Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability of dried blood spot (DBS) cards in antibody measurement: A systematic review

Background Increasingly, vaccine efficacy studies are being recommended in low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC), yet often facilities are unavailable to take and store infant blood samples correctly. Dried blood spots (DBS), are useful for collecting blood from infants for diagnostic purposes, especially in low-income settings, as the amount of blood required is miniscule and no refrigeration is required. Little is known about their utility for antibody studies in children. This systematic review aims to investigate the correlation of antibody concentrations against infectious diseases in DBS in comparison to serum or plasma samples that might inform their use in vaccine clinical trials. Methods and findings We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane library for relevant studies between January 1990 to October 2020 with no language restriction, using PRISMA guidelines, investigating the correlation between antibody concentrations in DBS and serum or plasma samples, and the effect of storage temperature on DBS diagnostic performance. We included 40 studies in this systematic review. The antibody concentration in DBS and serum/plasma samples reported a good pooled correlation, (r2 = 0.86 (ranged 0.43 to 1.00)). Ten studies described a decline of antibody after 28 days at room temperature compared to optimal storage at -20°C, where antibodies were stable for up to 200 days. There were only five studies of anti-bacterial antibodies. Conclusions There is a good correlation between antibody concentrations in DBS and serum/plasma samples, supporting the wider use of DBS in vaccine and sero-epidemiological studies, but there is limited data on anti-bacterial antibodies. The correct storage of DBS is critical and may be a consideration for longer term storage.
Epidemiology of pelvic and acetabular fractures in a tertiary hospital in Singapore

Introduction: Pelvic and acetabular fractures (PAFs) usually result from high-energy, potentially life-threatening accidents. They are one of the major injuries that lead to death in patients involved in such accidents. We studied the recent epidemiology of these injuries in Singapore. Methods: This is a retrospective data analysis of all trauma patients who underwent surgery for PAFs from 2008 to 2016 in a tertiary trauma centre in Singapore. Data including patient demographics, mechanism of injury and associated injuries was collected. Results: A total of 169 patients were admitted for PAFs over the eight-year period. The majority (79.3%) were male. The mean age was 41 (range 13–79) years. Most patients (51.5%) were Chinese. The most common mechanisms of injury were road traffic accidents (53.8%), falls (33.1%) and crush injuries (13.0%). 46.2% sustained acetabular fractures, while 44.4% sustained pelvic fractures. PAFs were most commonly associated with upper and lower limb injuries, followed by spinal and thoracic injuries. Average of length of stay in hospital was 24 (range 2–375) days. Conclusion: PAF predominantly affects young working males. Compared to previously published local data, there has been a significant reduction in the incidence of PAFs, likely due to improved road and work safety. The demographics of PAFs have changed, with fewer injuries in females (20.7% vs. 33.3%), a reduction in the proportion of injuries in the Chinese (51.5% vs. 70.1%). While road traffic accidents remain the most common cause, crush injuries are now more prevalent (13.0%).
Meaning of critical traumatic injury for a patient’s body and self

Background: Patients with a traumatic injury often require intensive care for life-saving treatments. Physical suffering and emotional stress during critical care can be alleviated by ethical caring provided by nurses. The relationship between body and self are fundamentally inseparable. Nurses need to understand the impacts of traumatic injury on a patient’s body and self. Aim: To understand the meaning of traumatic injury for body and self for patients receiving intensive care. Research design: A qualitative descriptive study using Giorgi’s phenomenological approach. Participants and research context: Patients receiving intensive care for physical trauma were selected by purposive sampling (N = 15) from a medical center in Taiwan. Individual in-depth, face-to-face audiotaped interviews, guided by semi-structured questions, were used to collect data. Each interview lasted 30–60 min. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed and analyzed. Ethical considerations: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the medical center. Findings: The impact of the experience of traumatic injury on participants’ body and self was described by three main themes: (1) Searching for the meaning of the injured body, (2) Feeling trapped in the bed, and (3) The carer and the cared-for. Discussion and conclusion: The implications of the three themes described in the findings are as follows: Trauma as a source of meaning; Body and self are mutually limiting or mutually enabling; and Ethical relationships. The experience of needing intensive care following a traumatic injury on the body and self was dynamic and mutual. The experience of the injury changed the relationship between body and self, and gave new meaning to life. Nurses play a crucial role in continuity of care by understanding the meaning of a traumatic injury for patient’s body and self that facilitates ethical care and recovery from injury.
Neutrophilic Generalized Fixed Drug Eruption Induced By Etoricoxib.

1. Andersen KE, Hjorth N, Menné T. The baboon syndrome: systemically-induced allergic contact dermatitis. Contact Derm. 1984;10:97. 2. Häusermann P, Harr T, Bircher AJ. Baboon syndrome resulting from systemic drugs: is there strife between SDRIFE and allergic contact dermatitis syndrome? Contact Dermatitis. 2004;51(5-6):297-310. 3. Winnicki M, Shear NH. A systematic approach to systemic contact dermatitis and symmetric drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema (SDRIFE): a closer look at these conditions and an approach to intertriginous eruptions. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2011;12(3):171-80. 4. Romano A, Blanca M, Torres MJ, Bircher A, Aberer W, Brockow K, et al; ENDA; EAACI. Diagnosis of nonimmediate reactions to beta-lactam antibiotics. Allergy. 2004;59(11):1153-60. 5. Pineda R, Rojas P, Martínez P, Zambrano G, Morales C, de Barrio M. Erythrodysestesia-like skin eruption due to docetaxel with a nonimmediate positive intradermal skin test result. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2016;4(2):341-2.
Salt Tolerance in Grevillea robusta Seedlings via Foliar Application of Ascorbic Acid

2 Abstract: Two pot experiments were carried out at the greenhouse of Research and Production Station, National Research Centre at Nubaria district, Behaira Governorate, Egypt during 2011 and 2012 seasons, to study the effect of saline water on vegetative growth and chemical constituents of Grevillea robusta seedlings under foliar application of ascorbic acid. The experiment included 12 treatments which were the combinations of spraying three ascorbic acid levels: tap water, 100 and 200 ppm with four salinity levels: tap water, 3000, 6000 and 9000 ppm. Results showed that, foliar application of ascorbic acid increased plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves/plant, root length as well as fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots, pigments content, total carbohydrates and also nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium percentages of shoots and roots. A significant reduction in all growth parameters, pigments and total carbohydrates and also, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium percentages were occurred by using high salinity level (9000 ppm). The highest values of phenols, indoles and proline in shoots and roots resulted from the highest salinity level (9000 ppm). The combined treatment of ascorbic acid at 200ppm with water salinity at 3000 ppm gave the highest values of plant height, leaves number/plant, fresh and dry weights of shoots. Spraying the plants with ascorbic acid at 100 ppm + salinity level at 3000 ppm recorded the highest values of amino acids in shoots and roots. The results suggested that Grevillea robusta seedlings benefited from application with ascorbic acid especially under salinity conditions under sandy soil conditions.
Review article: Has the implementation of time‐based targets for emergency department length of stay influenced the quality of care for patients? A systematic review of quantitative literature

Time‐based targets (TBTs) for ED stays were introduced to improve quality of care but criticised as having harmful unintended consequences. The aim of the review was to determine whether implementation of TBTs influenced quality of care. Structured searches in medical databases were undertaken (2000–2019). Studies describing a state, regional or national TBTs that reported processes or outcomes of care related to the target were included. Harvest plots were used to summarise the evidence. Thirty‐three studies (n = 34 million) were included. In some settings, reductions in mortality were seen in ED, in hospital and at 30 days, while in other settings mortality was unchanged. Mortality reductions were seen in the face of increasing age and acuity of presentations, when short‐stay admissions were excluded, and when pre‐target temporal trends were accounted for. ED crowding, time to assessment and admission times reduced. Fewer patients left prior to completing their care and fewer patients re‐presented to EDs. Short‐stay admissions and re‐admissions to wards within 30 days increased. There was conflicting evidence regarding hospital occupancy and ward medical emergency calls, while times to treatment for individual conditions did not change. The evidence for associations was mostly low certainty and confidence in the findings is accordingly low. Quality of care generally improved after targets were introduced and when compliance with targets was high. This depended on how targets were implemented at individual sites or within jurisdictions, with important implications for policy makers, health managers and clinicians.
Amyloid Positivity in the Alzheimer/Subcortical-Vascular Spectrum

Objective We investigated the frequency of β-amyloid (Aβ) positivity in 9 groups classified according to a combination of 3 different cognition states and 3 distinct levels of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) (minimal, moderate, and severe) and aimed to determine which factors were associated with Aβ after controlling for WMH and vice versa. Methods A total of 1,047 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 294), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 237), or dementia (n = 516) who underwent Aβ PET scans were recruited from the memory clinic at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, Korea. We investigated the following: (1) Aβ positivity in the 9 groups, (2) the relationship between Aβ positivity and WMH severity, and (3) clinical and genetic factors independently associated with Aβ or WMH. Results Aβ positivity increased as the severity of cognitive impairment increased (SCD [15.7%], MCI [43.5%], and dementia [76.2%]), whereas it decreased as the severity of WMH increased (minimal [54.5%], moderate [53.9%], and severe [41.0%]) or the number of lacunes (0 [59.0%], 1–3 [42.0%], and >3 [23.4%]) increased. Aβ positivity was associated with higher education, absence of diabetes, and presence of APOE ε4 after controlling for cognitive and WMH status. Conclusion Our analysis of Aβ positivity involving a large sample classified according to the stratified cognitive states and WMH severity indicates that Alzheimer and cerebral small vessel diseases lie on a continuum. Our results offer clinicians insightful information about the association among Aβ, WMH, and cognition.
Vasoactive Agents for the Management of Acute Variceal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Vasoactive agents with endoscopic therapy are used to treat acute variceal bleeding (AVB). There are two main groups of vasoactive agents: terlipressin and vasopressin (T-V), and octreotide and somatostatin (O-S). However, the benefit/harm balance is unclear. Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of T-V versus O-S for the management of AVB. METHODS We performed a systematic search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL. Our main outcomes were mortality and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were bleeding control, rebleeding, blood transfusion, hospital stay. We evaluated the certainty of evidence using GRADE methodology. RESULTS We included 21 RCTs. The risk of mortality (RR: 1.01; 95%CI: 0.83-1.22), bleeding control (RR: 0.96; 95%CI: 0.91-1.02; I 2 =53%), early rebleeding (RR: 0.91; 95%CI: 0.66-1.24: I 2 =0%), late rebleeding (RR: 0.94; 95 CI: 0.56-1.60; I 2 =0%), blood transfusion (MD: 0.04; 95%CI: -0.31-0.39; I 2 =68%) and hospital stay (MD: -1.06; 95%CI: -2.80-0.69; I 2 =0%) were similar between T-V and O-S groups. Only 15 studies reported adverse events, which were significantly higher in the T-V compared to the O-S group (RR 2.39; 95%CI: 1.58-3.63; I 2 =57%). The certainty of evidence was moderate for the main outcomes, and low or very low for others. CONCLUSIONS In cirrhotic patients with AVB, those treated with T-V had similar mortality risk compared to O-S. However, the use of T-V showed an increased risk of adverse events compared to O-S.
Isolation of a New Chromene from the Brown Alga Sargassum thunbergii

Chromenes related with the tocotrienol are frequently found among the brown algae, particularly abundant within the genus Sargassum. Studies on biological activities of tocotrienols revealed that they inhibit the growth of several tumor cells and are also effective against muscle cell proliferation, which plays a key role in atherosclerosis. The initial event in several human disease processes involving cancer and atherosclerosis is oxidative damage to several cellular components such as lipids, proteins, and DNAs. This has intensified the search for antioxidant from natural sources. In the course of our continuous search for novel antioxidant compounds from marine plants, we have recently investigated the secondary metabolites from the brown alga Sargassum thunbergii, leading to the isolation of two new tocotrienols, thunbergols A and B. In addition to thunbergols, careful reexamination of chromatographic fractions of the above alga by H NMR spectral analysis exhibited the presence of a structurally related compound as a very minor component. Consequently, we pursued this compound in a large-scale collection followed by its large-scale extraction and a bioactivity-guided separation. In this paper we report the structure and bioactivity of sargathunbergol A (4), a novel chromene. The brown alga was collected by hand off the shore of Youngdo Island, in Busan. The lyophilized specimens were repeatedly extracted with a mixture of acetone and methylene chloride (1:1), and methanol. The combined crude extracts were separated by solvent-partitioning and C18 vacuum flash chromatography, guided by the results of antioxidant activity and H NMR spectral analysis. The structures of the major metabolites, sargahydroquinoic acid (1), sargaquinoic acid (2), and sargachromenol (3) were readily determined by comparison of spectral data with those obtained previously by this group and others. Concentrations of these compounds were an order of magnitude higher than other metabolite. Sargathunbergol (4) A was isolated as a colorless gum, whose molecular weight was deduced as C27H38O6 by MS and C NMR spectrometry. This compound showed close resemblance to the spectroscopic data of 3. The presence of a chromene ring
Applications of Single-Cell DNA Sequencing.

Over the past decade, genomic analyses of single cells-the fundamental units of life-have become possible. Single-cell DNA sequencing has shed light on biological questions that were previously inaccessible across diverse fields of research, including somatic mutagenesis, organismal development, genome function, and microbiology. Single-cell DNA sequencing also promises significant future biomedical and clinical impact, spanning oncology, fertility, and beyond. While single-cell approaches that profile RNA and protein have greatly expanded our understanding of cellular diversity, many fundamental questions in biology and important biomedical applications require analysis of the DNA of single cells. Here, we review the applications and biological questions for which single-cell DNA sequencing is uniquely suited or required. We include a discussion of the fields that will be impacted by single-cell DNA sequencing as the technology continues to advance. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics Volume 22 is August 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Application of Irreversible Thermodynamics to Distillation

We compare three different ways of modelling tray distillation to each other, and to experimental data: the most common way that assumes equilibrium between the liquid and vapour phases at the outlets of each tray, and two more precise methods that use irreversible thermodynamics. Irreversible thermodynamics determines the driving forces and fluxes of a system in agreement with the second law. It is shown that the methods using irreversible thermodynamics (Maxwell-Stefan equations) are superior to the method that assumes that equilibrium is reached on each tray. The Soret effect must be included to have a good description of the heat flux.
Pathogenic parasites in sewage irrigated crops and soil: pattern of occurrence and health implications

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to determine the contamination level by human parasite eggs and cysts of sewage-irrigated soil, food crops and fodder crops. Field trials were conducted on spray-irrigated lettuce and flood-irrigated crops using raw wastewater and fresh water. Findings showed that irrigation by raw wastewater led to crops contamination with parasite eggs and cysts in varying levels. Lettuce samples were positive (27.7%) for one or more helminth eggs including the pathogens Ascaris and Trichuris with an average of 4.7 eggs/kg. Wastewater application caused an increase in lettuce contamination, followed by a decreasing phase. Cessation of irrigation resulted in helminth eggs disappearance within a week. Flood-irrigated crops were contaminated with helminth eggs in levels ranging from 1.5 eggs/kg in alfalfa to 4.75 eggs/kg in coriander. The pathogenic Giardia,Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and commensal amoeba cysts were highly detected reaching 9.97x103 cysts/kg in alfalfa. Parasites highly concentrated in soil, with levels up to 159 eggs/100gdw and 1.3x103 cysts/gdw. Ascaris and Trichuris eggs developed in soil and crops attaining the infective stage. Crops and soil irrigated with fresh water were free from parasite eggs and cysts. The occurrence of pathogens in soil and crops implies health risks for farmers, produce handlers and consumers.
Prevalence and predictors of laxatives use in clozapine-related constipation: an observational study

Clozapine-induced constipation is a frequently overlooked side effect that can prove fatal. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of constipation and the breakdown of laxatives, and to identify whether use of laxative may be predicted by demographics or baseline metabolic markers in 53 Japanese treatment-resistant schizophrenia inpatients switched to clozapine. Differences of present age, onset age and duration of illness, previous antipsychotic dose using the chlorpromazine equivalent, and 10-items of metabolic markers, including fasting plasma glucose and ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were compared between the laxative and nonlaxative user groups. Sequential changes of defecation scores using Bristol stool form scale, and clozapine dosage at 1, 2 and 3 months were evaluated within each group. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was performed to assess the predicting use of laxatives. Half of subjects required treatment with laxative, were significantly older and had longer durations of illness than nonlaxative users. Magnesium oxide and lubiprostone were mainly used singly or in combination. Longer disease duration, and lower levels of fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance were predicting the use of laxatives. Screening and preventive strategies for minimizing clozapine-related constipation should be established in future study.
Population‐based picture of breast reconstruction in Queensland, Australia

Approximately 40% of women with invasive breast cancer will undergo a mastectomy. Clinical practice guidelines recommend breast reconstruction (BR) options should be discussed with all women who are to undergo a mastectomy. We sought to examine rates of BR, BR methods over time and to identify factors associated with the likelihood of receiving BR in Queensland.
Electrochromic shift supports the membrane destabilization model of Tat-mediated transport and shows ion leakage during Sec transport

Significance Due to the transient nature of the active Tat complex, much of the knowledge available has been hard won. Electric-field-indicating absorbance transients allow investigation of transmembrane ion movement using native electric potential in thylakoids while circumventing challenges of reconstitution. Electrical behavior of transiently and/or constitutively assembled complexes suggests that Sec translocation occurs through a barrel-stave-type proteinaceous pore, while Tat translocation likely occurs through a toroidal pore. This would be the first instance of toroidal pores being exploited by a general protein translocation system. Our electrochemical analysis offers insight into how protein transport might be linked to light stimulation. Localized membrane destabilization presents a rational link between the proton motive force, membrane thinning, and Tat-mediated transport of substrates critical to photosynthesis. The mechanism and pore architecture of the Tat complex during transport of folded substrates remain a mystery, partly due to rapid dissociation after translocation. In contrast, the proteinaceous SecY pore is a persistent structure that needs only to undergo conformational shifts between “closed” and “opened” states when translocating unfolded substrate chains. Where the proteinaceous pore model describes the SecY pore well, the toroidal pore model better accounts for the high-energy barrier that must be overcome when transporting a folded substrate through the hydrophobic bilayer in Tat transport. Membrane conductance behavior can, in principle, be used to distinguish between toroidal and proteinaceous pores, as illustrated in the examination of many antimicrobial peptides as well as mitochondrial Bax and Bid. Here, we measure the electrochromic shift (ECS) decay as a proxy for conductance in isolated thylakoids, both during protein transport and with constitutively assembled translocons. We find that membranes with the constitutively assembled Tat complex and those undergoing Tat transport display conductance characteristics similar to those of resting membranes. Membranes undergoing Sec transport and those with the substrate-engaged SecY pore result in significantly more rapid electric field decay. The responsiveness of the ECS signal in membranes with active SecY recalls the steep relationship between applied voltage and conductance in a proteinaceous pore, while the nonaccelerated electric field decay with both Tat transport and the constitutive Tat complex under the same electric field is consistent with the behavior of a toroidal pore.