Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using concept mapping to explore the challenges associated with affording and accessing medications among people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT Antiretroviral medications are expensive, and people living with HIV often experience challenges accessing and paying for medication due to various obstacles. We used concept mapping to explore the challenges people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada, face when accessing medication. In brainstorming, 68 participants generated 447 statements in response to the focus prompt “Some people living with HIV have trouble getting and paying for prescription drugs because … ”. These were consolidated into 77 statements, which were sorted (n = 30) and rated (n = 32) on importance and commonality. A ten-cluster concept map consisting of individual- and health system-related clusters was generated. Clusters included: (1) Stigma, (2) Medication-Related Issues, (3) Individual Challenges, (4) Basic Needs, (5) Immigration, (6) Coverage, (7) Trillium Drug Program, (8) Access to Services, (9) System-Level Issues and (10) Access to Professional Services. Statements in Coverage and Basic Needs were rated most important and common although there was variability by Ontario residence and drug coverage mechanisms. Strategies to address challenges were generated in Interpretation (n = 25 participants). Given that continuous access to antiretroviral therapy is necessary to fully realize treatment benefits, policies and interventions that address these challenges are needed.
Feasibility of a pilot program for COVID‐19 convalescent plasma collection in Wuhan, China

BACKGROUND A novel coronavirus has caused an international outbreak. Currently, there are no specific therapeutic agents for coronavirus infections. Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy is a potentially effective treatment option. METHODS Patients who had recovered from COVID‐19 and had been discharged from the hospital for more than 2 weeks were recruited. COVID‐19 convalescent plasma (CCP)‐specific donor screening and selection were performed based on the following criteria: 1) aged 18‐55 years; 2) eligible for blood donation; 3) diagnosed with COVID‐19; 4) had two consecutive negative COVID‐19 nasopharyngeal swab tests based on PCR (at least 24 hr apart) prior to hospital discharge; 5) had been discharged from the hospital for more than 2 weeks; and 6) had no COVID‐19 symptoms prior to convalescent plasma donation. In addition, preference was given to CCP donors who had a fever lasting more than 3 days or a body temperature exceeding 38.5°C (101.3°F), and who donated 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms. CCP collection was performed using routine plasma collection procedures via plasmapheresis. In addition to routine donor testing, the CCP donorsʼ plasma was also tested for SARS‐CoV‐2 nucleic acid and S‐RBD‐specific IgG antibody. RESULTS Of the 81 potential CCP donors, 64 (79%) plasma products were collected. There were 18 female donors and 46 male donors. There were 34 first‐time blood donors and 30 repeat donors. The average time between CCP collection and initial symptom onset was 49.1 days, and the average time between CCP collection and hospital discharge was 38.7 days. The average volume of CCP collected was 327.7 mL. All Alanine transaminase (ALT) testing results met blood donation requirements. HIV Ag/Ab, anti‐HCV, anti‐syphilis, and HBsAg were all negative; NAT for HIV, HBV, and HCV were also negative. In addition, all of the CCP donorsʼ plasma units were negative for SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA. Of the total 64 CCP donors tested, only one had an S‐RBD‐specific IgG titer of 1:160, all others had a titer of ≥1:320. CONCLUSION Based on a feasibility study of a pilot CCP program in Wuhan, China, we demonstrated the success and feasibility of CCP collection. In addition, all of the CCP units collected had a titer of ≥1:160 for S‐RBD‐specific IgG antibody, which met the CCP quality control requirements based on the Chinese national guidelines for CCP.
Construction and validation of an educational technology for mother-child bond in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVES to describe the process of construction and validation of an educational booklet to promote bonding between mothers and newborns in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. METHODS methodological study developed through data collection in the literature and with the target audience; construction of the booklet; qualification of the material through validation by judges (health and communication experts/designer) and assessment by the target audience (mothers of at-risk newborns). Data were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS booklet content was validated, obtaining an overall Content Validity Index of 0.92. Appearance was rated "Superior" with 80% percentage. Mothers performed an assessment with 100% agreement between the items. CONCLUSIONS the booklet was validated in all domains assessed and can be used by mothers with children hospitalized in the Neonatal Unit.
Keap1-Nrf2 signaling activation by Bardoxolone-methyl ameliorates high glucose-induced oxidative injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

In cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) high glucose (HG) stimulation will lead to significant cell death. Bardoxolone-methyl (BARD) is a NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) agonist. In this study we show that BARD, at only nM concentrations, activated Nrf2 signaling in HUVECs. BARD induced Keap1-Nrf2 disassociation, Nrf2 protein stabilization and nuclear translocation, increasing expression of antioxidant response element (ARE) genes. BARD pretreatment in HUVECs inhibited HG-induced reactive oxygen species production, oxidative injury and cell apoptosis. Nrf2 shRNA or knockout (using a CRISPR/Cas9 construct) reversed BARD-induced cytoprotection in HG-stimulated HUVECs. Conversely, forced activation of Nrf2 cascade by Keap1 shRNA mimicked BARD’s activity and protected HUVECs from HG. Importantly, BARD failed to offer further cytoprotection against HG in the Keap1-silened HUVECs. Taken together, Keap1-Nrf2 cascade activation by BARD protects HUVECs from HG-induced oxidative injury.
Comparing microsatellite variation in north‐east Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) to genetic structuring as revealed by the pantophysin (Pan I) locus

Variation at seven microsatellite loci was compared with variation observed at Pan I, a single copy nuclear DNA gene coding for pantophysin, in 14 samples of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stretching from Spitsbergen to the North Sea. Population structuring indicated by the two types of markers was concordant and in agreement with the traditional grouping of cod in the study area into three main populations: north-east Arctic cod (NEAC), Norwegian coastal cod (NCC) and North Sea cod (NSC). Microsatellites, however, revealed genetic heterogeneity not only within NCC, as did Pan I, but also within NEAC and NSC, which appeared to be homogenous when analysed for Pan I. Moreover, microsatellites displayed lower levels of differentiation than Pan I between NEAC and two other groups. Differences in the magnitude of differentiation for the two types of markers may be attributable to higher levels of polymorphism and alleged selective neutrality of microsatellites. Isolation by distance was clearly apparent for microsatellites but was less evident for Pan I, indicating that environmentally induced selection appears to shape the patterns of genetic differentiation for this marker. Even though the population structure of north-east Atlantic cod, as revealed by microsatellites and Pan I, appears to be maintained largely by restricted gene flow, selection acting on a recent historical time scale probably contributes to the observed geographic pattern of Pan I frequencies.
Relationships among the tiphiid wasp subfamilies (Hymenoptera)

Abstract. The phylogenetic relationships among the subfamilies of Tiphiidae are discussed, with detailed analysis of characters, and presentation of a phylogenetic tree. The tribe Diammini Turner is elevated to subfamily status. A key to the subfamilies is included, and a brief synopsis of each subfamily is given.
A new species of the genus Bryobia Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) from Iran

Abstract A new mite, Bryobia mirmoayedii n. sp. (Tetranychidae), is described and illustrated based on females, a male and larvae collected from the grass, Poa bulbosa L. (Poaceae), in Rijabin Kermanshah Province, Iran.
A Methodological Review of Mixed Methods Research in Palliative and End-of-Life Care (2014–2019)

Mixed methods research has been increasingly recognized as a useful approach for describing and explaining complex issues in palliative care and end-of-life research. However, little is known about the use of this methodology in the field and the ways in which mixed methods studies have been reported. The purpose of this methodological review was to examine the characteristics, methodological features and reporting quality of mixed methods articles published in palliative care research. The authors screened all articles published in eight journals specialized in palliative care between January 2014 and April 2019. Those that reported a mixed methods study (n = 159) were included. The Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) criteria were used to assess reporting quality. Findings showed that 57.9% of the identified studies used a convergent design and 82.4% mentioned complementarity as their main purpose for using a mixed methods approach. The reporting quality of the articles generally showed a need for improvement as authors usually did not describe the type of mixed methods design used and provided little detail on the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to improve the quality of reporting of mixed methods articles in palliative care.
Analysis for Joint Delay-Power Tradeoff with Buffer/Channel-Aware and Its FPGA Implementation in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we aim to investigate the delay-power tradeoff problem which is attracting widespread interest due to its importance in wireless technology. This research has two main objectives. First, to assess the effect of different system parameters on the performance metrics. Second, to provide a solution for this optimization problem. A two-state, slow-fading channel is categorized into good and bad channel states. An adaptive transmission and random data arrivals are considered in our model. Each channel category has its own Markov chain, which is used in modeling the system. A joint Buffer-Aware and Channel-Aware (BACA) problem was introduced. In addition, an enhanced iterative algorithm was introduced for obtaining a sub-optimal delay-power tradeoff. The results show that the tradeoff curve is piecewise linear, convex and decreasing. Furthermore, a channel-aware system was investigated to provide analysis of the effect of system parameters on the delay and power. The obtained results show that the dominant factors that control the system performance are based on the arrival rate and the channel goodness factor. Moreover, a simplified field programable gate array (FPGA) hardware implementation for the channel aware system scheduler is presented. The implementation results show that the consumed power for the proposed scheduler is 98.5 mW and the maximum processing clock speed is 190 MHz.
Natural Selection and Mutability

In sexual organisms, alleles increasing the mutation rate of the entire genome are invariably selected against, whereas in asexual organisms such "general mutators" are favored if they adjust the mutation rate closer to an optimum balancing the advantages of responsiveness to environmental change against those of a small mutational load. Unless very small selective pressures are effective, it seems that no mechanisms exist to establish optimum mutation rates in sexual organisms.
Transducer modeling for accurate acoustic simulations of transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation

Objective. Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is emerging as non-invasive brain stimulation technique with superior spatial resolution and the ability to reach deep brain areas. Medical image-based computational modeling could be an important tool for individualized TUS dose control and targeting optimization, but requires further validation. This study aims to assess the impact of the transducer model on the accuracy of the simulations. Approach. Using hydrophone measurements, the acoustic beam of a single-element focused transducer (SEFT) with a flat piezoelectric disc and an acoustic lens was characterized. The acoustic beam was assessed in a homogeneous water bath and after transmission through obstacles (3D-printed shapes and skull samples). The acoustic simulations employed the finite-difference time-domain method and were informed by computed tomography (CT) images of the obstacles. Transducer models of varying complexity were tested representing the SEFT either as a surface boundary condition with variable curvatureor also accounting for its internal geometry. In addition, a back-propagated pressure distribution from the first measurement plane was used as source model. The simulations and measurements were quantitatively compared using key metrics for peak location, focus size, intensity and spatial distribution. Main results. While a surface boundary with an adapted, ‘effective’ curvature radius based on the specifications given by the manufacturer could reproduce the measured focus location and size in a homogeneous water bath, it regularly failed to accurately predict the beam after obstacle transmission. In contrast, models that were based on a one-time calibration to the homogeneous water bath measurements performed substantially better in all cases with obstacles. For one of the 3D-printed obstacles, the simulated intensities deviated substantially from the measured ones, irrespective of the transducer model. We attribute this finding to a standing wave effect, and further studies should clarify its relevance for accurate simulations of skull transmission. Significance. Validated transducer models are important to ensure accurate simulations of the acoustic beam of SEFTs, in particular in the presence of obstacles such as the skull.
Simulation Studies on Centrifugal MQL-CCA Method of Applying Coolant during Internal Cylindrical Grinding Process

This paper describes simulation studies regarding the application of the centrifugal minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) method simultaneously with the delivery of a compressed cooled air (CCA) stream in the internal cylindrical grinding process. The idea of a new hybrid cooling and lubrication method connecting centrifugal (through a grinding wheel) lubrication by MQL with a CCA stream is described. The methodology of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation studies, as well as the results of numerical simulations, are presented in detail. The aim of the simulations was to determine the most favourable geometrical and kinematic parameters of the system in the context of air-oil aerosol and CCA flow, as well as heat exchange. In the simulation, the variables were the grinding arbor geometrical parameters, the angle of CCA supply line outlets, and the grinding wheel and workpiece peripheral speed. As a result of the simulation studies, the most favourable geometrical parameters were designated, determining the orientation of the ends of the two CCA supply line outlets before and after the grinding zone, the number of openings in the drilled-out grinding arbor, and the influence of the grinding speed on the parameters of the coolant flow and temperature of objects in the grinding zone. In addition, the results of simulation tests made it possible to visualise the velocity vectors of the two-phase coolant flow in a complex system of air-oil aerosol delivery centrifugally through an open structure of a very fast rotating porous layer (grinding wheel), with an additional supply of CCA using an external cold air gun (CAG).
The INECO Frontal Screening for the Evaluation of Executive Dysfunction in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Evidence from Quantitative MRI in a CADASIL Cohort from Colombia

Abstract Objectives: Executive dysfunction is a predominant cognitive symptom in cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). The Institute of Cognitive Neurology Frontal Screening (IFS) is a well-validated screening tool allowing the rapid assessment of multiple components of executive function in Spanish-speaking individuals. In this study, we examined performance on the IFS in subjects with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), an inherited condition leading to the early onset of SVD. We further explored associations between performance on the IFS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers of SVD. Methods: We recruited 24 asymptomatic CADASIL subjects and 23 noncarriers from Colombia. All subjects underwent a research MRI and a neuropsychological evaluation, including the IFS. Structural MRI markers of SVD were quantified in each subject, together with an SVD Sum Score representing the overall burden of cerebrovascular alterations. General linear model, correlation, and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to explore group differences on the IFS and relationships with MRI markers of SVD. Results: CADASIL subjects had a significantly reduced performance on the IFS Total Score. Performance on the IFS correlated with all quantified markers of SVD, except for brain atrophy and perivascular spaces enlargement. Finally, while the IFS Total Score was not able to accurately discriminate between carriers and noncarriers, it showed adequate sensitivity and specificity in detecting the presence of multiple MRI markers of SVD. Conclusions: These results suggest that the IFS may be a useful screening tool to assess executive function and disease severity in the context of SVD.
Effects of Bordeaux Mixture (Copper Sulfate) Treatment on Blackcurrant/Muscat-Like Odors in Hops and Beer

This study compared amounts of 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one (4MMP), 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH), and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate (3MHA) in treated and untreated hop cones and hopped beers in order to investigate the effects of treatment of hops in the field with Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate). These three compounds contribute to the blackcurrant/muscat-like aroma characteristics of some hop cultivars. In hop cones and hopped beers treated with copper sulfate, the 4MMP content was approx. 25% lower than in those not treated. In contrast, the 3MH and 3MHA contents were higher in treated hop cones and hopped beers. Our findings also indicate that copper ion accumulation in the soil may have a significant effect on the 4MMP, 3MH, and 3MHA contents of hop cones and hopped beers.
Determination and Identification of Antibiotic Drugs and Bacterial Strains in Biological Samples

Antibiotics were initially natural substances. However, nowadays, they also include synthetic drugs, which show their activity against bacteria, killing or inhibiting their growth and division. Thanks to these properties, many antibiotics have quickly found practical application in the fight against infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, syphilis, gastrointestinal infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, meningitis and septicemia. Antibiotic resistance is currently a detrimental problem; therefore, in addition to the improvement of antibiotic therapy, attention should also be paid to active metabolites in the body, which may play an important role in exacerbating the existing problem. Taking into account the clinical, cognitive and diagnostic purposes of drug monitoring, it is important to select an appropriate analytical method that meets all the requirements. The detection and identification of the microorganism responsible for the infection is also an essential factor in the implementation of appropriate antibiotic therapy. In recent years, clinical microbiology laboratories have experienced revolutionary changes in the way microorganisms are identified. The MALDI-TOF MS technique may be interesting, especially in some areas where a quick analysis is required, as is the case with clinical microbiology. This method is not targeted, which means that no prior knowledge of the infectious agent is required, since identification is based on a database match.
Cooperation of p27Kip1 and p18INK4c in Progestin-Mediated Cell Cycle Arrest in T-47D Breast Cancer Cells

ABSTRACT The steroid hormone progesterone regulates proliferation and differentiation in the mammary gland and uterus by cell cycle phase-specific actions. The long-term effect of progestins on T-47D breast cancer cells is inhibition of cellular proliferation. This is accompanied by decreased G1 cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activities, redistribution of the CDK inhibitor p27Kip1among these CDK complexes, and alterations in the elution profile of cyclin E-Cdk2 upon gel filtration chromatography, such that high-molecular-weight complexes predominate. This study aimed to determine the relative contribution of CDK inhibitors to these events. Following progestin treatment, the majority of cyclin E- and D-CDK complexes were bound to p27Kip1 and few were bound to p21Cip1. In vitro, recombinant His6-p27 could quantitatively reproduce the effects on cyclin E-Cdk2 kinase activity and the shift in molecular weight observed following progestin treatment. In contrast, cyclin D-Cdk4 was not inhibited by His6-p27 in vitro or p27Kip1 in vivo. However, an increase in the expression of the Cdk4/6 inhibitor p18INK4c and its extensive association with Cdk4 and Cdk6 were apparent following progestin treatment. Recombinant p18INK4c led to the reassortment of cyclin-CDK-CDK inhibitor complexes in vitro, with consequent decrease in cyclin E-Cdk2 activity. These results suggest a concerted model of progestin action whereby p27Kip1 and p18INK4c cooperate to inhibit cyclin E-Cdk2 and Cdk4. Since similar models have been developed for growth inhibition by transforming growth factor β and during adipogenesis, interaction between the Cip/Kip and INK4 families of inhibitors may be a common theme in physiological growth arrest and differentiation.
Hydroacoustic Estimation of Zooplankton Biomass at Two Shoal Complexes in the Apostle Islands Region of Lake Superior

ABSTRACT Hydroacoustics can be used to assess zooplankton populations, however, backscatter must be scaled to be biologically meaningful. In this study, we used a general model to correlate site-specific hydroacoustic backscatter with zooplankton dry weight biomass estimated from net tows. The relationship between zooplankton dry weight and backscatter was significant (p < 0.001) and explained 76% of the variability in the dry weight data. We applied this regression to hydroacoustic data collected monthly in 2003 and 2004 at two shoals in the Apostle Island Region of Lake Superior. After applying the regression model to convert hydroacoustic backscatter to zooplankton dry weight biomass, we used geo-statistics to analyze the mean and variance, and ordinary kriging to create spatial zooplankton distribution maps. The mean zooplankton dry weight biomass estimates from plankton net tows and hydroa-coustics were not significantly different (p = 0.19) but the hydroacoustic data had a significantly lower coefficient of variation (p < 0.001). The maps of zooplankton distribution illustrated spatial trends in zooplankton dry weight biomass that were not discernable from the overall means.