Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and Intentions toward COVID-19 Vaccination among Spanish Adults: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is postulated as the most effective measure to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the use of other protection measures is necessary to efficiently combat the spread of the virus. The aim of the present study was to determine the attitudes and intentions toward COVID-19 vaccination among non-regular social media users in Spain and to analyze how these factors could condition the acceptance of other personal protective measures once an individual has received the COVID-19 vaccine. A cross-sectional design was used in this work. In total, 719 subjects, ≥18 years old and of both sexes, were recruited from primary public healthcare centers to self-complete a questionnaire between March and April 2021. The majority of participants had a positive attitude toward vaccination and showed high levels of intention to be vaccinated. Likewise, except those participants who considered the vaccine to be the most effective measure to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the rest of the participants highlighted the importance of continuing to limit social interactions and/or wearing masks even after being vaccinated. Since vaccination can create a perception of total immunity against SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary that healthcare staff organize effective awareness campaigns on the importance of maintaining personal protective measures until vaccination coverage is greater.
The Autophagosomes Containing Dengue Virus Proteins and Full-Length Genomic RNA Are Infectious

Autophagic machinery is involved in selective and non-selective recruitment as well as degradation or exocytosis of cargoes, including pathogens. Dengue virus (DENV) infection induces autophagy that enhances virus replication and vesicle release to evade immune system surveillance. This study reveals that DENV2 induces autophagy in lung and liver cancer cells and showed that DENV2 capsid, envelope, NS1, NS3, NS4B and host cell proinflammatory high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) proteins associated with autophagosomes which were purified by gradient centrifugation. Capsid, NS1 and NS3 proteins showing high colocalization with LC3 protein in the cytoplasm of the infected cells were detected in the purified double-membrane autophagosome by immunogold labeling under transmission electron microscopy. In DENV infected cells, the levels of capsid, envelope, NS1 and HMGB1 proteins are not significantly changed compared to the dramatic accumulation of LC3-II and p62/SQSTM1 proteins when autophagic degradation was blocked by chloroquine, indicating that these proteins are not regulated by autophagic degradation machinery. We further demonstrated that purified autophagosomes were infectious when co-cultured with uninfected cells. Notably, these infectious autophagosomes contain DENV2 proteins, negative-strand and full-length genomic RNAs, but no viral particles. It is possible that the infectivity of the autophagosome originates from the full-length DENV RNA. Moreover, we reveal that DENV2 promotes HMGB1 exocytosis partially through secretory autophagy. In conclusion, we are the first to report that DENV2-induced double-membrane autophagosomes containing viral proteins and full-length RNAs are infectious and not undergoing autophagic degradation. Our novel finding warrants further validation of whether these intracellular vesicles undergo exocytosis to become infectious autophagic vesicles.
“First Do No Harm”. No-Fault Compensation Program for COVID-19 Vaccines as Feasibility and Wisdom of a Policy Instrument to Mitigate Vaccine Hesitancy

Vaccines are so far proven to be safe, although related adverse events cannot be excluded. The urgency for COVID-19 vaccines determined a dilution of the general expectations of safety and efficacy of vaccination (from safe and effective to safe and effective enough). In many countries, a no-fault program was established to compensate individuals who experienced serious vaccine-related injuries. The impressive number of administrations worldwide and the legal indemnity afforded to manufacturers of approved vaccines that cannot be pursued for compensation fed the debate about the availability of a compensation model for COVID-19 vaccine-related injuries. Several European countries have long introduced a system, Vaccine Injury Compensation Programs, to compensate people who suffer physical harm because of vaccination. In Europe, COVID-19 vaccination is strongly recommended for the general population and in many states is declared mandatory for healthcare workers. In 1992, Italy edited Law no. 210 providing legal protection for individuals who reported injuries after mandatory and recommended vaccinations as a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system. Despite its recommended nature, COVID-19 vaccination is excluded from the no-fault model in several European states, and the Italian government is called to provide clear and firm instructions for the management of the many requests for compensation. The authors provide an overview of the existing compensation models in Europe and analyse available legislative proposals.
A Deep-Learning Based Visual Sensing Concept for a Robust Classification of Document Images under Real-World Hard Conditions

This paper’s core objective is to develop and validate a new neurocomputing model to classify document images in particularly demanding hard conditions such as image distortions, image size variance and scale, a huge number of classes, etc. Document classification is a special machine vision task in which document images are categorized according to their likelihood. Document classification is by itself an important topic for the digital office and it has several usages. Additionally, different methods for solving this problem have been presented in various studies; their respectively reached performance is however not yet good enough. This task is very tough and challenging. Thus, a novel, more accurate and precise model is needed. Although the related works do reach acceptable accuracy values for less hard conditions, they generally fully fail in the face of those above-mentioned hard, real-world conditions, including, amongst others, distortions such as noise, blur, low contrast, and shadows. In this paper, a novel deep CNN model is developed, validated and benchmarked with a selection of the most relevant recent document classification models. Additionally, the model’s sensitivity was significantly improved by injecting different artifacts during the training process. In the benchmarking, it does clearly outperform all others by at least 4%, thus reaching more than 96% accuracy.
A Rapid Systematic Review of Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake in Minority Ethnic Groups in the UK

COVID-19 has disproportionately affected minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom. To maximise the effectiveness of the vaccination programme, it is important to understand and address disparities in vaccine uptake. The aim of this review was to identify factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination uptake between minority ethnic groups in the UK. A search was undertaken in peer-reviewed databases, polling websites and grey literature from January 2020–May 2021. Studies were included if they reported data on vaccine uptake or the reasons for or against accepting the COVID-19 vaccination for minority ethnic groups in the UK. Twenty-one papers met the inclusion criteria, all of which were rated as either good or moderate quality. Ethnic minority status was associated with higher vaccine hesitancy and lower vaccine uptake compared with White British groups. Barriers included pre-existing mistrust of formal services, lack of information about the vaccine’s safety, misinformation, inaccessible communications, and logistical issues. Facilitators included inclusive communications which address vaccine concerns via trusted communicators and increased visibility of minority ethnic groups in the media. Community engagement to address the concerns and informational needs of minority ethnic groups using trusted and collaborative community and healthcare networks is likely to increase vaccine equity and uptake.
Viral Glycoproteins Induce NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Pyroptosis in Macrophages

Infections with viral pathogens are widespread and can cause a variety of different diseases. In-depth knowledge about viral triggers initiating an immune response is necessary to decipher viral pathogenesis. Inflammasomes, as part of the innate immune system, can be activated by viral pathogens. However, viral structural components responsible for inflammasome activation remain largely unknown. Here we analyzed glycoproteins derived from SARS-CoV-1/2, HCMV and HCV, required for viral entry and fusion, as potential triggers of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in THP-1 macrophages. All tested glycoproteins were able to potently induce NLRP3 inflammasome activation, indicated by ASC-SPECK formation and secretion of cleaved IL-1β. Lytic cell death via gasdermin D (GSDMD), pore formation, and pyroptosis are required for IL-1β release. As a hallmark of pyroptosis, we were able to detect cleavage of GSDMD and, correspondingly, cell death in THP-1 macrophages. CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of NLRP3 and GSDMD in THP-1 macrophages confirmed and strongly support the evidence that viral glycoproteins can act as innate immunity triggers. With our study, we decipher key mechanisms of viral pathogenesis by showing that viral glycoproteins potently induce innate immune responses. These insights could be beneficial in vaccine development and provide new impulses for the investigation of vaccine-induced innate immunity.
Discovery and Genetic Characterization of Novel Paramyxoviruses Related to the Genus Henipavirus in Crocidura Species in the Republic of Korea

Paramyxoviruses, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, pose a critical threat to human public health. Currently, 78 species, 17 genera, and 4 subfamilies of paramyxoviruses are harbored by multiple natural reservoirs, including rodents, bats, birds, reptiles, and fish. Henipaviruses are critical zoonotic pathogens that cause severe acute respiratory distress and neurological diseases in humans. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 115 Crocidura species individuals were examined for the prevalence of paramyxovirus infections. Paramyxovirus RNA was observed in 26 (22.6%) shrews collected at five trapping sites, Republic of Korea. Herein, we report two genetically distinct novel paramyxoviruses (genus: Henipavirus): Gamak virus (GAKV) and Daeryong virus (DARV) isolated from C. lasiura and C. shantungensis, respectively. Two GAKVs and one DARV were nearly completely sequenced using next-generation sequencing. GAKV and DARV contain six genes (3′-N-P-M-F-G-L-5′) with genome sizes of 18,460 nucleotides and 19,471 nucleotides, respectively. The phylogenetic inference demonstrated that GAKV and DARV form independent genetic lineages of Henipavirus in Crocidura species. GAKV-infected human lung epithelial cells elicited the induction of type I/III interferons, interferon-stimulated genes, and proinflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, this study contributes further understandings of the molecular prevalence, genetic characteristics and diversity, and zoonotic potential of novel paramyxoviruses in shrews.
A Review on Current COVID-19 Vaccines and Evaluation of Particulate Vaccine Delivery Systems

First detected in Wuhan, China, a highly contagious coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as COVID-19, spread globally in December of 2019. As of 19 September 2021, approximately 4.5 million people have died globally, and 215 million active cases have been reported. To date, six vaccines have been developed and approved for human use. However, current production and supply capabilities are unable to meet global demands to immunize the entire world population. Only a few countries have been able to successfully vaccinate many of their residents. Therefore, an alternative vaccine that can be prepared in an easy and cost-effective manner is urgently needed. A vaccine that could be prepared in this manner, as well as can be preserved and transported at room temperature, would be of great benefit to public health. It is possible to develop such an alternative vaccine by using nano- or microparticle platforms. These platforms address most of the existing vaccine limitations as they are stable at room temperature, are inexpensive to produce and distribute, can be administered orally, and do not require cold chain storage for transportation or preservation. Particulate vaccines can be administered as either oral solutions or in sublingual or buccal film dosage forms. Besides improved patient compliance, the major advantage of oral, sublingual, and buccal routes of administration is that they can elicit mucosal immunity. Mucosal immunity, along with systemic immunity, can be a strong defense against SARS-CoV-2 as the virus enters the system through inhalation or saliva. This review discusses the possibility to produce a particulate COVID vaccine by using nano- or microparticles as platforms for oral administration or in sublingual or buccal film dosage forms in order to accelerate global vaccination.
Collision Avoidance Strategy for the Autocrane

The collision between the boom of the autocrane and the obstacle may cause serious equipment damages or casualties. With the development of 6G technology, data between multiple autocranes could be shared in real time, which makes it possible to finely control the autocranes. In order to avoid collision accidents, a collision avoidance strategy is proposed in this paper. This strategy focuses on the evaluation of the collision urgency and different evaluation methods are designed to match the three basic exercise modes of the boom. Based on the collision urgency, the control strategy is then put forward to ensure the boom’s safety in every collision risk level. Additionally, two special cases are also considered to guarantee that all parts of the boom, except for the end, will not hit the obstacle. Lastly, a semi-physical testing platform is established to test the performance of the proposed collision avoidance strategy.
Reactive Exercises with Interactive Objects: Interim Analysis of a Randomized Trial on Task-Driven NMES Grasp Rehabilitation for Subacute and Early Chronic Stroke Patients

Enriched environments and tools are believed to promote grasp rehabilitation after stroke. We designed S2, an interactive grasp rehabilitation system consisting of smart objects, custom orthoses for selective grasp constraining, and an electrode array system for forearm NMES. Motor improvements and perceived usability of a new enriched upper limb training system for sub-acute stroke patients was assessed in this interim analysis. Inclusion criteria: sub-acute stroke patients with MMSE>20, ipsilesional MI>80%, and contralesional MI<80%. Effects of 30-min therapy supplements, conventional vs. S2 prototype, are compared through a parallel two-arms dose-matched open-label trial, lasting 27 sessions. Clinical centres: Asklepios Neurologische Klinik Falkenstein, Königstein im Taunus, Germany, and Clinica Villa Beretta, Costa Masnaga, Italy. Assessment scales: ARAT, System Usability, and Technology Acceptance. Methodology: 26 participants were block randomized, allocated to the study (control N=12, experimental N=14) and underwent the training protocol. Among them, 11 participants with ARAT score at inclusion below 35, n = 6 in the experimental group, and n = 5 in the control group were analysed. Results: participants in the enriched treatment group displayed a larger improvement in the ARAT scale (+14.9 pts, pval=0.0494). Perceived usability differed between clinics. No adverse effect was observed in relation to the treatments. Trial status: closed. Conclusions: The S2 system, developed according to shared clinical directives, was tested in a clinical proof of concept. Variations of ARAT scores confirm the feasibility of clinical investigation for hand rehabilitation after stroke.
Whey-Bread, an Improved Food Product: Evaluation of Textural Characteristics

ABSTRACT The diversity in bread all around the world is enormous and enriched breads are a trend to follow in the next years. The aim of this work was to develop new breads incorporating whey residue, and the final products were analysed for their textural properties, as compared with a basic wheat bread. For measurement of texture two types of teste were used (compression and puncture). The results showed that the whey residue could be used to produce bread with good textural properties, particularly for an improved recipe. The improved whey bread showed good textural characteristics, which remained practically unchanged after 24 h, being this true for the properties evaluated through the compression test (hardness, chewiness, resilience, cohesiveness, springiness) and through the puncture test (external firmness, inner firmness, stickiness, adhesiveness). Finally, very strong correlations were found between cohesiveness and resilience and between adhesiveness and stickiness.
Exploring the synergy of 2D MXene-supported black phosphorus quantum dots in hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions

Black phosphorus quantum dots (BP QDs) are facilely loaded on MXene nanosheets through van der Waals self-assembly. On the one hand, the BP QDs possess large surface areas and abundant active sites, offering fairly high electrocatalytic activity. On the other hand, the MXene nanosheets serve as a 2D substrate to confine the BP QDs, preventing them from aggregation and, thus, electrolyte inaccessibility. They can further provide excellent electronic conductivity and superior structural robustness. The BP QDs, in turn, act as a spacer to isolate the nanosheets from restacking, thus preserving the active sites from being lost. The resulting BP QDs/MXene nanohybrids, as a bifunctional electrocatalyst, exhibit remarkable synergy in both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER) in alkaline media. Specifically, an overpotential of 360 mV (vs. RHE) and a Tafel slope of 64.3 mV dec−1 are achieved for the OER, and an overpotential of 190 mV (vs. RHE) and a Tafel slope of 83.0 mV dec−1 for the HER in 1.0 M KOH solution are achieved. These values are significantly lower than those of their components (BP QDs and MXene nanosheets) and even approach those of commercialized RuO2 or Pt/C. When the BP QDs/MXene nanohybrids are employed as both the cathode and anode in a full cell for overall water splitting, a current density of 10 mA cm−2 is quickly reached at a potential of only 1.78 V. Additionally, the underlying mechanism of the superior electrocatalytic performance of the BP QDs/MXene nanohybrids is fundamentally explored by density functional theory calculations.
Coronavirus disease 2019 in kidney transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: The clinical presentation and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have not been well studied. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis to examine the presenting features, outcomes and the effect of treatment on outcomes of KTRs with COVID-19. Database search was performed up to 5 September 2020 through PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and CENTRAL. Results: Overall, 23 studies (1,373 patients) were included in the review and meta-analysis. The most common presenting symptoms included fever (74.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 65.3–81.1), cough (63.3%, 95% CI 56.5–69.6) and dyspnoea (47.5%, 95% CI 39.6–55.6). Pooled rates of mortality and critical illness were 21.1% (95% CI 15.3–28.4) and 27.7% (95% CI 21.5–34.8), respectively. Acute kidney injury occurred in 38.9% (95% CI 30.6–48.1) and dialysis was required in 12.4% (95% CI 8.3–18.0) of the cases. Conclusion: Kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 have a similar clinical presentation as the general population, but they have higher morbidity and mortality. It is uncertain whether high-dose corticosteroid or hydroxychloroquine reduces the risks of mortality in KTRs with COVID-19.
Quantification of marine benthic communities with metabarcoding

DNA metabarcoding methods have been implemented in studies aimed at detecting and quantifying marine benthic biodiversity. In such surveys, universal barcodes are amplified and sequenced from environmental DNA. To quantify biodiversity with DNA metabarcoding, a relation between the number of DNA sequences of a species and its biomass and/or the abundance is required. However, this relationship is complicated by many factors, and it is often unknown. In this study, we validate estimates of biomass and abundance from molecular approaches with those from the traditional morphological approach. Abundance and biomass were quantified from 126 samples of benthic intertidal mudflat using traditional morphological approaches and compared with frequency of occurrence and relative read abundance estimates from a molecular approach. A relationship between biomass and relative read abundance was found for two widely dispersed annelid taxa (Pygospio and Scoloplos). None of the other taxons, however, showed such a relationship. We discuss how quantification of abundance and biomass using molecular approaches are hampered by the ecology of DNA i.e. all the processes that determine the amount of DNA in the environment, including the ecology of the benthic species as well as the compositional nature of sequencing data.
Antimicrobial effects of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) essential oil against biofilm‐forming multidrug‐resistant cystic fibrosis‐associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a single agent and in combination with commonly nebulized antibiotics

Broth microdilution assays were used to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) of tea tree oil (TTO), tobramycin, colistin and aztreonam (ATM) against clinical cystic fibrosis‐associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CFPA) isolates (n = 20). The minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) and fractional biofilm eradication concentration index (FBECI) were also determined using a similar microbroth dilution checkerboard assay, with biofilms formed using the MBEC device®. TTO was effective at lower concentrations against multidrug‐resistant (MDR) CFPA isolates (n = 3) in a biofilm compared to in a planktonic state (MBEC 18·7‐fold lower than MIC). CFPA within biofilm was less susceptible to ATM, colistin and tobramycin compared to planktonic cells (MBEC 6·3‐fold, 9·3‐fold, and 2·1‐fold higher than MIC respectively). All combinations of essential oil and antibiotic showed indifferent relationships (FICI 0·52–1·72) when tested against planktonic MDR CFPA isolates (n = 5). Against CFPA isolates (n = 3) in biofilm, combinations of TTO/aztreonam and TTO/colistin showed indifferent relationships (mean FBECI 0·85 and 0·60 respectively), whereas TTO/tobramycin showed a synergistic relationship (mean FBECI 0·42). The antibiofilm properties of TTO and the synergistic relationship seen between TTO and tobramycin against CFPA in vitro make inhaled TTO a promising candidate as a potential therapeutic agent.
Leveraging survey and claims data to identify high‐need Medicare beneficiaries in the National Health and Aging Trends Study

Multiple algorithms have been developed to identify and characterize the high‐need (HN) Medicare population. However, they vary in components and yield different populations, and were developed for varying purposes. We compared the performance of existing survey and claims‐based definitions in identifying HN beneficiaries and predicting poor outcomes among a community‐dwelling population.