Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Accelerate Pheno System for Identification of Acinetobacter Clinical Isolates and Minocycline Susceptibility Testing

The Accelerate Pheno system (AXDX) is a rapid phenotypic bacterial identification and susceptibility testing system which is approved for use with positive blood cultures. Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen for which the limited treatment options include minocycline in the case of multidrug resistance. ABSTRACT The Accelerate Pheno system (AXDX) is a rapid phenotypic bacterial identification and susceptibility testing system which is approved for use with positive blood cultures. Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen for which the limited treatment options include minocycline in the case of multidrug resistance. Here, we studied the performance of A. baumannii identification and minocycline susceptibility testing by AXDX using 101 contemporary Acinetobacter sp. clinical isolates. Overall, the sensitivity for A. baumannii and A. baumannii complex identification was 100% (73/73) and 97.6% (82/84), respectively. Specificity for A. baumannii complex identification was 86.6% (13/15). The essential agreement of minocycline susceptibility results (±1 log2 MIC agreement) of AXDX MICs with reference broth microdilution was 98.0% (96/98). There were no very major errors or major errors. Overall, 24.5% (24/98) of results yielded minor errors. AXDX reliably identified A. baumannii and predicted minocycline susceptibility results, which should help guide treatment choices in a timely manner for infections where options are limited.
Identification of dehydroxy isoquine and isotebuquine as promising anticancer agents targeting K+ channel

Traditional antimalarial drugs based on 4‐aminoquinolines have exhibited good antiproliferative activities against human tumor cells; however, their low relative efficacy has limited their corresponding clinical uses. In order to identify new potent anticancer agents based on 4‐aminoquinoline, we evaluated the antiproliferative activity of a series of dehydroxy isoquines and isotebuquines against five human cancer lines. HeLa and SKBr3 were significantly more sensitive to the action of tested quinolines than the A549, MCF‐7, and PC‐3 cancer lines. Compound 2h was by far the most potent derivative against four of the tested lines (except to PC3 line), exhibiting low micromolar or nanomolar IC50 values superior to adriamycin reference, low toxicities on dermis human fibroblasts (LD50 > 250 μM), and excellent selectivity indexes against the mentioned cancer cells. A structure–activity relationship analysis put in evidence that a pyrrolidine or morpholine moiety as N‐alkyl terminal substitution and the incorporation of the extra phenyl attached to aniline ring are pharmacophore essentials for improvement the anticancer activity of the studied dehydroxy isoquines and isotebuquines. From the results, compound 2h emerged as a promising anticancer candidate for further in vitro assays against resistant‐strain and in vivo studies as well as pharmacokinetic and genotoxicity studies. Mechanistic assays suggested that the most active quinoline 2h act as calcium‐activated potassium channel activator.
Herb–Drug Interaction Potential of Anti-Borreliae Effective Extracts from Uncaria tomentosa (Samento) and Otoba parvifolia (Banderol) Assessed In Vitro

Samento (extract from Uncaria tomentosa) and Banderol (extract from Otoba parvifolia) have been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, e.g., against different morphological forms of Borrelia burgdorferi. However, there is hardly any data on the pharmacological safety of these two herbal medicines. This in vitro study aimed at scrutinizing their possible characteristics as perpetrators in pharmacokinetic herbal–drug interactions. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) was quantified by commercial kits and inhibition of drug transporters by use of fluorescent probe substrates. Induction was quantified by real-time RT-PCR and activation of pregnane x receptor (PXR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by reporter gene assays. Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) (IC50 = 0.49 ± 0.28%) and OATP1B3 (IC50 = 0.65 ± 0.29%) were potently inhibited by Banderol, but only weakly by Samento. CYP3A4 was inhibited about 40% at a Samento concentration of 1%. Samento significantly induced mRNA expression of CYP2J2, UGT1A3, UGT1A9, ABCB1, and SLCO1B1 and strongly activated PXR, but hardly AhR. In conclusion, the perpetrator profiles of Samento and Banderol for herb–drug interactions completely differ. Clinical studies are strongly recommended to clarify whether the effects observed in vitro are of clinical relevance.
Expression of toll-like receptors in ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE Ovarian cancer continues to be the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, with a complex tumor microenvironment (TME). We investigated the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of toll like receptors (TLRs) 4,5,7 and 9 together with CD68 and CD 163 as markers for tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in relation to clinicopathological data. METHODS Data from 102 patients with serous ovarian cancer treated between 2006 and 2011 was retrospectively reviewed. A TLR IHC score was developed and CD68, CD163 density scores were calculated as the mean number of positive cells from three 0.5 mm2 areas. RESULTS Advanced-stage disease (FIGO IIIC-IV) was present in 65.7% of cases. A TLR4 score above median was associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis (odds ratio/OR) 3.02, p=0.019) or ascites (OR 2.5, p=0.041). In FIGO stage IIIC-IV patients with a platinum-free interval (PFI) >12 months had, in comparison with patients with PFI ≤12 months, a higher CD68 density score (191.9 ± 95.2 vs. 152.7 ± 69.4, p=0.066) and a lower CD163 density score (106.7 ± 73.3 vs. 154.5 ± 73.9, p=0.011). In early-stage ovarian cancer patients, TLR9 positivity was associated with a higher overall survival than in patients with absent expression (110.2 vs. 22 months, p<0.001), while advanced-stage patients with TLR7 positivity had a lower overall survival than patients with negative TLR7 (38.3 vs. 66.2 months, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our data shows that TLRs and TAM are important prognostic markers and future studies are needed to better comprehend the immune response in ovarian cancer.
Hydrogen interaction with graphene on Ir(1 1 1): a combined intercalation and functionalization study

We demonstrate a procedure for obtaining a H-intercalated graphene layer that is found to be chemically decoupled from the underlying metal substrate. Using high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy techniques, we reveal that the hydrogen intercalated graphene is p-doped by about 0.28 eV, but also identify structures of interfacial hydrogen. Furthermore, we investigate the reactivity of the decoupled layer towards atomic hydrogen and vibrationally excited molecular hydrogen and compare these results to the case of non-intercalated graphene. We find distinct differences between the two. Finally, we discuss the possibility to form graphane clusters on an iridium substrate by combined intercalation and H atom exposure experiments.
Comparison of intubating conditions and hemodynamic responses to tracheal intubation with different effect-site concentrations of remifentanil without muscle relaxants during target-controlled infusion of propofol.

BACKGROUND We compared the effects of different remifentanil effect-site concentrations on intubating conditions, and cardiovascular and bispectral index score (BIS) responses to intubation at a fixed effect-site concentration of propofol without muscle relaxants. METHODS Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: remifentanil 2 (group R2, n = 22), 4 (group R4, n = 21), or 6 ng/ml (group R6, n = 21). Anesthesia was induced using target-controlled infusion of propofol 5 microgram/ml and each concentration of remifentanil. Laryngoscopy and intubation was attempted at 2.5 min following induction. Intubating conditions were assessed as excellent, good or poor using a standard scoring system. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and BIS values were assessed. RESULTS Excellent or good intubating conditions were obtained in 91% of group R4 and 95% of R6, both of which are higher compared with 32% of R2 (P < 0.01). MAP and HR decreased significantly after induction in all groups. After intubation, they recovered to baseline value in group R2 and R4 but were significantly less than baseline values in R6. BIS response to intubation was attenuated in group R4 and R6 but not R2. Hypotension was more frequent in group R6 than R2. CONCLUSIONS Remifentanil target concentrations of 4 or 6 ng/ml combined with 5 microgram/ml propofol provided good or excellent conditions for tracheal intubation and prevented cardiovascular and BIS response during induction without muscle relaxants. However, the use of 6 ng/ml dose was associated with frequent occurrence of hypotension and bradycardia requiring treatment.
Reconstruction of post-synaptic potentials by reverse modeling of local field potentials

Objective. Among electrophysiological signals, local field potentials (LFPs) are extensively used to study brain activity, either in vivo or in vitro. LFPs are recorded with extracellular electrodes implanted in brain tissue. They reflect intermingled excitatory and inhibitory processes in neuronal assemblies. In cortical structures, LFPs mainly originate from the summation of post-synaptic potentials (PSPs), either excitatory (ePSPs) or inhibitory (iPSPs) generated at the level of pyramidal cells. The challenging issue, addressed in this paper, is to estimate, from a single extracellularly-recorded signal, both ePSP and iPSP components of the LFP. Approach. The proposed method is based on a model-based reverse engineering approach in which the measured LFP is fed into a physiologically-grounded neural mass model (mesoscopic level) to estimate the synaptic activity of a sub-population of pyramidal cells interacting with local GABAergic interneurons. Main results. The method was first validated using simulated LFPs for which excitatory and inhibitory components are known a priori and can thus serve as a ground truth. It was then evaluated on in vivo data (PTZ-induced seizures, rat; PTZ-induced excitability increase, mouse; epileptiform discharges, mouse) and on in clinico data (human seizures recorded with depth-EEG electrodes). Significance. Under these various conditions, results showed that the proposed reverse engineering method provides a reliable estimation of the average excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic potentials originating of the measured LFPs. They also indicated that the method allows for monitoring of the excitation/inhibition ratio. The method has potential for multiple applications in neuroscience, typically when a dynamical tracking of local excitability changes is required.
Income Trajectories and Oral Health of Young People in a Life Course Study

Objective: To investigate the impact of the family’s socioeconomic trajectory on the oral health status of young people in the city of Sobral, Ceará, Brazil, and test the hypotheses of the life course theory. Methods: This is a cohort study conducted in 2000, 2006, and 2012. In the third wave, 482 individuals between 17 and 21 years of age were examined and interviewed. The outcomes analyzed were the trajectory of tooth decay (decayed teeth in 2012 and cavity reoccurrence) and the trajectory of dental assistance (immediate dental assistance and untreated caries). The socioeconomic trajectory was measured by the mobility of the family’s income between childhood and youth and the number of episodes of poverty throughout life. Results: The risk of developing decayed teeth in 2012 was greater for those who had always remained poor. Young people who were never poor had fewer decayed teeth in 2012, but more cavity reoccurrence. Downward mobility resulted in less access to immediate dental assistance. More experience of poverty throughout life implied more decayed teeth in 2012 and less immediate dental assistance. Conclusion: The life course hypotheses regarding an influence of socioeconomic mobility and cumulative risk on oral health outcomes in youth were confirmed.
Rhonchus and Valve-Like Sensation as Initial Manifestations of Long-Standing Foreign Body Aspiration: A Case Report

Patient: Male, 52 Final Diagnosis: Foreign body aspiration Symptoms: Rhonchus • thoracic valve-like sensation Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Pulmonology Objective: Rare disease Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is an unusual medical condition among adults, with most of the cases associated with identifiable risk factors such as significant neurological impairment, drug or alcohol intoxication, and poor dentition. In some cases, however, FBA can present in an asymptomatic way, with estimates that 80% of lodged bodies are not visible on plain chest x-ray, leading to delayed diagnosis and requiring additional imaging techniques and procedures. We report an unusual case of long-standing FBA manifested as rhonchus and a thoracic valve-like sensation in an otherwise healthy man. Case Report: A 52-year-old man was referred to our office complaining of abnormal respiratory sounds and an unusual valve-like sensation in the chest. According to the patient, both symptoms began approximately 18 months ago, when he was treated for recurrent respiratory infections, but without resolution of such symptoms. After careful initial assessment, a computed tomography scan of the chest was performed, which showed a high-density structure inside the left main bronchus, raising the potential diagnosis of foreign body aspiration. The patient successfully underwent flexible bronchoscopy, and throughout follow-up he remains asymptomatic with no apparent complications. Conclusions: Foreign body aspiration remains a rare medical condition among adults. We present an unusual case of longstanding foreign body aspiration manifested as rhonchus and a valve-like sensation in the chest. Detailed clinical examination and proper diagnostic tools should be carefully selected to support a timely diagnosis and prevent late complications of this particular disease.
Dribble Deficit Enables Measurement of Dribbling Speed Independent of Sprinting Speed in Collegiate, Male, Basketball Players

Abstract Ramirez-Campillo, R, Gentil, P, Moran, J, Dalbo, VJ, and Scanlan, AT. Dribble Deficit enables measurement of dribbling speed independent of sprinting speed in collegiate, male, basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 35(7): 2040–2045, 2021—The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between sprinting and dribbling speed in basketball during linear and change-of-direction (COD) sprints using total dribbling time and Dribble Deficit. Collegiate, male, basketball players (n = 10; 21.0 ± 1.6 years) performed linear and COD sprints with and without dribbling a ball. Linear dribbling sprints were measured for the dominant and nondominant hands, whereas COD dribbling sprints involved bilateral use of hands. Dribble Deficit was determined as the difference between total time (second) during each dribbling trial and the equivalent nondribbling trial for linear and COD sprints. Simple linear regression analyses were performed during linear and COD sprints to determine the relationship (R) and shared variance (R2) between (a) sprinting times and total dribbling times and (b) sprinting times and Dribble Deficit. Large to very large, significant relationships were evident between linear sprinting and dribbling time for dominant (R = 0.86; R2 = 0.74, p = 0.001) and nondominant hands (R = 0.80; R2 = 0.65, p = 0.005). Trivial relationships were apparent between linear sprinting time and Dribble Deficit with dominant (R = 0.10; R2 = 0.01, p = 0.778) and nondominant hands (R = 0.03; R2 = 0.00, p = 0.940). A very large relationship was evident between COD sprinting and dribbling time (R = 0.91; R2 = 0.82, p < 0.001), whereas a trivial relationship was observed between COD sprinting time and COD Dribble Deficit (R = −0.23; R2 = 0.05, p = 0.530). Dribble Deficit eliminates the strong influence of sprinting speed on outcome measures typically seen when using tests predicated on total dribbling time. Consequently, Dribble Deficit may be of added use in basketball test batteries to measure dribbling speed across linear and multidirectional movement paths.
Letter: different risks of venous thromboembolism in subsets of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases – authors' reply

EDITORS, We are delighted by the interest shown in our paper by Ding et al. We would agree with Ding et al that having identified patients from records of healthcare in the UK for our analysis, our results are only generalisable to this population with certainty. We would expect, however, that they could be generalised to populations with similar features and living in areas with comparable healthcare systems. Increasing adoption of European guidelines in the UK in managing IBD patients may well mean that generalisability of our findings is wider. We recognise that re‐examining the hypothesis of persistent elevation of venous thromboembolic risk after discharge in IBD patients in other populations may also be valuable. As Ding et al pointed out, we indeed had not broken down our cohort by IBD type. The reason for this is that subdivision of available follow‐up time by hospitalisation, surgery and disease activity resulted in very small number of events for some comparisons, and we did not have enough power for a more granular analysis. There is of course no reason for not providing the breakdown of IBD types, and we confirm that among the 23 046 IBD patients, 11 472 had ulcerative colitis (233 of whom developed thromboembolic events), 7085 had Crohn's disease (110 of whom had thromboembolic events) and 4489 had IBD we could not classify (87 of whom had thromboembolic events). We are less inclined to agree with the proposed benefit of anti‐TNF drugs as a mechanism explaining our results. Patients with severe active IBD are likely to receive corticosteroids (whether the activity is a first flare, or a breakthrough from anti‐TNF treatment), and attribution of a causal effect to corticosteroid use or IBD activity is therefore unlikely to be possible. We could not provide any direct evidence on the role of anti‐TNF drugs since we were unable to report their use in our cohort accurately, but we would contend that most anti‐TNF users were in remission most of the time. One would therefore expect that corticosteroids would be associated with venous thromboembolism and anti‐ TNF drugs would not be, even if neither were causally related, when disease activity itself was the cause. We would caution against considering anti‐TNF use as protective of venous thromboembolism beyond its ability to abolish disease activity without more direct evidence.
ErgoNBC – A COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR RECOMMENDING NOTEBOOK COMPUTER, WORKSTATION, AND ACCESSORIES SETTINGS

A computer program, called ErgoNBC, is developed to recommend the adjustment settings of notebook computer (NBC), workstation components, and selected accessories in order to help computer users assume an appropriate work posture during NBC work. The program requires a user’s body height and relevant dimensions of NBC and workstation components as its input data. For the results, ErgoNBC recommends the tilt angle of NBC base unit, NBC screen angle, distance between the user and NBC, chair seat height, and work surface height. If necessary, the NBC base support, seat cushion, and footrest, including their adjustment settings, are recommended.
MiR-221 is involved in depression by regulating Wnt2/CREB/BDNF axis in hippocampal neurons

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of miR-221 in depression. Methods: The molecules expressions were measured by qRT-PCR and western blot. The sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used to detect depressive-like symptoms. MTT assay and flow cytometric was used to measure the proliferation and apoptosis of hippocampal neuronal. Results: MiR-221 expression in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of major depressive disorder patients and the hippocampus of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice were increased, while the expression of Wnt2, p-CREB and BDNF were decreased. Additionally, silence of miR-221 increased sucrose preference of CUMS mice and shortened the immobility time of CUMS mice in SPT and FST. MiR-221 could targeted regulate Wnt2, and knockdown of Wnt2 reversed the effect of miR-221 inhibitor on the proliferation and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and countered the promoting effect of miR-221 inhibitor on the expression of Wnt2, p-CREB and BDNF. Conclusion: MiR-221 could promote the development of depression by regulating Wnt2/CREB/BDNF axis.
How do we know they hurt? Assessing acute pain in cats

Pain is an unpleasant, complex emotion and it is our duty as veterinarians to prevent and alleviate it in our patients. Animals and newborn and cognitively impaired humans cannot self-report; therefore, their pain is what we say it is. To treat pain, we must look for it, recognise it and in some way measure it; this requires validated tools that work in a busy clinical environment. In addition to preventing suffering, effective treatment of acute pain is ‘good medicine’ because it enhances healing, decreases morbidity and prevents the development of persistent postoperative pain. If we ask the question ‘Can we treat pain in cats? ’, the answer should be yes. Our pain management toolbox for cats is fuller and more diverse than it has ever been. It contains new feline-approved analgesic drugs and more clinicians are mastering locoregional anaesthesia. We also have a better understanding of the unique needs of hospitalised cats.1 However, administration of an analgesic does not mean our job is done; we must have an outcome measure of our treatment. Veterinary surgeons and nurses work with animals every day and likely feel confident that they ‘know what pain looks like’. However, there is wide interobserver disagreement when simple unidimensional …
Immune checkpoint regulator: a new assignment proposed for the classic adhesion molecule P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1.

P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) is a major selectin ligand expressed by hematopoietic cells and well known for its role in mediating leukocyte trafficking into inflamed tissue. A recent report by Tinoco et al . examines chronic viral infection and melanoma in PSGL-1 deficient mice ( Selplg −/− ) and suggests a previously unknown and selectin-independent function for PSGL-1 as an immune checkpoint regulator that promotes T cell exhaustion (1).