Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Association of Free Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids with the Severity of Depressive Symptoms in Stroke Patients

The study was designed to demonstrate the relationship of free fatty acids (FFAs) and eicosanoids levels with the severity of depressive symptoms in stroke. The ischemic stroke patients (n = 74) were included in the prospective study. The risk of depression was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) 7 days and 6 months after the stroke onset. FFAs and inflammatory metabolites were determined by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography. In the acute phase of stroke, BDI-II and FFAs inversely correlated with C13:0 tridecanoic acid, C15:1 cis-10-pentadecanoid acid, C17:1 cis-10- heptadecanoid acid, C18:0 stearic acid, C20:3n6 eicosatrienoic acid, C22:1cis13 docosenoic acid and C22:6n3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA level was significantly lower in patients with low vs. high BDI-II score. In the follow-up examination, BDI-II score directly correlated with C16:0 palmitic acid. The changes in BDI-II score during 6-month observation inversely correlated with lipoxin A4 and protectin D1, and directly correlated with 5-oxo-ETE. Importantly, the severity of depressive symptoms was associated with n3 PUFA level. Diet-derived FFAs were observed to potentially affect the inflammatory pathways in pathogenesis of depression in stroke and reduced DHA levels can attenuate depressive symptoms in stroke patients.
PHYLOGENETIC APPROACHES TOWARD CROCODYLIAN HISTORY

▪ Abstract A review of crocodylian phylogeny reveals a more complex history than might have been anticipated from a direct reading of the fossil record without consideration of phylogenetic relationships. The three main extant crocodylian lineages—Gavialoidea, Alligatoroidea, Crocodyloidea—are known from fossils in the Late Cretaceous, and the group is found nearly worldwide during the Cenozoic. Some groups have distributions that are best explained by the crossing of marine barriers during the Tertiary. Early Tertiary crocodylian faunas are phylogenetically composite, and clades tend to be morphologically uniform and geographically widespread. Later in the Tertiary, Old World crocodylian faunas are more endemic. Crocodylian phylogeneticists face numerous challenges, the most important being the phylogenetic relationships and time of divergence of the two living gharials (Gavialis gangeticus and Tomistoma schlegelii), the relationships among living true crocodiles (Crocodylus), and the relationships among.
Mental Health Disorders and Associated Risk Factors in Quarantined Adults During the COVID-19 Outbreak in China: Cross-Sectional Study

Background People undergoing mass home- and community-based quarantine are vulnerable to mental health disorders during outbreaks of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but few studies have evaluated the associated psychosocial factors. Objective This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and identify associated demographic and psychosocial factors in the general Chinese population during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine period. Methods Participants aged 18 years or above were recruited in a cross-sectional online survey using snowball sampling from February 26-29, 2020. The survey included questions on demographics, family relationships, chronic diseases, quarantine conditions, lifestyle, COVID-19 infection, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with elevated anxiety or depressive symptoms. Results Out of 2331 participants, 762 (32.7%) experienced elevated anxiety or depressive symptoms. Nine risk factors associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms included younger age, reduced income, having cancer or other chronic diseases, having family members living with cancer, concerns related to COVID-19 infection for themselves or family members, living alone, having family conflicts, having <3 or >8 hours of sedentary time per day, and worsened sleep quality. Conclusions The findings highlight an urgent need for psychological support for populations at high risk for elevated anxiety or depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mosaic theory of forest regeneration and the determination of forest composition in Ghana

ABSTRACT Early studies comparing adult and juvenile tree populations in West Africa described a contrast in flonstic composition between the two age classes. These studies have been mis-represented in more recent literature, and confusion has arisen over their interpretation. Similar comparisons are reported here for six forest sites in Ghana. At any one site, clear differences in composition were recognized between adult and juvenile samples, but in terms of the variation in flonstic composition over the whole of the forest zone, they are slight and forest types appear to ‘breed true’. At one site, Kade, compositional differences between size classes are fully described for all canopy species on a 0.25 ha plot. There was an abrupt change in composition at about 30 cm gbh. At this site, mortality rates for trees >30 cm gbh were greater amongst species with a high proportion of juveniles in the population. At other sites, changes in composition were sometimes abrupt, occurring at various size classes, or were more gradual. The populations of some species included a large number of juveniles at all sample sites, but the converse, where species always have low densities of juveniles, were not seen. The possible implications of these results for future canopy composition are discussed in relation to temporal equilibrium, or lack of it, in tropical forest composition.
The biology of the northern rockling, Ciliata septentrionalis, in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel

Although the initial description of the northern rockling, Ciliata septentrionalis (Collett, 1875 a, b) was based on specimens collected off the Norwegian coast in the late nineteenth century, this species was not recorded from British waters until 1960, when a specimen was found in the Clyde Sea area (Bagenal, 1961). Subsequently, northern rockling have been recorded by Wheeler (1965, 1968) from the Moray Firth and in the waters off the Isle of Man and Southern Ireland, and by Dando (1975) from the Plymouth area. A single specimen has also been captured in a rock pool on the Yorkshire coast (Wheeler, 1971). The only investigation into the biology of C. septentrionalis has been conducted by Dando (1975), who obtained the fish from the Plymouth area, both by trawling and from cod stomachs. He outlined the early development of the egg and larva, and suggested that the northern rockling had greatly increased in abundance in the Plymouth region since 1968.
Review on Concurrent Image Retrieval

: Organization of large volume of image data has become most important need the era due to variety of applications involving digital imagery. Automated image annotations and contributions by various authors for image retrieval techniques are discussed in this paper. We address some of key challenges in image retrieval in automated image annotations. Techniques of the real world image data handling for image retrieval is main focus of this paper.
Plant-derived natural polyphenols as potential antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 via RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibition: an in-silico analysis

Abstract The sudden outburst of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a massive threat to global public health. Currently, no therapeutic drug or vaccine exists to treat COVID-19. Due to the time taking process of new drug development, drug repurposing might be the only viable solution to tackle COVID-19. RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) catalyzes SARS-CoV-2 RNA replication and hence, is an obvious target for antiviral drug design. Interestingly, several plant-derived polyphenols effectively inhibit the RdRp of other RNA viruses. More importantly, polyphenols have been used as dietary supplementations for a long time and played beneficial roles in immune homeostasis. We were curious to study the binding of polyphenols with SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and assess their potential to treat COVID-19. Herein, we made a library of polyphenols that have shown substantial therapeutic effects against various diseases. They were successfully docked in the catalytic pocket of RdRp. The investigation reveals that EGCG, theaflavin (TF1), theaflavin-3’-O-gallate (TF2a), theaflavin-3’-gallate (TF2b), theaflavin 3,3'-digallate (TF3), hesperidin, quercetagetin, and myricetin strongly bind to the active site of RdRp. Further, a 150-ns molecular dynamic simulation revealed that EGCG, TF2a, TF2b, TF3 result in highly stable bound conformations with RdRp. The binding free energy components calculated by the MM-PBSA also confirm the stability of the complexes. We also performed a detailed analysis of ADME prediction, toxicity prediction, and target analysis for their druggability. Overall, our results suggest that EGCG, TF2a, TF2b, TF3 can inhibit RdRp and represent an effective therapy for COVID-19. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Ammonia translocation in cyanobacteria

Abstract Ammonia is the inorganic nitrogen source preferentially used by most cyanobacteria. Moreover, even in nitrate utilizers or N2-fixers, ammonia is an obligate intracellular intermediate in nitrogen assimilation. It also affects the synthesis and the activation of several key enzymes in nitrogen metabolism such as nitrogenase, glutamine synthetase and nitrate reductase. The mechanism by which NH3/NH4+ enters different cyanobacteria (N2-fixers, non-fixers, neutrophilic) was thus studied. Using 14CH3NH3+, the convenient radioactive analog of ammonium, we have shown that the neutrophilic A. nidulans R-2 possibly possesses an active transport system for this cation. The conditions leading to repression and depression of this transport system have been studied; it appears that de novo protein synthesis is required for the acquisition of the transport ability. We have also provided evidence that methionine sulfoximine affects ammonium uptake only through its inhibition on glutamine synthetase, and found no support for the possible interaction of this inhibitor with the ammonium transporter. In the alkalophilic cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis, an active mechanism to translocate ammonium is probably not needed. Our data suggest that net uptake of ammonia to support optimal growth could be explained by a pH driven diffusion process. In all the different strains tested net ammonia uptake was observed only when conditions permit continuous amidation through the activity glutamine synthetase and inhibition of this enzyme by methionine sulfoximine caused the excretion of ammonia to the external medium. The weight of experimentation suggests that ammonia leaks from cells because of the inherent permeability of NH3, and that no specific carrier is involved in its release.
Student Preclass Preparation by Both Reading the Textbook and Watching Videos Online Improves Exam Performance in a Partially Flipped Course

The flipped classroom has the potential to improve student performance. Because flipping involves both preclass preparation and problem solving in the classroom, the means by which increased learning occurs and whether the method of delivering content matters is of interest. In a partially flipped cell biology course, students were assigned online videos before the flipped class and textbook reading before lectures. Low-stakes assessments were used to incentivize both types of preclass preparation. We hypothesized that more students would watch the videos than read the textbook and that both types of preparation would positively affect exam performance. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that both reading and video viewing had a significant positive impact on exam score, and this model was predictive of exam scores. In contrast to our expectations, most students prepared by both watching videos and reading the textbook and did not exhibit a pattern of solely watching videos. This analysis supports previous findings that engagement with material outside class is partly responsible for the improved outcomes in a flipped classroom and shows that both reading and watching videos are effective at delivering content outside class.
Screening Performance of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis vs Digital Mammography in Community Practice by Patient Age, Screening Round, and Breast Density

Key Points Question Does screening performance of digital breast tomosynthesis vs digital mammography differ by breast density, age, or screening round in community practice? Findings In this comparative effectiveness study assessing 1 584 079 screening examinations across 46 US facilities, the largest improvements in recall and cancer detection rates with digital breast tomosynthesis were observed on baseline screens. On subsequent screens, both recall and cancer detection rates improved using digital breast tomosynthesis vs digital mammography for women aged 40 to 79 years with heterogeneously dense breasts and for women aged 50 to 79 years with scattered fibroglandular density; by contrast, performance was similar in women with extremely dense breasts. Meaning Women undergoing baseline screening may benefit most from digital breast tomosynthesis, whereas on subsequent screens, the benefits of digital breast tomosynthesis may vary by age and density category.
Evaluation of In Vivo Antidiabetic, In Vitro α-Amylase Inhibitory, and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Leaves Crude Extract and Solvent Fractions of Bersama abyssinica Fresen (Melianthaceae)

Background. The leaves of Bersama abyssinica are used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in folk medicine system of Ethiopia. The present study was done based on the traditional claim of B abyssinica for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Methods. The α-amylase inhibition and antioxidant activities of B abyssinica extracts were evaluated by using 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid method and diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay model, respectively. Blood glucose lowering activity of the extracts was studied in 4 animal models; normoglycemic, oral glucose loaded, and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice models. Results. Among the extracts, the crude extract showed the highest α-amylase enzyme inhibition activity with an IC50 of 6.57 μg/mL. The water fraction showed the strongest antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 3.43 μg/mL. The crude extract at doses of 200, and 400 mg/kg showed significant (P < .05) hypoglycemic activity in normoglycemic mice. All doses of the crude extract significantly (P < .05) reduced blood glucose levels of oral glucose-loaded mice. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice models, both the crude and solvent fractions showed a significant (P < .05) blood glucose lowering effect as compared with the negative control group post 8 hour treatment. Conclusion. The results demonstrated the beneficial biochemical effects of B abyssinica extract by inhibiting α-amylase and scavenging the free radicals. The crude extract and solvent fractions of B abyssinica had significant blood glucose lowering effect in all animal models.
The Effects of Postoperative Neurological Deficits on Survival in Patients With Single Brain Metastasis.

BACKGROUND The prognosis for brain metastasis is poor, and surgical resection is part of the standard of care for these patients as it has been shown to improve median overall survival. Development of neurological deficits after surgical resection has been associated with worsened outcomes in patients with glioblastoma. The effect of postoperative neurological deficits on survival in patients with single brain metastasis has not been studied to date. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between postoperative neurological deficits and median overall survival. METHODS A single-institution retrospective cohort study was performed on all patients with single brain metastasis undergoing surgical resection by a single neurosurgeon. RESULTS A total of 121 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. Among them 61% of patients presented with a preoperative deficit, and 26% of patients had a new postoperative deficit. However, most postoperative deficits resolved and only 3.3% of patients developed a new permanent postoperative deficit. Median overall survival in patients with a new postoperative deficit was 2.4 mo, whereas mOS in patients without a postoperative deficit was 12.6 mo (P < .0001). CONCLUSION This study suggests that a new neurological deficit is associated with worsened outcomes after surgical resection of a single brain metastasis. This finding has potential implications for patient selection and counseling as the patients most likely to benefit from surgical resection are the patients who are most likely to have resolution of a preoperative deficit.
Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

Alcohol is widely consumed and is known as a major risk factor for several types of cancers. Yet, it is unclear whether alcohol consumption is associated with the risk of prostate cancer (PCa) or not. We conducted linear and non-linear dose–response meta-analyses of cohort studies on alcohol consumption and PCa risk by types of alcohol (total, wine, beer, and liquor) and PCa (non-aggressive and aggressive). Pubmed and Embase were searched through April 2020 to identify relevant studies. Summary relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using a random-effects model. For non-aggressive PCa, by alcohol type, the risk increased linearly with liquor (RR per 14 g/day intake (alcohol content in standard drink) being 1.04 (95% CI = 1.02–1.06, I2 = 0%, three studies) and non-linearly with beer (Pnon-linearity = 0.045, four studies), with increased risk observed in the lower range (RR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01–1.05; 14 g/day), with 1.05 (95% CI = 1.01–1.08) at 28 g/day. Wine was not significantly associated with the risk of non-aggressive PCa. For aggressive PCa, a non-linear relationship of diverse shapes was indicated for all types of alcohol in the sensitivity analysis. Compared to non-drinking, a significant positive association was more apparent at lower dose for liquor (RR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.04–1.20 at 14 g/day; RR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03–1.31 at 28 g/day; Pnon-linearity = 0.005, three studies) but at higher doses for wine (RR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.90–1.16 at 28 g/day, RR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.08–1.67 at 56 g/day; Pnon-linearity = 0.01, four studies). In contrast, decreased risks were indicated at lower doses of beer (RR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.79–0.92 at 14 g/day; RR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.70–0.90 at 28 g/day, Pnon-linearity < 0.001, four studies). Total alcohol consumption was not associated with both types of PCa. In this study, we found heterogeneous associations between alcohol intake and PCa by types of alcohol and PCa.
HLA-B*44 and C*01 Prevalence Correlates with Covid19 Spreading across Italy

The spread of COVID-19 is showing huge, unexplained, differences between northern and southern Italy. We hypothesized that the regional prevalence of specific class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, which shape the anti-viral immune response, might partly underlie these differences. Through an ecological approach, we analyzed whether a set of HLA alleles (A, B, C), known to be involved in the immune response against infections, correlates with COVID-19 incidence. COVID-19 data were provided by the National Civil Protection Department, whereas HLA allele prevalence was retrieved through the Italian Bone-Marrow Donors Registry. Among all the alleles, HLA-A*25, B*08, B*44, B*15:01, B*51, C*01, and C*03 showed a positive log-linear correlation with COVID-19 incidence rate fixed on 9 April 2020 in proximity of the national outbreak peak (Pearson’s coefficients between 0.50 and 0.70, p-value < 0.0001), whereas HLA-B*14, B*18, and B*49 showed an inverse log-linear correlation (Pearson’s coefficients between −0.47 and −0.59, p-value < 0.0001). When alleles were examined simultaneously using a multiple regression model to control for confounding factors, HLA-B*44 and C*01 were still positively and independently associated with COVID-19: a growth rate of 16% (95%CI: 0.1–35%) per 1% point increase in B*44 prevalence; and of 19% (95%CI: 1–41%) per 1% point increase in C*01 prevalence. Our epidemiologic analysis, despite the limits of the ecological approach, is strongly suggestive of a permissive role of HLA-C*01 and B*44 towards SARS-CoV-2 infection, which warrants further investigation in case-control studies. This study opens a new potential avenue for the identification of sub-populations at risk, which could provide Health Services with a tool to define more targeted clinical management strategies and priorities in vaccination campaigns.
The In Vitro Effect of Prostaglandin E2 and F2α on the Chemerin System in the Porcine Endometrium during Gestation

Chemerin belongs to the group of adipocyte-derived hormones known as adipokines, which are responsible mainly for the control of energy homeostasis. Adipokine exerts its influence through three receptors: Chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1), G protein-coupled receptor 1 (GPR1), and C-C motif chemokine receptor-like 2 (CCRL2). A growing body of evidence indicates that chemerin participates in the regulation of the female reproductive system. According to the literature, the expression of chemerin and its receptors in reproductive structures depends on the local hormonal milieu. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effect of prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and F2α (PGF2α) on chemerin and chemerin receptor (chemerin system) mRNAs (qPCR) and proteins (ELISA, Western blotting) in endometrial tissue explants collected from early-pregnant gilts. Both PGE2 and PGF2α significantly influenced the expression of the chemerin gene, hormone secretion, and the expression of chemerin receptor genes and proteins. The influence of both prostaglandins on the expression of the chemerin system varied between different stages of gestation. This is the first study to describe the modulatory effect of PGE2 and PGF2α on the expression of the chemerin system in the porcine uterus during early gestation.
Prehospital opioid dose and myocardial injury in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction

Objective To characterise the relationship between opioid dose and myocardial infarct size in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods Patients given opioid treatment by emergency medical services with confirmed STEMI were included in this secondary, retrospective cohort analysis of the Air versus Oxygen in Myocardial Infarction (AVOID) study. Patients with cardiogenic shock were excluded. The primary endpoint was comparison of cardiac biomarkers as a measure of infarct size based on opioid dose (low ≤8.75 mg, intermediate 8.76–15 mg and high >15 mg of intravenous morphine equivalent dose). Results 422 patients were included in the analysis. There was a significantly higher proportion of patients with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 0 or 1 flow pre-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (94% vs 81%, p=0.005) and greater use of thrombus aspiration catheters (59% vs 30%, p<0.001) in the high compared with low-dose opioid group. After adjustment for potential confounders, every 1 mg of intravenous morphine equivalent dose was associated with a 1.4% (95% CI 0.2%, 2.7%, p=0.028) increase in peak creatine kinase; however, this was no longer significant after adjustment for TIMI flow pre-PCI. Conclusions Our study suggests no benefit of higher opioid dose and a dose-dependent signal between opioid dose and increased myocardial infarct size. Prospective randomised controlled trials are required to establish causality given that this may also be explained by patients with a greater ischaemic burden requiring higher opioid doses due to more severe pain. Future research also needs to focus on strategies to mitigate the opioid–P2Y12 inhibitor interaction and non-opioid analgesia to treat ischaemic chest pain.