Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequent detection but lack of infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in presymptomatic, infected blood donor plasma

Respiratory viruses such as influenza do not typically cause viremia; however, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the blood of COVID-19 patients with mild and severe symptoms. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in blood raises questions about its role in pathogenesis as well as transfusion safety concerns. Blood donor reports of symptoms or a diagnosis of COVID-19 after donation (post-donation information, PDI) preceded or coincided with increased general population COVID-19 mortality. Plasma samples from 2,250 blood donors who reported possible COVID-19–related PDI were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Detection of RNAemia peaked at 9%–15% of PDI donors in late 2020 to early 2021 and fell to approximately 4% after implementation of widespread vaccination in the population. RNAemic donors were 1.2- to 1.4-fold more likely to report cough or shortness of breath and 1.8-fold more likely to report change in taste or smell compared with infected donors without detectable RNAemia. No infectious virus was detected in plasma from RNAemic donors; inoculation of permissive cell lines produced less than 0.7–7 plaque-forming units (PFU)/mL and in susceptible mice less than 100 PFU/mL in RNA-positive plasma based on limits of detection in these models. These findings suggest that blood transfusions are highly unlikely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Alpha Tocopherol Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles: Preparation, Characterizations, and In Vitro Assessments Against Oxidative Stress in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by mechanical injury or trauma to the spinal cord. Currently, SCI treatment requires extremely high doses of neuroprotective agents, which in turn, causes several adverse effects. To overcome these limitations, the present study focuses on delivery of a low but effective dose of a naturally occurring antioxidant, α-tocopherol (α-TP). Calcium alginate nanoparticles (CA-NP) and poly d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (PLGA-NP) prepared by ionotropic gelation and solvent evaporation technique had particle size of 21.9 ± 11.19 and 152.4 ± 10.6 nm, respectively. Surface morphology, surface charge, as well as particle size distribution of both nanoparticles were evaluated. Entrapment of α-TP into CA-NP and PLGA-NP quantified by UPLC showed entrapment efficiency of 4.00 ± 1.63% and 76.6 ± 11.4%, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity profiles on human astrocyte-spinal cord (HA-sp) showed that blank CA-NP at high concentrations reduced the cell viability whereas blank PLGA-NP showed relatively safer cytotoxic profiles. In addition, PLGA nanoparticles encapsulated with α-TP (α-TP-PLGA-NP) in comparison to α-TP alone at high concentrations were less toxic. Pretreatment of HA-sp cells with α-TP-PLGA-NP showed two-fold higher anti-oxidative protection as compared to α-TP alone, when oxidative stress was induced by H2O2. In conclusion, CA-NP were found to be unsuitable for treatment of SCI due to their cytotoxicity. Comparatively, α-TP-PLGA-NP were safer and showed high degree of protection against oxidative stress than α-TP alone.
Optimal Income Taxation under Unemployment: A Sufﬁcient Statistics Approach ∗ PRELIMINARY DRAFT - PLEASE DO NOT CITE

This paper is the ﬁrst to derive an empirically implementable formula for the optimal income tax, in the presence of unemployment. This formula nests a broad variety of structures of the labor market, such as the standard competitive model with ﬁxed or ﬂexible wages and models with matching frictions. As such, we are able to show that several previously derived optimal tax formulas are nested by this formula. Our theoretical results show that several reduced-form parameters are welfare-relevant: the macro employment elasticity with respect to taxes and the micro and macro participation elasticities with respect to taxes. We estimate all three of these reduced-form parameters using policy variation in tax liabilities stemming from the U.S. tax and transfer system for over 20 years. Since our tax formula is stated in terms of ? sufﬁcient statistics? , we numerically solve for the optimal tax schedule using our empirical estimates and discuss how the results compare to those in the literature. Finally we also provide estimates of how employment and participation elasticities vary over the business cycle that suggest ? together with our theoretical results ? that in recessions the optimal tax schedule looks more like a Negative Income Tax (NIT) and less like an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Connecticut,
Violation of non‐adjacent rule dependencies elicits greater attention to a talker's mouth in 15‐month‐old infants

Abstract Infants start tracking auditory‐only non‐adjacent dependencies (NAD) between 15 and 18 months of age. Given that audiovisual speech, normally available in a talker's mouth, is perceptually more salient than auditory speech and that it facilitates speech processing and language acquisition, we investigated whether 15‐month‐old infants' NAD learning is modulated by attention to a talker's mouth. Infants performed an audiovisual NAD learning task while we recorded their selective attention to the eyes, mouth, and face of an actress while she spoke an artificial language that followed an AXB structure (tis‐X‐bun; nal‐X‐gor) during familiarization. At test, the actress spoke the same language (grammatical trials; tis‐X‐bun; nal‐X‐gor) or a novel one that violated the AXB structure (ungrammatical trials; tis‐X‐gor; nal‐X‐bun). Overall, total duration of looking did not differ during the familiar and novel test trials but the time‐course of selective attention to the talker's face and mouth revealed that the novel trials maintained infants' attention to the face more than did the familiar trials. Crucially, attention to the mouth increased during the novel test trials while it did not change during the familiar test trials. These results indicate that the multisensory redundancy of audiovisual speech facilitates infants' discrimination of non‐adjacent dependencies.
Impaired astrocytic Ca2+ signaling in awake-behaving Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mice

Increased astrocytic Ca2+ signaling has been shown in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models, but to date no reports have characterized behaviorally induced astrocytic Ca2+ signaling in such mice. Here, we employ an event-based algorithm to assess astrocytic Ca2+ signals in the neocortex of awake-behaving tg-ArcSwe mice and non-transgenic wildtype littermates while monitoring pupil responses and behavior. We demonstrate an attenuated astrocytic Ca2+ response to locomotion and an uncoupling of pupil responses and astrocytic Ca2+ signaling in 15-month-old plaque-bearing mice. Using the genetically encoded fluorescent norepinephrine sensor GRABNE, we demonstrate a reduced norepinephrine signaling during spontaneous running and startle responses in the transgenic mice, providing a possible mechanistic underpinning of the observed reduced astrocytic Ca2+ responses. Our data points to a dysfunction in the norepinephrine–astrocyte Ca2+ activity axis, which may account for some of the cognitive deficits observed in Alzheimer’s disease.
Virtual ER, a Serious Game for Interprofessional Education to Enhance Teamwork in Medical and Nursing Undergraduates: Development and Evaluation Study

Background Engaging students in interprofessional education for higher order thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills is challenging. This study reports the development of Virtual ER, a serious game played on a virtual platform, and how it can be an innovative way for delivering interprofessional education to medical and nursing undergraduates. Objective We report the development of a serious online game, Virtual ER, and evaluate its effect on teamwork enhancement and clinical competence. We also explore if Virtual ER can be an effective pedagogical tool to engage medical and nursing students with different learning styles. Methods Virtual ER is a custom-made, learning outcome–driven, case-based web app. We developed a game performance scoring system with specific mechanisms to enhance serious gaming elements. Sixty-two students were recruited from our medical and nursing programs. They played the games in teams of 4 or 5, followed by an instructor-led debriefing for concept consolidation. Teamwork attitudes, as measured by the Human Factors Attitude Survey, were compared before and after the game. Learning style was measured with a modified Honey and Mumford learning style questionnaire. Results Students were satisfied with Virtual ER (mean satisfaction score 5.44, SD 0.95, of a possible 7). Overall, Virtual ER enhanced teamwork attitude by 3.02 points (95% CI 1.15-4.88, P=.002). Students with higher scores as activists (estimate 9.09, 95% CI 5.17-13.02, P<.001) and pragmatists (estimate 5.69, 95% CI 1.18-10.20, P=.01) had a significantly higher degree of teamwork attitude enhancement, while students with higher scores as theorists and reflectors did not demonstrate significant changes. However, there was no difference in game performance scores between students with different learning styles. Conclusions There was considerable teamwork enhancement after playing Virtual ER for interprofessional education, in particular for students who had activist or pragmatist learning styles. Serious online games have potential in interprofessional education for the development of 21st century life skills. Our findings also suggest that Virtual ER for interprofessional education delivery could be expanded locally and globally.
Evaluating the Rising Incidence of Thyroid Cancer and Thyroid Nodule Detection Modes: A Multinational, Multi-institutional Analysis.

Importance There is epidemiologic evidence that the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer is associated with subclinical disease detection. Evidence for a true increase in thyroid cancer incidence has also been identified. However, a true increase in disease would likely be heralded by an increased incidence of thyroid-referable symptoms in patients presenting with disease. Objectives To evaluate whether modes of detection (MODs) used to identify thyroid nodules for surgical removal have changed compared with historic data and to determine if MODs vary by geographic location. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a retrospective analysis of pathology and medical records of 1328 patients who underwent thyroid-directed surgery in 16 centers in 4 countries: 4 centers in Canada, 1 in Denmark, 1 in South Africa, and 12 in the US. The participants were the first 100 patients (or the largest number available) at each center who had thyroid surgery in 2019. The MOD of the thyroid finding that required surgery was classified using an updated version of a previously validated tool as endocrine condition, symptomatic thyroid, surveillance, or without thyroid-referable symptoms (asymptomatic). If asymptomatic, the MOD was further classified as clinician screening examination, patient-requested screening, radiologic serendipity, or diagnostic cascade. Main Outcomes and Measures The MOD of thyroid nodules that were surgically removed, by geographic variation; and the proportion and size of thyroid cancers discovered in patients without thyroid-referable symptoms compared with symptomatic detection. Data analyses were performed from April 2021 to February 2022. Results Of the 1328 patients (mean [SD] age, 52 [15] years; 993 [75%] women; race/ethnicity data were not collected) who underwent thyroid surgery that met inclusion criteria, 34% (448) of the surgeries were for patients with thyroid-related symptoms, 41% (542) for thyroid findings discovered without thyroid-referable symptoms, 14% (184) for endocrine conditions, and 12% (154) for nodules with original MOD unknown (under surveillance). Cancer was detected in 613 (46%) patients; of these, 30% (83 patients) were symptomatic and 51% (310 patients) had no thyroid-referable symptoms. The mean (SD) size of the cancers identified in the symptomatic group was 3.2 (2.1) cm (median [range] cm, 2.6 [0.2-10.5]; 95% CI, 2.91-3.52) and in the asymptomatic group, 2.1 (1.4) cm (median [range] cm, 1.7 [0.05-8.8]; 95% CI, 1.92-2.23). The MOD patterns were significantly different among all participating countries. Conclusions and Relevance This retrospective analysis found that most thyroid cancers were discovered in patients who had no thyroid-referable symptoms; on average, these cancers were smaller than symptomatic thyroid cancers. Still, some asymptomatic cancers were large, consistent with historic data. The substantial difference in MOD patterns among the 4 countries suggests extensive variations in practice.
University of Birmingham Protocol for using mixed methods and process improvement methodologies to explore primary are work

Introduction: The need to cope with an increasingly ageing and multimorbid population has seen a shift towards preventive health and effective management of chronic disease. This places general practice at the forefront of health service provision with an increased demand that impacts on all members of the practice team. As these pressures grow, systems become more complex and tasks delegated across a broader range of staff groups. These include receptionists who play an essential role in the successful functioning of the surgery and are a major influence on patient satisfaction. However, they do so without formal recognition of the clinical implications of their work or with any requirements for training and qualifications. Methods and analysis: Our work consists of three phases. The first will survey receptionists using the validated Work Design Questionnaire to help us understand more precisely the parameters of their role; the second involves the use of iterative focus groups to help define the systems and processes within which they work. The third and final phase will produce recommendations to increase the efficiency and safety of the key practice processes involving receptionists and identify the areas and where receptionists require targeted support. In doing so, we aim to increase job satisfaction of receptionists, improve practice efficiency and produce better outcomes for patients. dissemination: Our work will be disseminated using conferences, workshops, trade journals, electronic media and through a series of publications in the peer reviewed literature. At the very least, our work will serve to prompt discussion on the clinical role of receptionists and assess the advantages of using value streams in conjunction with related tools for process improvement.
A randomized control trial of high-dose micronutrient-antioxidant supplementation in healthy persons with untreated HIV infection

Background Although micronutrient and antioxidant supplementation are widely used by persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a therapeutic role beyond recommended daily allowances (RDA) remains unproven. An oral high-dose micronutrient and antioxidant supplement (Treatment) was compared to an RDA supplement (Control) for time to progressive immunodeficiency or initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV (PLWH). Methods This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial. PLWH were recruited from Canadian HIV Trials Network sites, and followed quarterly for two years. Eligible participants were asymptomatic, antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naïve, HIV-seropositive adults with a CD4 T lymphocyte count (CD4 count) between 375–750 cells/μL. Participants were randomly allocated 1:1 to receive Treatment or Control supplements. The primary outcome was a composite of time-to-first of confirmed CD4 count below 350 cells/μL, initiation of ART, AIDS-defining illness or death. Primary analysis was by intention-to-treat. Secondary outcomes included CD4 count trajectory from baseline to ART initiation or two years. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board reviewed the study for safety, recruitment and protocol adherence every six months. Results Of 171 enrolled participants: 66 (38.6%) experienced a primary outcome: 27 reached a CD4 count below 350 cells/μL, and 57 started ART. There was no significant difference in time-to-first outcome between groups (Hazard Ratio = 1.05; 95%CI: 0.65, 1.70), or in time to any component outcome. Using intent-to-treat censoring, mean annualized rates of CD4 count decline were -42.703 cells/μL and -79.763 cells/μL for Treatment and Control groups, with no statistical difference in the mean change between groups (-37.06 cells/μL/52 weeks, 95%CI: (-93.59, 19.47); p = 0.1993). Accrual was stopped at 171 of the 212 intended participants after an interim analysis for futility, although participant follow-up was completed. Conclusions In ART-naïve PLWH, high-dose antioxidant, micronutrient supplementation compared to RDA supplementation had no significant effect on disease progression or ART initiation. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00798772.
OF AVAILABLE DATA FOR CALIBRATION AND / OR VERIFICATION OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT MODELS

A survey and a critical review of existing sediment transport data in waves and/or currents has been performed. Special emphasis has been given to the applicability of the data sets for the calibration and/or verification of sediment transport models. Only data sets dealing with non-cohesive sediment have been considered in this review. The eventual need for further experimental research is discussed under the light of the results from the present study.
Acetate and hypertonic stress stimulate vacuole membrane fission using distinct mechanisms

Vacuoles in plants and fungi play critical roles in cell metabolism and osmoregulation. To support these functions, vacuoles change their morphology, e.g. they fragment when these organisms are challenged with draught, high salinity or metabolic stress (e.g. acetate accumulation). In turn, morphology reflects an equilibrium between membrane fusion and fission that determines size, shape and copy number. By studying Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its vacuole as models, conserved molecular mechanisms responsible for fusion have been revealed. However, a detailed understanding of vacuole fission and how these opposing processes respond to metabolism or osmoregulation remain elusive. Herein we describe a new fluorometric assay to measure yeast vacuole fission in vitro. For proof–of–concept, we use this assay to confirm that acetate, a metabolic stressor, triggers vacuole fission and show it blocks homotypic vacuole fusion in vitro. Similarly, hypertonic stress induced by sorbitol or glucose caused robust vacuole fission in vitro whilst inhibiting fusion. Using wortmannin to inhibit phosphatidylinositol (PI) -kinases or rGyp1-46 to inactivate Rab–GTPases, we show that acetate stress likely targets PI signaling, whereas osmotic stress affects Rab signaling on vacuole membranes to stimulate fission. This study sets the stage for further investigation into the mechanisms that change vacuole morphology to support cell metabolism and osmoregulation.
Ten simple rules for designing and running a computing minor for bio/chem students

Science students increasingly need programming and data science skills to be competitive in the modern workforce. However, at our university (San Francisco State University), until recently, almost no biology, biochemistry, and chemistry students (from here bio/chem students) completed a minor in computer science. To change this, a new minor in computing applications, which is informally known as the Promoting Inclusivity in Computing (PINC) minor, was established in 2016. Here, we present the lessons we learned from our experience in a set of 10 rules. The first 3 rules focus on setting up the program so that it interests students in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. Rules 4 through 8 focus on how the classes of the program are taught to make them interesting for our students and to provide the students with the support they need. The last 2 rules are about what happens “behind the scenes” of running a program with many people from several departments involved.
Bacterial secretion systems: Networks of pathogenic regulation and adaptation in mycobacteria and beyond

Bacteria transport proteins to diverse intracellular or extracellular locations to ensure proper function. Proteins are localized intracellularly to the cytoplasm or the periplasm or embedded in membranes. Extracellular proteins are localized to the bacterial surface, secreted into the environment, or directly transported into bacterial or host cells. Protein transport systems can be general or specialized. Recently, there have been several advances in our understanding of specialized protein secretion in pathogenic mycobacteria. Here, we will review broad themes across bacterial secretion systems, highlighting that, although gram-negative and Mycobacte-rial/Gram-positive specialized secretion systems are unrelated, they share conserved themes of regulation and environmental sensing.
Programming Without Computer: Revisiting a Traditional Method to Improve Students’ Learning Experience in Computer Programming

S. Cyrus Rezvanifar is a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering at The University of Akron. He has also served as a research assistant in Cleveland Clinic Akron General since 2016, where he conducts research on biomechanics of human knee joint and patellar instability. In 2016, he received a doctoral teaching fellowship from the College of Engineering at The University of Akron. Through this teaching program, he has served as an instructor for several undergraduate-level courses, and he has conducted educational research on the effect of various learning techniques on improving students’ self-efficacy and overall learning experience.
Effect of Remineralization Agents on Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization-Affected Incisors: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the remineralization effect of two different mineral containing agents on white/creamy and yellow/brown demarcated opacities in incisors in children with molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) by using laser fluoresence (LF). STUDY DESIGN Fifty-three children (n=401 lesions) with MIH were randomly divided into three groups: (1)calcium glycerophosphate (CaGP), (2)casein phosphopeptide amorphous calcium fluoride phosphate (CPP-ACFP) and, (3)control (1450 ppm fluoride toothpaste). Remineralization was evaluated by means of LF, at baseline, after one and threemonths. Anova Test for Repeated Measurements in intra-group comparisons in evaluating the effectiveness of remineralization agents. One-way Variance Analysis (ANOVA) and Tukey-Kramer Multiple Comparison test were used in the comparisons between groups and, Student Newman Keuls Multpile Comparison Test was used to determine the differences between the measurement averages in case of p<0.05. RESULTS There was a significant improvement in MIH-lesions over time in all groups (p<0.001), with no differences between groups. The highest percentage of change was observed in CPP-ACFP in lesions LF≤20 scores and the mean percentage of change LF>20 scores, the highest percentage changes in CaGP. There was no significant difference between the groups over the time for all the used outcome measures (p>0.05). CONCLUSION The additional use of both mineral containing agents in MIH-affected teeth improved these hypomineralized lesions with mineral deposition. Even if both agents could be used in the hypomineralized teeth with demarcated opacities, future studies are recommended the long-term effect of these mineral containing agents with longer observation and a larger sample size.