Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bartonella henselae Recombinant Pap31 for the Diagnosis of Canine and Human Bartonelloses

Bartonella spp. comprise a genus of Gram-negative alphaproteobacteria that are slow growing, fastidious, and facultative intracellular pathogens with zoonotic potential. Immunofluorescent antibody assays (IFAs), Western blot (WB), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), the frequently used modalities for the serological diagnosis of canine and human Bartonelloses, generate numerous false negative results. Therefore, the development of a reliable serodiagnostic assay for Bartonelloses is of clinical and epidemiological importance. Pap31, a heme binding surface protein of B. henselae, is associated with bacterial adhesion and related to bacterial colonization. To our knowledge, B. henselae Pap31 and its fragments (N-terminal (NTD), middle (MD), and C-terminal (CTD) domains) have not been investigated for the serodiagnosis of canine and human Bartonelloses. In this study, we evaluate the diagnostic utility of B. henselae recombinant whole Pap31 (rPap31) and Pap31 fragments by ELISA using sera from 70 dogs (36 Bartonella spp. IFA-positive (naturally infected), and 34 Bartonella spp. IFA- and PCR-negative (control dogs)) and 36 humans (18 Bartonella spp. IFA-positive (naturally infected) and 18 controls)). In the dogs, the area under the curve (AUC) score of recombinant whole Pap31 was 0.714 with a sensitivity of 42% and specificity of 94% at an OD cutoff value of 0.8955. Among the evaluated recombinant Pap31 proteins for the diagnosis of canine Bartonelloses, rPap31-NTD yielded the highest AUC score of 0.792 (95% CI 0.688–0.895) with a sensitivity of 44% and specificity of 100% at a cutoff value of 1.198. In concordance with this finding, rPap31-NTD also had the highest AUC score of 0.747 (95% CI 0.581–0.913) among the Pap31 recombinant proteins for the diagnosis of human Bartonelloses, with 39% sensitivity and 94% specificity at a cutoff value of 1.366. Recombinant whole Pap31 (rPap31) resulted in 72% sensitivity and 61% specificity at a cutoff value of 0.215 for human Bartonelloses. Due to either low sensitivity or questionable specificity, our findings indicate that recombinant Pap31 and the selected fragments may not be appropriate diagnostic targets in detecting anti-Bartonella antibodies in Bartonella-infected dogs and humans. The findings from this study can be used to further assess the antigenicity and immunogenicity of B. henselae Pap31 as a diagnostic target.
A3 Adenosine Receptor Antagonists with Nucleoside Structures and Their Anticancer Activity

The overexpression of the A3 adenosine receptor (AR) in a number of cancer cell types makes it an attractive target for tumor diagnosis and therapy. Hence, in the search for new A3AR ligands, a series of novel 2,N6-disubstituted adenosines (Ados) was synthesized and tested in radioligand binding and functional assays at ARs. Derivatives bearing a 2-phenethylamino group in the N6-position were found to exert higher A3AR affinity and selectivity than the corresponding N6-(2,2-diphenylethyl) analogues. 2-Chloro-N6-phenylethylAdo (15) was found to be a potent full A3AR agonist with a Ki of 0.024 nM and an EC50 of 14 nM, in a cAMP accumulation assay. Unlike 15, the other ligands behaved as A3AR antagonists, which concentration-dependently reduced cell growth and exerted cytostatic activity on the prostate cancer cell line PC3, showing comparable and even more pronounced effects with respect to the ones elicited by the reference full agonist Cl-IB-MECA. In particular, the N6-(2,2-diphenylethyl)-2-phenylethynylAdo (12: GI50 = 14 µM, TGI = 29 µM, and LC50 = 59 µM) showed the highest activity proving to be a potential antitumor agent. The cytostatic effect of both A3AR agonist (Cl-IB-MECA) and antagonists (12 and other newly synthesized compounds) confirm previous observations according to which, in addition to the involvement of A3ARs, other cellular mechanisms are responsible for the anticancer effects of these ligands.
Effect of Sex on Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Coronary Flow in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background Female patients show poorer outcomes after coronary interventions compared to males. This study aims to investigate the role of enhanced inflammatory response in female ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in poor outcomes post primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Methods This study included 120 STEMI patients who went to PPCI in two tertiary cardiac centers over 6 months. All STEMI patients who are eligible for PPCI are included. We excluded those who had previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with venous grafts, previous PCI with in-stent restenosis (ISR), and those who had signs of infection on admission. These are then divided into two groups according to sex (males and females). Impaired coronary flow (also known as no-reflow) is defined as a coronary TIMI (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction) flow less than 3 after PCI in the absence of mechanical coronary occlusion. Results The studied groups included 88 males and 32 females. The median age in females was higher than males (62 vs. 57.5 years respectively, P = 0.005). The prevalence of hypertension (34 vs. 21 patients, P = 0.01), non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (22 vs. 16 patients, P = 0.01) and smoking (61 vs. 0 patients, P < 0.001) was higher in male patients. The incidence of impaired coronary flow did not differ significantly between the two groups (10 males and six females, P = 0.363). The median neutrophil to lymphocyte (N/L) ratio showed to be non-significantly higher in females (5 in males vs. 6 in females, P = 0.342). However, the mean N/L ratio was significantly higher in female patients with impaired coronary flow compared to males (9.35 vs. 5.79, P = 0.003). Conclusions The enhanced inflammatory response in female STEMI patients may be responsible for poorer outcomes after PPCI. Larger-scale studies are required to define immune mechanisms as a potential target to improve outcomes in STEMI patients.
Changes in the Microbiome Profile in Different Parts of the Intestine in Piglets with Diarrhea

Simple Summary The most common genera in the piglet microbiome were Lactobacillus, Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus, Bacteroides, and Fusobacterium. Bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus dominated in healthy piglets. An increased number of Escherichia-Shigella and Enterococcus was detected in diarrheal pigs. This indicates an important role of these bacteria in the pathogenesis of diarrhea. A decreased number of Bacteroides was detected in diarrheal pigs. According to the assessment of the microbiome composition in different sections of the intestine, bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus were the most common in the ileum, while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides were more common in the rectum. Our results show that the gut microbiome may make a significant contribution to the pathogenesis of diarrhea. Abstract Determining the taxonomic composition of microbial consortia of the piglet intestine is of great importance for pig production. However, knowledge on the variety of the intestinal microbiome in newborn piglets is limited. Piglet diarrhea is a serious gastrointestinal disease with a high morbidity and mortality that causes great economic damage to the pig industry. In this study, we investigated the microbiome of various sections of the piglet intestine and compared the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus were the most common in the ileum, while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides dominated in the rectum. Comparing the microbiome composition of healthy and diarrheal piglets revealed a reduced number of Lactobacillus bacteria as a hallmark of diarrhea, as did an increased content of representatives of the Escherichia-Shigella genus and a reduced number of Bacteroides, which indicates the contribution of these bacteria to the development of diarrhea in piglets. The relative abundance of Enterococcus bacteria was higher in the diarrhea group. Although some bacteria of this genus are commensals, a small number of species may be associated with the development of diarrhea in piglets. Therefore, our results indicate that the gut microbiome may be an important factor in the development of diarrhea in piglets.
Research on Influencing Factors of Socio-economic Losses of Road Traffic Accident Based on Generalized Linear Models

Traffic accidents seriously threaten the safety of people's life and property.Evaluation on traffic accident severity includes the frequency of traffic accidents and its socio-economic damages.The research on influencing factors of socio-economic losses by scientific means is useful to know traffic accidents and identify the high risk group.The relevance between the overall influencing factors such as age,vehicle age and seats and the traffic accidents are researched by using GLM analysis technology in this paper.The results indicated that GLM can classify the risk factors of traffic accidents,and find the high risk group.Therefore,the socio-economic losses of road traffic accident can be decreased by using research results for the traffic accidents managements.
Multi-Robot Foraging for Swarms of Simple Robots

In multi–robot systems, a large number of individual robots work together to perform a task. Large swarms of robots have the potential to be useful for types of tasks for which traditional robots are not well suited, such as large area surveillance, distributed contaminant cleanup, and in–vitro medical applications. Although a variety of possible robots could be used in such swarms, the large numbers involved usually force each robot to be small and simple. This dissertation focuses on robots with very simple hardware capabilities. In this work, the robots are not assumed to have global position information, global communication, odometry, or a central leader, and their only communication capabilities are simple local neighbor–to–neighbor communication. To overcome their hardware limitations and leverage their large numbers, the robots must work together. This dissertation is focused on foraging as a multi–robot task. Robots start at a home location, explore the world in search of their target, and return the target incrementally to the home. It is difficult in swarm robotic systems because of the lack of global localization, communication, and odometry, which make it impossible for the robots to acquire or build maps, for example. Once a robot loses contact with the other robots, it is effectively lost and has no way (other than random movement) to return home. This thesis begins by developing three distributed foraging algorithms for robot swarms and analyzing them in simulation. The performance of each algorithm is strongly affected by the environment in which the swarm operates, specifically the distance separating the home from the target. To allow the swarm to forage in different environments, a method is developed by which the swarm as a whole can choose its algorithm based on the home–target separation it encounters. Finally, I consider the feasibility of running these algorithms on physical robots. Adding accurate sensors and actuators to robots increases their cost, making it desirable for the robots to be as simple as possible while still being able to execute the algorithms. I directly measure the effect of sensor and actuator quality on swarm performance.
Connections Between Internet, Social Media News Use, and Political Participation in Kenya

Competing theories have been put forward about the effect of Internet and social media use for news on political engagement. Some argue that Internet use for news reduces political engagement while others suggest that it increases political participation. Similar arguments have been advanced for the effects of social media use. This study tests both claims using representative data of over 2000 Kenyans. Bivariate results show that Internet and social media use for news has a positive relationship with political participation in Kenya. After controlling for demographic variables, political orientation variables, and traditional news use, digital media use (i.e., Internet and social media use for news) shows no significant associations with political participation in Kenya.
Nitrogen recovery in reclaimed mine soil under different amendment practices in tandem with legume and non‐legume revegetation: A review

Nitrogen (N) supply is the major limiting nutrient in most reclamation schemes. In reclaimed mine soil (RMS), examining the N dynamics can be especially informative for understanding constraints on recovery that restrict revegetation success. Scholarly studies worldwide have focused on exogenous N incorporation to alleviate N shortages in the agriculture, and forestry sectors. Currently, growing concerns for the negative consequences of mining have highlighted N deficiency as one of the most significantly identified abiotic limits. Only a few researchers have focused on the N transformation mechanisms in drastically altered mine soils. The review comprises the last 10 years’ research on mine reclamation approaches using legume and non‐legume plant communities. Also the capacity of different amendments to alleviate N shortages in mine soils is emphasized. The major findings of the present review suggest: (i) Revegetation using legume and non‐legume species is a self‐sustaining and economical alternative to mineral N fertilizer application; however, they cannot fully activate the biological N cycle in RMS. (ii) A more biological amendment‐assisted revegetation would enhance the key concepts of “soil‐biomass N balance” and would be ideal for N recovery in imbalanced mine soil. Altogether, grass‐legume seeding offers a potentially valuable mine reclamation tool for managing N and addressing the challenges of sustainable development.
An Evaluation of Inelastic Seismic Design Spectra

After reviewing general methods available for determining seismic design forces for structures which can tolerate limited amounts of inelastic deformations, the reliability of two representative procedures is evaluated. In the methods evaluated, inelastic design response spectra are obtained by modifying a linear elastic design response spectrum in terms of a specified ductility factor as suggested by Newmark and Hall and the Applied Technology council. The effect of different accelerograms, as well as of different system damping and hysteretic characteristics, on the inelastic response of single degree-of-freedom systems designed using these methods is thoroughly investigated, considering maximum displacement ductilities, maximum and permanent drifts, number of yield events, and hysteretic energy dissipation. Application of these design methods to multistory buildings is also briefly considered. Results obtained for ideal inelastic systems indicate that these methods do not reliably limit displacement ductilities to specified values.
Different Expression Levels of DLK2 Inhibit NOTCH Signaling and Inversely Modulate MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Tumor Growth In Vivo

NOTCH signaling is implicated in the development of breast cancer tumors. DLK2, a non-canonical inhibitor of NOTCH signaling, was previously shown to be involved in skin and breast cancer. In this work, we studied whether different levels of DLK2 expression influenced the breast cancer characteristics of MDA-MB-231 cells. We found that DLK2 overexpression inhibited NOTCH activation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, depending on the level of inhibition of NOTCH1 activation generated by different levels of DLK2 expression, cell proliferation, cell cycle dynamics, cell apoptosis, cell migration, and tumor growth in vivo were affected in opposite directions. Low levels of DLK2 expression produced a slight inhibition of NOTCH1 activation, and enhanced MDA-MB-231 cell invasion in vitro and cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, MDA-MB-231 cells expressing elevated levels of DLK2 showed a strong inhibition of NOTCH1 activation, decreased cell proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, and were unable to generate tumors in vivo. In addition, DLK2 expression levels also affected some members of other cell signaling pathways implicated in cancer, such as ERK1/2 MAPK, AKT, and rpS6 kinases. Our data support an important role of DLK2 as a protein that can finely regulate NOTCH signaling and affect the tumor properties and growth dynamics of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
Presentation and intervention in missing Copper T Thread in reference to timing of insertion

Background: To analyse the impact of time of insertion of Copper T to presentation and intervention for management of missing Cu-T thread.Methods: After approval of the study by research and institutional Ethics Committee, present study was carried out partly prospectively on patients presenting with missing Cu T thread. Retrospective data was also collected from minor OT or admission records for those admitted for removal of IUCD and duly completed telephonically. Proportion of women with missing Cu T thread were calculated in percentages. Correlation between different groups couldn’t be calculated because of major difference in number of subjects in groups. Data was analysed with regard to relation to timing of insertion, presentation, complications, number and kind of interventions for its removal.Results: Among 57 women, 30 had post LSCS CuT insertion, 6 had post NVD, 20 had interval CuT insertion, 1 had post abortal insertion. Misplaced CuT was detected in 8 women on USG, 4 (50%) had post LSCS, 3 (37.5%) post NVD and 1 (12.5%) had interval CuT insertion. OPD removal could be attempted successfully in 30 women; 11 (36.67%) post LSCS, 2 (33.33%) post NVD, 16 (80%) interval and 1 (100%) post abortion insertion. OT removal was needed in 23 women; 17 (56.67%) post LSCS, 2 (33.33%) post NVD, 4 (20%) interval CuT insertion. Spontaneous expulsion diagnosed in 4, 2 post LSCS and 2 post NVD CuT insertion.Conclusions: There is definite impact of timing of Cu T insertion on incidence of misplacement and expulsion and more data and studies are needed for developing a common information performa to develop SOPs for follow up of such patients.
Beneficial Effects of Antioxidants in Male Infertility Management: A Narrative Review

Background: Infertility, defined as the failure to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse, affects 50–80 million people worldwide. A male factor is involved in approximately 20–30% of cases. In the etiology of male infertility, the association between poor semen quality and oxidative stress (OS) is well known. High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) allow the oxidation of DNA, proteins, and lipids of sperm cells, modifying their vitality, motility, and morphology. Methods: To evaluate the effects of antioxidants on sperm in infertile men, we queried the MEDLINE database (via the PubMed interface) for published studies in the last 10 years (2011–2021). The following keywords were used: “infertility” and -“inositol”, -“alpha-lipoic acid”, -“zinc”, -“folate”, -“coenzyme Q10”, -“selenium”, and -“vitamin”. Results: Inositol regulates OS levels in sperm cells thanks to its role in mitochondrial reactions and is involved in several processes favoring sperm–oocyte interactions. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) reduces ROS damage and improves semen parameters in terms of spermatozoa’s motility, morphology, and count. Poor zinc nutrition may be related to low quality of sperm. Supplementation of folate plus zinc has a positive effect on the sperm concentration and morphology. Supplementation with CoQ10 increases sperm concentration, total and progressive motility. Selenium (Se) supplementation improves the overall semen quality and is related to a higher ejaculated volume. Among vitamins, only vitamin B12 shows a positive effect on semen quality; it increases sperm count and motility and reduces sperm DNA damage. Conclusions: In men showing low-quality semen, diet supplementation with antioxidants may improve the sperm quality by alleviating OS-induced sperm damage and enhancing hormone synthesis and spermatozoa concentration, motility, and morphology. Future clinical trials should be focused on the possible association of several antioxidants to take advantage of combined mechanisms of action.
Transepithelial Iontophoresis-Assisted Cross Linking for Progressive Keratoconus: Up to 7 Years of Follow Up

Purpose: To report long-term clinical results of transepithelial cross-linking with iontophoresis (I-CXL) for progressive keratoconus (KC). Methods: Nineteen eyes of 19 patients treated with I-CXL for progressive keratoconus were included in this prospective clinical study. Preoperatively and in all available follow ups (6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 months), the following parameters were measured. Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), spherical equivalent and cylinder refraction, corneal topography and aberrometry (Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici (C.S.O.), Florence, Italy), Scheimpflug tomography (OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH; Wetzlar, Germany). Definition of progression after I-CXL was 2/3 of the following criteria: increase of “A” value, increase of “B” value, decrease of minimal thickness evaluated with the ABCD progression display above 95% confidence interval for post-CXL population when compared to the scan 12 months post-op. Results: The mean follow-up time of included patients was 63 months (range 12 to 84 months, 5 patients reached 84 months). The general linear model showed no significant change over time in CDVA, Maximum Keratometry, Thinnest point, and A, B, C values of the Belin Progression Display (p > 0.05). Conversely, comatic and high order aberrations decreased significantly over time (both p =< 0.001). Five cases (26.31%) showed significant progression after a mean of 55 months (range 36–72) of follow up. Conclusion: Our study shows the ability of I-CXL to slow down KC progression in the majority of included patients, improving high order and comatic aberrations. A 26% progression rate was reported.
Influence of Dry Eye Disease on the Measurement Repeatability of Corneal Curvature Radius and Axial Length in Patients with Cataract

The influence of dry eye disease (DED) on ocular biometric measurements is unclear. We aimed to investigate the effect of DED on the repeatability of ocular biometric measurements in cataract patients. Overall, 114 eyes scheduled for cataract surgery were enrolled. Before surgery, DED parameters including tear film break-up time (BUT), corneal and conjunctival staining scores, and subjective symptoms were examined. Corneal curvature radius and axial length were assessed twice on the same day using IOLMaster-500 (Carl Zeiss Meditec), and the absolute difference between the two measurements was calculated and used as an index of measurement repeatability. The measurement repeatability of the steep meridian of corneal curvature radius was significantly worse in eyes with DED than in those without DED (p = 0.044) and was significantly associated with BUT (r = −0.206, p = 0.031). The measurement repeatability of axial length was negatively correlated with BUT (r = −0.199, p = 0.041) and positively correlated with the corneal staining score (r = 0.253, p = 0.009). In conclusion, the measurement repeatability of corneal curvature radius declined in eyes with DED. Shortened BUTs were associated with a deterioration in the measurement repeatability of corneal curvature radius and axial length.