Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Increase the Incidence of Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy?

Background: Acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) is an increasingly diagnosed disorder associated with several diseases. The aim of this study was to report the incidence of AMN cases diagnosed during the 2020 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic year in a French hospital, and to describe their different forms. Methods: All patients diagnosed between 2019 and 2020, in Paris Rothschild Foundation Hospital, with AMN, paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) and multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) were retrospectively collected using the software Ophtalmoquery® (Corilus, V1.86.0018, 9050 Gand, Belgium). Systemic and ophthalmological data from AMN patients were analyzed. Results: Eleven patients were diagnosed with AMN in 2020 vs. only one patient reported in 2019. The incidence of AMN significantly increased from 0.66/100,000 visits in 2019 to 8.97/100,000 visits in 2020 (p = 0.001), whereas the incidence of PAMM and MEWDS remained unchanged. Four (36%) of these AMN patients were tested for COVID-19 and received positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Conclusions: The incidence of AMN cases increased significantly in our institution in 2020, which was the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. All AMN-tested patients received a positive COVID PCR test, suggesting a possible causative link. According to the different clinical presentations, AMN may reflect different severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogenic mechanisms.
Living cockroach genus Anaplecta discovered in Chiapas amber (Blattaria: Ectobiidae: Anaplecta vega sp.n.)

Cenozoic cockroaches are recent and with two indigenous exceptions, based on their fragmentary preservation state, they cannot be discriminated formally from representatives of living genera. Anaplecta vega sp.n. –the second described cockroach from Miocene (23 Ma) Simojovel amber (Mexico: Chiapas: Los Pocitos) is characterized by a slender, under 5 mm long body, prolonged mouthparts bearing long maxillary palps with a distinct flattened triangular terminal palpomere, large eyes and long slender legs with distinctly long tibial spines. Some leg and palpal segments differ in dimensions on the left and right sides of the body, indicating (sum of length of left maxillary palpomeres 65% longer than right; right cercus 13% longer than left cercus) dextro-sinistral asymmetry. The asymmetrically monstrous left palp is unique and has no equivalent. In concordance with most Cenozoic species, the present cockroach does not show any significantly primitive characters such as a transverse pronotum characteristic for stem Ectobiidae. The genus is cosmopolitan and 10 species live also in Mexico, including Chiapas, today. Except for indigenous taxa and those characteristic for America, this is the first Cenozoic American cockroach taxon representing a living cosmopolitan genus, in contrast with representaties of Supella Shelford, 1911 from the same amber source that are now extinct in the Americas.
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CNVs are structural genetic variations. Their detection is currently a heavily discussed problem in the area of bioinformatics, in part due to their proved (positive or negative) association with diseases like cancer, AIDS and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this text, we will study several approaches and their applicability, in order to obtain an insight into the challenges presented and how they are confronted.
An Effective Resistance based Genetic Algorithm for Community Detection

This work presents a new approach based on genetic algorithms (GAs) and the concept of effective resistance for detecting communities within an undirected graph. The method considers the equivalent electric network of the input graph, where edges are weighted with their effective resistance, a measure of electrical resistance between nodes, whose square root has been shown to be a Euclidean metric. The algorithm computes the similarity between nodes by using the effective resistance values and generates a weighted and sparse graph by adopting a thresholding sparsification strategy based on the nearest neighbors of each node. Experiments over synthetic and real-world networks demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach when compared to other
Bioprinted trachea constructs with patient-matched design, mechanical and biological properties

Tracheal stenosis is a rare but life-threatening disease. Primary clinical procedures for treating this disease are limited if the region requiring repair is long or complex. This study is the first of its kind to fabricate bioprinted tracheal constructs with separate cartilage and smooth muscle regions using polycaprolactone (PCL) and human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC)-laden hydrogels. Our final bioprinted trachea showed comparable elastic modulus and yield stress compared to native tracheal tissue. In addition, both cartilage and smooth muscle formation were observed in the desired regions of our bioprinted trachea through immunohistochemistry and western blot after two weeks of in vitro culture. This study demonstrates a novel approach to manufacture tissue engineered trachea with mechanical and biological properties similar to native trachea, which represents a step closer to overcoming the clinical challenges of treating tracheal stenosis.
Animal Models for Parkinson’s Disease Research: Trends in the 2000s

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder and the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Although many studies have been conducted, there is an unmet clinical need to develop new treatments because, currently, only symptomatic therapies are available. To achieve this goal, clarification of the pathology is required. Attempts have been made to emulate human PD and various animal models have been developed over the decades. Neurotoxin models have been commonly used for PD research. Recently, advances in transgenic technology have enabled the development of genetic models that help to identify new approaches in PD research. However, PD animal model trends have not been investigated. Revealing the trends for PD research will be valuable for increasing our understanding of the positive and negative aspects of each model. In this article, we clarified the trends for animal models that were used to research PD in the 2000s, and we discussed each model based on these trends.
An amino-acid mixture can be both rewarding and punishing to larval Drosophila melanogaster

ABSTRACT Amino acids are important nutrients for animals because they are necessary for protein synthesis in particular during growth, as well as for neurotransmission. However, little is known about how animals use past experience to guide their search for amino-acid-rich food. We reasoned that the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster are suitable for investigating this topic because they are the feeding and growth stages in the life cycle of these holometabolous insects. Specifically, we investigated whether experiencing an odour with a 20 amino-acid mixture as a semi-natural tastant during training establishes odour–tastant associative memories. Across a broad concentration range (0.01–20 mmol l−1), such an amino-acid mixture was found to have a rewarding effect, establishing appetitive memory for the odour. To our surprise, however, manipulation of the test conditions revealed that relatively high concentrations of the amino-acid mixture (3.3 mmol l−1 and higher) in addition establish aversive memory for the odour. We then characterized both of these oppositely valenced memories in terms of their dependency on the number of training trials, their temporal stability, their modulation through starvation and the specific changes in locomotion underlying them. Collectively, and in the light of what is known about the neuronal organization of odour–food memory in larval D. melanogaster, our data suggest that these memories are established in parallel. We discuss the similarity of our results to what has been reported for sodium chloride, and the possible neurogenetic bases for concentration-dependent changes in valence when these tastants are used as reinforcers. Summary: A 20-amino-acid mixture can be both rewarding and punishing, suggesting that oppositely valenced parallel memories for it could be established in maggots.
Medication Adherence and Treatment-Resistant Hypertension in Newly Treated Hypertensive Patients in the United Arab Emirates

(1) Background: The present study aimed to analyze medication adherence and its effect on blood pressure (BP) control and assess the prevalence of treatment-resistant hypertension (TRH) among newly treated hypertensive patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); (2) Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate 5308 naïve hypertensive adults registered for the treatment across Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA) clinics in Abu Dhabi in 2017. After collecting data regarding basic details and BP measurements, patients were followed up for six months. Patients who did not reach BP targets despite taking three or more antihypertensive medications were defined as TRH; (3) Results: The overall adherence to antihypertensive treatment was 42%. At 6-month, a significant reduction in BP was observed in patients adherent to medications (systolic: −4.5 mm Hg and diastolic: −5.9 mm Hg) than those who were nonadherent to antihypertensive therapy (1.15 mm Hg and 3.59 mm Hg). Among 189 patients using three or more antihypertensive medications for six months, only 34% (n = 64) were adherent to the treatment, and only 13.7% (n = 26) reached the BP target. The prevalence of TRH was 20.1%; (4) Conclusions: Medication adherence and BP control among the participants were suboptimal. The study shows a high prevalence of TRH among newly treated hypertensives in the UAE. More extraordinary efforts toward improving adherence to antihypertensive therapy and more focus toward BP control and TRH are urgently needed.
The Human Milk Microbiota is Modulated by Maternal Diet

Human milk microorganisms contribute not only to the healthy development of the immune system in infants, but also in shaping the gut microbiota. We evaluated the effect of the maternal diet during pregnancy and during the first month of lactation on the human milk microbiota in a cross-sectional study including 94 healthy lactating women. Microbiota composition was determined by 16S rDNA profiling and nutrient intake assessed through food questionnaires. Thirteen genera were present in at least 90% of all samples, with three genera present in all samples: Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium. Cluster analysis indicated two distinct compositions: one marked by a high abundance of Streptococcus (cluster 1), and other by a high abundance of Staphylococcus (cluster 2). A global association with milk microbiota diversity was observed for vitamin C intake during pregnancy (p = 0.029), which was higher for cluster 2 individuals (cluster 2 median = 232 mg/d; cluster 1 = 175 mg/d; p = 0.02). Positive correlations were found between Bifidobacterium in the milk and intake of polyunsaturated and linoleic fatty acids during the lactation period (p < 0.01). We show that maternal diet influences the human milk microbiota, especially during pregnancy, which may contribute in shaping the gut microbiota.
An Investigation of Interviewer Note Taking in the Field

Although a key component of a structured interview is note taking, relatively few studies have investigated the effects of note taking. To address this lack of research, we conducted a study that examined the effects of note taking in a work setting. As predicted, we found that the total number of notes taken by interviewers and the level of detail of these notes were positively related to the ratings these interviewers gave to job applicants, that interviewer ratings of applicants who were hired were predictive of their job performance ratings, and that interviewer ratings mediated the relationships between note taking and performance ratings (i.e., the number of notes and their level of detail did not have a direct effect on performance ratings). We also showed that, if uncontrolled, interviewer nesting can result in misleading conclusions about the value of taking detailed notes.
Structural and Synthetic Insights into Sodium‐Mediated‐Ferration of Fluoroarenes

2 )Fe(HMDS)} 2 ] 1 ( 4 ), [(dioxane) 1.5 ·Na(HMDS)(2,4,6-F 3 -C 6 H 2 )Fe(HMDS)] 2 ( 5 ), [(dioxane) 1.5 ·{Na(HMDS)(4-Br-2,6-F 2 -C 6 H 2 )Fe(HMDS) 2 ] ( 6 ), [{(dioxane) 2 ·Na 2 Fe(HMDS) 2 (2-methoxy-6-F-C 6 H 3 )} + {Fe-(HMDS) 3 } (cid:0) ] 1 ( 7 ) and [dioxane·{Na(HMDS)(4-methoxy-2,6-F 2 -C 6 H 2 )Fe(HMDS)} 2 ] 1 ( 8 ), respectively. Reactions take place under mild reaction conditions, with excellent control of the selectivity and no competing C (cid:0) F bond activation is observed. Showcasing complex polymeric arrangements in some cases, the structures of compounds 1 – 8 have been determined by X-ray crystallographic studies. In all cases, the Fe(II) centers occupy the position in the relevant fluoroarene that was previously filled by a proton, confirming that these metallations are actually ferration processes whereas the Na atoms prefer to form Na···F dative interactions. Compounds 1 – 8 are thermally stable and do not undergo benzyne formation (through NaF elimination) and their formation contrasts with the inertness of Fe(HMDS) 2 which fails to act as a base to metallate fluoroarenes.
Microcolonies: a novel morphological form of pathogenic Mycoplasma spp

The work describes a novel morphological form found in 5 species of Mollicutes: Mycoplasma hominis, M. fermentans, M. gallisepticum, M. pneumoniae, Acholeplasma laidlawii. The form, which is referred to as microcolonies (MCs) in contrast to typical colonies (TCs), was characterized by tiny propeller-shaped colonies formed by rod-like cells tightly packed in parallel rows. MCs were observed within routinely cultivated type strain cultures of the listed species, and rod-like cells could be seen ewith SEM within TCs of the “fried-egg” type. Pure MC cultures were obtained by treatment of Mycoplasma cultures with hyperimmune serum, antibiotics or argon non-thermal plasma. Appearance of MCs was observed 7-12 days post plating while TCs appeared 24-48 h post plating. MCs derived from the M. hominis type strain H-34 were characterized in details. MCs did not differ from the parental culture in the MLST, direct fluorescent and epifluorescent tests and Western-blotting with a monospecific camel-derived nanoantibody aMh-FcG2a. Meanwhile, MCs derived from this strain and other listed species were resistant to at least 9 antibiotics and did not hydrolyze arginine and/or glucose in standard bacteriological tests. MC cultures that belonged to M. hominis (n=70), M. pneumoniae (n=2), M. fermentans (n=2), Mycoplasma spp (n=5) were isolated from clinical samples of serum, synovial liquid and urina of patients with inflammatory urogenital tract diseases, asthma, arthritis. The reported MCs might be similar to “small colony variants” (SCVs) described in other bacterial species. However, in contrast to SCVs, MCs have never reverted to TCs. Multiple consecutive re-plating steps (for up to 3 years) were not sufficient to provide appearance of TCs within a pure MC culture. An unknown role of MCs in infection pathology along with their prominent antibiotic resistance makes them a challenge for the future studies of Mollicutes. Author summary Here we demonstrated that Mycoplasma species form small size colonies (referred to as minicolonies, MCs). MC size is ten times less than the size of typical Mycoplasma colonies (TCs). MCs are very slow growing: it was required 9-10 days for MCs to form in contrast to 24-72 h required for TCs to form. The presents a system of evidences that MCs are formed by the same species as TCs, which they have been obtained from. Pure culture of MCs might be obtained from TC cultures by treatment with the hyperimmune serum, antibiotic and non-thermal gas plasma. MCs of all species were resistant to antibiotics effective against TCs. MCs did not hydrolyze arginine and glucose in standard bacteriological tests. MCs of different Mycoplasma species were isolated from clinical samples of sera, urea and synovial fluids from patients with urolithiasis, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. MCs never have reverted to TCs even after three years passing. A role of MCs in infectious pathology has not been established yet. Nevertheless, ability to persist in the human body and extreme antibiotic resistance make MCs to be a challenge for the future research.
A Living Wage for The Bahamas: Estimates, Potentials, and Problems

This report describes how living wage estimates were calculated for New Providence and Grand Bahama. This report uses primary and secondary sources and is inspired by the Anker methodology. We calculated that $2625 and $3550 were needed each month as the gross living wage for a full-time worker who must sustain a family of four in New Providence and Grand Bahama, respectively. We estimated the net living wage to be $2500 per month for New Providence and $3400 for Grand Bahama. Our estimates are almost 200% higher than the minimum wage and nearly 130% higher than the poverty line for New Providence; for Grand Bahama, they are almost 300% higher than the minimum wage and 160% higher than the poverty line. The study should inform national discussions on public policy matters related to reducing the country’s cost of living, improving its income equity, and pursuing economic justice for all.
Recognising Recognition in Climate Justice

We argue that in order to achieve climate justice, recognition needs to be given more attention in climate research, discourse, and policies. Through the analysis of three examples, we identify formal and discursive recognition as central types of recognition in climate issues, and we show how powerful actors exercise their power in ways that cause climate injustice through formal and discursive misrecognition of poor and vulnerable groups. The three examples discussed are climate mitigation through forest conservation (REDD), the Great Green Wall project in Sahel, and the narrative about climate change as a contributing factor to the Syrian war.
Predicting Solar Flares Using CNN and LSTM on Two Solar Cycles of Active Region Data

We consider the flare prediction problem that distinguishes flare-imminent active regions that produce an M- or X-class flare in the succeeding 24 hr, from quiet active regions that do not produce any flares within ±24 hr. Using line-of-sight magnetograms and parameters of active regions in two data products covering Solar Cycles 23 and 24, we train and evaluate two deep learning algorithms—a convolutional neural network (CNN) and a long short-term memory (LSTM)—and their stacking ensembles. The decisions of CNN are explained using visual attribution methods. We have the following three main findings. (1) LSTM trained on data from two solar cycles achieves significantly higher true skill scores (TSSs) than that trained on data from a single solar cycle with a confidence level of at least 0.95. (2) On data from Solar Cycle 23, a stacking ensemble that combines predictions from LSTM and CNN using the TSS criterion achieves a significantly higher TSS than the “select-best” strategy with a confidence level of at least 0.95. (3) A visual attribution method called “integrated gradients” is able to attribute the CNN’s predictions of flares to the emerging magnetic flux in the active region. It also reveals a limitation of CNNs as flare prediction methods using line-of-sight magnetograms: it treats the polarity artifact of line-of-sight magnetograms as positive evidence of flares.
Indigenous chicken production in Fiji Islands: knowledge, constraints and opportunities

Objective The objective of the study was to understand and document socio-economic characteristics, production parameters, challenges and management practices used by Fijian households which keep indigenous chickens. Methods A survey involving 200 households was carried out in coastal and inland communities of Fiji’s wet and semi-dry ecoregions. Data on the influence of ecoregion and location of households relative to the sea on management practices, challenges and productivity of indigenous chickens were analyzed using logistic regression and general linear model of SAS software. Results Irrespective of location relative to the sea and ecoregion, households indicated that they kept indigenous chickens for food and income generation. The Welsummer was the most (p>0.05) preferred breed. Households in the semi-dry inland communities had the largest (p<0.05) flocks compared to those in semi-dry coastal communities and the wet region. Chickens in the semi-dry region performed better (p<0.05) than those in the wet region in terms of number of clutches per year and mature live weight. Predators and feed shortages were the biggest challenges faced by households in all areas. The mongoose was ranked as the most (p>0.05) common predator followed by domestic dogs. Most households in the wet ecoregion’s coastal communities housed their chickens at night, whereas communities in semi-dry ecoregion housed their chickens most of the time (p<0.05). In all regions, no households sold their chickens to commercial markets (p>0.05). Households in semi-dry ecoregion were more likely (p>0.05) to sell their chickens at the local market place. Conclusion The productivity of local chickens in Fiji is low because of feed shortage, predators such as the mongoose and lack of market linkages.
Management Boards and Indonesia's Company Innovation Performance

This study aims to investigate the influence of the management board's characteristics on company innovation performance. Management board characteristics are female in the management board, education background, and Chinese ethnicity in the management board. Resources dependency theory is applied to understand the research phenomena. Using 109 companies listed in the Indonesian stock market, multivariate regression analysis was employed. This study also employed five control variables: family ownership, foreign ownership, company profitability, company leverage, and company size. The result shows that female in management board is negatively related to innovation performance. Besides, family ownership, company profitability, company leverage, and company size positively affect innovative performance.
A locus coeruleus-dorsal CA1 dopaminergic circuit modulates memory linking

Individual memories are often linked so that the recall of one triggers the recall of another. For example, contextual memories acquired close in time can be linked, and this is known to depend on temporary increase in excitability that drive the overlap between dorsal CA1 (dCA1) hippocampal ensembles encoding the linked memories. Here, we show that the Locus Coeruleus (LC) cells projecting to dCA1 have a key permissive role in contextual memory linking, without affecting contextual memory formation, and that this effect is mediated by dopamine and not by noradrenaline. Additionally, we found that LC to dCA1 projecting neurons modulate the excitability of dCA1 neurons, and the extent of overlap between dCA1 memory ensembles, as well as the stability of coactivity patterns within these ensembles. This discovery of a neuromodulatory system that specifically affects memory linking without affecting memory formation, reveals a fundamental separation between the brain mechanisms that modulate these two distinct processes.