Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cation complexation by phytate

Phytate, a naturally occurring compound contained in plant seeds, roots, tubers, and some fruits has been of considerable interest since it has been shown to compromise the zinc status of many species. Many misconceptions have been described about phytate and cations in general, indicating that phytate complexes a wide variety of cations. This study hopes to clarify some of these misconceptions by reporting about the characteristics of several cations with phytate in an in vitro procedure unconfounded by buffering agents. The cations studied are magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb). These have been studied singly with phytate and in combinations in which the complexing capacity of phytate is always in excess. At cation: phytate molar ratios of 1: 1, measurable precipitate was observed only with Zn and Pb at any pH but maximally at pH 6. At cation: phytate molar ratios of 2: 1 and pH 6 the cation precipitated in the order of Pb > Zn > Cu > Ca > Mg. The synergistic effect previously reported for Ca is simply a secondary ion effect exhibited by all of the cations studied. Though these data cannot be directly transferred to the in vivo situation, it certainly lends to the observed reports that zinc, particularly with its pancreatic recycling, remains the most vulnerable of the essential cation complexation and the observed zinc defciency.
Evaluating the Effect of Fly Ash on the Rheological and Mechanical Performance Self-Compacted Concrete

Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) is a special concrete which is highly flowable, non-segregating and by its own weight spread into place, completely fill the formwork even in the presence of dense reinforcement without any compaction. This research was implemented to develop and to determine the effect of FA on fresh and hardened properties of self-consolidating concrete. Laboratory test was carried out to investigate the properties of SCC. Five composition of design mix at 0%, 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% fly ash were prepared and tested. The performance of the fresh SCC mixes was determined by testing the filling ability and passing ability through slump flow and slump T50 test, L-box and v funnel test. Standard concrete cylinders were casted comprising of five mixes, cured and tested for analyzing the compressive and split tensile strength behavior of SCC. The results indicate that as the amount of FA increase, the flow and passing ability is decreased continuously. However up to 45% of FA by weight of cement will fall within the limits define by technical specification for SCC and have good passing and flowability. Early age strength (7 days) decreased as the percentage of FA increased while long term the strength (28 and 56) is increased first up to 45% substitution of FA and then decreased gradually.
The Efficacy of Phage Therapy in a Murine Model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia and Sepsis

The emergence of multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa necessitates the search for treatment options other than antibiotic use. The use of bacteriophages is currently being considered as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections. A number of bacteriophages were introduced to treat pneumonia in past reports. However, there are still lack of knowledge regarding the dosages, application time, mechanism and safety of phage therapy against P. aeruginosa pneumonia. We used the bacteriophage KPP10 against P. aeruginosa strain D4-induced pneumonia mouse models and observed their outcomes in comparison to control models. We found that the nasal inhalation of highly concentrated KPP10 (MOI = 80) significantly improved survival rate in pneumonia models (P < 0.01). The number of viable bacteria in both lungs and in serum were significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in phage-treated mice in comparison to the control mice. Pathological examination showed that phage-treated group had significantly reduced bleeding, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mucus secretion in lung interstitium. We also measured inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum and lung homogenates of mice. In phage-treated models, serum TNFα, IL-1β, and IFN-γ levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.05, respectively) than those in the control models. In the lung homogenate, the mean IL-1β level in phage-treated models was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that of the control group. We confirmed the presence of phage in blood and lungs, and evaluated the safety of bacteriophage use in living models since bacteriophage mediated bacterial lysis arise concern of endotoxic shock. The study results suggest that phage therapy can potentially be used in treating lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections and Nutritional Status in School-Aged Children in Rural and Urban Areas of Cross River State, Nigeria

Soil-transmitted (STHs) and their impact on the nutritional status of school-aged children in rural and urban communities are of great concern to public health. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of STHs infections and nutritional status of school-aged children in rural Biase Local Government Area and urban Calabar South Local government Area of Cross River State. A total of 504 faecal samples were collected from investigated school-aged pupils and screened by Parasitological techniques to determine the presence of adult and developing stages of parasites. Out of 504 faecal samples examined, 42.8% prevalence of helminth infection was recorded among school-aged children in the study area. The varying degree of infections were Ascaris lumbricoides 30.3%, Hookworms 28.5%, Enterobius vermicularis 25.7%, Schistosoma mansoni ova 9.5% and A. lumbricoides and Hookworms 5.8%. Chi-square revealed significant difference X = 60.1, p < 0.001) in infection among age-group. Children anthropometric measurements were used to determine their nutritional status. A total of 24.4% malnourished children were found to be underweight, 36.5% were stunted and 20.8% showed thinness condition. It was found that body mass index (BMI) of infected pupils decreased as age increases and the calculation of Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a strong association between BMI and infection (r = 0.897). In view of these findings, the current school feeding programme sponsored by the federal government of Nigeria should be improved, by providing school-aged pupils with protein rich food to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition in children.
Evaluating a new generation of wearable high-density diffuse optical tomography technology via retinotopic mapping of the adult visual cortex

Abstract Significance: High-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) has been shown to approach the resolution and localization accuracy of blood oxygen level dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging in the adult brain by exploiting densely spaced, overlapping samples of the probed tissue volume, but the technique has to date required large and cumbersome optical fiber arrays. Aim: To evaluate a wearable HD-DOT system that provides a comparable sampling density to large, fiber-based HD-DOT systems, but with vastly improved ergonomics. Approach: We investigated the performance of this system by replicating a series of classic visual stimulation paradigms, carried out in one highly sampled participant during 15 sessions to assess imaging performance and repeatability. Results: Hemodynamic response functions and cortical activation maps replicate the results obtained with larger fiber-based systems. Our results demonstrate focal activations in both oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin with a high degree of repeatability observed across all sessions. A comparison with a simulated low-density array explicitly demonstrates the improvements in spatial localization, resolution, repeatability, and image contrast that can be obtained with this high-density technology. Conclusions: The system offers the possibility for minimally constrained, spatially resolved functional imaging of the human brain in almost any environment and holds particular promise in enabling neuroscience applications outside of the laboratory setting. It also opens up new opportunities to investigate populations unsuited to traditional imaging technologies.
Construction of in vitro patient-derived tumor models to evaluate anticancer agents and cancer immunotherapy

An in vitro assay system using patient-derived tumor models represents a promising preclinical cancer model that replicates the disease better than traditional cell culture models. Patient-derived tumor organoid (PDO) and patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models have been previously established from different types of human tumors to recapitulate accurately and efficiently their tissue architecture and function. However, these models have low throughput and are challenging to construct. Thus, the present study aimed to establish a simple in vitro high-throughput assay system using PDO and PDX models. Furthermore, the current study aimed to evaluate different classes of anticancer drugs, including chemotherapeutic, molecular targeted and antibody drugs, using PDO and PDX models. First, an in vitro high-throughput assay system was constructed using PDO and PDX established from solid and hematopoietic tumors cultured in 384-well plates to evaluate anticancer agents. In addition, an in vitro evaluation system of the immune response was developed using PDO and PDX. Novel cancer immunotherapeutic agents with marked efficacy have been used against various types of tumor. Thus, there is an urgent need for in vitro functional potency assays that can simulate the complex interaction of immune cells with tumor cells and can rapidly test the efficacy of different immunotherapies or antibody drugs. An evaluation system for the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activity of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody and the cytotoxic activity of activated lymphocytes, such as cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, was constructed. Moreover, immune response assay systems with bispecific T-cell engagers were developed using effector cells. The present results demonstrated that in vitro assay systems using PDO and PDX may be suitable for evaluating anticancer agents and immunotherapy potency with high reproducibility and simplicity.
Transcription factor forkhead box K1 regulates miR-32 expression and enhances cell proliferation in colorectal cancer

Increased microRNA (miR)-32 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues enhances CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and attenuates CRC cell apoptosis by repressing the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Forkhead box K1 (FOXK1) was identified as a potential interacting transcription factor using DNA pull-down assays and mass spectrometry. The present study aimed to elucidate the role of FOXK1 in regulating miR-32 expression in CRC. The expressions of FOXK1, miR-32, transmembrane protein 245 gene (TMEM245) and PTEN were compared between CRC and normal colonic tissues. Levels of miR-32, TMEM245, PTEN and the proliferation and apoptosis of CRC cells were studied using FOXK1-overexpression or knockdown, or by simultaneously interfering with FOXK1 and miR-32 expression. Direct FOXK1 binding to the miR-32 promoter was verified using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The results showed elevated FOXK1, miR-32 and TMEM245 expression, and significantly decreased PTEN expression in CRC, compared with normal colonic tissues. Correlations between the expressions of TMEM245 and miR-32, FOXK1 and miR-32, and FOXK1 and TMEM245 were positive and significant. FOXK1-knockdown led to decreased miR-32 and TMEM245 expression and increased PTEN expression, whereas FOXK1-overexpression had the opposite effect. Overexpressed FOXK1 promoted the malignancy of CRC cells in vitro by stimulating proliferation and reducing apoptosis; whereas FOXK1-depletion suppressed such malignancy and a miR-32 inhibitor partially reversed the effects of FOXK1. The results of ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that FOXK1 directly binds to the promoter of TMEM245/miR-32. Thus, the FOXK1-miR-32-PTEN signaling axis may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and development of CRC.
Ischemic Nephropathy Following Occlusion of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Graft: A Case Report

In this report, we present a case of a 55-year-old female with a past medical history of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) graft, femoral-femoral bypass graft, questionable history of chronic kidney disease (CKD), abdominal hernia repair, alcoholic pancreatitis, chronic abdominal pain on opioids, and tobacco abuse who presented with acute on chronic abdominal pain with an unexplained rise of creatinine and anuria. The patient was found to have complete occlusion of AAA graft and was determined to have ischemic nephropathy (IN).
Computer-Aided Intraoperative Toric Intraocular Lens Positioning and Alignment During Cataract Surgery

Cataract causes more than half of all blindness worldwide. The most effective treatment is surgery, where cataract is often replaced by intraocular lens (IOL). Beyond saving vision, toric IOL implantation is becoming increasingly popular to correct corneal astigmatism. It is important to precisely position and align the axis of IOL during surgery to achieve optimal post-operative astigmatism correction. Comparing with conventional manual marking, automated markerless IOL alignment can be faster, more accurate and non-invasive. Here we propose a framework for computer-assisted intraoperative IOL positioning and alignment based on detection and tracking. Firstly, the iris boundary was segmented and the eye center was determined. A statistical sampling method was developed to segment iris and generate training labels, and both conventional algorithms and deep convolutional neural network (CNN) methods were evaluated. Then, regions of interests (ROIs) containing high density of scleral capillaries were used for tracking eye rotations. Both correlation filter and CNN methods were evaluated for tracking. Cumulative errors during long-term tracking were corrected using a reference image. Validation studies against manual labeling using 7 clinical cataract surgical videos demonstrated that the proposed algorithm achieved an average position error around 0.2 mm, an axis alignment error of < 1 $^{\circ}$, and a frame rate of > 25 FPS, and can be potentially used intraoperatively for markerless IOL positioning and alignment during cataract surgery.
Utility of a Spanish version of Three Words-Three Shapes Test to detect memory impairment in primary progressive aphasia

Abstract Introduction Three Words-Three Shapes (3W3S) is a bedside test that assesses verbal and non-verbal memory and has proven useful in staging memory decline in amnestic disorders and primary progressive aphasia. Given its simple structure, the 3W3S can be easily adapted to other languages maintaining the original shapes and only modifying the words. We aim to validate a Spanish version of the 3W3S test and establish whether memory loss patterns present in amnesic disorders associated with Alzheimer's etiology and PPA were correctly characterized. Method The translation and adaptation of the 3W3S were performed according to standardized guidelines and applied to a cohort of patients with Dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT = 20), mild cognitive impairment (aMCI= 20), primary progressive aphasia (PPA = 20), and healthy controls (HC = 20). Results In verbal memory performance, PPA patients' score was lower than that of MCI and HC and similar to DAT's in the effortless encoding (p < 0.001), delayed recall (p < 0.001), and recognition (p < 0.012). For non-verbal performance, PPA patients performed better than DAT and similar to HC and MCI subjects (p < 0.001). Conclusions Results show good applicability of 3W3S to determine memory function in PPA patients, independently from language ability. Visual and verbal components of memory are dissociated in PPA.
Research and progress on soil silicate bacteria

Objective Phosphorus and potassium are rich in different soils,and they are always present as stable aluminum silicate apatite state.Phosphorus and potassium can not be directly absorbed and used by crops.Soluble phosphorus,potassium,silicon and other elements can be released from soil through organic acids,polysaccharides which are produced by silicate bacteria and facilitate absorption in crops.Therefore,the study of silicate bacteria not only provides a theoretical basis for exploring the potential of soil fertility,but also provides a good bacterial fertilizer candidate for sustainable development of agriculture.Distribution,research methods and applications of soil silicate bacteria at home and abroad were summarized in this article.
Study protocol: content and perceived educational utility of different modalities of clinical teaching visit (CTV) workplace-based assessments within Australian general practice vocational training: a cross-sectional study

Introduction Clinical teaching visits (CTVs) are formative workplace-based assessments that involve a senior general practitioner (GP) observing a clinical practice session of a general practice registrar (specialist vocational GP trainee). These visits constitute a key part of Australian GP training. Despite being mandatory and resource-intensive, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the content and educational utility of CTVs. This study aims to establish the content and educational utility of CTVs across varying practice settings within Australia, as perceived by registrars and their assessors (‘CT visitors’). In addition, this study aims to establish registrar, CT visitor and practice factors associated with CTV content and perceived CTV utility ratings. Methods and analysis This study will collect data prospectively using online questionnaires completed soon after incident CTVs. Participants will be registrars and CT visitors of CTVs conducted from March 2020 to January 2021. The setting is three Regional Training Organisations across four Australian states and territories (encompassing 37% of Australian GP registrars). Outcome factors will be a number of specified CTV content elements occurring during the CTV as well as participants’ perceptions of CTV utility, which will be analysed using univariate and multivariable regression. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been granted by the University of Newcastle Human Research Ethics Committee, approval number H-2020-0037. Study findings are planned to be disseminated via conference presentation, peer-reviewed journals, educational practice translational workshops and the GP Synergy research subwebsite.
The Role of Perioperative Chemotherapy in the Management of Colloid Carcinoma of the Pancreas

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objectives Colloid carcinoma (CC) of the pancreas is associated with an improved prognosis compared with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), yet studies on the optimal management of these rare lesions are lacking. Methods Patients with CC or PDAC treated from 2004 to 2014 were identified in the National Cancer Database. Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared between groups and stratified by disease stage. Survival analysis evaluating the role of perioperative chemotherapy was performed. Results A total of 1295 CC patients (11%) and 10,855 PDAC patients (89%) were identified. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was associated with a higher likelihood of mortality compared with CC (hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.25–1.45; P < 0.001). When stratifying by stage, perioperative chemoradiation improved overall survival in early stage (I/IIA) PDAC but had no effect in CC patients. However, for node-positive disease (stage IIB), median overall survival was improved with adjuvant chemoradiation for both CC patients (22 vs 13 months; P < 0.001) and PDAC patients (20 vs 11 months; P < 0.001) compared with surgery alone. Conclusions Surgery alone may be sufficient for the management of node-negative (I/IIA) CC lesions in contrast to conventional PDAC, whereas CC patients with stage IIB disease have a survival benefit from perioperative chemoradiation.
Candidate genes and signatures of directional selection on fruit quality traits during apple domestication.

PREMISE During plant domestication, traits can be subject to a variety of types of selection, ranging from strong directional selection for traits such as seed or fruit size to diversifying selection for traits like color or flavor. These types of selection interact with other evolutionary processes including genetic bottlenecks and interspecific gene flow to generate different levels of genetic diversity across the genome and at target genes in domesticated lineages, but little is known about the impacts of these processes in perennial fruit crops. METHODS We used sequence capture by hybridization to examine patterns of diversity at a suite of candidate domestication and anonymous background genes in domesticated apple (Malus ×domestica) in comparison to its wild relatives Malus sieversii and Malus orientalis. RESULTS We found no change in average diversity at these candidate domestication genes across the three species. However, a subset of the genes did exhibit patterns of very high or very low diversity in M. ×domestica compared to its progenitor, M. sieversii. Of the genes with characterized function, the low-diversity genes mainly contributed to fruit quality traits like color and flavor, predicted to be under conscious, directional selection relatively late in the domestication process, while the high-diversity genes included a variety of functions. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results are consistent with predictions based on the likely timing and nature of selection during domestication and open new avenues for understanding genes with high diversity in a perennial crop compared to its wild relatives.
A Multicenter Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Blood Glucose Meter System in Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND Our purpose was to evaluate the performance of the ACCU-CHEK® Inform II blood glucose monitoring system (Roche Diagnostics GmbH) compared with the perchloric acid hexokinase (PCA-HK) comparator method on the cobas® 6000 analyzer (Roche Diagnostics International Ltd) in critically ill patients. METHODS Overall, 476 arterial (376 pediatric/adult, 100 neonate), 375 venous, and 100 neonatal heel-stick whole-blood samples were collected and evaluated from critical care settings at 10 US hospitals, including the emergency department, medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs), and neonatal and pediatric ICUs. The ACCU-CHEK Inform II system was evaluated at 2 cutoff boundaries: boundary 1 was ≥95% of results within ±12 mg/dL of the reference (samples with blood glucose <75 mg/dL) or ±12% of the reference (glucose ≥75 mg/dL), and boundary 2 was ≥98% of results within ±15 mg/dL or ±15% of the reference. Clinical performance was assessed by evaluating sample data using Parkes error grid, Monte Carlo simulation, and sensitivity and specificity analyses to estimate clinical accuracy and implications for insulin dosing when using the ACCU-CHEK Inform II system. RESULTS Proportions of results within evaluation boundaries 1 and 2, respectively, were 96% and 98% for venous samples, 94% and 97% for pediatric and adult arterial samples, 84% and 98% for neonatal arterial samples, and 96% and 100% for neonatal heel-stick samples. Clinical evaluation demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity, with low risk of potential insulin-dosing errors. CONCLUSIONS The ACCU-CHEK Inform II system demonstrated clinically acceptable performance against the PCA-HK reference method for blood glucose monitoring in a diverse population of critically ill patients in US care settings.