Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF PULMONARY OBSTRUCTION IN WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO ETHYL AND METHYL CYANOACRYLATE

The association between pulmonary obstruction (e.g., asthma) and occupational exposure to methyl cyanoacrylate (MCA) and ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA) was examined in an occupational cohort of 450 persons at an adhesive production facility in Puerto Rico. Employee medical records containing information on physical examinations and pulmonary function tests (PFTs), as well as occupational histories, on each employee over a period of about 17 yr and industrial hygiene measurements were evaluated. The cohort analysis was based on a Cox proportional hazards model. Workers exposed to ECA or MCA were compared to workers unexposed to these chemicals with respect to their risk of becoming an ''incident case. An ''incident case was defined as any per son whose PFTs were normal at the time of employment, but later demonstrated an obstructive pattern, which was defined as a decline in the ratio of forced expiratory volume exhaled in 1 s to forced vital capacity (FEV /FVC) below 70%. A separate casecontrol analysis was also conducted that compared ''suspected cases, defined as all those whose PFTs ever demonstrated an obstructive pattern (e.g., asthma), to persons whose PFTs remained within normal limits throughout their employment with respect to their past peak and cumulative exposures to cyanoacrylates. All of these analyses showed no evidence that exposure to average short-term concentrations of ECA or MCA of less than 0.5 ppm and occasional daily peak exposures of at least 1.5 ppm (usually 10 min or less), with occasional higher concentrations during spills, were associated with an increased risk of pulmonary obstruction. However, the study suggested that persons occupationally exposed to cyanoacrylates were more likely to have some reversible eye or upper airway irritation than persons who were unexposed. 1
A Synopsis of Sardinian Studies: Why Is it Important to Work on Island Orchids?

Biological and ecological investigations of islands are crucial to explain ecosystem functioning. Many studies on island biodiversity are carried out on oceanic islands. In contrast, information on continental islands, such as those in the Mediterranean Sea, is very often fragmented in space and time. Here, a synopsis of the Orchidaceae of Sardinia is presented based on literature surveys and recent botanical field studies. Our final list comprises of 64 species and 14 genera: thirteen species and subspecies were recognized as endemic and four new species were recorded for the flora of the island: Anacamptis palustris (Jacq.) R.M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W. Chase; Himantoglossum hircinum (L.) Spreng; Orchis italica Poir. ; and Platanthera kuenkelei subsp. kuenkelei var. sardoa R.Lorenz, Akhalk. , H.Baumann, Cortis, Cogoni & Scrugli. This orchid richness reflects the geological history of the island that was linked to the mainland several times, facing long periods of isolation. We also discuss a critical point-of-view of the biodiversity shortfalls still problematic for insular orchids. Indeed, within the Mediterranean Basin, the greatest amount of endemism occurs mainly on large islands, and, despite a long history of botanical exploration in European countries, many of them are scarcely investigated. This annotated synopsis shows the potential of continental islands to understand trends in ecology and evolution. Further studies are required to complete our knowledge of the orchid diversity on continental islands in order to propose scientific-based conservation programs to preserve these unique taxa.
Sampling and Quality Assurance and Quality Control: A Guide for Scientists Investigating the Occurrence of Microplastics Across Matrices

Plastic pollution is a defining environmental contaminant and is considered to be one of the greatest environmental threats of the Anthropocene, with its presence documented across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The majority of this plastic debris falls into the micro (1 μm–5 mm) or nano (1–1000 nm) size range and comes from primary and secondary sources. Its small size makes it cumbersome to isolate and analyze reproducibly, and its ubiquitous distribution creates numerous challenges when controlling for background contamination across matrices (e.g., sediment, tissue, water, air). Although research on microplastics represents a relatively nascent subfield, burgeoning interest in questions surrounding the fate and effects of these debris items creates a pressing need for harmonized sampling protocols and quality control approaches. For results across laboratories to be reproducible and comparable, it is imperative that guidelines based on vetted protocols be readily available to research groups, many of which are either new to plastics research or, as with any new subfield, have arrived at current approaches through a process of trial-and-error rather than in consultation with the greater scientific community. The goals of this manuscript are to (i) outline the steps necessary to conduct general as well as matrix-specific quality assurance and quality control based on sample type and associated constraints, (ii) briefly review current findings across matrices, and (iii) provide guidance for the design of sampling regimes. Specific attention is paid to the source of microplastic pollution as well as the pathway by which contamination occurs, with details provided regarding each step in the process from generating appropriate questions to sampling design and collection.
The relationship between the platelet to leukocyte ratio and mechanical thrombectomy outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients

ABSTRACT Background and purpose The predictive effect of blood cell ratio on ischemic event has been widely confirmed. Whether PWR and PNR can assess the risk of endovascular treatment (EVT) is largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of PNR and PWR in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with EVT. Methods Poor functional outcome was defined as Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of 3-6 at 3 months, Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) was diagnosed based on CT scan and classified according to the criterial of Heidelberg Bleeding Classification. Binary logistical regression was used to analyze the relationship of PWR, PNR with functional outcome and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Results Patients with good prognosis had higher PNR and PWR value (29 vs. 24, P=0.002) (22 vs. 19, P=0.009), a lower rate of sICH (2.9% vs. 24.9%, P<0.001). In model 1, the lower PNR significantly associated with poor functional outcome (OR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.26-0.88; P=0.018), and sICH (OR, 0.42; 95% CI 0.19-0.91; P=0.028). The lower PWR only significantly associated with poor prognosis (OR, 0.97; 95% CI 0.94-1.00; P=0.038), and had a trend relation with sICH (OR, 0.98; 95% CI 0.94-1.02; P=0.328). In model 2 lower PNR still significantly associated with poor functional outcome (OR, 0.53; 95% CI 0.29-0.99; P=0.047), but showed a trend for predicting sICH (OR, 0.56; 95% CI 0.25-1.25; P=0.158). Conclusion Platelet to leukocyte ratio may be use to assess the risk of functional outcome and sICH in patients with acute anterior circulation occlusion stroke undergoing endovascular treatment in real world China.
Zebrafish IL-4–like Cytokines and IL-10 Suppress Inflammation but Only IL-10 Is Essential for Gill Homeostasis

Key Points Zebrafish IL-4–like cytokines promote type 2 and suppress type 1 immunity. Zebrafish IL-10 is potently anti-inflammatory and essential for gill homeostasis. Mucosal surfaces such as fish gills interface between the organism and the external environment and as such are major sites of foreign Ag encounter. In the gills, the balance between inflammatory responses to waterborne pathogens and regulatory responses toward commensal microbes is critical for effective barrier function and overall fish health. In mammals, IL-4 and IL-13 in concert with IL-10 are essential for balancing immune responses to pathogens and suppressing inflammation. Although considerable progress has been made in the field of fish immunology in recent years, whether the fish counterparts of these key mammalian cytokines perform similar roles is still an open question. In this study, we have generated IL-4/13A and IL-4/13B mutant zebrafish (Danio rerio) and, together with an existing IL-10 mutant line, characterized the consequences of loss of function of these cytokines. We demonstrate that IL-4/13A and IL-4/13B are required for the maintenance of a Th2-like phenotype in the gills and the suppression of type 1 immune responses. As in mammals, IL-10 appears to have a more striking anti-inflammatory function than IL-4–like cytokines and is essential for gill homeostasis. Thus, both IL-4/13 and IL-10 paralogs in zebrafish exhibit aspects of conserved function with their mammalian counterparts.
Novel Proteome Extraction Method Illustrates a Conserved Immunological Signature of MSI-H Colorectal Tumors

The TOP method is a simple, robust, environment friendly proteome extraction method, with decreased fixation time bias. Using the TOP method, we analyzed by LC\MS-MS a clinical cohort of microsatellite stable (MSS) and unstable (MSI-H) colorectal carcinoma (CRC). An MSI-H specific, STAT-1 centric, immunological signature was identified. In-vitro experiments connected this signature to long, but not short exposure, to Interferon-g. Our data provides in-depth view of the MSI-H immunobiology and suggests that the roles of STAT proteins are context dependent. Graphical Abstract Highlights TOP: robust, bio-friendly FFPE proteome extraction method with less fixation bias. Proteome of MSI-H colorectal cancer identifies immunobiology key elements. MSI-H tumor displays an “INFg-STAT1 centric signature”. Long-term IFNg induction In-vitro mimicks MSI-H signature. Using a simple, environment friendly proteome extraction (TOP), we were able to optimize the analysis of clinical samples. Using our TOP method we analyzed a clinical cohort of microsatellite stable (MSS) and unstable (MSI-H) colorectal carcinoma (CRC). We identified a tumor cell specific, STAT1-centered, immune signature expressed by the MSI-H tumor cells. We then showed that long, but not short, exposure to Interferon-γ induces a similar signature in vitro. We identified 10 different temporal protein expression patterns, classifying the Interferon-γ protein temporal regulation in CRC. Our data sheds light on the changes that tumor cells undergo under long-term immunological pressure in vivo, the importance of STAT proteins in specific biological scenarios. The data generated could help find novel clinical biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.
p67phox‐derived self‐assembled peptides prevent Nox2 NADPH oxidase activation by an auto‐inhibitory mechanism

Activation of the Nox2‐dependent NADPH oxidase is the result of a conformational change in Nox2 induced by interaction with the cytosolic component p67phox. In preliminary work we identified a cluster of overlapping 15‐mer synthetic peptides, corresponding to p67phox residues 259‐279, which inhibited oxidase activity in an in vitro, cell‐free assay, but the results did not point to a competitive mechanism. We recently identified an auto‐inhibitory intramolecular bond in p67phox, one extremity of which was located within the 259‐279 sequence, and we hypothesized that inhibition by exogenous peptides might mimic intrinsic auto‐inhibition. In this study, we found that: (i) progressive N‐ and C‐terminal truncation of inhibitory p67phox peptides, corresponding to residues 259‐273 and 265‐279, revealed that inhibitory ability correlated with the presence of residues 265NIVFVL270, exposed at either the N‐ or C‐termini of the peptides; (ii) inhibition of oxidase activity was associated exclusively with self‐assembled peptides, which pelleted upon centrifugation at 12,000 ×g; (iii) self‐assembled p67phox peptides inhibited oxidase activity by specific binding of p67phox and the ensuing depletion of this component, essential for interaction with Nox2; and (iv) peptides subjected to scrambling or reversing the order of residues in NIVFVL retained the propensity for self‐assembly, oxidase inhibitory ability, and specific binding of p67phox, indicating that the dominant parameter was the hydrophobic character of five of the six residues. This appears to be the first description of inhibition of oxidase activity by self‐assembled peptides derived from an oxidase component, acting by an auto‐inhibitory mechanism.
Decision tree algorithm for precision marketing via network channel

With the development of e-commerce, more and more enterprises attach importance to precision marketing for network channels. This study adopted the decision tree algorithm in data mining to achieve precision marketing. Firstly, precision marketing and C4.5 decision tree algorithm were brieﬂy introduced. Then e-commerce enterprise A was taken as an example. The data from January to June 2018 were collected. Four attributes including age, income, occupation and educational background were selected for calculation and decision tree was established to extract classiﬁcation rules.The results showed that the consumers of the products of the company were high-income young and middle-aged people, middle-income young people, middle-income middle-aged and elderly people with a college degree or above, low-income middle-aged people with a college degree or above and low-income elderly people with a state-owned enterprise. After precision marketing to these customers, it was found that the monthly sales volume of the enterprise increased by 22.82% and the marketing cost decreased by 28.21%, which veriﬁed the effectiveness and application value of precision marketing and showed that the decision tree algorithm could provide enterprises with decision support in precision marketing.
In vivo two-photon microscopy reveals the contribution of Sox9+ cell to kidney regeneration in a mouse model with extracellular vesicle treatment

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)–derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been shown to stimulate regeneration in the treatment of kidney injury. Renal regeneration is also thought to be stimulated by the activation of Sox9+ cells. However, whether and how the activation mechanisms underlying EV treatment and Sox9+ cell–dependent regeneration intersect is unclear. We reasoned that a high-resolution imaging platform in living animals could help to untangle this system. To test this idea, we first applied EVs derived from human placenta–derived MSCs (hP-MSCs) to a Sox9-CreERT2; R26mTmG transgenic mouse model of acute kidney injury (AKI). Then, we developed an abdominal imaging window in the mouse and tracked the Sox9+ cells in the inducible Sox9-Cre transgenic mice via in vivo lineage tracing with two-photon intravital microscopy. Our results demonstrated that EVs can travel to the injured kidneys post intravenous injection as visualized by Gaussia luciferase imaging and markedly increase the activation of Sox9+ cells. Moreover, the two-photon living imaging of lineage-labeled Sox9+ cells showed that the EVs promoted the expansion of Sox9+ cells in kidneys post AKI. Histological staining results confirmed that the descendants of Sox9+ cells contributed to nephric tubule regeneration which significantly ameliorated the renal function after AKI. In summary, intravital lineage tracing with two-photon microscopy through an embedded abdominal imaging window provides a practical strategy to investigate the beneficial functions and to clarify the mechanisms of regenerative therapies in AKI.
Determination of levetiracetam in human plasma by online heart-cutting liquid chromatography: Application to therapeutic drug monitoring.

Levetiracetam is an antiepileptic drug for the treatment of psychiatric patients. In this study, a selective, straightforward, and rapid online heart-cutting LC method was developed for the therapeutic drug monitoring of levetiracetam. This method allows for the determination of levetiracetam in human plasma without complex sample preparation. The mobile phases consisted of 30 mM aq. ortho-phosphoric acid solution/methanol (70:30) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min for the first system and 10 mM aq. ortho-phosphoric acid solution/methanol (55:45) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min for the second system. The first separation was carried out on a GL Sciences Intersil ODS-3 column (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 3 μm) and the second separation was carried out on a Restek Ultra PFPP column (4.6 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm). The detection was carried out at 205 nm for both systems. The method was validated for selectivity and linearity, which were in the 6-60 μg/mL range. Intra-assay and inter-assay accuracies were < 112.6%, and the intra-assay and inter-assay precisions were < 6.4% for all QC samples. The lower limit of quantitation was 6 μg/mL. The developed method was successfully applied for therapeutic drug monitoring of plasma samples from patients.
Rapid Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area: Geolocation, Demographics, Positivity Rates, and Hospitalization for 46 793 Persons Tested by Northwell Health

Abstract Background In March 2020, the greater New York metropolitan area became an epicenter for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The initial evolution of case incidence has not been well characterized. Methods Northwell Health Laboratories tested 46 793 persons for SARS-CoV-2 from 4 March through 10 April. The primary outcome measure was a positive reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2. The secondary outcomes included patient age, sex, and race, if stated; dates the specimen was obtained and the test result; clinical practice site sources; geolocation of patient residence; and hospitalization. Results From 8 March through 10 April, a total of 26 735 of 46 793 persons (57.1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Males of each race were disproportionally more affected than females above age 25, with a progressive male predominance as age increased. Of the positive persons, 7292 were hospitalized directly upon presentation; an additional 882 persons tested positive in an ambulatory setting before subsequent hospitalization, a median of 4.8 days later. Total hospitalization rate was thus 8174 persons (30.6% of positive persons). There was a broad range (>10-fold) in the cumulative number of positive cases across individual zip codes following documented first caseincidence. Test positivity was greater for persons living in zip codes with lower annual household income. Conclusions Our data reveal that SARS-CoV-2 incidence emerged rapidly and almost simultaneously across a broad demographic population in the region. These findings support the premise that SARS-CoV-2 infection was widely distributed prior to virus testing availability.
Extended lumbar drainage in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy

Abstract Background When appropriately selected, a high proportion of patients with suspected idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) will respond to cerebrospinal fluid diversion with a shunt. Extended lumbar drainage (ELD) is regarded as the most accurate test for this condition, however, varying estimates of its accuracy are found in the current literature. Here, we review the literature in order to provide summary estimates of sensitivity, specificity, positive- and negative predictive value for this test through meta-analysis of suitably rigorous studies. Methods Studies involving a population of NPH patients with predominantly idiopathic aetiology (>80%) in which the intention of the study was to shunt patients regardless of the outcome of ELD were included in the review. Various literature databases were searched to identify diagnostic test accuracy studies addressing ELD in the diagnosis of iNPH. Those studies passing screening and eligibility were assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool and data extracted for bivariate random effects meta-analysis. Results Four small studies were identified. They showed disparate results concerning diagnostic test accuracy. The summary estimates for sensitivity and specificity were 94% (CI 41–100%) and 85% (CI 33–100%), respectively. The summary estimates of positive and negative predictive value were both 90% (CIs 65–100% and 48–100%, respectively). Conclusion Large, rigorous studies addressing the diagnostic accuracy of ELD are lacking, and little robust evidence exists to support the use of ELD in diagnostic algorithms for iNPH. Therefore, a large cohort study, or ideally an RCT, is needed to determine best practice in selecting patients for shunt surgery.
Can external actors really make a difference? Assessing the impact of international support to peace and democracy in Kenya and Kyrgyzstan in the aftermath of interethnic violence

A common tenor in the academic literature is that external actors can actually do very little to help countries coming out of conflict to establish a stable and functioning democracy. Instead it is often argued that "local ownership" or "political will" solely define a country's political path. Challenging this common wisdom, this article aims to show that external actors can have a decisive impact on peace and democracy in a given country, based on a comparison of Kenya and Kyrgyzstan. Both countries have experienced similar political trajectories, amongst them a struggle to consolidate democracy and outbreaks of major interethnic violence. Analyzing several critical junctures in the two countries‟ peace and democratisation process reveals that it is precisely when the political will for reforms is lacking amongst certain groups of society that the international community can have a decisive impact in fragile states like Kenya and Kyrgyzstan. This however, requires a broader definition of the term ownership by not restricting it to local governments and political elites. If international actors jointly pursue a political agenda that connects to a home-grown process, a decisive international impact is possible.