Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of wearing facemasks on oxygenation and ventilation at rest and during physical activity

Background Facemasks are recommended to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but concern about inadequate gas exchange is an often cited reason for non-compliance. Research question Among adult volunteers, do either cloth masks or surgical masks impair oxygenation or ventilation either at rest or during physical activity? Study design and methods With IRB approval and informed consent, we measured heart rate (HR), transcutaneous carbon dioxide (CO2) tension and oxygen levels (SpO2) at the conclusion of six 10-minute phases: sitting quietly and walking briskly without a mask, sitting quietly and walking briskly while wearing a cloth mask, and sitting quietly and walking briskly while wearing a surgical mask. Brisk walking required at least a 10bpm increase in heart rate. Occurrences of hypoxemia (decrease in SpO2 of ≥3% from baseline to a value of ≤94%) and hypercarbia (increase in CO2 tension of ≥5 mmHg from baseline to a value of ≥46 mmHg) in individual subjects were collected. Wilcoxon signed-rank was used for pairwise comparisons among values for the whole cohort (e.g. walking without a mask versus walking with a cloth mask). Results Among 50 adult volunteers (median age 33 years; 32% with a co-morbidity), there were no episodes of hypoxemia or hypercarbia (0%; 95% confidence interval 0–1.9%). In paired comparisons, there were no statistically significant differences in either CO2 or SpO2 between baseline measurements without a mask and those while wearing either kind of mask mask, both at rest and after walking briskly for ten minutes. Interpretation The risk of pathologic gas exchange impairment with cloth masks and surgical masks is near-zero in the general adult population.
Aerobic Cr(VI) Reduction by Bacteria in Culture and Soil Conditions

We compared the performance of aerobic Cr(VI)-reducing bacteria isolated from Cr(VI)-contaminated soil in pure and mixed cultures of five isolated strains. The mixed culture had increased reduction rates compared to individual cultures. Cr(VI) reduction was observed in sterile soil inoculated with Pseudomonas fluorescens and in non-sterile soil with and without inoculation with P. fluorescens at initial pore water concentrations up to 1,600 mg Cr(VI)/L, whereas in culture the maximum inhibitory concentration was 500 mg Cr(VI)/L. Linear rates of Cr(VI) reduction in non-sterile soil amended with peptone were ∼5 to 8 times higher than those observed in the mixed culture. Inoculation of non-sterile soil with P. fluorescens did not further enhance Cr(VI) reduction rates. Our results indicate that evaluation of Cr(VI) reduction capacity in Cr(VI)-contaminated soil for in-situ bioremediation purposes should not be done solely in pure culture. Although the latter may be used initially to assess the effects of process parameters (e.g., pH, temperature), the rate and extent of Cr(VI) reduction should be determined in soil for bioremediation design purposes.
Comprehensive N‐glycosylation analysis of the influenza A virus proteins HA and NA from adherent and suspension MDCK cells

Glycosylation is considered as a critical quality attribute for the production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals such as hormones, blood clotting factors, or monoclonal antibodies. In contrast, glycan patterns of immunogenic viral proteins, which differ significantly between the various expression systems, are hardly analyzed yet. The influenza A virus (IAV) proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) have multiple N‐glycosylation sites, and alteration of N‐glycan micro‐ and macroheterogeneity can have strong effects on virulence and immunogenicity. Here, we present a versatile and powerful glycoanalytical workflow that enables a comprehensive N‐glycosylation analysis of IAV glycoproteins. We challenged our workflow with IAV (A/PR/8/34 H1N1) propagated in two closely related Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell lines, namely an adherent MDCK cell line and its corresponding suspension cell line. As expected, N‐glycan patterns of HA and NA from virus particles produced in both MDCK cell lines were similar. Detailed analysis of the HA N‐glycan microheterogeneity showed an increasing variability and a higher complexity for N‐glycosylation sites located closer to the head region of the molecule. In contrast, NA was found to be exclusively N‐glycosylated at site N73. Almost all N‐glycan structures were fucosylated. Furthermore, HA and NA N‐glycan structures were exclusively hybrid‐ and complex‐type structures, to some extent terminated with alpha‐linked galactose(s) but also with blood group H type 2 and blood group A epitopes. In contrast to the similarity of the overall glycan pattern, differences in the relative abundance of individual structures were identified. This concerned, in particular, oligomannose‐type, alpha‐linked galactose, and multiantennary complex‐type N‐glycans.
Associations between Early Psychosocial Deprivation, Cognitive and Psychiatric Morbidity, and Risk-taking Behavior in Adolescence

ABSTRACT Objective Early psychosocial deprivation increases the risk of later cognitive and psychiatric problems, but not all deprived children show these difficulties. Here, we examine the extent to which psychosocial deprivation increases the risk of later cognitive and psychiatric difficulties and the downstream consequences of this for risk-taking behavior in adolescence. Method Children abandoned to institutions early in life were randomly assigned to care-as-usual or a foster care intervention during infancy. A separate group of never-institutionalized children was recruited as a comparison sample. The current follow-up study included 165 children (51% female), 113 with a history of institutionalization and 52 with no such history. At age 12, caregivers reported on children’s psychiatric difficulties, and their IQ was assessed by standardized testing. At 16 years, risk-taking behavior was assessed from youth self-reports. Results Latent profile analysis revealed three subgroups of children with varying levels of cognitive and psychiatric difficulties: Low-Morbidity (n = 104, 62.7%), Medium-Morbidity (n = 46, 27.9%), and High-Morbidity (n = 15, 9.4%). Nearly half of the institutionalized children belonged to the High- or Medium-Morbidity subgroups; and institutionally-reared children were significantly more likely to belong to one of these profiles than never-institutionalized children. Compared to the Low-Morbidity subgroup, membership in the Medium-Morbidity profile was associated with higher levels of risk-taking behavior at age 16 years. Conclusions Children who experience psychosocial deprivation are considerably more likely to present with elevated cognitive and psychiatric difficulties in early adolescence and, for some children, this elevation is linked to heightened risk-taking behavior in later adolescence.
Detection of high heteroplasmy in complete loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles mitochondrial genomes using RNAseq

Abstract Sea turtle populations around the world face rapid decline due to the effect of anthropogenic and environmental factors. Among the affected populations are those of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), which is why a greater effort is currently being made in their monitoring and tracing. The intragenic degree of heteroplasmic mutations, commonly associated with diseases of variable symptoms, has not been analyzed in these species. In this study, heteroplasmy in the complete mitogenome (mtDNA) of three loggerhead turtles and one hawksbill turtle was identified from data obtained by RNAseq. Individuals Cc3, Ei1, Cc1 and Cc2 presented 0.3, 1.7, 1.8 and 7.1% of heteroplasmic mutations in all their mtDNA, respectively. The protein-coding genes that presented the highest percentage of heteroplasmy were ND4 and ND5 in individual Cc2 with 16 and 38.6%, respectively. Of the tRNA genes, only tRNATyr was heteroplasmic in the four individuals with 5.63% (Cc1), 25.35% (Ei1 and Cc2) and 49.3% (Cc3). In this study, we identified the critical sites of heteroplasmy in each individual and the genetic variability of their mitogenomes. The data obtained represents the baseline for future projects that evaluate the population status of these species.
Estimating the Impact of Extended Delay to Surgery for Stage I Non-small-cell Lung Cancer on Survival

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of extended delay to surgery for stage I NSCLC. Summary of Background Data: During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with NSCLC may experience delays in care, and some national guidelines recommend delays in surgery by >3 months for early NSCLC. Methods: Using data from the National Lung Screening Trial, a multi-center randomized trial, and the National Cancer Data Base, a multi-institutional oncology registry, the impact of “early” versus “delayed” surgery (surgery received 0–30 vs 90–120 days after diagnosis) for stage I lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was assessed using multivariable Cox regression analysis with penalized smoothing spline functions and propensity score-matched analyses. Results: In Cox regression analysis of the National Lung Screening Trial (n = 452) and National Cancer Data Base (n = 80,086) cohorts, an increase in the hazard ratio was seen the longer surgery was delayed. In propensity score-matched analysis, no significant differences in survival were found between early and delayed surgery for stage IA1 adenocarcinoma and IA1-IA3 SCC (all P > 0.13). For stage IA2-IB adenocarcinoma and IB SCC, delayed surgery was associated with worse survival (all P < 0.004). Conclusions: The mortality risk associated with an extended delay to surgery differs across patient subgroups, and difficult decisions to delay care during the COVID-19 pandemic should take substage and histologic subtype into consideration.
Asthma increases long‐term revision rates of endoscopic sinus surgery in chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyposis

Chronic rhinosinusitis with asthma (CRS‐A) has a significant impact on patient morbidity and quality of life. Nevertheless, little is known about the natural history of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in this cohort. The objective of this study was to evaluate revision rates of ESS in CRS‐A and identify risk factors associated with increased likelihood for revision surgery compared to those with CRS without asthma (CRS‐alone).
Effects of face masks on speech recognition in multi-talker babble noise

Face masks are an important tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, it is unclear how different types of masks affect speech recognition in different levels of background noise. To address this, we investigated the effects of four masks (a surgical mask, N95 respirator, and two cloth masks) on recognition of spoken sentences in multi-talker babble. In low levels of background noise, masks had little to no effect, with no more than a 5.5% decrease in mean accuracy compared to a no-mask condition. In high levels of noise, mean accuracy was 2.8-18.2% lower than the no-mask condition, but the surgical mask continued to show no significant difference. The results demonstrate that different types of masks generally yield similar accuracy in low levels of background noise, but differences between masks become more apparent in high levels of noise.
The SWELL1-LRRC8 complex regulates endothelial AKT-eNOS signaling and vascular function

The endothelium responds to numerous chemical and mechanical factors in regulating vascular tone, blood pressure, and blood flow. The endothelial volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) has been proposed to be mechanosensitive and thereby sense fluid flow and hydrostatic pressure to regulate vascular function. Here, we show that the leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 8a, LRRC8A (SWELL1), is required for VRAC in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Endothelial LRRC8A regulates AKT-endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signaling under basal, stretch, and shear-flow stimulation, forms a GRB2-Cav1-eNOS signaling complex, and is required for endothelial cell alignment to laminar shear flow. Endothelium-restricted Lrrc8a KO mice develop hypertension in response to chronic angiotensin-II infusion and exhibit impaired retinal blood flow with both diffuse and focal blood vessel narrowing in the setting of type 2 diabetes (T2D). These data demonstrate that LRRC8A regulates AKT-eNOS in endothelium and is required for maintaining vascular function, particularly in the setting of T2D.
Opioid-free Anesthesia: Time to Regain Our Balance.

Fashions come and fashions go. Changes in clothing, automobiles and restaurants follow popular trends and are often periodic and cyclical. Ideally, medical change is driven not by fashion but instead by concepts of effectiveness and safety, and that these improve and refine as better data become available. Trends hold true also in anesthesia practice, where for example intraoperative opioid selection has swung from long-duration to ultra-short duration and then at least partially back again.1. Recent years have witnessed a new fashion in anesthesiology – “opioid-free anesthesia”. For some, the opioid pendulum has swung clear past rational opioid use in balanced anesthesia, to eliminating opioids intraoperatively and sometimes also postoperatively (“opioid-free analgesia”). Eradicating opioids from intraoperative and postoperative analgesic plans has been termed a “movement”,2 and like many “movements” it has attracted passionate proponents and spirited debate.3,4 Nevertheless, clinical research and peer-reviewed evidence on the potential benefits and risks of opioid-free anesthesia have remained scant, needed, and called for.5–7
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Potentilla tanacetifolia Willd. ex Schltdl.

Abstract Potentilla tanacetifolia Willd. ex Schltdl. is a perennial herb in China, which has high ecological and economic values. Its complete chloroplast genome was reported in this study for the first time. The whole chloroplast genome was 157, 051 base pairs in length with 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. In addition, phylogenetic analysis showed a sister relationship between P. tanacetifolia and P. chinensis.
Conservation risks and benefits of establishing monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) breeding habitats close to maize and soybean fields in the north central United States: A landscape‐scale analysis of the impact of foliar insecticide on nonmigratory monarch butterfly populations

Establishing habitat in agricultural landscapes of the north central United States is critical to reversing the decline of North America's eastern monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population. Insecticide use could create population sinks and threaten recovery. Discouraging habitat establishment within a 38‐m zone around crop fields is a suggested risk mitigation measure. In Story County, Iowa, United States, this mitigation would discourage habitat establishment in 84% of roadsides and 38% of noncrop land. It is unclear if the conservation benefits from establishing habitat close to crop fields outweigh suppression of population growth owing to insecticide exposure. Consequently, monarch conservation plans require spatially and temporally explicit landscape‐scale assessments. Using an agent‐based model that incorporates female monarch movement and egg laying, the number and location of eggs laid in Story County were simulated for four habitat scenarios: current condition, maximum new establishment, moderate establishment, and moderate establishment only outside a 38‐m no‐plant zone around crop fields. A demographic model incorporated mortality from natural causes and insecticide exposure to simulate adult monarch production over 10 years. Assuming no insecticide exposure, simulated adult production increased 24.7% and 9.3%, respectively, with maximum and moderate habitat establishment and no planting restrictions. A 3.5% increase was simulated assuming moderate habitat establishment with a 38‐m planting restriction. Impacts on adult production were simulated for six representative insecticides registered for soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) management. Depending on the frequency of insecticide applications over a 10‐year period, simulated production increased 8.2%–9.3%, assuming moderate habitat establishment with no planting restrictions. Results suggest that the benefits of establishing habitat close to crop fields outweigh the adverse effects of insecticide spray drift; that is, metapopulation extirpation is not a concern for monarchs. These findings are only applicable to species that move at spatial scales greater than the scale of potential spray‐drift impacts. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:989–1002. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
Metabolism and chromatin: A dynamic duo that regulates development and ageing

Bone‐marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM‐MSC) proliferation and lineage commitment are under the coordinated control of metabolism and epigenetics; the MSC niche contains low oxygen, which is an important determinant of the cellular metabolic state. In turn, metabolism drives stem cell fate decisions via alterations of the chromatin landscape. Due to the fundamental role of BM‐MSCs in the development of adipose tissue, bones and cartilage, age‐associated changes in metabolism and the epigenome perturb the balance between stem cell proliferation and differentiation leading to stem cell depletion, fat accumulation and bone‐quality related diseases. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of the metabolism‐chromatin interplay is crucial for maintaining the stem cell pool and delaying the development and progression of ageing. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of metabolism in stem cell identity and highlights the impact of the metabolic inputs on the epigenome, with regards to stemness and pluripotency.
Evaluation of moisture ingress from the perimeter of photovoltaic modules

Many thin film photovoltaic (PV) technologies can be sensitive to corrosion induced by the presence of water vapor in the packaging materials. Typically impermeable front and backsheets are used in conjunction with an edge‐seal around the perimeter to prevent water vapor ingress. These edge‐seal materials are often made of a polyisobutylene resin filled with desiccant, which dramatically increases the time for moisture to reach sensitive module components. While edge‐seals can prevent moisture ingress, even the lowest diffusivity transparent encapsulant materials are insufficient for the lifetime of a module. To evaluate the performance of edge‐seal and encapsulant materials in a manner that simulates their function in a PV module, an optical method was devised where ingress is detected by reaction of a Ca film with water. Using this method, we have exposed test samples to heat and humidity allowing quantitative comparison of different edge‐seal and encapsulant materials. Next, we use measurements of polymer diffusivity and solubility to evaluate the ability to model this moisture ingress. Here, we find good agreement between these two methods highlighting the much greater ability of polyisobutylene materials to keep moisture out as compared with typical encapsulant materials used in the PV industry. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pregnancy in Patients With AQP4-Ab, MOG-Ab, or Double-Negative Neuromyelitis Optica Disorder

Objective To analyze the effects of pregnancy on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) according to patients' serostatus and immunosuppressive therapy (IST). Methods We performed a retrospective multicenter international study on patients with NMOSD. Patients were tested for aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies (Ab). Informative pregnancies were reported when NMOSD onset occurred before or during pregnancy or up to 12 months postpartum. The mean annualized relapse rate (ARR) was calculated for the 12 months before conception, for each trimester of pregnancy, and postpartum. Events such as miscarriage, abortion, and preeclampsia were reported. IST was considered if taken in the 3 months before or during pregnancy. Results We included 89 pregnancies (46 with AQP4-Ab, 30 with MOG-Ab, and 13 without either Ab) in 58 patients with NMOSD. Compared to the prepregnancy period, the ARR was lower during pregnancy in each serostatus group and higher during the postpartum period in patients with AQP4-Ab (p < 0.01). Forty-eight percent (n = 31) of pregnancies occurred during IST and these patients presented fewer relapses during pregnancy and the 12 months postpartum than untreated patients (26% vs 53%, p = 0.04). Miscarriages occurred in 10 (11%) pregnancies, and were mainly in patients with AQP4-Ab (with or without IST) and a previous history of miscarriage. Preeclampsia was reported in 2 (2%) patients who were AQP4-Ab-positive. Conclusion We found a rebound in the ARR during the first postpartum trimester that was higher than the prepregnancy period only in AQP4-Ab-positive patients. Taking IST just before or during pregnancy reduces the risk of relapses in these conditions.
Competitive exclusion during co-infection as a strategy to prevent the spread of a virus: A computational perspective

Inspired by the competition exclusion principle, this work aims at providing a computational framework to explore the theoretical feasibility of viral co-infection as a possible strategy to reduce the spread of a fatal strain in a population. We propose a stochastic-based model—called Co-Wish—to understand how competition between two viruses over a shared niche can affect the spread of each virus in infected tissue. To demonstrate the co-infection of two viruses, we first simulate the characteristics of two virus growth processes separately. Then, we examine their interactions until one can dominate the other. We use Co-Wish to explore how the model varies as the parameters of each virus growth process change when two viruses infect the host simultaneously. We will also investigate the effect of the delayed initiation of each infection. Moreover, Co-Wish not only examines the co-infection at the cell level but also includes the innate immune response during viral infection. The results highlight that the waiting times in the five stages of the viral infection of a cell in the model—namely attachment, penetration, eclipse, replication, and release—play an essential role in the competition between the two viruses. While it could prove challenging to fully understand the therapeutic potentials of viral co-infection, we discuss that our theoretical framework hints at an intriguing research direction in applying co-infection dynamics in controlling any viral outbreak’s speed.
Cryo-EM structure of enteric adenovirus HAdV-F41 highlights structural variations among human adenoviruses

This work reports the structure of an enteric adenovirus and its differences with respiratory and ocular adenoviruses. Enteric adenoviruses, one of the main causes of viral gastroenteritis in the world, must withstand the harsh conditions found in the gut. This requirement suggests that capsid stability must be different from that of other adenoviruses. We report the 4-Å-resolution structure of a human enteric adenovirus, HAdV-F41, and compare it with that of other adenoviruses with respiratory (HAdV-C5) and ocular (HAdV-D26) tropisms. While the overall structures of hexon, penton base, and internal minor coat proteins IIIa and VIII are conserved, we observe partially ordered elements reinforcing the vertex region, which suggests their role in enhancing the physicochemical capsid stability of HAdV-F41. Unexpectedly, we find an organization of the external minor coat protein IX different from all previously characterized human and nonhuman mastadenoviruses. Knowledge of the structure of enteric adenoviruses provides a starting point for the design of vectors suitable for oral delivery or intestinal targeting.