Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 pandemic: a sentiment analysis

Ever since the first headline reporting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in December 2019, social media has served as a breeding ground for the contagion of information about the novel coronavirus. The information, a potpourri of truth and lies, has exploded across various social media platforms, outpacing the spread of the disease. A social media pandemic has preceded the disease pandemic, stirring a diversified spectrum of emotions. While the world has witnessed pandemics before, all were in the pre-social media era. The effect of social media during such an unprecedented pandemic crisis has yet to be identified. The assembling of information vs. misinformation, trust-building vs. fear-mongering, and anger vs. comfort are a few of the sentiments reverberating in the social media pandemic. In the new reality of social distancing and self-quarantined lockdown, Twitter has emerged as a paramount platform for crisis communication, with a COVID-19related tweet every 45 ms. We computed a sentiment analysis of tweets, retweets, and replies with #COVID19 over the 2-week period, from March 17-30, 2020, to analyse the perception of the COVID-19-related information across social media. We used the Twitter application programming interface (API) to record a sample of 10 000 tweets, retweets, and replies with a #COVID19 hashtag. Tweets, retweets, and replies were restricted to English language only for the analysis. The twitteR package was used to search tweets with the help of the standard Twitter API. The Syuzhet package in R was used for the sentiment analysis. The nrc sentiment lexicons of the tidytext package were used to assign scores for the
Classification of the source of treatment deviation in proton therapy using prompt-gamma imaging information.

PURPOSE Prompt-gamma imaging (PGI) based range verification has been successfully implemented in clinical proton therapy recently and its sensitivity to detect treatment deviations is currently investigated. The cause of treatment deviations can be multiple - e.g. CT-based range prediction, patient setup, and anatomical changes. Hence, it would be beneficial, if PGI-based verification would not only detect a treatment deviation but would also be able to directly identify its most probable source. Here, we propose a heuristically derived decision tree approach to automatically classify the sources of range deviation in proton pencil-beam scanning (PBS) treatments of head and neck tumors based on range information obtained with a PGI slit camera. MATERIALS AND METHODS The decision tree model was iteratively generated on a training dataset of different anatomical complexities, for an anthropomorphic head phantom and patient CT data (planning and control CTs) from 5 patients. Different range prediction errors, setup changes and relevant and non-relevant anatomical changes were introduced or derived from control CTs, summing up to a total of 98 training scenarios. Independent validation was performed for another 98 scenarios, derived solely from patient CT data of another 7 patients. PBS head and neck treatment plans were generated for the nominal scenario. For all PBS spots in the investigated field, PGI profiles were simulated using a dedicated analytical model of the slit camera for the nominal as well as the different error scenarios. From comparison of PGI profiles for nominal and error scenarios, a spot-wise range shift after spot aggregation with a kernel of 7 mm sigma was determined for each error scenario. The heuristic approach includes a pre-filtering of the most suitable PBS spots for PGI treatment verification. From the validation, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the model were determined. RESULTS A five-step consecutive filter was developed to pre-select PBS spots. On average, 25% of spots (1,044 spots) remained as input for the classification model. The derived heuristic decision tree model is based on five parameters: The coefficient of determination (R2 ), the slope and intercept of the linear regression between PGI-derived range shifts and the respectively predicted proton ranges for the investigated PBS spots, as well as the average and standard deviation of the PGI-derived shifts. With this approach, 94 of 98 error scenarios could be classified correctly in validation (accuracy of 96%). A sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 86% was reached. CONCLUSIONS In this simulation study it was demonstrated that the source of a treatment deviation can be identified from simulated noiseless PGI information in head and neck tumor treatments with high sensitivity and specificity. The application, refinement and evaluation of the approach on measured PGI data will be the next step to show the clinical feasibility of PGI-based error source classification.
Immunohistochemical demonstration of membrane cofactor protein (MCP) of complement in normal and diseased kidney tissues

The immunohistochemically stained membrane cofactor protein of complement (MCP/CD46), one of the complement regulatory proteins, was up‐regulated in some diseased kidney tissues. MCP in diseased kidneys was strongly concentrated along the glomerular capillary walls as well as In the mesangial regions, while MCP in normal kidneys was weakly detected in all glomerular structural cells and in the epithelial cells of tubules. Since the enhanced staining was noted in those areas where depositions of C3b/C3c occurred, ongoing complement reaction might be responsible for the up regulation of MCP expression. MCP expression may be up‐regulated by complement fragments generated during complemenl activation in glomerulonephritis. Furthermore, anti‐MCP staining was stronger in intensity in patients with moderate to massive proteinuria, indicating that up regulation of MCP expression could be directly correlated to the kidney damage.
Critères pronostiques de mortalité dans l'insuffisance cardiaque dans une cohorte prospective du CHU Grenoble-Alpes

INTRODUCTION : L'insuffisance cardiaque est un probleme majeur de sante publique. Elle genere une morbidite et une mortalite importantes qui demeurent elevees malgre les avancees therapeutiques importantes de ces derniers siecles. Cependant, ces etudes sont peu generalisables du fait d'une population bien differente de la realite clinique car plus jeune et moins comorbide. Nous avons voulu etudier la population hospitalisee pour insuffisance cardiaque au centre hospitalier universitaire de Grenoble-Alpes sans criteres d'exclusion afin d'etudier les facteurs pronostiques. METHODE : Les patients inclus pouvaient consulter les urgences ou etre hospitalises directement dans un service de medecine conventionnel cardiologique ou non, ou un service de reanimation. Les donnees demographiques, cliniques, biologiques, therapeutiques, le parcours de soin, le type de cardiomyopathie et le facteur declenchant etaient recences. Le pronostic a 1 an etait recherche. RESULTATS : 239 patients ont ete inclus du 21 novembre 2016 au 21 fevrier 2017 inclus. La mortalite a un an etait de 30% (n=26). L'âge moyen etait de 80.3 ans. Apres ajustements, un poids superieur a 70 kg et un taux bas de NT proBNP sont associes a un meilleur pronostic. CONCLUSION : Le poids etant un outil simple utilisable quotidiennement au cabinet, pourrait permettre de depister simplement les sujets âges insuffisants cardiaques au pronostic defavorable. Des etudes supplementaires sont necessaires pour preciser si le parametre poids chez les sujets âges de plus de 80 ans est superieur a l'indice de masse corporelle dans l'evaluation du pronostic de l'insuffisance cardiaque dans le cadre du paradoxe du syndrome de l'obesite.
CODEL: Phase III study of RT, RT + Temozolomide (TMZ), or TMZ for newly-diagnosed 1p/19q Codeleted Oligodendroglioma. Analysis from the initial study design.

BACKGROUND We report the analysis involving patients treated on the initial CODEL design. METHODS Adults (>18) with newly-diagnosed 1p/19q WHO grade III oligodendroglioma were randomized to RT (5940 cGy) alone (Arm A); RT with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) (Arm B); or TMZ alone (Arm C). Primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), Arm A versus B. Secondary comparisons were performed for OS and progression-free survival (PFS), comparing pooled RT arms versus TMZ-alone arm. RESULTS Thirty-six patients were randomized equally. At median follow-up of 7.5 years, 83.3% (10/12) TMZ-alone patients progressed, versus 37.5% (9/24) on the RT arms. PFS was significantly shorter in TMZ-alone patients compared to RT-treated patients (HR=3.12; 95% CI: 1.26, 7.69; p=0.014). Death from disease progression occurred in 3/12 (25%) of TMZ-alone patients and 4/24 (16.7%) on the RT Arms. OS did not statistically differ between arms (comparison underpowered). After adjustment for IDH status (mutated/wildtype) in a Cox regression model utilizing IDH and RT treatment status as co-variables (Arm C vs pooled Arms A+B), PFS remained shorter for patients not receiving RT, (HR= 3.33; 95% CI: 1.31, 8.45; p=0.011), but not OS ((HR = 2.78; 95% CI 0.58, 13.22, p=0.20). Grade 3+ adverse events occurred in 25%, 42% and 33% of patients (Arms A, B, and C). There were no differences between Arms in neurocognitive decline comparing baseline to 3 months. CONCLUSIONS TMZ-alone patients experienced significantly shorter PFS than patients treated on the RT Arms. The ongoing CODEL trial has been redesigned to compare RT+PCV versus RT+TMZ.
Polymeric Carriers for Delivery Systems in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontal Disease

Periodontitis (PD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of periodontal tissues caused by pathogenic microorganisms and characterized by disruption of the tooth-supporting structures. Conventional drug administration pathways in periodontal disease treatment have many drawbacks such as poor biodistribution, low selectivity of the therapeutic effect, burst release of the drug, and damage to healthy cells. To overcome this limitation, controlled drug delivery systems have been developed as a potential method to address oral infectious disease ailments. The use of drug delivery devices proves to be an excellent auxiliary method in improving the quality and effectiveness in periodontitis treatment, which includes inaccessible periodontal pockets. This review explores the current state of knowledge regarding the applications of various polymer-based delivery systems such as hydrogels, liposomes, micro-, and nanoparticles in the treatment of chronic periodontal disease. Furthermore, to present a more comprehensive understanding of the difficulties concerning the treatment of PD, a brief description of the mechanism and development of the disease is outlined.
Selection programs for fleece rot resistance in Merino sheep

Midside wool samples can be measured for predictive colour (PC colour, acetone extract colour after incubation), incubated colour (IYZ colour, yellowness reflectance of wool after incubation; IY colour, brightness), average fibre diameter (FD), FD variability (FDCV, coefficient of variation; FDSD, standard deviation), potassium (K) content of water extract, and pH of water extract. These characteristics were assessed for their potential as indirect selection criteria for fleece rot (FR) resistance on midside wool samples from 2095 Merino hoggets representing the progeny from 84 sires in 7 sire evaluation schemes. Indirect selection can be superior to direct selection, in terms of increasing FR resistance, when FR incidence is low. The indirect traits with the highest phenotypic correlations with hogget FR liability, calculated from a 2-category (incidence) model, were clean fleece weight (CFW), FDCV, and FD. Based on combined estimates of the heritability of the indirect trait and its genetic correlation with FR score (0-5), the traits that showed the highest relative potential (RP, the estimated gain from selecting on the indirect trait relative to the gain from direct selection at the same selection intensity) were FD, pH, FDSD, and CFW. The RP value, however, takes no account of the responses in other economic traits or the costs of selection. As FR score increased, there was a linear increase in mean CFW and FDCV and a decrease in FD. Changes in other trait means with FR score followed inconsistent pat terns. By calculating selection indices, it was shown that the use of indirect criteria in ram selection increased the response in breeding objective in a self-replacing flock by $0.01-0 15/ewe lifetime. year (based on selecting 5% of hogget ramslyear). These increases were restricted by the undesirable correlations of FR score with the main economic traits, i.e. sheep with high CFW and low FD were predicted to breed sheep more susceptible to FR. Selection programs based on CFW, FD, FDSD, and FDCV with or without FR score were the most economic single-stage selection options studied. There was a lower but positive estimated net financial benefit, after 10 years of selection, when all ram hoggets were measured for CFW, FD, FDSD, FDCV, and IYZ colour and assessed for FR score in a single-stage selection program. As expected, 2-stage selection was more cost-effective than single-stage selection. The most economic 2-stage option studied was to measure CFW, FD, FDSD, and FDCV and assess FR score on all hoggets at stage 1 then measure the best 7-10% (on Index) for IYZ colour. The best 5% of all hoggets were then selected at stage 2 for joining on the basis of an index that included CFW, FD, FDSD, FDCV, HFS, and IYZ colour. Additional keywords: selection criteria, Merino breeding, 2-stage selection.
Cluster Analysis: A New Approach for Identification of Underlying Risk Factors and Demographic Features of First Trimester Pregnancy Women

Thyroid pathology is reported internationally in 5–10% of all pregnancies. The overall aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of hypothyroidism and risk factors during the first trimester screening in a Mexican patients sample. We included the records of 306 patients who attended a prenatal control consultation between January 2016 and December 2017 at the Women’s Institute in Monterrey, Mexico. The studied sample had homogeneous demographic characteristics in terms of age, weight, height, BMI (body mass index) and number of pregnancies. The presence of at least one of the risk factors for thyroid disease was observed in 39.2% of the sample. Two and three clusters were identified, in which patients varied considerably among risk factors, symptoms and pregnancy complications. Compared to Cluster 0, one or more symptoms or signs of hypothyroidism occurred, while Cluster 1 was characterized by healthier patients. When three clusters were used, Cluster 2 had a higher TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) value and pregnancy complications. There were no significant differences in perinatal variables. In addition, high TSH levels in first trimester pregnancy are characterized by pregnancy complications and decreased newborn weight. Our findings underline the high degree of disease heterogeneity with existing pregnant hypothyroid patients and the need to improve the phenotyping of the syndrome in the Mexican population.
Estimation Techniques for State of Charge in Battery Management Systems on Board of Hybrid Electric Vehicles Implemented in a Real-Time MATLAB/SIMULINK Environment

The battery state-of-charge estimation is essential in automotive industry for a successful marketing of both electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Furthermore, the state-of-charge of a battery is a critical condition parameter for battery management system. In this research work we share from the experience accumulated in control systems applications field some preliminary results, especially in modeling and state estimation techniques, very useful for state-of-charge estimation of the rechargeable batteries with different chemis-tries. We investigate the design and the effectiveness of three nonlinear state-of-charge estimators implemented in a real-time MATLAB environment for a particular Li-Ion battery, such as an Unscented Kalman Filter, Particle filter, and a nonlinear observer. Finally, the target to be accomplished is to find the most suitable estimator in terms of performance accuracy and robustness.
Antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of the leaf essential oil of Morus rotunbiloba Koidz.

Essential oils from the leaf of Morus rotunbiloba Koidz was extracted and analysed using steam distillation and GC-MS. The results obtained indicated that the main components of the extracts are benzyl alcohol (10.48%),dihydroactinolide (10.11%) and palmitic acid (7.01%). The oil possessed strong antibacterial activity against Vibrio cholerae O139 DMST 9701, Samonella paratyphi A DMST 8486, Serratia marcescens ATCC 8100 and Samonella choleraesuis ATCC 10708 with minimum inhibition concentration of 1.33, 2.66, 2.66 and 10.65 µg/ml, respectively. The oil was tested for anticancer activity on human larynx epidermoid carcinoma and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines and found to have cytotoxic activity to both cancerous cell lines, with LC50 of 70 and120 µg/ml, respectively. The results obtained from antibacterial and anticancer tests indicated that essential oils from M. rotunbiloba can be used for the applications in food and pharmaceutical proposes. Key words: Morus rotunbiloba, essential oil, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity.
Cercospora beticola: The intoxicating lifestyle of the leaf spot pathogen of sugar beet

Abstract Cercospora leaf spot, caused by the fungal pathogen Cercospora beticola, is the most destructive foliar disease of sugar beet worldwide. This review discusses C. beticola genetics, genomics, and biology and summarizes our current understanding of the molecular interactions that occur between C. beticola and its sugar beet host. We highlight the known virulence arsenal of C. beticola as well as its ability to overcome currently used disease management strategies. Finally, we discuss future prospects for the study and management of C. beticola infections in the context of newly employed molecular tools to uncover additional information regarding the biology of this pathogen. Taxonomy Cercospora beticola Sacc. ; Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Dothideomycetes, Order Capnodiales, Family Mycosphaerellaceae, Genus Cercospora. Host range Well‐known pathogen of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) and most species of the Beta genus. Reported as pathogenic on other members of the Chenopodiaceae (e.g., lamb's quarters, spinach) as well as members of the Acanthaceae (e.g., bear's breeches), Apiaceae (e.g., Apium), Asteraceae (e.g., chrysanthemum, lettuce, safflower), Brassicaceae (e.g., wild mustard), Malvaceae (e.g., Malva), Plumbaginaceae (e.g., Limonium), and Polygonaceae (e.g., broad‐leaved dock) families. Disease symptoms Leaves infected with C. beticola exhibit circular lesions that are coloured tan to grey in the centre and are often delimited by tan‐brown to reddish‐purple rings. As disease progresses, spots can coalesce to form larger necrotic areas, causing severely infected leaves to wither and die. At the centre of these spots are black spore‐bearing structures (pseudostromata). Older leaves often show symptoms first and younger leaves become infected as the disease progresses. Management Application of a mixture of fungicides with different modes of action is currently performed although elevated resistance has been documented in most employed fungicide classes. Breeding for high‐yielding cultivars with improved host resistance is an ongoing effort and prudent cultural practices, such as crop rotation, weed host management, and cultivation to reduce infested residue levels, are widely used to manage disease. Useful website https://www.ncbi. nlm.nih. gov/genome/11237? genome_assembly_id=352037
Using Red Lights and Sirens for Emergency Ambulance Response: How Often Are Potentially Life-Saving Interventions Performed?

Abstract Background Emergency Medical Services (EMS) often respond to 911 calls using red lights and sirens (RLS). RLS is associated with increased collisions and increased injuries to EMS personnel. While some patients might benefit from time savings, there is little evidence to guide targeted RLS response strategies. Objective To describe the frequency and nature of 911 calls that result in potentially life-saving interventions (PLSI) during the call. Methods Using data from ESO (Austin, Texas, USA), a national provider of EMS electronic health records, we analyzed all 911 calls in 2018. We abstracted the use of RLS, call nature, and interventions performed. A liberal definition of PLSI was developed a priori through a consensus process and included both interventions, medications, and critical hospital notifications. We calculated the proportion of calls with RLS response and with PLSI performed, both overall and stratified by call nature. Results There were 5,977,612 calls from 1,187 agencies included in the analysis. The majority (85.8%) of calls utilized RLS, yet few (6.9%) resulted in PLSI. When stratified by call nature, cardiac arrest calls had the highest frequency PLSI (45.0%); followed by diabetic problems (37.0%). Glucose was the most frequently given PLSI, n = 69,036. When including multiple administrations to the same patient, epinephrine was given most commonly PLSI, n = 157,282 administrations). Conclusion In this large national dataset, RLS responses were very common (86%) yet potentially life-saving interventions were infrequent (6.9%). These data suggest a methodology to help EMS leaders craft targeted RLS response strategies.
Combined Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging and UV-C Radiation on Pathogens Reduction, Biogenic Amines, and Shelf Life of Refrigerated Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fillets

This study investigated the isolated effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP; 50% CO2 and 50% N2) and ultraviolet radiation (UV; 0.30 J/cm2) as well as their combined (MAP/UV) effect on reduction of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7, biogenic amines (BA), and on shelf life of tilapia fillets stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 10 days. UV samples had the highest reduction of S. typhimurium (1.13 log colony forming units/g; CFU/g) and E. coli O157:H7 (0.70 log CFU/g). MAP and MAP/UV reduced the growth of S. typhimurium in 0.50 log CFU/g and did not affect the growth of E. coli O157:H7. UV, MAP, and MAP/UV increased lag phase and/or generation time of all evaluated bacterial groups, decreased pH values, ammonia formation, texture changes, and, in general, the BA formation throughout storage period, and, therefore, UV, MAP, and MAP/UV extended the shelf life for two, three, and at least five days, respectively. MAP/UV, MAP, and UV decreased redness, MAP/UV and MAP increased yellowness and lipid oxidation, while UV did not affect it. MAP/UV demonstrated promising results for shelf life extension; however, different gas ratios in combination with other ultraviolet radiation type C (UV-C) doses should be investigated to reach the highest microbiological safety and maintenance of the overall quality of tilapia fillets.