Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of intraoperative parathyroid hormone predicts long-term operative success.

HYPOTHESIS A decrease in the intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) level predicts long-term operative success. DESIGN A case series of consecutive patients undergoing parathyroidectomy with intraoperative PTH measurement. SETTING A university hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION One hundred two patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism underwent parathyroidectomy according to the principles of unilateral exploration with intraoperative PTH measurement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Longitudinal effects on levels of serum calcium and PTH. RESULTS In 94 of 98 patients who underwent primary exploration because of a solitary adenoma, intraoperative PTH decreased at least 60% 15 minutes after gland excision. The 4 cases in which PTH fell to less than 60% were classified as false negatives. Patients examined for multiglandular disease (n = 4) were correctly predicted not to have an adenoma. Twenty-two patients (22%) were unavailable for 5-year follow-up. These patients were followed up for 2 months to 48 months (median, 24 months), and none developed recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism. Of the remaining 80 patients (78%), all but 1 patient had normal or slightly decreased serum calcium levels (mean +/- SD, 9.24 +/- 0.4 mg/dL [2.31 +/- 0.10 mmol/L]) at 5-year follow-up. One patient with hypercalcemia (10.6 mg/dL [2.65 mmol/L]) was interpreted to have developed renal failure with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Thirty-four patients had elevated serum PTH levels at least once during the postoperative study period, with normal or slightly decreased calcium concentrations. The prediction of late postoperative normocalcemia by means of intraoperative PTH measurement had an overall accuracy of 95%. CONCLUSIONS The measurement of intraoperative PTH during surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism accurately differentiates between single- and multiple-gland disease and ensures good long-term results.
Towards deep learning with segregated dendrites

Deep learning has led to significant advances in artificial intelligence, in part, by adopting strategies motivated by neurophysiology. However, it is unclear whether deep learning could occur in the real brain. Here, we show that a deep learning algorithm that utilizes multi-compartment neurons might help us to understand how the neocortex optimizes cost functions. Like neocortical pyramidal neurons, neurons in our model receive sensory information and higher-order feedback in electrotonically segregated compartments. Thanks to this segregation, neurons in different layers of the network can coordinate synaptic weight updates. As a result, the network learns to categorize images better than a single layer network. Furthermore, we show that our algorithm takes advantage of multilayer architectures to identify useful higher-order representations—the hallmark of deep learning. This work demonstrates that deep learning can be achieved using segregated dendritic compartments, which may help to explain the morphology of neocortical pyramidal neurons.
Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Infection and Pathology

Abstract The human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is by far the major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTIs) worldwide in infants and children younger than 2 years. The overwhelming number of hospitalizations due to hRSV-induced ALRTI each year is due, at least in part, to the lack of licensed vaccines against this virus. Thus, hRSV infection is considered a major public health problem and economic burden in most countries. The lung pathology developed in hRSV-infected individuals is characterized by an exacerbated proinflammatory and unbalanced Th2-type immune response. In addition to the adverse effects in airway tissues, hRSV infection can also cause neurologic manifestations in the host, such as seizures and encephalopathy. Although the origins of these extrapulmonary symptoms remain unclear, studies with patients suffering from neurological alterations suggest an involvement of the inflammatory response against hRSV. Furthermore, hRSV has evolved numerous mechanisms to modulate and evade the immune response in the host. Several studies have focused on elucidating the interactions between hRSV virulence factors and the host immune system, to rationally design new vaccines and therapies against this virus. Here, we discuss about the infection, pathology, and immune response triggered by hRSV in the host.
mir-126 rs4636297 and TGFβRI rs334348 functional gene variants are associated with susceptibility to endometriosis and its severity

Abstract microRNAs (miRNAs) are negative regulators in a variety of cellular processes that occur in endometriosis. Therefore, functional polymorphisms in miRNA and miRNA binding sites may affect gene expression and contribute to susceptibility of endometriosis. In this study, we evaluated the association of two miRNA related polymorphisms, mir-126 rs4636297 and TGFβRI rs334348, with endometriosis risk and its severity. This case-control study was done on 157 endometriosis patients and 252 healthy women as a control group. Tetra amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (tetra-ARMS PCR) was designed to determine the polymorphisms. Our finding showed significant differences in genotype frequency of mir-126 rs4636297 between the groups (χ2 = 6.26, p = 0.044). A significant protection against endometriosis was found for mir-126 rs4636297 in allele (G versus A allele: OR = 0.695, 95% CI = 0.519–0.931, p = 0.015) and genotype (GG versus AA genotype: OR = 0.451, 95%CI = 0.233–0.873, p = 0.018). Significant association was also observed between the A allele and severity of endometriosis (OR = 0.478, 95%CI = 0.297–0.768, p = 0.002). Moreover, we found a significant association between AA genotype with the risk of endometriosis (OR = 0.493, 95%CI = 0.250–0.970, p = 0.041) and its severity (OR = 0.240, 95%CI = 0.065–0.883, p = 0.032) regarding TGFβRI rs334348 polymorphism. These finding suggest that, for the first time, mir-126 rs4636297 and TGFβRI rs334348 polymorphisms may influence individual’s susceptibility to endometriosis and its severity.
Compare permissive underfeeding enteral nutrition with stand feedingunder enough protein intakes on mortality in critically ill patients: asystematic review and meta-analysis planning councils in the UnitedStates.

Background: Though many guidelines about nutritional support, there are still dispute about permissive underfeeding, especially when the protein supply was enough. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare underfeeding with standard feeding on the clinical outcome of ICU patients. Methods: Data from the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane database, Web of Science and https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (until December, 31, 2016) were searched to identify relevant studies. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was also calculated. Results: A total of 6 studies with 1455 patients were included in the analysis. Overall, there was no significant difference in the risk of mortality [RR=0.82, 95% CI (0.59, 1.14)] and the length of ICU stay [Mean Difference=-0.94, 95% CI (-5.57, 3.69)] in the permissive underfeeding group with standard feeding group. The incidence of nosocomial acquired infections also had not significant difference in the two group [RR 0.95; 95% CI (0.83, 1.09); p=0.46]. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated there is no difference in the risk of hospital mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS) and nosocomial acquired infection between permissive underfeeding enteral nutrition and standard feeding under enough protein.
BIOSYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANO PARTICLES AND ITS ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST HUMAN PATHOGENS

Research on nanoparticles is currently an area of intense scientific research, due to a wide variety of potential applications in biomedical, optical, and electronic fields. Synthesis of nanoparticles can be carried out by using various chemical and physical methods. But use of such methods is harmful in one or the other way as the chemicals often used are toxic, flammable, not easily disposable due to environmental issues, having low production rate, etc. As a result, a great deal of effort has been put into the search for methods utilizing biological systems, such as the microorganisms and plants, for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Such biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles from Apocynaceae members were evaluated against the human pathogens. The plant based silver nano particles synthesized from Rauvolfia tetraphylla was found to be most active against Shigella dysenteriae with the highest zone of inhibition.
Asymmetry and Thigh Muscle Coactivity in Fatigued Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Reconstructed Elite Skiers

Purpose The acute effects of fatigue on functional interlimb asymmetry and quadriceps/hamstring muscle activity levels, including preparatory coactivation during squat jump takeoff and landing, were evaluated in elite alpine ski racers with/without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Methods Twenty-two elite ski racers (ACLR, n = 11; control, n = 11) performed an 80-s repeated squat jump test (jump test) on a dual force plate system with simultaneous EMG recordings in vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris. Asymmetry index (AI) and jump height of body center of mass (HBCM) were calculated from the ground reaction force. The normalized EMG amplitudes were obtained at takeoff, at the 25-ms interval prelanding, and at postlanding for the ACLR limb (affected limb), contralateral limb, and limbs of the control subjects (control limb). Results Jump height decreased with fatigue for both groups, and ACLR skiers demonstrated elevated AI in the late takeoff phase versus the early takeoff and landing phases (P < 0.0001). No fatigue-induced changes in AI were found. The affected limb of ACLR skiers showed lower normalized quadriceps EMG activity at takeoff, prelanding, and postlanding along with increased hamstring activity prelanding and postlanding compared with the contralateral limb and control limb (P < 0.001). The affected limb, contralateral limb, and control limb all demonstrated increased quadriceps and decreased hamstring activity with fatigue (P < 0.001). Conclusions Functional AI values were not changed with fatigue, and the affected limb of ACLR skiers who successfully returned to sport demonstrated more hamstring dominant landings compared with the contralateral limb and uninjured control limbs. Skiers with/without ACLR demonstrated more quadriceps dominant landings with fatigue.
Disease characteristics and management of hospitalised adolescents and adults with community-acquired pneumonia in China: a retrospective multicentre survey

Objectives To describe the clinical characteristics and management of patients hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in China. Design This was a multicentre, retrospective, observational study. Setting 13 teaching hospitals in northern, central and southern China from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2014 Participants Information on hospitalised patients aged ≥14 years with radiographically confirmed pneumonia with illness onset in the community was collected using standard case report forms. Primary and secondary outcome measures Resource use for CAP management. Results Of 14 793 patients screened, 5828 with radiographically confirmed CAP were included in the final analysis. Low mortality risk patients with a CURB-65 score 0–1 and Pneumonia Severity Index risk class I–II accounted for 81.2% (4434/5594) and 56.4% (2034/3609) patients, respectively. 21.7% (1111/5130) patients had already achieved clinical stability on admission. A definite or probable pathogen was identified only in 12.7% (738/5828) patients. 40.9% (1575/3852) patients without pseudomonal infection risk factors received antimicrobial overtreatment regimens. The median duration between clinical stability to discharge was 5.0 days with 30-day mortality of 4.2%. Conclusions These data demonstrated the overuse of health resources in CAP management, indicating that there is potential for improvement and substantial savings to healthcare systems in China. Trial registration number NCT02489578; Results.
Evaluation of the visit frequency and the use of questionnaires and indices for COPD: a national survey from the On‐Sint study

Despite widespread recommendations to use standardized questionnaires and multidimensional indices for the assessment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), few data are available on the application of these tools in clinical practice. This study evaluates the attitude of physicians participating in the On‐Sint cohort toward the use of health status questionnaires and multidimensional indices, as well as toward the frequency of visits and spirometry in primary care and specialized care.
Risk of Suicide Attempt Among Soldiers in Army Units With a History of Suicide Attempts

Importance Mental health of soldiers is adversely affected by the death and injury of other unit members, but whether risk of suicide attempt is influenced by previous suicide attempts in a soldier’s unit is unknown. Objective To examine whether a soldier’s risk of suicide attempt is influenced by previous suicide attempts in that soldier’s unit. Design, Setting, and Participants Using administrative data from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS), this study identified person-month records for all active-duty, regular US Army, enlisted soldiers who attempted suicide from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2009 (n = 9650), and an equal-probability sample of control person-months (n = 153 528). Data analysis was performed from August 8, 2016, to April 10, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Logistic regression analyses examined the number of past-year suicide attempts in a soldier’s unit as a predictor of subsequent suicide attempt, controlling for sociodemographic features, service-related characteristics, prior mental health diagnosis, and other unit variables, including suicide-, combat-, and unintentional injury–related unit deaths. The study also examined whether the influence of previous unit suicide attempts varied by military occupational specialty (MOS) and unit size. Results Of the final analytic sample of 9512 enlisted soldiers who attempted suicide and 151 526 control person-months, most were male (86.4%), 29 years or younger (68.4%), younger than 21 years when entering the army (62.2%), white (59.8%), high school educated (76.6%), and currently married (54.8%). In adjusted models, soldiers were more likely to attempt suicide if 1 or more suicide attempts occurred in their unit during the past year (odds ratios [ORs], 1.4-2.3; P < .001), with odds increasing as the number of unit attempts increased. The odds of suicide attempt among soldiers in a unit with 5 or more past-year attempts was more than twice that of soldiers in a unit with no previous attempts (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 2.1-2.6). The association of previous unit suicide attempts with subsequent risk was significant whether soldiers had a combat arms MOS or other MOS (ORs, 1.4-2.3; P < .001) and regardless of unit size, with the highest risk among those in smaller units (1-40 soldiers) (ORs, 2.1-5.9; P < .001). The population-attributable risk proportion for 1 or more unit suicide attempts in the past year indicated that, if this risk could be reduced to no unit attempts, 18.2% of attempts would not occur. Conclusions and Relevance Risk of suicide attempt among soldiers increased as the number of past-year suicide attempts within their unit increased for combat arms and other MOSs and for units of any size but particularly for smaller units. Units with a history of suicide attempts may be important targets for preventive interventions.
Combinatorial peptide-based epitope mapping from Ebola virus DNA vaccines and infections reveals residue-level determinants of antibody binding

ABSTRACT Ebola virus (EBOV) infection is highly lethal and results in severe febrile bleeding disorders that affect humans and non-human primates. One of the therapeutic approaches for treating EBOV infection focus largely on cocktails of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that bind to specific regions of the EBOV glycoprotein (GP) and neutralize the virus. Recent structural studies using cryo-electron microscopy have identified key epitopes for several EBOV mAbs. While such information has yielded deep insights into antibody binding, limitations on resolution of these structures often preclude a residue-level analysis of EBOV epitopes. In this study, we performed combinatorial peptide-based epitope mapping of EBOV GP against a broad panel of mAbs and polyclonal sera derived from several animal species vaccinated with EBOV DNA and replicon vaccines and/or exposed to EBOV infection to identify residue-level determinants of antibody binding. The peptide-based epitope mapping obtained from a wide range of serum and mAb samples, combined with available cryo-EM structure reconstructions revealed fine details of antibody-virus interactions, allowing for a more precise and comprehensive mapping of antibody epitopes on EBOV GP. We show how these residue-level epitope definitions can be used to characterize antigenic variation across different filoviruses, and provide a theoretical basis for predicting immunity and cross-neutralization in potential future outbreaks.
Improving phosphorus availability in soybean meal for broilers by supplemental phytase.

A 21-d experiment was conducted with day-old male broilers (n=840) to evaluate the effectiveness of supplemental phytase for improving the availability of phytate P in soybean meal when varying levels of P were fed. The semi-purified basal diet (.18% phytate P) contained soybean meal as the only protein source. Seven levels of phytase (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000, and 1,200 U/kg diet) were added to diets formulated to contain . 20, . 27, or . 34% nonphytate P (nP; or .38, .45, and .52% total P, respectively). The desired levels of nP in the three basal P diets were achieved by adding varying amounts of defluorinated phosphate. A 2:1 Ca:total P ratio was maintained in all diets. Body weight gains and feed intake were improved (P < .001) by phytase at all nP levels, but the magnitude of response was greatest at low nP levels, resulting in an nP by phytase interaction (P < .01). Gain:feed was unaffected by phytase addition. A high mortality (35 to 45%) was observed for the . 20 and . 27% nP diets without added phytase, but this declined to normal levels with the addition of 200 to 400 U phytase/kg diet. Ash percentage of toes and tibia and shear force and stress of tibia increased with added phytase. These responses clearly show that the phytate-bound P in soybean meal was made more available to broilers by microbial phytase, and the total response was related to the phytase and nP/total P levels. Based on the high R2 values for the second order translog equations, BW gain, feed intake, and toe ash percentage were the most sensitive indicators to assess P availability, followed by tibia force and ash percentage. Derived nonlinear and linear equations for BW gain and toe ash percentage at the two lower nP levels were used to calculate P equivalency values of phytase for inorganic P. Using the average function of P released ( gamma ) by microbial phytase ( chi ) derived with nP levels of . 20 and . 27% for BW gain and toe ash percentage, gamma = 1.120 - 1.102e-. 0027chi, 1 g of P could be released with 821 U of phytase. The amount of P released increased with increasing levels of phytase, but the amount of P released per 100 U of phytase decreased. Released P ranged from 31 to 58% of phytate P for 250 to 1,000 U of phytase/kg of diet.
Prepubertal Development of GABAergic Transmission to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Neurons and Postsynaptic Response Are Altered by Prenatal Androgenization

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons regulate reproduction through pulsatile GnRH release. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have persistently elevated luteinizing hormone release frequency, reflecting GnRH release; this exacerbates hyperandrogenemia and disrupted reproductive cycles that are characteristic of this disorder. Clinical evidence suggests that neuroendocrine features of PCOS may manifest peripubertally. Adult mice prenatally exposed to androgens (PNA) mimic several reproductive features of PCOS. GnRH neurons from these mice have increased firing activity and receive increased GABAergic transmission, which is excitatory. When changes emerge during development is unknown. To study the typical postnatal development of GABAergic transmission and the effects of PNA treatment and sex, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were made of GABAergic postsynaptic currents (PSCs) in GnRH neurons in brain slices from prepubertal through adult control and PNA female and male mice. GABAergic transmission was present by 1 week of age in females and males and increased in frequency, reaching adult levels at 3 and 4 weeks, respectively. GABAergic PSC frequency was elevated in 3-week-old PNA versus control females. PSC frequency in both controls and PNA mice was activity independent, suggesting that PNA induces changes in synapse organization. PNA also alters the functional response of GnRH neurons to GABA. GABA induced firing in fewer neurons from 3-week-old PNA than control females; membrane potential depolarization induced by GABA was also reduced in cells from PNA mice at this age. PNA thus induces changes during development in the presynaptic organization of the GABAergic network afferent to GnRH neurons as well as the postsynaptic GnRH neuron response, both of which may contribute to adult reproductive dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The central neuronal network that regulates reproduction is overactive in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a leading cause of infertility. Recent evidence of neuroendocrine dysfunction in midpubertal girls suggests that the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PCOS may arise before pubertal maturation. Prenatal exposure to androgens (PNA) in mice mimics several neuroendocrine features of PCOS. GABAergic transmission to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons is important for reproduction and is increased in adult PNA mice. The typical development of this network and when changes with PNA and sex arise relative to puberty are unknown. These studies provide evidence that PNA alters prepubertal development of the GABAergic network afferent to GnRH neurons, including both the presynaptic organization and postsynaptic response. These changes may contribute to reproductive dysfunction in adults.