Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of a Novel Phage LPSEYT for Biological Control of Salmonella in Foods

Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne diseases, and in recent years, many isolates have exhibited a high level of antibiotic resistance, which has led to huge pressures on public health. Phages are a promising strategy to control food-borne pathogens. In this study, one of our environmental phage isolates, LPSEYT, was to be able to restrict the growth of zoonotic Salmonella enterica in vitro over a range of multiplicity of infections. Phage LPSEYT exhibited wide-ranging pH and thermal stability and rapid reproductive activity with a short latent period and a large burst size. Phage LPSEYT demonstrated potential efficiency as a biological control agent against Salmonella in a variety of food matrices, including milk and lettuce. Morphological observation, comparative genomic, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that LPSEYT does not belong to any of the currently identified genera within the Myoviridae family, and we suggest that LPSEYT represents a new genus, the LPSEYTvirus. This study contributes a phage database, develops beneficial phage resources, and sheds light on the potential application value of phages LPSEYT on food safety.
Age Differences in Occupant Motion during Simulated In-Vehicle Swerving Maneuvers

Background: With active safety and automated vehicle features becoming more available, unanticipated pre-crash vehicle maneuvers, such as evasive swerving, may become more common, and they may influence the resulting effectiveness of occupant restraints, and consequently may affect injury risks associated with crashes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify the influence of age on key occupant kinematic, kinetic, and muscular responses during evasive swerving in on-road testing. Methods: Seat belt-restrained children (10–12 years old), teens (13–17 years old), and adults (21–33 years old) experienced two evasive swerving maneuvers in a recent model sedan on a test track. Kinematics, muscle activity, and seat belt load distribution were determined and analyzed. Results: Compared to teens and adults, children showed greater head and trunk motion (p < 0.03), but similar muscle activation in the into-the-belt direction of swerving. In the out–of-the-belt direction, children showed head and trunk motion more similar to teens and adults (p < 0.02), but with greater muscle activation. Conclusions: Children showed different neuromuscular control of head and trunk motion compared to older occupants. This study highlights differences in the relationship between kinematics and muscle activation across age groups, and provides new validation data for active human body models across the age range.
Immunotherapy in Underrepresented Populations of Patients with Cancer: Do We Have Enough Evidence at Present? A Focus on Patients with Major Viral Infections and Autoimmune Disorders.

The safety and activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors have been characterized in interventional and observational studies. However, only small studies have specifically investigated these agents in patients who are excluded or underrepresented in clinical trials, frequently referred to as "special populations" or "underrepresented populations. " These include older adults, those with dysregulated immune activation, patients with a compromised immune function, and those carrying major viral infections, lymphoproliferative diseases, and major organ dysfunctions. Therefore, there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in these specific settings. The Network of Italian Supportive Care in Oncology has carried out a multidisciplinary project, with the contribution of oncologists and other specialists, to retrieve the existing evidence on the use of immunotherapy in patients with solid and hematological cancers with the final aim to provide an expert guidance. The results of this effort are presented in this article, which is focused on patients with major viral infections or those with immune dysregulation/autoimmune diseases, and could be useful to guide decisions in clinical practice and to design prospective clinical trials focusing on the use of immunotherapy in these populations. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Substantial uncertainty remains regarding the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in "underrepresented" patients, such as older adults, those with dysregulated immune activation, and patients with a compromised immune function, major viral infections, lymphoproliferative diseases or major organ dysfunctions. The Network of Italian Supportive Care in Oncology has carried out a multidisciplinary project to retrieve the existing evidence on the use of immunotherapy in underrepresented patients with cancer in order provide an expert guidance. The results of this effort, with a focus on patients with major viral infections or those with immune dysregulation/autoimmune diseases, are presented in this article and could be useful to guide decisions both in clinical practice and to design clinical trials.
“I don’t want to be a patient”: Peer mentoring partnership fosters communication for autistic university students

Abstract Background: Despite recognition of the benefits of post-school education in improving life outcomes for autistic adults their university completion rates remain low. Aim: To explore the experiences of undergraduate autistic university students participating in specialist peer mentoring (SPM) to identify active ingredients in the peer mentoring process and to examine the impact of SPM on social communication. Material and method: A total of 30 (8 female; M age = 22.3; SD = 6.7) undergraduate autistic university students engaged in SPM participated in this study. A quantitative pre-test post-test design examined changes in autistic traits. In parallel, the experiences of participating in SPM were explored through semi-structured interviews. Results: Improvements were noted at post-test on the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 total score p = 0.02), and its Social Communication, (p = 0.03) and Social Motivation (p = 0.03) sub-scales. Four themes emerged from the interviews: Developing Partnership and Understanding, Modelling and Practising Communication, Psychological Support and Grading and Planning Skills. Conclusions: These results indicated that the mentor-mentee partnership was a crucial active ingredient of SPM. This partnership appeared to modify social cognition and motivation for autistic university students through modelling and practising communication. Significance: These results demonstrate that SPM can support participation at university for autistic university students.
How Does Epstein–Barr Virus Contribute to Chronic Periodontitis?

Chronic periodontitis is spreading worldwide and mutually interacts with systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus. Although periodontopathic bacteria are inevitable pathogens in their onset and progression, many cases are not ascribable to the virulence of these bacteria because the effect of plaque control is limited. In contrast, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in the periodontium has been correlated with chronic periodontitis and has recently been considered as a promising pathogenic candidate for this disease. However, several important questions have yet to be addressed. For instance, although EBV latently infects more than 90% of individuals over the world, why do patients with chronic periodontitis exclusively harbor progeny EBV in the oral cavity? In addition, how does latently infected or reactivated EBV in the periodontium relate to the onset or progression of chronic periodontitis? Finally, is periodontitis incurable because EBV is the pathogen for chronic periodontitis? In this review, we attempt to answer these questions by reporting the current understanding of molecular relations and mechanisms between periodontopathic bacteria and EBV reactivation in the context of how this relationship may pertain to the etiology of chronic periodontitis.
Giant extraordinary transmission of acoustic waves through a nanowire

Wave concentration beyond the diffraction limit by extraordinary acoustic transmission of bulk waves through a nanowire meta-atom. Wave concentration beyond the diffraction limit by transmission through subwavelength structures has proved to be a milestone in high-resolution imaging. Here, we show that a sound wave incident inside a solid over a diameter of 110 nm can be squeezed through a resonant meta-atom consisting of a nanowire with a diameter of 5 nm equal to λ/23, where λ is the incident acoustic wavelength, corresponding to a transmission efficiency of 500 or an energy densification of ~14,000. This remarkable level of extraordinary acoustic transmission is achieved in the absence of ultrasonic attenuation by connecting a tungsten nanowire between two tungsten blocks, the block on the input side being furnished with concentric grooves. We also demonstrate that these “solid organ pipes” exhibit Rayleigh end corrections to their effective longitudinal resonant lengths notably larger than their in-air analogs. Grooves on the output side lead to in-solid directed acoustic beams, important for nanosensing.
Circadian rhythm abnormalities in patients with inflammatory bowel disease – association with adipokine profile

Abstract Background: The role of sleep disturbances in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remained relatively unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the adipokine profile in the patients with IBD and its relationship with the circadian rhythm disorders. Methods: Prospective, observational cohort study was performed. In all the enrolled adult IBD patients, the disease activity was assessed by using Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) for Crohn’s disease (CD) and Partial Mayo Score for ulcerative colitis (UC), respectively. All patients were also asked to respond to a questionnaire to define Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PSQI). From all the enrolled patients, 15 mL venous blood was taken to determine adipokine levels and perform standard laboratory tests. Results: Sixty-five IBD patients were enrolled in our study: 30 with CD and 35 with UC. Poor sleep was noted in 69.2% patients with clinically active and in 7.7% patients with inactive disease (p = .0023). In the group of IBD patients with poor sleep, the significantly higher level of serum resistin (p = .0458), and lower level of serum adiponectin and leptin (p = .0215, p = .0201; respectively) were observed. In the IBD patients with exacerbation, the significantly higher level of serum resistin (p = .0396), significantly lower serum level of leptin (p = .0453) and tendency to lower serum level of adiponectin (p = .1214) were recorded. Conclusions: The relationship between circadian rhythm abnormalities and specific adipokine profile may show us a risk factor of developing inflammatory intestinal lesions in IBD patients. This knowledge may allow the treatment of sleep disturbances, body weight-control and dietary habits become new targets in IBD therapy.
The Feasibility and Effectiveness of Web-Based Advance Care Planning Programs: Scoping Review

Background Advance care planning (ACP) is a process with the overall aim to enhance care in concordance with patients’ preferences. Key elements of ACP are to enable persons to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, to discuss these with family and health care professionals, and to document and review these if appropriate. ACP is usually conducted through personal conversations between a health care professional, a patient, and—if appropriate—family members. Although Web-based ACP programs have the potential to support patients in ACP, their effectiveness is unknown. Objective This study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs. Methods We systematically searched for quantitative and qualitative studies evaluating Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs in seven databases including EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central and Google Scholar. Data on the characteristics of the ACP programs’ content (using a predefined list of 10 key elements of ACP), feasibility, and effectiveness were extracted using a predesigned form. Results Of 3434 titles and abstracts, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria, evaluating 11 Web-based ACP programs—10 were developed in the United States and one in Ireland. Studied populations ranged from healthy adults to patients with serious conditions. Programs typically contained the exploration of goals and values (8 programs), exploration of preferences for treatment and care (11 programs), guidance for communication about these preferences with health care professionals or relatives (10 programs), and the possibility to generate a document in which preferences can be recorded (8 programs). Reportedly, participants were satisfied with the ACP programs (11/11 studies), considering them as easy to use (8/8 studies) and not burdensome (7/8 studies). Designs of 13 studies allowed evaluating the effectiveness of five programs. They showed that ACP programs significantly increased ACP knowledge (8/8 studies), improved communication between patients and their relatives or health care professionals (6/6 studies), increased ACP documentation (6/6 studies), and improved concordance between care as preferred by the patients and the decisions of clinicians and health care representatives (2/3 studies). Conclusions Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs were mainly developed and evaluated in the United States. They contained the key elements of ACP, such as discussing and documenting goals and preferences for future care. As participants considered programs as easy to use and not burdensome, they appeared to be feasible. Among the 13 studies that measured the effectiveness of programs, improvement in ACP knowledge, communication, and documentation was reported. The concordance between preferred and received care is yet understudied. Studies with high-quality study designs in different health care settings are warranted to further establish the feasibility and effectiveness of Web-based ACP programs.
Neuman Systems Model With Depressed Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To determine the effect of the coping with depression program, based on the Neuman systems model, on the coping strategies, self-esteem, and depression levels of depressed patients, a randomized controlled study was conducted. Two groups—intervention and control—were formed in the study. For the intervention group, individual psychoeducation based on the Neuman systems model and involving cognitive behavioral therapy techniques (coping with depression program) was administered at six sessions. Psychoeducation based on the Neuman systems model was effective in decreasing the level of depression, increasing the level of self-esteem, increasing problem-solving skills, encouraging individuals to seek social support for coping strategies, and decreasing the use of avoidance strategy.
The Multiple Sclerosis Health Resource Utilization Survey (MS-HRS): Development and Validation Study

Background Survey-based studies are frequently used to describe the economic impact of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there is no validated health resource survey available, preventing comparison of study results and meaningful conclusions regarding the efficiency of long-term treatments. Objective The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tablet- and paper-based MS health resource utilization survey. Methods We developed and validated the Multiple Sclerosis Health Resource Utilization Survey (MS-HRS), consisting of 24 cost items for paper and tablet users. Data for validation came from two large German observational studies. Survey practicability was assessed according to the response rate. Reliability was described using test-retest reliability as well as Guttman lambda. Construct validity was assessed as convergent and discriminant validity via correlations with associated patient-reported outcomes and known-group analyses. Results In total, 2207 out of 2388 (response rate: 92.4%) patients completed the survey and were included to determine psychometric properties. The test-retest reliability had an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.828 over a course of 3 months. Convergent validity analyses showed that total costs correlated positively with increased disability (r=0.411, P<.001). For discriminant validity, correlations of total costs with the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication ranged from −0.006 (convenience) to −0.216 (effectiveness). The mean annual cost was €28,203 (SD €14,808) (US $39,203; SD US $20,583) with disease-modifying therapies. Conclusions The MS-HRS is a multilingual, reliable, valid, electronically available, and easy-to-administer questionnaire providing a holistic cross-sectional and longitudinal assessment of resource utilization in patients with MS.
Inflammasome activation and IL-1 signaling during placental malaria induce poor pregnancy outcomes

IL-1 axis activation during placental malaria induces poor pregnancy outcomes that are obliterated after treatment with Anakinra. Placental malaria (PM) is associated with severe inflammation leading to abortion, preterm delivery, and intrauterine growth restriction. Innate immunity responses play critical roles, but the mechanisms underlying placental immunopathology are still unclear. Here, we investigated the role of inflammasome activation in PM by scrutinizing human placenta samples from an endemic area and ablating inflammasome components in a PM mouse model. The reduction in birth weight in babies from infected mothers is paralleled by increased placental expression of AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasomes. Using genetic dissection, we reveal that inflammasome activation pathways are involved in the production and detrimental action of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the infected placenta. The IL-1R pharmacological antagonist Anakinra improved pregnancy outcomes by restoring fetal growth and reducing resorption in an experimental model. These findings unveil that IL-1β–mediated signaling is a determinant of PM pathogenesis, suggesting that IL-1R antagonists can improve clinical outcomes of malaria infection in pregnancy.
Open Surgery in the Era of Minimally Invasive Surgery: Pyeloplasty via A Mini Flank Incision in the Treatment of Infants with Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction.

PURPOSE To evaluate the clinical effects of open pyeloplasty via a mini flank incision in the treatment of infants with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 85 cases of infants with UPJO in our hospital from Jan. 2015 to Jan. 2018. The cases were divided into two groups according to the procedure: open pyeloplasty (n=45) and laparoscopic pyeloplasty (n=40). After 12~24 months of follow-up, the clinical effects of the two groups were compared. RESULTS There was no significant difference in age between the two groups (P = .1). The operation time, postoperative fasting time and the indwelling time of the perirenal drainage tube in the open group were shorter than those in the laparoscopic group (68.0 ± 15.3 minutes versus 79.6 ± 18.8, P = .002; 5 ± 1 hours versus 14 ± 8.2 hours, P =.001; 2.8 ± 0.8 days versus 3.7 ± 1.3 days, P = .001, respectively), and there was no significant difference in the volume of intraoperative bleeding (2.1±0.9 versus 2.2±0.6, P=.55). The number of recurrences and complications in both groups were 0 versus 2 (P = .22) and 5 versus 7 (P = .40), respectively. CONCLUSION Open pyeloplasty via a mini flank incision has the advantages of being minimally invasive, safe, effective, and easy to master, and it requires a short operation time. It is a reasonable option for the treatment of infants with UPJO despite this era of minimally invasive surgery.
Ginsenoside Rg2 ameliorates high-fat diet-induced metabolic disease through SIRT1.

Ginsenoside Rg2 has been previously reported to reduce glucose production and adipogenesis in adipose tissue. However, the effects of ginsenosides Rg2 on hepatic lipid metabolism remains vacant. In this study, we found that ginsenosides Rg2 treatment significantly attenuated oleic acid and palmitic acid (OA&PA) induced intracellular lipid deposition and oxidative stress in mouse primary hepatocytes. C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and treated with ginsenosides Rg2 displayed decreased body weight, reversed hepatic steatosis and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Ginsenosides Rg2 administration significantly ameliorated HFD-induced hepatic oxidative stress and apoptosis. Moreover, Ginsenosides Rg2 had a good affinity with Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) and regulated its expression in vivo and in vitro. Deficiency of SIRT1 eliminated the therapeutic effect of ginsenoside Rg2 on lipid accumulation and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in OA&PA-induced mice primary hepatocytes. Ginsenosides Rg2 treatment failed to alter the lipid and glucose disorder in hepatic SIRT1 deficient mice feeding on HFD. SIRT1 deficiency dissolves the therapeutic effect of ginsenoside Rg2 on oxidative stress and hepatocyte apoptosis induced by HFD. In summary, ginsenoside Rg2 plays a therapeutic role in HFD-induced hepatosteatosis of mice by decreasing lipogenesis process and improving antioxidant capacity in a SIRT1 dependent manner.
Fast, Resource-Saving, and Anti-Collaborative Attack Trust Computing Scheme Based on Cross-Validation for Clustered Wireless Sensor Networks

The trust computing mechanism has an increasing role in the cooperative work of wireless sensor networks. However, the computing speed, resource overhead, and anti-collaborative attack ability of a trust mechanism itself are three key challenging issues for any open and resource-constrained wireless sensor networks. In this study, we propose a fast, resource-saving, and anti-collaborative attack trust computing scheme (FRAT) based on across-validation mechanism for clustered wireless sensor networks. First, according to the inherent relationship among three network entities (which are made up of three types of network nodes, namely base stations, cluster heads, and cluster members), we propose the cross-validation mechanism, which is effective and reliable against collaborative attacks caused by malicious nodes. Then, we adopt a fast and resource-saving trust computing scheme for cooperation between between cluster heads or cluster members. This scheme is suitable for wireless sensor networks because it facilitates resource-saving. Through theoretical analysis and experiments, the feasibility and effectiveness of the trust computing scheme proposed in this study are verified.
Clinical Significance of Tumor Size, Pathological Invasion Sites Including Urinary Collecting System and Clinically Detected Renal Vein Thrombus as Predictors for Recurrence in pT3a Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma

The recent eighth tumor-node-metastasis (TMN) staging system classifies renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with perirenal fat invasion (PFI), renal sinus fat invasion (SFI), or renal vein invasion (RVI) as stage pT3a. However, limited data are available on whether these sites have similar prognostic value or recurrence rate. We investigated the recurrence rate based on tumor size, pathological invasion sites including urinary collecting system invasion (UCSI), and clinically detected renal vein thrombus (cd-RVT) with pT3aN0M0 RCC. We retrospectively reviewed 91 patients with pT3aN0M0 RCC who underwent surgical treatment. Patients with tumor size > 7 cm, UCSI, three invasive sites (PFI + SFI + RVI), and cd-RVT showed a significant correlation with high recurrence rates (hazard ration (HR) 2.98, p = 0.013; HR 8.86, p < 0.0001; HR 14.28, p = 0.0008; and HR 4.08, p = 0.0074, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, tumor size of >7 cm, the presence of UCSI, and cd-RVT were the independent predictors of recurrence (HR 3.39, p = 0.043, HR 7.31, p = 0.01, HR 5.06, p = 0.018, respectively). In pT3a RCC, tumor size (7 cm cut-off), UCSI, and cd-RVT may help to provide an early diagnosis of recurrence.