Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis and shedding of Usutu virus in juvenile chickens

ABSTRACT Usutu virus (USUV; family: Flaviviridae, genus: Flavivirus), is an emerging zoonotic arbovirus that causes severe neuroinvasive disease in humans and has been implicated in the loss of breeding bird populations in Europe. USUV is maintained in an enzootic cycle between ornithophilic mosquitos and wild birds. As a member of the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex, USUV is closely related to West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), both neuroinvasive arboviruses endemic in wild bird populations in the United States. An avian model for USUV is essential to understanding zoonotic transmission. Here we describe the first avian models of USUV infection with the development of viremia. Juvenile commercial ISA Brown chickens were susceptible to infection by multiple USUV strains with evidence of cardiac lesions. Juvenile chickens from two chicken lines selected for high (HAS) or low (LAS) antibody production against sheep red blood cells showed markedly different responses to USUV infection. Morbidity and mortality were observed in the LAS chickens, but not HAS chickens. LAS chickens had significantly higher viral titers in blood and other tissues, as well as oral secretions, and significantly lower development of neutralizing antibody responses compared to HAS chickens. Mathematical modelling of virus-host interactions showed that the viral clearance rate is a stronger mitigating factor for USUV viremia than neutralizing antibody response in this avian model. These chicken models provide a tool for further understanding USUV pathogenesis in birds and evaluating transmission dynamics between avian hosts and mosquito vectors.
Effect of continuous nursing on nursing quality and patient quality of life and satisfaction among children with pneumonia

Objective In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of continuous nursing care on children with pneumonia, including patient survival and quality of life. Methods We included 90 children with pneumonia who were admitted to our hospital from May 2017 to June 20, 2017. We established two patient groups (45 children per group); the routine group received general care and the continuous group received continuous nursing care. We observed the correlation among nursing effectiveness, clinical symptom improvement, quality of life, satisfaction, and complications. Results Our results showed that effectiveness in the continuous care group was 95.55%, significantly higher than that in the routine group (75.55%). Duration of hypothermia (1.75 ± 0.65 days), time to cough remission (4.24 ± 1.12 days), time to rale remission (4.15 ± 0.89 days), and time to remission of shortness of breath (2.65 ± 0.65 days) in the continuous group was shorter than those in the routine group. The incidence of total complications in the continuous group was 8.89%, which was significantly lower than that in the routine group (26.67%). The continuous care group showed greater improvement after intervention. Conclusion Continuous care in children with pneumonia can help to reduce illness severity, pain, heart and lung failure, and serve to avoid medical disputes.
miR156/157 targets SPLs to regulate flowering transition, plant architecture and flower organ size in petunia.

miR156/157 plays multiple pivotal roles during plant growth and development. In this study, we identified 11 miR156- and 5 miR157-encoding loci from the genome of P. axillaris and P. inflata, designated as PaMIR0156/157s and PiMIR0156/157s, respectively. qPCR analysis indicated that PhmiR156/157 was expressed predominantly in cotyledons, germinating seeds, flower buds, young fruits, and seedlings. PhmiR156/157 levels declined in shoot apical buds and leaves of petunia before flowering as the plant ages, moreover, the temporal expression patterns of most miR156/157-targeted PhSPLs were complementary to that of PhmiR156/157. Ectopic expression of PhMIR0157a in Arabidopsis and petunia resulted in delayed flowering, dwarf plant stature, increased branches, and reduced organ size. However, PhMIR0156f-overexpressing Arabidopsis and petunia plants showed only delayed flowering. In addition, down-regulation of PhmiR156/157 level by overexpressing STTM156/157 led to higher plant, less branches, longer internodes, and precocious flowering. qPCR analysis indicated that PhmiR156/157 modulates these traits mainly via down-regulating their PhSPL targets and subsequently decreasing the expression of flowering regulatory genes. Our results demonstrated that PhmiR156/157-PhSPL module has conserved but also divergent functions in the growth and development, which will help us deciphering the genetic basis for improvement of flower transition, plant architecture and organ development in petunia.
Calcitonin-secreting neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Calcitonin-secreting neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung are rare, with few cases reported in the literature. Differentiating between medullary thyroid carcinoma and an ectopic source of calcitonin secretion can represent a complex diagnostic conundrum for managing physicians, with cases of unnecessary thyroidectomy reported in the literature. This manuscript reports a case of ectopic hypercalcitonaemia from a metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasm of the lung with concurrent thyroid pathology and summarises the results of a systematic review of the literature. Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Excerpta Medica, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov and SCOPUS databases were systematically and critically appraised for all peer reviewed manuscripts that suitably fulfilled the inclusion criteria established a priori. The protocol for this systematic review was developed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols, and followed methods outlined in The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. This systematic review is registered with PROSPERO. It is vital to consider diagnoses other than medullary thyroid carcinoma when presented with a patient with raised calcitonin, as it is not pathognomonic of medullary thyroid carcinoma. Lung neuroendocrine neoplasms can appear similar to medullary thyroid carcinoma histologically, they can secrete calcitonin and metastasize to the thyroid. Patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma may show stimulated calcitonin values over two or more times above the basal values, whereas calcitonin-secreting neuroendocrine neoplasms may or may not show response to stimulation tests. The present review summarises existing evidence from cases of ectopic hypercalcitonaemia to lung neuroendocrine neoplasms.
Estimation of Filter Cake Thickness for Water-based Drilling Fluids

Abstract It is obvious that estimation of filter cake thickness is one of the important parameters in drilling operations. In this study, dynamic filtration data was used to determine the filter cake thickness. Predictions were made through linear filtration cake model by using dynamic filtration experimental data. Linear filtration model can be used to approximate radial filtration model; only the thickness of the filter and filter cake is sufficiently smaller than the radius of the filter surface exposed to slurry. It was observed that the thickness of the filter cake at dynamic conditions is less than that of static conditions since there is no continuous deposition due to erosion effects at dynamic conditions.
High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Diclofenac Sodium from Pharmaceutical Preparation

AbstractA simple and rapid HPLC procedure is described for the assay of diclofenac sodium from pharmaceutical preparation. The assay was carried out on a stainless steel column of microbondapak CN (30 cm × 3.9 min I.D.) at ambient temperature using methanol and acetate buffer solution o f pH-3.7 in the ratio of 65:35 as the mobile phase, with UV detection at 280 nm. The elution was performed at the flow rate of 1ml/min.
Possible favorable lifestyle changes owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic among middle-aged Japanese women: An ancillary survey of the TRF-Japan study using the original “Taberhythm” smartphone app

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a global effect on people’s lifestyles. Many people have become physically inactive and developed irregular eating patterns, which leads to unhealthier lifestyles and aggravation of lifestyle-related diseases; these in turn increase the severity of COVID-19. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a smartphone application called “Taberhythm” to investigate eating patterns, physical activity, and subjective feelings of happiness. We aimed to compare lifestyle data before and during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to objectively assess lifestyle changes during quarantine. A total of 464 smartphone users (346 women, 35 ± 12 years old, body mass index [BMI] 23.4 ± 4.5) participated in Period A (January 7 to April 28, 2019) and 622 smartphone users (533 women, 32 ± 11 years old, BMI 23.3 ± 4.0) participated in Period B (January 6 to April 26, 2020). Compared with Period A, there was a sharp decline in physical activity during Period B (4642 ± 3513 vs. 3814 ± 3529 steps/day, p<0.001), especially during the final 9 weeks in both periods (4907 ± 3908 vs. 3528 ± 3397 steps/day, p<0.001); however, there were large variations in physical activity among participants. We found a surprising trend during Period B toward increased happiness among women aged 30–50 years, the group most affected by stay-at-home policies that led to working from home and school closure. Moreover, daily eating duration declined in this population. Additionally, there was a positive association of happiness with steps per day in Period B (ρ = 0.38, p = 0.02). Despite the many negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, subjective feelings of happiness among middle-aged Japanese women tended to increase, which indicates that some favorable lifestyle changes that could be adopted during quarantine in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
N-Methyl Morpholine Chlorochromate: An Efficient Reagent for Oxidation of Primary and Secondary Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds

Abstract Instantaneous generation of N-methyl morpholine chlorochromate (NMMCC) is an efficient reagent for oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds. The comparison of reaction time and product yield was studied with novel NMMCC and other chlorochromate reagents and shows that the presented method requires less reaction time with good yield at laboratory temperature. The synthesis of reagent, formation of toxic and hazardous chromylchloride have been avoided, and also use of NMMCC under microwave irradiation for oxidation leads to fast reaction time and success of the strategy.
Osteopontin’s relationship with malnutrition and oxidative stress in adolescents. A pilot study

Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein involved in inflammatory illnesses such as fibrosis and cancer; its overexpression in cardiovascular diseases promotes the biomineralization of blood vessels and other soft tissues. Moreover, there is an active component of oxidative stress related with those diseases. The present study relates serum OPN levels with nutritional condition and oxidative stress in a group of adolescents. Anthropometric measurements were performed, and fasting blood samples were analyzed to determine OPN concentrations, blood chemistry parameters (glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, urea, uric acid, and creatinine) and oxidative stress biomarkers (Paraoxonase-1, Glutathione S-Transferase, Catalase, NAD(P)H Quinone Oxidoreductase, free carbonyl groups and malondialdehyde). Adolescents were categorized according to body mass index (BMI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) criteria. We found increased OPN serum concentrations in overweight and obese adolescents, as well as in adolescents with MetS. Rises in OPN correlated with arm circumference and biomarkers of lipid peroxidation; with regard to serum glucose there was a trend to positive correlation. Our results suggest that serum OPN is associated to nutritional status and could be considered as an early biomarker of low-grade inflammation and probably the early biomineralization of soft tissues in adolescence.
Hypopigmented burn hypertrophic scar contains melanocytes that can be signaled to re-pigment by synthetic alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone in vitro

There are limited treatments for dyschromia in burn hypertrophic scars (HTSs). Initial work in Duroc pig models showed that regions of scar that are light or dark have equal numbers of melanocytes. This study aims to confirm melanocyte presence in regions of hypo- and hyper-pigmentation in an animal model and patient samples. In a Duroc pig model, melanocyte presence was confirmed using en face staining. Patients with dyschromic HTSs had demographic, injury details, and melanin indices collected. Punch biopsies were taken of regions of hyper-, hypo-, or normally pigmented scar and skin. Biopsies were processed to obtain epidermal sheets (ESs). A subset of ESs were en face stained with melanocyte marker, S100β. Melanocytes were isolated from a different subset. Melanocytes were treated with NDP α-MSH, a pigmentation stimulator. mRNA was isolated from cells, and was used to evaluate gene expression of melanin-synthetic genes. In patient and pig scars, regions of hyper-, hypo-, and normal pigmentation had significantly different melanin indices. S100β en face staining showed that regions of hyper- and hypo-pigmentation contained the same number of melanocytes, but these cells had different dendricity/activity. Treatment of hypo-pigmented melanocytes with NDP α-MSH produced melanin by microscopy. Melanin-synthetic genes were upregulated in treated cells over controls. While traditionally it may be thought that hypopigmented regions of burn HTS display this phenotype because of the absence of pigment-producing cells, these data show that inactive melanocytes are present in these scar regions. By treating with a pigment stimulator, cells can be induced to re-pigment.
Can in vivo confocal microscopy differentiate between sub‐types of dry eye disease? A review

Many studies utilised in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) to associate variations in corneal structures with dry eye disease (DED). However, DED is an umbrella term that covers various aetiologies and presentations. This review analyses populations by DED aetiology to determine the relationships between IVCM parameters and specific DED sub‐types. It focuses on the most commonly examined structures, sub‐basal nerves and dendritic cells. Across the literature, most studies found individuals with immune‐mediated DED had lower sub‐basal nerve fibre number and density than controls, with smaller differences between non‐immune DED and controls. However, wide ranges of values reported across studies demonstrate considerable overlap between DED sub‐types and controls, rendering these metrics less helpful when diagnosing an individual patient. Dendritic cell density was considerably higher in individuals with immune‐mediated DED than in non‐immune DED or controls. As such, dendritic cell density may be a better indicator of DED associated with a systemic immune‐mediated process.
Short-term effects of the COVID-19 state of emergency on contraceptive access and utilization in Mozambique

The COVID-19 pandemic has increasingly disrupted the global delivery of preventive health care services, as a large number of governments have issued state of emergency orders halting service delivery. However, there is limited evidence on the realized effects of the pandemic and associated emergency orders on access to services in low-income country contexts to date. To address this gap, this paper analyzes administrative data on utilization of contraceptive health services by women referred via community health promoters in two large urban and peri-urban areas of Mozambique. We focus on the period immediately surrounding the national state of emergency declaration linked to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 31, 2020. Data reported for 109,129 women served by 132 unique promoters and 192 unique public health facilities is analyzed using logistic regression, interrupted time series analysis and hazard analysis. The results demonstrate that the imposition of the state of emergency is associated with a modest short-term drop in both service provision and utilization, followed by a relatively rapid rebound. We conclude that in this context, the accessibility of reproductive health services was not dramatically reduced during the first phase of the pandemic-related emergency.
Routine application of ex vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy with digital staining for examination of surgical margins in basal cell carcinomas

Ex vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) allows histologic examination of native tissue based on tissue reflection and nuclear fluorescence staining. The newly introduced digital staining process almost perfectly mimics conventional hematoxylin and eosin (HE) slides. The aim was to evaluate the new method in clinical routine, with regard to quality of findings and time requirements, in the examination of surgical margins of basal cell carcinomas.
Complement and kidney disease, new insights

Purpose of review In this review, we discuss recent studies showing the importance of the complement pathway in kidney disease. Recent findings Recent findings in C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) include: acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis is characterised by the presence of antifactor B antibodies; human leukocyte antigen type, but not rare complement gene variation, is associated with primary immunoglobulin-associated membranoproliferative GN and C3G. Immunohistochemistry in C3G shows that factor H related protein 5 (FHR5) is the most prevalent complement protein and correlates with kidney function. A multicentre study supported the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in C3G even after a propensity matching analysis. In immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) several studies have emphasised the importance of complement. Imbalances of circulating FH and FHR1 and FHR5, which interfere with the regulatory functions of FH, associate with IgAN. Immunohistochemistry has shown associations between glomerular FHR5 deposition and C3 activation; glomerular FHR5 associated with clinical markers of IgAN severity. Data also suggest the lectin complement pathway contributes to IgAN severity. We also discuss complement activation in thrombotic microangiopathy and other kidney diseases. Summary Complement activity can be detected in a wide range of kidney diseases and this provides pathogenic insight and potential for therapy with the ongoing development of several drugs directed at complement activation.
Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Adults with Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms

ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess demographic, clinical, and injury characteristics associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults with persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS). Methods: Adults with PPCS presenting to a specialized brain injury clinic completed demographic, injury, and clinical outcome questionnaires at the initial clinic assessment. Clinical outcome measures were collected including the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). HRQOL was measured using the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) questionnaire. Stepwise hierarchical multiple regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, and months since injury was used to determine associations between quality of life and clinical outcome measures. Results: Overall, 125 participants were included. The PHQ-9, FSS, and GAD-7 were significant predictors of QOLIBRI scores (R2 = 0.481, p < .001), indicating that participants with higher levels of depressive symptoms, fatigue, and anxiety reported poorer HRQOL. The PHQ-9 score was the strongest predictor, accounting for 42.0% of the variance in QOLIBRI scores. No demographic or injury characteristics significantly predicted QOLIBRI scores. There was a high prevalence of depressive symptoms with 72.8% of participants having PHQ-9 scores ≥ 10. Conclusion: Among patients with PPCS, mental health and fatigue are important contributors to HRQOL. As there is a high burden of mood disorders and fatigue in this population, targeted treatments for these concerns may impact the quality of life.
On 3-periodic minimal surfaces with non-cubic symmetry

A list of those 547 group-subgroup pairs of space groups is given which are not incompatible with balance surfaces for symmetry reasons. The symmetry conditions that have to be fulfilled by all balance surfaces are tabulated in addition. Two kinds of non-cubic minimal balance surfaces have been derived completely: (1) 7 families of minimal balance surfaces which may be generated by skew circuits of 2-fold axes that are disk-like spanned, (2) 7 families of minimal balance surfaces which may be generated by pairs of parallel flat circuits of 2-fold axes that are catenoid-like spanned.
Recovery from forward masking in cochlear implant listeners: Effects of age and the electrode-neuron interface.

Older adults exhibit deficits in auditory temporal processing relative to younger listeners. These age-related temporal processing difficulties may be further exacerbated in older adults with cochlear implant (CIs) when CI electrodes poorly interface with their target auditory neurons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential interaction between chronological age and the estimated quality of the electrode-neuron interface (ENI) on psychophysical forward masking recovery, a measure that reflects single-channel temporal processing abilities. Fourteen CI listeners (age 15 to 88 years) with Advanced Bionics devices participated. Forward masking recovery was assessed on two channels in each ear (i.e., the channels with the lowest and highest signal detection thresholds). Results indicated that the rate of forward masking recovery declined with advancing age, and that the effect of age was more pronounced on channels estimated to interface poorly with the auditory nerve. These findings indicate that the quality of the ENI can influence the time course of forward masking recovery for older CI listeners. Channel-to-channel variability in the ENI likely interacts with central temporal processing deficits secondary to auditory aging, warranting further study of programming and rehabilitative approaches tailored to older listeners.