Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Amiodarone Enhances Anticonvulsive Effect of Oxcarbazepine and Pregabalin in the Mouse Maximal Electroshock Model

Accumulating experimental studies show that antiarrhythmic and antiepileptic drugs share some molecular mechanisms of action and can interact with each other. In this study, the influence of amiodarone (a class III antiarrhythmic drug) on the antiseizure action of four second-generation antiepileptic drugs was evaluated in the maximal electroshock model in mice. Amiodarone, although ineffective in the electroconvulsive threshold test, significantly potentiated the antielectroshock activity of oxcarbazepine and pregabalin. Amiodarone, given alone or in combination with oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, or topiramate, significantly disturbed long-term memory in the passive-avoidance task in mice. Brain concentrations of antiepileptic drugs were not affected by amiodarone. However, the brain concentration of amiodarone was significantly elevated by oxcarbazepine, topiramate, and pregabalin. Additionally, oxcarbazepine and pregabalin elevated the brain concentration of desethylamiodarone, the main metabolite of amiodarone. In conclusion, potentially beneficial action of amiodarone in epilepsy patients seems to be limited by neurotoxic effects of amiodarone. Although results of this study should still be confirmed in chronic protocols of treatment, special precautions are recommended in clinical conditions. Coadministration of amiodarone, even at low therapeutic doses, with antiepileptic drugs should be carefully monitored to exclude undesired effects related to accumulation of the antiarrhythmic drug and its main metabolite, desethylamiodarone.
Newly Diagnosed Leptospirosis and Subsequent Hemorrhagic Stroke: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Preceding infection as an important risk factor for ischemic stroke has been reported but neglected for hemorrhagic stroke, especially in young and middle-aged patients. This study investigates whether newly diagnosed leptospirosis is associated with an increased risk of stroke. METHODS We identified 3699 in-patients who were aged ≥18 years and newly diagnosed with leptospirosis. We also randomly selected a comparison cohort 14 796 in-patients from the general population by using a propensity score matching method (at a 1:4 ratio). We analyzed the risks of stroke by using Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS The adjusted hazard ratio (HR; 95% CI) of stroke for the leptospirosis group was 1.14 (0.93-1.38; P=0.200) as opposed to the comparison group after adjusting sex, age, and comorbidities. However, adjusted HR (95% CI) of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke was 1.01 (0.80-1.29) and 1.58 (1.12-2.23), respectively. The strength of association between leptospirosis and hemorrhagic stroke remained statistically significant after variation of leptospirosis and stroke definitions. The post hoc subgroup analysis indicated that a patient with leptospirosis had a significantly greater risk of hemorrhagic stroke in male (adjusted HR, 1.62 [95% CI, 1.08-2.44]) and individuals between age 18 and 39 (adjusted HR, 3.67 [95% CI, 1.33-10.14]). The risk of hemorrhagic stroke among people with leptospirosis was highest in the first 2 years after diagnosis (adjusted HR, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.15-3.38]). CONCLUSIONS A 2.49-fold risk of stroke was found among the leptospirosis cohort of aged younger than 39 years. Age acted as an effect modifier between the leptospirosis and risk of new-onset stroke.
Role of novel protein sources in sustainably meeting future global requirements

Global population growth, increased life expectancy and climate change are all impacting world's food systems. In industrialised countries, many individuals are consuming significantly more protein than needed to maintain health, with the majority being obtained from animal products, including meat, dairy, fish and other aquatic animals. Current animal production systems are responsible for a large proportion of land and fresh-water use, and directly contributing to climate change through the production of greenhouse gases. Overall, approximately 60% of the global protein produced is used for animal and fish feed. Concerns about their impact on both human, and planetary health, have led to calls to dramatically curb our consumption of animal products. Underutilised plants, insects and single-cell organisms are all actively being considered as alternative protein sources. Each present challenges that need to be met before they can become economically viable and safe alternatives for food or feed. Many plant species contain anti-nutritional factors that impair the digestion and absorption of protein and micronutrients. Insects represent a potentially rich source of high-quality protein although, questions remain relating to digestibility, allergenicity and biosecurity. Algae, fungi and bacteria are also a rich source of protein and there is growing interest in the development of ‘cultured meat’ using stem cell technology. For the foreseeable future, it appears likely that the ‘protein-economy’ will remain mixed. The present paper reviews progress and future opportunities in the development of novel protein sources as food and animal feed.
Importance-aware personalized learning for early risk prediction using static and dynamic health data

OBJECTIVE Accurate risk prediction is important for evaluating early medical treatment effects and improving health care quality. Existing methods are usually designed for dynamic medical data, which require long-term observations. Meanwhile, important personalized static information is ignored due to the underlying uncertainty and unquantifiable ambiguity. It is urgent to develop an early risk prediction method that can adaptively integrate both static and dynamic health data. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were from 6367 patients with Peptic Ulcer Bleeding between 2007 and 2016. This article develops a novel End-to-end Importance-Aware Personalized Deep Learning Approach (eiPDLA) to achieve accurate early clinical risk prediction. Specifically, eiPDLA introduces a long short-term memory with temporal attention to learn sequential dependencies from time-stamped records and simultaneously incorporating a residual network with correlation attention to capture their influencing relationship with static medical data. Furthermore, a new multi-residual multi-scale network with the importance-aware mechanism is designed to adaptively fuse the learned multisource features, automatically assigning larger weights to important features while weakening the influence of less important features. RESULTS Extensive experimental results on a real-world dataset illustrate that our method significantly outperforms the state-of-the-arts for early risk prediction under various settings (eg, achieving an AUC score of 0.944 at 1 year ahead of risk prediction). Case studies indicate that the achieved prediction results are highly interpretable. CONCLUSION These results reflect the importance of combining static and dynamic health data, mining their influencing relationship, and incorporating the importance-aware mechanism to automatically identify important features. The achieved accurate early risk prediction results save precious time for doctors to timely design effective treatments and improve clinical outcomes.
Optimal rare-earth (La, Y and Sm) doping conditions and enhanced mechanism for photocatalytic application of ceria nanorods

Morphological tuning or additional cation doping is one of the potential and simple methods to enhance the photocatalytic properties of ceria, in which rare-earth element doped ceria nanorods (CeO2-RE NRs) are expected to be a promising photocatalyst with high activity. But the optimal doping conditions, including the variety and concentration of RE elements are ambiguous, and the contribution of doped RE ions to the enhancement of photocatalytic activity needs to be further studied. In this work, we doped La, Y and Sm with a wide range of 0%–30% into CeO2 NRs, and investigated the phase, morphology, band gap, oxygen vacancy concentration, PL spectra and photocatalytic activity variation under different doping conditions. All synthesized CeO2-RE NRs possessed a good nanorod morphology except the 15 and 30% Y-doped samples. The energy band gaps of the synthesized samples changed slightly; the 10% CeO2-RE NRs with the narrowest band gaps possessed the higher photocatalytic performance. The most outstanding photocatalyst was found to be the 10% Y-doped CeO2 NRs with a methylene blue photodegradation ratio of 85.59% and rate constant of 0.0134 min−1, which is particularly associated with a significant higher oxygen vacancy concentration and obviously lower recombination rate of photogenerated e−/h+ pairs. The doped RE ions and the promotion of oxygen vacancy generation impede the recombination of photogenerated carriers, which is proposed as the main reason to enhance the photocatalytic property of CeO2.
Identification of Circular RNA hsa_circ_0001599 As a Novel Biomarker for Large-Artery Atherosclerotic Stroke.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently discovered noncoding RNA isoform capable of regulating neurological disease incidence. The present study was designed to characterize the circRNA expression profiles present in large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA)-type acute ischemic stroke patients and to detect biomarkers suitable for LAA-stroke detection. Using a RNA-seq-based approach, we characterized circRNA expression profiles in five LAA-stroke patients and four controls. We confirmed the differential expression of target circRNAs through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and used Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses to explore their functional roles. The diagnostic value of specific circRNAs was evaluated through a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We identified 182 upregulated and 176 downregulated circRNAs in LAA-stroke patients and confirmed the differential expression of six circRNAs through qRT-PCR. These differentially expressed circRNAs are primarily associated with chromatin modification, autophagy, platelet activation, and neural precursor cell proliferation. The hsa_circRNA_0001599 expression levels were positively correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores and infarct volumes, with an ROC analysis of hsa_circRNA_0001599 in LAA-stroke, yielding an area under the curve of 0.805 (95% confidence interval: 0.748-0.862; p < 0.001), consistent with sensitivity and specificity values of 64.41% and 89.93%, respectively, for the diagnosis of LAA-stroke. A transcriptome-wide survey of differential circRNA expression in LAA-stroke patients revealed hsa_circRNA_0001599 as a putative circRNA biomarker of LAA-stroke diagnosis.
Personal experiences bridge moral and political divides better than facts

Significance All Americans are affected by rising political polarization, whether because of a gridlocked Congress or antagonistic holiday dinners. People believe that facts are essential for earning the respect of political adversaries, but our research shows that this belief is wrong. We find that sharing personal experiences about a political issue—especially experiences involving harm—help to foster respect via increased perceptions of rationality. This research provides a straightforward pathway for increasing moral understanding and decreasing political intolerance. These findings also raise questions about how science and society should understand the nature of truth in the era of “fake news. ” In moral and political disagreements, everyday people treat subjective experiences as truer than objective facts. Both liberals and conservatives believe that using facts in political discussions helps to foster mutual respect, but 15 studies—across multiple methodologies and issues—show that these beliefs are mistaken. Political opponents respect moral beliefs more when they are supported by personal experiences, not facts. The respect-inducing power of personal experiences is revealed by survey studies across various political topics, a field study of conversations about guns, an analysis of YouTube comments from abortion opinion videos, and an archival analysis of 137 interview transcripts from Fox News and CNN. The personal experiences most likely to encourage respect from opponents are issue-relevant and involve harm. Mediation analyses reveal that these harm-related personal experiences increase respect by increasing perceptions of rationality: everyone can appreciate that avoiding harm is rational, even in people who hold different beliefs about guns, taxes, immigration, and the environment. Studies show that people believe in the truth of both facts and personal experiences in nonmoral disagreement; however, in moral disagreements, subjective experiences seem truer (i.e., are doubted less) than objective facts. These results provide a concrete demonstration of how to bridge moral divides while also revealing how our intuitions can lead us astray. Stretching back to the Enlightenment, philosophers and scientists have privileged objective facts over experiences in the pursuit of truth. However, furnishing perceptions of truth within moral disagreements is better accomplished by sharing subjective experiences, not by providing facts.
Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2 and 3 Gene Deletions in Strains from Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan

Deletion of histidine-rich protein genes pfhrp2/3 in Plasmodium falciparum causes infections to go undetected by HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests. We analyzed P. falciparum malaria cases imported to Australia (n = 210, collected 2010–2018) for their pfhrp2/3 status. We detected gene deletions in patients from 12 of 25 countries. We found >10% pfhrp2-deletion levels in those from Nigeria (13.3%, n = 30), Sudan (11.2%, n = 39), and South Sudan (17.7%, n = 17) and low levels of pfhrp3 deletion from Sudan (3.6%) and South Sudan (5.9%). No parasites with pfhrp2/3 double deletions were detected. Microsatellite typing of parasites from Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan revealed low relatedness among gene-deleted parasites, indicating independent emergences. The gene deletion proportions signify a risk of false-negative HRP2-RDT results. This study’s findings warrant surveillance to determine whether the prevalence of gene-deleted parasites justifies switching malaria rapid diagnostic tests in Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan.
The Effect of Daily Intake of Selenium, Vitamin E and Folic Acid on Sperm Parameters in Males with Idiopathic Infertility: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background Male infertility may originate from a wide spectrum of conditions while in 30-40 percent of cases, no signifi- cant reason can be identified. Thereby, it is recognized as male idiopathic infertility. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of daily intake of selenium, vitamin E and folic acid on sperm parameters in males with idiopathic infertility. Materials and Methods Seventy infertile men were selected to participate in this single-blind, randomized con- trolled clinical trial using convenience sampling. They were equally divided into two groups via permuted block randomization method. The intervention group received selenium tablet (200 µg per day, oral), vitamin E capsule (400 IU per day, oral) and folic acid tablet (5 mg per day, oral). The placebo group received matching placebo for three months. Semen volume, total sperm motility, sperm concentration, progressive sperm motility, normal sperm morphology, sperm motility index (SMI) and functional sperm concentration (FSC) were assessed by sperm quality analyzer-v (SQAV) before and after the intervention. Paired t test, and independent t test were used to compare the results within and between the groups, respectively. The IBM SPSS V.16. 005 was used for data analysis. A P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results After three months, according to within-group analysis, a significant difference was found in mean SMI (P=0.007) and FSC (P=0.001) in the intervention group. According to between-group analysis, no significant difference was found in mean semen volume (P=0.610), sperm concentration (P=0.126), total sperm motility (P=0.765), progres- sive sperm motility (P=0.767), normal sperm morph (P=0.403), SMI (P=0.556) or FSC (P=0.706) between the groups. Conclusion Consumption of selenium, vitamin E and folic acid in infertile men with asthenozoospermia was not effective (Registration number: IRCT2017012432153N1).
The Overlap between Genetic Susceptibility to COVID-19 and Skin Diseases

ABSTRACT Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mainly affects the respiratory system, but the involvement of other organ systems has also been commonly reported. Acute acro-ischemia or chilblain like lesions were among the first recognized dermatological presentations of COVID-19. Though the occurrence of such lesions has been attributed to the similar interferon-1 mediated immune response in both COVID-19 and systemic lupus erythematosus, we propose another possible explanation based on a common genetic background. In a recent genome-wide association study, the 3p21.31 region was found to be associated with COVID-19 severity. This region also contains the TREX1 gene. Missense mutations of the TREX1 gene are responsible for familial chilblain lupus and its genetic polymorphisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. Based on this observation, herein we have reviewed other COVID-19 risk loci for potential overlap with dermatological conditions.
Concepts on Smart Nano-Based Drug Delivery System.

Nanomedicine is a branch of healthcare, which has many clinical applications. Nanoscale science has to presume an attractive slot for research in drug delivery as nanocarriers either through active or passive targeting approaches to the cell-specific drug delivery. Liposomes, solid-lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots, and nanofibers are nanocarriers that are proved too smart nano-based drug delivery system. The nanoparticulate system shows high stability, high specificity, high efficacy, liability to form in different dosage, used through different routes, as well as the ability to deliver hydrophobically as well as hydrophilic drugs. These nanoparticulate systems are showing wider applications to cure the disease through nanomedicines and biomedical applications viz. chemical and biological sensors, information storage systems, magneto-optic, optical devices, and fiber-optic systems. In this review article, the author describes the various smart nano-based drug delivery system along with their endocytic pathways used for the uptake of nanoparticles.
Prokaryotic Diversity of the Composting Thermophilic Phase: The Case of Ground Coffee Compost

Waste biomass coming from a local coffee company, which supplied burnt ground coffee after an incorrect roasting process, was employed as a starting material in the composting plant of the Experimental Station of the University of Naples Federico II at Castel Volturno (CE). The direct molecular characterization of compost using 13C-NMR spectra, which was acquired through cross-polarization magic-angle spinning, showed a hydrophobicity index of 2.7% and an alkyl/hydroxyalkyl index of 0.7%. Compost samples that were collected during the early “active thermophilic phase” (when the composting temperature was 63 °C) were analyzed for the prokaryotic community composition and activities. Two complementary approaches, i.e., genomic and predictive metabolic analysis of the 16S rRNA V3–V4 amplicon and culture-dependent analysis, were combined to identify the main microbial factors that characterized the composting process. The whole microbial community was dominated by Firmicutes. The predictive analysis of the metabolic functionality of the community highlighted the potential degradation of peptidoglycan and the ability of metal chelation, with both functions being extremely useful for the revitalization and fertilization of agricultural soils. Finally, three biotechnologically relevant Firmicutes members, i.e., Geobacillus thermodenitrificans subsp. calidus, Aeribacillus pallidus, and Ureibacillus terrenus (strains CAF1, CAF2, and CAF5, respectively) were isolated from the “active thermophilic phase” of the coffee composting. All strains were thermophiles growing at the optimal temperature of 60 °C. Our findings contribute to the current knowledge on thermophilic composting microbiology and valorize burnt ground coffee as waste material with biotechnological potentialities.
Molecular librations and solvent orientational correlations in hydrophobic phenomena

A detailed analysis of the energetic characteristics associated with the solvent in a simulation of a solution containing a pair of apolar spheres immersed in ST2 water solvent is presented. The spheres are separated by a distance corresponding to the so-called solvent-separated hydrophobic interaction. The analysis of local structure is facilitated by the consideration of only near-neighbour solvent–solvent interactions and the use of a coarse-grained time-averaging procedure which removes the high-frequency librational excitation from the underlying hydrogen-bond network. The structure produced is analogous to that termed “V-structure” by Eisenberg and Kauzmann.The results manifest the expected enhancement in intermolecular interactions within the solvation shell, characteristic of higher orientational correlation, and this enhancement is markedly greater in the region which includes solvent that is shared by solute solvation shells. The V-structure obtained is consistent with an underlying network with further enhancement of intermolecular orientational correlations, upon which is superimposed thermal librational excitation. The intermolecular bonding is consistent with local energetic stabilization of the solvent-separated configuration, reinforcing the clathrate-like picture of solvation.