Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Atrial Fibrillation Atrial ﬁ brillation: comorbidities, lifestyle, and patient factors

Modern anticoagulation therapy has dramatically reduced the risk of stroke and systemic thromboembolism in people with atrial ﬁ brillation (AF). However, AF still impairs quality of life, increases the risk of stroke and heart failure, and is linked to cognitive impairment. There is also a recognition of the residual risk of thromboembolic complications despite anticoagulation. Hence, AF management is evolving towards a more comprehensive understanding of risk factors predisposing to the development of this arrhythmia, its ’ complications and interventions to mitigate the risk. This review summarises the recent advances in understanding of risk factors for incident AF and managing these risk factors. It includes a discussion of lifestyle, somatic, psychological, and socioeconomic risk factors. The available data call for a practice shift towards a more individualised approach considering an increasingly broader range of health and patient factors contributing to AF-related health burden. The review highlights the needs of people living with co-morbidities (especially with multimorbidity), polypharmacy and the role of the changing population demographics affecting the European region and globally.
Identification of multi-drug resistant genes in P. aeruginosa isolates from patients under mechanical ventilation and respiratory support in an intensive care unit

Purpose: To determine multi-drug resistant (MDR) and metallo β-lactamase (MBL)-resistant genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from intensive care unit (ICU) patients under mechanical ventilation and respiratory support.Methods: P. aeruginosa was isolated from 387 purulent tracheobronchial secretions collected from ICU patients who were intubated and mechanically ventilated for at least 48 h. Antibiotic resistance was determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay while MDR genes, viz, blaTEM, blaOXA, blaVIM, blaCTX-M-15 were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: A total of 144 (37.2 %) P. aeruginosa were isolated from the purulent tracheobronchial secretions. A majority of the isolates (51.4 %) were resistant to gentamicin. Meropenem-gentamicin was the predominant (35.4 %) resistant combination. Out of the 144 isolates, 102 (70.8 %) were positive for blaTEM gene, 51 (35.4 %) for were positive for blaOXA gene, 22 (15.3 %) were positive for blaVIM gene, while 19 (13.2 %) were positive for blaCTX-M gene.Conclusion: The high prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa indicates the need for continued monitoring of MDR P. aeruginosa especially in ICU patients who are under mechanical respiratory support.Keywords: Multi-drug resistance genes, Mechanical ventilator, Respiratory support, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
STING Licensing of Type I Dendritic Cells Potentiates Antitumor Immunity

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an immune adaptor protein that senses cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) in response to self or microbial cytosolic DNA as a danger signal. STING is ubiquitously expressed in diverse cell populations including cancer cells with distinct cellular functions such as activation of type I interferons, autophagy induction, or triggering apoptosis. It is not well understood whether and which subsets of immune cells, stromal cells, or cancer cells are particularly important for STING-mediated antitumor immunity. Here using a polymeric STING-activating nanoparticle (PolySTING) with a “shock-and-lock” dual activation mechanism, we show type 1 conventional dendritic cell (cDC1) is essential for STING-mediated rejection of multiple established and metastatic murine tumors. STING status in the host but not in the cancer cells (Tmem173-/-) is important for antitumor efficacy. Specific depletion of cDC1 (Batf3-/-) or STING deficiency in cDC1 (XCR1creSTINGfl/fl) abolished PolySTING efficacy, whereas depletion of other myeloid cells had little effect. Adoptive transfer of wildtype cDC1 in Batf3-/- mice restored antitumor efficacy while transfer of cDC1 with STING or IRF3 deficiency failed to rescue. PolySTING induced a specific chemokine signature in wildtype but not Batf3-/- mice. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry analysis of STING-activating cDC1s in resected tumors correlates with patient survival while also showing increased expressions after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab therapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Therefore, we have defined that a subset of myeloid cells is essential for STING-mediated antitumor immunity with associated biomarkers for prognosis. One Sentence Summary A “shock-and-lock” nanoparticle agonist induces direct STING signaling in type 1 conventional dendritic cells to drive antitumor immunity with defined biomarkers
Varietal Performance of Napier Fodder (Pennisetum purpureum) Influenced by Nitrogen Fertilizer under Mango Based Agroforestry System

Aims: To observe the varietal performance of Napier fodder influenced by nitrogen fertilizer application under mango tree based agroforestry system. Study Design: The experiment was consisted of two factors RCBD with three replications. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was carried out at the Agroforestry and Environment Research Farm, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, Bangladesh during June 2014 to December 2014. Methodology: Among the two factors, one factor like A was three Napier variety viz. V1= Bazra, V2= Arusha and V3= Hybrid; another factor B was three nitrogen fertilizer dozes viz. N1=150 kg/ha, N2= 100 kg/ha and N3= 50 kg/ha. So, there were nine treatment combinations; V1N 1 = Bazra + 150 kg/ ha, V1N2 = bazra + 100 kg/ha, V1N3= bazra + 50 kg/ha, V2N 1= Arusha + 150 kg/ha, V2N2 = Arusha + 100 kg/ha, V2N3= Arusha + 50 kg/ha, V3N1 = Hybrid + 150 kg/ha, V3N2 = Hybrid + 100 kg/ha and V3N3 = Hybrid + 50 kg/ha. Original Research Article Rahman et al.; IJPSS, 13(2): 1-6, 2016; Article no.IJPSS. 29052 2 Results: The experimental results revealed that the growth, yield and yield contributing character of Napier were varied significantly due to varietal effect and different nitrogen doses and also for their interaction at different DAP and different harvesting time. The tallest plant of Napier grass (146.20 cm, 200.00 cm and 228.40 cm) was recorded from V1N3 (Bazra + 150 kg/ha N) treatment and the dwarf plant (113.20, 167.10 cm and 197.40 cm) was recorded from V3N1 (Hybrid + 50 kg/ha N) treatment at 30, 60 and 90 DAP, respectively. Similarly the highest yield (13.40, 14.14 and 14.15 ton/ha) was recorded from V1N3 (Bazra + 150 kg/ha N) treatment where as the lowest (5.20, 5.80 and 5.90 t/ha) was recorded from V3N1 (Hybrid + 50 kg/ha N) treatment at 1 , 2 and 3 harvest, respectively. Therefore, the suitability of Napier production with different doses of nitrogen fertilizer under mango based agroforestry system may be ranked as V1N1> V2N1 > V3N1> V1N2> V2N2> V3N2> V1N3> V2N3> V3N3. Conclusion: It may be decided that the cultivation of Bazra Napier variety with 150 kg urea under the floor of mango orchard provide higher yield of Napier fodder.
Intestinal Permeability, Gut Inflammation, and Gut Immune System Response Are Linked to Aging-Related Changes in Gut Microbiota Composition: A Study in Female Mice

Abstract Aging entails changes at the cellular level that increase the risk of various pathologies. An association between gut microbiota and age-related diseases has also been attributed. This study aims to analyze changes in fecal microbiota composition and their association with genes related to immune response, gut inflammation, and intestinal barrier impairment. Fecal samples of female mice at different ages (2 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months) and gene expression in colon tissue were analyzed. Results showed that the older mice group had a more diverse microbiota than the younger group. Additionally, the abundance of Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Flavobacteriaceae, Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Akkermansia, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii increased with age. In contrast, there was a notable decline in Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Monoglobaceae, Ligilactobacillus, Limosilactobacillus, Mucispirillum, and Bacteroides faecichinchillae. These bacteria imbalances were positively correlated with increased inflammation markers in the colon, including Tnf-α, Ccl2, and Ccl12, and negatively with the expression of tight junction genes (Jam2, Tjp1, and Tjp2), as well as immune response genes (Cd4, Cd72, Tlr7, Tlr12, and Lbp). In conclusion, high levels of diversity did not result in improved health in older mice; however, the imbalance in bacteria abundance that occurs with aging might contribute to immune senescence, inflammation, and leaky gut disease.
A Critical Appraisal of DNA Transfer from Plants to Parasitic Cyst Nematodes

Abstract Plant-parasitic nematodes are one of the most economically important pests of crops. It is widely accepted that horizontal gene transfer—the natural acquisition of foreign genes in parasitic nematodes—contributes to parasitism. However, an apparent paradox has emerged from horizontal gene transfer analyses: On the one hand, distantly related organisms with very dissimilar genetic structures (i.e. bacteria), and only transient interactions with nematodes as far as we know, dominate the list of putative donors, while on the other hand, considerably more closely related organisms (i.e. the host plant), with similar genetic structure (i.e. introns) and documented long-term associations with nematodes, are rare among the list of putative donors. Given that these nematodes ingest cytoplasm from a living plant cell for several weeks, there seems to be a conspicuous absence of plant-derived cases. Here, we used comparative genomic approaches to evaluate possible plant-derived horizontal gene transfer events in plant parasitic nematodes. Our evidence supports a cautionary message for plant-derived horizontal gene transfer cases in the sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii. We propose a 4-step model for horizontal gene transfer from plant to parasite in order to evaluate why the absence of plant-derived horizontal gene transfer cases is observed. We find that the plant genome is mobilized by the nematode during infection, but that uptake of the said “mobilome” is the first major barrier to horizontal gene transfer from host to nematode. These results provide new insight into our understanding of the prevalence/role of nucleic acid exchange in the arms race between plants and plant parasites.
Local Practices and Knowledge Associated with Date Palm Cultivation in Southeastern Niger

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), a dioecious species, is of particular interest in the Sahel due to its phenological plasticity in relation to climate change and its double-flowering capacity. This article explores local practices and knowledge associated with date palm cultivation in the oasis basins of southeastern Niger, and provides an inventory of local seed propagated varieties, for more effectively guiding agricultural research and the breeding of this species. We carried out a survey of 30 date palm growers in 14 villages of the Manga region. The qualitative data of the survey were processed by a Multiple Correspondence Analysis. We inventoried 19 date palm varieties, for which the main distinctive criterion was fruit colour, but some other criteria such as biology or provenance were also used. The cultural practices and knowledge associated with the date palm in Manga have improved since the 1990s. They also depend on ethnic groups and the importance they assign to farming compared to livestock rearing and trading activities. The type of basin (high, intermediate, or low water table) influences growers’ practices and perceptions. Lastly, the date harvest in the wet season is abundant, but of mediocre quality, whereas it is the opposite for the dry season harvest. To conclude, sustainable development of date palm cultivation in the Sahel zone relies firstly on the selection of varieties that are early fruit producers or that can complete fruit maturation during the raining season and secondly on technical capacity building for producers.
Downstream effects of dams on livelihoods of river-dependent communities: the case of Ghana’s Kpong Dam

Abstract Construction of dams affects the livelihoods of the population living along the dammed river. There is a need for more studies to guide dam development policies and management to safeguard the livelihoods of local river users. This paper examines the effects of dams on the socio-economic livelihoods of downstream communities by drawing on the Kpong Dam in Ghana constructed from 1979 to 1982 with the goal of supplying energy and for irrigation purposes. Primary data were collected in resettled and non-resettled downstream communities using a mixed-research approach. This case study highlights how the Kpong Dam has affected the downstream river-dependent population whose livelihoods, particularly farming and fishing revolved around the seasonal flow regimes of the Volta River. Our study challenges the general perception that dams increase agricultural production by illustrating that developing ancillary facilities such as irrigation schemes as part of dam projects can enhance all-year-round agricultural production to improve food and income security of downstream households only when constraints such as lack of farm inputs are addressed. To safeguard livelihoods and limit the social impacts of dams, compensation schemes and alternative livelihood activities should be designed to include resettled and non-resettled communities along the downstream areas affected by dam projects.
T-S2Inet: Transformer-based sequence-to-image network for accurate nanopore sequence recognition

Abstract Motivation Nanopore sequencing is a new macromolecular recognition and perception technology that enables high-throughput sequencing of DNA, RNA, even protein molecules. The sequences generated by nanopore sequencing span a large time frame, and the labor and time costs incurred by traditional analysis methods are substantial. Recently, research on nanopore data analysis using machine learning algorithms has gained unceasing momentum, but there is often a significant gap between traditional and deep learning methods in terms of classification results. To analyze nanopore data using deep learning technologies, measures such as sequence completion and sequence transformation can be employed. However, these technologies do not preserve the local features of the sequences. To address this issue, we propose a sequence-to-image (S2I) module that transforms sequences of unequal length into images. Additionally, we propose the Transformer-based T-S2Inet model to capture the important information and improve the classification accuracy. Results Quantitative and qualitative analysis shows that the experimental results have an improvement of around 2% in accuracy compared to previous methods. The proposed method is adaptable to other nanopore platforms, such as the Oxford nanopore. It is worth noting that the proposed method not only aims to achieve the most advanced performance, but also provides a general idea for the analysis of nanopore sequences of unequal length. Availability and implementation The main program is available at https://github.com/guanxiaoyu11/S2Inet.
Hope, but never expect? Comparing parents' pre‐ and post‐disclosure attitudes toward return of results from diagnostic exome sequencing for their child

Abstract Background Counseling for whole‐exome sequencing (WES) could benefit from aligning parents' pre‐ and post‐disclosure attitudes. A few studies have qualitatively compared parents' pre‐ and post‐disclosure attitudes toward receiving WES results for their child in a diagnostic setting. This study explored these attitudes in the context of children with a developmental delay. Methods Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with parents (n = 27) of 16 children undergoing diagnostic WES in trio‐analysis, both before and after receiving results. Results Three key insights emerged. First, the distinction between hoping and expecting was relevant for shaping parents' experiences with receiving results related to the primary indication. Second, parents of young children whose development of autonomous capacities was uncertain sometimes found themselves in a situation resembling a Catch‐22 when confronted with decisions about unsolicited findings (UFs): an important reason for consenting to WES was to gain a better picture of how the child might develop, but in order to make responsible choices about UFs, some ideas of their child's development is needed. Third, default opt‐ins and opt‐outs helped parents fathom new kinds of considerations for accepting or declining UFs in different categories, thereby aiding decision‐making. Conclusion Results from this study are relevant for counseling and policy development.
A Phase I Dose-Escalation Clinical Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are promising cell-based therapy for OA. However, there is still a need for additional randomized, dose-dependent studies to determine the optimal dose and tissue source of MSC for improved clinical outcomes. Here, we performed a dose-dependant evaluation of umbilical cord (UC)-derived MSC (Celllistem) in a murine model and in knee OA patients. For the preclinical study, a classical dose (200.000 cells) and a lower dose (50.000 cells) of Cellistem were intra-articularly injected into the mice knee joints. The results showed a dose efficacy response effect of Cellistem associated with a decreased inflammatory and degenerative response according to the Pritzker OARSI score. Following the same approach, the dose-escalation phase I clinical trial design included 3 sequential cohorts: low-dose group (2 × 106 cells), medium-dose group (20 × 106), and high-dose group (80 × 106). All the doses were safe, and no serious adverse events were reported. Nonetheless, 100% of the patients injected with the high-dose experienced injection-related swelling in the knee joint. According to WOMAC total outcomes, patients treated with all doses reported significant improvements in pain and function compared with baseline after 3 and 6 months. However, the improvements were higher in patients treated with both medium and low dose as compared to high dose. Therefore, our data demonstrate that the intra-articular injection of different doses of Cellistem is both safe and efficient, making it an interesting therapeutic alternative to treat mild and symptomatic knee OA patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03810521.
Antileishmanial Potentialities of Croton linearis Leaf Essential Oil

The essential oil was obtained from Croton linearis Jacq. leaves. Its chemical composition was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. A total of 82 compounds were identified, being the principal components: guaiol (7.93%); eudesma-4(15),7-dien-1β-ol (4.94%) and guaia-3,10(14)-dien-11-ol (4.52%). Antimicrobial activity was determined against six Candida spp. , three bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomona aeruginosa) and two parasites (Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi). The selectivity index (SI) was computed through the determination of it cytotoxicity on peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice and murine fibroblasts L929 cells. Colorimetric microdilution methods as well as direct counting in optical microscopes were performed. The essential oil showed remarkable activity against L. amazonensis (IC50Promastigote: 20.0 ± 4.9 μg/mL; IC50Amastigote: 13.8 ± 4.3 μg/mL), moderate activity against T. cruzi (IC50Trypomastigote: 197.26 ± 8.7 μg/mL) and weak activity against P. aureginosa. Cytotoxicity values were CC50= 89.1 ± 3.4 μg/mL for macrophages BALB/c and CC50= 306 ± 110 μg/mL for L929 cells, rendering a SI of 6 for amastigote form of L. amazonensis. Croton linearis Jacq. leaf essential oil, therefore, could be a potential candidate for future investigations regarding Leishmaniasis treatment.
Drought intensity and spatial variability in Gabes Watershed, south-eastern Tunisia

Abstract Chronological series of monthly and annual precipitation data recorded in Gabes Watershed, south-eastern Tunisia, were analyzed. The study is based on the standardized precipitation index (SPI) values, computed for 10 rainfall stations over the period 1987–2012, which corresponds to an observatory period of 25 hydrologic years (from September to August). The results obtained show a great variability in SPI values. The historical evolution of the SPI made it possible to define the periods of excess and deficit, corresponding to wet and dry periods respectively. The wet years were found to be 1989–1990, 1995–1996 and 2006–2007 while the dry years were 1987–1988, 1996–1997, 2000–2001, 2001–2002, 2007–2008, 2008–2009 and 2009–2010. This clearly shows alternating wet and dry periods, but with drought episodes taking prevalence over rainy fronts throughout the study period. Indeed, a high tendency towards a drop in precipitation and important sequences of drought were observed. Spatial variability of drought throughout Gabes Watershed was examined by geostatistical analysis of SPI, as drought and rainfall distribution vary with latitude, longitude, topography and proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. The results obtained showed that, compared to coastal and southern areas, drought was observed to be more important in the West and the North of Gabes Watershed. The SPI showed that moderate droughts are generally more frequent than severe or extreme droughts in most of the Watershed.
Development of RWQM1-based integrated water quality model in OpenMI with application to the River Zenne, Belgium

ABSTRACT Descriptions of biochemical conversion processes based on QUAL principles have been used widely. We chose the recently developed IWA RWQM1 principles to model in-stream conversion of water quality components due to its sound physical background. An engine (a simulator) based on the RWQM1 principles was integrated with three other engine components—hydrological (SWAT), hydraulic (SWMM) and stream water temperature—in the OpenMI interface. We applied the integrated model to the River Zenne, Belgium. The results indicate that the integrated model can simulate various water quality components with a wide range of accuracy, from “Unsatisfactory” to “Very Good”. However, we could not validate the model against each of the RWQM1 components as most of the components were not measured in traditional river monitoring programmes.
Management of powdery mildew on chilli through newer fungicides

Chilli is a tropical and subtropical crop that is widely produced as a commercial crop in India. It is one of the most significant vegetable and spice crops in Karnataka, where it is produced extensively. In the view of increasing disease severity in chilli growing areas in Southern Transition Zone of Karnataka, attempts were made to evaluate seven fungicides viz . , Azoxystrobin (T 7 ), Flusilazole + Carbendazim (T 6 ), Penconazole (T 2 ), Propiconazole (T 4 ), Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin (T 3 ), Triflumizole (T 5 ) and Wettable Sulphur (T 1 ) at 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.3% concentrations against Leveillula taurica (Lev.) Arn. respectively, in-vivo . Among all the fungicides, Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin (T 3 ) was found to be the most effective treatment against Leveillula taurica (Lev.) Arn. The mean per disease index (Mean PDI) of Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin (T 3 ), when sprayed at 0.05% concentration, showed was 18.32% which was very low when compared with other fungicidal treatments and mean% disease reduction over untreated control was upto 62.19 (Mean PDR)% which was very high when compared with other fungicidal treatments. Green chilli yield of this treatment found to be 130.83 q/ha and% yield increase over the untreated control was 115.07%. Also, Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin (T 3 ) treated plot showed the highest benefit to cost ratio, when compared with other treatments, of about 1.91.