Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation, Identification, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Staphylococcus aureus from Clinical Mastitis in Sebeta Town Dairy Farms

A cross-sectional study was carried out in and around Sebeta town dairy farms, Finfinne special zone, Ethiopia, from December 2019 to May 2020 to isolate, identify, and test antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Staphylococcus aureus from clinical mastitis. A total of 116 milk samples were purposively collected from 57 lactating cows with clinical mastitis. Isolation and identification of Staphylococcus aureus were carried out by using primary and secondary biochemical tests. Besides, Biolog was used for microbial identification systems. To know if the isolates develop resistance to antibiotics, the antimicrobial susceptibility test (ATS) was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar by the disk diffusion method. From a total of 57 lactating cows and 116 teat quarters examined, 21.05% (12/57) and 15.52% (18/116) were positive for S. aureus from clinical mastitis, respectively. From a total of 116 milk samples collected, 15.52% (18/116) Staphylococcus aureus were isolated, and from 11 farms surveyed, about 72.72% (8/11) overall farm prevalence of clinical mastitis due to S. aureus was recorded. All the 18 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were found susceptible to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, erythromycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and chloramphenicol. However, high level of resistance was observed to common drugs such as penicillin (88.89%, 16/18) and tetracycline (61.11%, 11/18). The observed high level of resistance to penicillin and tetracycline also indicates the need to visit our treatment guidelines for mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, improved management and early treatment of the cases with drug of choice after the antimicrobial susceptibility test for each specific case can reduce chance of further development of resistance and are imperative to tackle clinical mastitis occurring at Sebeta and other similar farms in Ethiopia.
Radiographic analysis of the management of tooth extractions in head and neck-irradiated patients: a case series

Tooth extraction after head and neck radiotherapy exposes patients to an increased risk for osteoradionecrosis of the jaw. This study reports the results of a radiographic analysis of bone neoformation after tooth extraction in a case series of patients who underwent radiation therapy. No patients developed osteoradionecrosis within a follow-up of 1 year. Complete mucosal repair was observed 30 days after surgery, while no sign of bone formation was observed 2 months after the dental extractions. Pixel intensity and fractal dimension image analyses only showed significant bone formation 12 months after the tooth extractions. These surgical procedures must follow a strict protocol that includes antibiotic prophylaxis and therapy and complete wound closure, since bone formation at the alveolar socket occurs at a slower pace in patients who have undergone head and neck radiotherapy.
Transcatheter Closure of Perimembranous and Intracristal Ventricular Septal Defects Using Amplatzer Duct Occluder II in Children

Background Transcatheter closure of aneurysmal perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD), pmVSD near the aortic valve, and intracristal VSD (icVSD) with symmetrical or asymmetrical ventricular septal defect occluders still presents significant challenges. We report our experience with transcatheter closure of pmVSD and icVSD using Amplatzer duct occluder II (ADO II) in children. Method We retrospectively analyzed all children, who presented to our hospital consecutively between March 2014 and June 2020 for attempted transcatheter closure of pmVSD or icVSD with the ADO II device. Standard safety and last-follow-up outcomes were assessed and compared. Results In total, 41 patients underwent transcatheter closure of VSD with the ADO II (28 in pmVSD and 13 in icVSD groups) with a median age of 3.5 years (total range: 0.9 to 12 years) and median weight of 15.0 kg (total range: 10.0 to 43.0 kg). Implantation was successful in 40/41 patients (97.5%, 27/28 in pmVSD group, 13/13 in icVSD group). One patient with mild aortic valve prolapse in pmVSD group developed new-onset moderate aortic regurgitation after a 4/4 mm ADO II was deployed; however, this resolved after the device was retrieved and successfully replaced with a 5 mm zero eccentric VSD occluder. There was no procedure-related mortality. After a median follow-up of six months (total range: 6 to 72 months), complete closure rates were 85.1% and 76.9% among pmVSD and icVSD groups, respectively. In the pmVSD group, one case of new-onset moderate tricuspid regurgitation was observed at six months, and there was one case of severe tricuspid regurgitation that had progressed from mild tricuspid regurgitation at 12 months. No serious complications were noted in the icVSD group. Conclusion ADO II provides a safe and reproducible alternative for the closure of perimembranous and intracristal ventricular septal defects with a diameter less than 5 mm in young children.
Role of Chest X-Ray in Coronavirus Disease and Correlation of Radiological Features with Clinical Outcomes in Indian Patients

Recent literature has reported that radiological features of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are influenced by computed tomography. This study aimed to assess the characteristic chest X-ray features of COVID-19 and correlate them with clinical outcomes of patients. This retrospective study included 120 COVID-19 patients. Baseline chest X-rays and serial chest X-rays were reviewed. A severity index in the form of maximum radiological assessment of lung edema (RALE) score was calculated for each lung, and scores of both the lungs were summed to obtain a final score. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) and frequency (%) were determined, and an unpaired t test, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analyses were performed for statistical analyses. Among 120 COVID-19 patients, 74 (61.67%) and 46 (38.33%) were males and females, respectively; 64 patients (53.33%) had ground-glass opacities (GGO), 55 (45.83%) had consolidation, and 38 (31.67%) had reticular-nodular opacities, with lower zone distribution (50%) and peripheral distribution (41.67%). Baseline chest X-ray showed a sensitivity of 63.3% in diagnosing typical findings of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. The maximum RALE score was 2.13 ± 1.9 in hospitalized patients and 0.57 ± 0.77 in discharged patients (p value <0.0001). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between maximum RALE score and clinical outcome parameters was as follows: age, 0.721 (p value <0.00001); >10 days of hospital stay, 0.5478 (p value <0.05); ≤10 days of hospital stay, 0.5384 (p value <0.0001); discharged patients, 0.5433 (p value <0.0001); and death, 0.6182 (p value = 0.0568). The logistic regression analysis revealed that maximum RALE scores (0.0932 [0.024–0.367]), (10.730 [2.727–42.206]), (1.258 [0.990–1.598]), and (0.794 [0.625–1.009]) predicted discharge, death, >10 days of hospital stay, and ≤10 days of hospital stay, respectively. The study findings suggested that the RALE score can quantify the extent of COVID-19 and can predict the prognosis of patients.
Beyond words: From jaguar population trends to conservation and public policy in Mexico

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is one of the most threatened carnivores in the Americas. Despite a long history of research on this charismatic species, to date there have been few systematic efforts to assess its population size and status in most countries across its distribution range. We present here the results of the two National Jaguar Surveys for Mexico, the first national censuses in any country within the species distribution. We estimated jaguar densities from field data collected at 13 localities in 2008–2010 (2010 hereafter) and 11 localities in 2016–2018 (2018 hereafter). We used the 2010 census results as the basis to develop a National Jaguar Conservation Strategy that identified critical issues for jaguar conservation in Mexico. We worked with the Mexican government to implement the conservation strategy and then evaluated its effectivity. To compare the 2010 and 2018 results, we estimated the amount of jaguar-suitable habitat in the entire country based on an ecological niche model for both periods. Suitable jaguar habitat covered ~267,063 km2 (13.9% of the country’s territory) in 2010 and ~ 288,890 km2 (~14.8% of the country’s territory) in 2018. Using the most conservative density values for each priority region, we estimated jaguar densities for both the high and low suitable habitats. The total jaguar population was estimated in ~4,000 individuals for 2010 census and ~4,800 for the 2018 census. The Yucatan Peninsula was the region with the largest population, around 2000 jaguars, in both censuses. Our promising results indicate that the actions we proposed in the National Jaguar Conservation Strategy, some of which have been implemented working together with the Federal Government, other NGO’s, and land owners, are improving jaguar conservation in Mexico. The continuation of surveys and monitoring programs of the jaguar populations in Mexico will provide accurate information to design and implement effective, science-based conservation measures to try to ensure that robust jaguar populations remain a permanent fixture of Mexico’s natural heritage.
Visible-Light Self-Powered Photodetector and Recoverable Photocatalyst Fabricated from Vertically Aligned Sn3O4 Nanoflakes on Carbon Paper

Self-powered photodetectors (SPPDs) are promising candidates for high-sensitivity and high-speed applications because they do not require batteries as an external power source. It is a challenge to fabricate visible-light photodetectors. Herein, vertically aligned two-dimensional (2D) Sn3O4 nanoflakes on carbon fiber paper were prepared by a modified hydrothermal approach and used as a self-powered photoelectrochemical cell-type visible-light detector. The detector exhibits reproducible and flexible properties as well as an enhanced photosensitive performance. The improved photoresponse was attributed to the synergistic effects of the vertically grown Sn3O4 nanoflakes and carbon fiber paper substrate; the former provided efficient active sites, as it exposed more catalytic sites to the electrolyte and absorbed more light scattered among the nanoflakes, and the latter benefited charge transport. The photocatalytic activity of the three-dimensional (3D) Sn3O4 hierarchal structure on rhodamine B under visibl.
Measuring the proportion of time spent on work activities of clinical pharmacists using work sampling technique at a public hospital in Malaysia

Background: The clinical pharmacy service to the ward was established in 2005 in Malaysia, as the number of pharmacists working in the public service sector began to grow. Yet, there has been little local research done on reporting the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists and the amount of time that they spent on their work activities. Objective: This study aimed to identify the range of work activities of clinical pharmacists by observation and to estimate the proportion of time spent on different work activities by using the work sampling technique. Methods: The time spent by clinical pharmacists on various activities was measured using the work sampling technique over 30 working days. The work activities of clinical pharmacists were pre-identified and customized into an activity checklist. Two observers were placed at the study site and took turns recording the activities performed by the clinical pharmacists by following a randomly generated observation schedule. Results: 1,455 observations were made on five clinical pharmacists with a total of 3493 events recorded. Overall, clinical pharmacists spent 78.8% (n=2751) of their time providing clinical services whereas 12.3% (n=433) of their time was spent on non-clinical activities. They were found to be idle from work for 8.9% of the time. There was no difference in bed occupancy rate in the study site regardless of the presence of the observer (p=0.384). Clinical pharmacists were found to report a higher average daily cumulative work unit of 9.8 (SD=4.3) when under observation compared to an average daily cumulative work unit of 6.5 (SD=4.6) when no observer was present (p=0.005). Conclusions: The results revealed that clinical pharmacists spent a significant amount of time on non-clinical work. Their responsibilities with non-clinical work should be properly taken care of so they can allocate more time to providing patient care.
Genome sequencing identifies rare tandem repeat expansions and copy number variants in Lennox–Gastaut syndrome

Abstract Epilepsies are a group of common neurological disorders with a substantial genetic basis. Despite this, the molecular diagnosis of epilepsies remains challenging due to its heterogeneity. Studies utilizing whole-genome sequencing may provide additional insights into genetic causes of epilepsies of unknown aetiology. Whole-genome sequencing was used to evaluate a cohort of adults with unexplained developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (n = 30), for whom prior genetic tests, including whole-exome sequencing in some cases, were negative or inconclusive. Rare single nucleotide variants, insertions/deletions, copy number variants and tandem repeat expansions were analysed. Seven pathogenic or likely pathogenic single nucleotide variants, and two pathogenic deleterious copy number variants were identified in nine patients (32.1% of the cohort). One of the copy number variants, identified in a patient with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome, was too small to be detected by chromosomal microarray techniques. We also identified two tandem repeat expansions with clinical implications in two other patients with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome: a CGG repeat expansion in the 5′untranslated region of DIP2B, and a CTG expansion in ATXN8OS (previously implicated in spinocerebellar ataxia type 8). Three patients had KCNA2 pathogenic variants. One of them died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The other two patients had, in addition to a KCNA2 variant, a second de novo variant impacting potential epilepsy-relevant genes (KCNIP4 and UBR5). Overall, whole-genome sequencing provided a genetic explanation in 32.1% of the total cohort. This is also the first report of coding and non-coding tandem repeat expansions identified in patients with Lennox–Gastaut syndrome. This study demonstrates that using whole-genome sequencing, the examination of multiple types of rare genetic variation, including those found in the non-coding region of the genome, can help resolve unexplained epilepsies.
What Matters and What Matters Most for Survival After age 80? A Multidisciplinary Exploration Based on Twin Data

Given research and public interest for conditions related to an extended lifespan, we addressed the questions of what matters and what matters most for subsequent survival past age 80. The data was drawn from the population-based and multidisciplinary Swedish OCTO Twin Study, in which a sample (N = 699) consisting of identical and same-sex fraternal twin pairs, followed from age 80 until death, provided detailed data on health, physical functioning, life style, personality, and sociodemographic conditions. Information concerning date of birth and death were obtained from population census register. We estimated heritability using an ACE model and evaluated the role of multiple predictors for the mortality-related hazard rate using Cox regression. Our findings confirmed a low heritability of 12%. As expected, longer survival was associated with being a female, an apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele non-carrier, and a non-smoker. Several diseases were found to be associated with shorter survival (cerebrovascular, dementia, Parkinson’s, and diabetes) as well as certain health conditions (high diastolic blood pressure, low body mass index, and hip fracture). Stronger grip and better lung function, as well as better vision (but not hearing), and better cognitive function (self-evaluated and measured) was related to longer survival. Social embeddedness, better self-evaluated health, and life-satisfaction were also significantly associated with longer survival. After controlling for the impact of comorbidity, functional markers, and personality-related predictors, we found that sex, cerebrovascular diseases, compromised cognitive functioning, self-related health, and life-satisfaction remained as strong predictors. Cancer was only associated with the mortality hazard when accounting for other co-morbidities. The survival estimates were mostly in anticipated directions and contained effect sizes within the expected range. Noteworthy, we found that some of the so-called “soft-markers” remained strong predictors, despite a control for other factors. For example, self-evaluation of health and ratings of life-satisfaction provide additional and valuable information.
Upregulation of abeM, amvA, and qacEΔ1 efflux pump genes associated with resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to disinfectants

Acinetobacter baumannii is among the most concerning cause of nosocomial infections due to its high level of antibiotic resistance and high mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the role of efflux pumps in resistance of A. baumannii strains to three disinfectants, including MICROZED ID‐MAX, NANOSIL D2, and OPIDEX OPA.
Evaluation of albumin use in a community hospital setting: A retrospective study looking at appropriate use and prescribing patterns

Purpose Albumin has been shown to be safe and effective in clinical practice for a wide variety of indications. The purpose of this medication use evaluation is to quantify the use of albumin in the community hospital setting based on indication and prescribing department. Methods This study is a retrospective, single-center, chart review over a 6-month period of 186 patients aged 18 and older who were treated with IV human albumin 5% or 25% at a single 202-bed community hospital setting from February 1, 2020, to August 1, 2020. A chart review was completed for each patient and the data collected included date of albumin administration, the ordering provider, the specialty of the provider, the indication for albumin as stated in the order, patient notes, crystalloid therapy use prior to albumin, albumin strength, the presence of acute or chronic renal, hepatic or respiratory disorders, and lab values denoting renal and hepatic function. Appropriate albumin use was determined utilizing criteria which included FDA labeled indications, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign, and existing literature. Results A total of 186 patients received albumin 5% or 25% IV solution at least once during the study period. The study population was 52.2% female, and the average age was 68 years. Of the patients selected for the study, 23 (11.6%) had chronic hepatic disease, and 37 (18.7%) had chronic renal disease. The top indications for which albumin was administered were sepsis or septic shock (25.3%), hypotension or hypovolemia (19.4%), intra-dialytic hypotension (13.4%), fluid support in surgery (10.8%), and nephrosis or nephropathy (10.8%). The departments with highest albumin use during this study period were critical care (41%), nephrology (28%), and surgery (17%). Overall, albumin was used for an appropriate indication in 126 out of 186 patients (67.7%). Conclusion We found that albumin was most utilized for sepsis and septic shock, hypovolemia and hypotension, and intradialytic hypotension in our community hospital setting and it was most frequently ordered by critical care, nephrology, and surgical departments. Further research could determine if this trend is seen in other community hospital settings.
EVL is a novel focal adhesion protein involved in the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics and vascular permeability

Increases in lung vascular permeability is a cardinal feature of inflammatory disease and represents an imbalance in vascular contractile forces and barrier-restorative forces, with both forces highly dependent upon the actin cytoskeleton. The current study investigates the role of Ena-VASP-like (EVL), a member of the Ena-VASP family known to regulate the actin cytoskeleton, in regulating vascular permeability responses and lung endothelial cell barrier integrity. Utilizing changes in transendothelial electricial resistance (TEER) to measure endothelial cell barrier responses, we demonstrate that EVL expression regulates endothelial cell responses to both sphingosine-1-phospate (S1P), a vascular barrier-enhancing agonist, and to thrombin, a barrier-disrupting stimulus. Total internal reflection fluorescence demonstrates that EVL is present in endothelial cell focal adhesions and impacts focal adhesion size, distribution, and the number of focal adhesions generated in response to S1P and thrombin challenge, with the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) a key contributor in S1P-stimulated EVL-transduced endothelial cell but a limited role in thrombin-induced focal adhesion rearrangements. In summary, these data indicate that EVL is a focal adhesion protein intimately involved in regulation of cytoskeletal responses to endothelial cell barrier-altering stimuli. Keywords: cytoskeleton, vascular barrier, sphingosine-1-phosphate, thrombin, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Ena-VASP like protein (EVL), cytoskeletal regulatory protein
SARS-CoV-2 infection in general practice in Ireland: a seroprevalence study

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody testing in community settings may help us better understand the immune response to this virus and, therefore, help guide public health efforts. Aim To conduct a seroprevalence study of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in Irish GP clinics. Design & setting Participants were 172 staff and 799 patients from 15 general practices in the Midwest region of Ireland. Method This seroprevalence study utilised two manufacturers’ point-of-care (POC) SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M (IgM)—IgG combined antibody tests, which were offered to patients and staff in general practice from 15 June to 10 July 2020. Results IgG seroprevalence was 12.6% in patients attending general practice and 11.1% in staff working in general practice, with administrative staff having the lowest seroprevalence at 2.5% and nursing staff having the highest at 17.6%. Previous symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and history of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test were associated with higher seroprevalence. IgG antibodies were detected in approximately 80% of participants who had a previous PCR-confirmed infection. Average length of time between participants’ positive PCR test and positive IgG antibody test was 83 days. Conclusion Patients and healthcare staff in general practice in Ireland had relatively high rates of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 compared with the national average between 15 June and 10 July 2020 (1.7%). Four-fifths of participants with a history of confirmed COVID-19 disease still had detectable antibodies an average of 12 weeks post-infection. While not proof of immunity, SARS-CoV-2 POC testing can be used to estimate IgG seroprevalence in general practice settings.