Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biofilm-Producing Ability of Staphylococcus Spp. Multidrug-Resistance Isolated from Hospitalized Patients with Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is an inflammatory bone disease that is caused by a microorganism and leads to progressive bone destruction and loss. Staphylococcal infections are a global concern, due to the resistance mechanisms developed by these bacteria to evade the host immune system and antibiotic treatment difficult. In addition to the ability of staphylococci, biofilm formation is described as a multifactorial associated with infection. The aim was to evaluate the epidemiological and microbiological aspects from patients hospitalized with osteomyelitis infectious as well as the influence of antibiotics on biofilm formation by different strains of multidrug-resistance Staphylococcus spp . The identification was performed by the MALDI-TOF method. Assays for Disc Diffusion and MIC; biofilm formation on polystyrene in the presence of antibiotics and PCR assays to detect mec A and ica A genes were analyzed. Strains were identified as S. aureus , S. epidermidis, S. warneri, and S . capitis . All strains were oxacillin-resistant and all S. epidermidis strains were vancomycin-intermediate. The strains were able to produce biofilm on the polystyrene surface at different levels independent of the presence of the ica A and mec A genes and antibiotics. The increase in the number of cases of infections and the multifactorial aspects that favor the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus spp . should continue to be investigated, since the spread in the hospital environment has become a growing public health challenge.
Estudios de Fonética Experimental Effects of attention on the production of Spanish consonants by SFL learners

The aim of this paper is to analyse the production of Spanish stops /b, d, g, p, t, k/ and liquids /l, ɾ/ by Mandarin Chinese learners of Spanish ( N =10). Two different tasks were used to elicit data: one induced a focus on stops and the other a focus on liquids. Realizations were categorized based on spectral manifestation, and acoustic parameter values between the two groups were compared. The results showed that attention exerts a significant influence on voiced stops and tap production: more inaccurate productions were observed when the learners did not focus on these phonemes. The data also pointed to considerable intra-speaker variation. Learners tended to produce realizations with longer durations in new phonemes: /b, d, g, ɾ/.
Comparison of different frequencies of transcutaneous electrical diaphragmatic stimulation in healthy subjects: a randomized crossover clinical trial

Most transcutaneous electric diaphragmatic stimulation (TEDS) studies use a stimulation frequency (SF) of 30 Hz, although the reason for this SF value is not completely understood. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effect of two TEDS frequencies on the respiratory muscle strength and endurance, muscle activation, muscle thickness, diaphragmatic mobility, cardiovascular variables and safety in healthy subjects. Methods: Randomized crossover clinical trial with 20 healthy subjects subjected to two interventions: SF=30 Hz group and SF=80 Hz group. TEDS was applied at the diaphragm motor points with a symmetric biphasic pulsed current (pulse duration= 500 µs) for 30 minutes. The evaluated outcomes were systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), respiratory muscle strength by maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), inspiratory peak flux (PIF), diaphragm thickness during inspiration (DTI) and expiration (DTE), diaphragm mobility and activation, and endurance (S-Index). Results: SF-30 Hz showed a reduction with respect to baseline values for SBP (p= 0.04), HR (p<0.001), DTE (p= 0.02), IPF (p= 0.01), and S-Index (p= 0.03). SF-80 Hz showed a reduction with respect to baseline values for HR (p<0.001) and an increase in MEP (p<0.001). However, these changes were not clinically important and there were no between-groups differences for any of the evaluated outcomes. No complications were observed. Conclusion: TEDS with SF-80 Hz produces similar effects to SF-30 Hz in healthy subjects and both frequencies proved to be safe (NCT03844711).
New sarcoidosis guidelines: Are we near to perfection?

217 diagnostic. The choices for sampling techniques for extra-pulmonary involvement have been placed clearly too. Endo-bronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) is preferred over mediastinoscopy as an initial sampling procedure for thoracic lymphadenopathy. It is further advocated that sampling of hilar lymph nodes can be left to the physician’s discretion if the patient is asymptomatic. Magnetic resonance imaging is preferred over positron emission tomography/transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to ascertain cardiac involvement and initial TTE followed by right heart catheterisation when pulmonary hypertension is suspected. It is strongly recommended to carry out baseline serum calcium testing in order to screen abnormal calcium metabolism. Conditional recommendations for baseline screening for the extra-pulmonary disease are as follows: ocular examination, serum creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxy vitamin D and 1,25 di-hydroxy vitamin D levels, complete blood count and ECG. Blood urea nitrogen and serum transaminases estimation is not considered essential for screening of asymptomatic renal and hepatic sarcoidosis. More than 20% of patients with sarcoidosis develop new disease manifestations within 3 years of baseline evaluation. Therefore, annual estimation of serum calcium, creatinine and alkaline phosphatase levels is recommended to detect clinically silent cases. An exhaustive evaluation of ocular and cardiac sarcoidosis in asymptomatic patients has been abandoned as it is neither feasible nor practical. [3]
Comparison of Surgical Time, Short-term Adverse Events, and Implant Placement Accuracy Between Manual, Robotic-assisted, and Computer-navigated Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction: Recent years have observed the increasing utilization of robotic-assisted and computer navigation techniques in total hip arthroplasty (THA), given the proposed benefits of enhanced consistency and precision in implant placement. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine whether differences in surgical times, adverse events, and implant positioning existed between manual, robotic-assisted, and computer navigation THA. Methods: PubMed, OVID/MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases were queried for RCTs comparing robotic-assisted versus manual THA and computer navigation versus manual THA at a minimum 1-year follow-up. Frequentist model network meta-analyses with P-scores were conducted to compare revisions, complications, and surgical times among the three treatment groups. A random-effects meta-analysis between computer navigation and manual THAs was conducted to analyze cup positioning because no robotic-assisted THA studies reported this outcome. Results: Five RCTs compared robotic-assisted and manual THAs, while seven compared computer navigation and manual THAs. manual THA was associated with significantly reduced surgical time in comparison with computer navigation (mean difference: 23.3 minutes) and robotic-assisted THAs (mean difference: 8.6 minutes; P < 0.001). No difference was observed in the incidence of all-cause complications (computer navigation: 1.7%, manual: 6.6%, and robotic-assisted: 16.2%) or revisions (computer navigation: 1.0%, manual: 1.7%, and robotic-assisted 4.8%) among the three treatment groups based on the network meta-analysis. In three studies that reported acetabular implant positioning, computer navigation had a significantly higher percentage of acetabular cups placed in the Lewinnek “safe zone” compared with manual THA (79% versus 52%; P = 0.02). Conclusions: manual THA results in markedly shorter surgical times and a similar incidence of complications and revisions compared with robotic-assisted and computer navigation THAs, given the sample sizes available for study. However, computer navigation THA led to increased precision in the placement of acetabular implants.
Exploring the common pathophysiological links between IPF, SSc-ILD and post-COVID fibrosis

In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, dysregulated release of matrix metalloproteinases occurs during the inflammatory phase of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), resulting in epithelial and endothelial injury with excessive fibroproliferation. COVID-19 resembles idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in several aspects. The fibrotic response in IPF is driven primarily by an abnormally activated alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) which release cytokines to activate fibroblasts. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is postulated to be one of the early triggers in both diseases. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous autoimmune rare connective tissue characterised by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common complication and the leading cause of SSc-related death. Several corollaries have been discussed in this paper for new drug development based on the pathogenic events in these three disorders associated with pulmonary fibrosis. A careful consideration of the similarities and differences in the pathogenic events associated with the development of lung fibrosis in post-COVID patients, IPF patients and patients with SSc-ILD may pave the way for precision medicine. Several questions need to be answered through research, which include the potential role of antifibrotics in managing IPF, SSc-ILD and post-COVID fibrosis. Many trials that are underway will ultimately shed light on their potency and place in therapy.
Economic uncertainty and tax aggressiveness among Brazilian companies listed on the B3

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the association between an economically uncertain environment and the level of tax aggressiveness among Brazilian firms listed on the B3. Gap: Unlike previous Brazilian literature, this study analyzes the effect of economic uncertainty and its association with the level of tax aggressiveness among listed companies. Method: This descriptive, documentary study with a quantitative approach addressed data from 2013 to 2018 of 252 companies listed on the B3 until December 31st, 2018. Descriptive statistics were used in addition to means difference tests and regression analysis with panel data. Data were collected from the COMDINHEIRO and IPEADATA websites and analyzed using Stata 16. Results: The results show no positive association between tax aggressiveness and economic uncertainty; however, it moderates the effect of tax aggressiveness determinants. These results are robust for heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation, and different proxies for tax aggressiveness. Implications: The results contribute to policymakers, regulators, auditors, and market analysts and suggest that tax burden has an indirect effect on adopting more aggressive tax planning, which might indicate tax evasion and/or future litigation. What is the relationship between an economically uncertain environment and the level of tax aggressiveness among Brazilian companies listed on the B3? Hence, this study aimed to analyze the association between economically uncertain environments on the proxies for tax aggressiveness among Brazilian companies listed on the B3. we analyzed publicly traded firms experiencing an of economic uncertainty to see whether they higher or lower levels of tax aggressiveness. This descriptive, documentary, study with a quantitative approach analyzed data from 2013 to 2018 concerning 252 companies listed on the B3 up to December 31 st , 2018, using descriptive statistics, means difference tests, and regression analysis with panel data. Data were collected on the COM DINHEIRO using Stata This moderation shows that companies with greater growth potential (MTB) and payout are less encouraged to adopt tax aggressiveness practices. Hence, these results suggest that firms with greater potential for growth and shareholder remuneration have fewer to act aggressively in times of economic uncertainty. This study’s results contribute to accounting, auditing, taxation professionals, and policymakers, as it shows that firms do not increase their levels of tax aggressiveness during times of economic uncertainty. This study also fills a gap in the Brazilian literature addressing tax aggressiveness, showing a lack of association between an uncertain, recessive environment, while the firms’ financial features are more significant to explain aggressive tax planning. Firms with higher indebtedness and bankruptcy risk are more likely to behave more aggressively from a tax perspective. causal non-listed firms, specific these limitations demands future studies to understand better the results presented here.
Is there an association between phonemic awareness and the reading ability of adolescents at secondary elementary school? fonêmica leitura adolescentes do ensino fundamental II?

Luciana Mendonça Alves 2,3  ABSTRACT Purpose: To ascertain the performance of adolescent’s phonemic awareness and corroborate the association between this skill and reading. Methods: Eighty-three adolescents participated in the study consisting of 58 girls and 25 boys aged between 11 and 16 years of age all being enrolled in the 6th to 9th grades of secondary elementary school in two public schools in Belo Horizonte. Phonemic awareness tests and word and pseudoword reading test were carried out. Results: Adolescents had difficulty in performing the phonemic segmentation task, on the other hand when performing the CVC subtraction and inversion tasks there was a ceiling effect. A positive correlation was found between the phonemic awareness tasks and the reading of words and pseudowords. Conclusion: This study concluded that the development of phonological awareness is still necessary in adolescence, i.e. the development of this skill contributes significantly to good reading performance
The Effect of Service Quality and Trust on Customer Loyalty and Satisfaction: A Case Study of Online Taxi Customers in Indonesia

: Online taxis have begun to displace conventional public transportation. Dissatisfied with public transportation, users have switched to using online taxis, apparently due to poor service quality and low user trust in modes of public transportation. This research investigated the effect of service quality and trust on customer loyalty and satisfaction, a case study of online taxi customers in Cirebon, Indonesia. This research was conducted using quantitative survey methods. The sample size was 200 customers, and researchers employed judgment sampling and path analysis techniques. The statistical calculations suggested that service quality and customer trust had a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Similarly, service quality had a positive and significant influence – and directly influenced – on customer loyalty. This study concluded that, partially, service quality and trust had a positive impact on customer satisfaction, and that customer loyalty was partly influenced by service quality, trust, and customer satisfaction. The main contribution of this study is the effect of service quality and trust on customer loyalty and satisfaction: a case study of online taxi customers in Cirebon, Indonesia.
Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptations among Smallholder Farmers in the Mountains of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

The warming rates in many mountain areas are higher than the global average, negatively impacting crop systems. Little is known about the climatic changes which are already being observed in eastern Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo, due to the lack of long-term meteorological data. Local perceptions could help us to understand not only the climatic changes and impacts but also which adaptation strategies are already being used by local smallholder farmers. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 300 smallholder Bafuliru (n = 150) and Lega (n = 150) farmers living in the Itombwe Mountains. The respondents reported climatic changes and impacts, with the Bafuliru—living on the eastern drier slopes—reporting more changes and impacts. While the Bafuliru were implementing several adaptation strategies (e.g., increased irrigation and use of inputs, more soil conservation, more income diversification), the Lega were implementing very few, due to soft limits (access to inputs, markets, and information) and culture (less interest in farming, less capacity to organize into groups). The results highlight important differences in sociocultural contexts, even for one ‘remote’ mountain, calling for a more collaborative approach to adaptation planning and action.
Long Non-Coding RNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: Biologic Functions, Mechanisms, and Clinical Significance

Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. Growing evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) might participate in the pathogenesis of PC. This review presents the biogenesis mechanism, classifications, and modes of action of lncRNAs, especially the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in PC. It also discusses the clinical significance of lncRNAs in PC. Abstract Despite tremendous efforts devoted to research in pancreatic cancer (PC), the mechanism underlying the tumorigenesis and progression of PC is still not completely clear. Additionally, ideal biomarkers and satisfactory therapeutic strategies for clinical application in PC are still lacking. Accumulating evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) might participate in the pathogenesis of diverse cancers, including PC. The abnormal expression of lncRNAs in PC is considered a vital factor during tumorigenesis that affects tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. With this review of relevant articles published in recent years, we aimed to summarize the biogenesis mechanism, classifications, and modes of action of lncRNAs and to review the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in PC. Additionally, the clinical significance of lncRNAs in PC was discussed. Finally, we pointed out the questions remaining from recent studies and anticipated that further investigations would address these gaps in knowledge in this field.
I-KappaB Expression in Patient with Psoriasis Vulgaris

: The goal of this study is to measure serum level of I Kappa B in patients with psoriasis in comparison with healthy controls. 50 psoriatic patients and 40 age & gender matched apparently healthy controls were included in the study, patients were classified according to Psoriasis Area & Surface Index (PASI) score and serum samples for all participants were taken to measure I Kappa B level for each. The level of serum I Kappa B was found to be significantly lower in the patients (3.96 ±1.96) than in controls (11.02 ±2.22). This difference was of statistical significance (p-value =0.001).
Probing the Neural Circuitry Targets of Neurotoxicants In Vivo Through High Density Silicon Probe Brain Implants

Adverse effects of drugs on the human nervous system are rarely possible to anticipate based on preclinical neurotoxicity data, thus propagating the centuries long single most important obstacle to drug discovery and development for disorders of the nervous system. An emerging body of evidence indicates that in vivo electrophysiology using chronically implanted high-density electrodes (ciHDE) in freely moving animals is a rigorous method with enhanced potential for use in translational research. In particular, the structure and function of the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit (HTC) is conserved from rodents to primates, including Homo sapiens, suggesting that the effects of therapeutic agents and other potential neurologically active agents, whether beneficial or adverse, are likely to translate across species when interrogated using a conserved neural circuitry platform. This review explores science advances in the rapidly moving field of in vivo ciHDE in animal models of learning and memory. For this reason we focus on the HTC, where substantial research has investigated neural circuitry level responses and specific behaviors that reflect memory permitting a test of the ground truth validity of the findings. Examples of changes in neural network activity induced by endogenous neurotoxicants associated with neurodegenerative diseases, as well as exogenous therapeutics, drugs, and neurotoxicants are presented. Several illustrative examples of relevant findings that involve longer range neural circuitry outside of the HTC are discussed. Lastly, the limitations of in vivo ciHDE as applied to preclinical neurotoxicology are discussed with a view toward leveraging circuitry level actions to enhance our ability to project the specificity of in vitro target engagement with the desired psychopharmacological or neurological outcome. At the same time, the goal of reducing or eliminating significant neurotoxic adverse events in human is the desired endpoint. We believe that this approach will lead to enhanced discovery of high value neuroactive therapeutics that target neural circuitry domains as their primary mechanism of action, thus enhancing their ultimate contribution toward discovery of precision therapeutics.
Climate warning marine protected areas and the ocean-scale integrity of coral reef ecosystems

Coral reefs have emerged as one of the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate variation and change. While the contribution of a warming climate to the loss of live coral cover has been well documented across large spatial and temporal scales, the associated effects on fish have not. Here, we respond to recent and repeated calls to assess the importance of local management in conserving coral reefs in the context of global climate change. Such information is important, as coral reef fish assemblages are the most species dense vertebrate communities on earth, contributing critical ecosystem functions and providing crucial ecosystem services to human societies in tropical countries. Our assessment of the impacts of the 1998 mass bleaching event on coral cover, reef structural complexity, and reef associated fishes spans 7 countries, 66 sites and 26 degrees of latitude in the Indian Ocean. Using Bayesian meta-analysis we show that changes in the size structure, diversity and trophic composition of the reef fish community have followed coral declines. Although the ocean scale integrity of these coral reef ecosystems has been lost, it is positive to see the effects are spatially variable at multiple scales, with impacts and vulnerability affected by geography but not management regime. Existing no-take marine protected areas still support high biomass of fish, however they had no positive affect on the ecosystem response to large-scale disturbance. This suggests a need for future conservation and management efforts to identify and protect regional refugia, which should be integrated into existing management frameworks and combined with policies to improve system-wide resilience to climate variation and change.
A monolithically integrated torsional CMOS-MEMS relay

We report experimental demonstrations of a torsional microelectromechanical (MEM) relay fabricated using the CMOS-MEMS approach (or intra-CMOS) which exploits the full foundry inherent characteristics enabling drastic reduction of the fabrication costs and batch production. In particular, the relay is monolithically integrated in the back end of line of a commercial standard CMOS technology (AMS 0.35 μm) and released by means of a simple one-step mask-less wet etching. The fabricated torsional relay exhibits an extremely steep switching behaviour symmetrical about both contact sides with an on-state contact resistance in the kΩ-range throughout the on-off cycling test.