Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of COVID-19 on Patients With Cancer

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic abruptly disrupted cancer care. The impact of these disruptions on patient experiences remain relatively understudied. The objective of this study was to assess patients’ perspectives regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their experiences, including their cancer care, emotional and mental health, and social determinants of health, and to evaluate whether these outcomes differed by cancer stage. Materials and Methods: We conducted a survey among adults with cancer across the United States from April 1, 2020 to August 26, 2020 using virtual snowball sampling strategy in collaboration with professional organizations, cancer care providers, and patient advocacy groups. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics, χ2 and t tests. Results: Three hundred twelve people with cancer participated and represented 38 states. The majority were non-Hispanic White (n=183; 58.7%) and female (n=177; 56.7%) with median age of 57 years. Ninety-one percent spoke English at home, 70.1% had health insurance, and 67% had access to home internet. Breast cancer was the most common diagnosis (n=67; 21.5%). Most had Stage 4 disease (n=80; 25.6%). Forty-six percent (n=145) experienced a change in their care due to COVID-19. Sixty percent (n=187) reported feeling very or extremely concerned that the pandemic would affect their cancer and disproportionately experienced among those with advanced cancer stages compared with earlier stages (P<0.001). Fifty-two percent (n=162) reported impact of COVID-19 on 1 or more aspects of social determinants of health with disproportionate impact among those with advanced cancer stages compared with earlier stages. Conclusions: COVID-19 impacted the care and well-being of patients with cancer and this impact was more pronounced among people with advanced cancer stages. Future work should consider tailored interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer.
Aire regulates chromatin looping by evicting CTCF from domain boundaries and favoring accumulation of cohesin on superenhancers

Significance Aire controls immunological tolerance by driving promiscuous expression of a large swath of the genome in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). Its molecular mechanism remains enigmatic. To address the hypothesis that Aire impacts chromatin organization through widespread promotion of superenhancer–promoter loops, we performed genome-wide, high-resolution chromosome-conformation capture (Hi-C) experiments on ex vivo mTECs from thymi of mice expressing Aire or not. Integration of the resulting data with inventories of the genome-wide locations of Aire, subunits of the mediator and cohesin complexes, and the chromatin-domain enforcer, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), indeed argued for a looping model, which was further supported by biochemical and in vivo loss-of-function analyses. Aire controls immunological tolerance by driving promiscuous expression of a large swath of the genome in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). Its molecular mechanism remains enigmatic. High-resolution chromosome-conformation capture (Hi-C) experiments on ex vivo mTECs revealed Aire to have a widespread impact on higher-order chromatin structure, disfavoring architectural loops while favoring transcriptional loops. In the presence of Aire, cohesin complexes concentrated on superenhancers together with mediator complexes, while the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) was relatively depleted from structural domain boundaries. In particular, Aire associated with the cohesin loader, NIPBL, strengthening this factor’s affiliation with cohesin’s enzymatic subunits. mTEC transcripts up-regulated in the presence of Aire corresponded closely to those down-regulated in the absence of one of the cohesin subunits, SA-2. A mechanistic model incorporating these findings explains many of the unusual features of Aire’s impact on mTEC transcription, providing molecular insight into tolerance induction.
Exploring safety in disaster-induced displacement relocation site schools in Tokwe-Mukosi, Zimbabwe

The victims of the Tokwe-Mukosi disaster-induced displacements in Zimbabwe were relocated to Chingwizi, Chisase and Masangula. This qualitative article explores the safety of learners in Tokwe-Mukosi disaster-induced displacement schools. The safety of learners in schools influences the education’s agenda. Most of the studies on the safety of learners focus on rural and urban schools at the expense of schools located in disaster-induced displacement sites. This article seeks to explore learners’ safety in disaster-induced displacement schools in Zimbabwe. The 2013 Zimbabwe Constitution and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Act 1987 (Section 25:04) emphasise the importance of learners and teachers’ safety. The critical emancipatory research (CER) was used as a theoretical framework in this article. The participants responded to the research question: Are school authorities ensuring safety in disaster-induced displacement relocation site schools, Tokwe Mukosi? Data were generated through photovoice. Participatory action research was used as a research methodology with 15 participants being purposively selected. This article found that learners were not safe in the schools located in disaster-induced displacement areas in Tokwe-Mukosi. To mitigate safety problems, participants recommended that the government and other stakeholders should collectively build a safe learning environment.
Integrated farming with intercropping increases food production while reducing environmental footprint

Significance The world has been struggling to find sustainable ways to increase crop production to satisfy the needs for food, feed, fiber, and industrial uses while reducing negative environmental impacts. This challenge is magnified in countries/regions where the availability of farmable land for agriculture is limited. We developed an integrated cropping system that incorporates key farming tactics. Tested in 16 field experiments over 12 consecutive years (2006 to 2017), the integrated system increased crop yields while decreasing the environmental footprint. The integration enables significant synergies in biophysical processes to occur under a wide range of crop inputs, suggesting that system integration can be adopted globally for a range of smallholder farming. Food security has been a significant issue for the livelihood of smallholder family farms in highly populated regions and countries. Industrialized farming in more developed countries has increased global food supply to meet the demand, but the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides has negative environmental impacts. Finding sustainable ways to grow more food with a smaller environmental footprint is critical. We developed an integrated cropping system that incorporates four key components: 1) intensified cropping through relay planting or intercropping, 2) within-field strip rotation, 3) soil mulching with available means, such as crop straw, and 4) no-till or reduced tillage. Sixteen field experiments, conducted with a wide range of crop inputs over 12 consecutive years (2006 to 2017), showed that the integrated system with intercropping generates significant synergies—increasing annual crop yields by 15.6 to 49.9% and farm net returns by 39.2% and decreasing the environmental footprint by 17.3%—when compared with traditional monoculture cropping. We conclude that smallholder farmers can achieve the dual goals of growing more food and lowering the environmental footprint by adopting integrated farming systems.
COVID-19 in socially vulnerable quilombola populations in Salvaterra, Pará, Eastern Amazon, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION COVID-19 is a severe respiratory syndrome caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In Brazil the highest infection rates are associated with socially vulnerable populations. This study therefore sought to analyze the spatial distribution of the disease and its relation with geographic, socioeconomic and public health policy characteristics associated with quilombola communities in Salvaterra municipality, state of Pará, for the period of March to September, 2020. METHODOLOGY This cross-sectional and ecological study used data from the Disease Notification System and the National Registry of Health Establishments of the Ministry of Health, the Income Transfer Registry of the Ministry of Citizenship and the 2010 census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Statistical and spatial analysis of the data was done through percentages of cases and Flow and Kernel map techniques. RESULTS Seventy-five notified cases of COVID-19 distributed among 7 quilombola communities in the municipality were analyzed. The epidemiological profile followed a national trend, with a higher percentage of cases among persons who were female, adults with low schooling levels, working as family farmers and with an outcome ending in recovery. The spatial distribution of the disease was not homogenous and showed clusters of cases and high incidence rates, especially in communities close to the municipal seat or to highways. CONCLUSIONS The use of data analysis techniques was satisfactory for providing an understanding of the socioeconomic production of the disease in the areas studied. Accordingly, the need for intensifying epidemiological survey actions in the quilombola communities of the municipality is emphasized.
Evaluation of the drug‐drug interaction potential of treosulfan using a physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic modelling approach

The aim of this work is the development of a mechanistic physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model using in vitro to in vivo extrapolation to conduct a drug‐drug interaction (DDI) assessment of treosulfan against two cytochrome p450 (CYP) isoenzymes and P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) substrates.
Simultaneous Exposure to Intracellular and Extracellular Photosensitizers for the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a serious threat to public health due to the rise of antibiotic resistance in this organism, which can prolong or exacerbate skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium and a leading cause of SSTIs. ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a serious threat to public health due to the rise of antibiotic resistance in this organism, which can prolong or exacerbate skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium and a leading cause of SSTIs. As such, many efforts are under way to develop therapies that target essential biological processes in S. aureus. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is an effective alternative to antibiotics; therefore we developed an approach to simultaneously expose S. aureus to intracellular and extracellular photosensitizers. A near infrared photosensitizer was conjugated to human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that target the S. aureus iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) heme acquisition proteins. In addition, the compound VU0038882 was developed to increase photoactivatable porphyrins within the cell. Combinatorial photodynamic treatment of drug-resistant S. aureus exposed to VU0038882 and conjugated anti-Isd MAbs proved to be an effective antibacterial strategy in vitro and in a murine model of SSTIs.
‘It’s Been a Massive Struggle’: Exploring the Experiences of Young People Leaving Care During COVID-19

This article explores the experiences of young people leaving state care during COVID-19. Twenty-one young people, predominantly from Wales, engaged in semi-structured interviews and/or contributed poems and artwork conveying their experiences of the pandemic. The data generated offered insights into young people’s daily lives, including their routines and relationships, as well as access to resources and services. The study found stark disparity in young people’s experiences, with some reassured by support responses, and others feeling neglected and forgotten. As an already disadvantaged group, the challenges presented by COVID-19 further hinder young people’s transitions to adulthood. The ‘massive struggles’ faced by some young people reflect immediate difficulties which also have the potential for longer-term impacts. The recommendations of the study, informed by care-experienced young people, seek to positively influence policy and practice.
Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant properties of the wild edible acerola Malpighia umbellata Rose

ABSTRACT The objective of the current study was to determine the phenolic composition and carotenoid contents of leaves, bark, and fruits of Malpighia umbellata, assess the changes in the phenolic composition and contents of carotenoids and vitamin C of its fruits in different stages of maturity, and evaluate the antioxidant properties of its leaves, bark, and fruits. Leaves accumulated the highest levels of flavonoids (10.55 mg/g dry extract), tannins (21.16 mg/g dry extract), and carotenoids (424 63 µg/g dry tissue); whereas, the highest level of total phenolics was found in bark (47.12 mg/g dry extract). The vitamin C content decreased with the maturity of fruits. Twenty-two phenolics were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Apigenin-7-O-glycosides, phenolic acids, and flavonols were predominant in leaves, bark, and fruits, respectively. Important chemical variations were found during fruit ripening. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) scavenging activity and 2,2ʹ-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) inhibition assays revealed important antioxidant properties for this acerola.
Host phospholipid peroxidation fuels ExoU-dependent cell necrosis and supports Pseudomonas aeruginosa-driven pathology

Regulated cell necrosis supports immune and anti-infectious strategies of the body; however, dysregulation of these processes drives pathological organ damage. Pseudomonas aeruginosa expresses a phospholipase, ExoU that triggers pathological host cell necrosis through a poorly characterized pathway. Here, we investigated the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ExoU-mediated necrosis. We show that cellular peroxidised phospholipids enhance ExoU phospholipase activity, which drives necrosis of immune and non-immune cells. Conversely, both the endogenous lipid peroxidation regulator GPX4 and the pharmacological inhibition of lipid peroxidation delay ExoU-dependent cell necrosis and improve bacterial elimination in vitro and in vivo. Our findings also pertain to the ExoU-related phospholipase from the bacterial pathogen Burkholderia thailandensis, suggesting that exploitation of peroxidised phospholipids might be a conserved virulence mechanism among various microbial phospholipases. Overall, our results identify an original lipid peroxidation-based virulence mechanism as a strong contributor of microbial phospholipase-driven pathology.
CriPAV: Street-Level Crime Patterns Analysis and Visualization

Extracting and analyzing crime patterns in big cities is a challenging spatiotemporal problem. The hardness of the problem is linked to two main factors, the sparse nature of the crime activity and its spread in large spatial areas. Sparseness hampers most time series (crime time series) comparison methods from working properly, while the handling of large urban areas tends to render the computational costs of such methods impractical. Visualizing different patterns hidden in crime time series data is another issue in this context, mainly due to the number of patterns that can show up in the time series analysis. In this article, we present a new methodology to deal with the issues above, enabling the analysis of spatiotemporal crime patterns in a street-level of detail. Our approach is made up of two main components designed to handle the spatial sparsity and spreading of crimes in large areas of the city. The first component relies on a stochastic mechanism from which one can visually analyze probable×intensive crime hotspots. Such analysis reveals important patterns that can not be observed in the typical intensity-based hotspot visualization. The second component builds upon a deep learning mechanism to embed crime time series in Cartesian space. From the embedding, one can identify spatial locations where the crime time series have similar behavior. The two components have been integrated into a web-based analytical tool called CriPAV (Crime Pattern Analysis and Visualization), which enables global as well as a street-level view of crime patterns. Developed in close collaboration with domain experts, CriPAV has been validated through a set of case studies with real crime data in São Paulo - Brazil. The provided experiments and case studies reveal the effectiveness of CriPAV in identifying patterns such as locations where crimes are not intense but highly probable to occur as well as locations that are far apart from each other but bear similar crime patterns.
Effects of Electroacupuncture on Alleviating Prostatodynia and Inflammation in Rats with Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis

Purpose Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a common urinary disease characterized by a complex sequence of symptoms including prostatodynia, which results in significant physical pain and mental burden to affected patients. Currently, CP has no standard treatment. Thus, physical therapy electroacupuncture (EA) which has been successful in treating several inflammation-related pain conditions was used to determine its effect on rats with CP. Materials and Methods Rats were castrated and treated with beta-estradiol for 28 days for CP modeling, and EA was initiated one week after. Following three weeks of treatment, pain-related behavioral testing, mechanical withdrawal threshold, and potential histopathological mechanisms were examined. Results EA treatment produced a significant antinociceptive effect, effectively increasing the pain threshold of CP rats, and the biochemical results revealed significantly lowered prostatic specific antigen levels. Histopathological results also demonstrated that EA exerted protective properties on prostate morphological changes, as well as decreased inflammation cytokines and oxidative stress molecular expressions in prostate tissue. Furthermore, EA alleviated microglial and astrocyte activation in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, decreasing CXC motif ligand 1 expressions in activated spinal astrocytes. Conclusion In conclusion, it was demonstrated that EA alleviated CP-induced pain, which was partly achieved by the downregulation of inflammation, oxidative stress, and spinal cord glial activation.
Genetic modification for enhancing bacterial cellulose production and its applications

ABSTRACT Bacterial cellulose (BC) is higher in demand due to its excellent properties which is attributed to its purity and nano size. Komagataeibacter xylinum is a model organism where BC production has been studied in detail because of its higher cellulose production capacity. BC production mechanism shows involvement of a series of sequential reactions with enzymes for biosynthesis of cellulose. It is necessary to know the mechanism to understand the involvement of regulatory proteins which could be the probable targets for genetic modification to enhance or regulate yield of BC and to alter BC properties as well. For the industrial production of BC, controlled synthesis is desired so as to save energy, hence genetic manipulation opens up avenues for upregulating or controlling the cellulose synthesis in the bacterium by targeting genes involved in cellulose biosynthesis. In this review article genetic modification has been presented as a tool to introduce desired changes at genetic level resulting in improved yield or properties. There has been a lack of studies on genetic modification for BC production due to limited availability of information on whole genome and genetic toolkits; however, in last few years, the number of studies has been increased on this aspect as whole genome sequencing of several Komagataeibacter strains are being done. In this review article, we have presented the mechanisms and the targets for genetic modifications in order to achieve desired changes in the BC production titer as well as its characteristics.
Health Evaluation and Fault Diagnosis of Medical Imaging Equipment Based on Neural Network Algorithm

In recent years, high-precision medical equipment, especially large-scale medical imaging equipment, is usually composed of circuit, water, light, and other structures. Its structure is cumbersome and complex, so it is difficult to detect and diagnose the health status of medical imaging equipment. Based on the vibration signal of mechanical equipment, a PLSR-DNN hybrid network model for health prediction of medical equipment is proposed by using partial least squares regression (PLSR) algorithm and deep neural networks (DNNs). At the same time, in the diagnosis of medical imaging equipment fault, the paper proposes to use rough set to screen the fault factors and then use BP neural network to classify and identify the fault and analyzes the practical application effect of the two technologies. The results show that the PLSR-DNN hybrid network model for health prediction of medical imaging equipment is basically consistent with the actual health value of medical equipment; medical imaging equipment fault diagnosis technology is based on rough set and BP neural network. In the test set, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of medical imaging equipment fault identification are 75.0%, 83.3%, and 85.0%. The above results show that the proposed health prediction method and fault diagnosis method of medical imaging equipment have good performance in health prediction and fault diagnosis of medical equipment.
The improved clinical course of persistent tachypnea of infancy with inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids

Persistent tachypnea of infancy (PTI) is the most common interstitial lung disease in young children. As no standardized therapeutic guidelines exist, different pharmaceuticals are used to treat PTI; inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and bronchodilators being mostly used. This observation assessed the effectiveness of bronchodilators and ICS in children with PTI enrolled in the children's interstitial lung diseases (chILD)‐EU Register.