Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of norovirus and viral gastroenteritis in Ontario, Canada, 2009-2014.

Background Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in Canada. The illness causes great morbidity and high societal costs. The objective of this article is to describe the epidemiology of norovirus in the province of Ontario, Canada from 2009 to 2014. Methods To assess activity of norovirus and viral gastroenteritis (VGE) in Ontario, three datasets were acquired from the provincial government: two traditional surveillance datasets (outbreak and laboratory) and syndromic surveillance data (telehealth), all spanning 2009-2014. All outbreaks, laboratory submissions and telehealth calls were first assessed for total VGE. Norovirus and norovirus-like illness totals were calculated as a proportion of VGE to estimate agent-specific activity levels. Affected institution types, sexes and age groups were also analyzed. Results Between 2009 and 2014, 41.5% of VGE outbreaks, 63.4% of VGE laboratory submissions and 36.6% of all acute gastroenteritis-related (not restricted to viral causes) telehealth calls were attributed to norovirus and norovirus-like illness in Ontario. The most commonly affected institution type was long-term care homes and the most commonly affected age groups were younger (younger than five years) and older (older than 65 years) individuals. Females were slightly more frequently affected than males. Conclusion Norovirus and norovirus-like illnesses were the leading cause of VGE in Ontario between 2009 and 2014. They comprised the greatest percentage of VGE when compared with all other VGE-associated viruses. Additional work is needed to determine all component costs and necessary public health actions to reduce the burden of disease.
QUALITY ASSURANCE: A PRESSING PROBLEM FOR EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Quality assurance in secondary schools (ages about 12-18) and in higher education has been a growth industry for many years, with all kinds of agencies being funded. With apparently endless growth in education at all levels, with insistent demands on more resources, the political pressures in ensuring value for money have increased. This study looks at what is meant by quality assurance, challenges some of the current procedures and points to some better ways forward for the 21st century. Specifically, it argues that quality assurance must focus on the key goals for education at each stage with the learner always at the focus of all procedures to assess quality. Finally, the study illustrates this approach by considering what 793 secondary students thought of their experiences at the point when they were almost completing their education journey in secondary schools in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The research aim is to show how focussing on the actual learners can identify key issues that need addressed to enrich education provision. These issues include the emphasising understanding and not memorisation, the need for more groupwork and dialogue, restoring the visual-spatial aspects of learning, re-thinking curriculum balance, and re-examining national examination systems. The most fundamental question of all is whether quality assurance has improved quality - a key issue for the 21st century? Key words: national assessment, nature of learning, quality assurance, understanding-memorisation.
Serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity and trypsin‐like immunoreactivity concentrations in cats with experimentally induced chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background Serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI) and trypsin‐like immunoreactivity (fTLI) concentrations are commonly used in cats for the evaluation of pancreatic disease. The effect of kidney disease on these tests in cats are unknown. Objective To investigate the effect of experimentally induced chronic kidney disease (CKD) on serum fPLI and fTLI concentrations. Animals Surplus serum samples from 20 cats with CKD experimentally induced for an unrelated project and a group of healthy control cats. Methods Serum fTLI and fPLI concentrations were compared between groups. Results Mean (±SD) serum fTLI concentrations in 20 cats with CKD (117.8 ± 63.6 μg/L) were significantly higher than those in healthy cats (n = 32; 46.9 ± 17.5 μg/L; P < .0001). Serum fTLI concentrations in cats with CKD were above the upper limit of the reference interval in 13 of 20 cats (65%). Serum fPLI concentrations were not significantly different between cats with induced CKD (n = 18; 8.6 μg/L; range, 5.4‐9.9 μg/L) and healthy cats (n = 41; 7.4 μg/L; range, 5.0‐15.2 μg/L; P = .12). All cats with experimentally induced CKD had serum fPLI concentrations within the reference interval. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Decreased renal function has a clinically relevant impact on serum fTLI concentrations and potentially could interfere with a diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Serum fPLI concentration was not affected by experimentally induced CKD and thus serum fPLI may be used for the diagnosis of pancreatitis in cats with kidney disease. Additional studies are needed to verify these results in cats with naturally occurring CKD.
Modeling, Analysis, and Control of Demand Response Resources

While the traditional goal of an electric power system has been to control supply to fulfill demand, the demand-side can plan an active role in power systems via Demand Response (DR), defined by the Department of Energy as ``a tariff or program established to motivate changes in electric use by end-use customers in response to changes in the price of electricity over time, or to give incentive payments designed to induce lower electricity use at times of high market prices or when grid reliability is jeopardized. DR can provide a variety of benefits including reducing peak electric loads when the power system is stressed and fast timescale energy balancing. Therefore, DR can improve grid reliability and reduce wholesale energy prices and their volatility.This dissertation focuses on analyzing both recent and emerging DR paradigms. Recent DR programs have focused on peak load reduction in commercial buildings and industrial facilities (CI 2) available, but not in real time; and 3) not available. We develop Markov Chain models to describe the temperature state evolution of heterogeneous populations of TCLs, and use Kalman filtering for both state and joint parameter/state estimation. We present a look-ahead proportional controller to broadcast control signals to all TCLs, which always remain in their temperature dead-band. Simulations indicate that it is possible to achieve power tracking RMS errors in the range of 0.26-9.3% of steady state aggregated power consumption. Results depend upon the information available for system identification, state estimation, and control. We find that, depending upon the performance required, TCLs may not need to provide state information to the central controller in real time or at all. We also estimate the size of the TCL potential resource; potential revenue from participation in markets; and break-even costs associated with deploying DR-enabling technologies. We find that current TCL energy storage capacity in California is 8-11 GWh, with refrigerators contributing the most. Annual revenues from participation in regulation vary from $10 to $220 per TCL per year depending upon the type of TCL and climate zone, while load following and arbitrage revenues are more modest at $2 to $35 per TCL per year. These results lead to a number of policy recommendations that will make it easier to engage residential loads in fast timescale DR.
Changes in volumes and severity of surgical urgencies during the first two COVID-19 pandemic waves in a regional hospital network

Background and aim: This study analyses the impact of the first two pandemic waves on surgical urgencies/emergencies and their consequences on an entire provincial hospital network’s surgical activities. Methods: Clinical and epidemiological data of urgent/emergent surgical admissions and interventions in the Autonomous Province of Trento›s hospital network were collected from the internal common electronic database. The investigation periods were March-May 2019 (reference period), March-May 2020 (phase-I), June - August 2020 (phase-II), and October - December 2020 (phase-III). The same data were divided and grouped for the six most represented diagnoses. Results: The number of admissions for surgical emergencies in the studied periods showed a sinusoidal trend. In the reference period of 2019, 957 patients were admitted in urgency, while in the three pandemic phases, urgent admissions were 511, 888 and 633 respectively (-47% in phase I, - 8% in phase II, -34% in phase III). This trend was also observed by stratifying admissions for single disease, except for gastrointestinal perforations and pancreatitis, which showed a slight increasing trend in phase-I. Among the studied population, the surgical rate was 35.2% in phase-I and 34.3% in phase-III; these data were significantly higher than in 2019 (25.6%). Conclusions: The effect of the COVID pandemic on surgical emergencies and urgencies (SUEs) was mainly indirect, manifesting itself with a significant reduction in the number of surgical admissions, particularly in phases-I and-III. Conversely, in the same phases, the surgical rate showed a significant increase compared to 2019. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Comprehensive characterization of purine and pyrimidine transport activities in Trichomonas vaginalis and functional cloning of a trichomonad nucleoside transporter

Trichomoniasis is a common and widespread sexually‐transmitted infection, caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. T. vaginalis lacks the biosynthetic pathways for purines and pyrimidines, making nucleoside metabolism a drug target. Here we report the first comprehensive investigation into purine and pyrimidine uptake by T. vaginalis. Multiple carriers were identified and characterized with regard to substrate selectivity and affinity. For nucleobases, a high‐affinity adenine transporter, a possible guanine transporter and a low affinity uracil transporter were found. Nucleoside transporters included two high affinity adenosine/guanosine/uridine/cytidine transporters distinguished by different affinities to inosine, a lower affinity adenosine transporter, and a thymidine transporter. Nine Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter (ENT) genes were identified in the T. vaginalis genome. All were expressed equally in metronidazole‐resistant and ‐sensitive strains. Only TvagENT2 was significantly upregulated in the presence of extracellular purines; expression was not affected by co‐culture with human cervical epithelial cells. All TvagENTs were cloned and separately expressed in Trypanosoma brucei. We identified the main broad specificity nucleoside carrier, with high affinity for uridine and cytidine as well as purine nucleosides including inosine, as TvagENT3. The in‐depth characterization of purine and pyrimidine transporters provides a critical foundation for the development of new anti‐trichomonal nucleoside analogues.
A novel stop codon mutation of TSPAN12 gene in Chinese patients with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy

ABSTRACT Background Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a group of inherited eye diseases characterized by premature arrest of retinal vessel development. The purpose of our study was to characterize the genetic causes and clinical features in eight Chinese families with FEVR using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Materials and methods Eight families with FEVR were included in genetic and clinical analyses. We screened the proband and the parents in eight pedigrees with FEVR using targeted NGS approach and in silico analysis to determine the causative mutation for their family’s phenotype. Results Four cases (4/8, 50.0%) were confirmed to harbor mutations in known genes, including 3 novel mutations and one previously reported mutation. Among the detected mutations, TSPAN12 accounted for 75% (3/4). We identified a novel stop codon of TSPAN12, a heterozygous missense mutation NM_012338. 4:c.633T>A, NP_036470. 1:p.Tyr211Ter involved in highly conserved residues in the proband. Retrospective analysis of its clinical manifestation showed that the mutant carrier presented mild clinical features. Conclusions We found the novel stop codon mutation p.Tyr211Ter in the TSPAN12, which creates a milder phenotype. Discovery of this novel mutation expands the mutation spectrum of TSPAN12, and would be valuable for future genetic disease diagnosis.
Potential processes of change in MDMA‐Assisted therapy for social anxiety disorder: Enhanced memory reconsolidation, self‐transcendence, and therapeutic relationships

Researchers have suggested that psychotherapy may be enhanced by the addition of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), particularly in the treatment of disorders wherein interpersonal dysfunction is central, such as social anxiety disorder. We review literature pertaining to three potential processes of change that may be instigated during sessions involving MDMA administration in the treatment of social anxiety disorder.
Validation of Microsatellite Markers for Parentage Verification in Indian HF Cattle

To achieve efficient implementation of the breeding programs that include selective reproduction it is necessary to have errorless pedigree information and correct relationships between the animals in the population. The Holstein is the most important dairy cattle breed in the world as well as in India. In past decades, its performance has been genetically improved significantly. Genetic evaluation, which plays a key role in a genetic improvement program, requires accurate pedigree information. The identification of proven sires has been of utmost importance in animal improvement programmes. Failure to record correct parentage can cause bias in sire evaluation, by introducing errors in estimates of heritabilities and breeding values. Misidentification reduces genetic gain with sire models (Gelderman et al., 1986) and may have an even greater effect with animal models that account for all assumed genetic relationships (Wiggans et al., 1988). International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 03 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
A Deafness Associated Protein TMEM43 Interacts with KCNK3 (TASK-1) Two-pore Domain K+ (K2P) Channel in the Cochlea

The TMEM43 has been studied in human diseases such as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy type 5 (ARVC5) and auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). In the heart, the p.(Ser358Leu) mutation has been shown to alter intercalated disc protein function and disturb beating rhythms. In the cochlea, the p.(Arg372Ter) mutation has been shown to disrupt connexin-linked function in glia-like supporting cells (GLSs), which maintain inner ear homeostasis for hearing. The TMEM43-p.(Arg372Ter) mutant knock-in mice displayed a significantly reduced passive conductance current in the cochlear GLSs, raising a possibility that TMEM43 is essential for mediating the passive conductance current in GLSs. In the brain, the two-pore-domain potassium (K2P) channels are generally known as the “leak channels” to mediate background conductance current, raising another possibility that K2P channels might contribute to the passive conductance current in GLSs. However, the possible association between TMEM43 and K2P channels has not been investigated yet. In this study, we examined whether TMEM43 physically interacts with one of the K2P channels in the cochlea, KCNK3 (TASK-1). Utilizing co-immunoprecipitation (IP) assay and Duolink proximity ligation assay (PLA), we revealed that TMEM43 and TASK-1 proteins could directly interact. Genetic modifications further delineated that the intracellular loop domain of TMEM43 is responsible for TASK-1 binding. In the end, gene-silencing of Task-1 resulted in significantly reduced passive conductance current in GLSs. Together, our findings demonstrate that TMEM43 and TASK-1 form a protein-protein interaction in the cochlea and provide the possibility that TASK-1 is a potential contributor to the passive conductance current in GLSs.
[Nurses' Experience with Caring for COVID-19 Patients in a Negative Pressure Room Amid the Pandemic Situation].

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experience with caring for COVID-19 patients in a negative pressure room amid the spread of the pandemic. METHODS This study was a qualitative research, and focus group interviews were used to collect data. Three focus groups comprising 19 nurses were interviewed from February 17 to 25, 2021. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim with the consent of the participants. The verbatim transcripts were scrutinized using thematic analysis. RESULTS Two main themes emerged from the analysis: 'Struggling in an isolated space' and 'Limitations of nursing infrastructure and system'. The nurses caring for COVID-19 patients experienced anxiety and fear about the infection, physical exhaustion, emotional burnout, and a sense of duty as a nurse. They also acknowledged the lack of guidelines, increased task and burden, limitations of nursing care, and the demand for improving the limitations of the nursing system. CONCLUSION The results of this study demonstrate that nurses caring for COVID-19 patients encounter physical and emotional problems within the limited healthcare system. The study suggests that comprehensive interventions are needed for nurses. Furthermore, detailed guidelines, strengthening of nursing personnel, and improvements to the nursing system are vital to effectively cope with the pandemic. The government and medical institutions should be aware of the needs of nurses and what they are going through, and make efforts to improve the quality of life of healthcare workers and create a safe healthcare environment.
Comment on “Correlation of L-asp Activity, Anti-L-asp Antibody, asn and gln with Adverse Events Especially Anaphylaxis Risks in PEG-asp-Contained Regime Treated Pediatric ALL”

Abbreviations AE, adverse events; ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Anti-L-asp, anti-native Escherichia coli asparaginase; Anti-PEG-ASP, anti-polyethylene glycol asparaginase; Anti-SS-linker, anti-succinimidyl succinate linker; ASN, asparagine; DCOG, Dutch Childhood Oncology Group; Erwinia asparaginase, Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase; GLN, glutamine; L-asp, native Escherichia coli asparaginase; PEG, polyethylene glycol; PK/PD, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics; TDM, therapeutic drug monitoring.
Validity and reliability of physical activity measures in multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Purpose The purpose was to evaluate the psychometric properties of physical activity measures in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods Adults with multiple sclerosis were recruited, n = 30 (validation) and n = 57 (test–retest). Steps measured with PiezoRX, Yamax SW200 and ActiGraph GT9X Link (AGlink) and time in different positions measured with AGlink were validated against data from video analysis. Psychometric properties of the Physical Activity and Disability Survey – Revised Swedish version (PADS-R(Sw)) was evaluated. Results The most valid measures were AGlink using the low-frequency extension filter, and PiezoRX with median absolute percentage errors (MeAPEs) of 0.9–3.1% and 1.3–3.3%. The MeAPEs were higher for Yamax SW200 (2.9–21.0%), AGlink display (3.6–44.8%) and AGlink normal filter (8.9–48.9%), indicating low validity. AGlink was not valid in measurements of sitting (MeAPE 12.0–12.5%) or lying (MeAPE 31.0–41.7%). The correlation between PADS-R(Sw) and AGlink steps was r = 0.492 (p = .009). The relative reliability of PADS-R(Sw) was ICC2,1 0.85 (CI 0.76–0.91), and absolute reliability was SEM 0.54. Conclusion AGlink and PiezoRX were valid measures of steps in PwMS. The questionnaire PADS-R(Sw) was valid, with high relative reliability, but its absolute reliability was unsatisfactory.
Daprodustat for the Treatment of Anemia in Patients Not Undergoing Dialysis.

BACKGROUND Daprodustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor. In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are not undergoing dialysis, the efficacy and safety of daprodustat, as compared with the conventional erythropoiesis-stimulating agent darbepoetin alfa, are unknown. METHODS In this randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial with blinded adjudication of cardiovascular outcomes, we compared daprodustat with darbepoetin alfa for the treatment of anemia in patients with CKD who were not undergoing dialysis. The primary outcomes were the mean change in the hemoglobin level from baseline to weeks 28 through 52 and the first occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; a composite of death from any cause, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke). RESULTS Overall, 3872 patients were randomly assigned to receive daprodustat or darbepoetin alfa. The mean (±SD) baseline hemoglobin levels were similar in the two groups. The mean (±SE) change in the hemoglobin level from baseline to weeks 28 through 52 was 0.74±0.02 g per deciliter in the daprodustat group and 0.66±0.02 g per deciliter in the darbepoetin alfa group (difference, 0.08 g per deciliter; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03 to 0.13), which met the prespecified noninferiority margin of -0.75 g per deciliter. During a median follow-up of 1.9 years, a first MACE occurred in 378 of 1937 patients (19.5%) in the daprodustat group and in 371 of 1935 patients (19.2%) in the darbepoetin alfa group (hazard ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.19), which met the prespecified noninferiority margin of 1.25. The percentages of patients with adverse events were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with CKD and anemia who were not undergoing dialysis, daprodustat was noninferior to darbepoetin alfa with respect to the change in the hemoglobin level from baseline and with respect to cardiovascular outcomes. (Funded by GlaxoSmithKline; ASCEND-ND ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02876835.).
Agnuside Reduces Visceral Adipocyte Size, Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Reverses Hepatic Steatosis in Ovariectomized Rats

: This study aimed to investigate the effects of agnuside (AGN), a phytoestrogen in Vitex agnus-castus , on cellular and metabolic alterations induced by ovariectomy in rats. Ovariectomized (OVX) Wistar rats were used as an animal model of postmenopausal metabolic syndrome. The visceral and subcutaneous adipocyte sizes, the peripheral insulin sensitivity and the occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver oxidative damage were evaluated. The results were compared with those obtained from control rats (sham-operated) and OVX rats treated daily with AGN. Obese OVX rats exhibited visceral adipocyte hypertrophy and developed glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, NAFLD and dyslipidemia. AGN exerted beneficial effects on several metabolic parameters in OVX rats, including the improvement in glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia and NAFLD. Besides, AGN promoted a general improvement in the liver redox state. Although the reduction of the mesenteric adipocyte size is very likely to be an important mode of action of AGN, some actions of AGN could also involve the interaction with estrogen receptors.