Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vaccination Diffusion and Incentive: Empirical Analysis of the US State of Michigan

Vaccination is the only way to reach herd immunity and help people return to normal life. However, vaccination rollouts may not be as fast as expected in some regions due to individuals' vaccination hesitation. For this reason, in Detroit, Michigan, the city government has offered a $50 prepaid card to people who entice city residents to visit vaccination sites. This study examined vaccination rates in the US using Detroit, Michigan, as the setting. It sought to address two issues. First, we analyzed the vaccination diffusion process to predict whether any region would reach a vaccination completion level that ensures herd immunity. Second, we examined a natural experiment involving a vaccination incentive scheme in Detroit and discovered its causal inference. We collected weekly vaccination data and demographic Census data from the state of Michigan and employed the Bass model to study vaccination diffusion. Also, we used a synthetic control method to evaluate the causal inference of a vaccination incentive scheme utilized in Detroit. The results showed that many Michigan counties—as well as the city of Detroit—would not reach herd immunity given the progress of vaccination efforts. Also, we found that Detroit's incentive scheme indeed increased the weekly vaccination rate by 44.19% for the first dose (from 0.86 to 1.25%) but was ineffective in augmenting the rate of the second dose. The implications are valuable for policy makers to implement vaccination incentive schemes to boost vaccination rates in geographical areas where such rates remain inadequate for achieving herd immunity.
A Novel ELISA Assay for the Detection of Anti-Prothrombin Antibodies in Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients at High Risk of Thrombosis

Autoantibodies targeting prothrombin (aPT) can be found in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) patients. However, their detection has proven difficult to standardize. Here, we developed a new ELISA assay to improve the identification of aPT and compared its performance with currently available anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) and autoantibodies targeting prothrombin bound to the plastic plate (aPT-A) assays using a cohort of 27 APS patients at high risk of thrombosis. We generated a novel prothrombin variant, ProTS525A-Biot, carrying an artificial tag at the C-terminus suitable for site-specific biotinylation and added the mutation S525A to improve stability. ProTS525A-Biot was immobilized to neutravidin-coated plates at the desired density and with a defined orientation, i.e., pointing the N-terminal fragment-1 toward the solvent. Antibodies against ProTS525A-Biot (aPT-Bio) were found in 24 out of 27 triple-positive APS patients (88%). When compared to aPS/PT and aPT-A, aPT-Bio showed an excellent linear correlation with aPS/PT (R2 = 0.85) but not with aPT-A (R2 = 0.40). Since aPS/PT but not aPT-A are an emerging biomarker of thrombosis in APS, this method may find utility for detecting pathogenic aPT in APS but also other prothrombotic conditions such as COVID-19.
Emergence of Multi-Drug Resistance and Its Association With Uncommon Serotypes of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated From Non-neonatal Patients in Thailand

Group B streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae is an opportunistic pathogen that causes serious illness in newborns, pregnant women, and adults. However, insufficient detection methods and disease prevention programs have contributed to an increase in the incidence and fatality rates associated with this pathogen in non-neonatal patients. This study aimed to investigate factors of the observed increased incidence by investigation of serotype distribution, virulence factors, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from invasive GBS disease among non-neonatal patients in Thailand. During 2017–2018, a total of 109 S. agalactiae isolates were collected from non-pregnant patients. There were 62 males and 47 females, with an average age of 63.5 years (range: 20 – 96). Serotypes were determined by latex agglutination assay and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay. Among those isolates, seven virulence genes (rib, bca, pavA, lmb, scpB, cylE, and cfb) were detected by PCR amplification, and were determined for their susceptibility to 20 antimicrobial agents using a SensititreTM Streptococcus species STP6F AST plate. Among the study isolates, serotype III was predominant (52.3%), followed by serotype V and serotype VI (13.8% for each), serotype Ib (11.9%), and other serotypes (8.2%). Of the seven virulence genes, pavA was found in 67.0%. Except for one, there were no significant differences in virulence genes between serotype III and non-serotype III. Study isolates showed an overall rate of non-susceptibility to penicillin, the first-line antibiotic, of only 0.9%, whereas the resistance rates measured in tetracycline, clindamycin, azithromycin, and erythromycin were 41.3, 22.0, 22.0, and 22.0%, respectively. Strains that were resistant to all four of those drugs were significantly associated with non-serotype III (p < 0.001). Using multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), 40.0% of the four-drug-resistant isolates belonged to serotype VI/ST1, followed by serotype Ib/ST1 (35.0%). Cluster analysis with global GBS isolates suggested that the multiple drug-resistant isolates to be strongly associated with the clonal complex (CC) 1 (p < 0.001). Compared to the 2014 study of 210 invasive GBS isolates conducted in 12 tertiary hospitals in Thailand, the proportion of serotype III has dramatically dropped from nearly 90% to about 50%. This suggests that resistances to the second-line antibiotics for GBS might be the selective pressure causing the high prevalence of non-serotype III isolates.
Efficacy of a Single-Task ERP Measure to Evaluate Cognitive Workload During a Novel Exergame

This study aimed to validate the efficacy of single-task event-related potential (ERP) measures of cognitive workload to be implemented in exergame-based rehabilitation. Twenty-four healthy participants took part in a novel gamified balance task where task-irrelevant auditory tones were presented in the background to generate ERPs in the participants’ electroencephalogram (EEG) as a measure of cognitive workload. For the balance task, a computer-based tilt-ball game was combined with a balance board. Participants played the game by shifting their weight to tilt the balance board, which moved a virtual ball to score goals. The game was manipulated by adjusting the size of the goalposts to set three predefined levels of game difficulty (easy, medium, and hard). The participant’s experience of game difficulty was evaluated based on the number of goals scored and their subjective reporting of perceived difficulty. Participants experienced a significant difference in the three levels of task difficulty based on the number of goals scored and perceived difficulty (p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis revealed the lowest performance for the hardest level. The mean amplitude of the N1 ERP component was used to measure the cognitive workload associated with the three difficulty levels. The N1 component’s amplitude decreased significantly (p < 0.001), with an increase in the task difficulty. Moreover, the amplitude of the N1 component for the hard level was significantly smaller compared to medium (p = 0.0003) and easy (p < 0.001) levels. These results support the efficacy of the N1 ERP component to measure cognitive workload in dynamic and real-life scenarios such as exergames and other rehabilitation exercises.
Type-4 Phosphodiesterase (PDE4) Blockade Reduces NETosis in Cystic Fibrosis

Neutrophilic inflammation is a key determinant of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Neutrophil-derived free DNA, released in the form of extracellular traps (NETs), significantly correlates with impaired lung function in patients with CF, underlying their pathogenetic role in CF lung disease. Thus, specific approaches to control NETosis of neutrophils migrated into the lungs may be clinically relevant in CF. We investigated the efficacy of phosphodiesterase (PDE) type-4 inhibitors, in vitro, on NET release by neutrophils from healthy volunteers and individuals with CF, and in vivo, on NET accumulation and lung inflammation in mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PDE4 blockade curbed endotoxin-induced NET production and preserved cellular integrity and apoptosis in neutrophils, from healthy subjects and patients with CF, challenged with endotoxin, in vitro. The pharmacological effects of PDE4 inhibitors were significantly more evident on CF neutrophils. In a mouse model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic infection, aerosol treatment with roflumilast, a selective PDE4 inhibitor, gave a significant reduction in free DNA in the BALF. This was accompanied by reduced citrullination of histone H3 in neutrophils migrated into the airways. Roflumilast-treated mice showed a significant improvement in weight recovery. Our study provides the first evidence that PDE4 blockade controls NETosis in vitro and in vivo, in CF-relevant models. Since selective PDE4 inhibitors have been recently approved for the treatment of COPD and psoriasis, our present results encourage clinical trials to test the efficacy of this class of drugs in CF.
Impact of COVID-19 on Acute Stroke Presentation in a Designated COVID-19 Hospital

Objectives: Thousands of designated COVID-19 hospitals have been set up in China to fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Anecdotal reports indicate a falling rate of acute stroke diagnoses in these hospitals during the COVID-19 period. We conducted an exploratory single-center analysis to estimate the change in acute stroke presentation at the designated COVID-19 hospitals. Methods: This retrospective observational study included all patients admitted to Yongchuan Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University with acute stroke between January 24 and March 10, 2020. Patient demographics, characteristics of the stroke, treatment details, and clinical outcomes were compared with those of patients admitted in the corresponding period in the year before (2019, “the pre-COVID-19 period”). Subgroup analysis was performed in the ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke groups. Results: A total of 110 patients presented with acute stroke symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with 173 patients in the pre-COVID-19 period. A higher proportion of stroke patients presented to the hospital via emergency medical services during the pandemic (48.2 vs. 31.8%, p = 0.006). There was a lower proportion of ischemic stroke patients (50.9 vs. 65.3%, p = 0.016) than in the preceding year. There were significantly fewer patients with 90-day modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 in the COVID-19 period compared with the pre-COVID-19 period (17.3 vs. 30.6%, p = 0.012). Among patients with ischemic stroke, the mean time from patient arrival to vessel puncture for emergency endovascular therapy in the COVID-19 period was shorter than that in the pre-COVID-19 period (109.18 ± 71.39 vs. 270.50 ± 161.51 min, p = 0.002). Among patients with hemorrhagic stroke, the rate of emergency surgical operation in the COVID-19 period was higher than that in the pre-COVID-19 period (48.1 vs. 30.0%, p = 0.047). The mean time from patient arrival to emergency surgical operation (15.31 ± 22.89 vs. 51.72 ± 40.47 min, p = 0.002) was shorter in the COVID-19 period than in the pre-COVID-19 period. Conclusions: Although fewer acute stroke patients sought medical care in this designated COVID-19 hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, this type of hospital was more efficient for timely treatment of acute stroke. Recognizing how acute strokes presented in designated COVID-19 hospitals will contribute to appropriate adjustments in strategy for dealing with acute stroke during COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Gender and racial disparities in the transplant surgery workforce

Purpose of review This review explores trends in the United States (US) transplant surgery workforce with a focus on historical demographics, post-fellowship job market, and quality of life reported by transplant surgeons. Ongoing efforts to improve women and racial/ethnic minority representation in transplant surgery are highlighted. Future directions to create a transplant workforce that reflects the diversity of the US population are discussed. Recent findings Representation of women and racial and ethnic minorities among transplant surgeons is minimal. Although recent data shows an improvement in the number of Black transplant surgeons from 2% to 5.5% and an increase in women to 12%, the White to Non-White transplant workforce ratio has increased 35% from 2000 to 2013. Transplant surgeons report an average of 4.3 call nights per week and less than five leisure days a month. Transplant ranks 1st among surgical sub-specialties in the prevalence of three well-studied facets of burnout. Concerns about lifestyle may contribute to the decreasing demand for advanced training in abdominal transplantation by US graduates. Summary Minimal improvements have been made in transplant surgery workforce diversity. Sustained and intentional recruitment and promotion efforts are needed to improve the representation of women and minority physicians and advanced practice providers in the field.
A Note From the IGAC Co-Chairs : Mary Scholes and Tim Bates of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project Newsletter tivities

well as preparing for the future. After a number of meetings and extensive consultation the Science Plan and Implementation Strategy for the second phase of IGAC is nearing completion and is posted on the IGAC web site. We would like to thank all those who have commented so positively and provided written material and graphics. In the review process, one of the long-standing activities (Deposition of Biogeochemically Important Trace Species DEBITS) was highlighted as being an extremely successful entity of IGAC I. In the 1990s, due to the lack of information on wet deposition in the tropics, a co-operative program was undertaken, involving the Global Atmosphere Watch Project (GAW) of the World Meteorological Organisation and the DEBITS activity of IGAC, mostly in Asia. This was followed by the Composition and Acidity of the Asian Precipitation (CAAP) program, later expanded into Africa and South America. The results of these studies are the focus of this issue of the newsletter. DEBITS is a program that has fulfilled many much needed functions. At all conferences and meetings of IGAC/CACGP, processes associated with emissions were always given much more emphasis than those associated with deposition. It was only through the continual persuasion of Henning Rodhe and Jean-Pierre Lacaux that the DEBITS program grew into the success it is today. The participants have worked long and hard to establish their networks, ensuring that the data emerging are of the highest quality. They have focused in the tropics where the data needs were greatest and slowly the gaps are being filled. Our understanding of wet and dry deposition has been much improved. Standardized measurement protocols have led to improved wet deposition calculations and dry deposition estimations. In addition to the excellent science that has emerged, the program has been extremely successful in training researchers and students from developing countries by having a range of activities including training workshops and exchanges and visits of researchers and students. This is highly commendable. Another IGAC highlight this year was the 7th IGAC Scientific Conference/10th Symposium of the International Association of Meteorology of Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS) Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (CACGP). We would like to thank Maria Kanakidou, the Science Program Committee, the Local Organizing Committee, and our many sponsors for this extremely successful and well attended meeting. Highlights from the conference will be the subject of the next IGAC newsletter. As we begin the next phase of IGAC we would like to encourage atmospheric scientists to join us in international atmospheric chemistry research that will lead to a better understanding of the Earth System. Guidelines for proposing IGAC Research Tasks are now on the IGAC website. We look forward to another exciting decade of international research. Issue No. 27 January 2003
Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Carbohydrate Metabolism During Mammalian Hibernation

Thirteen-lined (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) and Richardson’s (Urocitellus richardsonii) ground squirrels survive harsh winter conditions by entering hibernation, spending the majority of their time in a state of torpor, where metabolic functions are strongly suppressed and reprioritized to ensure long term survival. This thesis analyzed biochemical controls on carbohydrate metabolism during hibernation by characterizing the regulation of crucial enzymes of the glycolytic and gluconeogenic pathways: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), pyruvate kinase (PK), and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase). Important signal transduction enzymes regulating carbohydrate metabolism were also evaluated: protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). The state of glycolysis in ground squirrel skeletal muscle was assessed by characterizing the bifunctional enzyme GAPDH and the terminal enzyme PK. Results showed that muscle GAPDH and PK activities were substantially suppressed during torpor. PK suppression was linked to reversible serine/threonine phosphorylation. GAPDH regulation was more complex with activity potentially mediated by one or more posttranslational modifications including acetylation, methylation and phosphorylation, as identified through mass spectrometry and Western blot analyses. The gluconeogenic state of muscle was assessed by characterizing FBPase as well as GAPDH operation in its gluconeogenic direction. In both cases, results indicated reductions in gluconeogenic function during torpor. Suppressed FBPase activity (i.e. decreased Vmax, increased Km F1,6P2) was linked with an increase in FBPase phosphorylation and allosteric controls by AMP and F2,6P2. Analysis of PP2A catalytic subunit showed that elevated phosphorylation at tyrosine307 accompanied a significant increase in Km peptide, indicating reduced activity of PP2A during torpor. This was corroborated by computational analysis of tyrosine307 phosphorylation effects on substrate binding. Skeletal muscle GSK3 activity also decreased during torpor associated with enhanced GSK3 phosphorylation at serine9. However, the principal substrate of GSK3, glycogen synthase, showed increased phosphorylation suggesting that a different protein kinase was responsible for its control during torpor. Taken together these studies suggest that skeletal muscle glycolysis and gluconeogenesis are suppressed during ground squirrel torpor via posttranslational modification and regulation of key enzymes. Reversible controls over glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes would allow for the quick reactivation of muscle metabolism to support shivering thermogenesis and a return to normal euthermic function during arousal.
Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) pestanai in Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) and Ixodidae ticks, Italy

Abstract Abstract Trypanosomes are haemoflagellate protozoa transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods causing infections in a wide range of mammals, including humans. Adult badgers (Meles meles, n = 2), displaying severe paralysis, ataxia and severe ectoparasite infestation, were rescued from a peri-urban area of Bari (southern Italy). Blood samples and ectoparasites were screened for Trypanosoma spp. by the combined PCR/sequencing approach, targeting a fragment of 18S rRNA gene. Smears of haemolymph, guts and salivary glands of the alive ticks were microscopically observed. No haematological alterations, except thrombocytopenia, were found. Trypomastigotes and epimastigotes were observed in the blood smears of both badgers and Trypanosoma pestanai was molecularly identified. Out of 33 ticks (i.e. n = 31 Ixodes canisuga, n = 2 Ixodes ricinus) and two fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), 11 specimens (n = 5 I. canisuga engorged nymphs, n = 4 engorged females and n = 2 I. ricinus engorged females) tested positive only for T. pestanai DNA. All smears from ticks were negative. The present study firstly revealed T. pestanai in Ixodidae and badgers from Italy, demonstrating the occurrence of the protozoan on the peninsula. Further studies are needed to clarify the occurrence of the only known vector of this parasite, Paraceras melis flea, as well as other putative arthropods involved in the transmission of T. pestanai.
“A Prospective Study Clinicopathological Factors of Benign Breast Diseases”

Background: Benign breast lesions represent a wide spectrum of disorders that come to clinical attention either as palpable lumps or as imaging abnormalities. Some of these are clinically suspected as malignant lesions but diagnosed as benign after histopathological examination. Objective: To study benign breast lesions to correlate their clinicopathological parameters and to study incidence of benign breast lesions in different age groups. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study with cross sectional design was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, Chuadanga, Bangladesh between Januarys to December-2019. All patients male and female with any benign breast lesions reported were included in the study. The patients reported as malignant tumors were excluded from this study. A total of 90 benign breast specimens received for histopathological study were analyzed during this period. In each case detail history and clinical data was collected. Results: A total of 90 cases were analyzed during this period. Benign breast lesions were studied in detail with relation to available clinical data. Incidence of benign breast lesions reported in our study was 65.21%. Fibroadenoma was the most common benign lesion found with incidence 71.11%, followed by fibrocystic change and benign phyllodes tumors. The most common age group for fibro adenoma was 11 to 20 years. Conclusion: Benign breast lesions are common in females and fibroadenoma being the most common of them all. The most common presenting complaint was painless breast lump.
DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF EIMERIA SPECIES IN EQUIDS IN MOSUL CITY

The current study included examination of one hundred fecal samples which were collected from (50) horses and 50 donkeys of different sex and age from animals with or without clinical sings from several areas of Mosul city to diagnose Eimeria spp. The findings showed that the total percentage of infection with Eimeria spp was 24% which were 16% in horses and 32% in donkeys with no significant differences Also, the results revealed no significant differences occurred between sex and different ages of the examined animals. Eimeria leuckarti and E. uniungulati were diagnosed in fecal samples of horses while E.lecukarti, E.uniungulati and E. solipedum diagnosed in fecal samples of donkeys. It was found that E.lecukarti was the commonest species in both animal species. It was concluded that the infection with one species of Eimeria was noticed forming the highest infection rates in each horses and donkeys which were (87.5%, 62.5%), respectively. Key word: Eimeria, horse, donkey, diagnosis, feces, Mosul, Iraq.