Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of drought and salt stress on galactinol and raffinose family oligosaccharides in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Abstract Due to climate change, farmers will face more extreme weather conditions and hence will need crops that are better adapted to these challenges. The raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) could play a role in the tolerance of crops towards abiotic stress. To investigate this, we determined for the first time the importance of galactinol and RFOs in the roots and leaves of common bean under drought and salt stress conditions. Initially, the physiological characteristics of common bean under agronomically relevant abiotic stress conditions were investigated by measuring the growth rate, transpiration rate, chlorophyll concentration and membrane stability, allowing to establish relevant sampling points. Subsequently, the differential gene expression profiles of the galactinol and RFO biosynthetic genes and the amount of galactinol and RFO molecules were measured in the primary leaves and roots of Phaseolus vulgaris cv. CIAP7247F at these sampling points, using RT-qPCR and HPAEC-PAD, respectively. Under drought stress, the genes galactinol synthase 1, galactinol synthase 3 and stachyose synthase were significantly upregulated in the leaves and had a high transcript level in comparison with the other galactinol and RFO biosynthetic genes. This was in accordance with the significantly higher amount of galactinol and raffinose detected in the leaves. Under salt stress, raffinose was also present in a significantly higher quantity in the leaves. In the roots, transcript levels of the RFO biosynthetic genes were generally low and no galactinol, raffinose or stachyose could be detected. These results suggest that in the leaves, both galactinol and raffinose could play a role in the protection of common bean against abiotic stresses. Especially, the isoform galactinol synthase 3 could have a specific role during drought stress and forms an interesting candidate to improve the abiotic stress resistance of common bean or other plant species.
Neurological injury in primary Sjogren’s syndrome

Introduction: The incidence of neurological injury in primary Sjogren’s syndrome varies between 2.5 and 60%. The authors aimed to evaluate its prevalence and characteristics in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome in a sample of the Syrian population. Patients and methods: Forty-eight patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome, attending outpatient clinics at Damascus Hospital between January 2020 and January 2022 in this cross-sectional study at the outpatient clinics, were interviewed and examined, and the necessary laboratory and radiological examinations were demanded. Information was collected on disease duration, onset time, and patterns of neurological symptoms. Results: Forty-eight patients, including 42 females, aged 56.1±10.3 years were enroled. Central nervous system involvement was found in 34 patients. 85% of patients had generalized nerve manifestations, while local nerve manifestations were found in 77,5% of patients. The common neurological manifestation was headaches, then cognitive disorders, and the most common pattern of headache was migraine. Beck Depression Index showed a significant increase in the apathy evaluation scale. The study of cognitive changes showed a significant increase in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) index. Carotid Doppler showed the presence of injury in 42.4% of patients. The magnetic resonance imaging showed positive findings in 21 patients and positive evoked potentials in 52% of patients. Discussion: Studies showing the prevalence of Sjogren’s neurological injury patterns are insufficient, but this was changed when the criteria for diagnosing Sjogren’s syndrome was modified, and the definition of neurological traits in the context of the syndrome was expanded. The presence of a high rate of headaches, cognitive changes, and fatigue confirms that generalized nervous system injuries are more common than local injuries. Migraine was the most common pattern of headache found in patients with the syndrome compared with other patterns such as tension headaches and headaches due to medications, especially analgesics. This was associated with the presence of anti-SSA antibodies and Raynaud’s phenomenon, which suggest that the headache mechanism may be due to vascular endothelial dysfunction or an immune-mediated inflammation injury of the neurovascular system. The changes that appeared on the MRI images suggested premotor cortex involvement rather than mesolimbic cortical impairment, and its presence was also associated with SSA antibody positivity, and it is caused by inflammation. Conclusion: Primary Sjogren’s syndrome should be considered as having any unspecified or specific neurological disorder.
K‐means cluster analysis of characteristic patterns of allergen in different ages: Real life study

Abstract Background Atopy varies in people of different ages owing to different physical conditions and exposure to allergens. We aimed to cluster ages based on atopic severity using K‐means cluster analysis and identify atopic incidence, severity, as well as the association among peripheral eosinophils, IgE and sensitisation. Methods Consecutive patients (n = 7654) with allergic symptoms and undergoing allergen‐specific IgE tests were included from 2013 to 2017. Age, sex, specific‐IgE, peripheral eosinophil counts and total‐IgE were collected. Results Five age categories were identified: 1–17, 18–36, 37–52, 53–69 and 70–100 years. The incidences of atopy and poly‐sensitisation decreased with increasing age. Similar trend was observed for aeroallergens, egg and milk but not for peanuts, soy or seafood. Dust mites remain the crucial factor bothering patients with allergic symptoms, especially for children and adolescents. In patients aged <52 years, sensitisation to aeroallergens was more prevalent than food. In group 37–52 years, incidence of females' atopy was higher than that of males. The overlap of atopy, high eosinophils, and high total‐IgE was found in only 19.18% of patients. The trend of allergen‐test positivity is not parallel to total IgE and peripheral eosinophil counts. Conclusion Age‐grouping based on cluster analysis helps to find the changes in atopic status and distribution of sensitised allergens with age. Allergen tests are still necessary in the clinical diagnosis and treatment. An innovative exploration of the influence of age and allergens on total‐IgE and eosinophil counts is helpful for the development of bio‐targeted precision therapy. Clinical Trial Registration ChiCTR2300067700.
Mulberry Biomass-Derived Nanomedicines Mitigate Colitis through Improved Inflamed Mucosa Accumulation and Intestinal Microenvironment Modulation

The therapeutic outcomes of conventional oral medications against ulcerative colitis (UC) are restricted by inefficient drug delivery to the colitis mucosa and weak capacity to modulate the inflammatory microenvironment. Herein, a fluorinated pluronic (FP127) was synthesized and employed to functionalize the surface of mulberry leaf-derived nanoparticles (MLNs) loading with resveratrol nanocrystals (RNs). The obtained FP127@RN-MLNs possessed exosome-like morphologies, desirable particle sizes (around 171.4 nm), and negatively charged surfaces (−14.8 mV). The introduction of FP127 to RN-MLNs greatly improved their stability in the colon and promoted their mucus infiltration and mucosal penetration capacities due to the unique fluorine effect. These MLNs could efficiently be internalized by colon epithelial cells and macrophages, reconstruct disrupted epithelial barriers, alleviate oxidative stress, provoke macrophage polarization to M2 phenotype, and down-regulate inflammatory responses. Importantly, in vivo studies based on chronic and acute UC mouse models demonstrated that oral administration of chitosan/alginate hydrogel-embedding FP127@RN-MLNs achieved substantially improved therapeutic efficacies compared with nonfluorinated MLNs and a first-line UC drug (dexamethasone), as evidenced by decreased colonic and systemic inflammation, integrated colonic tight junctions, and intestinal microbiota balance. This study brings new insights into the facile construction of a natural, versatile nanoplatform for oral treatment of UC without adverse effects.
Direct oral anticoagulants vs. vitamin K antagonists in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Optimal treatment regimen for patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) remain unclear. Therefore, the authors sought to compare the outcomes of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) vs. direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with APS. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing efficacy and safety of VKAs and DOACs inhibitors in patients with APS. Recurrent thrombosis, all-cause mortality, stroke, adverse reactions, and bleeding were among outcomes of interest. Mantel–Haenszel weighted random-effects model was used to calculate relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs. Results: The analysis included 625 patients from four randomized controlled trials and one post hoc analysis. Meta-analysis showed statistically non-significant difference between DOACs inhibitors and VKAs in the recurrent thrombosis risk (arterial or venous) [RR 2.77 (95%, CI 0.79, 9.65); P=0.11, I2=50%]. Consistent results were revealed among patients with the previous history of arterial thrombosis [RR 2.76 (95% CI 0.93, 8.16); P=0.75, I2=0%], venous thrombosis [RR 1.71 (95% CI 0.60, 4.84); P=0.31, I2=15%] and patients who were triple antiphospholipid positive [RR 4.12 (95% CI 0.46, 37.10); P=0.21, I2=58%]. DOACs inhibitors were significantly associated with increased risk of stroke [RR 8.51 (95% CI 2.35, 3.82); P=0.47, I2=0%]. Conclusion: DOACs exhibited increased risk of stroke among patients with APS. In addition, although not significant, the higher RRs among patients on DOACs may indicate higher risk of thrombotic events associated with DOACs.
Long-Moody functors and stable homology of mapping class groups

Among the linear representations of braid groups, Burau representations are recovered from a trivial representation using a construction introduced by Long in 1994, following a collaboration with Moody. This construction, called the Long-Moody construction, thus allows to construct more and more complex representations of braid groups. In this thesis, we have a functorial point of view on this construction, which allows find more easily some variants. Moreover, the degree of polynomiality of a functor measures its complexity. We thus show that the Long-Moody construction defines a functor LM, which increases the degree of polynomiality. Furthermore, we define analogous functors for other families of groups such as mapping class groups of surfaces and 3-manifolds, symmetric groups or automorphism groups of free groups. They satisfy similar properties on the polynomiality. Hence, Long-Moody functors provide twisted coefficients fitting into the framework of the homological stability results of Randal-Williams and Wahl for the afore mentioned families of groups. Finally, we give a comparison result for the stable homology with coefficient given by a functor F and the one with coefficient given by the functor LM(F), obtained applying a Long-Moody functor. This thesis has three chapters. The first one introduces Long-Moody functors for braid groups and deals with their effect on the polynomiality. The first one deals with the generalisation of Long-Moody functors for other families of groups. The last chapter touches on stable homology computations for mapping class group.
Eight new astrometry results of 6.7 GHz CH3OH and 22 GHz H2O masers in the Perseus arm

Abstract We report astrometric results for seven 6.7 GHz CH3OH and one 22 GHz H2O masers in the Perseus arm with VLBA and VERA observations. Among the eight sources, we succeeded in obtaining trigonometric parallaxes for all sources, except G098.03+1.44 at 6.7 GHz band. By combining our results with previous astrometry results (Choi et al. 2014), we determined an arm width of 0.41 kpc and a pitch angle of 8.2 ± 2.5 deg for the Perseus arm. By using a large sample of the Perseus arm (26 sources), we examined the three-dimensional, non-circular motions (defined as U, V and W) of sources in the Perseus arm as a function of the distance (D) perpendicular to the arm. Interestingly, we found a weighted mean of = 12.7 ± 1.2 km s−1 for 14 sources with D < 0 kpc (i.e. sources on the interior side of the arm) and = −0.3 ± 1.5 km s−1 for 12 sources with D > 0 kpc (i.e. sources exterior to the arm). These findings might be the first observational indication of the ”damping phase of a spiral arm” suggested by the non-steady spiral arm model of Baba et al. (2013). The small pitch angle of the Perseus arm (< 10 deg) also supports the damping phase, based on ”pitch angle vs. arm amplitude” relation shown in Grøsbol et al. (2004).
A national study confirms that Escherichia coli from Australian commercial layer hens remain susceptible to critically important antimicrobials

Controlling the use of the most critically important antimicrobials (CIAs) in food animals has been identified as one of the key measures required to curb the transmission of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from animals to humans. Expanding the evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of restricting CIA usage for preventing the emergence of resistance to key drugs amongst commensal organisms in animal production would do much to strengthen international efforts to control antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As Australia has strict controls on antimicrobial use in layer hens, and internationally comparatively low levels of poultry disease due to strict national biosecurity measures, we investigated whether these circumstances have resulted in curtailing development of critical forms of AMR. The work comprised a cross-sectional national survey of 62 commercial layer farms with each assessed for AMR in Escherichia coli isolates recovered from faeces. Minimum inhibitory concentration analysis using a panel of 13 antimicrobials was performed on 296 isolates, with those exhibiting phenotypic resistance to fluoroquinolones (a CIA) or multi-class drug resistance (MCR) subjected to whole genome sequencing. Overall, 53.0% of isolates were susceptible to all antimicrobials tested, and all isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol and colistin. Resistance was observed for amoxicillin-clavulanate (9.1%), ampicillin (16.2%), ciprofloxacin (2.7%), florfenicol (2.4%), gentamicin (1.0%), streptomycin (4.7%), tetracycline (37.8%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (9.5%). MCR was observed in 21 isolates (7.0%), with two isolates exhibiting resistance to four antimicrobial classes. Whole genome sequencing revealed that ciprofloxacin-resistant (fluoroquinolone) isolates were devoid of both known chromosomal mutations in the quinolone resistance determinant regions and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes (qnr)—other than in one isolate (ST155) which carried the qnrS gene. Two MCR E. coli isolates with ciprofloxacin-resistance were found to be carrying known resistance genes including aadA1, dfrA1, strA, strB, sul1, sul2, tet(A), blaTEM-1B, qnrS1 and tet(A). Overall, this study found that E. coli from layer hens in Australia have low rates of AMR, likely due to strict control on antimicrobial usage achieved by the sum of regulation and voluntary measures.
Vitamin D and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): a review

A common health problem known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), is characterized by irregular periods, an excess of androgen production, and polycystic ovaries. It is one of the most prevalent endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age, affecting 4–20% of women worldwide. Numerous studies have found a connection between the onset and symptoms of PCOS and Vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D insufficiency causes calcium dysregulation and follicular arrest in women with PCOS, which is connected to menstrual irregularities and fertility issues. Studies have connected PCOS metabolic alterations to VDR polymorphisms such as iApa-I, Taq-I, Cdx2, and Fok-I. Insulin resistance is directly related to Vitamin D, is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the PCOS phenotype. Thus, it is suggested that Vitamin D therapy may help PCOS patients with their insulin sensitivity. In addition to insulin resistance, cardiovascular issues are a second metabolic disturbance that PCOS patients with low Vitamin D levels experience. Dyslipidemia is not linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in PCOS-affected women. Vitamin D dramatically improves glucose metabolism by increasing insulin production, insulin receptor expression and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines. The effect of Vitamin D on the metabolic and reproductive dysfunctions associated with PCOS may be mediated by an overall impact on insulin resistance. Vitamin D supplementation improved menstrual periods, increased folliculogenesis, and decreased blood testosterone levels in PCOS patients, all of which had a significant impact on the ability to procreate. As a result, it might be a cutting-edge therapeutic strategy for treating PCOS concurrently.
Clinical and economic burden of pneumococcal disease among adults in Sweden: A population-based register study

Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of clinical and economic burden worldwide. This study investigated the burden of pneumococcal disease in Swedish adults. A retrospective population-based study was conducted using Swedish national registers, including all adults aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of pneumococcal disease (defined as pneumococcal pneumonia, meningitis, or septicemia) in inpatient or outpatient specialist care between 2015–2019. Incidence and 30-day case fatality rates, healthcare resource utilization, and costs were estimated. Results were stratified by age (18–64, 65–74, and ≥75 years) and the presence of medical risk factors. A total of 10,391 infections among 9,619 adults were identified. Medical factors associated with higher risk for pneumococcal disease were present in 53% of patients. These factors were associated with increased pneumococcal disease incidence in the youngest cohort. In the cohort aged 65–74 years, having a very high risk for pneumococcal disease was not associated with an increased incidence. Pneumococcal disease incidence was estimated at 12.3 (18–64), 52.1 (64–74), and 85.3 (≥75) per 100,000 population. The 30-day case fatality rate increased with age (18–64: 2.2%, 65–74: 5.4%, ≥75: 11.7%), and was highest among septicemia patients aged ≥75 (21.4%). The 30-day average number of hospitalizations was 1.13 (18–64), 1.24 (64–74) and 1.31 (≥75). The average 30-day cost/infection was estimated at €4,467 (18–64), €5,278 (65–74), and €5,898 (≥75). The 30-day total direct cost of pneumococcal disease between 2015–2019 was €54.2 million, with 95% of costs from hospitalizations. The clinical and economic burden of pneumococcal disease in adults was found to increase with age, with nearly all costs associated with pneumococcal disease from hospitalizations. The 30-day case fatality rate was highest in the oldest age group, though not negligible in the younger age groups. The findings of this study can inform the prioritization of pneumococcal disease prevention in adult and elderly populations.
Esophageal cancer operation in the COVID-19 era: are the outcomes different from its past in an observational cohort study?

Background: COVID-19 spread rapidly and potentially affected every medical profession, including surgery. This study aims to compare the postoperative outcomes of oesophageal cancer surgeries in COVID-19 age and a year before. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed as a single-centred study from March 2019 to March 2022 at Cancer institute, Tehran, Iran. Demographic data, cancer type, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcomes and complications were compared between the two groups pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Totally, 120 patients enroled in the study, of which 57 underwent surgery before the COVID-19 pandemic, and 63 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean age in these groups was 56.9 (±12.49) and 58.11 (±11.43), respectively. Females included 50.9% and 43.5% of individuals who underwent surgery before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interval between admission and surgery was significantly shorter in patients underwent surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic (5.17 vs. 7.05; P=0.013). However, there was no significant difference between time interval between surgery and discharge [11.68 (7.81) vs. 12 (6.92); P=0.689]. Aspiration pneumonia was the most common complication in both groups. There was no significant difference between postoperative complications in both groups. Conclusion: Outcomes of oesophageal cancer surgeries in COVID-19 age in our institution were comparable with the year before the pandemic. The decrease in the time interval between surgery and discharge did not lead to an increase in postoperative complications and could be noted for post-COVID-19 era policymaking, too. This study suggests not postponing any of the surgical treatments for oesophageal cancer in the COVID-19 era.
Scales of weight characterizations for discrete Hardy and Carleman type inequalities

Some new scales of weight characterizations for the one-dimensional discrete Hardy inequality are proved for the case 1 < p ≤ q < ∞. These characterizations contain a parameter s and as endpoint results we obtain the usual characterizations of Muckenhoupt or Bennett type. As limit cases some weight characterizations of Carleman type inequalities are obtained for the case 0 < p ≤ q < ∞. Moreover, a corresponding new scale of weight characterizations for a two-dimensional discrete Hardy inequality and its limit Carleman-type inequality are pointed out.
Surgical characteristics of appendectomy in the eastern region of the democratic republic of congo: a cross-sectional study

Background: Appendectomy is a surgical procedure performed on a patient with acute appendicitis and is often performed by surgery and performed in an emergency. The authors have carried out this study, which aims to describe the surgical characteristics of appendectomies. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive, and documentary cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2021 to October 2022. Within this time ~591 acute abdominal surgical procedures were performed, including 196 appendectomies performed in the general surgery department. Results: This study focused on 196 appendectomies performed out of a total of 591 surgeries performed, with an incidence of 34.2%. 51 cases (26%) for the age group between 15 and 20 years, 129 cases (65.8%) of women participated in the appendectomy. 133 (67.8%) acute appendicitis, 48 (24.5%) appendicular abscess and 15 (7.7%) appendicular peritonitis were indications for appendectomies. For the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score: for the ASA I, 112 (57.1%) of the patients had no conditions other than those requiring surgery (appendectomy). For the Altemeier classification, the authors recorded 133 (67.9%) own surgeries. 56 (28.6%) surgical site infections followed by 39 (19.8%) inflammation (swelling and redness), 37 (18.8%) pain, 24 (12.4%) purulent peritonitis, 21 (10, 7%) postoperative hemorrhage and 19 (9.7%) paralytic ileus and 157 (80.1%) patients benefited from medical treatment. Conclusion: The low incidence of complications related to laparotomy appendectomy has been reduced to a minimum thanks to the respect of sanitary measures and the quality of the technique.