An attention-based hybrid architecture with explainability for depressive social media text detection in Bangla

Mental health has become a major concern in recent years. Social media have been increasingly used as platforms to gain insight into a person’s mental health condition by analysing the posts and comments, which are textual in nature. By analysing these texts, depressive posts can be detected. To facilitate this process, this work presents an attention-based bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)- Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based model to detect depressive Bangla social media texts, which is lighter and more robust than the conventional models and provides better performance. A dataset containing such Bangla texts was also developed in this work to mitigate the scarcity. Different preprocessing stages were followed, and three embeddings were used in this task. Thanks to the attention mechanism, the proposed model achieved an accuracy of 94.3% with 92.63% of sensitivity and 95.12% of specificity. When tested on other languages, such as English, the proposed model performed remarkably. The robustness and explainability of the proposed model were also discussed in this paper. Additionally, when compared with classical machine learning models, ensemble approaches, transformers, other similar models, and existing architectures, the proposed model outperformed them

High occurrence of giardiasis in children living on a 'landless farm workers' settlement in Araras, São Paulo, Brazil

Enteric parasitosis remains an important public health problem in many areas around the world including in Brazil, and it is frequently associated with poverty and lack of sanitation facilities. Research carried out over the course of a year revealed that 96.6% (28/29) of children randomly selected from a 'landless farm workers' settlement in Araras, São Paulo, aged 4 - 15 years, presented Giardia intestinalis cysts. After referral to the neighborhood Health Office, all the children received tinidazole, given as a single dose of 50 mg/kg and 12 months later, new fecal samples were collected and analyzed. Despite the low adherence to the study, a high percentage (64.3% - 9/14) of the children remained positive for the parasite. This study showed a high positivity of giardiasis in child residents of the settlement, even after treatment; adults were not sensitized to the study and did not collected and/or deliver children fecal samples. The precarious living conditions are consistent with a high susceptibility to parasitic diseases, suggesting that the treatment of the infected individuals without identifying and eradicating the means of contamination is simply a palliative measure

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) Mediates Nutrient Regulation of Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) in Pancreatic Beta-Cells

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) regulates critical biological processes including inflammation, stress and apoptosis. TXNIP is upregulated by glucose and is a critical mediator of hyperglycemia-induced beta-cell apoptosis in diabetes. In contrast, the saturated long-chain fatty acid palmitate, although toxic to the beta-cell, inhibits TXNIP expression. The mechanisms involved in the opposing effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression are unknown. We found that both palmitate and oleate inhibited TXNIP in a rat beta-cell line and islets. Palmitate inhibition of TXNIP was independent of fatty acid beta-oxidation or esterification. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has an important role in cellular energy sensing and control of metabolic homeostasis; therefore we investigated its involvement in nutrient regulation of TXNIP. As expected, glucose inhibited whereas palmitate stimulated AMPK. Pharmacologic activators of AMPK mimicked fatty acids by inhibiting TXNIP. AMPK knockdown increased TXNIP expression in presence of high glucose with and without palmitate, indicating that nutrient (glucose and fatty acids) effects on TXNIP are mediated in part via modulation of AMPK activity. TXNIP is transcriptionally regulated by carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP). Palmitate inhibited glucose-stimulated ChREBP nuclear entry and recruitment to the Txnip promoter, thereby inhibiting Txnip transcription. We conclude that AMPK is an important regulator of Txnip transcription via modulation of ChREBP activity. The divergent effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression result in part from their opposing effects on AMPK activity. In light of the important role of TXNIP in beta-cell apoptosis, its inhibition by fatty acids can be regarded as an adaptive/protective response to glucolipotoxicity. The finding that AMPK mediates nutrient regulation of TXNIP may have important implications for the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes

Adenosine Kinase of T. b. rhodesiense Identified as the Putative Target of 4-[5-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-2H-pyrazol-3-yl]morpholine Using Chemical Proteomics

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), a devastating and fatal parasitic disease endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, urgently needs novel targets and efficacious chemotherapeutic agents. Recently, we discovered that 4-[5-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-2H-pyrazol-3-yl]morpholine exhibits specific antitrypanosomal activity toward T. b. rhodesiense, the causative agent of the acute form of HAT. Here we applied a chemical proteomics approach to find the cellular target of this compound. Adenosine kinase, a key enzyme of the parasite purine salvage pathway, was isolated and identified as compound binding partner. Direct binding assays using recombinant protein, and tests on an adenosine kinase knock-down mutant of the parasite produced by RNA interference confirmed TbrAK as the putative target. Kinetic analyses showed that the title compound is an activator of adenosine kinase and that the observed hyperactivation of TbrAK is due to the abolishment of the intrinsic substrate-inhibition. Whereas hyperactivation as a mechanism of action is well known from drugs targeting cell signaling, this is a novel and hitherto unexplored concept for compounds targeting metabolic enzymes, suggesting that hyperactivation of TbrAK may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the development of trypanocides

Multiple micronutrient supplementation improves vitamin B12 and folate concentrations of HIV infected children in Uganda: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effect of multiple micronutrient supplementation on vitamin B₁₂and folate has hither to not been reported in African HIV infected children. This paper describes vitamin B₁₂and folate status of Ugandan HIV infected children aged 1-5 years and reports the effect of multiple micronutrient supplementation on serum vitamin B₁₂and folate concentrations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Of 847 children who participated in a multiple micronutrient supplementation trial, 214 were assessed for vitamin B₁₂and folate concentrations pre and post supplementation. One hundred and four children were randomised to two times the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of a 14 multiple micronutrient supplement (MMS) and 114 to a 'standard of care' supplement of 6 multivitamins (MV). Serum vitamin B₁₂was measured by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and folate by a competitive protein-binding assay using Modular E (Roche) automatic analyzer. Vitamin B₁₂concentrations were considered low if less than 221picomoles per litre (pmol/L) and folate if < 13.4 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L). The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test was used to measure the difference between pre and post supplementation concentrations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Vitamin B₁₂was low in 60/214 (28%) and folate in 62/214 (29.0%) children. In the MMS group, the median concentration (IQR) of vitamin B₁₂at 6 months was 401.5 (264.3 - 518.8) pmol/L compared to the baseline of 285.5 (216.5 - 371.8) pmol/L, p < 0.001. The median (IQR) folate concentrations increased from 17.3 (13.5 - 26.6) nmol/L to 27.7 (21.1 - 33.4) nmol/L, p < 0.001. In the 'standard of care' MV supplemented group, the median concentration (IQR) of vitamin B₁₂at 6 months was 288.5 (198.8 - 391.0) pmol/L compared to the baseline of 280.0 (211.5 - 386.3) pmol/L while the median (IQR) folate concentrations at 6 months were 16.5 (11.7 - 22.1) nmol/L compared to 15.7 (11.9 - 22.1) nmol/L at baseline. There was a significant difference in the MMS group in both vitamin B₁₂and folate concentrations but no difference in the MV group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Almost a third of the HIV infected Ugandan children aged 1-5 years had low serum concentrations of vitamin B₁₂and folate. Multiple micronutrient supplementation compared to the 'standard of care' supplement of 6 multivitamins improved the vitamin B₁₂and folate status of HIV infected children in Uganda.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p><url>http://ClinicalTrials.gov</url><a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00122941">NCT00122941</a>)</p

Exploring Cell Tropism as a Possible Contributor to Influenza Infection Severity

Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for the marked increase in severity of human infections with avian compared to human influenza strains, including increased cytokine expression, poor immune response, and differences in target cell receptor affinity. Here, the potential effect of target cell tropism on disease severity is studied using a mathematical model for in-host influenza viral infection in a cell population consisting of two different cell types. The two cell types differ only in their susceptibility to infection and rate of virus production. We show the existence of a parameter regime which is characterized by high viral loads sustained long after the onset of infection. This finding suggests that differences in cell tropism between influenza strains could be sufficient to cause significant differences in viral titer profiles, similar to those observed in infections with certain strains of influenza A virus. The two target cell mathematical model offers good agreement with experimental data from severe influenza infections, as does the usual, single target cell model albeit with biologically unrealistic parameters. Both models predict that while neuraminidase inhibitors and adamantanes are only effective when administered early to treat an uncomplicated seasonal infection, they can be effective against more severe influenza infections even when administered late

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Paired opposing leukocyte receptors recognizing rapidly evolving ligands are subject to homogenization of their ligand binding domains

Some leukocyte receptors come in groups of two or more where the partners share ligand(s) but transmit opposite signals. Some of the ligands, such as MHC class I, are fast evolving, raising the problem of how paired opposing receptors manage to change in step with respect to ligand binding properties and at the same time conserve opposite signaling functions. An example is the KLRC (NKG2) family, where opposing variants have been conserved in both rodents and primates. Phylogenetic analyses of the KLRC receptors within and between the two orders show that the opposing partners have been subject to post-speciation gene homogenization restricted mainly to the parts of the genes that encode the ligand binding domains. Concerted evolution similarly restricted is demonstrated also for the KLRI, KLRB (NKR-P1), KLRA (Ly49), and PIR receptor families. We propose the term merohomogenization for this phenomenon and discuss its significance for the evolution of immune receptors