Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anchored Multiplex PCR Custom Melanoma Next Generation Sequencing Panel for Analysis of Circulating Tumor DNA

Detection of melanoma mutations using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a potential alternative to using genomic DNA from invasive tissue biopsies. To date, mutations in the GC-rich TERT promoter region, which is commonly mutated in melanoma, have been technically difficult to detect in ctDNA using next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels. In this study, we developed a custom melanoma NGS panel for detection of ctDNA, which encompasses the top 15 gene mutations in melanoma including the TERT promoter. We analyzed 21 stage III and IV melanoma patient samples who were treatment-naïve or on therapy. The overall detection rate of the custom panel, based on BRAF/NRAS/TERT promoter mutations, was 14/21 (67%) patient samples which included a TERT C250T mutation in one BRAF and NRAS mutation negative sample. A BRAF or NRAS mutation was detected in the ctDNA of 13/21 (62%) patients while TERT promoter mutations were detected in 10/21 (48%) patients. Co-occurrence of TERT promoter mutations with BRAF or NRAS mutations was found in 9/10 (90%) patients. The custom ctDNA panel showed a concordance of 16/21 (76%) with tissue based-detection and included 12 BRAF/NRAS mutation positive and 4 BRAF/NRAS mutation negative patients. The ctDNA mutation detection rate for stage IV was 12/16 (75%) and for stage III was 1/5 (20%). Based on BRAF, NRAS and TERT promoter mutations, the custom melanoma panel displayed a limit of detection of ~0.2% mutant allele frequency and showed significant correlation with droplet digital PCR. For one patient, a novel MAP2K1 H119Y mutation was detected in an NRAS/BRAF/TERT promoter mutation negative background. To increase the detection rate to >90% for stage IV melanoma patients, we plan to expand our custom panel to 50 genes. This study represents one of the first to successfully detect TERT promoter mutations in ctDNA from cutaneous melanoma patients using a targeted NGS panel.
Complementary Feeding Practices and Household Food Insecurity Status of Children Aged 6–23 Months in Shashemene City West Arsi Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Introduction Appropriate infant feeding practices are critical to a child's growth, health, and development during the first 1000 days of life. One in every six children worldwide receives a minimum acceptable diet. According to the EDHS 2016, the status of the minimum acceptable diet was 7 percent among children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia. The study sought to ascertain the relationship between complementary feeding (CF) indicators and household food insecurity in children aged 6–23 months. Methods A systematic sampling method was used to conduct a cross-sectional study of 536 mother-child pairs aged 6–23 months. The 24-hour dietary recall was used to collect data on CF practices using face-to-face interviews with socioeconomic and food security questionnaires. The relationship between complementary feeding indicators and household food insecurity was investigated using logistic regression analysis. The relationship between independent variables and complementary feeding indicators was determined using multivariate logistic regression. Results Overall, a total of 67.9% of children received timely introduction of CF and Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF), Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), and Minimum Acceptable Diet were met by 61.7%, 42.5%, and 41.7%, respectively. Result of multivariate logistic regression showed there is significant association between household food security with MMF, MDD, and MAD [AOR: 2.02, 95% CI: (1.25–3.24); AOR: 1.55, 95% CI: (1.02–2.36); and AOR: 1.62, 9595% CI: (1.06–2.47)], respectively, while there was no association with introduction of CF [AOR = 0.87, 95% CI: (0.55–1.39)]. Conclusion This study revealed that the rates of MMF, MDD, and MAD remained low in this study setting. Household socioeconomic status (wealth index, food security status, household income) and child age were found to be among the factors statistically significantly associated with complementary feeding practices indicators.
A Systematic Review Incorporating Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Versus Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Pediatric Myocarditis

: Background: Concerns have been raised about the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroids in pediatric myocarditis; however, the relationship between the risk and efficacy of these two therapies in children with myocarditis varies. Methods: A systematic review on seventeen studies was conducted in July 2020, which included 1,960 subjects at the baseline, with 788 receiving intravenous immunoglobulin and 142 receiving corticosteroids. The mean difference (MD) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated to assess the prognostic role of both treatments using dichotomous and continuous methods with random or fixed-effect models. Results: The use of intravenous immunoglobulin was significantly associated with a lower mortality rate or heart transplantation in children with myocarditis (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.40-0.77, p < 0.001) compared with the control group. However, corticosteroids were not significantly associated with the same parameters (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.31-1.63, p = 0.43). The use of intravenous immunoglobulin was not significantly related to improving left ventricular ejection in children with myocarditis (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, -9.65-14.25, p = 0.71) and so were corticosteroids (MD, 5.17; 95% CI, -0.26-10.60, p = 0.06). Conclusion: The use of intravenous immunoglobulin might have an independent risk relationship with a lower mortality rate or heart transplantation and is recommended in children with myocarditis to prevent complications.
Invasive Fusariosis in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant Patients: A Report from the Israeli Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Invasive Fusarium species infections in immunocompromised patients occur predominantly in those with hematological malignancies. Survival rates of 20–40% were reported in adults, but data in children are limited. Our retrospective, nationwide multicenter study of invasive fusariosis in pediatric hematology/oncology and stem cell transplant (SCT) patients identified twenty-two cases. Underlying conditions included hematological malignancies (n = 16; 73%), solid tumors (n = 2), and non-malignant hematological conditions (n = 4). Nineteen patients (86%) were neutropenic, nine (41%) were SCT recipients, and seven (32%) received corticosteroids. Sixteen patients (73%) had disseminated fusariosis, five had local infection, and one had isolated fungemia. Fifteen patients (68%) had skin involvement and eight (36%) had a bloodstream infection. Four patients (18%) presented with osteoarticular involvement and four with pulmonary involvement. Nineteen patients (86%) received combination antifungal therapy upfront and three (14%) received single-agent treatment. Ninety-day probability of survival was 77%: four of the five deaths were attributed to fusariosis, all in patients with relapsed/refractory acute leukemias. Ninety-day probability of survival for patients with relapsed/refractory underlying malignancy was 33% vs. 94% in others (p < 0.001). Survival rates in this largest pediatric population-based study were strikingly higher than those reported in adults, demonstrating that invasive fusariosis is a life-threatening but salvageable condition in immunosuppressed children.
Obstructive sleep apnea aggravates neuroinflammation and pyroptosis in early brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage via ASC/HIF-1α pathway

[INLINE:1] Obstructive sleep apnea can worsen the prognosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we established a mouse model of subarachnoid hemorrhage using the endovascular perforation method and exposed the mice to intermittent hypoxia for 8 hours daily for 2 consecutive days to simulate sleep apnea. We found that sleep apnea aggravated brain edema, increased hippocampal neuron apoptosis, and worsened neurological function in this mouse model of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Then, we established an in vitro HT-22 cell model of hemin-induced subarachnoid hemorrhage/intermittent hypoxia and found that the cells died, and lactate dehydrogenase release increased, after 48 hours. We further investigated the underlying mechanism and found that sleep apnea increased the expression of hippocampal neuroinflammatory factors interleukin-1β, interleukin-18, interleukin-6, nuclear factor κB, pyroptosis-related protein caspase-1, pro-caspase-1, and NLRP3, promoted the proliferation of astrocytes, and increased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, which are the key proteins in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD signaling pathway. We also found that knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α expression in vitro greatly reduced the damage to HY22 cells. These findings suggest that sleep apnea aggravates early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage by aggravating neuroinflammation and pyroptosis, at least in part through the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD signaling pathway.
Cataract Surgery Results after Penetrating Keratoplasty

Objective. To compare clinical and refractive outcomes of cataract surgery by phacoemulsification and by extracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of foldable and rigid intraocular lenses in patients previously having undergone penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Patients and methods. This is a retrospective study. Medical records of all patients admitted for cataract surgery between 2010 and 2018 to the King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH) were reviewed and medical records of patients who underwent cataract surgery after PK were analyzed. Medical records of 95 patients (58 males and 37 females; average age 40.0 ± 19.9 years) were selected. Depending upon the type of surgical technique applied, the cases were divided into two groups: first group included 60 patients who underwent cataract surgery by phacoemulsification with implantation of different foldable intraocular lenses (IOL), the second group included 35 patients who underwent cataract surgery by extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with implantation of a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) IOL. The choice of ECCE technique with implantation of rigid IOLs was made if the endothelial cell den- sity after PK was less than 2200 cells/mm 2 and cataracts were of 4 and 5 grades to exclude additional trauma to the endothelium by ultrasound energy. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The R statistical program and SPSS were used for data analysis. The P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Analysis showed that PK was performed mainly due to 4 indications: keratoconus (KC) — 77 % cases, herpetic keratopathy — 7 % cases, Eye trauma — 5 % cases, previous graft rejection — 5 % cases and Stevens–Johnson syndrome — 1 % cases. The mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the first group improved from 0.40 ± 0.05 to 0.80 ± 0.05 postoperatively. The mean BCVA in the second group improved from 0.30 ± 0.05 to 0.70 ± 0.05. In the late postoperative period BCVA with foldable IOLs was higher by 0.10 ± 0.05, as compared with the results obtained with the rigid IOLs. Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) changed from 15.1 ± 4.9 before PK to 16.3 ± 5.3 after PK. Conclusion. KC was the most common indication for PK in Jordan. Results of our analysis showed that cataract surgery could be successfully performed in eyes after PK with favorable results and improvement in patients’ quality of life. Cataract surgery by phacoemulsification with implantation of foldable IOLs results in higher (BCVA) compared to ECCE with implantation of PMMA IOLs. Unless contraindicated otherwise, phacoemulsification technique with foldable IOL implantation should be given preference over ECCE with implantation of rigid PMMA IOLs in visual rehabilitation of cataract patients after PK. show a significant difference between the foldable and rigid IOLs. Future studies have a larger sample size.
Burnout Syndrome among Lebanese Pediatric Dentists: An Epidemiological Study

Background: Burnout is the result of unsuccessful management of chronic work related stress. The syndrome is characterized by three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. It is considered a risk to dentists where they face various types of stressors including constant time pressure and low patient appreciation. Additional sources of pressure are present in pediatric dentistry such as uncooperative and fearful patients. Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of burnout among Lebanese pediatric dentists and to analyze various factors accomplishment was higher when respondents exercised moderately ( P = .04). The prevalence of overall burnout was found 3.4% with male pediatric dentists experiencing more burnout than females ( P = .03). Conclusion: Burnout in its three dimensions’ model was experienced by few pediatric dentists in Lebanon with gender predominance towards males.
A Nutritional Survey of Local Barley Populations Based on the Mineral Bioavailability, Fatty Acid Profile, and Geographic Distribution of Fusarium Species and the Mycotoxin Zearalenone (ZEN)

Knowledge about the extent of nutrient variability in local barley germplasm is an important prerequisite for efficient crop improvement. The present study is one of the first to assess the potential of Tunisian barley populations (named Testour, Gergis, and Enfidha) as sources of desirable traits for barley improvement and for the prevalence of Fusarium species and the mytoxin zearalenone (ZEN). Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences between barley populations for nutrients density. The lowest phytate/zinc molar ratios were observed in Testour and Enfidha populations with 7.23 and 9.97, respectively. However, the bioavailability of iron of most barley populations (95.4%) was inhibited mainly by the high phytate content. Oleic acid (15.2–18.7%), linoleic acid (13.8–16.01%), and palmitoleic acid (4.7–14.2%) were identified as predominant fatty acid constituents in all three barley populations. Based on morphologic and molecular characterization, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum were the predominant species that infected Testour, Gergis, and Enfidha populations. The concentration of zearalenone ranged between 0 and 140 µg kg−1. The highest levels of zearalenone, 92 μg kg−1 and 60 μg kg−1, were detected in Testour populations that were infected with F. graminearum and F. culmorum, respectively. These relatively low amounts of zearalenone in barley populations can be attributed to the Tunisian climate and the resistance of local genotypes. Testour and Enfidha barley populations could potentially be used to improve breeding programs for biofortification.
Morpho-Physiological Responses of Two Multipurpose Species from the Tropical Dry Forest to Contrasting Light Levels: Implications for Their Nursery and Field Management

Understanding the responses that some plants exhibit to acclimatize and thrive in different light environments can serve as a guideline to optimize their production or establishment. Morpho-physiological changes in Crescentia alata and Enterolobium cyclocarpum were examined in response to varying light levels: 25%, 35%, 55% and 70% of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of total solar radiation. One-month-old seedlings were subjected to the light treatments; subsequently, the effects on morphology, photosynthetic capacity, nutrient status, non-structural carbohydrate reserves (NSC) and growth were evaluated in three-month-old seedlings. Light levels affected several morpho-physiological parameters. C. alata responded better to higher light levels and E. cyclocarpum to lower levels. Particularly, C. alata with 70% PPFD increased its size in height and diameter, and accumulated more biomass in leaves, stems, and roots; it also exhibited higher net assimilation rates, improved nitrogen and phosphorus status and growth. In contrast, E. cyclocarpum with 25% PPFD increased aboveground biomass, nitrogen levels and NSC in leaves. Both species show morpho-physiological changes that determine their ability to acclimatize to different light conditions. This serves as a basis for designing better management strategies in the nursery or field by defining the light environments conducive to a proper functioning.
Evaluating the influence of interactive simulations on learners' academic performance in stoichiometry

ABSTRACT Traditional teaching strategies dominate science classrooms in Lesotho, resulting in poor academic performance at each level. Information and Communication Technology tools such as simulations offer potential benefits for improving science teaching. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effect of simulations on learners' performance and retention of stoichiometry concepts using Solomon's four-group design. Purposive sampling of two existing Form E (Grade 12) classes, with 81 learners, led to the creation of four groups. The study responds to the research question: How does using simulations as part of an intervention affect learners' academic performance in stoichiometry? Data were collected as learners' scores for pre-tests and post-tests, designed to assess their understanding of stoichiometry, and analysed through ANOVA and t-tests. After the intervention, the experimental group's mean score (M = 44.2, a = 18) was higher than that of control group (M = 32.6, a = 15.8), and the difference between the two mean scores was statistically significant, namely t(81) = 3.14, p = 0.002. The experimental group had a higher mean score for retention in post-test (M = 47.4, a =16.1) than the control group (M = 37.2, a = 13.7) which was statistically significant, namely t(81) = 3.10, p = 0.003. Therefore, it was concluded that simulations enhanced learners' performance and could improve the retention of stoichiometry concepts. This study recommends that simulations be used to supplement the teaching and learning of science, in particular chemistry. Keywords: cognitive theory of multimedia learning, high school learners' performance, interactive-simulations, stoichiometry
Ultra-thin YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7x films with high critical current density

Despite impressive progress in the development of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD), the main obstacle for the widespread use of such detectors is the low operating temperature required for low-temperature superconductors. The very attractive idea of increasing the operating temperature using high-temperature superconductors for SNSPD fabrication is problematic due to the insufficient quality of ultra-thin films from high-temperature superconductors, which is one of the key requirements for the single-photon detection by superconducting nanowires. In this work, we demonstrate the possibility of fabricating ultra-thin YBa2Cu3O7−x films on SrTiO3 substrates with a surface flatness of ±1 unit cell and a high critical current density up to 14 MA cm −2 at T=78 K. The critical current density of ultra-thin films had very low value in the first three unit cell layers adjacent to the substrate and reached nearly the bulk value at the fifth layer. 97% of the superconducting current is carried by only two upper layers of a 5-unit-cell thick YBa2Cu3O7−x film. Due to such superconducting current distribution over the film thickness and good surface flatness 5-unit-cell thick YBa2Cu3O7−x films could be promising for the fabrication of single-photon detectors.
A Multi-Objective Approach for the Optimal Placement of Protection and Control Devices in Distribution Networks with Microgrids

Protection and control systems represent an essential part of distribution networks by ensuring the physical integrity of components and by improving system reliability. Protection devices isolate a portion of the network affected by a fault, while control devices reduce the number of de-energized loads by transferring loads to neighboring feeders. The integration of distributed generation has the potential to enhance the continuity of energy services through islanding operation during outage conditions. In this context, this paper presents a multi-objective optimization approach for sizing and allocating protection and control devices in distribution networks with microgrids supplied by renewable energy sources. Reclosers, fuses, remote-controlled switches, and directional relays are considered in the formulation. The demand and generation uncertainties define the islanding operation and the load transfer possibilities. A non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm is applied in the solution of the allocation problem considering two conflicting objectives: cost of energy not supplied and equipment cost. The compromise programming is then performed to achieve the best solution from the Pareto front. Results show interesting setups for the protection system and viability of islanding operation.
Biodegradation of ceftriaxone in soil using dioxygenase-producing genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida

Abstract In this study, the degradability of the antibiotic Ceftriaxone was investigated with the help of genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida, in which the gene producing the enzyme catechol 2 and 3 dioxygenase was designed and then inserted into the pUC18 plasmid and replicated by E. coli. It was purified and extracted and transformed into Pseudomonas putida. Finally, the degradation rate of Ceftriaxone by this bacterium in spiked soil was evaluated using the HPLC measurement technique. Finally, the kinetics of Ceftriaxone degradation by genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida was investigated using zero, first, and second –order kinetic models for all factors. The results of HPLC measurement showed that the biodegradation of ceftriaxone in spiked soil was significant by genetically engineered P. putida compared to autoclaved soil inoculated by wild P. putida and normal soil with normal microbial flora (p < 0.001) and this bacterium was able to degrade ceftriaxone by 69.53% and kinetic modeling showed that the rate of removal by genetically engineered Pseudomonas putida follows the zero-degree reaction model. These findings indicate that Pseudomonas putida, which produces Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, can be useful and practical in the biological treatment of environment from cephalosporins.