Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A systematic review of the burden of pertussis disease in infants and the effectiveness of maternal immunization against pertussis

ABSTRACT Introduction Infants too young to be fully immunized are the most vulnerable to severe pertussis disease. To close this susceptibility gap, passive infant immunization through vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis was first introduced in 2011 in the United States and has been extended since then to more than 40 countries. Areas covered We conducted two systematic literature searches to describe the worldwide burden of pertussis disease in infants <6 months of age since 2005, and the effectiveness and impact of maternal pertussis vaccination in preventing infant pertussis since 2011. Expert opinion Pertussis disease incidence rates in infants aged <2-3 months were substantial in all countries with available data, exceeding 1000 cases per 100,000 population during outbreaks. Virtually all pertussis deaths occurred in this age group. Data from Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, and Asia were limited, but suggest a similar or higher disease burden than in Europe or the Americas. Estimates of effectiveness of second/third trimester pertussis vaccination in preventing pertussis disease in <2-3 months old infants were consistently high (69%–93%) across the observational studies reviewed, conducted in various settings with different designs. Maternal vaccination programs appear to be achieving their goal of reducing the burden of disease in very young infants. Plain language summary What is the context? Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease of the respiratory tract. Infants too young to be fully vaccinated are at the highest risk of severe pertussis disease, hospitalization, and death. Vaccinating pregnant women against pertussis with a Tdap vaccine is recommended in more than 40 countries as a safe and effective strategy to protect infants for the first months of life. What is new? This review summarizes recent literature describing the burden of pertussis disease in infants worldwide prior to the introduction of maternal vaccination programs; pertussis disease incidence rates in infants aged <2-3 months were substantial in all countries with available data, exceeding 1000 cases per 100,000 population during outbreaks. Immunization of pregnant women with a Tdap vaccine can prevent about 70–90% of pertussis disease and up to 90.5% of pertussis hospitalizations in infants under 3 months of age. What is the impact? Limited available data suggest that incidence rates of pertussis disease after the introduction of Tdap maternal immunization have declined in infants. Current knowledge supports the implementation of Tdap maternal immunization programs.
Myocardial infarction classification and its implications on measures of cardiovascular outcomes, quality, and racial/ethnic disparities

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, with approximately 805 000 cumulative deaths from myocardial infarctions (MI) from 2005 to 2014. Gender and racial/ethnic disparities in MI diagnoses are becoming more evident in quality review audits. Although recent changes in diagnostic codes provided an improved framework, clinically distinguishing types of MI remains a challenge. MI misdiagnoses and health disparities contribute to adverse outcomes in cardiac medicine. We conducted a literature review of relevant biomedical sources related to the classification of MI and disparities in cardiovascular care and outcomes. From the studies analyzed, African Americans and women have higher rates of mortality from MI, are more probably to be younger and present with other comorbidities and are less probably to receive novel therapies with respect to type of MI. As high‐sensitivity troponin assays are adopted in the United States, implementation should account for how race and sex differences have been demonstrated in the reference range and diagnostic threshold of the newer assays. More research is needed to assess how the complexity of health disparities contributes to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Creating dedicated medical quality teams (physicians, nurses, clinical documentation improvement specialists, and medical coders) and incorporating a plan‐do‐check‐adjust quality improvement model are strategies that could potentially help better define and diagnose MI, reduce financial burdens due to MI misdiagnoses, reduce cardiovascular‐related health disparities, and ultimately improve and save lives.
Drivers of stunting reduction in Senegal: a country case study

ABSTRACT Background Senegal has been an exemplar country in the West African region, reducing child stunting prevalence by 17.9% from 1992 to 2017. Objectives In this study, we aimed to conduct a systematic in-depth assessment of factors at the national, community, household, and individual levels to determine the key enablers of Senegal's success in reducing stunting in children <5 y old between 1992/93 and 2017. Methods A mixed methods approach was implemented, comprising quantitative data analysis, a systematic literature review, creation of a timeline of nutrition-related programs, and qualitative interviews with national and regional stakeholders and mothers in communities. Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys were used to explore stunting inequalities and factors related to the change in height-for-age z-score (HAZ) using difference-in-difference linear regression and the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method. Results Population-wide gains in average child HAZ and stunting prevalence have occurred from 1992/93 to 2017. Stunting prevalence reduction varied by geographical region and prevalence gaps were reduced slightly between wealth quintiles, maternal education groups, and urban compared with rural residence. Statistical determinants of change included improvements in maternal and newborn health (27.8%), economic improvement (19.5%), increases in parental education (14.9%), and better piped water access (8.1%). Key effective nutrition programs used a community-based approach, including the Community Nutrition Program and the Nutrition Enhancement Program. Stakeholders felt sustained political will and multisectoral collaboration along with improvements in poverty, women's education, hygiene practices, and accessibility to health services at the community level reduced the burden of stunting. Conclusions Senegal's success in the stunting decline is largely attributed to the country's political stability, the government's prioritization of nutrition and execution of nutrition efforts using a multisectoral approach, improvements in the availability of health services and maternal education, access to piped water and sanitation facilities, and poverty reduction. Further efforts in the health, water and sanitation, and agriculture sectors will support continued success.
Morphologic changes in the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus during the conversion from pseudostratified single columnar to stratified squamous epithelium in the developing mouse esophagus

The apico‐basal (AB) polarity of epithelial cells is maintained by organized arrays of the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus. We previously reported that mouse embryonic esophageal epithelium exhibits interkinetic nuclear migration (INM), an AB‐polarity‐based regulatory mechanism of stem‐cell proliferation, and suggested that the pseudostratified single columnar epithelium, a hallmark of INM, is converted to stratified squamous epithelium via rearrangement of the cytoskeleton and cell‐adhesion apparatus. Here, we chronologically examined morphological changes in the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus in the mouse esophageal epithelium at embryonic day (E) 11.5, E13.5, E14.5, and E15.5, during which epithelial conversion has been suggested to occur. We used phalloidin to examine the apical terminal web (ATW), immunofluorescent anti‐zonula occludens protein (ZO‐1) antibody to reveal ZO‐1, and anti‐gamma tubulin antibody to detect primary cilia (PC). At E11.5, a thick ATW, apically oriented ZO‐1 and apical PC were observed, indicating a pseudostratified single columnar structure. At E13.5 and E14.5, the phalloidin‐staining, ZO‐1, and PC distribution patterns were not apically localized, and the epithelial cells appeared to have lost the AB polarity, suggesting conversion of the epithelial structure and cessation of INM. At E15.5, light and transmission electron microscope observations revealed the ATW, ZO‐1, PC, and tight junction which were localized into two‐1ayers: the apical and subapical layers of the epithelium. These findings suggest that dynamic remodeling of the cytoskeleton and adhesion apparatus is involved in the conversion from pseudostratified single columnar to stratified squamous morphology and is closely related with temporal perturbation of the AB‐polarity and cessation of INM.
Bacterial communities associated to the urethra of healthy gilts and pregnant sows undergoing different reproductive protocols.

Nowadays, it is known that the urogenital microbiota plays a key role in the urinary health of mammalians. Despite of the urinary infections affect the health and the welfare of breeding sows, the urethral microbiota of healthy sows remains unknown. Therefore, this work evaluates the urethral bacterial communities of healthy gilts and sows to determine the presence of Enterobacteriaceae populations, and the structure of this microbiota in gilts (G) and pregnant sows (P). Samples were collected by scraping the urethral mucosa of G (n = 9) and P, that included natural mating (NM, n = 9) and artificial inseminated (AI, n = 7) sows. Samples were analysed by culture-dependent techniques and 16S-rRNA gene High-Throughput-Sequencing. All females were positive for Enterobacteriaceae culture, without significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis) between G and P (median values: 2.78 and 3.09 Log CFU/mL, respectively; P = 0.497). Also, the rate Enterobactericeae/total mesophilic microorganisms was individually calculated, without significant differences between G and P (median values: 0.61 and 0.66, respectively; P = 0.497). When analysing the bacterial communities, it was found similar richness in G, NM and AI; however, diversity was lower in P than G (Mann Whitney/Kruskal-Wallis test, P < 0.01). The dominating phyla that constituted a "core microbiome", included Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes; which were common for all the studied females. The relative abundance for phyla, families and genera was estimated and Firmicutes was significantly higher in NM than AI sows (P = 0.02, Mann-Whitney/Kruskal Wallis test for univariate statistical comparisons), Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceace were higher in AI than in NM (Mann Whitney/Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05). Lactobacillus and Pseudomonas were among the dominant genera; however, only Pseudomonas sp. was significantly higher in AI than NM (Mann Whitney/Kruskal-Wallis, P = 0.006). The results represent the first evidence about the existence of a urethral microbiota that includes Enterobacteriaceae, as well as the patterns of this microbiota in G and P sows. The knowledge of this urethral microbiota might allow for future research to develop innovative protocols to restore and/or preserve the healthy ecology of the urinary microbiome to prevent diseases ensuring the welfare of breeding sows.
Lithium in drinking water and suicide prevention: The largest nationwide epidemiological study from Japan

The aims of the present study thus were (a) to further investigate the association between lithium levels in drinking water and suicide rates by adjusting relevant factors using the so far largest available dataset in Japan, (b) to confirm sex differences, (c) to estimate the effects of long‐term exposure to trace lithium, (d) to investigate the effects of drinking bottled instead of tap water, and (e) to exploratorily investigate which lithium levels may be associated with lower suicide rates.
Antifungal effects of chitosan coating on fresh strawberries and raspberries during storage

SummaryThe effects of chitosan coatings (1.0% and 2.0% w/v) in controlling the decay of strawberries and raspberries and maintaining their quality were investigated. A chitosan coating significantly reduced the decay of berries stored at 13°C and induced a significant increase of chitinase and β-l,3-glucanase activities of the berries as compared with the controls. Chitosan coating proved almost as effective as the fungicide TBZ in controlling the decay of berries stored at 13°C caused by Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus sp. Chitosan coating had beneficial effects on firmness, titratable acidity, vitamin C content, and anthocyanin content of strawberries and raspberries stored at 4°C.
Factors and Demographic Variables Influencing Team Climate Inventory: Applied in Primary Health Care in Saudi Arabia

DOI: 10.21276/sjbms.2018. 3.9. 13 Abstract: This research paper aims to identify the highest factor influencing the team climate inventory and explore how demographic variables (individual‘s gender, age, working experience, and Professional role which includes (Nurse, General Practitioner, Specialist Nurse, Health visitor, Hospital Manger and other allied health professionals), were significantly influencing the factors of team climate inventory. And secondly, want to investigate whether Team climate is superior in smaller teams than in bigger teams. The TCI is based on a four-factor theory of team climate for innovation. The sample would consist of a random sample of 250 health care employees including doctors, nurses, Specialist Nurses (SN), Hospital manager (HM), General Practitioner (GP), pharmacists and allied health personnel working in primary health care setting in Saudi Arabia. To assess the reliability of the TCI in healthcare teams, we calculated the internal homogeneity by calculating Cronbach‘s alpha coefficients for the scales emerging from the factor analyses. Table 4 shows One Sample t-test which was performed to determine whether differences exist between the sample mean and the population mean (that is, 2.5) and finally Table 5 shows that Multivariate analysis of Variance (MANOVA) tests confirm significant factors influencing team climate inventory in terms of gender, age, professional title, working experience in hospital, years of experience in the team, no. of people working in your team, team of doctors and nurses. Overall, the findings from the Table 5 shows that some demographic variables (Gender, Age, Professional title, working experience in hospital, years of experience in team, Number of people working in the team, number of nurses in a team related with primary health care settings) have significant effects on participation in the team, support for new ideas and innovation, vision and team objectives, commitment to excellence and task orientation and social relationships in the team. Table-5 shows that Multivariate analysis of Variance (MANOVA) tests confirm significant differences in the factors of team climate inventory in terms of demographic variables. The findings of this study would be expected to highlight the main features of the existing scenario in the primary health care in Saudi Arabia as far as the impact of team climate is concerned, as well as the consequences of their ineffectiveness and inefficiency in terms of team effectiveness. The proposed recommendations would hopefully address these main issues, thus resulting in improved quality of health care in Saudi Arabia. This is important because what is at stake is the health of both the citizens of this country, as well as expatriates who form a sizable portion of its productive workforce.
The hidden role of NLRP3 inflammasome in obesity‐related COVID‐19 exacerbations: Lessons for drug repurposing

COVID‐19, the illness caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, has a wide‐ranging clinical spectrum that, in the worst‐case scenario, involves a rapid progression to severe acute respiratory syndrome and death. Epidemiological data show that obesity and diabetes are among the main risk factors associated with high morbidity and mortality. The increased susceptibility to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection documented in obesity‐related metabolic derangements argues for initial defects in defence mechanisms, most likely due to an elevated systemic metabolic inflammation (“metaflammation”). The NLRP3 inflammasome is a master regulator of metaflammation and has a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of either obesity or diabetes. Here, we discuss the most recent findings suggesting contribution of NLRP3 inflammasome to the increase in complications in COVID‐19 patients with diabesity. We also review current pharmacological strategies for COVID‐19, focusing on treatments whose efficacy could be due, at least in part, to interference with the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Proton pump inhibitors may hinder hypophosphatemic effect of lanthanum carbonate, but not of ferric citrate hydrate or sucroferric oxyhydroxide, in hemodialysis patients

Abstract Because end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis frequently take acid suppressants for the treatment or prevention of gastrointestinal diseases, it is important to clarify the drug-interactions between acid suppressants and phosphate binders on the control of serum phosphate levels. In the present study, we examined whether the phosphate-lowering effects of three phosphate binders, lanthanum carbonate (LC), ferric citrate hydrate (FCH), and sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SFOH), were affected by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Laboratory data for 71 patients who had been newly prescribed one of the three phosphate binders were examined. LC at a dosage of 500 ± 217 mg/day significantly decreased serum phosphate levels by −18% in the absence of a PPI (n = 9), while a dosage of 700 ± 230 mg/day only decreased it by −3% in the presence of a PPI (n = 10). Thus, the efficacy of LC in reducing serum phosphate levels was significantly hindered by the presence of PPIs. FCH significantly decreased serum phosphate levels by −18% in the absence of a PPI (n = 7, FCH: 571 ± 189 mg/day) and by −17% in the presence of a PPI (n = 20, FCH: 638 ± 151 mg/day). The decrease in serum phosphate levels by SFOH (393 ± 197 mg/day) was −7% in the absence of a PPI (n = 7), and SFOH at a dosage of 556 ± 316 mg/day significantly decreased serum phosphate levels by −13% in the presence of a PPI (n = 18). These results suggest that the phosphate-lowering effect of LC, but not of FCH or SFOH, is diminished in the presence of PPIs in hemodialysis patients.
Estudos de aspectos biológicos de Aedes aegypti em áreas do Rio de Janeiro com previsão de liberação de mosquitos com Wolbachia

he main dengue vector in the world and only proven in the Americas is the mosquito Aedes aegypti . Currently, this mosquito is found distributed in all states of Brazil and several natural populations have highly vector competent for dengue virus. Annuall y, it is estimated 50 to 100 million infections by dengue, with about 2.5 billion people living in endemic countries. One of the newest and promising mechanisms to minimize dengue transmission relies in the use of Wolbachia bacterium. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular symbiont transmitted vertically from adult female to its offspring. Its use is based on the fact that Ae. aegypti with these bacteria are capable to block the dengue virus in comparison with mosquitoes without Wolbachia . To advance t o the release of mosquitoes with Wolbachia in the field, many previous steps must be performed. Among them, evaluating aspects of natural populations of Aedes aegypti , ie without the bacteria are highly relevant to propose a rational release of insects wit h Wolbachia in field. Therefore, we propose to estimate the relative population density of mosquitoes, the duration of gonotrophic cycle and the probability of daily survival (PDS) in the areas selected for the project in which these information are not kn own by our group. A total of 180,728 wild mosquitoes w as collected with BGS - Trap in the four study areas, 82,316 of these were Ae. aegypti, 2,867 were Ae. albopictus and 96,754 Culex quinquefasciatus . The weekly average of Ae. aegypti was higher in Vila Va lqueire (256 ± 74.3, mean ± standard deviation), a value close to twice that observed in Urca (144.1 ± 40.6, mean ± standard deviation). For the duration of the gonotrophic cycle and PDS we released in Valqueire Vila 1730 females, 530 of them being fed (co hort A) and 1200 non - fed (cohort B); Jurujuba in turn, we released 900 (Cohort A) and 2100 (Cohort B) females. In Vila Valqueire were collected 573 individuals, 98 females marked corresponding to a recapture rate of 5.66%. The average life expectancy in t he area ranging from 2.8 to 3.9 days for the two cohorts, 3.83 to 6.63 days only for Cohort A and from 2.69 to 4.46 days for Cohort B. The survival by the exponential model was 0.8 to Cohort A, 0.72 to B and 0.73 summing data from both cohorts. In Jurujub a were captured 174 Ae. aegypti , wherein 45.4% were native. With 95 marked mosquitoes, we observed a recapture rate of 3.17%. The average life expectancy in this area ranging from 4.07 to 6,11 dias for the two cohorts: cohort A varied from 2.59 to 4.95 an d B from 7.43 to 10.6. Survival by the exponential model was 0,73 for A, 0.84 for B and 0.81 to the summing data from both cohorts. Our data show that Wolcachia invasion is expected in all locations, even in those we need to release greater of mosquitoes w ith bacteria to replace the local population, in this case the district of Vila Valqueire
In Vitro Activity and Potency of the Novel Oxazolidinone Contezolid (MRX-I) Tested against Gram-Positive Clinical Isolates from the United States and Europe

Contezolid, a new oxazolidinone antibacterial agent currently in development for the treatment of skin and skin structure infections, was susceptibility tested against Gram-positive clinical isolates (n = 1,211). Contezolid demonstrated potent activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC50/90, 0.5/1 mg/liter), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MIC50/90, 0.25/0.5 mg/liter), Enterococcus spp. ABSTRACT Contezolid, a new oxazolidinone antibacterial agent currently in development for the treatment of skin and skin structure infections, was susceptibility tested against Gram-positive clinical isolates (n = 1,211). Contezolid demonstrated potent activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC50/90, 0.5/1 mg/liter), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MIC50/90, 0.25/0.5 mg/liter), Enterococcus spp. (MIC50/90, 0.5/1 mg/liter), and streptococci (MIC50/90, 1/1 mg/liter). Moreover, methicillin-resistant S. aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates were all inhibited by contezolid at ≤1 mg/liter. These results support the clinical development of contezolid.