needed as alternatives to synthetic antimicrobials to protect against foodborne pathogens. In this study, a bacteriocin-producing bacterium, Bacillus subtilis HD15, was isolated from doenjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. We sequenced the complete genome of B. subtilis HD15. This genome size was 4,173,431 bp with a G + C content of of 43.58%, 4,305 genes, and 4,222 protein-coding genes with predicted functions, including a subtilosin A gene cluster. The bacteriocin was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, Diethylaminoethanol-Sepharose chromatography, and Sephacryl gel filtration, with 12.4-fold purification and 26.2% yield, respectively. The purified protein had a molecular weight of 3.6 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence showed the highest similarity to Bacillus subtilis 168 subtilosin A (78%) but only 68% similarity to B. tequilensis subtilosin proteins, indicating that the antimicrobial substance isolated from B. subtilis HD15 is a novel bacteriocin related to subtilosin A. The purified protein from B. subtilis HD15 exhibited high antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. It showed stable activity in the range 0–70°C and pH 2–10 and was completely inhibited by protease, proteinase K, and pronase E treatment, suggesting that it is a proteinaceous substance. These findings support the potential industrial applications of the novel bacteriocin purified from B. subtilis HD15.
It is time to move on from homology in comparative biology

The continued use of the idea of homology is questionable on philosophical and scientific grounds. It is based on the widespread idea that a “homologue” in extant taxa can be “traced back” to a feature in common ancestor. In contrast, Richard Owen, who first used the term in 1846, saw homology (homologue) differently, as “sameness”: “the same organ in different animals under every variety of form and function. ” At that point in time, he was not influenced by evolutionary thinking, and more focused on the details and approaches to biological comparison and description. His was a perceptive approach to comparison. This paper argues that the concept of homology no longer plays a useful role in comparative biology. It is a conceptual idea with little or no empirical implications for modern comparisons among phenotypes. Comparative biology now uses formal phylogenetic analysis in which similar features in individuals of two or more taxa are treated as characters on a tree and tested for historical “sameness” in terms of the concept of synapomorphy. If we are to understand the complexities of phenotypic evolution, applying this method to detailed comparative data will be essential. At the same time, a deep understanding of the phenotype and its history will emerge only through the use of multidisciplinary approaches that address historical changes at different hierarchical levels.
Antibiotic Treatment during Gestation Enhances Susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Offspring

The composition of the pioneer microbiota that colonize the infant gut are determined by the mother. Polymyxin B-induced changes in the maternal microbiota during pregnancy impact the offspring gut microbiota but not vaccine-specific CD4 T cell response. However, when infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, offspring born to mothers with an altered gut microbiota are susceptible to infection compared to those born to mothers not exposed to antibiotics. ABSTRACT Whether antibiotic treatment during gestation impacts T cell immunity to vaccination in offspring is unexplored. Dams treated with polymyxin B (PMB) during gestation (Mg) displayed altered microbial communities prior to delivery compared to control dams (Mc). Differences in microbiota were also evident in pups born to polymyxin B-treated dams (Pg) compared to control pups (Pc). When pups were immunized with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), we observed no difference in TB10.4-specific T cells between Pc and Pg 4 weeks postimmunization. Significantly fewer splenic CD4 T cells from BCG-vaccinated Pg produced interleukin-2 (IL-2) upon stimulation, suggesting a possible functional deficiency. There was no difference in purified protein derivative (PPD)-specific IgG between Pc and Pg at this time point. However, when infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pg displayed significantly higher bacterial burden in the lung than Pc. Our results show that maternal PMB treatment during gestation may not impact splenic antigen-specific T cell responses following BCG vaccination but alters susceptibility to M. tuberculosis in offspring. IMPORTANCE The composition of the pioneer microbiota that colonize the infant gut are determined by the mother. Polymyxin B-induced changes in the maternal microbiota during pregnancy impact the offspring gut microbiota but not vaccine-specific CD4 T cell response. However, when infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, offspring born to mothers with an altered gut microbiota are susceptible to infection compared to those born to mothers not exposed to antibiotics.
Long-COVID in patients with a history of mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection: a Nationwide Cohort Study

Abstract Objective Evaluating the prevalence of long-COVID symptoms in patients with a history of mild or asymptomatic infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the factors associated with developing long-COVID. Design A nationwide cohort study. Using a centralized database, we have identified patients with and without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection 1–6 months before data collection. Patients were asked to fill out an online questionnaire through text messages. Setting Israeli general practice. Subjects 2755 persons participated in the study in September 2021 (a response rate of 7.5%): 819 with and, 936 without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Main outcome measures We asked patients to provide details about their demographic status, medical history, COVID-related variables and the presence of long-COVID symptoms. Results Most prevalent long-COVID symptoms were decreased smell sensation (35.1% vs. 4.3%, p < 0.001), decreased taste sensation (25.2% vs. 3.2%, p < 0.001), memory disturbances (36.9% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.001), dyspnea (24.2% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.001) and arthralgia (33% vs. 16.3%, p < 0.001). Risk factors associated with long-COVID included female gender, symptomatic COVID-19, overweight or obesity and the presence of dyslipidemia. About 34.6% of participants reported not returning to their baseline health condition after the acute illness. Conclusion Long-COVID is frequently seen following a mild symptomatic COVID-19 infection and, to a lesser extent, following an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Primary care physicians should be aware of these symptoms and consider this option in their differential diagnosis. Health policymakers should expect a significant impact of this syndrome on public health. Key Points Long-COVID has emerged as a significant health problem with a serious impact on normal daily function • Long-COVID symptoms were evident in patients with mild symptomatic disease and in asymptomatic patients to a lesser extent. • Risk factors for having Long-COVID symptoms include female gender, symptomatic disease, increased BMI, and the presence of dyslipidemia. • Fatigue, dyspnea, weakness, decreased libido, weight changes, memory, and sleep disturbances were associated with not returning to the baseline health state.
Ecomorphology of the cervid intermediate phalanx and its implications for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

This paper reports on newly developed ecomorphological models for the cervid intermediate phalanx. Using a geometric morphometric approach, we quantitatively assess the overall gracility of the bone, the depth and concavity of the proximal articulation and the roundness and symmetry of the distal articulation in the intermediate phalanx, to establish relationships between morphology, locomotor behavior and environment. The morphology of the phalanx was found to vary along a gradient from gracile phalanges with shallow proximal articulations in forms adapted to yielding substrate, to robust phalanges with deeper proximal articulations in taxa adapted to firm substrate. Phylogeny and allometry are accounted for using regressions and phylogenetic comparative methods. Although the results indicate phylogeny explains part of the morphological variation, overall the shape of the intermediate phalanx appears mainly driven by differences in function. Consequently, this element promises to be a useful palaeoenvironmental proxy that can be applied on fossil assemblages with cervid remains.
Quality of life and its related psychological problems during coronavirus pandemic

Background The prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has endangered the psychological health of individuals. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and its related psychological problems during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 559 citizens above the age of 16 years, in Isfahan and Bandar Abbas cities in Iran were selected with a convenient sampling method. An online questionnaire was used to collect the data, which consisted of five sections: demographic information, short health anxiety inventory (SHAI), perceived stress scale (PSS), world health organization quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and Padua inventory. Data were analyzed using statistical tests including t-test, path analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS 24 and Amos 21 statistical software. Results A total of 559 subjects with the mean age of 37.34 ± 11.19 years participated in this study. Most of the participants were female (78.5%), married (71.6%) and employed (40.9%). The majority of them also had a bachelor’s degree (42.9%). There were significant negative correlations between perceived helplessness (r = -.597, p = .000), perceived stress (r = -.715, p = .000), risk of disease (r = -.302, p = .000), negative effect of disease (r = -.424, p = .000), health anxiety (r = -.366, p = .000), contamination obsessions (r = -.187, p = .000) and washing compulsions (r = -.193, p = .000) with quality of life. On other hand, significant positive correlation was found between perceived self-efficacy (r = .665, p = .000) and quality of life. Conclusions According to our findings, health anxiety, perceived stress and obsessive-compulsive disorder were negatively affected psychological health during COVID-19 which in turn decreased quality of life. Therefore, we suggest considering prevention and treatment of theses psychological problems to diminish the risk of reduced quality of life during COVID-19 global pandemic crisis.
Biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes: assessment by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and microscopic imaging

Abstract The decline in the performance of spiral-wound reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes is frequently due to biofouling. This study focus on qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of SWRO membrane biofouling. Bacterial counts on the different surfaces of the fouled membranes were carried out. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was performed to highlight clogging materials as well as their natures and identity. The topography of the fouled membranes and the structures of biofilms were visualized by fluorescence microscopy (FM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated the presence of bacteria in the different SWRO membrane areas. Those strongly adhered were significantly higher than those weakly. It varied between 26 × 105 and 262 × 105 CFU m−2. However, SERS mapping showed different fouling levels and the thickness of the fouling layer was 5 µm. Microscopic imaging revealed biotic and abiotic deposits. These data can together allow better management of the seawater desalination process.
Effectiveness of Evusheld in Immunocompromised Patients: Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Abstract Background Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab, a combined monoclonal antibody (Evusheld) was granted emergency use authorization for SARS-CoV-2 preexposure prophylaxis in individuals with moderate to severe immunocompromising condition. In this study we used population-based real-world data to evaluate the effectiveness of Evusheld in immunocompromised patients. Methods Using the computerized database of the largest healthcare provider in Israel, we identified all adult immunocompromised patients who were eligible to receive Evusheld (the dose used during the study period was 150 mg Tixagevimab and 150 mg Cilgavimab) on 15-February-2022. Patients with a documentation of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection were excluded. A total of 703 patients who received Evusheld were propensity score-matched, using a ratio of 1:4, with 2812 patients who have not received Evusheld (control group). Patients were followed through 30-June-2022 for up to 90-days for the first documentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 related hospitalization. Results Overall, 72 patients in the Evusheld group and 377 patients in the control group had SARS-CoV-2 infection, reflecting and incidence rate of 4.18 and 5.64 per 100 person-months, respectively. HR was 0.75(95%CI,0.58-0.96) for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 0.41(0.19-0.89) for COVID-19 related hospitalization in the Evusheld group compared to the control group. The magnitude of relative risks reduction of each outcome was greater in non-obese patients (P for interaction = 0.020 and 0.045, respectively). Conclusion This study suggests that Evusheld (150 mg Tixagevimab and 150 mg Cilgavimab) is effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 hospitalization in immunocompromised patients. The effectiveness of this dose appears to be greater in non-obese patients
Effective field theory during inflation: Reduced density matrix and its quantum master equation

We study the power spectrum of super-Hubble fluctuations of an inflaton-like scalar field, the "system", coupled to another scalar field, the "environment" during de Sitter inflation. We obtain the reduced density matrix for the inflaton fluctuations by integrating out the environmental degrees of freedom. These are considered to be massless and conformally coupled to gravity as a \emph{proxy} to describe degrees of freedom that remain sub-Hubble all throughout inflation. The time evolution of the density matrix is described by a quantum master equation, which describes the decay of the vacuum state, the production of particles and correlated pairs and quantum entanglement between super and sub-Hubble degrees of freedom. The quantum master equation provides a non-perturbative resummation of secular terms from self-energy (loop) corrections to the inflaton fluctuations. In the case studied here these are Sudakov-type double logarithms which result in the \emph{decay} of the power spectrum of inflaton fluctuations upon horizon crossing with a concomitant violation of scale invariance. The reduced density matrix and its quantum master equation furnish a powerful non-perturbative framework to study the effective field theory of long wavelength fluctuations by tracing short wavelength degrees of freedom.