Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Added value of chest computed tomography in suspected COVID-19: an analysis of 239 patients

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, clinicians have been struggling with the optimal diagnostic approach of suspected patients. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of respiratory samples is generally being considered as the reference standard for establishing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection [1]. However, RT-PCR results take hours to become available and, although highly specific, sensitivity is moderate [2–4]. This could result in delayed and suboptimal clinical decision making. In a high-prevalence emergency department setting, chest CT showed a high probability of COVID-19 in 30% of patients with a negative or indeterminate initial RT-PCR result https://bit.ly/38hLDzR
Streptomyces noboritoensis isolated from rhizosphere soil and its use in controlling banana-tissue culture contaminants

In this study, the role of Streptomyces noboritoensis (14) isolated from the rhizosphere of banana plant and having antagonistic activity against the bacterial- and fungal-tissue culture contaminants was determined in vitro . Results show that the filtrate was more effective against the fungal-tissue culture contaminants than the bacterial-tissue culture contaminants. This was indicated when jars were fungifree and bacteria-free after one month and 21 days from incubation, respectively. Results of in vitro application show that the filtrate of S. noboritoensis (14) as a bio-control agent could be used for controlling the contaminants in banana. Data showed that treatment F (sterilized shoots treated with Streptomyces filtrate and cultivated on Streptomyces -inoculated medium) was the most effective followed by treatment E (sterilized shoots untreated with Streptomyces filtrate and cultivated on Streptomyces-inoculated medium). Therefore, the study suggests conducting further studies towards the use of streptomycetes in the biological control in a large scale production. Keywords : Streptomyces , tissue culture contaminants, antagonistic activities, bio-control African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(20), pp. 2908-2913
Fixed or adjustable sling in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence: results from a large cohort study

Background Fixed and adjustable male slings for the treatment of male urinary stress incontinence became increasingly popular during the last decade. Although fixed slings are recommended for the treatment of mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the precise indication for an adjustable male sling. Furthermore, there is still no evidence that one type of male sling is superior to another. However, both, adjustable and fixed slings, are commonly utilized in daily clinical practice. This current investigation aims to evaluate the differences between fixed and adjustable male slings regarding indications, complication rates and functional outcome in the treatment of male stress urinary incontinence in current clinical practice. Methods A total of 294 patients with a fixed and 176 patients with an adjustable male sling were evaluated in a multicenter single arm cohort trial. Data collection was performed retrospectively according the medical record. Functional outcome was prospectively analyzed by standardized, validated questionnaires. Descriptive statistics was performed to present patient characteristics, complication rates and functional outcome. A chi2-test for categorical and independent t-test for continuous variables was performed to identify heterogeneity between the groups and to correlate preoperative characteristics with the outcome. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Patients with higher degree of urinary incontinence (P<0.001) and risk factors such as history of pelvic irradiation (P<0.001) or prior surgery for urethral stricture (P=0.032) were more likely to receive an adjustable MS. Complication rates were comparable except for infection (P=0.009, 0 vs. 2.3%) and pain (P=0.001, 1.7% vs. 11.3%) which occurred more frequently in adjustable slings. Functional outcome according validated questionnaires demonstrated no differences between fixed and adjustable male slings. Conclusions Adjustable male slings are more frequently utilized in patients with higher degree of incontinence and risk factors compared to fixed slings. No differences could be identified between functional outcome which may imply an advantage for adjustability. However, pain and infection rates were significantly higher in adjustable MS and should be considered in the decision process for sling type.
Prevalence and regional variations of coexistence of child stunting and maternal overweight or obesity in Myanmar

Abstract Objective: The current study aimed to investigate double burden of malnutrition within households at the national and subnational levels and to identify its association with sociodemographic factors in Myanmar. Design: All the variables were extracted from children’s file of the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015–2016. Children under five were identified as stunted based on a height-for-age < −2 sd below the WHO reference median. Maternal overweight/obesity was defined as a BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2. A stunted child with an overweight/obese mother (SCOM) was classified as a double-burden household. Setting: A national household survey in Myanmar. Participants: Children under five and their mothers (n 3954 pairs). Results: Mean ages of children and mothers were 29 (se 0·14) months and 30·9 (se 0·32) years, respectively. National prevalence of childhood stunting and maternal overweight/obesity was 28·0 % and 39·4 %, respectively, and the prevalence of SCOM was 9·1 %. Significant regional differences were found in SCOM, ranging from 3·6 % in Naypyitaw to 12 % in Kachin and Mon and 14·6 % in Kayah. In the multinomial logistic regression analysis, relative to neither a stunted child nor an overweight/obese mother, child’s age, maternal age, maternal experience of a teen birth, short mothers, mothers with primary education and in middle or rich wealth tertiles, and some regions (Kachin, Kayah, Shan, Sagaing, Taninthayi, Ayeyarwaddy, Mon and Yangon) were associated with greater odds of SCOM. Conclusions: The current study showed a relatively high national prevalence of SCOM and significant regional variations. Overarching policies and programmes with culturally sensitive strategies need to be formulated and implemented.
Decision Making in the Sciences: Understanding Heuristic Use by Students in Problem Solving

DECISION MAKING IN THE SCIENCES: UNDERSTANDING HEURISTIC USE BY STUDENTS IN PROBLEM SOLVING Liz Csikar Old Dominion University, 2018 Director: Dr. Jill Stefaniak The purpose of this study was to examine the use of heuristics by students and gain insight into the thought process behind their problem-solving skills. The study used an adaptive narrative as the information delivery medium. An adaptive narrative was chosen because it could be designed to simulate decision making processes encountered in real world situations. Students enrolled in an introductory biology major class were chosen for the study because their fields of interest all require complex problem solving and decision-making skills. It was of interest to investigate what decisions were made when heuristics were given and how that may influence their rationale in the decision-making process. The results of this study indicate that: heuristics can enable students to make correct decisions when the heuristics are based on already familiar concepts; although students self-reported low cognitive load challenges in the NASA TLX, most of the explanations were deemed poor when graded by rubrics; students had difficulty transferring information learned in the narrative and synthesizing a complete and complex explanation past three data points. This study provides evidence that greater practice in the transfer of information to novel settings is important in education in order for students to become proficient in complex decision-making.
Pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour.

BACKGROUND This is the second updated version of the Cochrane Review published in Issue 3, 2010 and first updated in Issue 5, 2013. People with a primary brain tumour often experience depression, for which drug treatment may be prescribed. However, they are also at high risk of epileptic seizures, cognitive impairment, and fatigue, all of which are potential adverse side effects of antidepressants. The benefit, or harm, of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour is unclear. OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits and harms of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour. SEARCH METHODS We updated the search to include CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO to September 2019. As in the original review, we also handsearched Neuro-Oncology, Journal of Neuro-Oncology, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, and Journal of Clinical Oncology: for the current update we handsearched the latest three years of articles from these journals (up to November 2019). SELECTION CRITERIA We searched for all randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies of any pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a histologically diagnosed primary brain tumour. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS No studies met the inclusion criteria. MAIN RESULTS We found no eligible studies evaluating the benefits of any pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS We identified no high-quality studies that investigated the value of pharmacological treatment of depression in people with a primary brain tumour. RCTs and detailed prospective studies are required to inform the effective pharmacological treatment of this common and important complication of brain tumours. Since the last version of this review none of the related new literature has provided additional information to change these conclusions.
Mechanisms of drug resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma at different levels

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and the mortality of patients with PDAC has not significantly decreased over the last few decades. Novel strategies exhibiting promising effects in preclinical or phase I/II clinical trials are often situated in an embarrassing condition owing to the disappointing results in phase III trials. The efficacy of the current therapeutic regimens is consistently compromised by the mechanisms of drug resistance at different levels, distinctly more intractable than several other solid tumours. In this review, the main mechanisms of drug resistance clinicians and investigators are dealing with during the exploitation and exploration of the anti-tumour effects of drugs in PDAC treatment are summarized. Corresponding measures to overcome these limitations are also discussed.
Acceptability of telehealth in post-stroke memory rehabilitation: A qualitative analysis

ABSTRACT Despite evidence of the efficacy of telerehabilitation post-stroke, uptake has lagged behind the development of available technology, slowed by low confidence in user experience. We aimed to explore the issue of acceptability by characterizing the experience of telerehabilitation for service providers and consumers of a memory rehabilitation program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine clinicians (M age = 33.29; SD = 7.37; range 25–44) and 25 stroke survivors with memory difficulties (M age = 54.12; SD = 10.99; range 36–82) following a 6-week compensatory memory skills program delivered via in-home videoconferencing. Thematic analysis identified a range of perspectives under three overarching themes: (1) Content and Delivery; (2) Relationship and Connection; and (3) The Role and Benefits of Telerehabilitation. Reports from both respondent groups were overwhelmingly positive about the telerehabilitation experience and identified the benefits of increasing service availability. Videoconferencing technology was usable and occasional reliability issues were not a barrier. Users identified a range of benefits and challenges regarding communication, rapport building, and integration of rehabilitation in the home environment. Furthermore, most stroke survivors reported benefit from the intervention, via the acquisition of memory strategies and improved self-confidence through better understanding of their deficits. Overall, telerehabilitation of memory was acceptable to users.
Digital Surveillance for Monitoring Environmental Health Threats: A Case Study Capturing Public Opinion from Twitter about the 2019 Chennai Water Crisis

Globally, water scarcity has become a common challenge across many regions. Digital surveillance holds promise for monitoring environmental threats to population health due to severe drought. The 2019 Chennai water crisis in India resulted in severe disruptions to social order and daily life, with local residents suffering due to water shortages. This case study explored public opinion captured through the Twitter social media platform, and whether this information could help local governments with emergency response. Sentiment analysis and topic modeling were used to explore public opinion through Twitter during the 2019 Chennai water crisis. The latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) method identified topics that were most frequently discussed. A naïve Tweet classification method was built, and Twitter posts (called tweets) were allocated to identified topics. Topics were ranked, and corresponding emotions were calculated. A cross-correlation was performed to examine the relationship between online posts about the water crisis and actual rainfall, determined by precipitation levels. During the Chennai water crisis, Twitter users posted content that appeared to show anxiety about the impact of the drought, and also expressed concerns about the government response. Twitter users also mentioned causes for the drought and potential sustainable solutions, which appeared to be mainly positive in tone. Discussion on Twitter can reflect popular public opinion related to emerging environmental health threats. Twitter posts appear viable for informing crisis management as real-time data can be collected and analyzed. Governments and public health officials should adjust their policies and public communication by leveraging online data sources, which could inform disaster prevention measures.
The Use of High Frequency Vibration and Clear Aligners in Management of an Adult Patient with Class III Skeletal Malocclusion with Open Bite and Severe Bimaxillary Protrusion: Case Report

Adult orthodontic patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion, open bite and bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion are complex problems that normally require surgical intervention to correct. This is a report of an adult female with a skeletal Class III jaw relationship; in addition, the patient had anterior open bite and bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion. The patient also had three premolars in the lower left quadrant. Treatment involved extracting the extra premolar distal to lower left canine, retraction of lower anterior teeth, closing extraction space and anterior open bite utilizing Invisalign clear aligners. The patient initially changed aligners every week before this was changed to 3–5 days after starting to use a high frequency vibration (HFV = 120 Hz) device. Satisfactory results were achieved in a relatively shorter period. Comparing before and after treatment cone beam computed tomography revealed that new bone has been formed labial to the lower incisors after their retraction/correction of their initial proclined position and the use of HFV and myofunctional therapy without gingival graft. The present case report shows the comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach in treatment for such cases and the advantage of using HFV to improve bone formation.
Identification of lncRNA biomarkers for lung cancer through integrative cross-platform data analyses

This study was designed to identify lncRNA biomarker candidates using lung cancer data from RNA-Seq and microarray platforms separately. Lung cancer datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO, n = 287) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 216) repositories, only common lncRNAs were used. Differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs in tumors with respect to normal were selected from the Affymetrix and TCGA datasets. A training model consisting of the top 20 DE Affymetrix lncRNAs was used for validation in the TCGA and Agilent datasets. A second similar training model was generated using the TCGA dataset. First, a model using the top 20 DE lncRNAs from Affymetrix for training and validated using TCGA and Agilent, achieved high prediction accuracy for both training (98.5% AUC for Affymetrix) and validation (99.2% AUC for TCGA and 92.8% AUC for Agilent). A similar model using the top 20 DE lncRNAs from TCGA for training and validated using Affymetrix and Agilent, also achieved high prediction accuracy for both training (97.7% AUC for TCGA) and validation (96.5% AUC for Affymetrix and 80.9% AUC for Agilent). Eight lncRNAs were found to be overlapped from these two lists.
The microRNA/TET3/REST axis is required for olfactory globose basal cell proliferation and male behavior

In the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), new olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are persistently generated to replace lost neurons throughout an organism's lifespan. This process predominantly depends on the proliferation of globose basal cells (GBCs), the actively dividing stem cells in the MOE. Here, by using CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi coupled with adeno‐associated virus (AAV) nose delivery approaches, we demonstrated that knockdown of miR‐200b/a in the MOE resulted in supernumerary Mash1‐marked GBCs and decreased numbers of differentiated OSNs, accompanied by abrogation of male behaviors. We further showed that in the MOE, miR‐200b/a targets the ten‐eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase TET3, which cooperates with RE1‐silencing transcription factor (REST) to exert their functions. Deficiencies including proliferation, differentiation, and behaviors illustrated in miR‐200b/a knockdown mice were rescued by suppressing either TET3 or REST. Our work describes a mechanism of coordination of GBC proliferation and differentiation in the MOE and olfactory male behaviors through miR‐200/TET3/REST signaling.
Induction of Antimicrobial Pathways during Early-Phase Immune Response to Salmonella spp. in Murine Macrophages: Gamma Interferon (IFN-γ) and Upregulation of IFN-γ Receptor Alpha Expression Are Required for NADPH Phagocytic Oxidase gp91-Stimulated Oxidative Burst and Control of Virulent Salmonella s

ABSTRACT The effect of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) on elevation of reactive oxygen species and the viability of virulent wild-type and avirulent mutants of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and S. enterica serovar Infantis was studied in a murine macrophage cell line (J774.2 cells). S. enterica serovar Typhimurium 14028 phoP and a rough lipopolysaccharide mutant of S. enterica serovar Infantis 1326/28 (φr) (avirulent mutants) induced NADPH phagocytic oxidase gp91 (gp91phox) activity and a significant (P < 0.05) elevation of reactive oxygen species within 12 h without coculture with IFN-γ. This coincided with reduced survival of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium14028 phoP or stasis of S. enterica serovar Infantis φr. Fluorometric studies indicated that expression of IFN-γ on infected J774.2 cells was not significantly (P > 0.05) elevated. However, studies with the virulent S. enterica serovar Typhimurium strains showed that a comparable level of control of bacterial numbers could only be achieved by coculture with IFN-γ. This coincided with significant upregulation of IFN-γ receptor alpha expression on the surface of J774.2 cells and was completely abolished by N-acetyl-l-cysteine captopril (an inhibitor of reactive oxygen species). Delay in reactive oxygen species induction due to a requirement for IFN-γ and upregulation of IFN-γ receptor alpha in macrophages infected with virulent salmonellae may result in greater dissemination of virulent salmonellae in host tissue.
Phylogenetic Analyses of Rotavirus A from Cattle in Uruguay Reveal the Circulation of Common and Uncommon Genotypes and Suggest Interspecies Transmission

Uruguay is one of the main exporters of beef and dairy products, and cattle production is one of the main economic sectors in this country. Rotavirus A (RVA) is the main pathogen associated with neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD), a syndrome that leads to significant economic losses to the livestock industry. The aims of this study are to determine the frequency of RVA infections, and to analyze the genetic diversity of RVA strains in calves in Uruguay. A total of 833 samples from dairy and beef calves were analyzed through RT-qPCR and sequencing. RVA was detected in 57.0% of the samples. The frequency of detection was significantly higher in dairy (59.5%) than beef (28.4%) calves (p < 0.001), while it did not differ significantly among calves born in herds that were vaccinated (64.0%) or not vaccinated (66.7%) against NCD. The frequency of RVA detection and the viral load were significantly higher in samples from diarrheic (72.1%, 7.99 log10 genome copies/mL of feces) than non-diarrheic (59.9%, 7.35 log10 genome copies/mL of feces) calves (p < 0.005 and p = 0.007, respectively). The observed G-types (VP7) were G6 (77.6%), G10 (20.7%), and G24 (1.7%), while the P-types were P[5] (28.4%), P[11] (70.7%), and P[33] (0.9%). The G-type and P-type combinations were G6P[11] (40.4%), G6P[5] (38.6%), G10P[11] (19.3%), and the uncommon genotype G24P[33] (1.8%). VP6 and NSP1-5 genotyping were performed to better characterize some strains. The phylogenetic analyses suggested interspecies transmission, including transmission between animals and humans.
Forecasting extreme events: making sense of noisy climate data in support of water resources planning

Global climate model (GCM) projections are generally considered the best source of information for predicting future climate and hydrologic conditions in the face of a changing climate. Understanding and interpreting GCM projections is therefore critical for water resources planning. Unfortunately, this can be a challenging task as climate model data, particularly precipitation data, are notoriously noisy with large scatter and lacking in apparent patterns or trends. There is also usually large projection variability between models and model scenarios. This paper demonstrates a simple, practical method for synthesizing climate model data into more informative metrics using case studies of Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas. Monthly and daily GCM projections, as well as historical observations, were translated into commonly used summary metrics for extreme event planning: peak 24-hour storm events and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Statistical trend analyses on these two metrics were used as a simple means to better understand the data. As expected, results identified significant, increasing, trends in projected 21st century temperatures for most GCM projections. Less expectedly, significant trends were also identified for projected future monthly and 24-hour maximum precipitation and drought severity. Implications of this work for water resources planning are discussed.