Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blood pressure reduction and outcome after endovascular therapy: a secondary analysis of the BEST study

Background Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the acute phase after endovascular therapy (EVT) is associated with worse outcome. However, the association between systolic blood pressure reduction (SBPr) and the outcome of EVT is not well understood. Objective To determine the association between SBPr and clinical outcomes after EVT in a prospective multicenter cohort. Methods A post hoc analysis of the Blood Pressure after Endovascular Stroke Therapy (BEST) prospective observational cohort study was carried out. SBPr was defined as the absolute difference between admission SBP and mean SBP in the first 24 hours after EVT. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between SBPr and poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 3–6) at 90 days. Results A total of 259/433 (58.5%) patients had poor outcome. SBPr was higher in the poor outcome group than in the good outcome group (26.6±27.4 vs 19.0±22.3 mm Hg; p<0.001). However, in adjusted models, SBPr was not independently associated with poor outcome (OR=1.00 per 1 mm Hg increase, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.01) or death (OR=0.9 per 1 mm Hg increase; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00). No association remained when SBPr was divided into tertiles. Subgroup analyses based on history of hypertension, revascularization status, and antihypertensive treatment yielded similar results. Conclusion The reduction in baseline SBP following EVT was not associated with poor functional outcomes. Most of the cohort (88%) achieved successful recanalization, and therefore, these results mainly apply to patients with successful recanalization.
A ribonucleotide reductase from Clostridium botulinum reveals distinct evolutionary pathways to regulation via the overall activity site

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a central enzyme for the synthesis of DNA building blocks. Most aerobic organisms, including nearly all eukaryotes, have class I RNRs consisting of R1 and R2 subunits. The catalytic R1 subunit contains an overall activity site that can allosterically turn the enzyme on or off by the binding of ATP or dATP, respectively. The mechanism behind the ability to turn the enzyme off via the R1 subunit involves the formation of different types of R1 oligomers in most studied species and R1–R2 octamers in Escherichia coli. To better understand the distribution of different oligomerization mechanisms, we characterized the enzyme from Clostridium botulinum, which belongs to a subclass of class I RNRs not studied before. The recombinantly expressed enzyme was analyzed by size-exclusion chromatography, gas-phase electrophoretic mobility macromolecular analysis, EM, X-ray crystallography, and enzyme assays. Interestingly, it shares the ability of the E. coli RNR to form inhibited R1–R2 octamers in the presence of dATP but, unlike the E. coli enzyme, cannot be turned off by combinations of ATP and dGTP/dTTP. A phylogenetic analysis of class I RNRs suggests that activity regulation is not ancestral but was gained after the first subclasses diverged and that RNR subclasses with inhibition mechanisms involving R1 oligomerization belong to a clade separated from the two subclasses forming R1–R2 octamers. These results give further insight into activity regulation in class I RNRs as an evolutionarily dynamic process.
Electroosmosis-Driven Hydrogel Actuators Using Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Layer-By-Layer Assembly-Induced Crack Electrodes.

Development of soft actuators with higher performance and more versatile controllability has been strongly required for further innovative advancement of various soft applications. Among various soft actuators, electrochemical actuators have attracted much attention due to their light weight, simple device configuration, and facile low-voltage control. However, the reported performances have not been satisfactory because their working mechanism depends on the limited electrode expansion by conventional electrochemical reactions. Herein, we report an electroosmosis-driven hydrogel actuator with a fully soft monolithic structure-based whole-body actuation mechanism using an amphiphilic interaction-induced layer-by-layer assembly. For this study, cracked electrodes with interconnected metal nanoparticles are prepared on hydrogels though layer-by-layer assembly and shape transformation of metal nanoparticles at hydrophobic/hydrophilic solvent interfaces. Electroosmotic pumping by cracked electrodes instantaneously induces hydrogel swelling through reversible and substantial hydraulic flow. The resultant actuator exhibits actuation strain of higher than 20% and energy density of 1.06 x 105 J m-3 allowing various geometries (e.g., curved-planar, and square-pillared structures) and motion (e.g., slow-relaxation, spring-out and two degree of freedom bending). In particular, the energy density of our actuators shows about 10-fold improvement than those of skeletal muscle, electrochemical actuators, and various stimuli-responsive hydrogel actuators reported to date.
An Iterative Process for Identifying Pediatric Patients With Type 1 Diabetes: Retrospective Observational Study

Background The incidence of both type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in children and youth is increasing. However, the current approach for identifying pediatric diabetes and separating by type is costly, because it requires substantial manual efforts. Objective The purpose of this study was to develop a computable phenotype for accurately and efficiently identifying diabetes and separating T1DM from T2DM in pediatric patients. Methods This retrospective study utilized a data set from the University of Florida Health Integrated Data Repository to identify 300 patients aged 18 or younger with T1DM, T2DM, or that were healthy based on a developed computable phenotype. Three endocrinology residents/fellows manually reviewed medical records of all probable cases to validate diabetes status and type. This refined computable phenotype was then used to identify all cases of T1DM and T2DM in the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium. Results A total of 295 electronic health records were manually reviewed; of these, 128 cases were found to have T1DM, 35 T2DM, and 132 no diagnosis. The positive predictive value was 94.7%, the sensitivity was 96.9%, specificity was 95.8%, and the negative predictive value was 97.6%. Overall, the computable phenotype was found to be an accurate and sensitive method to pinpoint pediatric patients with T1DM. Conclusions We developed a computable phenotype for identifying T1DM correctly and efficiently. The computable phenotype that was developed will enable researchers to identify a population accurately and cost-effectively. As such, this will vastly improve the ease of identifying patients for future intervention studies.
Examination of milk microbiota, fecal microbiota, and blood metabolites of Jersey cows in cool and hot seasons.

Microbiota of individual cow milk, bulk tank milk, and feces of Jersey cows were examined. Samples were collected from two farms (F1 and F2) in cool (November, Nov) and hot (July, Jul) seasons. Milk yield and milk composition were similar between the two farms and between the two seasons. Prevalent taxa of the fecal microbiota, i.e. Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Rikenellaceae, and Clostridiaceae, were unaffected by the farm and season. Relative abundance of milk microbiota for Pseudomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Streptococcaceae (F1 > F2) and Lactobacillaceae, Bifidobacteriaceae, and Cellulomonadaceae (F1 < F2) were different between the two farms, and those for Staphylococcaceae, Bacillaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Veillonellaceae (Nov < Jul) and Methylobacteriaceae and Moraxellaceae (Nov > Jul) were different between the two seasons. The microbiota of bulk tank milk was numerically different from that of individual cow milk. Principal coordinate analysis indicated that the milk microbiota was unrelated to the fecal microbiota. The finding that relative abundance of Pseudomonadaceae and Moraxellaceae appeared greater than those reported for Holstein milk suggested that higher protein and fat content may result in a greater abundance of proteolytic and lipolytic taxa in Jersey cow milk.
Retention of Fungicides for Control of Alternaria Leaf Blight of Muskmelon Under Greenhouse Conditions

Retention of chlorothalonil and mancozeb deposits on muskmelon leaf surfaces in the greenhouse was determined using a biological cellophane bioassay with Alternaria cucumerina as the test organism and inhibition of spore germination as the response variable. The bioassays were performed on plants exposed to wet and dry conditions. A linear relationship resulted between inhibition of spore germination and exposure time for all treatments. Differences in retention among treatments were negligible under dry conditions
DIAGNÓSTICO AMBIENTAL E PROPOSTA DE PLANO DE RECUPERAÇÃO DA APP, FAZENDA SANTA JULIANA, CARIRI DO TOCANTINS – TO

As areas de preservacao permanente (APP’s) as margens dos cursos d’agua, no momento atual tem sofrido degradacoes, onde ocorre a supressao da vegetacao e grande pressao sobre o solo. De tal modo, essas areas que deveriam ser protegidas, vem se tornando mais vulneraveis a degradacao ambiental. Este trabalho objetivou a realizacao de um diagnostico ambiental na APP localizada a margem direita da represa, fazenda Santa Juliana, no municipio de Cariri do Tocantins - TO e a elaboracao de um Plano de Recuperacao de areas degradadas (PRAD), atenuando os problemas atuais e prevenindo problemas futuros, de acordo com a Legislacao Florestal e Ambiental vigente. Foi realizada uma visita tecnica ao local, onde foram coletados os dados necessarios atraves de anotacoes e registros fotograficos para elaboracao do “Check-list”, rede de interacao e matriz de interacao. Atraves do diagnostico ambiental observou-se que a retirada da vegetacao riparia teve como consequencias o desencadeamento de impactos ambientais de primeira, segunda e demais ordens. O aspecto mais afetado foi o meio fisico, o solo, na margem esquerda da represa. Acoes antropicas sao necessarias para iniciar o processo de recuperacao da area, se o plano de recuperacao for executado da maneira adequada, o local passara a ter suas caracterizas edaficas e vegetacionais adequadas para um bom desenvolvimento.
The Effect of Normobaric Hypoxia on Resistance Training Adaptations in Older Adults

Abstract Allsopp, GL, Hoffmann, SM, Feros, SA, Pasco, JA, Russell, AP, and Wright, CR. The effect of normobaric hypoxia on resistance training adaptations in older adults. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2306–2312, 2022—The effect of normobaric hypoxia on strength, body composition, and cardiovascular fitness was investigated after a resistance training intervention in older adults. A single-blinded, randomized control trial recruited 20 healthy adults aged 60–75 years for an 8-week resistance training intervention in normoxia (n = 10) or normobaric hypoxia (14.4% O2; n = 10). Subjects performed 2 sessions per week of upper-body and lower-body exercises at 70% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Pretraining and post-training, maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), muscular endurance (30 maximal knee flexions/extensions), and 5RM were assessed, with 5RM used to calculate 1RM. Subjects underwent whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at pretraining and post-training for fat and lean mass quantification. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Subjects in both groups substantially improved their calculated 1RM strength for leg extension, pectoral fly, row, and squat (normoxia; 30, 38, 27, and 29%, hypoxia; 43, 50, 28, and 64%, respectively); however, hypoxia did not augment this response. Hypoxia did not enhance V̇O2max or muscular endurance responses after the training intervention, with no improvements seen in either group. Fat mass and lean mass remained unchanged in both groups after the intervention. In summary, 8 weeks of resistance training in hypoxia was well tolerated in healthy older adults and increased upper-body and lower-body strength. However, the magnitude of strength and lean muscle improvements in hypoxia was no greater than normoxia; therefore, there is currently no evidence to support the use of hypoxic resistance training in older adults.
Electroacupuncture at GV24 and bilateral GB13 improves cognitive ability via influences the levels of Aβ, p-tau (s396) and p-tau (s404) in the hippocampus of Alzheimer’s disease model rats

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Acupuncture is widely used to treat various neurodegenerative diseases and can effectively improve cognitive and memory states in Alzheimer’s disease. However, its mechanism is unclear. We speculated that the effect of acupuncture on cognitive function may be associated with reductions in the levels of Aβ and phosphorylated tau in the brain. In this experiment, 60 male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, model, electroacupuncture and nonacupoint groups. We perform electroacupuncture at Shenting (GV24) and bilateral Benshen (GB13) acupoints once a day for 4 weeks in electroacupuncture group (with 1 day of rest after every 6 days of treatment). The electroacupuncture group showed a better performance in cognitive-related behavior tests and significantly lowers the levels of Aβ, p-tau (s396) and p-tau (s404) in the hippocampus. These results may suggest that electroacupuncture at the GV24 and bilateral GB13 acupoints might improve cognitive functions in Alzheimer’s disease by decreasing the levels of Aβ, p-tau (s396) and p-tau (s404) in the brain as these proteins are the main causes of neurological damage and cognitive dysfunction during the pathogenesis underlying Alzheimer’s disease.
Control of electron transfer by protein dynamics in photosynthetic reaction centers

Abstract Trehalose and glycerol are low molecular mass sugars/polyols that have found widespread use in the protection of native protein states, in both short- and long-term storage of biological materials, and as a means of understanding protein dynamics. These myriad uses are often attributed to their ability to form an amorphous glassy matrix. In glycerol, the glass is formed only at cryogenic temperatures, while in trehalose, the glass is formed at room temperature, but only upon dehydration of the sample. While much work has been carried out to elucidate a mechanistic view of how each of these matrices interact with proteins to provide stability, rarely have the effects of these two independent systems been directly compared to each other. This review aims to compile decades of research on how different glassy matrices affect two types of photosynthetic proteins: (i) the Type II bacterial reaction center from Rhodobacter sphaeroides and (ii) the Type I Photosystem I reaction center from cyanobacteria. By comparing aggregate data on electron transfer, protein structure, and protein dynamics, it appears that the effects of these two distinct matrices are remarkably similar. Both seem to cause a “tightening” of the solvation shell when in a glassy state, resulting in severely restricted conformational mobility of the protein and associated water molecules. Thus, trehalose appears to be able to mimic, at room temperature, nearly all of the effects on protein dynamics observed in low temperature glycerol glasses.
PortaDrop: A portable digital microfluidic platform providing versatile opportunities for Lab-On-A-Chip applications

Electrowetting-on-dielectric is a decent technique to manipulate discrete volumes of liquid in form of droplets. In the last decade, electrowetting-on-dielectric systems, also called digital microfluidic systems, became more frequently used for a variety of applications because of their high flexibility and reconfigurability. Thus, one design can be adapted to different assays by only reprogramming. However, this flexibility can only be useful if the entire system is portable and easy to use. This paper presents the development of a portable, stand-alone digital microfluidic system based on a Linux-based operating system running on a Raspberry Pi, which is unique. We present “PortaDrop” exhibiting the following key features: (1) an “all-in-one box” approach, (2) a user-friendly, self-explaining graphical user interface and easy handling, (3) the ability of integrated electrochemical measurements, (4) the ease to implement additional lab equipment via Universal Serial Bus and the General Purpose Interface Bus as well as (5) a standardized experiment documentation. We propose that PortaDrop can be used to carry out experiments in different applications, where small sample volumes in the nanoliter to picoliter range need to be handled an analyzed automatically. As a first application, we present a protocol, where a droplet is consequently exchanged by droplets of another medium using passive dispensing. The exchange is monitored by electrical impedance spectroscopy. It is the first time, the media exchange caused by passive dispensing is characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Summarizing, PortaDrop allows easy combination of fluid handling by means of electrowetting and additional sensing.
Answers in search of questions: what does the comparison of COVID19 data among regions in Northern Italy tell us?

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, discussions about the capabilities of health and social systems to control and contain infectious diseases have been reignited. In Resilient Managed Competition During Pandemics: Lessons from the Italian Experience, Costa-Font, Turatti and Levaggi ask whether or not institutional differences between the managed competition (MC) systems in three of Italy's regions may have affected their performance – and hence, population health outcomes – during the pandemic. Fuchs (2000) previously argued that institutional arrangements not only ‘matter’, but also sometimes ‘matter a great deal’ (p. 149, emphasis in original) and this may be particularly true in emergencies.
Physiological and molecular characterisation of an alkaliphilic bacillus isolated from a moderately alkaline environment.

Two strains of alkaliphilic, strictly aerobic, Gram-positive, non-motile bacteria were isolated. First, an alkaliphilic bacterium (optimum growth at pH 10) designated as MAK7 was isolated from a water and sediment sample obtained from a non-extreme environment (River Lathkill in the Derbyshire Peak District). Second, an alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. was isolated as a laboratory contaminant from a culture of MAK7 grown at pH 10. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, showed that isolate MAK7 was an unclassified strain of Bacillus, most closely related to a Bacillus isolate associated with marine sponges (99.4% sequence identity). The laboratory contaminant Bacillus sp. was most closely related to the species Bacillus cereus (100% sequence similarity). Generation times of 55 and 40 minutes were observed at external pH lOin Horikoshi medium for alkaliphilic Bacillus MAK7 and B. cereus respectively. The internal pH of Bacillus MAK7 and B. cereus at pH 10 was 9.00 ± 0.08 and 8.76 ± 0.28 respectively. To cope with the reversed ~pH at pH 10, the membrane potential of both strains increased significantly. However, there was a significant overall drop in the proton motive force at pH 10 to -112 m V for Bacillus MAK7 and -97 m V for B. cereus. The optimum salinity for growth was determined to be 100 mM NaCI for Bacillus MAK7 and 400 mM NaCI for B. cereus. However, neither strain showed a Na+ or K+ requirement for growth or optimal respiration rates, which is unusual for alkaliphilic bacteria. Increasing concentrations of NaCI were inhibitory to the respiration rate of both strains, but KCl concentrations up to 400 mM did not inhibit respiration. Enzyme activities (malate dehydrogenase, fumarase and hexokinase) in crude cell-free extracts were measured to investigate the effects of alkaline pH on metabolic pathways.
Current challenges in cardiac rehabilitation: strategies to overcome social factors and attendance barriers

ABSTRACT Introduction Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) significantly reduces secondary cardiovascular events and mortality and is a class 1A recommendation by the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC). However, it remains an underutilized intervention and many eligible patients fail to enroll or complete CR programs. The aim of this review is to identify barriers to CR attendance and discuss strategies to overcome them. Areas covered Specific barriers to CR attendance and participation will be reviewed. This will be followed by a discussion of solutions/strategies to help overcome these barriers with a particular focus on home-based CR (HBCR). Expert opinion HBCR alone or in combination with center-based CR (CBCR) can help overcome many barriers to traditional CBCR participation, such as schedule flexibility, time commitment, travel distance, cost, and patient preference. Using remote coaching with indirect exercise supervision, HBCR has been shown to have comparable benefits to CBCR. At this time, however, funding remains the main barrier to universal incorporation of HBCR into health systems, necessitating the need for additional cost benefit analysis and outcome studies. Ultimately, the choice for HBCR should be based on patient preference and availability of resources.
HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors as Drug Leads against Naegleria fowleri.

Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), caused by the free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri, has a fatality rate of over 97%. Treatment of PAM relies on amphotericin B in combination with other drugs, but few patients have survived with the existing drug treatment regimens. Therefore, development of effective drugs is a critical unmet need to avert deaths from PAM. Since ergosterol is one of the major sterols in the membrane of N. fowleri, disruption of isoprenoid and sterol biosynthesis by small-molecule inhibitors may be an effective intervention strategy against N. fowleri. The genome of N. fowleri contains genes encoding HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR); the catalytic domains of human and N. fowleri HMGR share <60% sequence identity with only two amino acid substitutions in the active site of the enzyme. Considering the similarity of human and N. fowleri HMGR, we tested well-tolerated and widely used HMGR inhibitors, known as cholesterol-lowering statins, against N. fowleri. We identified blood-brain barrier permeable pitavastatin as a potent amebicidal agent against the US, Australian and European strains of N. fowleri. Pitavastatin was equipotent to amphotericin B against the European strain of N. fowleri; it killed about 80% of trophozoites within 16 hours of drug exposure. Pre-treatment of trophozoites with mevalonate, the product of HMGR, rescued N. fowleri from inhibitory effects of statins, demonstrating that HMGR of N. fowleri is the target of statins. Because of the good safety profile and availability for both adult and pediatric uses, consideration should be given to repurposing the fast-acting pitavastatin for the treatment of PAM.