Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is there a need for pneumococcal vaccination programs for the homeless to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease?

ABSTRACT Introduction Homeless are a vulnerable segment of society at risk for infections. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) infections are increasingly identified in homeless as a major contributor of morbidity and mortality. Very few countries have recommended pneumococcal vaccination programs for the homeless. Areas covered A literature review of IPD in the homeless from 1980 to 2020 in PubMed and Scopus using terms, ‘homeless,’ and ‘homelessness,’ and after ‘chronic’ or ‘transitory’ homeless was conducted. Gray literature from the CDC, WHO and major governmental agencies/organizations were included. Terms for IPD eligible for inclusion in the database search included ‘pneumococcal disease,’ ‘invasive pneumococcal disease,’ ‘Streptococcus pneumoniae. ’ This included outbreaks of pneumococcal disease in the homeless, clinical characteristics associated with pneumococcal disease in the homeless, pneumococcal vaccines and vaccination recommendations for the homeless. Expert opinion Homeless populations are at increased risk for IPD in comparison to the general population. This is due to clinical conditions experienced by the homeless including alcoholism and cigarette smoking. In addition, a collection of specific pneumococcal serotypes are associated with IPD in this group. Pneumococcal vaccine programs aimed at this population would likely decrease the incidence of IPD for this group and contribute to better overall health for the homeless.
Design and evaluation of an interactive 3D map.

Non-visual maps have been primarily made as raised line graphics with braille, but recent research has suggested that 3D models and interactivity make maps more accessible and easier to understand for non-visual users. This paper describes the design and evaluation of an interactive 3D map, which is a scale model of an environment with objects on it that play audio labels when a user points to them. In this study, we designed the interactive map to make an existing playground, the Magical Bridge playground [1] in Palo Alto, California, more accessible to visually impaired visitors. While this inclusive playground was specifically “created to be highly accessible to all visitors and to remove the physical and social barriers of today’s typical playgrounds and give everyone a place to play,” it is still challenging for visually impaired visitors to navigate independently.
Analysis of risk factors associated with flexor pollicis longus injury after volar plating of distal radius fractures

Objective This study was performed to analyze the risk factors associated with flexor pollicis longus (FPL) attrition or rupture after volar plating of distal radius fractures. Methods Three hundred thirty-eight patients with distal radius fractures were included in this retrospective study. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to predict risk factors. Results Univariate analysis showed that sex, volar tilt, the Soong grade, the plate-to-critical line distance (PCLD), the plate-to-volar rim distance (PVRD), and the time of plate removal were significantly associated with FPL attrition or rupture. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that decreased volar tilt, Soong grade 2, PCLD of >2 mm, PVRD of <3 mm, and plate removal at ≥1 year were the risk factors significantly associated with FPL attrition or rupture. Conclusions Reduced volar tilt, Soong grade 2, PCLD of >2 mm, and PVRD of <3 mm appear to be risk factors that are significantly associated with FPL attrition or rupture. The findings of this study also suggest that the risk of tendon rupture is lower if a Soong grade 2 plate is removed, the PCLD is >2 mm, the PVRD is <3 mm, or reduced volar tilt is achieved earlier (at <1 year).
Weibo Users’ Emotion and Sentiment Orientation in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to explore Chinese people’s attitudes to the official application of TCM in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. Methods: We collected data referring to TCM on Weibo from 0:00 on January 24, 2020, to 23:59:59 on March 31, 2020 (Beijing time). In addition, this study used DLUT-Emotion ontology to analyze the sentiment orientation and emotions of selected data and then conducted a text analysis. Results: According to DLUT-Emotion ontology, we examined 3 sentiment orientations of 215,565 valid Weibo posts. Among them, 25,025 posts were judged as positive emotions, accounting for approximately 12%; 22,362 were regarded as negative emotions, accounting for approximately 10%; and 168,178 were judged as neutral emotions, accounting for approximately 78%. Results indicate that the words judged as “Good” have the highest frequency, and words marked as “Happy” have increased over time. The word frequency of “Fear” and “Sadness” showed a significant downward trend. Conclusion: Weibo users have a relatively positive attitude to the TCM in the COVID-19 treatment in general. Results of text analysis show that data with negative emotions is essentially an expression of public opinions to supporting TCM or not. Texts of “Fear” and “Sadness” do not reflect users’ negative attitudes to TCM.
Plant wax biomarkers in human evolutionary studies

Plant wax biomarkers are an innovative proxy for reconstructing vegetation composition and structure, rainfall intensity, temperature, and other climatic and environmental dynamics. Traditionally used in earth sciences and climate studies from “off‐site” ocean and lake records, biomarker research is now incorporated in archeology and paleoanthropology to answer questions relating to past human‐environment interactions and human evolution. Biomarker research is generating new and exciting information on the ecological context in which Homo and its closest relatives evolved, adapted, and invented stone tool technologies. In this review, we examine plant wax biomarkers and their use in reconstructing past plant landscapes and hydroclimates. We summarize the applications of plant wax molecular proxies in archeological research, assess challenges relating to taphonomy, consider the role of modern plant ecosystems in interpreting ancient habitats, and examine case studies conducted at key paleoanthropological locations in eastern and southern Africa and Europe.
Time‐domain signal averaging to improve microparticles detection and enumeration accuracy in a microfluidic impedance cytometer

Microfluidic impedance cytometry is a powerful system to measure micro and nano‐sized particles and is routinely used in point‐of‐care disease diagnostics and other biomedical applications. However, small objects near a sensor's detection limit are plagued with relatively significant background noise and are difficult to identify for every case. While many data processing techniques can be utilized to reduce noise and improve signal quality, frequently they are still inadequate to push sensor detection limits. Here, we report the first demonstration of a novel signal averaging algorithm effective in noise reduction of microfluidic impedance cytometry data, improving enumeration accuracy, and reducing detection limits. Our device uses a 22 µm tall × 100 µm wide (with 30 µm wide focused aperture) microchannel and gold coplanar microelectrodes that generate an electric field, recording bipolar pulses from polystyrene microparticles flowing through the channel. In addition to outlining a modified moving signal averaging technique theoretically and with a model data set, we also performed a compendium of characterization experiments including variations in flow rate, input voltage, and particle size. Multivariate metrics from each experiment are compared including signal amplitude, pulse width, background noise, and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). Incorporating our technique resulted in improved SNR and counting accuracy across all experiments conducted, and the limit of detection improved from 5 to 1 µm particles without modifying microchannel dimensions. Succeeding this, we envision implementing our modified moving average technique to develop next‐generation microfluidic impedance cytometry devices with an expanded dynamic range and improved enumeration accuracy. This can be exceedingly useful for many biomedical applications, such as infectious disease diagnostics where devices may enumerate larger‐scale immune cells alongside sub‐micron bacterium in the same sample.
Assessment of bike handling during cycling individual time trials with a novel analytical technique adapted from motorcycle racing

ABSTRACT A methodology to study bike handling of cyclists during individual time trials (ITT) is presented. Lateral and longitudinal accelerations were estimated from GPS data of professional cyclists (n = 53) racing in two ITT of different length and technical content. Acceleration points were plotted on a plot (g-g diagram) and they were enclosed in an ellipse. A correlation analysis was conducted between the area of the ellipse and the final ITT ranking. It was hypothesised that a larger area was associated with a better performance. An analytical model for the bike-cyclist system dynamics was used to conduct a parametric analysis on the influence of riding position on the shape of the g-g diagram. A moderate (n = 27, r = −0.40, p = 0.038) and a very large (n = 26, r = −0.83, p < 0.0001) association were found between the area of the enclosing ellipse and the final ranking in the two ITT. Interestingly, this association was larger in the shorter race with higher technical content. The analytical model suggested that maximal decelerations are highly influenced by the cycling position, road slope and speed. This investigation, for the first time, explores a novel methodology that can provide insights into bike handling, a large unexplored area of cycling performance.
Effects of FFP2/N95 face mask on low- and high-load resistance exercise performance in recreational weight lifters

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to verify the acute effects of an FFP2/N95 face mask on moderate- and high-load resistance exercise performance in recreational weight lifters. Seventeen recreational weight lifters performed four randomized bouts: high intensity [70% of one maximum repetition (1RM)] and moderate intensity (50% 1RM), both with and without an FFP2/N95 face mask. All sequences of exercises were performed over four sets in the bench press exercise, performed on a Smith machine until movement failure, with two minutes of recovery between sets. A linear position transducer was used to measure the bar velocity, and record the mean propulsive velocity (MPV) and maximum propulsive velocity (V max). The rate of perceived effort (RPE), heart rate (HR), blood pressure, and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded. For the high-intensity condition, MPV (p = 0.021) and V max (p = 0.004) were significantly lower in the mask condition compared to non-mask in set-1, however, there were no significant differences for moderate intensity or for total volume in either intensity (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference between conditions, with lower SpO2 (p = 0.010) and higher RPE (p = 0.008) when wearing the face mask only at the moderate intensity. In conclusion, the FFP2/N95 face mask impacted performance in the high-intensity resistance bench press exercise until movement failure but decreased oxygen saturation and increased rate of perceived effort only in the moderate-intensity exercise in recreational weight lifters. COVID-19 pandemic, has led to several countries adopting the use of masks in public spaces. Mask used during physical exercise it may induce early fatigue. However, despite the results with aerobic exercise, as far as we know, no studies have been carried out on wearing a mask during resistance exercise. This randomized, crossover study verified the acute effect of an FFP2/N95 face mask on moderate- and high-load upper body resistance exercise performance in recreational weight lifters. The FFP2/N95 face mask impacted performance, evaluated with bar velocity, in the high-intensity resistance bench press exercise until movement failure but decreased oxygen saturation and increased rate of perceived effort only in the moderate-intensity exercise.
Association between aspirin‐induced hemoglobin decline and outcome after acute ischemic stroke in G6PD‐deficient patients

The risk of hemoglobin decline induced by low‐dose aspirin in glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency remains unknown, and its influence on stroke outcome remains to be investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of G6PD deficiency on hemoglobin level during aspirin treatment and its association with outcome after acute ischemic stroke.
Cortical thickness in clinical moyamoya disease: A magnetic resonance imaging study

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive cerebrovascular disorder, with an unknown pathogenesis and aetiology. MMD is characterized by steno‐occlusive changes at the terminal portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), which is accompanied by variable development of the basal collaterals, also known as moyamoya vessels. Patients with MMD show variable patterns of brain damage and may experience recurrent multiple transient ischaemic attacks, intracranial bleeding and cerebral infarction. In this study, we investigate the potential for structural T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help characterize abnormal cortical development in MMD clinically, with an analysis of both average and variability of regional cortical thicknesses. This study also included a machine learning analysis to assess the predictive capacity of the cortical thickness abnormalities observed in this research. This study included 993 MRI examinations from neurotypical controls and 269 MRI examinations from MMD patients. Results demonstrate abnormal cortical presentation of the insula, caudate, postcentral, precuneus and cingulate regions, in agreement with previous literature cortical thickness findings as well as alternative methods such as functional MRI (fMRI) and digital angiography. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first manuscript to report cortical thickness abnormalities in the middle temporal visual area in MMD and the first study to report on cortical thickness variability abnormalities in MMD.
A systematic approach introduced novel targets in rectal cancer by considering miRNA/mRNA interactions in response to radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND The discovery of miRNA/mRNA interactions in several biological samples prompted the researchers to explore new biomarkers in tumors. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the interactions of miRNA/mRNA in response to radiotherapy in the plasma samples of rectal cancer patients. METHODS Five microarray datasets related to cancerous and non-cancerous individuals were first used to construct networks. The databases of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were applied to analyze pathway enrichment. The plasma samples were then collected from 55 patients with recently diagnosed rectal cancer and 10 healthy subjects. For radiotherapy courses, the patients have consecutively received 30 sessions of local radiation for six weeks. At last, the expression of selected genes and miRNAs was experimentally measured before and after radiotherapy by qPCR, and the protein levels of the target genes were measured by ELISA assay. We evaluated the therapeutic responses based on the tumor regression grade of the Dworak classification. RESULTS We identified 5 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated miRNAs and 8 up-regulated and 3 down-regulated genes of the databases. There was a significant increase in tumor suppressor miRNAs, including miR-101-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-34a-5p, and a significant decrease in oncomiRs, including miR-221-3p and miR-17-5p, after radiotherapy compared to the pre-treatment. Moreover, the up-regulated miR-17-5p and miR-221-5p and the down-regulated miR-101-3p and miR-145-5p were directly related to rectal cancer through the interaction with the Wnt, RAS, PI3K, and TGF-β signaling pathways. An analysis of receiver operating characteristics showed that miRNAs 221, 17, and 23 were response-related in locally advanced rectal cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS It seems that monitoring the miRNA/mRNA interactions during radiotherapy can be an appropriate diagnostic tool to track the recovery process and respond to standard therapies.
Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) reinforced-unsaturated polyester hybrid nanocomposites: Thermal, thermomechanical and morphological properties

ABSTRACT Unsaturated polyester (UP)-POSS hybrid nanocomposites have been developed successfully through the reaction between maleimide groups Octa (maleimido phenyl) silsesquioxane (OMPS) and olefinic reactive sites (maleimide and styrenic units) present in the unsaturated polyester resin system through free radical polymerization using benzoyl peroxide (BP) as the initiator. The hybrid molecular structure of nanocomposites resulted was evaluated by FT-IR spectroscopy. The data obtained from XRD, SEM and TEM analysis ascertain the presence of homogeneous morphology and nanoscale dispersion of OMPS into the polyester hybrid nanocomposites. Data resulted from thermal (DSC and TGA) and thermo-mechanical (DMA) studies indicated that the incorporation of octamaleimide functionalized POSS into unsaturated polyester systems appreciably improved the thermal properties of the hybrid nanocomposites according to their percentage concentration.
Allosteric regulation within the highly interconnected structural scaffold of AraC/XylS homologs tolerates a wide range of amino acid changes

To create bacterial transcription “circuits” for biotechnology, one approach is to recombine natural transcription factors, promoters, and operators. Additional novel functions can be engineered from existing transcription factors such as the E. coli AraC transcriptional activator, for which binding to DNA is modulated by binding L‐arabinose. Here, we engineered chimeric AraC/XylS transcription activators that recognized ara DNA binding sites and responded to varied effector ligands. The first step, identifying domain boundaries in the natural homologs, was challenging because (i) no full‐length, dimeric structures were available and (ii) extremely low sequence identities (≤10%) among homologs precluded traditional assemblies of sequence alignments. Thus, to identify domains, we built and aligned structural models of the natural proteins. The designed chimeric activators were assessed for function, which was then further improved by random mutagenesis. Several mutational variants were identified for an XylS•AraC chimera that responded to benzoate; two enhanced activation to near that of wild‐type AraC. For an RhaR•AraC chimera, a variant with five additional substitutions enabled transcriptional activation in response to rhamnose. These five changes were dispersed across the protein structure, and combinatorial experiments testing subsets of substitutions showed significant non‐additivity. Combined, the structure modeling and epistasis suggest that the common AraC/XylS structural scaffold is highly interconnected, with complex intra‐protein and inter‐domain communication pathways enabling allosteric regulation. At the same time, the observed epistasis and the low sequence identities of the natural homologs suggest that the structural scaffold and function of transcriptional regulation are nevertheless highly accommodating of amino acid changes.
Plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 responses to ingestion of protein with increasing doses of milk minerals rich in calcium

Abstract A high dose of whey protein hydrolysate fed with milk minerals rich in calcium (Capolac®) results in enhanced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) concentrations in lean individuals; however, the effect of different calcium doses ingested alongside protein is unknown. The present study assessed the dose response of calcium fed alongside 25 g whey protein hydrolysate on GLP-1 concentrations in individuals with overweight/obesity. Eighteen adults (mean ± sd: 8M/10F, 34 ± 18 years, 28·2 ± 2·9 kgm−2) completed four trials in a randomised, double-blind, crossover design. Participants consumed test solutions consisting of 25 g whey protein hydrolysate (CON), supplemented with 3179 mg (LOW), 6363 mg (MED) or 9547 mg (HIGH) Capolac® on different occasions, separated by at least 48 h. The calcium content of test solutions equated to 65, 892, 1719 and 2547 mg, respectively. Arterialised-venous blood was sampled over 180 min to determine plasma concentrations of GLP-1TOTAL, GLP-17–36amide, insulin, glucose, NEFA, and serum concentrations of calcium and albumin. Ad libitum energy intake was measured at 180 min. Time–averaged incremental AUC (iAUC) for GLP-1TOTAL (pmol·l−1·min−1) did not differ between CON (23 ± 4), LOW (25 ± 6), MED (24 ± 5) and HIGH (24 ± 6). Energy intake (kcal) did not differ between CON (940 ± 387), LOW (884 ± 345), MED (920 ± 334) and HIGH (973 ± 390). Co-ingestion of whey protein hydrolysate with Capolac® does not potentiate GLP-1 release in comparison with whey protein hydrolysate alone. The study was registered at clinical trials (NCT03819972).
Delayed detection of passive motion in shoulders with a rotator cuff tear

The aim of this study was to test whether or not the threshold to the detection of passive motion (TTDPM) and passive joint position sense on the affected shoulder of patients with rotator cuff tear (RCT) was impaired compared to those on the unaffected side and to investigate the relationship between the tear size and changes in the TTDPM and passive joint position sense induced by RCT. This study included 21 patients with unilateral RCT before arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. To investigate proprioception in this study, we measured the TTDPM and passive joint position sense in abduction and external rotation using an isokinetic dynamometer. The tear size was evaluated intraoperatively under direct arthroscopic visualization. The TTDPM in abduction and external rotation was significantly longer on the affected side than on the unaffected side. However, the angular absolute error in passive joint position sense in abduction and external rotation was not significantly different between the limbs. A comparison according to the tear size impaired proprioception of the TTDPM in the larger tear group showed significantly longer values than in the smaller group. There was impaired proprioception of TTDPM in patients with RCT, and the impaired proprioception was related to tear severity. Impaired proprioception of TTDPM may inhibit consistent muscle recruitment to achieve precise control. Our results suggest that clinicians should consider proprioceptive exercises for impaired proprioception in their treatment for conservative or postoperative patients.
Choroidal and retinal thickness variations in anaemia and anaemic retinopathy

ABSTRACT Anemia is the most common hematological disorder noted in the people of the Indian subcontinent. Hemodynamic changes following anemia on the retina and choroid are not frequently studied. The aim of the study was to analyse the subfoveal retinal (CRT) and choroidal (SFCT) thickness changes in patients with anemia. In this retrospective, comparative study, patients who were diagnosed with primary anemia and had a fundus examination by a retinal specialist were included. Patients were divided into 3 groups: Group 1: Patients with anemic retinopathy; Group 2: Patients with anemia without retinopathy; Group 3: Normal healthy controls. One hundred and ninety-seven eyes of 197 subjects (group 1 – 38 eyes, group 2 – 90 eyes; group 3 – 69 eyes) met the inclusion criteria. Mean CRT was 269 ± 117µm, 258 ± 99. 7µm and 201 ± 19. 2µm and SFCT was 303 ± 68. 4µm, 303 ± 50. 1µm and 275 ± 38. 9µm in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Low haemoglobin corelated negatively with retinal (r = -0.362; p = <0.001) and choroidal (r = -0.294; p = <0.001) thickening and reduced visual acuity (r = -0.157; p = 0.03). In conclusion, patients with anemia have a thicker retina and choroid compared to normal healthy controls.