Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical outcomes and inflammatory marker levels in patients with Covid-19 and obesity at an inner-city safety net hospital

Objectives Patients with Covid-19 and obesity have worse clinical outcomes which may be driven by increased inflammation. This study aimed to characterize the association between clinical outcomes in patients with obesity and inflammatory markers. Methods We analyzed data for patients aged ≥18 years admitted with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. We used multivariate logistic regression to determine the association between BMI and intensive care unit (ICU) transfer and all-cause mortality. Inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], ferritin, and D-dimer) were compared between patients with and without obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2). Results Of 791 patients with Covid-19, 361 (45.6%) had obesity. In multivariate analyses, BMI ≥35 was associated with a higher odds of ICU transfer (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.388 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.074–5.310) and hospital mortality (aOR = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.69–10.82). Compared to those with BMI<30, patients with obesity had lower ferritin (444 vs 637 ng/mL; p<0.001) and lower D-dimer (293 vs 350 mcg/mL; p = 0.009), non-significant differences in CRP (72.8 vs 84.1 mg/L, p = 0.099), and higher LDH (375 vs 340, p = 0.009) on the first hospital day. Conclusions Patients with obesity were more likely to have poor outcomes even without increased inflammation.
Comparison between Xylazine-Tiletamine-Zolazepam and Fentanyl-Tiletamine- Zolazepam Anaesthetic Combinations on Plasma Oxidative Status in Sheep

Aydilek N. : Comparison between Xylazine-Tiletamine-Zolazepam and Fentanyl-TiletamineZolazepam Anaesthetic Combinations on Plasma Oxidative Status in Sheep. Acta Vet. Brno 2007, 76: 573-578. It is important to determine varying effects of anaesthetics agents. One of the adverse effects of general anaesthetics are the exogenous sources of reactive oxygen species. In this study, the effects of xylazine-tiletamine-zolazepam (XTZ) and fentanyl-tiletamine-zolazepam (FTZ) combinations on plasma oxidant-antioxidant indicators were compared in sheep. Ten ewes received two different anaesthetic combinations in a ten-day interval. XTZ group was injected with xylazine and tiletamine-zolazepam. FTZ group was injected with fentanyl and tiletamine-zolazepam. Blood samples were collected before and at the 30, 60, 120 min, 24 h and 3 days after anaesthesia. Both anaesthetic regimens caused an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in plasma. The MDA concentrations at 60, 120 min and 24 h in the XTZ group were significantly higher than in the FTZ group. Glutathione (GSH) concentration at 30, 60, 120 min and 24 h was significantly lower than baseline values in XTZ group, while there was only a decrease at 120 min in the FTZ group. GSH concentrations in the XTZ group were significantly lower at 60 and 120 min compared with the FTZ group. Beta carotene concentration was decreased at 120 min and 24 h in the XTZ group, while it decreased only at 120 min in the FTZ group. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities decreased at 120 min and 24 h only in the XTZ group. There were no significant differences in -carotene concentration, activities CAT and GSH-Px activities between groups. In conclusion, both XTZ and FTZ anaesthetic regimens induced oxidative stress in sheep. XTZ combination has more detrimental effect than FTZ combinations on particularly MDA and GSH concentrations. Therefore, FTZ anaesthetic combination is considered to be more suitable for sheep anaesthesia, due to less deteriorating effects on oxidant/antioxidant balance.
Anaphylaxis: Five Years’ Experience in the Emergency Rooms of Five University Hospitals in Korea

Background: Anaphylaxis is an allergic disease that requires special handling due to its potential fatality. Recent epidemiological data indicate that the incidence of anaphylaxis is rising. However, actual data on the prevalence or causes of anaphylaxis in Korea are limited. Methods: The emergency room attendees diagnosed with anaphylaxis between 2011 and 2015 in five university hospitals were included. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively. Results: During the 5 years, a total of 505 subjects were diagnosed with anaphylaxis. Respiratory presentations were more common in children than in adults, while adults presented more frequently with cardiovascular symptoms. Intraoral angioedema was more often observed in the countryside than in the city. Insect stings/bites were more common in the countryside than in the city. Drugs were much more common in adults than in children. In the countryside, the frequency of anaphylaxis was higher in summer and autumn than in spring and winter. The use of corticosteroids was less common in children than in adults, while children more frequently got treatment with inhaled beta 2 agonist. Conclusions: The principal causes of anaphylaxis in Korean patients were food, drugs, and stings/bites. The cause, clinical features and management of anaphylaxis were significantly different depending on age and region. These real-world data on anaphylaxis could be helpful to deepen that understanding of this condition for physicians and patients.
Implementation of interventions designed to promote healthy sleep and circadian rhythms in shiftworkers

ABSTRACT Shiftwork is a significant risk factor for a host of negative health and safety outcomes, which have been at least partly attributed to disturbances of the circadian timing system. As a result, an entire sub-field of chronobiology has been devoted to developing and evaluating countermeasures for circadian misalignment, sleep disruption, fatigue, and other issues associated with shiftwork. Much of this research takes place under highly controlled laboratory conditions due to the necessity of accurately characterizing individual rhythms, both for intervention design and assessment of efficacy. Applied studies of interventions for shiftworkers are, by their nature, more complicated, often demonstrating less consistent findings. While this, in part, reflects execution under less rigorously controlled conditions, it may also stem from variability in implementation approaches. A systematic review of published studies (through May 2017) of interventions designed to enhance circadian health in shiftworkers was conducted to determine the frequency and quality of the assessment of implementation as well as barriers and enablers to implementation. A search of PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases yielded a total of 5368 unique references. After a title and abstract screen, 323 proceeded to full-text review; 68 of those met final criteria for data extraction. Implementation was assessed to some degree in 60.3% of those 68 articles. Where it was assessed, the mean quality score on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = very little, 3 = moderate, 5 = very in-depth) was 2.56. One or more enablers were identified in just 17 of the 68 studies (25.0%), and barriers in just 18 (26.5%). Implementation of these interventions is a critical but seldom-acknowledged component of their uptake and effectiveness, and we highly recommend that future shiftworker intervention research make an effort to incorporate formalized assessments of implementation and/or hybrid effectiveness-implementation approaches.
Clinical traits of patients with major depressive disorder with comorbid borderline personality disorder based on propensity score matching

Major depressive disorder (MDD) with comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD) makes the clinical symptoms of patients more complex and more difficult to treat, so more attention should be paid to the recognition of their clinical features. This study investigated the differences between patients with MDD with and without BPD in clinical traits.
“Ashamed, Silent and Stuck in a System”—Applying a Structural Violence Lens to Midwives’ Stories on Social Disadvantage in Pregnancy

Historical and enduring maternal health inequities and injustices continue to grow in Aotearoa New Zealand, despite attempts to address the problem. Pregnancy increases vulnerability to poverty through a variety of mechanisms. This project qualitatively analysed an open survey response from midwives about their experiences of providing maternity care to women living with social disadvantage. We used a structural violence lens to examine the effects of social disadvantage on pregnant women. The analysis of midwives’ narratives exposed three mechanisms by which women were exposed to structural violence, these included structural disempowerment, inequitable risk and the neoliberal system. Women were structurally disempowered through reduced access to agency, lack of opportunities and inadequate meeting of basic human needs. Disadvantage exacerbated risks inequitably by increasing barriers to care, exacerbating the impact of adverse life circumstances and causing chronic stress. Lastly, the neoliberal system emphasised individual responsibility that perpetuated inequities. Despite the stated aim of equitable access to health care for all in policy documents, the current system and social structure continues to perpetuate systemic disadvantage.
Short-Term Lincomycin Exposure Depletion of Murine Microbiota Affects Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Intestinal Morphology and Immunity

Lincomycin, as one of the most commonly used antibiotics, may cause intestinal injury, enteritis and other side effects, but it remains unknown whether these effects are associated with microbial changes and the effects of different doses of lincomycin on infants. Here, 21-day old mice were exposed to 1 and 5 g/L lincomycin to explore the effects of lincomycin on the gut microbiota, metabolites and inflammation. Compared to the control mice, 1 g/L lincomycin exposure decreased the body weight gain of mice (p < 0.05). Both 1 and 5 g/L lincomycin exposure reduced the diversity and microbial composition of mice (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 1 and 5 g/L lincomycin reduced the relative concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid in the colon chyme of mice (p < 0.05). In addition, 5 g/L lincomycin exposure reduced the villus height, crypt depth, and relative expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, IL-18, TNF-α, and p65 in the jejunum of mice (p < 0.05), while 1 g/L lincomycin exposure reduced the relative expression of TLR2, TLR3, TNF-α, and p65 (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results highlight the depletion effect of short-term lincomycin exposure on microbiota and the further regulatory effect on intestinal morphology and immunosuppression in infant mice.
The use of e-ASPECTS in acute stroke care: validation of method performance compared to the performance of specialists.

BACKGROUND The rapid evaluation of non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (NCCT) brain scans in patients with anterior stroke symptoms saves time and favors optimal and prompt treatment. e-ASPECTS is a tool that automatically calculates the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) values, leading to a more accurate and timely image evaluation. OBJECTIVE To determine the ability of e-ASPECTS in differentiating images with and without injury. METHODS One-hundred sixteen patients admitted to a stroke unit in a Brazilian tertiary hospital underwent a CT scan at admission and at least one control brain imaging (NCCT or magnetic resonance imaging - MRI) 24 hours after admission. ASPECTS evaluation was performed by three neuroradiologists, three neurologists, and three neurology residents, all blinded to the symptoms and the injury side. The scores were compared to the ground truth, and an ASPECTS score was provided by two independent non blinded evaluators. Sensitivity and specificity were analyzed, and receiver operating characteristic curves, Bland-Altman plots with mean error score, and Matthews correlation coefficients (MCCs) were obtained for ASPECTS scores, assuming values equal to 10 for images without injury and values other than 10 for images with ischemic injury. RESULTS e-ASPECTS demonstrated similar performance to that of neuroradiologists and neurologists, with an area under the curve of 0.78 and an MCC value of 0.48 in the dichotomous analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of e-ASPECTS were 75% and 73%, respectively. CONCLUSION e-ASPECTS is a validated and reliable tool for determining early signs of ischemia in NCCT.
A functional connection between translation elongation and protein folding at the ribosome exit tunnel in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract Proteostasis needs to be tightly controlled to meet the cellular demand for correctly de novo folded proteins and to avoid protein aggregation. While a coupling between translation rate and co-translational folding, likely involving an interplay between the ribosome and its associated chaperones, clearly appears to exist, the underlying mechanisms and the contribution of ribosomal proteins remain to be explored. The ribosomal protein uL3 contains a long internal loop whose tip region is in close proximity to the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center. Intriguingly, the rpl3[W255C] allele, in which the residue making the closest contact to this catalytic site is mutated, affects diverse aspects of ribosome biogenesis and function. Here, we have uncovered, by performing a synthetic lethal screen with this allele, an unexpected link between translation and the folding of nascent proteins by the ribosome-associated Ssb-RAC chaperone system. Our results reveal that uL3 and Ssb-RAC cooperate to prevent 80S ribosomes from piling up within the 5′ region of mRNAs early on during translation elongation. Together, our study provides compelling in vivo evidence for a functional connection between peptide bond formation at the peptidyl transferase center and chaperone-assisted de novo folding of nascent polypeptides at the solvent-side of the peptide exit tunnel.
Assessing Readiness to Provide Comprehensive Abortion Care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo After Passage of the Maputo Protocol.

CONTEXT The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) decriminalized abortion under certain circumstances in 2018 through the Maputo Protocol. However, little is known about the readiness of the country's health facilities to provide comprehensive abortion care. METHODS Data on 1,380 health facilities from the 2017-2018 DRC Service Provision Assessment (SPA) inventory survey were used to assess readiness to provide abortion care in four domains: termination of pregnancy, basic treatment of postabortion complications, comprehensive treatment of postabortion complications and postabortion contraceptive care. Analyses used a modified application of the emergency obstetric care signal function approach; criteria for readiness were based on World Health Organization guidelines. RESULTS Thirty-one percent of DRC facilities met the criteria for readiness to provide abortions. The proportion of facilities classified as ready was higher among urban facilities than rural ones (50% vs. 26%), and among hospitals than health centers or reference health centers (72% vs. 25% and 45%, respectively). Few facilities were ready to provide either basic or comprehensive treatment of postabortion complications (4% and 1%); readiness to provide these services was greatest among hospitals (14% and 11%). Only a third of facilities displayed readiness to provide postabortion contraceptive care. Inadequate supplies of medication (e.g., misoprostol, antibiotics, contraceptives) and equipment were the greatest barrier to readiness. CONCLUSIONS Most DRC facilities were not ready to provide comprehensive abortion care. Improving supplies of vital health commodities will improve readiness, and has the potential to reduce the prevalence of unplanned pregnancies and future demand for abortions.
CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein beta promotes muscle stem cell quiescence through regulation of quiescence‐associated genes

Regeneration of skeletal muscle depends on resident muscle stem cells called satellite cells that in healthy, uninjured muscle remain quiescent (noncycling). After activation and expansion of satellite cells postinjury, satellite cell numbers return to uninjured levels and return to mitotic quiescence. Here, we show that the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) is required to maintain quiescence of satellite cells in uninjured muscle. We show that C/EBPβ is expressed in quiescent satellite cells in vivo and upregulated in noncycling myoblasts in vitro. Loss of C/EBPβ in satellite cells promotes their premature exit from quiescence resulting in spontaneous activation and differentiation of the stem cell pool. Forced expression of C/EBPβ in myoblasts inhibits proliferation by upregulation of 28 quiescence‐associated genes. Furthermore, we find that caveolin‐1 is a direct transcriptional target of C/EBPβ and is required for cell cycle exit in muscle satellite cells expressing C/EBPβ. The induction of mitotic quiescence is considered necessary for the long‐term maintenance of adult stem cell populations with dysregulation driving increased differentiation of progenitors and depletion of the stem cell pool. Our findings place C/EBPβ as an important transcriptional regulator of muscle satellite cell quiescence.
Comparison of pediatric brain‐dead donors to donation after circulatory death donors in the United States

In pediatrics, an increasing need for transplantable organs exists. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of pediatric deceased donors in the United States. This retrospective observational study utilized data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) from 2000 to 2015. Patients were stratified based on method of organ donation. Demographic variables and mechanism of death were then compared. A total of 14,481 deceased pediatric organ donors, donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), were included in the study, of which 8% were DCD donors. A significant difference (p<0.001) existed between the two donor groups with respect to ethnicity and mechanism of death. The annual trend of DCD and DBD donors showed an inverse relationship. During the 15‐year study period the number of DBD donors decreased from 985 to 785 per year while DCD donors increased from 15 to 146 per year. As well, overall organs transplanted per year decreased from 3,475 to 3,117 over the 15‐year study period. Significant differences exist between pediatric DBD donors and DCD donors, specifically with respect to ethnicity and mechanism of death. The number of pediatric DBD donors is decreasing while the number of pediatric DCD is slowly rising, making it increasingly important to be able to characterize these donors to better identify eligible DCD donors to optimize organ utilization.
Examination of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Precancerous Lesions Using Proximity Extension Assay and Salivary RNA Quantification

Saliva is an easy-to access body fluid with high diagnostic potential. The utilization of saliva for oral cancer diagnosis can be an attractive possibility. Besides the oral cancer, it is important to better understand the precancerous lesions such as oral lichen planus (OLP) and leukoplakia (OLK). In order to examine the changes of salivary proteins in controls, patients with oral cancer, and patients with precancerous conditions, proximity extension assay was utilized. Some proteins and functions were characteristic to the examined groups and can serve as a starting point for further biomarker studies. The different nature of OLK and OLP was demonstrated, showing the malignant transformation and the inflammation as the prominent biological processes in the OLK and OLP, respectively. The salivary level of IL6 was verified using quantitative ELISA and the mRNA level was also studied. Elevated IL6 levels could be detected in precancerous groups compared to controls.
Immunogenicity and safety of a hexavalent pediatric vaccine in HIV-exposed infected and uninfected infants in Republic of South Africa

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed infants may be at increased risk of vaccine-preventable disease. This study was conducted as a post-licensure commitment in this population to evaluate the primary series, antibody persistence, and booster response to a licensed fully liquid hexavalent vaccine containing diphtheria (D), tetanus (T), acellular pertussis (aP), inactivated poliovirus (IPV), hepatitis B (HB), and Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens (PRP~T). This was a Phase III, open-label, randomized study conducted at a single center in the Republic of South Africa. The DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP~T vaccine was administered to HIV-exposed infected (Group A: N = 14) and HIV-exposed uninfected (Group B: N = 50) infants as a 6, 10, 14 week primary series with a toddler booster at 15–18 months of age. Immunogenicity of each antigen was measured using validated assays and vaccine reactogenicity was recorded using diary cards. The low number of HIV-exposed infected participants, due to widespread pre- and peri-natal retroviral treatment, meant that between-group comparisons should be treated with caution. In each group, primary series and booster immune seroprotection rates were strong, and pre-booster antibody persistence was good, although anti-HBs ≥10 mIU/mL in Group A was 78.6% post-primary series, 58.3% pre-booster, and 75.0% post-booster. There were no safety concerns. In conclusion, primary series and booster vaccination of the DTaP-IPV-HB-PRP~T vaccine were immunogenic and safe in HIV-exposed infected and uninfected infants. These results were comparable to historical data in healthy infants and toddlers.
Encephalomyocarditis Virus Abrogates the Interferon Beta Signaling Pathway via Its Structural Protein VP2

Encephalomyocarditis virus is an important pathogen that can cause encephalitis, myocarditis, neurological diseases, and reproductive disorders. It also causes huge economic losses for the swine industry worldwide. ABSTRACT Type I interferon (IFN)-mediated antiviral responses are critical for modulating host-virus responses, and indeed, viruses have evolved strategies to antagonize this pathway. Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) is an important zoonotic pathogen, which causes myocarditis, encephalitis, neurological disease, reproductive disorders, and diabetes in pigs. This study aims to understand how EMCV interacts with the IFN pathway. EMCV circumvents the type I IFN response by expressing proteins that antagonize cellular innate immunity. Here, we show that EMCV VP2 is a negative regulator of the IFN-β pathway. This occurs via the degradation of the MDA5-mediated cytoplasmic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) antiviral sensing RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) pathway. We show that structural protein VP2 of EMCV interacts with MDA5, MAVS, and TBK1 through its C terminus. In addition, we found that EMCV VP2 could significantly degrade RLRs by the proteasomal and lysosomal pathways. For the first time, EMCV VP2 was shown to play an important role in EMCV evasion of the type I IFN signaling pathway. This study expands our understanding that EMCV utilizes its capsid protein VP2 to evade the host antiviral response. IMPORTANCE Encephalomyocarditis virus is an important pathogen that can cause encephalitis, myocarditis, neurological diseases, and reproductive disorders. It also causes huge economic losses for the swine industry worldwide. Innate immunity plays an important role in defending the host from pathogen infection. Understanding pathogen microorganisms evading the host immune system is of great importance. Currently, whether EMCV evades cytosolic RNA sensing and signaling is still poorly understood. In the present study, we found that viral protein VP2 antagonized the RLR signaling pathway by degrading MDA5, MAVS, and TBK1 protein expression to facilitate viral replication in HEK293 cells. The findings in this study identify a new mechanism for EMCV evading the host’s innate immune response, which provide new insights into the virus-host interaction and help develop new antiviral approaches against EMCV.