Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Volumetric absorptive microsampling and dried blood spot microsampling vs. conventional venous sampling for tacrolimus trough concentration monitoring

Abstract Objectives Monitoring tacrolimus blood concentrations is important for preventing allograft rejection in transplant patients. Our hospital offers dried blood spot (DBS) sampling, giving patients the opportunity to sample a drop of blood from a fingerprick at home, which can be sent to the laboratory by mail. In this study, both a volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) device and DBS sampling were compared to venous whole blood (WB) sampling. Methods A total of 130 matched fingerprick VAMS, fingerprick DBS and venous WB samples were obtained from 107 different kidney transplant patients by trained phlebotomists for method comparison using Passing-Bablok regression. Bias was assessed using Bland-Altman. A multidisciplinary team pre-defined an acceptance limit requiring >80% of all matched samples within 15% of the mean of both samples. Sampling quality was evaluated for both VAMS and DBS samples. Results 32.3% of the VAMS samples and 6.2% of the DBS samples were of insufficient quality, leading to 88 matched samples fit for analysis. Passing-Bablok regression showed a significant difference between VAMS and WB, with a slope of 0.88 (95% CI 0.81–0.97) but not for DBS (slope 1.00; 95% CI 0.95–1.04). Both VAMS (after correction for the slope) and DBS showed no significant bias in Bland-Altman analysis. For VAMS and DBS, the acceptance limit was met for 83.0% and 96.6% of the samples, respectively. Conclusions VAMS sampling can replace WB sampling for tacrolimus trough concentration monitoring, but VAMS sampling is currently inferior to DBS sampling, both regarding sample quality and agreement with WB tacrolimus concentrations.
COVID-19 in People With Diabetes: Urgently Needed Lessons From Early Reports

Epidemic infections have frightened and harmed people for millennia. Plague (1) and typhus (2), bacterial infections associated with poor sanitation and high mortality, have devastated populations. Both still reappear intermittently, but they are generally contained with better sanitation and control of rodent and insect vectors along with antibiotics. In contrast, viral epidemics persist. A unique strain of influenza caused a global epidemic (pandemic) in 1918 resulting in millions of deaths (3). Among recent outbreaks of viral infections, several have been caused by coronaviruses (4). One of these, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is now causing a pandemic illness termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that poses unique challenges. This novel coronavirus is readily transmitted from person-to-person, even by those who are infected but without symptoms. In susceptible people it causes severe illness and often death from pulmonary and systemic injuries. At present, we have neither a preventive vaccine nor well-studied pharmacotherapy, although work to develop these is vigorously underway. Certain groups are more vulnerable to COVID-19, notably older people and those with underlying medical conditions. Because diabetes is one of the conditions associated with high risk, the diabetes community urgently needs to know more about COVID-19 and its effects on people with diabetes. Between the first appearance of this illness in December 2019 and the time of writing this commentary, several detailed clinical descriptions have been published. Among 44,672 patients in China with infection confirmed by nucleic acid testing up to mid-February (5), most (87%) were between 30 and 79 years old. A large majority (81%) were considered to have mild illness, but in 14% it was judged to be severe and in 5% critical. Of all confirmed cases, 2.3% of patients died. Higher mortality rates were found among those ≥80 years old (14.8%), in those with preexisting cardiovascular …
Slow development of leaf photosynthesis in an evergreen broad‐leaved tree, Castanopsis sieboldii: relationships between leaf anatomical characteristics and photosynthetic rate

Changes in net photosynthetic rate on a leaf area basis and anatomical properties during leaf development were studied in an evergreen broad-leaved tree, Castanopsis sieboldii and an annual herb, Phaseolus vulgaris. In C. sieboldii, surface area of mesophyll cells facing the intercellular air spaces on a leaf area basis (S mes ) was already considerable at the time of full leaf area expansion (FLE). However, surface area of chloroplasts facing the intercellular air spaces on a leaf area basis (S c ), and chlorophyll and Rubisco contents on a leaf area basis increased to attain their maximal values 15-40 d after FLE. In contrast, in P. vulgaris, chloroplast number on a leaf area basis, S c and S mes at 10 d before FLE were two to three times greater than the steady-state levels attained at around FLE. In C. sieboldii, the internal CO 2 transfer conductance (g i ) slightly increased for 10 d after FLE but then decreased toward the later stages. Limitation of photosynthesis by g i was only about 10% at FLE, but then increased to about 30% at around 40 d after FLE. The large limitation after FLE by g i was probably due to the decrease in CO 2 concentration in the chloroplast caused by the increases in thickness of mesophyll cell walls and in Rubisco content per chloroplast surface area. These results clearly showed that: (1) in C. sieboldii, chloroplast development proceeded more slowly than mesophyll cell expansion and continued well after FLE, whereas in P. vulgaris these processes proceeded synchronously and were completed by FLE; (2) after FLE, photosynthesis in leaves of C. sieboldii was markedly limited by g i . From these results, it is suggested that, in the evergreen broad-leaved trees, mechanical protection of mesophyll cells has priority over the efficient CO 2 transfer and quick construction of the chloroplasts.
Species Contributions to PM2.5 Mass Concentrations: Revisiting Common Assumptions for Estimating Organic Mass

In virtually all published literature wherein closure between gravimetric and chemical measurements is tested, the concentration of particulate organics is estimated by multiplying the measured concentration of organic carbon (micrograms carbon/cubic meter air) by a factor of 1.2-1.4. This factor, which is an estimate of the average molecular weight per carbon weight for the organic aerosol, stems from very limited theoretical and laboratory studies conducted during the 1970s. This investigation suggests that 1.4 is the lowest reasonable estimate for the organic molecular weight per carbon weight for an urban aerosol and that 1.4 does not accurately represent the average organic molecular weight per carbon weight for a nonurban aerosol. Based on the current evaluation, ratios of 1.6 ± 0.2 for urban aerosols and 2.1 ± 0.2 for nonurban aerosols appear to be more accurate. Measurements are recommended. Literature values also suggest that 1.2 g/cm 3 is a reasonable estimate for the organic aerosol density. This quantity is needed to convert between geometric and aerodynamic size distributions (e.g., to predict aerosol optical properties and understand cloud nucleating properties).
Checklist of valid names and synonyms of stony corals (Anthozoa: Scleractinia) from the eastern Pacific

The taxonomy and species richness of the stony corals of the eastern Pacific have been studied for more than a hundred years, but discrepancies in the nomenclature of some species were common, a situation which affected the quality of ecological and biogeographic analysis. During the last decade, the identity of most scleractinians of the region was well established but subsequently, the discovery of new colonizing and endemic species demanded a new revision of the taxonomic status of this fauna. The objective of this paper is to present an updated checklist of all accepted and synonym names of coral species of the eastern Pacific, from Alaska (USA) to Tierra del Fuego (Chile), considering as valid those which have appeared in recent reviews of this fauna (1993 to date). The status of each species was tracked in the literature as far as its original description or first report in the region, a strategy which also enabled recording and detailed assignment of the respective synonyms and their geographic distribution. There are 124 valid species names of stony corals in the eastern Pacific from 51 genera and 15 families; of them, 83 species have no synonyms, three are only tentatively identified and six are considered valid but in the process of formal description. This updated list comprises more taxa than any previous compilation. The increase in number is due to the recent discoveries of species in extreme latitudes or oceanic islands, and the description of new species. This study shows that the eastern Pacific coral fauna is relatively poor, but nevertheless there are many more species than originally thought.
The factor structure of the Working Alliance Inventory short-form in youth psychotherapy: an empirical investigation

Abstract Objective: The Working Alliance Inventory short form (WAI-S) is one of the most commonly used alliance measures with adolescents. Yet, its factor structure has received minimal attention in the youth alliance literature. This study investigated the factor structure of the WAI-S in psychotherapy for adolescent depression and explored its measurement invariance across time, therapeutic approaches and patients’ and therapists’ perspectives. The existence of method effects associated with the negatively worded items of the scale was also assessed. Method: The setting of this study is the IMPACT trial, a randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of three therapeutic interventions in the treatment of adolescent depression. The WAI-S was completed at 6, 12 and 36 weeks after randomization by 338 adolescents and 159 therapists. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The hypothesized Bond-Task-Goal alliance structure was not supported and a general, one-factor model was found to be more psychometrically valid. The existence of a method effect and measurement invariance across time and treatment arms were also found. Conclusions: While the distinction between the specific alliance dimensions is conceptually and clinically interesting, at an empirical level the alliance features of the WAI-S in youth psychotherapy remain strongly intercorrelated.
Feasibility of a Sensor-Based Technological Platform in Assessing Gait and Sleep of In-Hospital Stroke and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (iSCI) Patients

Recovery of the walking function is one of the most common rehabilitation goals of neurological patients. Sufficient and adequate sleep is a prerequisite for recovery or training. To objectively monitor patients’ progress, a combination of different sensors measuring continuously over time is needed. A sensor-based technological platform offers possibilities to monitor gait and sleep. Implementation in clinical practice is of utmost relevance and has scarcely been studied. Therefore, this study examined the feasibility of a sensor-based technological platform within the clinical setting. Participants (12 incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), 13 stroke) were asked to wear inertial measurement units (IMUs) around the ankles during daytime and the bed sensor was placed under their mattress for one week. Feasibility was established based on missing data, error cause, and user experience. Percentage of missing measurement days and nights was 14% and 4%, respectively. Main cause of lost measurement days was related to missing IMU sensor data. Participants were not impeded, did not experience any discomfort, and found the sensors easy to use. The sensor-based technological platform is feasible to use within the clinical rehabilitation setting for continuously monitoring gait and sleep of iSCI and stroke patients.
Disentangling sequential from hierarchical learning in Artificial Grammar Learning: Evidence from a modified Simon Task

In this paper we probe the interaction between sequential and hierarchical learning by investigating implicit learning in a group of school-aged children. We administered a serial reaction time task, in the form of a modified Simon Task in which the stimuli were organised following the rules of two distinct artificial grammars, specifically Lindenmayer systems: the Fibonacci grammar (Fib) and the Skip grammar (a modification of the former). The choice of grammars is determined by the goal of this study, which is to investigate how sensitivity to structure emerges in the course of exposure to an input whose surface transitional properties (by hypothesis) bootstrap structure. The studies conducted to date have been mainly designed to investigate low-level superficial regularities, learnable in purely statistical terms, whereas hierarchical learning has not been effectively investigated yet. The possibility to directly pinpoint the interplay between sequential and hierarchical learning is instead at the core of our study: we presented children with two grammars, Fib and Skip, which share the same transitional regularities, thus providing identical opportunities for sequential learning, while crucially differing in their hierarchical structure. More particularly, there are specific points in the sequence (k-points), which, despite giving rise to the same transitional regularities in the two grammars, support hierarchical reconstruction in Fib but not in Skip. In our protocol, children were simply asked to perform a traditional Simon Task, and they were completely unaware of the real purposes of the task. Results indicate that sequential learning occurred in both grammars, as shown by the decrease in reaction times throughout the task, while differences were found in the sensitivity to k-points: these, we contend, play a role in hierarchical reconstruction in Fib, whereas they are devoid of structural significance in Skip. More particularly, we found that children were faster in correspondence to k-points in sequences produced by Fib, thus providing an entirely new kind of evidence for the hypothesis that implicit learning involves an early activation of strategies of hierarchical reconstruction, based on a straightforward interplay with the statistically-based computation of transitional regularities on the sequences of symbols.
Decline in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding during COVID-19 pandemic after initiation of lockdown in Austria

Abstract Background COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world. The Austrian government implemented a lockdown on 16 March to contain further spread of the disease. We investigated the effects of lockdown on acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in Austria. Methods We contacted 98 Austrian hospitals performing emergency endoscopies. The hospitals were asked to report upper GI endoscopies performed for recent hematemesis, melena, or both, and exhibiting endoscopically visible signs of bleeding. The study period was from 3 weeks before (calendar Week 9) to 3 weeks after (Week 14) initiation of the lockdown. Results 61 % of Austrian hospitals, and importantly all major state hospitals, responded. A total of 575 upper GI bleedings occurred during the 3 weeks before and 341 during the 3 weeks after initiation of lockdown (40.7 % reduction). There was a 54.6 % decline in nonvariceal bleeding events at Week 14 compared with Week 9 (89 vs. 196), whereas rates of variceal hemorrhage did not change (15 vs. 17). Conclusions National lockdown resulted in a dramatic decrease in upper GI bleeding events in Austrian hospitals.
Cell Culture Systems and Drug Targets for Hepatitis A Virus Infection

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is one of the major causes of acute hepatitis, and this infection occasionally causes acute liver failure. HAV infection is associated with HAV-contaminated food and water as well as sexual transmission among men who have sex with men. Although an HAV vaccine has been developed, outbreaks of hepatitis A and life-threatening severe HAV infections are still observed worldwide. Therefore, an improved HAV vaccine and anti-HAV drugs for severe hepatitis A should be developed. Here, we reviewed cell culture systems for HAV infection, and other issues. This review may help with improving the HAV vaccine and developing anti-HAV drugs.
Molecular Detection of Verticillium dahliae Kleb. in Asymptomatic Olive Trees

To test and compare the sensitivity of single and nested PCR-based assays with a standard plating procedure in detecting the infection of Verticillium dahliae, especially in asymptomatic olive trees at different tree heights, two symptomatic and two asymptomatic V. dahliae-infected trees were sampled during the period of the minimal V. dahliae activity in olive tissues in summer at 10, 40, 70, 100, and 130 cm heights from the trunk base. The branch samples were subjected for standard plating and DNA extraction and amplification by V. dahliae-specific single and nested PCR oligonucleotide primers derived from the internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of V. dahliae. The single PCR-based assay was highly sensitive compared with the standard plating detecting V. dahliae at most tree heights. More detection of V. dahliae was in symptomatic trees than asymptomatic trees and the intensity of the PCR decreased with increasing distance from the trunk base. The nested PCR allowed more specific amplification of V. dahliae than did the single PCR resulting in detecting the fungus in all heights of the asymptomatic trees. The single or nested PCR-based assays could be used as a powerful diagnostic tool to detect V. dahliae latent infection in olive trees before symptom development and disease spread to newly established orchards.
Development of an RNA sequencing‐based prognostic gene signature in multiple myeloma

Several prognostic gene signatures have been developed to predict the clinical outcome in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). The most salient disadvantage of the previous signatures is their non‐reproducibility in external datasets. Given the disadvantages and the superiority of RNA sequencing over microarrays in transcriptome profiling to produce more reliable outputs, we sought to develop a reproducible RNA sequencing‐based prognostic gene signature for MM. Genes significantly associated with survival were detected in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) MM RNA sequencing dataset (MMRF‐CoMMpass) (n = 412) through a strict pipeline containing four rigid filters. The reproducibility of the selected genes was checked in an independent dataset (GSE24080), containing 559 newly diagnosed patients with MM. The RNA sequencing‐based prognostic signature was reconstructed based on the final genes in the training dataset (MMRF‐CoMMpass) and externally validated in five independent datasets (i.e. GSE2658, GSE13624, GSE9782, GSE6477 and GSE57317), containing 1461 MM cases. The RNA sequencing‐based signature was reconstructed using finally five reproducible genes: CCT2, CKS1B, PRKDC, NONO and UBE2A. This signature was able to robustly discriminate between low‐ and high‐risk patients in both training and validation datasets (Ps ≤ 0·001). Our signature was also independent of and more powerful than the routine MM prognostic factors (i.e. β2‐microglobulin, albumin, age and sex) (Ps ≤ 0·01). Treatment regimens had no effect on RNA sequencing‐based signature insofar as this signature succeeded in predicting the clinical outcome in various treatment groups (Ps ≤ 0·001).
A METHOD FOR INTRODUCING PIGS INTO FREE-ACCESS TWO-LEVEL PENS

Groups of 12 grower pigs were housed in a two-level pen in which a short ramp gave access to an upper level for feeding and resting. Two experiments studied the behavior and performance of pigs when introduced into the pens in two different ways. Twelve groups were herded into the lower floor and were allowed to climb the ramp at will. Most did so, but 12 of the 144 animals had to be forced up the ramp the first time. Compared to matched groups in conventional pens, pigs in the two-level pens ate 9.5% less feed in the first 3 d (P < 0.01) and gained 0.5 kg less weight in the first week (P < 0.025). Twelve other groups were driven directly up the ramp and were confined on the upper level for the first 3 d, with the ramp pinned in a horizontal position to form a temporary dunging area. With this procedure there was no initial depression of feed intake, little effect on initial weight gain, no need for the manager to identify "ramp-shy" pigs, and little accumulation of manure on the upper level. The procedur.
Loss of myosin VI expression affects acrosome/acroplaxome complex morphology during mouse spermiogenesis†

Abstract During spermiogenesis in mammals, actin filaments and a variety of actin-binding proteins are involved in the formation and function of highly specialized testis-specific structures. Actin-based motor proteins, such as myosin Va and VIIa, play a key role in this complex process of spermatid transformation into mature sperm. We have previously demonstrated that myosin VI (MYO6) is also expressed in mouse testes. It is present in actin-rich structures important for spermatid development, including one of the earliest events in spermiogenesis—acrosome formation. Here, we demonstrate using immunofluorescence, cytochemical, and ultrastructural approaches that MYO6 is involved in maintaining the structural integrity of these specialized actin-rich structures during acrosome biogenesis in mouse. We show that MYO6 together with its binding partner TOM1/L2 is present at/around the spermatid Golgi complex and the nascent acrosome. Depletion of MYO6 in Snell's waltzer mice causes structural disruptions of the Golgi complex and affects the acrosomal granule positioning within the developing acrosome. In summary, our results suggest that MYO6 plays an anchoring role during the acrosome biogenesis mainly by tethering of different cargo/membranes to highly specialized actin-related structures. Summary Sentence Myosin VI is required for the maintenance of correct morphology of testis-specific actin-containing structures important for acrosome development in mouse such as the Golgi complex and the acrosome–acroplaxome complex.
Implementing the CRISPR/Cas9 Technology in Eucalyptus Hairy Roots Using Wood-Related Genes

Eucalypts are the most planted hardwoods worldwide. The availability of the Eucalyptus grandis genome highlighted many genes awaiting functional characterization, lagging behind because of the lack of efficient genetic transformation protocols. In order to efficiently generate knock-out mutants to study the function of eucalypts genes, we implemented the powerful CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology with the hairy roots transformation system. As proofs-of-concept, we targeted two wood-related genes: Cinnamoyl-CoA Reductase1 (CCR1), a key lignin biosynthetic gene and IAA9A an auxin dependent transcription factor of Aux/IAA family. Almost all transgenic hairy roots were edited but the allele-editing rates and spectra varied greatly depending on the gene targeted. Most edition events generated truncated proteins, the prevalent edition types were small deletions but large deletions were also quite frequent. By using a combination of FT-IR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis (partial least square analysis (PLS-DA)), we showed that the CCR1-edited lines, which were clearly separated from the controls. The most discriminant wave-numbers were attributed to lignin. Histochemical analyses further confirmed the decreased lignification and the presence of collapsed vessels in CCR1-edited lines, which are characteristics of CCR1 deficiency. Although the efficiency of editing could be improved, the method described here is already a powerful tool to functionally characterize eucalypts genes for both basic research and industry purposes.