Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Video-Based Intervention for Improving Maternal Retention and Adherence to HIV Treatment: Patient Perspectives and Experiences

VITAL Start is a video-based intervention aimed to improve maternal retention in HIV care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Malawi. We explored the experiences of pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) not yet on ART who received VITAL Start before ART initiation to assess the intervention’s acceptability, feasibility, fidelity of delivery, and perceived impact. Between February and September 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a convenience sample of 34 PWLHIV within one month of receiving VITAL Start. The participants reported that VITAL Start was acceptable and feasible and had good fidelity of delivery. They also reported that the video had a positive impact on their lives, encouraging them to disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners who, in turn, supported them to adhere to ART. The participants suggested using a similar intervention to provide health-related education/counseling to people with long term conditions. Our findings suggest that video-based interventions may be an acceptable, feasible approach to optimizing ART retention and adherence amongst PWLHIV, and they can be delivered with high fidelity. Further exploration of the utility of low cost, scalable, video-based interventions to address health counseling gaps in sub-Saharan Africa is warranted.
Transcriptome Response of Liver and Muscle in Heat-Stressed Laying Hens

Exposure to high ambient temperature has detrimental effects on poultry welfare and production. Although changes in gene expression due to heat exposure have been well described for broiler chickens, knowledge of the effects of heat on laying hens is still relatively limited. In this study, we profiled the transcriptome for pectoralis major muscle (n = 24) and liver (n = 24), during a 4-week cyclic heating experiment performed on layers in the early phase of egg production. Both heat-control and time-based contrasts were analyzed to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Heat exposure induced different changes in gene expression for the two tissues, and we also observed changes in gene expression over time in the control animals suggesting that metabolic changes occurred during the transition from onset of lay to peak egg production. A total of 73 DEGs in liver were shared between the 3 h heat-control contrast, and the 4-week versus 3 h time contrast in the control group, suggesting a core set of genes that is responsible for maintenance of metabolic homeostasis regardless of the physiologic stressor (heat or commencing egg production). The identified DEGs improve our understanding of the layer’s response to stressors and may serve as targets for genetic selection in the future to improve resilience.
Medical School, Cardiovascular Surgery, and Education: how we do it in Brazil’s scenario?

Choosing a surgical specialty can be a hard decision for a medical student. Several studies present data showing that most medical students fear the surgical field and end up switching to another specialty. For cardiovascular surgery, the scenario is very similar. In the last decades, the interest in cardiovascular surgery has been decreasing worldwide and the cardiothoracic surgical societies across the globe have been trying to understand the factors that push away medical students and general surgical residents from the specialty. In this regard, our work aims to focus on describe the access of students to cardiovascular surgery, especially during medical school, as well as to provide a brief report of our current data regarding the specialty.
Antimicrobial Properties of the Ag, Cu Nanoparticle System

Simple Summary The antimicrobial properties of Ag and Cu nanoparticles, their mixtures and their alloys, are reviewed. Abstract Microbes, including bacteria and fungi, easily form stable biofilms on many surfaces. Such biofilms have high resistance to antibiotics, and cause nosocomial and postoperative infections. The antimicrobial and antiviral behaviors of Ag and Cu nanoparticles (NPs) are well known, and possible mechanisms for their actions, such as released ions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), contact killing, the immunostimulatory effect, and others have been proposed. Ag and Cu NPs, and their derivative NPs, have different antimicrobial capacities and cytotoxicities. Factors, such as size, shape and surface treatment, influence their antimicrobial activities. The biomedical application of antimicrobial Ag and Cu NPs involves coating onto substrates, including textiles, polymers, ceramics, and metals. Because Ag and Cu are immiscible, synthetic AgCu nanoalloys have different microstructures, which impact their antimicrobial effects. When mixed, the combination of Ag and Cu NPs act synergistically, offering substantially enhanced antimicrobial behavior. However, when alloyed in Ag–Cu NPs, the antimicrobial behavior is even more enhanced. The reason for this enhancement is unclear. Here, we discuss these results and the possible behavior mechanisms that underlie them.
Peripherally inserted central catheter versus totally implanted venous port for delivering medium- to long-term chemotherapy: A cost-effectiveness analysis based on propensity score matching

Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and totally implanted vascular access ports (PORTs) have been widely used for medium- to long-term chemotherapy. PICCs are associated with lower insertion cost, but higher complication rates than PORTs. However, there is a paucity of cost-effectiveness comparisons between the devices. We aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of PICCs and PORTs for medium- to long-term chemotherapy from catheter insertion to removal. Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted based on propensity score matching (PSM) from the hospital perspective. Data were collected from a retrospective cohort study. The total cost outcome comprised insertion, maintenance, removal and complication costs. The effectiveness outcome was the complication-free rate. The primary and supplemental outcomes were cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results: A total of 1050 patients (after PSM for 417 patients) were included. The average total cost for 3–6 month ($603.55 ± 78.68 vs $1270.21 ± 128.84), 6–9 month ($731.40 ± 42.97 vs $1414.48 ± 155.43), and 9–12 month ($966.83 ± 53.78 vs $1587.76 ± 160.56) dwell times were all significantly lower for PICCs than for PORTs (p < 0.001). PICCs were associated with significantly lower complication-free rates than PORTs during the 3–6 month (65.22% vs 90.58%, p < 0.001), 6–9 month (53.33% vs 91.80%, p < 0.001), and 9–12 month (44.44% vs 88.46%, p = 0.015) dwell times. Ultimately, PICCs were associated with lower CERs than PORTs for the 3–6 month (928.54 vs 1395.84) and 6–9 month (1380.00 vs 1537.48) but higher CER for the 9–12 month (2197.34 vs 1804.27) dwell times. ICERs were 2564.08 and 1751.49 with dwell times of 3–6 months and 6–9 months, respectively. Conclusion: This study provided economic evidence that informs vascular access device choice for medium- to long-term chemotherapy. For 3–9 month dwell times, PICCs were more cost-effective than PORTs. Furthermore, ICERs were applied and the choice was determined by willingness-to-pay. For 9–12 month dwell times, PORTs might be more cost-effective than PICCs, and studies with larger sample size would be needed to verify this finding in the future.
DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF UV SPECTROSCOPIC METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORIDE IN BULK AND FORMULATION

The present study describes a simple, accurate, precise and cost effective UV-Spectrophotometric method for the estimation of Tramadol Hydrochloride, an Analgesic, in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. The drug was first dissolved in N-N-dimethylformamide and final volume was made up with distilled water. The λ max
The incidence of prostate cancer is increased in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract Some studies have demonstrated an increased risk of prostate cancer in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the relationship is unclear and the results are conflicting. This study aims to investigate associations between OSA and prostate cancer using the Korea National Health Insurance Service database. A total of 152,801 men (≥ 20 years of age) newly diagnosed with OSA between 2007 and 2014 were included. A control group of 764,005 subjects was selected using propensity score matching by age and sex. The mean follow-up time was 4.6 years (range 2.3–6.9). The primary endpoint was newly diagnosed prostate cancer. The prostate cancer hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was calculated for patients with OSA and compared to the control group. The incidence of prostate cancer among patients with OSA was significantly higher than that in controls (1.34 [1.23–1.49]). In particular, the incidence of prostate cancer was highest in patients aged 40–65 years (1.51 [1.32–1.72]). This study provides additional evidence for a link between OSA and prostate cancer.
Blood Biomarkers to Predict Long-Term Mortality after Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is a major cause of disability and death globally, and prediction of mortality represents a crucial challenge. We aimed to identify blood biomarkers measured during acute ischemic stroke that could predict long-term mortality. Nine hundred and forty-one ischemic stroke patients were prospectively recruited in the Stroke-Chip study. Post-stroke mortality was evaluated during a median 4.8-year follow-up. A 14-biomarker panel was analyzed by immunoassays in blood samples obtained at hospital admission. Biomarkers were normalized and standardized using Z-scores. Multiple Cox regression models were used to identify clinical variables and biomarkers independently associated with long-term mortality and mortality due to stroke. In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of long-term mortality were age, female sex, hypertension, glycemia, and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Independent blood biomarkers predictive of long-term mortality were endostatin > quartile 2, tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNF-R1) > quartile 2, and interleukin (IL)-6 > quartile 2. The risk of mortality when these three biomarkers were combined increased up to 69%. The addition of the biomarkers to clinical predictors improved the discrimination (integrative discriminative improvement (IDI) 0.022 (0.007–0.048), p < 0.001). Moreover, endostatin > quartile 3 was an independent predictor of mortality due to stroke. Altogether, endostatin, TNF-R1, and IL-6 circulating levels may aid in long-term mortality prediction after stroke.
Foramen magnum meningioma with excessive calcification and no dura tail sign

Abstract Rationale: Foramen magnum meningiomas are very rare lesions. They frequently originate from the arachnoid cells at the dura matter of the craniocervical junction. Foramen magnum meningiomas are challenging for neurosurgeons because of the complex anatomy of foramen magnum. We present a rare case of FMM with excessive calcification and without the dura tail sign which made the lesion mimic a teratoma. Patients concerns: A 63 years old woman presented with progressive numbness and hyperesthesia of the shoulders and upper limbs for 2 and half years. She also experienced occasional headaches and dizziness with no nausea, vomiting or fever. Diagnoses: Computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a calcified mass at occipital cistern. The lesion did not show the usual “dura tail sign” which made it mimic a teratoma on magnetic resonance imaging. Histopathology established meningioma. Intervention: The tumor was completely resected via suboccipital approach. Outcomes: Two years follow-up revealed no recurrence of the lesion and no neurological deficits. Lessons: We advocate the use of electromyographic and auditory brainstem responses to monitor the inferior cranial nerves because the tumor often adheres to these nerves.
The Mediating Effect of Depression on the Relationship between Social Support, Spirituality and Burnout in Family Members of Patients with Cancer

When the treatment process of cancer patients changes to outpatient treatment, the burden on family members increases and they often experience burnout. Burnout not only effects the family members themselves but may also have a negative effect on the health of the cancer patient. Therefore, healthcare providers should evaluate burnout in the family members of cancer patients and actively make efforts towards their burnout management. This study investigated the mediating effect of depression on the relationship between social support, spirituality, and burnout in family members of patients with cancer. Participants were 151 family members of patients with cancer who were receiving chemotherapy as outpatients at a single university hospital in Korea. Data was collected from 2 March to 31 May 2016, using self-reported questionnaires. Collected data was analyzed with t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s correlations, Baron and Kenny’s three-step regression method, and the Sobel test. The participants’ mean burnout was below the median. The participants’ depression partially mediated the relationship of both social support and spirituality on burnout. Strategies to assess depression and strengthen social support and spirituality should be developed to manage burnout in family members’.
GDF‐15: Diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic significance in glioblastoma multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the commonest primary malignant brain tumor and has a remarkably weak prognosis. According to the aggressive form of GBM, understanding the accurate molecular mechanism associated with GBM pathogenesis is essential. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15) belongs to transforming growth factor‐β superfamily with important roles to control biological processes. It affects cancer growth and progression, drug resistance, and metastasis. It also can promote stemness in many cancers, and also can stress reactions control, bone generation, hematopoietic growth, adipose tissue performance, and body growth, and contributes to cardiovascular disorders. The role GDF‐15 to develop and progress cancer is complicated and remains unclear. GDF‐15 possesses tumor suppressor properties, as well as an oncogenic effect. GDF‐15 antitumorigenic and protumorigenic impacts on tumor development are linked to the cancer type and stage. However, the GDF‐15 signaling and mechanism have not yet been completely identified because of no recognized cognate receptor.
Ecological correlates of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) density in Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Understanding the ecological factors that drive animal density patterns in time and space is key to devising effective conservation strategies. In Tanzania, most chimpanzees (~75%) live outside national parks where human activities threaten their habitat’s integrity and connectivity. Mahale Mountains National Park (MMNP), therefore, is a critical area for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the region due to its location and protective status. Yet, despite its importance and long history of chimpanzee research (>50 years), a park-wide census of the species has never been conducted. The park is categorized as a savanna-woodland mosaic, interspersed with riparian forest, wooded grassland, and bamboo thicket. This heterogeneous landscape offers an excellent opportunity to assess the ecological characteristics associated with chimpanzee density, a topic still disputed, which could improve conservation plans that protect crucial chimpanzee habitat outside the park. We examined the influence of fine-scale vegetative characteristics and topographical features on chimpanzee nest density, modeling nest counts using hierarchical distance sampling. We counted 335 nests in forest and woodland habitats across 102 transects in 13 survey sites. Nests were disproportionately found more in or near evergreen forests, on steep slopes, and in feeding tree species. We calculated chimpanzee density in MMNP to be 0.23 ind/km2, although density varied substantially among sites (0.09–3.43 ind/km2). Density was associated with factors related to the availability of food and nesting trees, with topographic heterogeneity and the total basal area of feeding tree species identified as significant positive predictors. Species-rich habitats and floristic diversity likely play a principal role in shaping chimpanzee density within a predominately open landscape with low food abundance. Our results provide valuable baseline data for future monitoring efforts in MMNP and enhance our understanding of this endangered species’ density and distribution across Tanzania.
Surface rheology of monolayers of poly(1-alkylene-co-maleic acid) at the air/water interface : Surface light scattering studies

The surface viscoelasticity of poly(1-alkylene-co-maleic acid) (PXcMA) with side chains varying from C4 to C16 was investigated at the air/water interface using the technique of surface light scattering (SLS). In the dilute surface mass density regime, the side chain length of the 1-alkylene has been shown to produce a wide range of surface viscoelastic films, from an elasticity-dominant film to a viscosity-dominant film. On the other hand, in the semidilute surface mass density regime, the film viscoelasticity is scarcely affected by the side chain length. Rather, the viscoelastic parameters are shown to scale with the inverse of surface mass density, i.e., area per monomer A. An inference is drawn that interactions between the hydrophilic polymer head of maleic acid moiety and the interface dominate in this regime. The loss tangent value varies with the side chain length in the dilute regime, whereas it no longer depends on the side chain length in the semidilute regime, where it collapses onto a limiti.
Effect of Membrane Surface Properties During the Fast Evaluation of Cell Attachment

Abstract The biofouling potential is one of the important factors to design and to select membranes for water and wastewater treatment. In this investigation, the effect of membrane surface properties during the attachment of S. cerevisiae cells was examined using a laboratory‐scale membrane filtration cell enabling direct microscopic observation of microbial cell deposition. The experimental results from 6 commercially available membranes showed that the initial adhesion rate, k d , was affected by the zeta potentials, hydrophobicity, and roughness of membrane surfaces. The k d value was significantly lower at the membrane which had more negative, hydrophilic, and smooth surfaces. The results will be helpful to minimize the time for selecting membranes in different situations, and for testing the performance of newly designed membranes.
Insights from the comparisons of SARS-CoV and COVID-19 outbreaks

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of infectious diseases caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). At the beginning of 2020, a sudden outbreak of novel pneumonia, originated from Wuhan, China, swiftly evolves to a worldwide pandemic, alike the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. However, Chinese-style innovation in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 helped China to reach a faster and more effective success in the containment of this epidemic. This review summarizes insights from the comparisons of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and COVID-19 outbreaks on the basis of preventive strategies in China for this coronavirus pandemic.
Genetic Structure and Core Collection of Olive Germplasm from Albania Revealed by Microsatellite Markers

Olive is considered one of the oldest and the most important cultivated fruit trees in Albania. In the present study, the genetic diversity and structure of Albanian olive germplasm is represented by a set of 194 olive genotypes collected in-situ in their natural ecosystems and in the ex-situ collection. The study was conducted using 26 microsatellite markers (14 genomic SSR and 12 Expressed Sequence Tag microsatellites). The identity analysis revealed 183 unique genotypes. Genetic distance-based and model-based Bayesian analyses were used to investigate the genetic diversity, relatedness, and the partitioning of the genetic variability among the Albanian olive germplasm. The genetic distance-based analysis grouped olives into 12 clusters, with an average similarity of 50.9%. Albanian native olives clustered in one main group separated from introduced foreign cultivars, which was also supported by Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and model-based methods. A core collection of 57 genotypes representing all allelic richness found in Albanian germplasm was developed for the first time. Herein, we report the first extended genetic characterization and structure of olive germplasm in Albania. The findings suggest that Albanian olive germplasm is a unique gene pool and provides an interesting genetic basis for breeding programs.
Molecular Classification and Tumor Microenvironment Characterization of Gallbladder Cancer by Comprehensive Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis

Simple Summary Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare but lethal cancer. Molecular characterization of GBC is insufficient so far, and a comprehensive molecular portrait is warranted to uncover new targets and classify GBC. Clustering analysis of RNA expression revealed two subclasses of 36 GBCs, which reflects the status of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and poor prognosis of GBC, including epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune suppression, and the TGF-β signaling pathway. The knockout of miR125B1 in GBC cell lines decreased its invasion ability and altered the EMT pathway. Mutations of the genes related to the TGF-β signaling pathway were enriched in the poor-prognosis/TME-rich cluster of GBCs. This comprehensive molecular analysis provides a new classification of GBCs based on the TME activity, which is involved with EMT and immune suppression for poor prognosis of GBC. This information may be useful for GBC prognosis and therapeutic decision-making. Abstract Gallbladder cancer (GBC), a rare but lethal disease, is often diagnosed at advanced stages. So far, molecular characterization of GBC is insufficient, and a comprehensive molecular portrait is warranted to uncover new targets and classify GBC. We performed a transcriptome analysis of both coding and non-coding RNAs from 36 GBC fresh-frozen samples. The results were integrated with those of comprehensive mutation profiling based on whole-genome or exome sequencing. The clustering analysis of RNA-seq data facilitated the classification of GBCs into two subclasses, characterized by high or low expression levels of TME (tumor microenvironment) genes. A correlation was observed between gene expression and pathological immunostaining. TME-rich tumors showed significantly poor prognosis and higher recurrence rate than TME-poor tumors. TME-rich tumors showed overexpression of genes involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inflammation or immune suppression, which was validated by immunostaining. One non-coding RNA, miR125B1, exhibited elevated expression in stroma-rich tumors, and miR125B1 knockout in GBC cell lines decreased its invasion ability and altered the EMT pathway. Mutation profiles revealed TP53 (47%) as the most commonly mutated gene, followed by ELF3 (13%) and ARID1A (11%). Mutations of ARID1A, ERBB3, and the genes related to the TGF-β signaling pathway were enriched in TME-rich tumors. This comprehensive analysis demonstrated that TME, EMT, and TGF-β pathway alterations are the main drivers of GBC and provides a new classification of GBCs that may be useful for therapeutic decision-making.