Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Utero Exposure to Zika Virus Results in sex-Specific Memory Deficits and Neurological Alterations in Adult Mice

Transplacental transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) during early pregnancy may lead to several neurological alterations, known as congenital Zika syndrome. We have previously shown that intravaginal infection of immunocompetent dams with ZIKV during the early stage of pregnancy triggers neuroinflammation in fetuses, characterized by increased brain expression of inflammatory factors, including IL-6, IL-18, CCL2, CXCL1, and CXCL10. The present study sought to understand the long-term consequences of these early cerebral alterations. For that, pregnant FVB/NJ immunocompetent females were infected intravaginally on the gestational day (GD) 4.5 and experiments were performed when offspring reached between 4 to 5 months of age. The exposure to ZIKV promoted significant neuronal cell loss detected in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of adult mice. However, only females showed reduced expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), and syntaxin-1A, which are important genes related to neuronal function and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the protein levels of the pre- and postsynaptic markers, SNAP25 and PSD95, respectively, were decreased exclusively in ZIKV-exposed female mice, indicating that ZIKV exposure in utero induces synaptic loss. Additionally, only females exposed to ZIKV showed risk-taking behavior and hippocampal-dependent spatial memory deficit. Together, these results demonstrate that intravaginal infection of mice on GD4.5 induces neurological alterations in the offspring detectable in their adulthood and that female mice, rather than male mice, are more susceptible to ZIKV-induced neurobehavioral alterations. Summary Statement In utero exposure to ZIKV leads to decreased number of neurons in adult mice. Female mice exposed to ZIKV in utero exhibit lower levels of BDNF, a decrease in synaptic markers, memory deficits, and risk-taking behavior during adulthood.
The impact of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) on patients and their family members: results from an international burden of illness survey

ABSTRACT Background Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare, genetic disorder of heterotopic ossification within soft, connective tissues resulting in limited joint function and severe disability. We present results from an international burden of illness survey (NCT04665323) assessing physical, quality of life (QoL), and economic impacts of FOP on patients and family members. Methods Patient associations in 15 countries invited their members to participate; individuals with FOP and their family members were eligible. The survey was available online, in 11 languages, from 18 January–30 April 2021. Participants responded to assessments measuring joint function, QoL, healthcare service and living adaptation utilization, out-of-pocket costs, employment, and travel. Results The survey received 463 responses (patients, n = 219; family members, n = 244). For patients, decreased joint function was associated with reduced QoL and greater reliance on living adaptations. Nearly half of primary caregivers experienced a mild to moderate impact on their health/psychological wellbeing. Most primary caregivers and patients (≥18 years) reported that FOP impacted their career decisions. Conclusions Data from this survey will improve understanding of the impact of FOP on patients and family members, which is important for identifying unmet needs, optimizing care, and improving support for the FOP community.
Mapping the drivers of parasitic weed abundance at a nationa(cid:1140) sca(cid:1140)e(cid:313) a new approach app(cid:1140)ied to Striga asiatica in the mid(cid:330)west of Madagascar

The parasitic weed genus Striga causes huge losses to crop production in sub-Saharan Africa, estimated to be in excess of $7 billion per year. There is a paucity of reliable distribution data for Striga ; however, such data are urgently needed to understand current drivers, better target control efforts, as well as to predict future risks. To address this, we developed a methodology to enable rapid, large-scale monitoring of Striga populations. We used this approach to uncover the factors that currently drive the abundance and distribution of Striga asiatica in Madagascar. Two long-distance transects were established across the middle-west region of Madagascar in which S. asiatica abundance in fields adjacent to the road was estimated. Management, crop structure and soil data were also collected. Analysis of the data suggests that crop variety, companion crop and previous crop were correlated with Striga density. A positive relationship between within-field Striga density and the density of the nearest neighbouring fields indicates that spatial configuration and connectivity of suitable habitats is also important in determining Striga spread. Our results demonstrate that we are able to capture distribution and management data for Striga density at a landscape scale and use Here, we analyse the factors driving the abundance and distribution of Striga at a large scale. We used ecological surveys to obtain landscape-scale distribution data alongside detailed agroecological information for S. asiatica . The objectives were to (a) develop a rapid and repeatable methodology that would permit the mapping of this weed at a national scale; (b) test the role of management (crop and cropping history) in driving increases in abundance; and (c) analyse the impact of variation in soil nutrients in explaining differences in the distribution of Striga . This paper describes a systematic, landscape-scale agroecological study of the factors driving the occurrence and abundance of Striga. The methodology enabled the rapid collection of statistically robust distribution data to reveal key agroecological factors influencing Striga density. Our study demonstrates the role of crop variety, companion crop and crop rotation in determining Striga density and highlights the importance of densities within adjacent fields, providing evidence of the localised nature of Striga dispersal. Previous Striga distribution studies other census 2006), plant ques-tionnaires field-level density estimate
Focus on Fertility Preservation Ovarian cryopreservation for fertility preservation: indications and outcomes

Female fertility preservation provides signiﬁcantly different challenges to that for the male, with the only established method being cryopreservation of embryos thus necessitating the involvement of a male. Other, experimental, options include oocyte or ovarian tissue cryopreservation. The latter has been regarded as a potential method for more than a decade, but has resulted in the birth of only ﬁve babies. It is not possible to be certain how many women have had ovarian tissue cryopreserved. Oocyte cryopreservation also remains experimental, but w 100-fold more babies have been born through this technique over the last two decades. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation has the potential advantages of preservation of a large number of oocytes within primordial follicles, it does not require hormonal stimulation when time is short and indeed may be appropriate for the pre-pubertal. Disadvantages include the need for an invasive procedure, and the uncertain risk of ovarian contamination in haematological and other malignancies. We here review this approach in the context of our own experience of 36 women, highlighting issues of patient selection especially in the young, and uncertainties over the effects of cancer treatments on subsequent fertility. Of these 36 women, 11 have died but 5 have had spontaneous pregnancies. So far, none have requested reimplantation of their stored ovarian tissue. Ovarian cryopreservation appears to be a potentially valuable method for fertility preservation, but the indications and approaches best used remain unclear. Reproduction
Ground penetrating radar observations of subsurface structures in the floor of Jezero crater, Mars

The Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment instrument has conducted the first rover-mounted ground-penetrating radar survey of the Martian subsurface. A continuous radar image acquired over the Perseverance rover’s initial ~3-kilometer traverse reveals electromagnetic properties and bedrock stratigraphy of the Jezero crater floor to depths of ~15 meters below the surface. The radar image reveals the presence of ubiquitous strongly reflecting layered sequences that dip downward at angles of up to 15 degrees from horizontal in directions normal to the curvilinear boundary of and away from the exposed section of the Séitah formation. The observed slopes, thicknesses, and internal morphology of the inclined stratigraphic sections can be interpreted either as magmatic layering formed in a differentiated igneous body or as sedimentary layering commonly formed in aqueous environments on Earth. The discovery of buried structures on the Jezero crater floor is potentially compatible with a history of igneous activity and a history of multiple aqueous episodes.
Exploring the phenotype of Italian patients with ALS with intermediate ATXN2 polyQ repeats

Objective To detect the clinical characteristics of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) carrying an intermediate ATXN2 polyQ number of repeats in a large population-based series of Italian patients with ALS. Methods The study population includes 1330 patients with ALS identified through the Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Register for ALS, diagnosed between 2007 and 2019 and not carrying C9orf72, SOD1, TARDBP and FUS mutations. Controls were 1274 age, sex and geographically matched Italian subjects, identified through patients’ general practitioners. Results We found 42 cases and 4 controls with≥31 polyQ repeats, corresponding to an estimated OR of 10.4 (95% CI 3.3 to 29.0). Patients with≥31 polyQ repeats (ATXN2+) compared with those without repeat expansion (ATXN2−) had more frequently a spinal onset (p=0.05), a shorter diagnostic delay (p=0.004), a faster rate of ALSFRS-R progression (p=0.004) and King’s progression (p=0.004), and comorbid frontotemporal dementia (7 (28.0%) vs 121 (13.4%), p=0.037). ATXN2+ patients had a 1-year shorter survival (ATXN2+ patients 1.82 years, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.51; ATXN2− 2.84 years, 95% CI 1.67 to 5.58, p=0.0001). ATXN2 polyQ intermediate repeats was independently related to a worse outcome in Cox multivariable analysis (p=0.006). Conclusions In our population-based cohort, ATXN2+ patients with ALS have a distinctive phenotype, characterised by a more rapid disease course and a shorter survival. In addition, ATXN2+ patients have a more severe impairment of cognitive functions. These findings have relevant implications on clinical practice, including the possibility of refining the individual prognostic prediction and improving the design of ALS clinical trials, in particular as regards as those targeted explicitly to ATXN2.
Safety of anticoagulation use for treatment of portal vein thrombosis in liver cirrhosis and its effect on hospital-based outcomes: an insight from a US nationwide database

Background and aim Anticoagulation use for portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with advanced liver disease is controversial. We investigated the effect of anticoagulation on outcomes in patients with PVT with cirrhosis. Methods We reviewed National Inpatient Sample data from 2016 to 2018 to identify patients with PVT. Our outcomes were in-hospital mortality, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, acute kidney injury (AKI), hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), sepsis and hospital resource utilisation. Results We included 60 505 patients with PVT, out of whom 6.63% (4015) were on anticoagulation. The overall mortality in the anticoagulation group was 2.12% compared with 9.72% in the no anticoagulation group. The adjusted odds of mortality were low in the anticoagulation group (adjusted OR (AOR) 0.27, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.46, p<0.001). Patients on anticoagulation had 29% lower odds of variceal bleeding (AOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.96, p=0.03). Lower odds of HRS (AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.85, p=0.01) and AKI (AOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.69, p<0.001) were also seen in the anticoagulation group. Patients in the anticoagulation group also showed lower odds of SBP (AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.89, p=0.01) and sepsis (AOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.93, p=0.03). Anticoagulation use resulted in shorter hospital stay by 1.15 days (adjusted length of stay −1.15, 95% CI −1.51 to –0.79, p<0.001). The mean difference in total hospital charges between the anticoagulation and the no anticoagulation group was −$20 034 (95% CI −$27 077 to −$12 991, p<0.001). Conclusion Our analysis found that anticoagulation use is safe and associated with better outcomes in patients with PVT with advanced liver disease.
Predictive Models for Identiﬁcation of Hospitalized Patients Harboring KPC-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

The production of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) by Enterobacteriaceae has become a signiﬁcant problem in recent years. To identify factors that could predict isolation of KPC-producing K. pneumoniae (KPCKP) in clinical samples from hospitalized patients, we conducted a retrospective, matched (1:2) case-control study in ﬁve large Italian hospitals. The case cohort consisted of adult inpatients whose hospital stay included at least one documented isolation of a KPCKP strain from a clinical specimen. For each case enrolled, we randomly selected two matched controls with no KPCKP-positive cultures of any type during their hospitalization. Matching involved hospital, ward, and month/year of admission, as well as time at risk for KPCKP isolation. A subgroup analysis was also carried out to identify risk factors speciﬁcally associated with true KPCKP infection. During the study period, KPCKP was isolated from clinical samples of 657 patients; 426 of these cases appeared to be true infections. Independent predictors of KPCKP isolation were recent admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), indwelling urinary catheter, central venous catheter (CVC), and/or surgical drain, > 2 recent hospitalizations, hematological cancer, and recent ﬂuoroquinolone and/or carbapenem therapy. A Charlson index of > 3, indwelling CVC, recent surgery, neutropenia, > 2 recent hospitalizations, and recent ﬂuoroquinolone and/or carbapenem therapy were independent risk factors for KPCKP infection. Models developed to predict KPCKP isolation and KPCKP infection displayed good predictive power, with the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves of 0.82 (95% conﬁdence interval [CI], 0.80 to 0.84) and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.80 to 0.85), re-spectively. This study provides novel information which might be useful for the clinical management of patients harboring KPCKP and for controlling the spread of this organism. univariate analysis ( P (cid:2) 0.10) were included in a logistic regression analysis, and a backward stepwise approach was used to identify those independently associated with each outcome ( P (cid:2) 0.05). These factors were included in the corresponding predictive model (one for isolation and one for infection). The power of each model to discriminate between cases and controls was expressed as the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC). For each prediction rule, sensi-tivity and speciﬁcity were calculated for different cutoff values. Statistical analyses were performed with the Intercooled Stata program, version 11, for Windows (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX).
Comparison of In-Person vs. Video Directly Observed Therapy (VDOT) on Stigma Levels in Tuberculosis Patients

Introduction: To investigate the effect of video directly observed therapy (VDOT) on stigma levels in tuberculosis (TB) patients. Methods: Thirty TB patients (36.5%) receiving directly observed therapy (DOT) and 52 receiving VDOT (63.4%) between 15.08. 2021 and 15.10. 2021 in Samsun, Turkey, were included in this study (n = 82). All the participants completed the Stigma Scale in Patients with Tuberculosis (SSTB), and their demographic and disease characteristics were investigated. Results: The mean age of the participants was 50.0 ± 17.8 years, 64 were married (78.8%), and 38 were women (46.3%) in the study group. Sixty patients had pulmonary TB (73.1%), and duration of disease was less than 6 months in 64 (82.9) patients. The mean SSTB score was 84.2 ± 12.3, the DOT group exhibiting higher SSTB scores then the VDOT group (t = 2.524, P = .006). The VDOT group had lower mean SSTB subdimension mean scores (perceived stigma, self-perception internalized stigma, and family/friend relations) (P < .05). Linear regression models identified VDOT and male gender as independent factors for increased total SSTB scores (P < .05). VDOT was also identified as an independent factor for total SSTB subdimension scores in the linear regression models (P < .05). Conclusion: Our results confirm that TB patients who receive VDOT has less stigmata compared with homecare DOT.
Rapid initiation of nasal saline irrigation to reduce severity in high-risk COVID+ outpatients.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether initiating saline nasal irrigation after COVID-19 diagnosis reduces hospitalization and death in high-risk outpatients compared with observational controls, and if irrigant composition impacts severity. METHODS Participants 55 and older were enrolled within 24 hours of a + PCR COVID-19 test between September 24 and December 21, 2020. Among 826 screened, 79 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to add 2.5 mL povidone-iodine 10% or 2.5 mL sodium bicarbonate to 240 mL of isotonic nasal irrigation twice daily for 14 days. The primary outcome was hospitalization or death from COVID-19 within 28 days of enrollment by daily self-report confirmed with phone calls and hospital records, compared to the CDC Surveillance Dataset covering the same time. Secondary outcomes compared symptom resolution by irrigant additive. RESULTS Seventy-nine high-risk participants were enrolled (mean [SD] age, 64 [8] years; 36 [46%] women; 71% Non-Hispanic White), with mean BMI 30.3. Analyzed by intention-to-treat, by day 28, COVID-19 symptoms resulted in one ED visit and no hospitalizations in 42 irrigating with alkalinization, one hospitalization of 37 in the povidone-iodine group, (1.27%) and no deaths. Of nearly three million CDC cases, 9.47% were known to be hospitalized, with an additional 1.5% mortality in those without hospitalization data. Age, sex, and percentage with pre-existing conditions did not significantly differ by exact binomial test from the CDC dataset, while reported race and hospitalization rate did. The total risk of hospitalization or death (11%) was 8.57 times that of enrolled nasal irrigation participants (SE = 2.74; P = .006). Sixty-two participants completed daily surveys (78%), averaging 1.8 irrigations/day. Eleven reported irrigation-related complaints and four discontinued use. Symptom resolution was more likely for those reporting twice daily irrigation (X2 = 8.728, P = .0031) regardless of additive. CONCLUSION SARS-CoV-2+ participants initiating nasal irrigation were over 8 times less likely to be hospitalized than the national rate.
Identification of hyper‐ramified microglia in the CA1 region of the mouse hippocampus potentially associated with stress resilience

Recent studies have indicated that some individuals are less affected by stress, and such individuals are called resilient. This study aimed to determine whether the specific phenotype of microglia might be involved in resilience using the social defeat stress paradigm. Male C57BL/6J (B6) mice were attacked by aggressive male ICR mice for five consecutive days. After stress exposure, the social behaviour was reduced in about half of the B6 mice (vulnerable), whereas no such change was observed in the remaining half of the B6 mice (resilient). Anxiety‐like behaviour was increased in vulnerable mice compared with resilient mice and non‐stressed controls. However, depression‐related behaviour was comparable between the three groups. The morphological characteristics of microglia in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus in non‐stressed controls and resilient mice differed from those in vulnerable mice. Interestingly, the voxel densities of GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic puncta colocalized with microglia were higher in resilient mice than in non‐stressed controls and vulnerable mice. Microglia were then objectively classified into three morphological types by hierarchical cluster analysis. The appearance of type I microglia resembled the so‐called resting ramified microglia and represented the major population of microglia in non‐stressed controls. Type II microglia exhibited a de‐ramified morphology and accounted for 60% of the microglia in vulnerable mice. Type III microglia showed a hyper‐ramified morphology and represented more than half of the microglia in resilient mice. These results suggest that hyper‐ramified microglia in the hippocampus may be associated with stress resilience via the modulation of synaptic transmission.
Noncommunicable Diseases and Hospital Utilization in Kuwait: A Generalizable Approach Using the World Health Survey

Background: Kuwait and countries in the Arabian Gulf region face an alarming prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that strain their health systems and threaten their economies. To quantify a key dimension of the burden, we estimated the risk of hospital utilization in Kuwait associated with diagnoses of the most prevalent NCDs, excluding cancer, using a generalizable approach suitable for cross-country disease burden comparisons and assessments of prevention effectiveness. Methods: The study analyzed responses from a nationally representative sample of 2,165 individuals with self-reported hospital admissions over 12 months and NCD diagnoses from the World Health Survey in Kuwait in 2010. Hospital utilization rates were examined for individuals diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, asthma, chronic lung condition, heart disease, and stroke rates and adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Count regressions were used to estimate the association between individual NCDs while adjusting for other covariates. Results: Using negative binomial regressions, we found that hypertension, the most common NCD in Kuwait, was associated with 75% higher hospital utilization. In addition, heart disease was associated with a 495% increase in hospital utilization rates after adjusting for potential confounders. Many other demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral characteristics confounded the sizable increase in the risk of hospital admissions associated with NCDs. Conclusions: We estimated the substantial burden on curative services associated with NCDs in Kuwait through a standardized approach to compare hospital utilization rates associated with various NCDs; this approach is generalizable to more than 70 countries that participated in the World Health Survey.