Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategies to control COVID-19 and future pandemics in Africa and around the globe

Since COVID-19 has spread around the globe, most countries have applied quarantines and travel bans as a strategy to reduce or halt the spread of the virus and to avoid deaths reaching critical numbers. However, one country, South Korea, appears to have greatly slowed its epidemic without resorting to drastic lockdown; it reported about 75 new cases today (18 March 2020), down from 909 at its peak on 29 February. South Korea’s mass testing and early detection strategy may have afforded it the luxury of being able to avoid declaring a total shutdown. South Korea has the highest rate of testing worldwide, with>280 000 people being tested for an estimated population of 52 million, and a substantial number of tests were applied very quickly and among the young population ( 50% of tests were for people between the ages of 20 and 50, Figure 1). This suggests that testing was conducted on a significant number of people who presented no or few symptoms, and mainly for a population where the viral shedding is very high. By testing only patients that present with severe symptoms such as fever above 38 C and cough, and not testing patients at an early stage, many countries including Iran, Italy, and France may have failed to target a significant number of potential contaminators and therefore increased the risk of contamination through asymptomatic people. The most severe effect the virus can have on an individual is death. Therefore, some strategies, such as those used in South Korea, have shown a positive impact on the mortality rate of COVID-19, while keeping the economy active. Sadly, deaths in Italy, a country which has 25 times fewer inhabitants than China, has today (26 March 2020) surpassed the number of deaths in China, reaching the highest standardized death rate (standardize rate 1⁄4 135.37 per million) by 26 March 2020, despite having conducted mass testing ( 145 000 on 18 March). This large number of deaths could be due to the following potential reasons: (i) a delay between diagnosis of the first case (22 February) and the start of quarantine 16 days after the first diagnosed case; (ii) the late diagnosis of the first case; and (iii) the lack of mass testing, leading to poorly identifying and eliminating potential new infections and, in turn, isolating those infected individuals. As with South Korea, Germany is also considered a ‘best case scenario’, with currently only 198 registered deaths from 36 508 cases
Effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation therapy on stress and anxiety among patients undergoing cardiac surgeries

The stress and anxiety is a human reaction to any unknown situation. Stress and anxiety can affect each person in different ways which include feeling of fear, disappointment, anger, depression or helplessness. Preoperative stress and anxiety are common in surgical patients. Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy (PMRT) is a stress and anxiety management technique developed by Chicago physician Edmund Jacobson in 1920s. It is based upon the premise that mental calmness is a natural result of physical relaxation. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation therapy on stress and anxiety among patients undergoing cardiac surgeries in Dr. kamakshi Memorial Hospital at Chennai. The hypothesis formulated was that there is significant relationship between the progressive muscle relaxation therapy on reduction of stress and anxiety among patients undergoing cardiac surgeries. The review of literature included the related studies which provide a strong foundation for the study including the basis for conceptual framework and formation of tool. The research design used for this study was pre experimental one group pre test post test design. It was carried out with 30 samples that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the samples. An interview schedule was used to assess the pre intervention and post intervention level of stress and anxiety among patients undergoing cardiac surgeries. The progressive muscle relaxation therapy was given for the duration of 20 to 30 minutes. The post intervention was conducted at the end of 5th day by using same tool. The analysis revealed that the pre intervention stress mean score was 29.93 with the standard deviation of 3.46 and the post intervention stress mean score was 18.70 with standard deviation of 3.64. The pre intervention anxiety mean score was 64.63 with standard deviation of 5.34 and the post intervention anxiety mean score was 49.13 with standard deviation of 8.57. The paired ‘t’ value was 12.58 and 10.6 which showed highly significant at p < 0.0001 level. Thus it indicates that the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation therapy on reduction of stress and anxiety among patient undergoing cardiac surgeries. So the researcher hypothesis was accepted for this study.
Trends in Antidepressants Use in Spain between 2015 and 2018: Analyses from a Population-Based Registry Study with Reference to Driving

Antidepressants are considered driving-impairing medicines (DIM). This is a population-based registry study that shows the trend in the use of antidepressants in Castile and León, Spain, from 2015 to 2018. Data on antidepressant dispensations at pharmacies and the adjusted use of these medicines by the driver population are presented. For the purposes of analysis, population distribution by age and gender has been taken into account, as well as the three Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, alcohol, and medicines (DRUID) categories. Antidepressants were used by 8.56% of the general population and 5.66% of drivers. Antidepressants were used more commonly by females than by males (12.12% vs. 4.87%, χ² = 1325.124, p = 0.001), and users increased as the age increased, even if women who drive used less antidepressants after turning 60 years of age. Chronic use of antidepressants was relevant (8.28%) in the same way as daily use (3.15%). Most of the consumption included SSRIs (4.99%), which are also known as “other antidepressants” (3.71%). Regardless of antidepressants consumed, users took 2.75 ± 1.19 DIMs, which are mainly anxiolytics (58.80%) and opioids (26.43%). Lastly, regarding consumption of antidepressants according to the DRUID classification, category I predominated over categories II and III. Our findings should serve as a starting point for health and traffic authorities to raise awareness of the risk for traffic accidents, especially involving SSRIs.
Sleep enhances strategic thinking at the expense of basic procedural skills consolidation

Recent studies show that sleep facilitates the learning of complex cognitive skills. Here, we assess the effect of sleep on performance in an ecological, multi‐componential task, which requires subjects to trace on a screen as many words as possible with 16 letters, some of which (“bonuses”) multiply the value of letters or words containing them. In a within‐subjects design, 23 healthy adults underwent training and retest, with a retention period (approximately 8 hr) spent awake (WK, with training in the morning and retest in the afternoon) or asleep (SL, with training in the evening and retest in the morning). The main performance measure (GLOB) results from the total value of the letters used, the number of words, their length and the strategic use of bonus letters. An additional measure (WORDS, i.e., the proportion of words correctly detected over all detectable words) was also used, mainly reflecting procedural rather than strategic skills. In WK, although GLOB increased at retest, a significant improvement emerged only for WORDS, whereas in SL only GLOB was enhanced. In WK, the GLOB improvement appears to depend on the increase in the number of words detected (GLOB and WORDS improvement measures were positively associated), whereas in SL this association was not observed, indicating a shift to more complex but more rewarding strategies. Our data contribute to the understanding of everyday life learning processes by suggesting that sleep benefits memories of future relevance and promotes preferential consolidation of strategic skills when this is useful to achieve one's goal.
Hypoxic Regulation of Mitochondrial Metabolism and Mitophagy in Nucleus Pulposus Cells Is Dependent on HIF‐1α–BNIP3 Axis

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells reside in an avascular and hypoxic microenvironment of the intervertebral disc and are predominantly glycolytic due to robust HIF‐1 activity. It is generally thought that NP cells contain few functional mitochondria compared with cells that rely on oxidative metabolism. Consequently, the contribution of mitochondria to NP cell metabolism and the role of hypoxia and HIF‐1 in mitochondrial homeostasis is poorly understood. Using mitoQC reporter mice, we show for the first time to our knowledge that NP cell mitochondria undergo age‐dependent mitophagy in vivo. Mechanistically, in vitro studies suggest that, under hypoxic conditions, mitochondria in primary NP cells undergo HIF‐1α‐dependent fragmentation, controlled by modulating the levels of key proteins DRP1 and OPA1 that are involved in mitochondrial fission and fusion, respectively. Seahorse assays and steady state metabolic profiling coupled with [1‐2‐13C]‐glucose flux analysis revealed that in hypoxia, HIF‐1α regulated metabolic flux through coordinating glycolysis and the mitochondrial TCA cycle interactions, thereby controlling the overall biosynthetic capacity of NP cells. We further show that hypoxia and HIF‐1α trigger mitophagy in NP cells through the mitochondrial translocation of BNIP3, an inducer of receptor‐mediated mitophagy. Surprisingly, however, loss of HIF‐1α in vitro and analysis of NP‐specific HIF‐1α null mice do not show a decrease in mitophagic flux in NP cells but a compensatory increase in NIX and PINK1‐Parkin pathways with higher mitochondrial number. Taken together, our studies provide novel mechanistic insights into the complex interplay between hypoxia and HIF‐1α signaling on the mitochondrial metabolism and quality control in NP cells. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Consumers’ Attitudes Facing Entomophagy: Polish Case Perspectives

Based on high nutritional value and low production costs, edible insects are an excellent and sustainable source of animal proteins. However, completely replacing meat with edible insects requires a change in consumer mentality not only in Poland, but also in other European countries. In western countries, most people reject eating insects, mainly for cultural reasons. Concerning this, the objective of the study was to examine the knowledge, behavior, and attitudes of the Polish community about edible insects and to understand the main factors driving edible insect consumption. The study was held at the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland and consisted of two parts: The survey (among 464 students) and the tasting session (among 402 participants). The main findings suggest that there is low willingness to adopt edible insects as a meat substitute among Polish students due to the psychological barriers, such as neophobia and disgust. However, the willingness to eat processed insect food (bread, biscuit) is far higher than for unprocessed whole insects. Environmental benefits are the factors that least affected students’ willingness to try edible insects. Additionally, the tasting session of the bread with powdered insects was attended by the vast majority of participants, which indicates that a positive sensory experience can improve the acceptability of insects as food.
A novel microwave tool for robotic liver resection in minimally invasive surgery

Abstract Introduction During the last two decades, many surgical procedures have evolved from open surgery to minimally invasive surgery (MIS). This limited invasiveness has motivated the development of robotic assistance platforms to obtain better surgical outcomes. Nowadays, the da Vinci robot is a commercial tele-robotic platform widely used for different surgical applications. Material and methods In this work, the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK), namely the research version of the da Vinci, is used to manipulate a novel microwave device in a teleoperation scenario. The dVRK provides an open source platform, so that the novel microwave tool, dedicated to prevention bleeding during hepatic resection surgery, is mechanically integrated on the slave side, while the software interface is adapted in order to correctly control tool pose. Tool integration is validated through in-vitro and ex-vivo tests performed by expert surgeons, meanwhile the coagulative efficacy of the developed tool in a perfused liver model was proved in in-vivo tests. Results and conclusions An innovative microwave tool for liver robotic resection has been realized and integrated into a surgical robot. The tool can be easily operated through the dVRK without limiting the intuitive and friendly use, and thus easily reaching the hemostasis of vessels.
The effects of modifying mental imagery in adolescent social anxiety

Background The identification of negative self-imagery as a maintenance factor in adult social anxiety has led to enhanced treatments for this population. Whilst intrusive negative imagery is commonly reported by socially anxious adolescents, no studies have demonstrated that it plays a causal role in maintaining symptoms. To assess this possibility, we undertook an experimental study manipulating social self-imagery in high socially anxious adolescents. Methods High socially anxious adolescents undertook two conversations under different conditions. During one conversation they held a negative social self-image in mind, and in the other they held a benign social self-image in mind. Self-report, conversation partner report and independent assessor ratings were taken. Results When participants held a negative self-image in mind, they reported feeling more anxious, and believed they looked more anxious and performed more poorly. Furthermore, they overestimated how anxious they looked compared to conversation partner ratings. As well as distorting participants’ perception of their anxious appearance, holding a negative image in mind also had observable effects on the interaction. Participants were rated as looking more anxious and performing less well by their conversation partner when they held such images in mind, and the conversation was rated more critically by conversation partners and independent observers. Finally, a preliminary mediation analysis suggested that the detrimental effect of negative imagery on the social interaction may be partly due to the spontaneous use of avoidant safety behaviours. Conclusions The findings provide support for a causal role of negative self-imagery in adolescent social anxiety and point to the potential clinical value of techniques targeting imagery to treat the disorder.
The Calcium-Sensing Receptor is A Marker and Potential Driver of Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer

The mechanisms underlying neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation in prostate cancer (PCa) remain mostly uncharacterized. Since a deregulated calcium homeostasis has been reported in neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), we explored herein the link between NE differentiation and the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR). CaSR expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry—together with NE markers—on tissue microarrays containing samples of normal prostate, localized PCa, metastatic castration resistant PCa (MCRPC) and NEPC. In prostate tissues, we observed a strong association between CaSR and chromogranin expression. Both markers were strongly expressed in all cases of NEPC and co-expression was confirmed by double immunostaining. In MCRPC, the expression of CaSR was significantly associated with shorter overall survival. The involvement of CaSR in NE differentiation was evaluated in PCa cell lines. Inhibition of CaSR led to decrease the expression of neuronal (NSE, βtubulinIII) and NE (chromogranin, synaptophysin) markers in the NE PCa cell line NCI-H660. A decrease of neuronal and NE markers was also observed in siCaSR-transfected PC3 and 22RV1 cells, respectively, whereas CaSR activation increased both NSE and synaptophysin expression in PC3 cells. These results strongly suggest that CaSR is a marker and a driver of NE differentiation in PCa and emphasize the potential of CaSR directed therapy for NEPC patients.
Community based reference interval of selected clinical chemistry parameters among apparently healthy Adolescents in Mekelle City, Tigrai, Northern Ethiopia

Background Locally established clinical laboratory reference intervals (RIs) are required to interpret laboratory test results for screening, diagnosis and prognosis. The objective of this study was establishing reference interval of clinical chemistry parameters among apparently healthy adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years in Mekelle, Tigrai, northern part of Ethiopia. Methods Community based cross sectional study was employed from December 2018 to March 2019 in Mekelle city among 172 males and 172 females based on Multi stage sampling technique. Blood samples were tested for Fasting blood sugar (FBS), alanine aminino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Creatinine, urea, total protein, albumin (ALB), direct and indirect bilirubin (BIL.D and BIL.T) using 25 Bio system clinical chemistry analyzer. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 23 software and based on the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI)/ International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) C 28-A3 Guideline which defines the reference interval as the 95% central range of 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. Mann Whitney U test, descriptive statistics and box and whisker were statistical tools used for analysis. Results This study observed statistically significant differences between males and females in ALP, ALT, AST, Urea and Creatinine Reference intervals. The established reference intervals for males and females, respectively, were: ALP (U/L) 79.48–492.12 versus 63.56–253.34, ALT (U/L) 4.54–23.69 versus 5.1–20.03, AST 15.7–39.1 versus 13.3–28.5, Urea (mg/dL) 9.33–24.99 versus 7.43–23.11, and Creatinine (mg/dL) 0.393–0.957 versus 0.301–0.846. The combined RIs for Total Protein (g/dL) was 6.08–7.85, ALB (g/dL) 4.42–5.46, FBS(mg/dL) 65–110, BIL.D (mg/dL) 0.033–0.532, and BIL.T (mg/dL) 0.106–0.812. Conclusions The result showed marked difference among sex and with the company derived values for selected clinical chemistry parameters. Thus, use of age and sex specific locally established reference intervals for clinical chemistry parameters is recommended.
Work stress among Chinese nurses to support Wuhan in fighting against COVID‐19 epidemic

Abstract Aims To investigate the work stress among Chinese nurses who are supporting Wuhan in fighting against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection and to explore the relevant influencing factors. Background The COVID‐19 epidemic has posed a major threat to public health. Nurses have always played an important role in infection prevention, infection control, isolation, containment and public health. However, available data on the work stress among these nurses are limited. Methods A cross‐sectional survey. An online questionnaire was completed by 180 anti‐epidemic nurses from Guangxi. Data collection tools, including the Chinese version of the Stress Overload Scale (SOS) and the Self‐rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), were used. Descriptive single factor correlation and multiple regression analyses were used in exploring the related influencing factors. Results The SOS (39.91 ± 12.92) and SAS (32.19 ± 7.56) scores of this nurse group were positively correlated (r = 0.676, p < .05). Multiple regression analysis showed that only children, working hours per week and anxiety were the main factors affecting nurse stress (p = .000, .048, .000, respectively). Conclusions Nurses who fight against COVID‐19 were generally under pressure. Implications for Nursing Management Nurse leaders should pay attention to the work stress and the influencing factors of the nurses who are fighting against COVID‐19 infection, and offer solutions to retain mental health among these nurses.
Biochemical and Comparative Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Key Genes Involved in Major Metabolic Regulation Related to Colored Leaf Formation in Osmanthus fragrans ‘Yinbi Shuanghui’ during Development

Osmanthus fragrans ‘Yinbi Shuanghui’ not only has a beautiful shape and fresh floral fragrance, but also rich leaf colors that change, making the tree useful for landscaping. In order to study the mechanisms of color formation in O. fragrans ‘Yinbi Shuanghui’ leaves, we analyzed the colored and green leaves at different developmental stages in terms of leaf pigment content, cell structure, and transcriptome data. We found that the chlorophyll content in the colored leaves was lower than that of green leaves throughout development. By analyzing the structure of chloroplasts, the colored leaves demonstrated more stromal lamellae and low numbers of granum thylakoid. However, there was a large number of plastoglobuli. Using transcriptome sequencing, we demonstrated that the expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in chlorophyll degradation was upregulated, i.e., heme oxygennase-1 (HO1), pheophorbide a oxidase (PAO), and chlorophyllase-2 (CLH2), affecting the synthesis of chlorophyll in colored leaves. The stay-green gene (SGR) was upregulated in colored leaves. Genes involved in carotenoid synthesis, i.e., phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1) and 1-Deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS), were downregulated in colored leaves, impeding the synthesis of carotenoids. In the later stage of leaf development, the downregulated expression of Golden2-Like (GLK) inhibited chloroplast development in colored leaves. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to investigate the correlation between physiological indicators and DEGs, we chose the modules with the highest degree of relevance to chlorophyll degradation and carotenoid metabolism. A total of five genes (HSFA2, NFYC9, TCP20, WRKY3, and WRKY4) were identified as hub genes. These analyses provide new insights into color formation mechanisms in O. fragrans ‘Yinbi Shuanghui’ leaves at the transcriptional level.
The mutation L69P in the PAS domain of the hERG potassium channel results in LQTS by trafficking deficiency

ABSTRACT The congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac disorder characterized by a prolonged QT interval on the electrocardiogram and an increased susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. A frequent cause for LQTS is mutations in the KCNH2 gene (also known as the human ether-a-go-go-related gene or hERG), which reduce or modulate the potassium current IKr and hence alter cardiac repolarization. In a patient with a clinically diagnosed LQTS, we identified the mutation L69P in the N-terminal PAS (Per-Arnt-Sim) domain of hERG. Functional expression in HEK293 cells shows that a homotetrameric hERG channel reconstituted with only mutant subunits exhibits a drastically reduced surface expression of the channel protein thus leading to a diminished hERG current. Unlike many other mutations in the hERG-PAS domain the negative impact of the L69P substitution cannot be rescued by facilitated protein folding at a lower incubation temperature. Further, co-expression of wt and mutant monomers does not restore either wt like surface expression or the full hERG current. These results indicate L69P is a dominant negative mutation, with deficits which most likely occurs at the level of protein folding and subsequently inhibits trafficking to the plasma membrane. The functional deficits of the mutant channel support the clinical diagnosis of a LQTS.