Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is there value in routinely obtaining a report from the general practitioner as part of pre-entry health screening of students for nursing studies?

BACKGROUND Reports from general practitioners (GPs) are requested on applicants for nurse training, but there is no published evidence of the merit of this practice. AIMS To assess the benefit of GP report in health assessments of student nurse applicants. METHODS An audit was made of information obtained by health declaration form (HDF), nurse's assessment, GP report and, when performed, a physician's assessment for each applicant. Agreement between the health questionnaire and GP report was analysed by kappa statistics. RESULTS Of 254 applicants, 246 (97%) were declared 'fit to work', four (1.6%) were deemed 'fit with restrictions' and four (1.6%) were considered 'unfit to work'. The most common problems declared were psychiatric and skin problems. The agreement between health declaration and the information provided by GPs was classed as almost perfect for diabetes and only fair to moderate for all other measures. The reports provided additional information on problems not declared by applicants, but all of these were passive problems. The four unfit candidates all had psychiatric illness, but in all cases the occupational health assessment was sufficient to make this decision or to request further information. In the 'fit with restrictions' category, three of the four GP reports (75%) helped in correctly assigning the applicants to this category. In one of these eight cases a passive problem had not been declared. CONCLUSIONS The additional information in GP reports does not affect the conclusion regarding fitness for training in most cases and does not provide sufficient information to merit it being sought routinely.
Pinterest Homemade Sunscreens: A Recipe for Sunburn

ABSTRACT Social media, specifically Pinterest with more than 175 million users, has changed the way people seek and share health information. Recent consumer interest in natural products has led to an increase of shared recipes for homemade products including sunscreen. Homemade sunscreen products are risky because they are not regulated or tested for efficacy like commercial sunscreens. With rising skin cancer rates, the use of effective broadband sunscreen is critical to reduce incidence of skin cancer. This study used directed content analysis to examine how homemade sunscreens were portrayed on Pinterest. Using the search terms, homemade sunscreen and natural sunscreen, researchers sampled every fifth pin to collect 189 relevant pins. A codebook was developed, pilot tested, and used to code pins. Two researchers coded pins and interrater reliability was established at 90%. Of the 189 pins, the majority of pins (95.2%) positively portrayed the effectiveness of homemade sunscreens and 68.3% recommended recipes for homemade sunscreens that offered insufficient UV radiation protection. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) claims were made in 33.3% of pins with a range of SPF 2 to SPF 50. In this sample of pins, 41.8% of pins had been saved by other users ranging from one to more than 21,000 times. Social media is a powerful source of health information. However, this study revealed widespread interest and acceptance of insufficient sun protection information. Pinterest and the interest in homemade recipes for sunscreen present an opportunity for public health professionals to proactively engage on social media. Abbreviations: US: United States; SPF: sun protection factor; USFDA: United states food and drug administration; UV: ultraviolet
Efficient Replication of Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 Vectors: a cis-Acting Element outside of the Terminal Repeats and a Minimal Size

ABSTRACT Recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) can be produced in adenovirus-infected cells by cotransfecting a plasmid containing the recombinant AAV2 genome, which is generally comprised of the viral terminal repeats flanking a transgene, together with a second plasmid expressing the AAV2 rep and cap genes. However, recombinant viruses generally replicate inefficiently, often producing 100-fold fewer virus particles per cell than can be obtained after transfection with a plasmid containing a wild-type AAV2 genome. We demonstrate that this defect is due, at least in part, to the presence of a positive-acting cis element between nucleotides 194 and 1882 of AAV2. Recombinant AAV2 genomes lacking this region accumulated 14-fold less double-stranded, monomer-length replicative-form DNA than did wild-type AAV2. In addition, we demonstrate that a minimum genome size of 3.5 kb is required for efficient production of single-stranded viral DNA. Relatively small recombinant genomes (2,992 and 3,445 bp) accumulated three- to eightfold less single-stranded DNA per monomer-length replicative-form DNA molecule than wild-type AAV2. In contrast, recombinant AAV2 with larger genomes (3,555 to 4,712 bp) accumulated similar amounts of single-stranded DNA per monomer-length replicative-form DNA compared to wild-type AAV2. Analysis of two recombinant AAV2 genomes less than 3.5 kb in size indicated that they were deficient in the production of the extended form of monomer-length replicative-form DNA, which is thought to be the immediate precursor to single-stranded AAV2 DNA.
HIV‐1‐infected and/or immune activated macrophages regulate astrocyte SDF‐1 production through IL‐1β

Stromal cell‐derived factor 1 alpha (SDF‐1α) and its receptor CXCR4 play important roles in the pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV‐1)‐associated dementia (HAD) by serving as a HIV‐1 co‐receptor and affecting cell migration, virus‐mediated neurotoxicity, and neurodegeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating SDF‐1 production during disease are not completely understood. In this report we investigated the role of HIV‐1 infected and immune competent macrophage, the principal target cell and mediator of neuronal injury and death in HAD, in regulating SDF‐1 production by astrocytes. Our data demonstrated that astrocytes are the primary cell type expressing SDF‐1 in the brain. Immune‐activated or HIV‐1‐infected human monocyte‐derived‐macrophage (MDM) conditioned media (MCM) induced a substantial increase in SDF‐1 production by human astrocytes. This SDF‐1 production was directly dependent on MDM IL‐1β following both viral and immune activation. The MCM‐induced production of SDF‐1 was prevented by IL‐1β receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra) and IL‐1β siRNA treatment of human MDM. These laboratory observations were confirmed in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice with HIV‐1 encephalitis (HIVE). In these HIVE mice, reactive astrocytes showed a significant increase in SDF‐1 expression, as observed by immunocytochemical staining. Similarly, SDF‐1 mRNA levels were increased in the encephalitic region as measured by real time RT‐PCR, and correlated with IL‐1β mRNA expression. These observations provide direct evidence that IL‐1β, produced from HIV‐1‐infected and/or immune competent macrophage, induces production of SDF‐1 by astrocytes, and as such contribute to ongoing SDF‐1 mediated CNS regulation during HAD. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Improved soybean protein sources for early-weaned pigs: I. Effects on performance and total tract amino acid digestibility.

Seventy-two Yorkshire pigs weaned at 21 d of age were allotted to one of seven treatments with different protein sources serving as the primary lysine source at the expense of dried skim milk. Protein sources were dried skim milk (DSM), two isolated soybean proteins (ISP), three soybean protein concentrates (SPC), and 48.5% soybean meal (SBM). Average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F) were greater (P < .05) for pigs fed the DSM diet, the two ISP diets, or the three SPC diets during the first 2-wk period than for pigs fed the SBM diet. Average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the 1st wk was lowest in pigs fed the SBM diet. During the 2nd wk on trial and for the first 2-wk period, ADFI among the dietary treatments was similar. Performance of pigs fed either the ISP diets or the SPC diets as the supplemental protein source was equal to the performance of those fed the DSM diet. Average daily gain, G:F, and ADFI during a subsequent 3-wk period were not affected by treatment. Dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) digestibilities were greater (P < .01) in pigs fed DSM, ISP, and SPC diets than in those fed the SBM diet. Apparent digestibility of DM, N, and amino acids (AA) improved from wk 1 to wk 2 postweaning in pigs fed SBM but not in those fed DSM. However, digestibilities of these nutrients were similar among pigs fed the DSM, ISP, and SPC diets. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comparative efficacy and acceptability of antidepressants in the long-term treatment of major depression: protocol for a systematic review and networkmeta-analysis

Introduction Pharmacotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of major depression. At the initiation of antidepressant treatment, both improvement of symptoms in the short term and relapse prevention in the long term should be taken into account. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding the efficacy and the acceptability of continuation/maintenance treatments and the relative efficacy/acceptability of antidepressants. Objective We will conduct a pairwise meta-analysis and a network meta-analysis (NMA) to examine the relative efficacy, tolerability and acceptability of antidepressants in the long-term treatment of major depression. Methods and analysis We will include double-blind randomised controlled trials comparing any of the following antidepressants, which we included in our previous NMA of the acute treatment for major depression, with placebo or with another active drug for long-term treatment of major depression: agomelatine, amitriptyline, bupropion, citalopram, clomipramine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, levomilnacipran, milnacipran, mirtazapine, nefazodone, paroxetine, reboxetine, sertraline, trazodone, venlafaxine, vilazodone and vortioxetine. Our primary outcomes will be sustained response and all-cause dropouts. We will include four types of designs that are used to investigate long-term treatment. We will conduct two main analyses. First, we will conduct a pairwise meta-analysis comparing all antidepressants versus placebo to investigate whether continuing antidepressants after achieving a positive response in the acute-phase treatment is beneficial and/or safe. Second, we will conduct an NMA to examine the comparative efficacy and acceptability of the drugs. We will use a novel approach that will combine the results of acute-phase treatment NMA with long-term treatment studies to include all related designs in the NMA. We will ensure the validity of combining different designs and our new approach by checking the distribution of important effect modifiers and consistency of network. Ethics and dissemination This study did not require ethical approval. We will disseminate our findings by publishing results in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018114561; Pre-results.
Phosphoproteomic Profiling Identifies Aberrant Activation of Integrin Signaling in Aggressive Non-Type Bladder Carcinoma

Bladder carcinoma is highly heterogeneous and its complex molecular landscape; thus, poses a significant challenge for resolving an effective treatment in metastatic tumors. We computed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) scores of three bladder carcinoma subtypes—luminal, basal, and non-type. The EMT score of the non-type indicated a “mesenchymal-like” phenotype, which correlates with a relatively more aggressive form of carcinoma, typified by an increased migration and invasion. To identify the altered signaling pathways potentially regulating this EMT phenotype in bladder cancer cell lines, we utilized liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based phosphoproteomic approach. Bioinformatics analyses were carried out to determine the activated pathways, networks, and functions in bladder carcinoma cell lines. A total of 3125 proteins were identified, with 289 signature proteins noted to be differentially phosphorylated (p ≤ 0.05) in the non-type cell lines. The integrin pathway was significantly enriched and five major proteins (TLN1, CTTN, CRKL, ZYX and BCAR3) regulating cell motility and invasion were hyperphosphorylated. Our study reveals GSK3A/B and CDK1 as promising druggable targets for the non-type molecular subtype, which could improve the treatment outcomes for aggressive bladder carcinoma.
New hypothesis for the etiology of SPAST‐based hereditary spastic paraplegia

Mutations of the SPAST gene are the chief cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia. Controversy exists in the medical community as to whether the etiology of the disease is haploinsufficiency or toxic gain‐of‐function properties of the mutant spastin proteins. In recognition of strong reasons that support each possible mechanism, here we present a novel perspective, based in part on new studies with mouse models and in part on the largest study to date on patients with the disease. We posit that haploinsufficiency does not cause the disease but makes the corticospinal tracts vulnerable to a second hit, which is usually the mutant spastin proteins but could also be proteins generated by mutations of other genes that may or may not cause the disease on their own.
Consumer choice as experienced in the user-choice food pantry environment: motivations and situational influences on food selection

Abstract Objective: While scholarship has investigated how to provide more healthy food options in choice pantry environments, research has just begun to investigate how pantry users go about making decisions regarding food items when the ability to choose is present. The present analysis sought to investigate the factors prohibiting and inhibiting food decision making in choice pantries from the perspective of frequent pantry users. Design: Six focus group interviews were conducted with visitors to choice food pantries, to discuss the decision-making process involved in food selection during choice pantry visits. Each was provided a $US 15 remuneration for taking part. Setting: A school-based choice food pantry in Anderson, Indiana, USA, a small Midwestern community. Participants: Thirty-one men and women, largely aged 45–64 years, who made use of choice food pantries at least once monthly to meet their family’s food needs. Results: Choice pantry visitors indicated that the motivation to select healthy food items was impacted by both individual and situational influences, similar to retail environments. Just as moment-of-purchase and place-of-purchase factors influence the purchasing of food items in retail environments, situational factors, such as food availability and the ‘price’ of food items in point values, impacted healthy food selection at choice pantries. However, the stigmatization experienced by those who visit pantries differs quite dramatically from the standard shopping experience. Conclusions: Choice pantries would benefit from learning more about the psychosocial factors in their own pantries and adapting the environment to the desires of their users, rather than adopting widely disseminated strategies that encourage healthy food choices with little consideration of their unique clientele.
Fine Mapping of the Wheat Leaf Rust Resistance Gene Lr42

Leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks is one of the most problematic diseases of wheat throughout the world. The gene Lr42 confers effective resistance against leaf rust at both seedling and adult plant stages. Previous studies had reported Lr42 to be both recessive and dominant in hexaploid wheat; however, in diploid Aegilops tauschii (TA2450), we found Lr42 to be dominant by studying segregation in two independent F2 and their F2:3 populations. We further fine-mapped Lr42 in hexaploid wheat using a KS93U50/Morocco F5 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population to a 3.7 cM genetic interval flanked by markers TC387992 and WMC432. The 3.7 cM Lr42 region physically corresponds to a 3.16 Mb genomic region on chromosome 1DS based on the Chinese Spring reference genome (RefSeq v.1.1) and a 3.5 Mb genomic interval on chromosome 1 in the Ae. tauschii reference genome. This region includes nine nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NLR) genes in wheat and seven in Ae. tauschii, respectively, and these are the likely candidates for Lr42. Furthermore, we developed two kompetitive allele-specific polymorphism (KASP) markers (SNP113325 and TC387992) flanking Lr42 to facilitate marker-assisted selection for rust resistance in wheat breeding programs.
Multiplex PCR for detection of microcystins‐producing cyanobacteria from freshwater samples

The aim of this study was to develop a PCR‐based method of gene‐directed multiplex PCR to rapidly identify microcystins producing cyanobacteria, regardless of their taxa, that could be applied in routine freshwater monitoring. Instead of using the amplification of only one or two mcy gene fragments, a multiplex PCR that simultaneously amplifies mcyA‐cd, mcyAB, and mcyB fragments of the microcystin gene cluster was validated with DNA from 124 cyanobacterial isolates and applied in 37 environmental samples. The toxicological status of the isolates was assessed by high‐performance liquid chromatography also used as the “gold standard” for the evaluation of multiplex mcy genes‐based PCR, where a sensitivity of 92.3% and a specificity of 100% have been obtained. For the environmental samples, a rapid protocol for their direct use in the PCR reaction has been developed and, by using ELISA results as “gold standard” for the presence of microcystins in these samples, a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 100% were achieved, showing that this multiplex PCR test is a rapid, reliable, and economical way of assessing the microcystin‐producing potential of cyanobacteria in freshwaters, regardless of their taxa or microcystins variant produced. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.
Document summarization method based on heterogeneous graph

Document summarization has been widely studied for many years. Existing methods mainly use statistical or linguistic information to extract the most informative sentences from document. However, those methods ignore the relationship between different granularities (i.e., word, sentence, and topic). Actually, the interactions between those granularities can be used in document summarization. In this paper we proposed a document summarization method based on heterogeneous graph. The method is first implemented by constructing a graph which reflect relationship between different size of granularity nodes, and then using ranking algorithm to calculate score of nodes. Finally, highest score of sentences in the document will be chosen as summary. Experimental results show that our approach outperforms baseline methods.
Interconnected Toroidal Hydrogels for Islet Encapsulation

Islet encapsulation and transplantation promises to improve upon current treatments for type 1 diabetes mellitus, though several limitations remain. Macroscale devices have been designed for in vivo transplantation and retrieval, but traditional geometries do not support clinically adequate mass transfer of nutrients to and insulin from the encapsulated tissue. Microcapsule technologies have improved mass transfer properties, but their clinical translation remains challenging as their complete retrieval is difficult, should the graft become a safety concern. Here, the design, characterization and testing of a novel encapsulation structure, comprised of elastomer‐reinforced interconnected toroidal hydrogels is reported. These donut‐shaped hydrogels feature a high surface area, higher than conventional spherical capsules of the same volume, bestowing suitable mass transport conditions, while allowing interconnection and reversible deformation for intraperitoneal implantation and retrieval. Diabetes correction up to 12 weeks and complete retrieval is achieved in a diabetic mouse model, providing a proof‐of‐concept for the potential application as a type 1 diabetes cell replacement therapy.
GroEL from the endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola betrays the aphid by triggering plant defense

Significance Aphids are sap-feeding plant pests of great agricultural importance. Aphid saliva is known to modulate plant immune responses, but limited information exists about the composition of aphid saliva. By means of mass spectrometry, we identified 105 proteins in the saliva of the potato aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae. Among these proteins were some originating from the proteobacterium Buchnera aphidicola, which lives endosymbiotically within bacteriocytes in the hemocoel of the aphid. We demonstrate that one of these endosymbiont-derived proteins, the chaperonin GroEL, is recognized by the plant immune surveillance system and activates pattern-triggered immunity. Our findings indicate that the outcome of plant–aphid interactions critically depends on a third element, the aphid endosymbiotic prokaryotic component, which induces plant immunity. Aphids are sap-feeding plant pests and harbor the endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola, which is essential for their fecundity and survival. During plant penetration and feeding, aphids secrete saliva that contains proteins predicted to alter plant defenses and metabolism. Plants recognize microbe-associated molecular patterns and induce pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). No aphid-associated molecular pattern has yet been identified. By mass spectrometry, we identified in saliva from potato aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) 105 proteins, some of which originated from Buchnera, including the chaperonin GroEL. Because GroEL is a widely conserved bacterial protein with an essential function, we tested its role in PTI. Applying or infiltrating GroEL onto Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves induced oxidative burst and expression of PTI early marker genes. These GroEL-induced defense responses required the known coreceptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1. In addition, in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, inducible expression of groEL activated PTI marker gene expression. Moreover, Arabidopsis plants expressing groEL displayed reduced fecundity of the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), indicating enhanced resistance against aphids. Furthermore, delivery of GroEL into tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) or Arabidopsis through Pseudomonas fluorescens, engineered to express the type III secretion system, also reduced potato aphid and green peach aphid fecundity, respectively. Collectively our data indicate that GroEL is a molecular pattern that triggers PTI.