Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of one-year treatment with biotechnological drugs on work ability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Italy: a prospective real-life study.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the impact of biologic therapy on work productivity outcomes in an Italian real-life cohort of biologic-naïve patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS This observational prospective multicentre study enrolled RA patients in working age with an active disease who started their first biologic agent. Every patient completed the RA-specific Work Productivity Survey (WPS-RA) at each clinical evaluation (baseline, 6 and 12 months). The primary outcome of the study was the productivity gain at 12 months from the beginning of the biologic treatment, compared to baseline, assessed in terms of absenteeism and presenteeism reduction, both for employed and unemployed subjects. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of patient- and disease-related variables on productivity gain. RESULTS Overall, 100 patients were enrolled and 85 completed the study. All indexes of disease activity and functional ability were significantly improved from baseline already at 6 months. At 12 months, the 55 employed subjects showed a significant reduction in the mean number of days of work missed (absenteeism) and of reduced productivity (presenteeism). A significant reduction in the mean number of days of household work missed was observed for all patients. At multivariate analysis, functional disability had a significant negative impact on all parameters of household work productivity, while the achievement of a low disease activity or remission was inversely correlated with presenteeism. CONCLUSIONS One year of treatment with a biological drug significantly impacts on the disease activity and work ability of RA patients and allows economic gains due to productivity improvement.
COVID-19 in Pregnant Women and Neonates: A Systematic Review of the Literature with Quality Assessment of the Studies

The SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged in December 2019 and then spread globally. Little is still known about the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women and neonates. A review of the literature was performed according to the PRISMA guideline recommendations, searching the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Studies’ quality assessments were performed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. A total of 37 studies were included, involving 275 pregnant women with COVID-19 and 248 neonates. The majority of pregnant women presented with mild to moderate symptoms, only 10 were admitted in the ICU, and one died. Two stillbirths were reported and the incidence of prematurity was 28%. Sixteen neonates were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR, and nine of them were born from mothers infected during pregnancy. Neonatal outcomes were generally good: all the affected neonates recovered. RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 yielded negative results on amniotic fluid, vaginal/cervical fluids, placenta tissue, and breast milk samples. SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women appeared associated with mild or moderate disease in most cases, with a low morbidity and mortality rate. The outcomes of neonates born from infected women were mainly favorable, although neonates at risk should be closely monitored. Further studies are needed to investigate the possibility of vertical transmission.
Biometrical study of Artemia spp. (Anostraca: Artemiidae) cysts harvested from different salt lakes in Tunisia

Since there are different species and strains of Artemia, biometrical studies of the present strain can be of help to aquaculturists by providing new economic food sources for their fish culture. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the diameter of untreated and decapsulated cysts as well as the chorion thickness for 17 Artemia populations from Tunisia. The Tunisian Artemia populations were compared to commercial cysts of Artemia franciscana from Great Salt Lake and San Francisco Bay in trying to evaluate their potential use in aquaculture. One-way ANOVA (Tukey test, p < 0.05) was used for analyzing the data. Results showed that the diameter of hydrated cysts ranged from 221.0 to 284.9 µm for the San Francisco Bay and Sabkhet Korzia populations, respectively. Statistical analysis shows different degrees of variation among studied populations, and does not show any particular similarity between them. The diameter of decapsulated cysts varied from 208.2 to 258.8 µm. Significant differences (one-way ANOVA, p<0.05) were also found for decapsulated cysts diameter, the cysts from Sabkhet Korzia and El Melah being significantly larger than the others. Both low (4.7 µm in Sabkhet Halk El Menzel and Great Salt Lake) and high (13.2 µm for Sabkhet Mhabel) values were recorded for chorion thickness.
Practitioner review: Co-design of digital mental health technologies with children and young people

Background There is increasing interest in digital technologies to help improve children and young people’s mental health, and the evidence for the effectiveness for these approaches is rising. However, there is concern regarding levels of user engagement, uptake and adherence. Key guidance regarding digital health interventions stress the importance of early user input in the development, evaluation and implementation of technologies to help ensure they are engaging, feasible, acceptable and potentially effective. Co-design is a process of active involvement of stakeholders, requiring a change from the traditional approaches to intervention development. However, there is a lack of literature to inform the co-design of digital technologies to help child and adolescent mental health. Methods We reviewed the literature and practice in the co-design of digital mental health technologies with children and young people. We searched Medline, PsycInfo and Web of Science databases, guidelines, reviews and reference lists, contacted key authors for relevant studies, and extracted key themes on aspects of co-design relevant to practice. We supplemented this with case studies and methods reported by researchers working in the field. Results We identified 25 original articles and 30 digital mental health technologies that were designed/developed with children and young people. The themes identified were as follows: principles of co-design (including potential stakeholders and stages of involvement), methods of involving and engaging the range of users, co-designing the prototype and the challenges of co-design. Conclusions Co-design involves all relevant stakeholders throughout the life and research cycle of the programme. This review helps to inform practitioners and researchers interested in the development of digital health technologies for children and young people. Future work in this field will need to consider the changing face of technology, methods of engaging with the diversity in the user group, and the evaluation of the co-design process and its impact on the technology.
Effect of excess dietary threonine on laying performance, egg quality, serum free amino acids, and digestive enzymes activities of laying hens during the postpeak period

Abstract A total of 640 layer hens, 56 wk of age, were allocated to 4 dietary treatments groups, each of which included 5 replicates of 32 hens. Graded levels of l -Thr were added to the basal diet at 0.0 (control), 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g/kg; determined Thr values were 5.7, 6.5, 7.4, and 8.7 g/kg of diet, respectively. In the 53-d feeding trial, egg production increased significantly due to dietary l -Thr supplementation. Hens fed 2.0 g of Thr/kg of diet had significantly higher egg production than the control diet. Supplementing the diet with l -Thr did not affect egg weight or feed intake, but egg mass increased significantly. Also, FCR was improved significantly and the best FCR was exhibited by hens receiving 2.0 g of Thr/kg of diet. Feeding laying hens a diet containing 2.0 g of l -Thr/kg of diet improved Haugh units linearly; however, egg shell thickness decreased linearly as the level of dietary Thr increased, and the lowest value was observed for hens fed 3.0 g of Thr/kg of diet. Serum free Thr increased linearly as supplemental Thr increased, but serum free Ile, Phe, and Tyr decreased. No differences attributable to l -Thr were found among groups in the activity of digestive enzymes (trypsin and amylase) in the mucosal homogenates of the jejunum. The activity of α-alkaline phosphatase in the jejunum was analyzed as a marker of mucosal enterocyte maturation and no differences due to l -Thr supplementation were noted. In conclusion, feeding laying hens from 56 to 64 wk of age l -Thr up to 2.0 g/kg can improve laying performance and Haugh units.
Comparing two simple methods to induce spawning in the New Zealand abalone (paua), Haliotis iris

Abstract The effectiveness of two stimuli on the spawning success of wild caught Haliotis iris (New Zealand abalone, paua) were compared. Hydrogen peroxide with a sodium hydroxide buffer induced spawning in 43% of the males and 15% of the females tested one week after capture. Ultraviolet irradiation of the sea water was less effective with only 4% of males and no females spawning.
GROWTH RESPONSE OF Achatina achatina (Linn.) AND Archachatina marginata (Swainson) AS INFLUENCED BY THREE VEGETABLE FEEDS

An experiment was conducted in 2007 in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria to evaluate the growth response of Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata as influenced by three vegetable feeds: (Amaranmthus cruetus, Carica papaya and Talinium triangulare) with a view to recommending to snail growers the best vegetable feed (s) suitable for the growth of land snails in Delta State in particular, and Nigeria as a whole. The results showed that weight of snails, length and width of the shell of snails fed with the three edible vegetables were significantly (P≤0.05) higher in A. achatina when compared with that of A. marginata. The study also indicated that snails fed on T. triangulare performed significantly better (P≤0.05) in terms of the weight as well as the length and width of the shell compared to those fed on A. cruetus and C. papaya. The study has demonstrated that vegetable feeds have a significant effect on the growth of A. achatina and A. marginata. Based on the result of this investigation, A. achatina could therefore be recommended to local and small - scale snail farmers in Delta State and Nigeria as a whole for culture since it performed better than Archachatina marginata, Similarly, Talinum triangulare should be used to feed Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata. Carica papaya and Amaranthus cruetus may also be considered as alternate vegetable feeds for the Africa giant land snails.
Effect of dietary concentrations of energy, crude protein, lysine, and methionine on the performance of White Leghorn layers in the tropics

SUMMARY Three experiments were conducted using White Leghorn layers (Babcock) from 21 to 72 wk of age to evaluate the effect of dietary ME (2,350 and 2,600 kcal/kg) and CP (15, 16.5, and 18%; experiment 1), and supplementation of low-CP diets with graded concentrations (0.65, 0.70, 0.75, and 0.80%) of lysine (experiment 2) or methionine (0.305, 0.335, 0.355, and 0.395%; experiment 3) on layer performance. Each diet was fed ad libitum to 8 replicate groups housed in an open-sided poultry house (22.0 to 35.5°C). Dietary concentrations of CP had no effect (P > 0.05) on egg production (EP), feed intake (FI), FE, egg weight, egg mass (EM), and BW, except the egg weight during the initial 3 periods, which was significantly lower in layers fed 15% CP. A higher (P 0.05) on EP. Feed intake decreased linearly and FE improved nonlinearly (P
Laser Iridoplasty to Treat Iris-occluded XEN Gel Stent

Purpose: To provide the first report on argon laser peripheral iridoplasty (ALPI) to restore XEN-45 Gel stent patency after iris occlusion. Methods: Case description, laser technique, and relevant clinical imaging. Results: A 53-year-old African American male patient presented with progressive advanced stage primary open-angle glaucoma. Initial intraocular pressure (IOP) was 40 mm Hg, which continued to be elevated despite maximal medical therapy and selective laser trabeculoplasty. The patient underwent an uncomplicated XEN-45 Gel stent implantation and presented with an IOP of 4 mm Hg 5 days postoperatively with a functioning bleb. On postoperative day 10, the XEN lumen was found to be occluded by the iris with an IOP spike of 39 mm Hg. Anti-glaucoma treatment to induce miosis and liberate the stent was unsuccessful. ALPI was attempted to relieve the obstruction. IOP dropped to 26 mm Hg immediately post-ALPI and continued to be well-controlled 6 months later (11 mm Hg). Conclusions: ALPI can effectively restore XEN Gel stent patency if occluded by the iris and should be considered before attempting more invasive surgical revisions.
Socioeconomic Effects in Cyberbullying: Global Research Trends in the Educational Context

Nowadays, cyberbullying has become a problem of social harassment in numerous educational centres worldwide. New communication technologies have provided the perfect support for the development of this type of harassment in peer relationships, in addition to being linked to broad social and economic circumstances. In this study, the global trends of the socioeconomic implications of cyberbullying in the educational context have been analysed, from 2004 to 2019. Thus, a bibliometric analysis has been applied to 1128 articles, obtaining results of the evolution of scientific activity in this period. The articles are mainly associated with the thematic areas of Social Sciences, Psychology, Medicine and Computer Science. Seven main thematic axes have been detected, highlighting those related to the psychological aspect, adolescence, and the school environment. Likewise, the link of the main authors, institutions, and countries to these lines of research has been detected. The evidence has shown the interest and relevance of this topic at the international level. Future research lines propose different analyses about how certain socioeconomic factors influence this psychological harassment inside and outside the classroom.
Effects of Rich in Β-Glucans Edible Mushrooms on Aging Gut Microbiota Characteristics: An In Vitro Study

Alterations of gut microbiota are evident during the aging process. Prebiotics may restore the gut microbial balance, with β-glucans emerging as prebiotic candidates. This study aimed to investigate the impact of edible mushrooms rich in β-glucans on the gut microbiota composition and metabolites by using in vitro static batch culture fermentations and fecal inocula from elderly donors (n = 8). Pleurotus ostreatus, P. eryngii, Hericium erinaceus and Cyclocybe cylindracea mushrooms derived from various substrates were examined. Gut microbiota composition (quantitative PCR (qPCR)) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs; gas chromatography (GC)) were determined during the 24-h fermentation. P. eryngii induced a strong lactogenic effect, while P. ostreatus and C. cylindracea induced a significant bifidogenic effect (p for all <0.05). Furthermore, P. eryngii produced on wheat straw and the prebiotic inulin had comparable Prebiotic Indexes, while P. eryngii produced on wheat straw/grape marc significantly increased the levels of tested butyrate producers. P. ostreatus, P. eryngii and C. cylindracea had similar trends in SCFA profile; H. erinaceus mushrooms were more diverse, especially in the production of propionate, butyrate and branched SCFAs. In conclusion, mushrooms rich in β-glucans may exert beneficial in vitro effects in gut microbiota and/or SCFAs production in elderly subjects.
The effect of pirfenidone on rat chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and its mechanisms

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is an intractable problem of the urogenital system. The aetiopathogenesis and effective treatments for CP/CPPS are needed to be untangled. Pirfenidone is a molecule that exhibits anti‐inflammatory, antifibrotic, and antioxidative stress capacities in a variety of animal experiments and clinical trials. This study was aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of pirfenidone on CP/CPPS and to identify the mechanism responsible for it.
Abdominal Surgery in Patients With COVID-19

Multiple tissue samples were obtained during emergent abdominal surgery in 4 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to examine for tissue involvement by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first patient underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder empyema and died from severe respiratory failure. The second patient with Crohn disease underwent emergent laparotomy for a perforation in the terminal ileum and recovered. The third patient underwent an open appendectomy and recovered. The fourth patient underwent emergent laparotomy for a perforated peptic ulcer and died from sepsis. Although the SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found in the feces of 3 patients and in the duodenal wall of the patient with perforated peptic ulcer, real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) examination of abdominal fluid was negative for the virus. The RT-PCR did not detect viral RNA in the wall of small intestine, appendix, gallbladder, bile, liver, and urine. Visceral fat (omentum) and abdominal subcutaneous fat of 4 patients were also not infected with the SARS-CoV-2. Although this limited experience did not show direct involvement of abdominal fluid and omentum, assessment in large series is suggested to provide answers about the safety of abdominal surgery in patients with COVID-19.
Mechanical and Herbioidal Weed Control in Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.)

The dominant weed species in chickpea field were Polygonum plebejum L; Anagallis atvensis L. and Vicia saliva L. , which reduced the grain yield by about 66% in both the years. of the mechanical and chemical methods of weed control tested, two hand weedings at 30 and 60 days was most effective than one weeding either at 30 or 45 days after sowing. Amongst the herbicides, only fluchloralin at 1.0 to 2.0 kg a.i.iha; incorporated into the soil before sowing, gave significantly higher grain yield over weedy check. However, none of the herbicide could outyield the mechanical weeding.
Actuation of a Non-Conductive Droplet in Aqueous Fluid by Reversed Electrowetting Effect.

Manipulation of a conductive droplet by electrowetting has been a popular topic in microfluidics whereby wettability of the droplet on a solid surface is increased by applying a voltage between the conductive droplet and the insulated surface. However, the opposite phenomenon, e.g. decreasing the wettability of a non-conductive droplet and increasing its contact angle by the reversed electrowetting (REW) effect is scarcely reported. Such a process involves not only the transient dynamics of droplet dewetting but also a critical condition for droplet detachment from the adhesive surface. In this work, actuation of a non-conductive droplet in an aqueous surrounding fluid by the REW is studied experimentally. Silicone oil is used for the actuated droplet and filtered water is used as the surrounding fluid. The solid substrate is made of a glass substrate coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) film and then deposited by a dielectric layer of Parylene C. Potential difference is applied between the substrate and the surrounding fluid, eliminating the disturbance from top needle on the motion of the droplet. Three different regimes are identified in the full range of operation. An under-actuated regime occurs at low applied voltages, in which the contact angle (CA) of the droplet shows a monotonic increase with the increase of voltage (V). The friction coefficient of contact line decreases with the V before the CA saturation (VS) but shows little change when V>VS. At high voltages, the contact line of the sessile droplet is contracted excessively by the REW. The droplet shows oscillation and it refers to the over-actuated regime. A combined timescale is proposed, and it verifies that the viscous dissipation of contact line and liquid inertia show comparable contributions in the droplet dynamics. At sufficiently high voltages, the droplet is rejected completely from the surface. A critical equation for the threshold voltage of droplet detachment is built, and its validity is confirmed by the experimental results.
Impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on cancer patient flow and management: experience from a large university hospital in Spain

We report the dramatic shift of the oncology activity at our department during a 5-week period (9 March–13 April 2020) as compared with the same calendar interval in 2019 . Overall, our Medical Oncology Department has experienced remarkable drop in activity. The number of outpatient’s visits decreased by 23%. One of the most worrisome concern is that the new oncology referrals were reduced by 37%, and the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials decreased by 43%. These data would mean that nearly 4 out 10 patients with cancer have been missed or their treatment delayed. Another significant fluctuation was on the number of patients and treatments administered in the outpatient treatment unit, which decreased 20.8% and 37.9%, respectively (882 patients/1865 treatments in 2019 vs 698 patients/1157 treatments). Of interest, despite …
Corticospinal Fibers With Different Origins Impact Motor Outcome and Brain After Subcortical Stroke

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background and Purpose: Motor deficit is the most common disability after stroke, and early prediction of motor outcome is critical for early interventions. Here, we constructed a fine map of the corticospinal tract (CST) for early prediction of motor outcome and for understanding the secondary brain changes after subcortical stroke. Methods: Diffusion spectrum imaging data from 50 healthy adults were used to reconstruct fine maps of CST with different origins, including primary motor area (M1), primary sensory area (S1), premotor cortex, and supplementary motor area (SMA). Their diffusion properties correlated with motor functions in healthy adults. The impacts of the impairments of different CST on motor outcomes and on structural and functional changes of brain were investigated in 136 patients with subcortical stroke by combining CST damage-symptom association study and voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping. Results: In healthy adults, the isotropy of M1 fiber correlated with walking endurance and that of SMA fiber with motor dexterity. In chronic stroke patients, the integrity of M1 and SMA fibers showed the most significant correlation with motor deficits. The percentage of early damage of M1 and SMA fibers correlated with that of chronic motor deficits. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping revealed that acute stroke lesions in the bilateral M1 and right SMA fibers were associated with chronic motor deficits. The early damage of M1 fiber negatively correlated with the integrity of M1-M1 fiber, and the early damage of SMA fiber negatively correlated with gray matter volume of the contralateral cerebellum in the chronic stage. Conclusions: The CST that originated from the M1 and SMA are closely associated with motor outcomes and brain structural changes, and the fine maps of CST from these 2 cortical areas are useful in assessing and predicting long-term motor outcome in patients with subcortical stroke.