Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Impact of Education on Pharmacist Tobramycin Dose Recommendations for Cystic Fibrosis and a Review of Perceptions on Pharmacist-Led Charting

Background: Pharmacists routinely interpret and optimize tobramycin dosing for people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF). Objectives: To determine the impact of tobramycin therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) education on pharmacist dose recommendations, and to explore nurses’ and medical doctors’ perceptions toward pharmacist-led TDM charting. Methods: This study involved 3 phases: a 12-month retrospective audit of PwCF prescribed tobramycin to identify the appropriateness of pharmacists’ dose recommendations, a pharmacist tobramycin educational intervention utilizing a voiceover presentation with pre- and post-online tobramycin TDM assessment (involving multiple choice pharmacokinetics and case-based scenario questions), and a cross-sectional survey of respiratory nurses’ and doctors’ perceptions toward pharmacist-led TDM charting. The pharmacists’ dose recommendations, in the audit and case-based questions, were considered appropriate if subsequent levels achieved the targeted area under the curve (AUC). Results: Audit results revealed that 44.4% of the 277 pharmacist dose recommendations identified were appropriate. The pre- and post-interventional assessments were completed by 51 and 52 pharmacists, respectively. Post intervention, correct scores were significantly higher than pre-intervention, evident in both the pharmacokinetics (median score 75% vs 100%; P = 0.048) and case-based scenario (median score 60% vs 90%; P < 0.0001) questions. Of the 54 nurses and medical doctors surveyed, 92.6% supported the implementation of pharmacist-led tobramycin charting. Conclusion: The study demonstrated an increased accuracy and appropriateness of pharmacists’ tobramycin pharmacokinetics knowledge and TDM dose recommendations post-educational intervention and highlighted nurses’ and medical doctors’ support of pharmacist-led tobramycin TDM charting.
A phase II study of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel as first-line therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Abstract Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) is widely used in clinical practice, despite a lack of prospective data to validate its efficacy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). We conducted a phase II study of GnP for LAPC to assess its efficacy and safety. We performed a single-arm, single-institution study with GnP in 24 patients with LAPC. The treatment protocol included successive administration of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) and nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2). The primary endpoint was the tumor overall response rate (ORR), and secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs). The median PFS was 11.0 months, median OS was 21.2 months, ORR was 62.5%, and 37.5% of the patients had stable disease. Four (16.7%) of the patients were converted to surgical resection; 3 of these achieved R0 resection. Grade 3 to 4 AEs included hematological (neutropenia, 64%; thrombocytopenia, 12%), nonhematological (cholangitis, 16%), and sensory neuropathy (4%). These AEs were manageable and tolerable. The GnP treatment in patients with LAPC showed favorable tumor shrinkage, good toxicity profile, and enabled conversion to surgical resection in a subset of patients; therefore, GnP is an option for first-line chemotherapy in patients with LAPC.
Deformed structures in neutron-rich A ≈ 100 nuclei studied by isomer and ß- delayed γ-ray spectroscopy

Neutron-rich A∼110 nuclei have been the subject of intensive discussion since the discovery of a rapid onset of ground-state static quadrupole deformation in the A>100 Zr nuclei over 60 years ago. The results presented in this thesis further the experimental knowledge of such deformations towards more exotic isotopes in this region. An experiment was carried out at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, RIKEN, Wako-shi, Japan. Nuclei of interest were produced through the in-flight abrasion fission of a 345 MeV/nucleon 238U beam by a 555 mg/cm2 9Be target and selected by the BigRIPS spectrometer according to their mass-to-charge ratio and atomic charge. They were implanted into the WAS3ABi silicon stack and γ rays emitted following β-decay, or decay of isomeric states were detected in an array of 12 cluster HPGe (EURICA) and 18 LaBr3(Ce) detectors. A newly implemented fast β-γ timing configuration provided access to the lifetimes of excited states in the nanosecond regime. In particular, the lifetime of the 2+ state of 106Zr is reported for the first time, as well as a more precise measurement for 104Zr, compared to the adopted value. These measurements, combined with the energy of the ground-state transition, have been used to deduce the reduced transition probability and from this a model-dependent value for the ground-state deformation. New isomeric states have also been observed in 102Zr, 113Nb and 115Mo. The reduced transition probability of the 2+ + g.s transition in 106Zr shows a marked decrease from that of 104Zr. This reflects the energy systematics, and further confirms the deformed sub-shell closure at N=64. Comparisons of the systematics of the observed reduced transition probabilities to those calculated in the IBM-1 model show poor agreement. However, calculations based on the nuclear-shell model in a deformed basis state, show good agreement with observation, demonstrating the reliability of the employed ground-state wavefunction. The isomeric state in 102Zr is ascribed to a change in the K quantum number, and the isomeric states in 113Nb and 115Mo are proposed to be due to shape stabilisation of excited states.
Investigation of the associations between physical activity, self-regulation and educational outcomes in childhood

It is common knowledge that physical activity leads to physiological and psychological benefits. The current study explored the association between physical activity and self-regulation longitudinally and the indirect relationship this may have on academic achievement, using secondary data on primary and secondary school children from the Millennium Cohort Study, a cohort of infants born in 2000–2001 in the United Kingdom. There are two main findings. First, there is a positive link between physical activity and emotional (not behavioural) regulation both concurrently and longitudinally across all three time points, 7-years-old, 11-years-old and 14-years-old. The relationship was negative for emotional regulation and negligible for behavioural regulation when controlling for socioeconomic status. Second, across two time points (due to data availability), physical activity positively predicted academic achievement through emotional regulation for 7-year-olds and behavioural regulation in 11-year-olds. The impact of this relationship was more pronounced when controlling for socioeconomic status. Together these findings indicate that emotional regulation is linked to physical activity in early childhood. Subsequently, emotion regulation predicts academic attainment, suggesting that early interventions might focus on attention rather than behaviour.
“Don, doff, discard” to “don, doff, decontaminate”—FFR and mask integrity and inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a norovirus following multiple vaporised hydrogen peroxide-, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation-, and dry heat decontaminations

Background As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic accelerates, the supply of personal protective equipment remains under strain. To combat shortages, re-use of surgical masks and filtering facepiece respirators has been recommended. Prior decontamination is paramount to the re-use of these typically single-use only items and, without compromising their integrity, must guarantee inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other contaminating pathogens. Aim We provide information on the effect of time-dependent passive decontamination (infectivity loss over time during room temperature storage in a breathable bag) and evaluate inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a non-enveloped model virus as well as mask and respirator integrity following active multiple-cycle vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP), ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), and dry heat (DH) decontamination. Methods Masks and respirators, inoculated with infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus or murine norovirus, were submitted to passive decontamination or single or multiple active decontamination cycles; viruses were recovered from sample materials and viral titres were measured via TCID50 assay. In parallel, filtration efficiency tests and breathability tests were performed according to EN standard 14683 and NIOSH regulations. Results and discussion Infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus and murine norovirus remained detectable on masks and respirators up to five and seven days of passive decontamination. Single and multiple cycles of VHP-, UVGI-, and DH were shown to not adversely affect bacterial filtration efficiency of masks. Single- and multiple UVGI did not adversely affect respirator filtration efficiency, while VHP and DH induced a decrease in filtration efficiency after one or three decontamination cycles. Multiple cycles of VHP-, UVGI-, and DH slightly decreased airflow resistance of masks but did not adversely affect respirator breathability. VHP and UVGI efficiently inactivated both viruses after five, DH after three, decontamination cycles, permitting demonstration of a loss of infectivity by more than three orders of magnitude. This multi-disciplinal approach provides important information on how often a given PPE item may be safely reused.
Laparoscopic side‐to‐side duodenoduodenostomy versus diamond‐shaped anastomosis for annular pancreas in the neonate

The aim of this report is to present our experience of the last 5 years with repairs of congenital annular pancreas in neonates to determine the efficacy and outcomes of laparoscopic side‐to‐side duodenoduodenostomy compared to laparoscopic diamond‐shaped anastomosis.
INHIBITION OF TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 4 PROTECTS AGAINST INFLAMMATION-INDUCED MECHANOBIOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS TO INTERVERTEBRAL DISC CELLS

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is associated with elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines implicated in disease aetiology and matrix degradation. Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) has been shown to participate in the inflammatory responses of the nucleus pulposus (NP) and its levels are upregulated in disc degeneration. Activation of TLR4 in NP cells leads to significant, persistent changes in cell biophysical properties, including hydraulic permeability and osmotically active water content, as well as alterations to the actin cytoskeleton. The study hypothesis was that inflammation-induced changes to cellular biomechanical properties and actin cytoskeleton of NP cells could be prevented by inhibiting TLR4 signalling. Isolated NP cells from bovine discs were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the best studied TLR4 agonist, with or without treatment with the TLR4 inhibitor TAK-242. Cellular volume regulation responses to step osmotic loading were measured and the transient volume-response was captured by time-lapse microscopy. Volume-responses were analysed using mixture theory framework to investigate hydraulic permeability and osmotically active intracellular water content. Hydraulic permeability and cell radius were significantly increased with LPS treatment and these changes were blocked in cells treated with TAK-242. LPS-induced remodelling of cortical actin and IL-6 upregulation were also mitigated by TAK-242 treatment. These findings indicated that TLR4 signalling participated in NP cell biophysical regulation and may be an important target for mitigating altered cell responses observed in IVD inflammation and degeneration.
Adnaviria: a New Realm for Archaeal Filamentous Viruses with Linear A-Form Double-Stranded DNA Genomes

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) has recently adopted a comprehensive, hierarchical system of virus taxa. The highest ranks in this hierarchy are realms, each of which is considered monophyletic but apparently originated independently of other realms. ABSTRACT The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) has recently adopted a comprehensive, hierarchical system of virus taxa. The highest ranks in this hierarchy are realms, each of which is considered monophyletic but apparently originated independently of other realms. Here, we announce the creation of a new realm, Adnaviria, which unifies archaeal filamentous viruses with linear A-form double-stranded DNA genomes and characteristic major capsid proteins unrelated to those encoded by other known viruses.
The relationship between linguistic expression in blog content and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts: A longitudinal study

Data generated within social media platforms may present a new way to identify individuals who are experiencing mental illness. This study aimed to investigate the associations between linguistic features in individuals’ blog data and their symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Individuals who blogged were invited to participate in a longitudinal study in which they completed fortnightly symptom scales for depression and anxiety (PHQ-9, GAD-7) for a period of 36 weeks. Blog data published in the same period was also collected, and linguistic features were analysed using the LIWC tool. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the correlations between the linguistic features and symptoms between subjects. Multivariate regression models were used to predict longitudinal changes in symptoms within subjects. A total of 153 participants consented to the study. The final sample consisted of the 38 participants who completed the required number of symptom scales and generated blog data during the study period. Between-subject analysis revealed that the linguistic features “tentativeness” and “non-fluencies” were significantly correlated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, but not suicidal thoughts. Within-subject analysis showed no robust correlations between linguistic features and changes in symptoms. The findings may provide evidence of a relationship between some linguistic features in social media data and mental health; however, the study was limited by missing data and other important considerations. The findings also suggest that linguistic features observed at the group level may not generalise to, or be useful for, detecting individual symptom change over time.
Rise of the phoenix: Mucormycosis in COVID-19 times

Purpose: Rhino-orbital mucormycosis in times of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Aims: The aim of the study was to document cases of rhino-orbital mucormycosis seen at our Regional Institute of Ophthalmology during COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) times. Methods: The study is a retrospective, institutional cohort, interventional study. It was carried out at our Regional Institute of Ophthalmology from September 2020 to mid-March 2021. All patients of biopsy-proven mucormycosis were enrolled in the study. The patients were subjected to complete history taking, ophthalmological examination, and imaging studies. The patients were treated via a multidisciplinary approach with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B and debridement of local necrotic tissue. Exenteration was done when indicated. A minimum 75-day follow-up period was accorded to all study patients. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test. A P value ≤0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Thirty-one patients were seen, with a mean age of 56.3 years. The major risk factors included uncontrolled diabetes (96.7%) and COVID-19 positivity (61.2%), with concomitant steroid use in 61.2% patients. The most common presentation was diminution of vision (<6/60 in 80.64% patients) and ophthalmoplegia (77.4%). The most common imaging findings were orbital cellulitis (61.29%) and pansinusitis (77.4%). Intravenous liposomal amphotericin B was given to all patients for an average 18.93 days. Exenteration was required in (n = 4) 12.9% of cases. Twenty-eight patients recovered and were alive on follow-up. Mortality was seen in three patients. The presence of cerebral involvement and a HbA1c value of ≥8 were found to be significant in the prediction of survival of patients with mucormycosis. Conclusion: We present the largest institutional cohort of rhino-orbital mucormycosis patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic era from our unique perspective.
Epidemiology of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Over the last decades, there has been a dramatic global increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens particularly among Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for various health care-associated infections, while MDR P. aeruginosa causes significant morbidity and mortality. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represent an unexplored geographical region for the study of drug resistance since many of these countries are at crossroads of high volume of travel, diverse expatriate populations, as well as high antibiotic consumption despite attempts to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs. ABSTRACT Over the last decades, there has been a dramatic global increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens particularly among Gram-negative bacteria (GNB). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for various health care-associated infections, while MDR P. aeruginosa causes significant morbidity and mortality. Middle East and North Africa (MENA) represent an unexplored geographical region for the study of drug resistance since many of these countries are at crossroads of high volume of travel, diverse expatriate populations, as well as high antibiotic consumption despite attempts to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs. This minireview analyzes epidemiology, microbiological, and genomic characteristics of MDR P. aeruginosa in the MENA region. Published data on MDR P. aeruginosa prevalence, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and genetic profiles from studies published during the past 10 years from 19 MENA countries have been included in this minireview. There is wide variation in the epidemiology of MDR P. aeruginosa in the MENA region in terms of prevalence, antimicrobial characteristics, as well as genetic profiles. Overall, there is high prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa seen in the majority of the countries in the MENA region with similarities between neighboring countries, which might reflect comparable population and antibiotic-prescribing cultures. Isolates from critical care units are significantly resistant particularly from certain countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Lebanon with high-level resistance to cephalosporins, carbapenems, and aminoglycosides. Colistin susceptibility patterns remains high apart from countries with high-level antibiotic resistance such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt.
The Work of Oskar Herzberg—Did Psychosis or the Residence in a Psychiatric Institution Serve as a Catalyst for Creativity?

Abstract In the 1920s, the Heidelberg psychiatrist and art historian Hans Prinzhorn collected pictorial works by “mentally ill people”—today’s Prinzhorn Collection. His colleague Paul Schilder sent him works by Oskar Herzberg thereto, which Prinzhorn included as “Case 355” in his famous work Bildnerei der Geisteskranken. Using Herzberg as an example, we approached the general issue of the relationship between mental illness, creativity, and art from a historical psychiatric perspective. It was not before his admission to the Leipzig clinic due to his schizophrenic illness that Herzberg began to paint. Prinzhorn and his doctor Ernst Jolowicz considered this late start of artistic activities to be the expression of an immanent creative urge caused by exceptional psychotic experiences. Our study intends to view such artworks outside a rather pathological context. Therefore, we discuss being secluded in psychiatry, supplied painting utensils, and released from his daily constrains as other possible triggering factors for Herzberg’s artistic development.
Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus p12 Is Required for Histone Loading onto Retroviral DNAs

Incoming retroviral DNAs are rapidly loaded with nucleosomal histones upon entry into the nucleus and before integration into the host genome. The entry of murine leukemia virus DNA into the nucleus occurs only upon dissolution of the nuclear membrane in mitosis, and retention in the nucleus requires the action of a viral protein, p12, which tethers the DNA to host chromatin. ABSTRACT During retrovirus infection, a histone-free DNA copy of the viral RNA genome is synthesized and rapidly loaded with nucleosomes de novo upon nuclear entry. The potential role of viral accessory proteins in histone loading onto retroviral DNAs has not been extensively investigated. The p12 protein of Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) is a virion protein that is critical for tethering the incoming viral DNA to host chromatin in the early stages of infection. Infection by virions containing a mutant p12 (PM14) defective in chromatin tethering results in the formation of viral DNAs that do not accumulate in the nucleus. In this report, we show that viral DNAs of these mutants are not loaded with histones. Moreover, the DNA genomes delivered by mutant p12 show prolonged association with viral structural proteins nucleocapsid (NC) and capsid (CA). The histone-poor viral DNA genomes do not become associated with the host RNA polymerase II machinery. These findings provide insights into fundamental aspects of retroviral biology, indicating that tethering to host chromatin by p12 and retention in the nucleus are required to allow loading of histones onto the viral DNA. IMPORTANCE Incoming retroviral DNAs are rapidly loaded with nucleosomal histones upon entry into the nucleus and before integration into the host genome. The entry of murine leukemia virus DNA into the nucleus occurs only upon dissolution of the nuclear membrane in mitosis, and retention in the nucleus requires the action of a viral protein, p12, which tethers the DNA to host chromatin. Data presented here show that the tethering activity of p12 is required for the loading of histones onto the viral DNA. p12 mutants lacking tethering activity fail to acquire histones, retain capsid and nucleocapsid proteins, and are poorly transcribed. The work defines a new requirement for a viral protein to allow chromatinization of viral DNA.