Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Healthcare access for children in a low-income area in Cape Town: A mixed-methods case study

Background In Cape Town, the under-5 mortality rate has plateaued to 20 per 1000 live births, with 60% of child deaths occurring out of hospital. The southern subdistrict has the largest paediatric population in Metro West and accounts for 31% of deaths. This study aimed to uncover the access barriers and facilitators underlying this high burden of out-of-hospital deaths. Methods An exploratory mixed-methods case study design employed three data collection strategies: a quantitative survey with randomly sampled community members, semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled caregivers whose children presented critically ill or deceased (January 2017 – December 2020) and a nominal group technique (NGT) to build solution-oriented consensus among purposively sampled health workers, representing different levels of care in the local health system. Results A total of 62 community members were surveyed, 11 semi-structured caregiver interviews were conducted, and 11 health workers participated in the NGT. Community members (74%) experienced barriers in accessing care. Knowledge of basic home care for common conditions was limited. Thematic analysis of interviews showed affordability, acceptability, and access, household and facility factor barriers. The NGT suggested improvement in community-based services, transport access and lengthening service hours would facilitate access. Conclusion While multiple barriers to accessing care were identified, facilitators addressing these barriers were explored. Healthcare planners should examine the barriers within their geographic areas of responsibility to reduce child deaths. Contribution This study uncovers community perspectives on childhood out-of-hospital deaths and makes consensus-based recommendations for improvement.
Temporal variability of aerosol optical thickness vertical distribution observed from CALIOP

Temporal variability in the vertical distribution of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) derived from the 0.532 µm aerosol extinction coefficient is described using Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) observations over 8.5 years (June 2006 to December 2014). Temporal variability of CALIOP column‐integrated AOT is largely consistent with total column AOT trends from several passive satellite sensors, such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer, and the Sea‐viewing Wide Field‐of‐view Sensor. Globally, a 0.0002 AOT per year positive trend in deseasonalized CALIOP total column AOT for daytime conditions is attributed to corresponding changes in near‐surface (i.e., 0.0–0.5 km or 0.5–1.0 km above ground level (agl)) aerosol particle loading, while a −0.0006 AOT per year trend during nighttime is attributed to elevated (i.e., 1.0–2.0 km or >2.0 km agl) aerosols. Regionally, increasing daytime CALIOP AOTs are found over Southern Africa and India, mostly due to changes in aerosol loading at the 1.0–2.0 km and 0.0–0.5 km agl layers, respectively. Decreasing daytime CALIOP AOTs are observed over Northern Africa, Eastern U.S., and South America (due mostly to elevated aerosol loading), while the negative CALIOP AOT trends found over Eastern China, Europe, and Western U.S. are due mostly to aerosol layers nearer the surface. To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide both a globally comprehensive estimation of the temporal variation in aerosol vertical distribution and an insight into passive sensor column AOT trends in the vertical domain.
Empirical research with judicial officers: The biography of a research project

This article examines the history of a large multi-year, national empirical research project into the Australian judiciary undertaken by the two co-authors. We consider the different phases of the project, discuss what worked and what did not, and offer some suggestions for future research involving judicial officers and their courts. The research project entailed negotiating collaboration with and access to judicial officers and court staff on a national, state and local basis. Reflecting on this experience confirms the importance of collaboration with the courts and judiciary and researcher independence from them. Collaboration provides extensive access, supporting a long term, multi-method research design, and providing findings that are original, robust and valuable to the judiciary. It is equally important to maintain researcher independence: to ensure that courts and government commit to researcher control of data, its analysis and application, recognising that the courts cannot censor findings, presentations or publications. Collaboration and independence require generating and maintaining long term relationships, so that research leads to robust original scholarship that benefits judicial officers, courts, and the publics they serve. Este artículo examina la historia de un amplio proyecto nacional de investigación empírica plurianual sobre el poder judicial de Australia emprendido por las dos coautoras. Se examinan las diferentes fases del proyecto, se discute lo que funcionó y lo que no, y se ofrecen algunas sugerencias para futuras investigaciones en las que participen funcionarios judiciales y sus tribunales. El proyecto de investigación implicó negociar la colaboración y el acceso a los funcionarios judiciales y al personal de los tribunales a escala nacional, estatal y local. Reflexionar sobre esta experiencia confirma la importancia de la colaboración con los tribunales y el poder judicial y la independencia del investigador respecto a ellos. La colaboración proporciona un amplio acceso, apoyando un diseño de investigación a largo plazo y multimétodo, y arroja resultados que son originales, sólidos y valiosos para el poder judicial. Es igualmente importante mantener la independencia del investigador: garantizar que los tribunales y el gobierno se comprometan a que el investigador controle los datos, su análisis y aplicación, reconociendo que los tribunales no pueden censurar las conclusiones, presentaciones o publicaciones. La colaboración y la independencia requieren la creación y el mantenimiento de relaciones a largo plazo, de modo que la investigación dé lugar a sólidos conocimientos originales que beneficien a los funcionarios judiciales, a los tribunales y al público al que sirven.
Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) Does Not Enhance the Sensitivity of Detection of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in Newborn Dried Blood Spots Evaluated in the Context of Newborn Congenital CMV (cCMV) Screening

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is a leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and neurodevelopmental disabilities in children worldwide. Some regions in the United States and Canada have implemented universal newborn screening for cCMV, which requires molecular diagnostic technologies for identifying cCMV, such as PCR testing of newborn dried blood spots (DBS). This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) compared to quantitative real-time PCR to detect CMV DNA in newborn DBS. The limit of detection of various ddPCR primer/probe combinations (singleplex UL55-HEX, singleplex UL83-FAM, and multiplex UL55-HEX/UL83-FAM) was evaluated using the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) CMV quantitative standard. Singleplex UL55-HEX ddPCR exhibited the lowest limit of detection among the primer/probe combinations tested for ddPCR. UL55 ddPCR was then compared to real-time PCR in 49 infants with confirmed cCMV identified through newborn screening for CMV in saliva swabs and confirmed by a urine test. The results showed that ddPCR was only positive for 59% (29 out of 49) of the cCMV infants, while real-time PCR was positive for 80% (39 out of 49). Due to its lower sensitivity and throughput, ddPCR may not be suitable for cCMV newborn screening.
Etude ethnobotanique auprès de la population riveraine de la forêt d'Amsittène : cas de la Commune d'Imi n'Tlit (Province d'Essaouira)

Mot cles : Maroc, plantes medicinales, ethnobotanique, biodiversite, foret d'Amsittene, commune rurale d'Imi n'Tlit. Ethnobotanical study at the population nearby the Amsittene forest; case of Imi n'Tlit township (Essaouira Province, Morocco) Abstract. This ethnobotanical study has been carried out in the Imi n'Tlit farming township, one of the townships that use the Amsittene mountain forest resources (Essaouira province). It aimed at describing the different uses of medicinal plants by the local population and their impact on the deterioration of the plant biodiversity. This region often undergoes very difficult climatic conditions, and the poorless and highly illitered population constitute the main causes for the intense exploitation of the Amsittene forest resources, where the medicinal plants constitute a major component. Our investigation, carried out in March-April 2004 and May-June 2005, allowed us to identify 42 medicinal plants that are used by the local population in traditional medicine, 34 of which were collected mainly from the Amsittene forest.The survey showed that foliage was the most used part. The majority of the traditional medications are prepared as decoctions. In addition to the nearly exclusive use of the medicinal plants by the local population for health purposes, the advent of a more or less organized market for these plants should increase the pressure over these medicinal resources causing the disappearance of the most vulnerable species such as Thymus broussonetii, Lavandula dentata and Lavandula maroccana. It becomes therefore urgent to implement a sustainable management approach in order to protect and preserve the medicinal plants of the Amsittene forest.
Histological Changes Induced by Organophosphate Chlorpyrifos in Liver Tissue of Adult Male Rabbits

Background: Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most common pesticides that is extensively applied in agriculture and animal houses. Several experimental studies on rats demonstrated that exposure to CPF elicits a group of deleterious effects including hepatic dysfunction, immunological defect and neurotoxicity. Moreover, there is concern regarding their deleterious effects on human life. This study investigated the influence of chlorpyrifos on the hepatic tissue of adult male rabbits in long-term exposure and evaluated the protective role of vitamin E in ameliorating toxic impacts. Methods: Twenty adult male rabbits were used in the study. Their average weight was (27.6 ±1.891) Kg. They were divided into four groups, five animals in each. The control group received only distilled water. The CPF-treated group was administrated 33.3mg/Kg of insecticide orally by gastric gavage. The vitamin E group received only Vit E; 150mg/kg body weight. Animals in the combination group were treated with CPF and given Vit E at the same time. The treatment was applied once daily in the morning after a food supplement for 12 weeks. Animals were then anesthetized with chloroform, their livers were removed, placed in formalin, processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and with Masson's trichrome Results: Histopathological changes showed that CPF caused degenerative changes in hepatocytes in terms of vacuolization of cytoplasm, congestion, dilatation of the sinusoidal lumen, and leukocytic infiltration of liver parenchyma, as well as the presence of signs of fibrosis manifested by trichrome stain indicating the chronic effect of pesticides. In the combination group, the majority of hepatocytes presented with normal structures, and the amount of fibrosis was diminished around the portal area. Additionally, congestion appeared to a milder degree than in the experimental group, suggesting the antioxidant role of vitamin E in reducing toxic effects. Conclusion: The study concluded that CPF could cause hepatocellular damage to the rabbits' tissue which can be alleviated by applying antioxidants such as vitamin E.
Differential Effects of Lipid Bilayers on αPSM Peptide Functional Amyloid Formation

Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are key virulence factors of S. aureus, and they comprise the structural scaffold of biofilm as they self-assemble into functional amyloids. They have been shown to interact with cell membranes as they display toxicity towards human cells through cell lysis, with αPSM3 being the most cytotoxic. In addition to causing cell lysis in mammalian cells, PSMs have also been shown to interact with bacterial cell membranes through antimicrobial effects. Here, we present a study on the effects of lipid bilayers on the aggregation mechanism of αPSM using chemical kinetics to study the effects of lipid vesicles on the aggregation kinetics and using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the corresponding secondary structure of the aggregates. We found that the effects of lipid bilayers on αPSM aggregation were not homogeneous between lipid type and αPSM peptides, although none of the lipids caused changes in the dominating aggregation mechanism. In the case of αPSM3, all types of lipids slowed down aggregation to a varying degree, with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) having the most pronounced effect. For αPSM1, lipids had opposite effects, where DOPC decelerated aggregation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) accelerated the aggregation, while 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) (DOPG) had no effect. For αPSM4, both DOPG and LPS accelerated the aggregation, but only at high concentration, while DOPC showed no effect. None of the lipids was capable of inducing aggregation of αPSM2. Our data reveal a complex interaction pattern between PSMs peptides and lipid bilayers that causes changes in the aggregation kinetics by affecting different kinetic parameters along with only subtle changes in morphology.
Artificial intelligence-based identification of left ventricular systolic dysfunction from 12-lead electrocardiograms: external validation and advanced application of an existing model

Abstract Aims The diagnostic application of artificial intelligence (AI)-based models to detect cardiovascular diseases from electrocardiograms (ECGs) evolves, and promising results were reported. However, external validation is not available for all published algorithms. The aim of this study was to validate an existing algorithm for the detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) from 12-lead ECGs. Methods and results Patients with digitalized data pairs of 12-lead ECGs and echocardiography (at intervals of ≤7 days) were retrospectively selected from the Heart Center Leipzig ECG and electronic medical records databases. A previously developed AI-based model was applied to ECGs and calculated probabilities for LVSD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was computed overall and in cohorts stratified for baseline and ECG characteristics. Repeated echocardiography studies recorded ≥3 months after index diagnostics were used for follow-up (FU) analysis. At baseline, 42 291 ECG-echocardiography pairs were analysed, and AUROC for LVSD detection was 0.88. Sensitivity and specificity were 82% and 77% for the optimal LVSD probability cut-off based on Youden’s J. AUROCs were lower in ECG subgroups with tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and wide QRS complexes. In patients without LVSD at baseline and available FU, model-generated high probability for LVSD was associated with a four-fold increased risk of developing LVSD during FU. Conclusion We provide the external validation of an existing AI-based ECG-analysing model for the detection of LVSD with robust performance metrics. The association of false positive LVSD screenings at baseline with a deterioration of ventricular function during FU deserves a further evaluation in prospective trials.
The p66Shc Redox Protein and the Emerging Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, the prevalence of which is constantly increasing worldwide. It is often burdened by disabling comorbidities that reduce the quality and expectancy of life of the affected individuals. The traditional complications of diabetes are generally described as macrovascular complications (e.g., coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke), and microvascular complications (e.g., diabetic kidney disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy). Recently, due to advances in diabetes management and the increased life expectancy of diabetic patients, a strong correlation between diabetes and other pathological conditions (such as liver diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cognitive impairments, and sleep disorders) has emerged. Therefore, these comorbidities have been proposed as emerging complications of diabetes. P66Shc is a redox protein that plays a role in oxidative stress, apoptosis, glucose metabolism, and cellular aging. It can be regulated by various stressful stimuli typical of the diabetic milieu and is involved in various types of organ and tissue damage under diabetic conditions. Although its role in the pathogenesis of diabetes remains controversial, there is strong evidence regarding the involvement of p66Shc in the traditional complications of diabetes. In this review, we will summarize the evidence supporting the role of p66Shc in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications, focusing for the first time on the emerging complications of diabetes.
Crohn's disease and clinical management today: How it does?

Crohn’s Disease (CD) is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease and is characterized by an immune-mediated nature. Its etiology results from the interaction between genetic, enviromental and microbial factors. Regarding pathophysiology, it involves high levels of interleukin (IL)-12, IL-17, and Th1 profile, along with loss of tolerance mechanisms, an increase in pro-inflammatory interleukins, beyond the possibility to affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Its symptoms include abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, anorexia, and fatigue, as well as blood in the stool or rectum. Additionally, conditions comprising musculoskeletal, cutaneous, ocular, hepatic, and hematological alterations may be associated with this scenario and extra-intestinal presentation, such as erythema nodosum, anterior uveitis, osteoporosis, and arthritis can also occur. Today, clinical history, exams as fecal calprotectin, ileocolonocopy, and capsule endoscopy can be performed in the diagnosis investigation, along with treatments to induce and maintain remission. In this sense, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biological agents, as well as surgery and non-pharmacological interventions plays a role in its therapy. The aim of this review is to bring more current evidence to clinical management of CD, as well as to briefly discuss aspects of its pathophysiology, surveillance, and associated disorders.
Analysis of Correlation Between Serum Oncostatin-M and Disease Severity and Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the level of serum tumor suppressor factor (Oncostatin-M, OSM) in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and evaluate its predictive value for the severity and prognosis of pneumonia, so as to improve the ability to identify the risk of death in CAP patients. Patients and Methods A total of 110 patients with CAP admitted to the hospital from November 2020 to November 2021 were enrolled in this prospective study. Clinical data of all patients were collected. According to the 2016 edition of “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Community-acquired Pneumonia in Chinese Adults”, the patients were divided into non-severe CAP (NSCAP)(n=55) and severe CAP (SCAP)(n=55). At the same time, they were divided into a survival group (n=96) and a death group (n=14) by tracking the survival of patients in the hospital. The OSM concentration of CAP patients on the first day after admission was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All clinical data were statistically and graphed using SPSS V23.0 and Grahpad Prim 8. Results Compared with NSCAP, patients with SCAP had higher serum OSM concentration on the day of admission, which was negatively correlated with LYM and positively correlated with WBC, NEU, CRP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, CURB-65 score, and PSI score. The level of OSM in the dead patient group was significantly higher than that in the surviving patient group. OSM and PSI scores were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in CAP patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that OSM≥76pg/mL was more advantageous in predicting mortality in patients with CAP. Conclusion The level of the OSM is closely related to the severity and prognosis of CAP and may be a new biomarker for the prognosis of CAP patients.
Prediction of Superovulatory Response in Beef Cows Based on Prediction of Superovulatory Response in Beef Cows Based on Serum Anti-Mullerian Hormone and Antral Follicle Number Serum Anti-Mullerian Hormone and Antral Follicle Number

A study investigated the use of Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and/or follicle counts as a predictor of subsequent superovulatory response and embryo production in 79 beef cows. Before initiation of superovulation, ultrasonography was used to scan the ovaries of each donor cow to record the number of 3 to 5 mm follicles present, and a blood sample was collected for measure of serum AMH. At the time of embryo collection, the ovaries of donor cows were palpated to estimate the number of corpora lutea (CL) present on each ovary. Recovered embryos were evaluated for stage of development and morphological quality. Across cows, serum AMH ranged from 0.013 to 0.898 ng/mL, with a mean of 0.293 ng/mL. The distribution of AMH concentrations was divided into quartiles (AMH Q1 through Q4, with Q1 the lowest and Q4 the highest, ng/mL) for analysis. Donor cows in AMH Q4 had a greater (P < 0.001) number of 3 to 5 mm follicles at the start of superovulation than did donors in either Q1 or Q2. At embryo collection, cows in AMH Q3 and 4 had more (P < 0.001) palpable CL than cows in AMH Q1. The mean number of embryos recovered from donor cows in AMH Q4 was greater (P < 0.001) than those recovered from cows in either AMH Q1 or 2, but similar to that of AMH Q3. The percentage of recovered embryos classified as transferrable, degenerate or unfertilized were similar (P  0.275) across AMH quartiles. Analysis indicated that AMH was positively correlated (P < 0.001) with mean follicles (r = 0.458), CL (r = 0.452) and embryos recovered (r = 0.430). In order to determine if follicle counts at the start of superovulation might also be predictive of subsequent superovulatory response, the distribution of follicle counts were divided into quartiles (F Q1 through Q4, with Q1 the lowest and Q4 the highest) for analysis. Donor