Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Chest Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of COVID-19: A WHO Rapid Advice Guide

The World Health Organization (WHO) undertook the development of a rapid guide on the use of chest imaging in the diagnosis and management of COVID-19. The rapid guide was developed over two months using standard WHO processes, except for the use of ‘rapid reviews’ and online meetings of the panel. The evidence review was supplemented by a survey of stakeholders regarding their views on the acceptability, feasibility, impact on equity and resource use of the relevant chest imaging modalities (chest radiography, chest CT and lung ultrasound). The guideline development group had broad expertise and country representation. The rapid guide includes three diagnosis recommendations and four management recommendations. The recommendations cover patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 with different levels of disease severity, throughout the care pathway from outpatient facility or hospital entry, to home discharge. All recommendations are conditional and are based on low certainty evidence (n=2), very low certainty evidence (n=2), or expert opinion (n=3). The remarks accompanying the recommendations suggest which patients are likely to benefit from chest imaging and what factors should be considered when choosing the specific imaging modality. The guidance also offers considerations about implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and identifies research needs.
Regulation of adipose tissue inflammation and systemic metabolism in murine obesity by polymer implants loaded with lentiviral vectors encoding human interleukin‐4

Dysfunctional adipose tissue plays a central role in the pathogenesis of the obesity‐related metabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes. Targeting adipose tissue using biopolymer implants is a novel therapeutic approach for metabolic disease. We transplanted porous poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLG) implants coated with human interleukin‐4 (hIL‐4)‐expressing lentivirus into epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) of mice fed a high‐fat diet. Tissue and systemic inflammation and metabolism were studied with flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, adipose tissue histology, and in vivo glucose tolerance testing at 2 and 10 weeks of a high‐fat diet. PLG implants carrying hIL‐4‐expressing lentivirus implanted into epididymal white adipose tissue of mice‐regulated adipose tissue inflammation, including increased CD3+CD4+ T‐cell frequency, increased eWAT adipocyte hypertrophy, and decreased FASN and ATGL expression, along with reduced fasting blood glucose levels. These effects were observed in early obesity but were not maintained in established obesity. Local delivery of bioimplants loaded with cytokine‐expressing lentivirus vectors to adipose tissue influences tissue inflammation and systemic metabolism in early obesity. Further study will be required to show more durable metabolic effects. These data demonstrate that polymer biomaterials implanted into adipose tissue have the potential to modulate local tissue and systemic inflammation and metabolism.
Benign vs Malignant Tumors.

Benign Tumors Benign tumors are those that stay in their primary location without invading other sites of the body. They do not spread to local structures or to distant parts of the body. Benign tumors tend to grow slowly and have distinct borders. Benign tumors are not usually problematic. However, they can become large and compress structures nearby, causing pain or other medical complications. For example, a large benign lung tumor could compress the trachea (windpipe) and cause difficulty in breathing. This would warrant urgent surgical removal. Benign tumors are unlikely to recur once removed. Common examples of benign tumors are fibroids in the uterus and lipomas in the skin. Specific types of benign tumors can turn into malignant tumors. These are monitored closely and may require surgical removal. For example, colon polyps (another name for an abnormal mass of cells) can become malignant and are therefore usually surgically removed.
Nitric oxide biochemistry, mode of action and signaling in plants.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous diatomic radical with a wide variety of physiological and pathological implications in animal, plant and microbes. NO reacts directly with metal complexes and other radicals and indirectly as a reactive nitrogen oxide species with DNA, proteins, and lipids. In animals, NO is a signal transduction element that is synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme from L-arginine that functions in many tissues and interacts with multiple target compounds in neurotransmission, vascular smooth muscle relaxation, and platelet inhibition. In plants; NO is synthesized enzymatically by NOS like enzyme, nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase etc. and also by non-enzymatically. NO play a diverse role in plant system including plant growth, stomatal movement, iron homeostasis, protection against biotic and abiotic stresses, senescence etc. Key words: Nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), nitrate reductase (NR), reactive oxygen species (ROS), c-GMP, L-Arginine.
Male Pseudohermaphroditism: Defects in Androgen-Dependent Target Tissues

Androgens exert their complex actions as determi­ nants of male sex differentiation and development very early during fetal life. The carefully orches­ trated chronology of androgen secretion by the fetal testes during embryonic and neonatal life is respon­ sible for the initial growth and differentiation of many organs of the male reproductive tract, such as the wolffian ducts, urogenital sinus, and external genitalia primordia. Androgens also imprint regions of the central nervous system that control the mas­ culine modes of gonadotropin secretion. During pu­ berty, androgens promote the appearance of second­ ary male sex characteristics, including growth of the external genitalia, development of the prostate and seminal vesicles, male distribution of body hair, and increase in total muscle mass. These hormones are essential for maintenance of spermatogenesis and they exert a feedback control on the output of go­ nadotropins by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Al­ though the actions of androgens are not confined to the male reproductive tract, it is within these socalled target tissues of the body that the molecular mechanisms of androgen action have been charac­ terized. Testosterone is the predominant male sex hor­ mone synthesized and secreted by the testes. Ade­ quate blood levels of circulating testosterone are neces­ sary for normal androgen biologic activity; however, testosterone itself is not sufficient to invoke the full complement of normal androgenic responses. At least two key factors at the cellular level enter into the scheme of androgen action and determine the target tissue specificity of androgen responses. These fac­ tors are the enzymatic conversion of testosterone to an active metabolite, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and the specific intracellular receptor proteins that form ligand-receptor complexes with the active ste­ roid and direct the androgen to its site of action within the nucleus. Several human pathophysio­ logic conditions, by virtue of their aberrant bio­ chemical features (Fig. 1), are mutually supportive and illustrative of the processes of male sex differen­ tiation and development and the mechanism for an­ drogenic steroid action. It is within this frame­ work that defects in androgen action at the cellular level, which lead to male pseudohermaphroditism, are the focus for discussion in this chapter.
Periodontal disease and incident dementia

Objective To test the hypothesis that periodontal disease would be associated with increased risk for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by assessing dementia/MCI outcomes after a baseline periodontal examination. Methods Participants enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study with a clinical periodontal examination (or edentulous participants) at visit 4 (1996–1998; mean ± SD age 63 ± 6 years, 55% female, 21% black) and adjudicated dementia outcomes through 2016 were included (n = 8,275). A subgroup of 4,559 participants had adjudicated dementia and MCI assessments at visit 5 (2011–2013). Participants received a full-mouth periodontal examination and were classified into periodontal profile classes (PPCs) based on the severity and extent of gingival inflammation and attachment loss. MCI and dementia were determined via neurocognitive testing, neurological examination and history, informant interviews, and brain MRI in a subset. Cox proportional hazards models regressed incident dementia on PPCs. Relative risk regression models were used for the composite of MCI/dementia. Results The cumulative incidence and incidence density of dementia during follow-up (average 18.4 years) were 19% (n = 1,569) and 11.8 cases per 1,000 person-years. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for incident dementia among participants with severe PPC or edentulism (vs periodontal healthy) were 1.22 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.47) and 1.21 (95% CI 0.99–1.48), respectively. For the combined dementia/MCI outcome, adjusted risk ratios among participants with mild/intermediate PPC, severe PPC, or edentulism (vs periodontal healthy) were 1.22 (95% CI 1.00–1.48), 1.15 (95% CI 0.88–1.51), and 1.90 (95% CI 1.40–2.58). Results were stronger among younger (≤62 years) participants (p for interaction = 0.02). Conclusion Periodontal disease was modestly associated with incident MCI and dementia in a community-based cohort of black and white participants.
Neuroprosthesis for individuals with spinal cord injury

ABSTRACT Objective Individuals who sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) often have a loss of multiple body systems. Significant functional improvement can be gained by individual SCI through the use of neuroprostheses based on electrical stimulation. The most common actions produced are grasp, overhead reach, trunk posture, standing, stepping, bladder/bowel/sexual function, and respiratory functions. Methods We review the fundamental principles of electrical stimulation, which are established, allowing stimulation to be safely delivered through implanted devices for many decades. We review four common clinical applications for SCI, including grasp/reach, standing/stepping, bladder/bowel function, and respiratory functions. Systems used to implement these functions have many common features, but are also customized based on the functional goals of each approach. Further, neuroprosthetic systems are customized based on the needs of each user. Results & Conclusion: The results to date show that implanted neuroprostheses can have a significant impact on the health, function, and quality of life for individuals with SCI. A key focus for the future is to make implanted neuroprostheses broadly available to the SCI population.
Miscanthus biomass productivity within US croplands and its potential impact on soil organic carbon

Interest in bioenergy crops is increasing due to their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. We combined process‐based and geospatial models to estimate the potential biomass productivity of miscanthus and its potential impact on soil carbon stocks in the croplands of the continental United States. The optimum (climatic potential) rainfed productivity for field‐dried miscanthus biomass ranged from 1 to 23 Mg biomass ha−1 yr−1, with a spatial average of 13 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and a coefficient of variation of 30%. This variation resulted primarily from the spatial heterogeneity of effective rainfall, growing degree days, temperature, and solar radiation interception. Cultivating miscanthus would result in a soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration at the rate of 0.16–0.82 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 across the croplands due to cessation of tillage and increased biomass carbon input into the soil system. We identified about 81 million ha of cropland, primarily in the eastern United States, that could sustain economically viable (>10 Mg ha−1 yr−1) production without supplemental irrigation, of which about 14 million ha would reach optimal miscanthus growth. To meet targets of the US Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 using miscanthus as feedstock, 19 million ha of cropland would be needed (spatial average 13 Mg ha−1 yr−1) or about 16% less than is currently dedicated to US corn‐based ethanol production.
Bromo‐ and extraterminal domain protein inhibition improves immunotherapy efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the majority of liver cancer and is the fourth most common cause of cancer‐related death. Although advances in molecular targeted therapy have shown promise, none of these agents has yet demonstrated significant clinical benefit. Bromo‐ and extraterminal domain (BET) protein inhibitors have been considered potential therapeutic drugs for HCC but the biological activity remains unclear. This study found that BET protein inhibition did not effectively suppress the progression of HCC, using a transgenic HCC mouse model. Mechanistically, the BET protein inhibitor JQ1 upregulated the expression of programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) on the plasma membrane in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, JQ1 enhanced the expression of Rab8A, which upregulated the expression of PD‐L1 on the plasma membrane. This study also showed that JQ1 combined with anti‐PD‐L1 Ab effectively suppressed HCC progression, and this benefit was obtained by enhancing the activation and cytotoxic capabilities of CD8 T cells. These results revealed the crucial role and regulation of BET protein inhibition on the expression of PD‐L1 in HCC. Thus, combining BET protein inhibition with immune checkpoint blockade offers an efficient therapeutic approach for HCC.
Role of Mitochondria in HIV Infection

of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Assistant Professor Yanbin Zhang. No. of pages in text. (100) HIV-1 hijacks our cellular machinery to complete its life cycle. A better understanding of the interactions between cellular proteins and viral components will certainly lead to the discovery of new ways to inhibit viral replication. My primary research goals are directed toward understanding the basis of molecular interactions between viral and host factors (proteins or organelles) during infection of human cells. In my thesis, the role of mitochondria in the early stage of HIV infection has been evaluated by using a VSV-G pseudotyped HIV-based lentiviral vector. I have observed that cells lacking mitochondrial DNA (ρ cells), isolated from an established human osteosarcoma cell line, are defective in the ability to support virus infection when compared to their parental cells. This infection deficiency in ρ cells can be repaired by reintroducing mitochondria from ρ human cells (293T cells) using transmitochondrial technology. Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation by mitochondrial inhibitors did not inhibit HIV infection in HOS cells (ρ cells) indicating that the reduced infection efficiency in ρ cells is not simply the result of reduced oxidative phosphorylation. Further analysis indicates that virus infection in ρ cells is blocked at steps after reverse transcription and before nuclear import. Confocal fluorescence microscope analysis shows the subcellular location of the majority of virus nucleoprotein particles (identified by the presence of the viral capsid protein) to be near or in contact with mitochondria. Co-fractionation of viral complexes with mitochondria from infected cells also supports the hypothesis of association of viral complexes with mitochondria. In conclusion, in my study I have shown that ρ cells are defective in the ability to support HIV infection and viral infection is inhibited at steps after reverse transcription and before nuclear import. Mitochondria may play an important role in the intracellular transport by directly association with viral complexes. A role for mitochondrial association of viral intracellular complexes has not been previously explored. The elucidation of this role will open new avenues for investigation of the early steps in HIV infection.
The Mineral Profile of Polish Beers by Fast Sequential Multielement HR CS FAAS Analysis and Its Correlation with Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity by Chemometric Methods

Beer is the most common alcoholic beverage worldwide, and is an excellent source of macro- and microelements, as well as phenolic compounds. In this study, a fast method for the determination of Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Cu in beer was developed using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The precision of this method was between 0.8 and 8.0% (as the relative standard deviation (RSD)), and limits of detections were in the range of 0.45 (Mn)–94 µg/L (Na). Among the macroelements tested in the beer samples, K was found at the highest concentration, whereas Na was found at the lowest concentration level. Beer also turned out to be a good source of Mg and K. The total phenolic content (TPC) was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while the antioxidant activity was estimated by the ABTS method. The results show remarkable variations in the mineral content, TPC, and antioxidant activity across the beer types and brands. Moreover, the relations between the type, color, refraction index, antioxidant activity, extract, alcohol, mineral, and the total phenolic contents were investigated using the factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD) combined with hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC).
c-Myc Metabolic Addiction in Cancers Counteracted by Resveratrol and NQO2

Transcription factor c-myc is frequently amplified/overexpressed in human cancers. One event c-myc controls is metabolic reprogramming or the addiction for glucose and/or glutamine as nutrients. Rewiring of metabolic circuitry provides cancer cells with a gain-of-survival advan - tage. Accordingly, the aversion of two types of oncogenic-distinct metabolic addictions via c-myc control offers an anti-tumorigenic approach. Resveratrol reportedly inhibits the uptake/ transport of glucose or glutamine and reduces c-myc expression in cancer cells. Whether c-myc control by resveratrol involves quinone reductase NQO2 is unknown. NQO2 expressing (shRNA08) and knockdown (shRNA25) CWR22Rv1 prostate cancer cells were generated and used to study the role of NQO2 in growth and cell cycle control. Immunoblot analyses were used to evaluate the changes of cell cycle-associated proteins. NQO2 in mediating degradation of cyclin D1 via AKT/GSK-3β by resveratrol was tested by determining AKT and chymotryp - sin-like proteasome activities. Molecular modeling and pull-down/deletion assays were used to evaluate the interaction between NQO2 and AKT. Resveratrol interacts with NQO2, a qui - none reductase that plays a key role in resveratrol-induced AKT/GSK3β-mediated degradation of cyclin D1. In this chapter, we unravel control of expression and stability of c-myc by the res - veratrol-NQO2 axis as an approach to overcome c-myc-mediated metabolic reprogramming. that NQO2 NF-kB activation; NQO2 deletion potentiates the induction of apoptosis by abolishing TNF-induced cell survival kinases JNK, AKT, p38, and p44/p42 MAPK NQO2 C/EBPα proteasomes target dimeric NQO2 its other functions. novel pertain to c-myc T58 NQO2-knockdown cells, NQO2: AKT controls stability c-myc AKT/GSK3β-c-myc T-58 phosphorylation, by regulation of activity and functioning of the proteasome. Results of these studies will provide support for the as yet untested hypothesis regarding the indirect role of NQO2 in controlling AKT → GSK3β → c-myc T58 phosphorylation → c-myc degradation by proteasome, and the direct role of res veratrol acting as a metabolic switch to shut off c-myc-mediated metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells.
Effect of chronic spinal cord injury’s severity on sperm parameters in rat: correlation with locomotion deficits

Abstract Objectives Infertility is one of the major concerns for male patients following spinal cord injury (SCI). Although the severity of the injury has a large impact on extent of infertility, the effect of exact injury extent (with specific affected spinal tracts) on fertility is not studied yet. Materials and methods In the present study, sperm parameters, locomotion scores, and hormonal changes were evaluated following dorsal one third SCI (1/3 SCI), dorsal two third SCI (2/3 SCI), and complete spinal cord transection (TX) at T8 spinal level in male rats. Results Sperm count decreased significantly following 1/3 SCI and Tx compered to normal (control and sham). In addition, sperm count decreased significantly in Tx compared to 1/3 SCI and 2/3 SCI. Concerning sperm motility, although, percentage of motile sperms decreased significantly in Tx group in comparison to all other groups, the percentage of rapid progressive motile sperms (RPM) decreased significantly in all SCI groups compared to normal. Meanwhile, locomotion score (BBB-score) showed a significant progressive decrease following SCI compared to normal or within SCI groups. However, there was no significant changes in the serum hormonal and seminal fructose concentrations following SCI compared to normal. Conclusions These results show that understanding the extent of SCI, the affected spinal tracts, and the resultant locomotion deficits may help to predict the deficits in sperm parameters and hence fertility potentials.
Use of steroid hormones or GnRH to synchronize and resynchronize follicular wave emergence, estrus, and ovulation in cattle

A series of experiments were designed to study alternative estrus synchronization and resynchronization protocols to facilitate the use of artificial insemination in cattle. Studies were conducted to study the effects of estradiol cypionate (ECP) on follicular dynamics, time of ovulation, and pregnancy rate to timed-AI (TAI) in CIDRbased protocols. Although administration of 1 mg ECP did not result in synchronous follicular wave emergence, a dose of 0.5 mg ECP synchronized LH release and ovulation. Administration of ECP 24 h after CIDR removal resulted in acceptable pregnancy rate. However, treatment with ECP at CIDR removal resulted in acceptable pregnancy rate only if follicular wave emergence was synchronized with estradiol-17β (E-17β). The efficacy of two estradiol preparations (5 mg of E-17β or estadiol valerate; EV) and reduced doses of EV on CL and ovarian follicular dynamics and superovulatory response were examined. When doses of 5 mg were compared, EV treatment resulted in a more variable interval to follicular wave emergence and a lower superovulatory response than E-17β. However, EV at a dose of 1 or 2 mg was efficacious in synchronizing follicle wave emergence in CIDR-treated cattle. Pregnancy rates were compared following TAI in cattle given a new or previously used CIDR and injections of estradiol, with or without progesterone, to synchronize follicular wave emergence. Pregnancy rate following TAI did not differ between cattle treated with a new or once-used CIDR, but pregnancy rate was lower in cattle treated