Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of the htpsA gene affects capsule development and pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis

ABSTRACT Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (S. suis 2) is an important swine pathogen and also an emerging zoonotic agent. HtpsA has been reported as an immunogenic cell surface protein on the bacterium. In the present study, we constructed an isogenic mutant strain of htpsA, namely ΔhtpsA, to study its role in the development and virulence of S. suis 2. Our results showed that the mutant strain lost its typical encapsulated structure with decreased concentrations of sialic acid. Furthermore, the survival rate in whole blood, the anti-phagocytosis by RAW264.7 murine macrophage, and the adherence ability to HEp-2 cells were all significantly affected in the ΔhtpsA. In addition, the deletion of htpsA sharply attenuated the virulence of S. suis 2 in an infection model of mouse. RNA-seq analysis revealed that 126 genes were differentially expressed between the ΔhtpsA and the wild-type strains, including 28 upregulated and 98 downregulated genes. Among the downregulated genes, many were involved in carbohydrate metabolism and synthesis of virulence-associated factors. Taken together, htpsA was demonstrated to play a role in the morphological development and pathogenesis of the highly virulent S. suis 2 05ZYH33 strain.
Epidemiology of dengue fever in Guatemala

Dengue fever occurs worldwide and about 1% of cases progress to severe haemorrhage and shock. Dengue is endemic in Guatemala and its surveillance system could document long term trends. We analysed 17 years of country-wide dengue surveillance data in Guatemala to describe epidemiological trends from 2000 to 2016.Data from the national dengue surveillance database were analysed to describe dengue serotype frequency, seasonality, and outbreaks. We used Poisson regression models to compare the number of cases each year with subsequent years and to estimate incidence ratios within serotype adjusted by age and gender. 91,554 samples were tested. Dengue was confirmed by RT-qPCR, culture or NS1-ELISA in 7097 (7.8%) cases and was IgM ELISA-positive in 19,290 (21.1%) cases. DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, and DENV4 were detected in 2218 (39.5%), 2580 (45.9%), 591 (10.5%), and 230 (4.1%) cases. DENV1 and DENV2 were the predominant serotypes, but all serotypes caused epidemics. The largest outbreak occurred in 2010 with 1080 DENV2 cases reported. The incidence was higher among adults during epidemic years, with significant increases in 2005, 2007, and 2013 DENV1 outbreaks, the 2010 DENV2 and 2003 DENV3 outbreaks. Adults had a lower incidence immediately after epidemics, which is likely linked to increased immunity.
Beyond barrier functions: Roles of pericytes in homeostasis and regulation of neuroinflammation

Pericytes are contractile cells that extend along the vasculature to mediate key homeostatic functions of endothelial barriers within the body. In the central nervous system (CNS), pericytes are important contributors to the structure and function of the neurovascular unit, which includes endothelial cells, astrocytes and neurons. The understanding of pericytes has been marred by an inability to accurately distinguish pericytes from other stromal cells with similar expression of identifying markers. Evidence is now growing in favor of pericytes being actively involved in both CNS homeostasis and pathology of neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and Alzheimer's disease among others. In this review, we discuss the current understanding on the characterization of pericytes, their roles in maintaining the integrity of the blood–brain barrier, and their contributions to neuroinflammation and neurorepair. Owing to its plethora of surface receptors, pericytes respond to inflammatory mediators such as CCL2 (monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1) and tumor necrosis factor‐α, in turn secreting CCL2, nitric oxide, and several cytokines. Pericytes can therefore act as promoters of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Much like professional phagocytes, pericytes also have the ability to clear up cellular debris and macromolecular plaques. Moreover, pericytes promote the activities of CNS glia, including in maturation of oligodendrocyte lineage cells for myelination. Conversely, pericytes can impair regenerative processes by contributing to scar formation. A better characterization of CNS pericytes and their functions would bode well for therapeutics aimed at alleviating their undesirable properties and enhancing their benefits.
Impact of pH and protein hydrophobicity on norovirus inactivation by heat-denatured lysozyme

Norovirus, the leading cause of non-bacterial food poisoning, is responsible for several outbreaks associated with bivalves and ready-to-eat food products worldwide. As norovirus is resistant to alcohol, which is commonly used in food manufacturing processes, sodium hypochlorite is used for its inactivation. However, sodium hypochlorite has two disadvantages: it cannot be added to foods, and its effect is significantly reduced in the presence of organic compounds. Thus, a novel disinfectant against norovirus is urgently required for food hygiene. Thermally denatured egg white lysozyme inactivates norovirus; however, the optimal inactivating conditions and the underlying mechanism are unclear. In the present study, the inactivating mechanism of heat-denatured lysozyme against norovirus was analyzed using murine norovirus strain 1 (MNV-1). We found that the inactivating effect was enhanced by adjusting the pH of the lysozyme solution before thermal denaturation to 6.5 or higher. The reaction of heat-denatured lysozyme and MNV-1 was irreversible, and norovirus was completely inactivated after exposure to heat-denatured lysozyme. Furthermore, it was found that lysozyme residues 5–39 contributed to the norovirus-inactivating effect. Notably, the hydrophobicity and positive charges in this region contributed to the norovirus-inactivating effect, as evidenced by the norovirus inactivation test using mutated residues 5–39. These findings are novel and highlight the possible application of heat-denatured lysozyme as a disinfectant against norovirus in a wide range of food processes.
Imaging patients with stable chest pain special feature: introductory editorial

CHEST PAIN IN MEDICAL RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE: 700 YEARS OF TRIAL AND ERROR The coronary circulation was discovered in the 13th century by Ibn al Nafis (1213–1288). 1 In Damascus, Syria, he published the Kitab Mujiz – The concise book (1250) with the following description: “the nourishment of the heart is from the blood that goes through the vessels that permeate the body of the heart. ” This was a precise functional discovery of the coronary blood circulation specially conditional in relation to chest pain. Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) presented the first morphological drawing of the coronaries of animals in his famous anatomical sketches (c 1485 Florence). 2 In Padua, Vesalius (1514–1564) published his classical work De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543) with the first anatomical drawing of the coronaries from autopsy studies of the human body.3 Also, at the illustrious University of Padua, William Harvey discovered the functional system of blood circulation in 1628 laying the foundations of modern experimental medicine.4 On 21 July, 1768 William Heberden delivered a lecture before the Royal College of Physicians of London on a disorder of the breast,5 a form of chest pain which he describes as follows: “But there is a disorder of the breast marked with strong and peculiar symptoms, considerable for the kind of danger belonging to it, and not extremely rare, which deserves to be mentioned more at length. The seat of it and the sense of strangling and anxiety with which it is attended, may make it not improperly be called angina pectoris". After his masterly description of the chest disorder which Heberden called angina pectoris, it took more than 150 years before the syndrome was linked to its true etiology.
Lipid mediators and biomarkers associated with type 1 diabetes development

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a consequence of autoimmune β cell destruction, but the role of lipids in this process is unknown. We previously reported that activation of Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β) modulates polarization of macrophages (MΦ). Hydrolysis of the sn-2 substituent of glycerophospholipids by iPLA2β can lead to the generation of oxidized lipids (eicosanoids), pro- and antiinflammatory, which can initiate and amplify immune responses triggering β cell death. As MΦ are early triggers of immune responses in islets, we examined the impact of iPLA2β-derived lipids (iDLs) in spontaneous-T1D prone nonobese diabetic mice (NOD), in the context of MΦ production and plasma abundances of eicosanoids and sphingolipids. We find that (a) MΦNOD exhibit a proinflammatory lipid landscape during the prediabetic phase; (b) early inhibition or genetic reduction of iPLA2β reduces production of select proinflammatory lipids, promotes antiinflammatory MΦ phenotype, and reduces T1D incidence; (c) such lipid changes are reflected in NOD plasma during the prediabetic phase and at T1D onset; and (d) importantly, similar lipid signatures are evidenced in plasma of human subjects at high risk for developing T1D. These findings suggest that iDLs contribute to T1D onset and identify select lipids that could be targeted for therapeutics and, in conjunction with autoantibodies, serve as early biomarkers of pre-T1D.
Measuring Environmental Exposure to Enteric Pathogens in Low-Income Settings: Review and Recommendations of an Interdisciplinary Working Group

Infections with enteric pathogens impose a heavy disease burden, especially among young children in low-income countries. Recent findings from randomized controlled trials of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions have raised questions about current methods for assessing environmental exposure to enteric pathogens. Approaches for estimating sources and doses of exposure suffer from a number of shortcomings, including reliance on imperfect indicators of fecal contamination instead of actual pathogens and estimating exposure indirectly from imprecise measurements of pathogens in the environment and human interaction therewith. These shortcomings limit the potential for effective surveillance of exposures, identification of important sources and modes of transmission, and evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions. In this review, we summarize current and emerging approaches used to characterize enteric pathogen hazards in different environmental media as well as human interaction with those media (external measures of exposure), and review methods that measure human infection with enteric pathogens as a proxy for past exposure (internal measures of exposure). We draw from lessons learned in other areas of environmental health to highlight how external and internal measures of exposure can be used to more comprehensively assess exposure. We conclude by recommending strategies for advancing enteric pathogen exposure assessments.
Potential of dark‐striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius coreae, for use as a biological radiation dosimeter for human environments

This study examined the possibility of using striped field mice as a biological dosimeter or indicator for surveillance of the ecological effects of boundary radiation emitted by nuclear power plants. For this study, the external morphological characteristics and isoenzymic electrophoretypes of Korean domestic dark‐striped field mice were studied after they were captured, controlled for reproduction, and their exact species were identified. In terms of morphological external characteristics, the dark‐brown coat, dark back stripe, head‐to‐tail length, tail length, and ear length matched the taxonomical characteristics of dark‐striped field mice. In terms of isoenzymic electrophoretypes, the analyses on l‐lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and malate dehydrogenase revealed that one species of dark‐striped field mice, called Apodemus agrarius coreae, was scattered throughout a wide range of habitats. On the other hand, after irradiating the A. a. coreae (0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 7 gray [Gy]) to analyze their survival rate and frequency of micronuclei in peripheral polychromatic erythrocytes, their LD50/30 was approximately 5 Gy. Also, the mice that contained 1 or 3 Gy gained weight compared with those that contained 0.5 Gy. Moreover, those with 0.5 Gy and higher showed an increase in white blood cells and platelets as well as in sodium and creatinine. However, decreased concentrations of alkaline phosphatase, alanine animotransferase, calcium, phosphorus, and globulin were observed in the A. a. coreae after irradiation. The results of the study reveal that wild A. a. coreae mice have high potential as a biological monitoring system to determine radiation effects in human environments such as those within the vicinity of nuclear power plants.
Experiences of intensive home treatment for a mental health crisis during the perinatal period: A UK qualitative study.

Some women with severe perinatal mental health difficulties in England are cared for by acute home treatment services, known as Crisis Resolution Teams (CRTs), which provide short-term home-based treatment for adults experiencing a mental health crisis. Intensive home treatment has been trialed in a number of countries, but it is not known how well suited it is to the needs of perinatal women. This qualitative study aimed to explore how women and practitioners experience the provision of intensive home treatment for perinatal mental health problems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who had received intensive home treatment in the perinatal period (n = 15), and focus groups were held with practitioners working in CRTs or in specialist perinatal mental health services (3 groups, n = 25). Data were analysed thematically. Women commonly found intensive home treatment problematic, experiencing it as intrusive and heavily risk-focused, with poor staff continuity and little tailoring to the perinatal context. However, women valued emotional support when provided, particularly when it had a perinatal focus, sometimes based on practitioners sharing their own experiences. Some women also appreciated avoiding hospital admission, but choice was often limited. Practitioners reported a lack of perinatal training among CRT staff and described difficulties tailoring treatment to perinatal women's needs. Currently, intensive home treatment, as offered by CRTs, may not be well suited to women with perinatal mental health difficulties. Findings suggest a need to develop community crisis responses that are better tailored to the needs of this population.
ISSR Analysis of Genetic Diversity among Lespedeza bicolor Populations

Genetic diversities of Lespedeza bicolor were analyzed using ISSR in this study.A total number of 229 bands were amplified by using 16 ISSR-PCR primers chosen for the study,among which 91% was polymorphic. Ratio of polymorphic sites of populations amount to 68.24% in average.The Ht was 0.392,and the shannon′s information index(I) was 0.576. Gst(0.2434 in the average) had a large range of alteration.The gene flow among populations(Nm) was 1.052. Gene diversity(of all the gene diversity of populations) within populations accounted for 75.66%,gene diversity(of all the gene diversity of populations) between populations accounted for 24.34%;Which showed that Lespedeza bicolor had abundant genetic diversity of populations and great genetic potential on breeding.According to genetic similarity(GS) clustering,14 populations were clustered into 3 groups and there was no relativity between the genetic diversity parameters(P,H,I) and geographic climatic factors(longitude,latitude,AMT,AMP),and no fixed distribution pattern of genetic diversity either.
Truth Discovery via Average Proximity

Truth discovery is a general name for a broad range of statistical methods aimed to extract the correct answers to questions, based on multiple answers coming from noisy sources. For example, workers in a crowdsourcing platform. In this paper, we design a simple heuristic for estimating workers' competence using the average proximity to other voters. We prove that this provides an accurate or approximate estimate of the actual competence level and enables separating good from bad workers in a very broad range of domains and statistical models. We then suggest an a simple proximity-based truth discovery algorithm (\PTD) that weighs workers according to their average proximity. The answers for questions may be of different forms such as real-valued, categorical, or rankings, and \PTD can be combined with a wide range of aggregation functions and voting rules to improve their accuracy. We then demonstrate through an extensive empirical study on synthetic and real data that \PTD outperforms other heuristics, and is at par with state-of-the-art truth discovery methods in the above domains.
Comparing and integrating US COVID-19 data from multiple sources with anomaly detection and repairing

Over the past few months, the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been expanding over the world. A reliable and accurate dataset of the cases is vital for scientists to conduct related research and policy-makers to make better decisions. We collect the United States COVID-19 daily reported data from four open sources: the New York Times, the COVID-19 Data Repository by Johns Hopkins University, the COVID Tracking Project at the Atlantic, and the USAFacts, then compare the similarities and differences among them. To obtain reliable data for further analysis, we first examine the cyclical pattern and the following anomalies, which frequently occur in the reported cases: (1) the order dependencies violation, (2) the point or period anomalies, and (3) the issue of reporting delay. To address these detected issues, we propose the corresponding repairing methods and procedures if corrections are necessary. In addition, we integrate the COVID-19 reported cases with the county-level auxiliary information of the local features from official sources, such as health infrastructure, demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental information, which are also essential for understanding the spread of the virus.
Sensor application of fibre ultrasonic waveguide

This paper concerns the development of a new ultrasonic waveguide and its application as an environmental sensor. Ultrasonic waves have been guided in cylindrical structures to check the health of the structures themselves. Here, our attention is turned to environmental sensing based on such a cylindrical waveguide. To this end, the ultrasonic waveguide using an optical fibre and piezoelectric transducers is developed and demonstrated in a few promising applications: liquid leak detection, resin front and liquid evaporation monitoring sensors. The fibre waveguide affords notable advantages such as long-distance monitoring, minimum-invasive probing and cost-effectivity.
The cost of mood disorders

Abstract Mood disorders place substantial clinical, social and economic burdens on individuals with the disorders, as well as on their families and wider society. At the same time, the scarcity of healthcare resources necessitates the efficiency of alternative treatments to be examined. Economic evaluations of the seemingly expensive SSRIs have tended to suggest that they are cost-effective compared with tricyclics due to better clinical outcomes and reduced hospitalizations. However, a third generation of antidepressants may bring new cost concerns. The high cost of psychological therapies may mean that they are only cost-effective for particular sub-groups of patients, as suggested by recent NICE guidelines.
Sol–Gel Synthesis of Solids

The synthesis of glasses and ceramics via the sol–gel route is based on the inorganic polymerization of molecular precursors such as metal alkoxides. Precursor structure and reactivity can be chemically controlled via complexation or acid–base catalysis. Sol-gel chemistry allows the powderless processing of glasses and ceramics, at much lower temperatures than usual solid-state reactions. It provides a convenient and flexible access to nanoparticles, films, and fibres. Moreover, precursors are mixed at the molecular level and multicomponent materials can be formed. Thus, hybrid organic–inorganic materials have been made via the sol–gel route. The organic component can be used as a network modifier during the sol–gel synthesis and then withdrawn, allowing the formation of structured porous materials. It can also remain entrapped in the mineral matrix via weak interactions. Alternatively, organoalkoxysilanes allow covalent binding of organic moieties to silica networks. Such composites fill the gap between polymers and glasses and open new fields in materials science such as ‘sol–gel optics’ or bioencapsulation in mineral hosts. Keywords: sol-gel; oxides; silica; metal alkoxides; organic-inorganic hybrids; functional materials
The Effects of Joint Provision and Disclosure of Nonaudit Services on Audit Committee Members' Decisions and Investors' Preferences

Recent corporate governance reforms that require audit committees to pre‐approve audit and nonaudit services increase audit committees' accountability to third parties for actual auditor independence and audit quality. Other SEC reforms mandate the disclosure of fees for auditor‐provided services and are aimed at influencing investors' perceptions of auditor independence. These fee disclosures also reveal audit committees' pre‐approval decisions, enhancing public accountability. Thus, audit committees may be less willing to hire auditors for nonaudit services to avoid fee disclosures, even when joint provision improves audit quality. One hundred experienced corporate directors, responding as audit committee members or investors, participated in an experiment in which we manipulated the effect of the auditor's provision of nonaudit services on audit quality and the fee disclosure requirement. We find that audit committee members are more likely to recommend joint provision if audit quality improves, consis.
Liquid Metal Direct Write and 3D Printing: A Review

This review discusses methods, challenges, and opportunities for direct‐write and 3D printing of low melting point, gallium‐based liquid metal alloys at room temperature. Alloys of gallium exhibit high conductivity and high stretchability making them well suited for use in soft circuitry for stretchable electronics and soft robotics. In addition, the liquid nature of the metal enables entirely new ways to pattern metals at room temperature; herein, the focus is placed on additive printing via nozzle‐based methods. Room temperature printing of liquid metals enables rapid fabrication of complex geometries (with dimensions as small as 10 µm) on a wide range of materials, such as polymers. These processes can be used to make metallic conductors for devices with self‐healing capabilities, soft/stretchable electrodes, and sensors.
Electron-impact excitation cross sections for Fe^1^6^+ in the configuration-average distorted-wave approximation (4 pages)

Electron-impact excitation cross sections for the 2p{sup 6}{yields}2p{sup 5}3l transitions in Fe{sup 16+} are calculated in a configuration-average distorted-wave approximation. Resonant-excitation contributions from the 2p{sup 5}3pnl{sup '}, 2p{sup 5}3dnl{sup '}, and 2p{sup 5}4lnl{sup '} series are included in the isolated resonance approximation. The accuracy of the distorted-wave calculations is determined by comparison with previous 139 level resolved (n{<=}5) fully relativistic R-matrix calculations. Excellent agreement is found between the configuration-average distorted-wave and R-matrix total rate coefficients for the strong 2p{sup 6}{yields}2p{sup 5}3p and 2p{sup 6}{yields}2p{sup 5}3d transitions, while differences found for the relatively weak 2p{sup 6}{yields}2p{sup 5}3s transition are mainly attributed to close-coupling effects.