Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of Dengue Virus RNA in Patients after Primary or Secondary Dengue Infection by Using the TaqMan Automated Amplification System

ABSTRACT In consecutive serum samples from 25 tourists with acute dengue fever, virus-specific RNA was detected by using fully automated TaqMan reverse transcriptase PCR. For this amplification technique new primers and special fluorochrome-labeled probes had to be synthesized. During amplification the increasing amount of viral DNA could simultaneously be measured in the tightly sealed tubes. Dengue virus RNA was found in almost all patients (17 of 18), if the samples had been taken soon after the onset of symptoms and before anti-dengue virus antibody had been produced. RNA was detectable in only one of five persons who had anti-dengue virus immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies but not yet IgG antibodies. In 30 late samples with both IgG and IgM antibodies viral RNA was no longer demonstrable. In two early samples from two frequent travelers obtained 1 and 2 days after the onset of symptoms significant IgG antibody titers were present but there were no anti-dengue virus IgM antibodies. In these samples a viral load of >5 × 106 dengue virus RNA copies (dengue types 1 and 2) was detectable. These findings of a high viral load in the presence of anti-dengue virus IgG antibody are suggestive of a secondary dengue virus infection. In the 20 tourists (17 plus 1 plus 2) in whom viral RNA was found, the dengue virus serotype could be related to the area where the infection had taken place. Most of our patients came from southeast Asia and most frequently had dengue virus type 1 infections (8 of 20).
Academic Well-Being in Higher Education: A Cross-Country Analysis of the Relationship Between Perceptions of Instruction and Academic Well-Being

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between university students’ perceptions of the overall quality of instruction (PQI) they experienced since COVID-19 and their academic well-being. This relationship was examined in the context of a moderated moderation with students’ household income and the cultural value of power distance (PD), which measures the extent to which less powerful members of an organization expect and accept that power is unequally distributed. Two countries with societally moderate levels of PD (South Africa and the United States) were assessed. Moderated moderations between PQI, income, and PD were found for the academic well-being of students from both the United States and South Africa. The patterns of interactions were in some ways similar and other ways different, highlighting the complexity of how students may react to potential stressors in their academic environment. Potential explanations and implications of these results are discussed.
Brain and Gut CRF Signaling: Biological Actions and Role in the Gastrointestinal Tract.

BACKGROUND Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) pathways coordinate behavioral, endocrine, autonomic and visceral responses to stress. Convergent anatomical, molecular, pharmacological and functional experimental evidence supports a key role of brain CRF receptor (CRF-R) signaling in stress-related alterations of gastrointestinal functions. These include the inhibition of gastric acid secretion and gastric-small intestinal transit, stimulation of colonic enteric nervous system and secretorymotor function, increase intestinal permeability, and visceral hypersensitivity. Brain sites of CRF actions to alter gut motility encompass the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, locus coeruleus complex and the dorsal motor nucleus while those modulating visceral pain are localized in the hippocampus and central amygdala. Brain CRF actions are mediated through the autonomic nervous system (decreased gastric vagal and increased sacral parasympathetic and sympathetic activities). The activation of brain CRF-R2 subtype inhibits gastric motor function while CRF-R1 stimulates colonic secretomotor function and induces visceral hypersensitivity. CRF signaling is also located within the gut where CRF-R1 activates colonic myenteric neurons, mucosal cells secreting serotonin, mucus, prostaglandin E2, induces mast cell degranulation, enhances mucosal permeability and propulsive motor functions and induces visceral hyperalgesia in animals and humans. CRF-R1 antagonists prevent CRF- and stressrelated gut alterations in rodents while not influencing basal state. DISCUSSION These preclinical studies contrast with the limited clinical positive outcome of CRF-R1 antagonists to alleviate stress-sensitive functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. CONCLUSION The translational potential of CRF-R1 antagonists in gut diseases will require additional studies directed to novel anti-CRF therapies and the neurobiology of brain-gut interactions under chronic stress.
Monte Carlo Benchmarks for Discrete Response Valuation Methods: Comment

In a recent article, Huang and Smith (1998, hereafter HS) use Monte Carlo simulation methods to suggest that the procedural variance observed between open-ended (OE) and dichotomous choice (DC) contingent valuation (CV) responses can be attributed to specification error in modeling the DC responses. In particular, HS argue that employing alternative specifications of the error term for DC responses can provide estimates of mean willingness to pay (WTP) that are "virtually identical to the mean of the raw data derived with open-ended CV and not significantly different from the mean . for actual purchases" (p. 191). Hence, they claim that the evidence from a large body of laboratory and field research that DC-CV question formats yield substantially larger estimates of mean WTP than OE response methods is "unfounded" (p. 187). While we applaud the Monte Carlo methods used by HS to demonstrate that error specification is important in providing unbiased and accurate estimates of WTP and conditional WTP, we wish to caution the reader that the gap between OE and DC WTP estimates is not likely to be bridged by simply imposing alternative specifications. When real humans make real or stated decisions, observed procedural variance across elicitation methods and the degree of hypothetical bias are more fundamental than relying on alternative econometric specifications. To demonstrate this point we roughly follow the organization of the HS paper. In the following section we provide a brief review of the Balistreri et al. (2001) data showcased by HS. ' This data is used to demonstrate that, in contrast to HS, the mean WTP estimate from DC-CV data is significantly different from ctual contributions and that the DC an OE distributions are significantly different from each other. In the third section, we rais concerns about the functional forms, error distributions, and welfare estimates used in the Monte Carlo analysis of HS. Using a broader range of utility-theoretic specifications than the linear logistic and probit models employed by HS, we demonstrate that employing alternative error specifications is not likely to overcome the observed disparity in mean WTP values across elicitation methods. The fourth section addresses concerns about the Turnbull lower bound estimator used by HS in support of their not significantly different and virtually identical claims, and the increased application of this method to provide "conservative" estimates of mean WTP from DC-CV responses. We conclude with some final thoughts on relying on alternative error specifications, rather than seeking a better understanding of human
Structures of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3C‐like protease reveal insights into substrate specificity

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) is a highly pathogenic virus that causes severe respiratory illness accompanied by multi‐organ dysfunction, resulting in a case fatality rate of approximately 40%. As found in other coronaviruses, the majority of the positive‐stranded RNA MERS‐CoV genome is translated into two polyproteins, one created by a ribosomal frameshift, that are cleaved at three sites by a papain‐like protease and at 11 sites by a 3C‐like protease (3CLpro). Since 3CLpro is essential for viral replication, it is a leading candidate for therapeutic intervention. To accelerate the development of 3CLpro inhibitors, three crystal structures of a catalytically inactive variant (C148A) of the MERS‐CoV 3CLpro enzyme were determined. The aim was to co‐crystallize the inactive enzyme with a peptide substrate. Fortuitously, however, in two of the structures the C‐terminus of one protomer is bound in the active site of a neighboring molecule, providing a snapshot of an enzyme–product complex. In the third structure, two of the three protomers in the asymmetric unit form a homodimer similar to that of SARS‐CoV 3CLpro; however, the third protomer adopts a radically different conformation that is likely to correspond to a crystallographic monomer, indicative of substantial structural plasticity in the enzyme. The results presented here provide a foundation for the structure‐based design of small‐molecule inhibitors of the MERS‐CoV 3CLpro enzyme.
Selection of high affinity ligands to hepatitis B core antigen from a phage‐displayed cyclic peptide library

M13 phages that display random disulfide constrained heptapeptides on their gpIII proteins were used to select for high affinity ligands to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg). Phages bearing the amino acid sequences C‐WSFFSNI‐C and C‐WPFWGPW‐C were isolated, and a binding assay in solution showed that these phages bind tightly to full‐length and truncated HBcAg with K Drel values less than 25 nM, which is at least 10 orders of magnitude higher than phage carrying the peptide sequence LLGRMK selected from a linear peptide library. Both the phages that display the constrained peptides were inhibited from binding to HBcAg particles by a monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to the immunodominant region of the particles. A synthetic heptapeptide with the amino acid sequence WSFFSNI derived from one of the fusion peptides inhibits the binding of large surface antigen (L‐HBsAg) to core particles with an IC50 value of 12 ± 2 μM. This study has identified a smaller peptide with a greater inhibitory effect on L‐HBsAg‐HBcAg association. J. Med. Virol. 69:27–32, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Size, neurochemistry, and segmental distribution of sensory neurons innervating the rat tibia

Retrograde labeling has been used to identify sensory neurons in the lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) that innervate the rat tibial periosteum, medullary cavity, and trabecular bone. The size, neurochemical profile [isolectin B4 (IB4) binding, substance P (SP), calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), and NF200 immunoreactivity (‐IR)], and segmental distribution of sensory neurons innervating each of these bony compartments are reported. After injections of fast blue into the periosteum, medullary cavity, and trabecular bone (epiphysis), retrogradely labeled neurons were observed throughout the ipsilateral (but not contralateral) lumbar DRG. They were predominantly small (<800 μm2) or medium‐sized (800–1,800 μm2) neurons. CGRP‐IR and SP‐IR were found in 23% and 16% of the retrogradely labeled neurons, respectively. IB4 binding was observed in 20% and NF200‐IR in 40% of the retrogradely labeled neurons. There were no significant differences in the percentage of neurons labeled with any one of the antisera following injections into each of the three bony compartments. To allow a direct comparison with sensory neurons innervating cutaneous tissues, injections of fast blue were also made into the skin overlying the tibia. The percentage of CGRP‐IR neurons innervating bone was significantly lower than the percentage of CGRP‐IR neurons innervating skin (ANOVA; P < 0.05). No other significant differences in the neurochemical profiles of neurons labeled from bone vs. skin were observed. The findings of the present study show that the periosteum, medullary cavity, and trabecular bone are all innervated by sensory neurons that have size and neurochemical profiles consistent with a role in nociception. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:276–283, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Humanized Care From the Nurse–Patient Perspective in a Hospital Setting: A Systematic Review of Experiences Disclosed in Spanish and Portuguese Scientific Articles

Nowadays, humanized care is an essential component in the field of health because the professional work of nursing seeks to provide quality services to patients who are suffering and fear illness or the dying process. Nurses recognize the need to incorporate humanized care into their daily work, as supported by Jean Watson, who states that caring entails establishing an adequate nurse–patient therapeutic relationship, where health education is a tool that promotes self-care in the patient, family, and community. The main objective of this work was to find scientific evidence on humanized care from the perspectives of nurses and hospitalized patients. To meet those research objectives, an exploratory systematic review of articles published in high-quality scientific journals from 2016 to 2020 using the PRISMA methodology in the Scopus and Scielo databases was conducted, yielding 26 studies that were analyzed. The findings show that nurses and patients perceive the need to remove the barriers that limit the advancement of humanized care in hospital institutions because they urgently demand that health professionals in all settings, especially critical ones, strengthen their humanizing role by sharing cordial, empathetic health experiences, and respecting their customs and beliefs during the hospitalization process. As a conclusion of the findings, the nurse–patient professionals agree that health personnel training is critical to providing humanized attention with quality in the hospital context, emphasizing that professional training should develop in practice soft skills, communication, safety environment, and human values.
The Effect of Public Debt on Growth in Multiple Regimes in the Presence of Long-Memory and Non-Stationary Debt Series

The study of the relationship between public debt and economic growth came again to the spotlight with the financial crisis (2007-2008) and with the sovereign debt crisis that followed in Europe. This literature aims to shed light about the sign, magnitude, mechanisms and threshold regimes relating debt to growth and to make policy recommendations with important consequences in terms of government’s policies. We empirically investigate this relationship for a group of 60 countries for a long-time period (the shorter one from 1970 to 2012) using the historical public debt database (HPDD) built by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and we defend that the empirical strategy underlying most of the studies on this topic should be revised. We claim that: a) the study of the long-memory property of the public debt GDP ratio and stationarity (using the last generation tests) has to be performed as a first step of the empirical analysis, what has been done using 87 countries; b) In the presence of a non-stationary public debt GDP ratio cointegration analysis was used to estimate the relationship between the public debt GDP ratio and output; c) under the no rejection of the null of no cointegration, the above mentioned relationship was studied between the public debt GDP ratio first difference and GDP growth rate using threshold models and searching for thresholds using a wide variety of variables. The main conclusions of this study are that the debt series have a long memory and should not be analyzed in a short-term framework; additionally, the non-stationarity of the debt series does not allow researchers to apply stationary econometrics methods to model its behavior. This finding implies that the relationship between economic growth and national debt that has been characterizing the literature on the subject, has disputable econometric foundations. We thus recommend our empirical strategy to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the existent empirical literature. Finally, it should be mentioned that the relationship between the public debt GDP ratio first difference and GDP growth rate is always negative despite the different threshold regimes identified.
T-Cell Epitopes and Human Leukocyte Antigen Restriction Elements of an Immunodominant Antigen of Blastomyces dermatitidis

ABSTRACT Humans infected with the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis develop strong T-lymphocyte responses to WI-1, an immunodominant antigen that has been shown to elicit protective immunity in mice. In the present study, the T-cell epitopes of WI-1 and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restricting elements that display them were investigated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 37 patients with a confirmed history of blastomycosis were tested for a response to WI-1 in primary proliferation assays; PBMC from 35 (95%) responded. Six patients whose PBMC proliferated strongly in response to WI-1 (defined as a stimulation index greater than 50) were tested further for responses to subcloned, recombinant fragments of the antigen. These patients responded chiefly to sequences within the N terminus and the 25-amino-acid tandem repeat. Cloned CD4+ T cells from an infected individual were used to delineate more precisely the peptide epitopes in the fragments and HLA restricting elements that present them. A majority of the T-cell clones recognized an epitope spanning amino acids 149 to 172 within the N terminus, displayed by HLA-DR 15. A minority of the clones, which have been shown to perform a cytolytic function in vitro, recognized an epitope in the tandem repeat displayed by HLA-DPw4, an uncommon restricting element. Tandem repeat epitopes required display by the β chain of DPw4 heterodimers. Thus, human T cells with different functions in vitro also recognize distinct regions of WI-1, raising the possibility that HLA restricting elements that present them could modulate immunity during blastomycosis by selection and display of WI-1 peptides.
The Development of a Screening Questionnaire for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children with Down Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition which affects an estimated 50% of children with Down syndrome, particularly in their early years. It can cause serious sequelae in affected children but may not be recognized by parents or health professionals. Routine screening has been recommended in some countries, but is not standard practice. There are no validated questionnaire-based tools available to screen this population of children for this particular sleep-related disorder. Using existing validated sleep questionnaire items, we have developed a questionnaire to screen children with Down syndrome up to 6 years of age for obstructive sleep apnea, which corresponds with the recommendations made in UK national guidelines. This paper describes these first steps in demonstrating content validity for a new questionnaire, which will be subject to further in-depth psychometric analysis. Relevance, clarity, and age appropriateness were rated for 33 items using a content review questionnaire by a group of 18 health professionals with expertise in respiratory pediatrics, neurodevelopmental pediatrics, and sleep physiology. The content validity index was calculated for individual items and contributed to decisions about item inclusion. Scale level content validity index for the modified questionnaire of 14 items was at an accepted level of 0.78. Two parents of children with Down syndrome took part in cognitive interviews after completing the modified questionnaire. We describe the development of this 14 item questionnaire to screen for OSA in children with DS from infancy to 6 years.
Signal Sensing By The Architecture Of Embedded I/O Pad Circuits

Abstract In this study, the detecting structures in an embedded CUP wafer, which are called sensors, are investigated through a contactless sensing analysis. These novel sensing structures, which were designed using the ADS 2009 platform and the design rules for the TSMC 0.18-μm CMOS process, were placed under bonding pads. However, signals would still pass through these I/O sensing structures (i.e., ESD devices or circuits) and become coupled up to the pads of the top-layer metal as square, sinusoidal, or ESD pulse waveforms are injected. Through the resulting sensing relationship, we could then judge whether or not the bottom circuit is a good candidate for EMI consideration. Eventually, it was found that during an ESD occurred situation, a strong signal coupling can be sensed by the ESD protection circuits, especially by gate-coupled ESD protection circuitry.
Diagnosis of human fascioliasis by stool and blood techniques: update for the present global scenario

SUMMARY Before the 1990s, human fascioliasis diagnosis focused on individual patients in hospitals or health centres. Case reports were mainly from developed countries and usually concerned isolated human infection in animal endemic areas. From the mid-1990s onwards, due to the progressive description of human endemic areas and human infection reports in developing countries, but also new knowledge on clinical manifestations and pathology, new situations, hitherto neglected, entered in the global scenario. Human fascioliasis has proved to be pronouncedly more heterogeneous than previously thought, including different transmission patterns and epidemiological situations. Stool and blood techniques, the main tools for diagnosis in humans, have been improved for both patient and survey diagnosis. Present availabilities for human diagnosis are reviewed focusing on advantages and weaknesses, sample management, egg differentiation, qualitative and quantitative diagnosis, antibody and antigen detection, post-treatment monitoring and post-control surveillance. Main conclusions refer to the pronounced difficulties of diagnosing fascioliasis in humans given the different infection phases and parasite migration capacities, clinical heterogeneity, immunological complexity, different epidemiological situations and transmission patterns, the lack of a diagnostic technique covering all needs and situations, and the advisability for a combined use of different techniques, at least including a stool technique and a blood technique.
In Vitro Assessment of Encapsulated C3A Hepatocytes Functions in a Fluidized Bed Bioreactor

In the present in vitro model, the authors intended to assess viability and functionality of hepatocytes encapsulated into alginate beads and submitted to a fluidized bed motion in a bioreactor. Human immortalized C3A line was chosen as cell model. Two controls consisting of (1) cells cultured on flasks and (2) cells encapsulated in alginate beads under static conditions were implemented. The cell functions studied were total protein, albumin, urea, and ammonia synthesis, as well as ammonia removal in the case of overdose. The comparison among the three cases studied showed that the three‐dimensional structure of alginate offered a suitable environment for cell functions. In addition, the fluidized bed bioreactor enhanced the mass transfer and thus increased the amount of species released out of the beads, as compared with the static case. Ammonia detoxification only appeared reduced by encapsulation. The concept of a fluidized bed bioartificial liver was thus validated by this in vitro model, which indicated that cell functions could be efficiently retained. In addition, as far as urea and protein synthesis and release were concerned, the use of the C3A cell line, in combination with encapsulation and fluidization technology, offered a real potentiality for the purpose of extracorporeal liver supply.