Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of serum intact parathyroid hormone concentration 1 day after total thyroidectomy to assess risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism

Objective This study was performed to assess the clinical value of measuring the intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentration 1 day after total thyroidectomy to estimate the occurrence of permanent hypoparathyroidism (pHPP). Methods Data of 546 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy from February 2008 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Calcium and iPTH concentrations were collected preoperatively and at 1 day and 6 months postoperatively. Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between clinical indexes and postoperative pHPP. Results Of the 546 patients, 22 (4.03%) developed pHPP. Multivariate analysis showed that the iPTH and serum calcium concentrations measured 1 day after surgery were independent predictors of the risk of pHPP. An iPTH concentration of 5.51 pg/mL measured 1 day postoperatively was used as the cut-off value, and the area under the curve was 0.956. The risk of pHPP was identified with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 85.1%, positive predictive value of 22%, and negative predictive value of 100%. Conclusions The iPTH concentration measured 1 day after total thyroidectomy is closely related to the occurrence of pHPP postoperatively and is an independent predictive risk factor. The postoperative iPTH concentration can be helpful in identifying patients at risk for developing pHPP.
Characterization of the testicular semen of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822), and its short‐term storage

Semen of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822), was investigated with respect to its cellular composition, sperm cell density, maturation grade, motility and fertility. Storage conditions were tested, whereby sperm viability was assessed by measurement of the motility after activation and by fertility tests. Testicular semen differed in its composition, i.e. the sperm density and numbers of spermatids, according to the maturity grade of the testis. Two semen types could be distinguished: semen type I was characterized by high sperm densities and low numbers of spermatids and semen type II had lower sperm densities and higher numbers of spermatids. Two semen types did not differ in motility and fertility (when adjusted for differences in sperm density). During storage, the sperm viability was influenced by the sodium concentration of the storage medium, temperature, membrane stabilizers as bovine serum albumen (BSA) or hen egg yolk, antibiotics and oxygen. Semen viability was maintained best when it was diluted at a ratio of 1:5 in storage solution (150 mmol L−1 NaCl, 2.5 mmol L−1 KCl, 1 mmol L−1 CaCl2, 1 mmol L−1 MgSO4, 20 mmol L−1 Tris (pH 8.5) and 0.5% BSA or 0.5% hen egg yolk) and stored at 4 °C. Oxygen gassing and addition of antibiotics (1 mg mL−1 gentamycine sulphate) to the storage solution affected the two semen types in different ways. Antibiotics had no effect on type I semen, but had a positive effect on type II semen. Oxygen gassing had a positive effect on type I semen but a negative effect on type II semen.
The self‐incompatibility response in Papaver rhoeas is mediated by cytosolic free calcium

The role of Ca2+ signalling during the self-incompatibility (SI) response in Papaver rhoeas L. has been investigated using Ca2+-sensitive dyes. Pollen tubes were micro-injected with Calcium Green-1 and cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) imaged using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Addition of incompatible stigmatic S-glycoproteins induced a transient increase in the level of [Ca2+]i in pollen tubes. In contrast, no rise in [Ca2+]i was detectable after addition of either compatible or heat-denatured incompatible stigmatic S-glycoproteins. The elevation of [Ca2+]i was followed by the specific inhibition of pollen tube growth in incompatible reactions. It has been shown previously that gene expression in pollen tubes is switched on during an incompatible reaction. Since the [Ca2+]i transient appeared to originate from the region where the nuclei are located, Ca2+ may be involved in locally regulating the expression of these genes. The photoactivation of caged Ca2+ to artificially elevate [Ca2+]i resulted in the inhibition of pollen tube growth and thus mimicked the SI response. Taken together, the results provide an important link between a transient rise in [Ca2+]i and the biological phenomenon of inhibition of pollen tube growth and demonstrate, for the first time, direct evidence that the SI response in P. rhoeas is mediated by [Ca2+]i.
Effects of fatty acid and phosphorus content of food on the growth, survival and reproduction ofDaphnia

1. Mixtures of microencapsulated lipids and Scenedesmus quadricauda grown at different degrees of P limitation were used as food for Daphnia galeata in two growth experiments. Thereby, food quality in terms of ω3-fatty acid (ω3-FA) or phosphorus (P) content could be assessed without interference from other factors. 2. ω3-highly unsaturated fatty acids (ω3-HUFA), given to Daphnia as fish oil or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) together with non P-limited algae, decreased the time to first reproduction. When fed fish oil, somatic growth and survival were also enhanced. Linolenic acid also decreased the time to first reproduction but to a lesser extent than EPA. 3. Food quality depended to a large extent on the degree of P limitation of Scenedesmus, which is consistent with P limitation of Daphnia. The overall impact of P was always larger than the effect of ω3-FA. Growth, survival and reproduction were elevated when Daphnia were fed non P-limited Scenedesmus compared to treatments with P-limited algae. 4. The relative importance of ω3-HUFA and P content in the food changed over a C : P gradient, with stronger effects of ω3-HUFA at low C : P ratios.
Interleukin‐1β Induces Cyclooxygenase‐2 and Prostaglandin E2 Synthesis in Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Abstract: Prostaglandins (PGs), which are generated by the enzymatic activity of cyclooxygenase (COX)‐1 and ‐2, modulate several functions in the CNS such as the generation of fever, the sleep/wake cycle, and the perception of pain. Moreover, the neuronal induction of COX‐2 has been linked to neuroinflammatory aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The regulation of COX expression in neuronal cells is only partly understood and has been mainly linked to synaptic activity. In pathophysiological situations, however, cytokines may be potent stimulators of neuronal COX expression. Here we show that interleukin (IL)‐1β induces COX‐2 mRNA and protein synthesis and the release of PGE2 in the human neuroblastoma cell line SK‐N‐SH. We further demonstrate that both a free radical scavenger and an inhibitor of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) reduce IL‐1β‐induced synthesis of COX‐2. IL‐1β induces p38 MAPK phosphorylation and activation of the nuclear factor‐κB independently from each other. Our data suggest that IL‐1β‐induced COX‐2 expression in SK‐N‐SH cells is regulated by different mechanisms, presumably involving mRNA transcription and mRNA stability. The ability of p38 MAPK to augment COX‐2 expression in human neuroblastoma cells, as shown here, suggests that p38 MAPK may be involved in neuronal expression of COX‐2 in AD.
Frutos de goiaba (Psidium guayava L.): desenvolvimento e extração de nutrientes

An orchard of guava (Psidium guayava L.) located in Alianca, SP, Brazil, had its fruits picked up at 15 to 90 days of age, in 15-day intervals. The soil was an Ultisol and the three varieties studied were: Okawa n° 2, Pedro Sato and Kumagai. The fruits were dried, weighed, grounded and analysed for all the macronutrients and for the micronutrients B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. The highest fruit weights were obtained at 60 days of age for the Pedro Sato and Kumagai varieties, whereas the same happened at 75 days for the Okawa n° 2 variety. Fruits harvested from Pedro Sato and Kumagai plants removed more nutrients than those from Okawa n° 2 plants. The three varieties removed macronutrients in the following increasing order: Mg, Ca, P, S, N and K. Among the micronutrients, B, Zn and Fe had the highest amounts removed by fruits, whereas Cu had the lowest.
Current status of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for immune/inflammatory lung disorders: Gleaning insights for possible use in COVID‐19

The broad immunomodulatory properties of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have allowed for wide application in regenerative medicine as well as immune/inflammatory diseases, including unmatched allogeneic use. The novel coronavirus disease COVID‐19 has unleashed a pandemic in record time accompanied by an alarming mortality rate mainly due to pulmonary injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Because there are no effective preventive or curative therapies currently, MSC therapy (MSCT) has emerged as a possible candidate despite the lack of preclinical data of MSCs for COVID‐19. Interestingly, MSCT preclinical data specifically on immune/inflammatory disorders of the lungs were among the earliest to be reported in 2003, with the first clinical use of MSCT for graft‐vs‐host disease reported in 2004. Since these first reports, preclinical data showing beneficial effects of MSC immunomodulation have accumulated substantially, and as a consequence, over a third of MSCT clinical trials now target immune/inflammatory diseases. There is much preclinical evidence for MSCT in noninfectious—including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis—as well as infectious bacterial immune/inflammatory lung disorders, with data generally demonstrating therapeutic effects; however, for infectious viral pulmonary conditions, the preclinical evidence is more scarce with some inconsistent outcomes. In this article, we review the mechanistic evidence for clinical use of MSCs in pulmonary immune/inflammatory disorders, and survey the ongoing clinical trials—including for COVID‐19—of MSCT for these diseases, with some perspectives and comment on MSCT for COVID‐19.
HIV infects astrocytes in vivo and egresses from the brain to the periphery

HIV invades the brain during acute infection. Yet, it is unknown whether long-lived infected brain cells release productive virus that can egress from the brain to re-seed peripheral organs. This understanding has significant implication for the brain as a reservoir for HIV and most importantly HIV interplay between the brain and peripheral organs. Given the sheer number of astrocytes in the human brain and their controversial role in HIV infection, we evaluated their infection in vivo and whether HIV infected astrocytes can support HIV egress to peripheral organs. We developed two novel models of chimeric human astrocyte/human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: NOD/scid-IL-2Rgc null (NSG) mice (huAstro/HuPBMCs) whereby we transplanted HIV (non-pseudotyped or VSVg-pseudotyped) infected or uninfected primary human fetal astrocytes (NHAs) or an astrocytoma cell line (U138MG) into the brain of neonate or adult NSG mice and reconstituted the animals with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We also transplanted uninfected astrocytes into the brain of NSG mice and reconstituted with infected PBMCs to mimic a biological infection course. As expected, the xenotransplanted astrocytes did not escape/migrate out of the brain and the blood brain barrier (BBB) was intact in this model. We demonstrate that astrocytes support HIV infection in vivo and egress to peripheral organs, at least in part, through trafficking of infected CD4+ T cells out of the brain. Astrocyte-derived HIV egress persists, albeit at low levels, under combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Egressed HIV evolved with a pattern and rate typical of acute peripheral infection. Lastly, analysis of human cortical or hippocampal brain regions of donors under cART revealed that astrocytes harbor between 0.4–5.2% integrated HIV gag DNA and 2–7% are HIV gag mRNA positive. These studies establish a paradigm shift in the dynamic interaction between the brain and peripheral organs which can inform eradication of HIV reservoirs.
Dietary generalism accelerates arrival and persistence of coral‐reef fishes in their novel ranges under climate change

Climate change is redistributing marine and terrestrial species globally. Life‐history traits mediate the ability of species to cope with novel environmental conditions, and can be used to gauge the potential redistribution of taxa facing the challenges of a changing climate. However, it is unclear whether the same traits are important across different stages of range shifts (arrival, population increase, persistence). To test which life‐history traits most mediate the process of range extension, we used a 16‐year dataset of 35 range‐extending coral‐reef fish species and quantified the importance of various traits on the arrival time (earliness) and degree of persistence (prevalence and patchiness) at higher latitudes. We show that traits predisposing species to shift their range more rapidly (large body size, broad latitudinal range, long dispersal duration) did not drive the early stages of redistribution. Instead, we found that as diet breadth increased, the initial arrival and establishment (prevalence and patchiness) of climate migrant species in temperate locations occurred earlier. While the initial incursion of range‐shifting species depends on traits associated with dispersal potential, subsequent establishment hinges more on a species’ ability to exploit novel food resources locally. These results highlight that generalist species that can best adapt to novel food sources might be most successful in a future ocean.
Ecometabolomics for a Better Understanding of Plant Responses and Acclimation to Abiotic Factors Linked to Global Change

The number of ecometabolomic studies, which use metabolomic analyses to disentangle organisms’ metabolic responses and acclimation to a changing environment, has grown exponentially in recent years. Here, we review the results and conclusions of ecometabolomic studies on the impacts of four main drivers of global change (increasing frequencies of drought episodes, heat stress, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and increasing nitrogen (N) loads) on plant metabolism. Ecometabolomic studies of drought effects confirmed findings of previous target studies, in which most changes in metabolism are characterized by increased concentrations of soluble sugars and carbohydrate derivatives and frequently also by elevated concentrations of free amino acids. Secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids and terpenes, also commonly exhibited increased concentrations when drought intensified. Under heat and increasing N loads, soluble amino acids derived from glutamate and glutamine were the most responsive metabolites. Foliar metabolic responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations were dominated by greater production of monosaccharides and associated synthesis of secondary metabolites, such as terpenes, rather than secondary metabolites synthesized along longer sugar pathways involving N-rich precursor molecules, such as those formed from cyclic amino acids and along the shikimate pathway. We suggest that breeding for crop genotypes tolerant to drought and heat stress should be based on their capacity to increase the concentrations of C-rich compounds more than the concentrations of smaller N-rich molecules, such as amino acids. This could facilitate rapid and efficient stress response by reducing protein catabolism without compromising enzymatic capacity or increasing the requirement for re-transcription and de novo biosynthesis of proteins.
Staying Connected In The COVID-19 Pandemic: Telehealth At The Largest Safety-Net System In The United States.

NYC Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) is the largest safety net health care delivery system in the United States. Prior to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, NYC H+H served over one million patients, including the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and billed fewer than 500 telehealth visits monthly. Once the pandemic struck, we established a strategy to allow us to continue to serve existing patients and treat the surge of new patients. Starting in March 2020 we were able to transform the system using virtual care platforms through which we conducted almost 83,000 billable televisits in one month and more than 30,000 behavioral health encounters via telephone and video. Telehealth also enabled us to support patient-family communication, post-discharge follow-up, and palliative care for COVID-19 patients. Expanded Medicaid coverage and insurance reimbursement for telehealth played a pivotal role in this transformation. As we move to a new blend of virtual and in-person care, it is vital that the major regulatory and insurance changes undergirding our COVID-19 telehealth response be sustained to protect access for our most vulnerable patients. [Editor's Note: This Fast Track Ahead Of Print article is the accepted version of the manuscript. The final edited version will appear in an upcoming issue of Health Affairs. ].
A comparative evaluation of genome assemblers from long-read sequencing for plants and crops.

The availability of recent state-of-the-art long-read sequencing technologies has significantly increased the ease and speed of producing high-quality plant genome assemblies. A wide variety of genome-related software tools are now available and they are typically benchmarked using microbial or model eukaryotic genomes such as Arabidopsis and rice. However, many plant species have much larger and more complex genomes than these and the choice of which tools, parameters, and/or strategies to use is not always obvious. Thus, we have compared the metrics of assemblies generated by various pipelines to discuss how assembly quality can be affected by two different assembly strategies. First, we focused on optimising read pre-processing and assembler variables using eight different de novo assemblers on five different Pacific Biosciences long-read datasets of diploid and tetraploid species. Then we examined a single scaffolding tool (quickmerge) that has been employed for the post-processing step. Finally, we merged the outputs from multiple assemblies to produce a higher quality consensus assembly. Then, we benchmarked the assemblies for completeness and accuracy (assembly metrics and BUSCO), computer memory and CPU times. Two lightweight assemblers, Miniasm/Minimap/Racon and WTDBG, were deemed good for novice users because they involved smaller required learning curves and light computational resources. However, two heavyweight tools, CANU and Flye, should be the first choice when the goal is to achieve accurate and complete assemblies. Our results will provide valuable guidance in future plant genome projects and beyond.
Association between vitamin D deficiency and fragility fractures in Chinese elderly patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and increases the risk of fractures. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Asian populations, however, research focusing on the association between vitamin D deficiency and osteoporotic hip fractures, particularly in Chinese populations is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and osteoporotic hip fractures in elderly Chinese patients. METHODS This cross-sectional study recruited 60 patients (aged 65 years and over) who had hip fractures. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were examined using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The patients were classified into two groups based on their bone mineral density (BMD); subjects with osteoporosis (BMD t value ≤-2.5) and individuals without osteoporosis (BMD t value ≥-1.0). Serum 25OHD was further analyzed in these two groups. RESULTS Across all of the patients with hip fractures, approximately 10% showed vitamin D deficiency, and a further 53.33% showed vitamin D. insufficiency. Furthermore, of the patients with hip fractures, those with osteoporosis had significantly lower levels of serum 25OHD (25.43±6.35 ng/mL) compared to those patients without osteoporosis (30.70±7.17 ng/mL). The incidence of vitamin D insufficiency (66.67%) and deficiency (16.67%) was higher in the patients with osteoporosis than in those without osteoporosis (insufficiency 44.44% and deficiency 5.56%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our study confirmed a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in elderly patients with hip fractures in China. Our data suggests that vitamin D plays an important role in the occurrence of hip fractures in these elderly patients, and especially where patients also suffer from osteoporosis.
A Cross-International Study to Evaluate Knowledge and Attitudes Related to Basic Life Support among Undergraduate Nursing Students—A Questionnaire Study

Practicing the algorithms of basic life support (BLS) is essential in order to take adequate measures to save lives, and future nursing staff should be advanced when it comes to performing lifesaving activities. The purpose of the study was to analyse the theoretical and practical knowledge of nursing students (within the undergraduate course) with regards to the basic life support (BLS). The study has a prospective, comparative and descriptive nature. Three countries that educate nursing students within the undergraduate course participated in the project. Data was collected with the use of a questionnaire based on the guidelines of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC 2015). The study was carried out among a total of 748 respondents from three countries: Poland (n = 189, 25.3%), Lithuania (n = 500, 66.8%) and Spain (n = 59; 7.9%). The average age of respondents was 23.41 (SD ± 5.90). The average score obtained by the respondents who answered the questions was 11.13 with a standard deviation of SD ± 2.29. The conducted study revealed that a substantial number of the respondents who participated in the study obtained an average result concerning theoretical and practical knowledge of BLS. It was also confirmed that the additional education in the form of first aid training courses has a major impact on improving the levels of knowledge among the students in each of the analysed country.
Growth of Subtidal Laminaria groenlandica in Southeastern Alaska Related to Season and Depth

Laminaria groenlandica showed distinct seasonal cycles of growth in length and width, and in increase in weight per unit area of the blades. The two cycles differ in timing. Blades of both shallow and deep plants increased in length and width between January and June, with a peak rate of increase in late March and early April. In contrast, blades increased in weight per unit area between June and September, with significantly greater increases in plants at 3 m than in plants at 10 m. There are also clear morphological differences between plants in the upper and in the extreme lower depth range. In the upper depth range, the plants have long, flattened stipes with clearly defined mucilage ducts, and wide, thick, bullate blades. In the extreme lower depth range, the plants have short, terete stipes with mucilage ducts seldom discernible, and narrow, thin non bullate blades. Spores first appeared on shallow plants in early May. Most larger plants at all depths were fertile by September.