Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and phosphate adsorption behaviour of Mg/Al-pillared montmorillonite loaded with La(OH)3

ABSTRACT Magnesium/aluminum-pillared montmorillonite loaded with lanthanum hydroxide (Mg/Al-MMT-La(OH)3) was synthesized using non-toxic raw materials by ion-exchange and co-precipitation for phosphate removal from wastewater. Some adsorbents were fabricated in different molar ratios of Mg to Al, analyzed using various characterizations, and investigated in batch adsorption experiments. The determined adsorption kinetics of the 1:4 Mg/Al-MMT-La(OH)3 composite fitted well with the Elovich model. In addition, the Langmuir model revealed the high adsorption efficiency of phosphate by the adsorbent with a maximum adsorption capacity of 79.33 mg/g. The negative value of ΔG° and positive value of ΔH° (64.25 kJ/mol) demonstrated that phosphate adsorption onto 1:4 Mg/Al-MMT-La(OH)3 was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Moreover, when the molar ratio of to was 1:5, the phosphate adsorption capacity reduced by 53.5%, far exceeding the effect of , , Cl−, and . The addition of Al3+ caused a sharp decline in phosphate removal property by 81.9% when /Al3+ molar ratio was 1:5, however, the presence of other cations showed the negligible impact on it. The adsorption mechanism primarily involved ion exchange with intercalated anions and surface coordination with loaded hydroxides. Results proved that 1:4 Mg/Al-MMT-La(OH)3 material has a favourable application potential in the surface water remediation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Search and Selection of Probiotics That Improve Mucositis Symptoms in Oncologic Patients. A Systematic Review

Mucositis is a common and severe adverse effect of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatments applied to oncologic patients. The development of effective therapies and adjuvant treatments to increase their efficacy and reduce adverse effect is a priority in cancer therapy. Probiotics are non-pathogenic live microorganisms that when ingested in adequate amounts can colonize the intestinal tract promoting the restoration of a healthy gut microbiota and contributing to all its functions including the maintenance of the integrity of the mucosa and the modulation of the immune system. In order to check the possible efficacy and safety of these microorganisms to prevent or ameliorate mucositis′ symptoms, we have systematically searched the bibliographic databases MEDLINE (via Pubmed), EMBASE, The Cochrane library, Scopus, Web of science, and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health of Sciences (LILACS) using the descriptors “Mucositis”, “Probiotics”, “Neoplasms”, “Humans”, and “Clinical Trials”. After applying our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 studies were accepted for review and critical analysis. Our analysis suggests that a combination of Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Saccharomyces boulardii could be a good combination of probiotics to reduce incident rates of mucositis or ameliorate its symptoms in chemo or radiotherapy treated patients.
Adjusting for spatial variation when assessing individual-level risk: A case-study in the epidemiology of snake-bite in Sri Lanka

Background Health outcomes and causality are usually assessed with individual level sociodemographic variables. Studies that consider only individual-level variables can suffer from residual confounding. This can result in individual variables that are unrelated to risk behaving as proxies for uncaptured information. There is a scarcity of literature on risk factors for snakebite. In this study, we evaluate the individual-level risk factors of snakebite in Sri Lanka and highlight the impact of spatial confounding on determining the individual-level risk effects. Methods Data was obtained from the National Snakebite Survey of Sri Lanka. This was an Island-wide community-based survey. The survey sampled 165,665 individuals from all 25 districts of the country. We used generalized linear models to identify individual-level factors that contribute to an individual’s risk of experiencing a snakebite event. We fitted separate models to assess risk factors with and without considering spatial variation in snakebite incidence in the country. Results Both spatially adjusted and non-adjusted models revealed that middle-aged people, males, field workers and individuals with low level of education have high risk of snakebites. The model without spatial adjustment showed an interaction between ethnicity and income levels. When the model included a spatial adjustment for the overall snakebite incidence, this interaction disappeared and income level appeared as an independent risk factor. Both models showed similar effect sizes for gender and age. HEmployment and education showed lower effect sizes in the spatially adjusted model. Conclusions Both individual-level characteristics and local snakebite incidence are important to determine snakebite risk at a given location. Individual level variables could act as proxies for underling residual spatial variation when environmental information is not considered. This can lead to misinterpretation of risk factors and biased estimates of effect sizes. Both individual-level and environmental variables are important in assessing causality in epidemiological studies.
Pain drawings, interpreter support and clinical findings among immigrant patients on sick leave in Swedish primary health care

Abstract Aim: To evaluate the spread of pain and its correlates among immigrant patients on sick leave. Background: Backache, outspread pain and sick-leave questions are problematic to handle primary health care, especially in multicultural settings. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-five patients 20–45 years on paid sick leave (59% women, 93% foreign-born, mostly non-Europeans). Many had little formal education. One-third had professional interpreter support. The patients pointed out on their bodies where they felt pain. This information was transferred on a pain drawing [pain drawing fields (PDFs) 0–18] by a doctor. Major depression and psychosocial stressors were assessed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Nociceptive locations for pain were established (pain-sites 0–18). Dependent variable was the number of PDFs. Independent variables were social data, sick leave, interpreter, depression, stress levels and number of pain sites. Calculations were done using descriptive methods and multi-variable linear regression in full models, by gender. Findings: Many patients had depression (51% women versus 32% men). A majority were exposed to psychosocial stressors. Women had more PDFs, in median 5 [inter-quartile ranges (IQR) 4–8] versus men 3 (IQR 2–5), and also more pain sites, in median 3 (IQR 2–5) versus men in median 2 (IQR 1–3). For men, the regression calculations revealed that numbers of PDFs associated only with increasing numbers of pain sites (B 0.871 P < 0.001). For women, this association was weaker (B 0.364, P < 0.001), with significant values also for age (B 0.103) and sick leave > one year (B 0.767, P = 0.010), and a negative predicting value for interpreter support (B −1.198, P < 0.043). To conclude, PDFs associated often with somatic findings but varied much among the women. This implies potential problems regarding cause, function and sick leave questions. However, support by professional interpreters may facilitate a shared understanding with immigrant women having long-standing pain.
Calreticulin exposure on malignant blasts correlates with improved natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity in acute myeloid leukemia patients

In some settings, cancer cells responding to treatment undergo an immunogenic form of cell death that is associated with the abundant emission of danger signals in the form of damage-associated molecular patterns. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence indicates that danger signals play a crucial role in the (re-)activation of antitumor immune responses in vivo, thus having a major impact on patient prognosis. We have previously demonstrated that the presence of calreticulin on the surface of malignant blasts is a positive prognostic biomarker for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Calreticulin exposure not only correlated with enhanced T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity in this setting but also affected the number of circulating natural killer (NK) cells upon restoration of normal hematopoiesis. Here, we report that calreticulin exposure on malignant blasts is associated with enhanced NK cell cytotoxic and secretory functions, both in AML patients and in vivo in mice. The ability of calreticulin to stimulate NK-cells relies on CD11c+CD14high cells that, upon exposure to CRT, express higher levels of IL-15Rα, maturation markers (CD86 and HLA-DR) and CCR7. CRT exposure on malignant blasts also correlates with the upregulation of genes coding for type I interferon. This suggests that CD11c+CD14high cells have increased capacity to migrate to secondary lymphoid organs, where can efficiently deliver stimulatory signals (IL-15Rα/IL-15) to NK cells. These findings delineate a multipronged, clinically relevant mechanism whereby surface-exposed calreticulin favors NK-cell activation in AML patients.
Associations between Race, Discrimination, Community Violence, Traumatic Life Events, and Psychosis-Like Experiences in a Sample of College Students

Self-report tools of psychosis-like experiences contribute to the understanding of psychosis and may aid in identification and prevention efforts across the severity spectrum. Current tools are likely limited by biases, leading to potential systematic health disparities. Principal component analyses in diverse samples of community participants reporting psychosis-like experiences may aid in the detection of measurement biases. The current study evaluated the fit of a two-component model for the Prime Screen, a self-report psychosis-like experiences measure, in a sample of Black (n = 82) and White (n = 162) community participants, and subsequently evaluated the relation of these components with measures of mental well-being, traumatic life experiences, community violence, and experiences of discrimination. Analyses indicated limited support for a two-component model of the Prime Screen, with four of the items showing high cross-loading across both components (“poor fit” items). Although many Prime Screen items correlated with mental well-being as expected, correlations between item scores and mental well-being were non-significant for poor fit items. Community violence emerged as a significant predictor of some individual item scores for both good and poor fit items, while discrimination predicted only some poor fit item scores. Results highlight the potential limitations of current self-report tools of psychosis-like experiences, as well as possible considerations for improvement for use in diverse populations.
Inflammation regulates long non-coding RNA-PTTG1-1:1 in myeloid leukemia

Elevated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α serum levels constitute an adverse prognostic factor for the survival of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. TNFα is produced by various immune effectors and directly or indirectly acts as a pro-proliferative autocrine tumor growth factor. TNFα-controlled regulatory mechanisms especially by long non-coding (lnc)RNA largely remain to be investigated. Here we used DNA microarrays, validated by RNA sequencing, to determine most regulated coding and non-coding transcripts after TNFα stimulation of erythroleukemic TF-1 AML cells. We selected the lncRNA PTTG1-1:1, also identified as MIR3142HG or ENST00000517927, as the most upregulated lncRNA. This long intergenic non-coding RNA of 2301 bases comprises two exons, is strongly conserved in higher vertebrates (Online Supplementary Figure S1) and co-expressed with genes associated with the inflammatory response (Online Supplementary Figure S2). It has recently been reported to be downregulated in adrenocortical carcinoma. We investigated its regulation by pro-inflammatory mediators and validated differential expression in AML cell lines and patient samples compared to healthy controls (Online Supplementary Figure S3). We validated the translational impact of expression of PTTG1-1:1 by in silico analysis using BloodSpot BloodPool, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Verhaak and Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatment (TARGET) AML databases. In line with a role in inflammation, the putative promoter region of PTTG1-1:1 surrounding the transcriptional start site (TSS) from -2,000 to +500 base pairs (bp) (Online Supplementary Figure S1) revealed two nuclear factor (NF)kB binding sites within a chromatin area hypersensitive to DNase I characterized by elevated histone (H)3K27 acetylation (Ac) and H3K4 monomethylation (Me1) and trimethylation (Me3) levels, reflecting transactivation potential. None of the predicted peptides (over
Reconstruction of the distal lower leg and foot sole with medial plantar flap: a retrospective study in one center

Abstract Soft tissue reconstruction of the distal lower leg and foot sole is a challenge for surgeons. In this article, we describe our experience and outcomes with distal lower leg and foot sole reconstruction using the medial plantar flap. From January 2007 to December 2017, 29 consecutive patients from our department underwent reconstruction of soft tissue defects over the distal lower leg, heel and plantar forefoot using medial plantar flaps. Of the 29 patients, the defects were located in the distal lower leg (n = 8 [27.6%]), heel (n = 14 [48.3%]) and plantar forefoot (n = 7 [24.1%]). The mean follow-up period was 18.6 months, 28 (96.6%) survived completely. Lateral partial necrosis occurred in one flap. No patient had recurrence of ulcer and two (6.9%) patients died within 1 year post-reconstruction owing to metastatic malignant melanoma. At last follow-up, all survived patients could walk for more than 1 h in normal shoes. All donor sites were covered with a split-thickness skin graft, no early nor late complications were encountered, and no patients complained about the donor site scar. The medial plantar flap may be considered as an effective method for the repair of small to medium soft tissue defects in the distal lower leg, heel and plantar forefoot.
Towards Intelligent Intra-cortical BMI (i2BMI): Low-power Neuromorphic Decoders that outperform Kalman Filters

Fully implantable wireless intra-cortical Brain Machine Interfaces (iBMI) is one of the most promising next frontiers in the nascent field of neurotechnology. However, scaling the number of channels in such systems by another 10X is difficult due to power and bandwidth requirements of the wireless transmitter. One promising solution for that is to include more processing, up to the decoder, in the implant so that transmission data rate is reduced drastically. Earlier work on neuromorphic decoders only showed classification of discrete states. We present results for continuous state decoding using a low power neuromorphic decoder chip termed Spike-input Extreme Learning Machine (SELMA). We compared SELMA against state of the art Steady State Kalman Filter (SSKF) across two different datasets involving a total of 4 non-human primates (NHPs). Results show at least a 10% or more increase in the fraction of variance accounted for by SELMA over SSKF across the datasets. Furthermore, estimated energy consumption comparison shows SELMA consuming ≈ 9 nJ/update against SSKF’s ≈ 7.4 nJ/update for an iBMI with a 10 degree of freedom control. Thus, SELMA yields better performance against SSKF with a marginal increase in energy consumption paving the way for reducing transmission data rates in future scaled BMI systems.
Blinatumomab: a novel therapy for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

ABSTRACT Introduction: Blinatumomab, a first-in-class bispecific T cell engager, is a member of a novel class of bispecific antibody constructs with dual binding specificities. While its primary clinical use has been in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, its role in the treatment of B cell non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) is less well established. Areas covered: Herein, the authors provide a brief overview of the market, unmet needs, and how blinatumomab fits in to the evolving armamentarium of lymphoma-directed therapies. The authors address its therapeutic role in salvage therapy for relapsed/refractory NHL, as consolidation for high-risk diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) following ASCT, and through various combinations with other available agents. Moreover, authors highlight key competitors. Expert opinion: Although blinatumomab showed impressive results in phase I and II studies for relapsed/refractory DLBCL, its future utility remains to be seen in this clinical setting due to lack of phase III trial and FDA approval of CD19 CART therapy. A new CD19/CD3 and several CD20/CD3 bispecific antibodies with longer half-life and resultant easier mode of administration which can overcome the major barriers of its use in clinical practice are in the pipeline and their role in NHL treatment are actively explored.
The White Blood Cell Count to Mean Platelet Volume Ratio for the Prediction of Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia in Lower Extremity Artery Disease

Background: The white blood cell count to mean platelet volume ratio (WMR) is increasingly gaining importance as a promising prognostic marker in atherosclerotic disease, but data on lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) are not yet available. The principle aim of this study was to assess the association of the WMR with the occurrence of CLTI (chronic limb-threatening ischemia) as the most advanced stage of disease. Methods: This study was performed as a retrospective analysis on 2121 patients with a diagnosis of LEAD. Patients were admitted to the hospital for the reason of LEAD and received conservative or endovascular treatment. Blood sampling, in order to obtain the required values for this analysis, was implemented at admission. Statistical analysis was conducted by univariate regression in a first step and, in case of significance, by multivariate regression additionally. Results: Multivariate regression revealed an increased WMR (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 2.258 (1.460–3.492)), but also advanced age (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 1.050 (1.040–1.061)), increased CRP (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 1.010 (1.007–1.014)), and diabetes (p < 0.001, OR (95%CI) 2.386 (1.933–2.946)) as independent predictors for CLTI. Conclusions: The WMR presents an easily obtainable and cost-effective parameter to identify LEAD patients at high risk for CLTI.
Absolute risk of acute coronary syndrome after severe hypoglycemia: A population‐based 2‐year cohort study using the National Database in Japan

Although the epidemiological relationship between hypoglycemia and increased risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been well established, the time period for increased risk of ACS after a severe hypoglycemic episode remains unknown. The present study aimed to determine the ACS risk after a severe hypoglycemic episode.
A key role for the novel coronary artery disease gene JCAD in atherosclerosis via shear stress mechanotransduction

Abstract Aims Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have consistently identified an association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and a locus on chromosome 10 containing a single gene, JCAD (formerly KIAA1462). However, little is known about the mechanism by which JCAD could influence the development of atherosclerosis. Methods and results Vascular function was quantified in subjects with CAD by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and vasorelaxation responses in isolated blood vessel segments. The JCAD risk allele identified by GWAS was associated with reduced FMD and reduced endothelial-dependent relaxations. To study the impact of loss of Jcad on atherosclerosis, Jcad−/− mice were crossed to an ApoE−/− background and fed a high-fat diet from 6 to16 weeks of age. Loss of Jcad did not affect blood pressure or heart rate. However, Jcad−/−ApoE−/− mice developed significantly less atherosclerosis in the aortic root and the inner curvature of the aortic arch. En face analysis revealed a striking reduction in pro-inflammatory adhesion molecules at sites of disturbed flow on the endothelial cell layer of Jcad−/− mice. Loss of Jcad lead to a reduced recovery perfusion in response to hind limb ischaemia, a model of altered in vivo flow. Knock down of JCAD using siRNA in primary human aortic endothelial cells significantly reduced the response to acute onset of flow, as evidenced by reduced phosphorylation of NF-КB, eNOS, and Akt. Conclusion The novel CAD gene JCAD promotes atherosclerotic plaque formation via a role in the endothelial cell shear stress mechanotransduction pathway.
ctDNA in Gastric and Gastroesophageal Cancer: Prognostic, Predictive, or Preliminary?

In gastric and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, circulating tumor DNA identifies molecular drivers missed using routine tumor biopsy, can refine patient selection for targeted therapy, and may be prognostic following surgical resection. However, lack of standardization could impede adoption of this technology as a clinically useful tool; prospective validation in clinical trials is required. See related article by Maron et al., p. 7098
Structural Basis for the Regulation of PPARγ Activity by Imatinib

Imatinib is an effective anticancer drug for the treatment of leukemia. Interestingly, when an FDA-approved drug library was tested for agents that block peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) phosphorylation at Ser245 to evaluate possibilities of antidiabetic drug repositioning, imatinib was determined as a PPARγ antagonist ligand. However, it is not well understood how imatinib binds to PPARγ or would improve insulin sensitivity without classical agonism. Here, we report the crystal structure of the PPARγ R288A mutant in complex with imatinib. Imatinib bound to Arm2 and Arm3 regions in the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of PPARγ, of which the Arm3 region is closely related to the inhibition of PPARγ phosphorylation at Ser245. The binding of imatinib in LBD induced a stable conformation of helix H2′ and the Ω loop compared with the ligand-free state. In contrast, imatinib does not interact with Tyr473 on PPARγ helix H12, which is important for the classical agonism associated with side effects. Our study provides new structural insights into the PPARγ regulation by imatinib and may contribute to the development of new antidiabetic drugs targeting PPARγ while minimizing known side effects.