Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection: insights from a case series of 13 patients

Aims We sought to present a series of 13 pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD), their angiographic and multimodal imaging findings, acute phase treatment, and outcomes. Methods and results Between 2005 and 2015, 13 cases of P-SCAD were collected from a database of 11 tertiary hospitals. The mean age was 33.8 ± 3.7 years; most patients had no risk factors for coronary artery disease, and the majority were multiparous. P-SCAD occurred during the puerperium in 12 patients with a median time of 10 days. Only one patient presented with P-SCAD in the 37th week of pregnancy, and she was the only patient who died in this series. Six patients (46%) presented with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI), six (46%) presented with non-STEMI, and one presented with unstable angina; one-third of women had cardiogenic shock. In 12 patients, the dissection involved the left anterior descending or circumflex artery, and it extended to the left main coronary artery in 6 patients. Intravascular ultrasound or optical coherence tomography helped to confirm diagnosis and guide treatment in 46% of cases. Seven women were managed clinically; percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in five cases, and coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in one patient. Conclusion In these 13 cases of P-SCAD, clinical presentation commonly included acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. Multivessel dissections and involvement of the left coronary artery and left main coronary artery were highly prevalent. Clinicians must be aware of angiographic appearances of P-SCAD for prompt diagnosis and management in these high-risk patients.
Amygdala activation in affective priming: a magnetoencephalogram study

We employed magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine amygdala activity during a linguistic affective priming task. The experimental design included positive and negative word pairs. Using synthetic aperture magnetometry in the analysis of MEG data, we identified a left amygdala power increase in the theta frequency range during priming involving negative words. We found that the amygdala displayed a time-dependent intensification in responsiveness to negative stimuli, specifically between 150 and 400 ms after target presentation. This study provides evidence for theta power changes in the amygdala and demonstrates that the analysis of brain oscillations provides a powerful tool to explore mechanisms implicated in emotional processing.
The Banana Fruit SINA Ubiquitin Ligase MaSINA1 Regulates the Stability of MaICE1 to be Negatively Involved in Cold Stress Response

The regulation of ICE1 protein stability is important to ensure effective cold stress response, and is extensively studied in Arabidopsis. Currently, how ICE1 stability in fruits under cold stress is controlled remains largely unknown. Here, we reported the possible involvement of a SEVEN IN ABSENTIA (SINA) ubiquitin ligase MaSINA1 from banana fruit in affecting MaICE1 stability. MaSINA1 was identified based on a yeast two-hybrid screening using MaICE1 as bait. Further yeast two-hybrid, pull-down, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP) assays confirmed that MaSINA1 interacted with MaICE1. The expression of MaSINA1 was repressed by cold stress. Subcellular localization analysis in tobacco leaves showed that MaSINA1 was localized predominantly in the nucleus. In vitro ubiquitination assay showed that MaSINA1 possessed E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. More importantly, in vitro and semi-in vivo experiments indicated that MaSINA1 can ubiquitinate MaICE1 for the 26S proteasome-dependent degradation, and therefore suppressed the transcriptional activation of MaICE1 to MaNAC1, an important regulator of cold stress response of banana fruit. Collectively, our data reveal a mechanism in banana fruit for control of the stability of ICE1 and for the negative regulation of cold stress response by a SINA E3 ligase via the ubiquitin proteasome system.
Sex and Gender Differences in Risk, Pathophysiology and Complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The steep rise of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated complications go along with mounting evidence of clinically important sex and gender differences. T2DM is more frequently diagnosed at lower age and body mass index in men; however, the most prominent risk factor, which is obesity, is more common in women. Generally, large sex-ratio differences across countries are observed. Diversities in biology, culture, lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic status impact differences between males and females in predisposition, development, and clinical presentation. Genetic effects and epigenetic mechanisms, nutritional factors and sedentary lifestyle affect risk and complications differently in both sexes. Furthermore, sex hormones have a great impact on energy metabolism, body composition, vascular function, and inflammatory responses. Thus, endocrine imbalances relate to unfavorable cardiometabolic traits, observable in women with androgen excess or men with hypogonadism. Both biological and psychosocial factors are responsible for sex and gender differences in diabetes risk and outcome. Overall, psychosocial stress appears to have greater impact on women rather than on men. In addition, women have greater increases of cardiovascular risk, myocardial infarction, and stroke mortality than men, compared with nondiabetic subjects. However, when dialysis therapy is initiated, mortality is comparable in both males and females. Diabetes appears to attenuate the protective effect of the female sex in the development of cardiac diseases and nephropathy. Endocrine and behavioral factors are involved in gender inequalities and affect the outcome. More research regarding sex-dimorphic pathophysiological mechanisms of T2DM and its complications could contribute to more personalized diabetes care in the future and would thus promote more awareness in terms of sex- and gender-specific risk factors.
Urban Ambient Particle Metrics and Health: A Time-series Analysis

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that exposure to ambient particulate matter is associated with adverse health effects. Little is known, however, about which components of the particulate mixture (size, number, source, toxicity) are most relevant to health. We investigated associations of a range of particle metrics with daily deaths and hospital admissions in London. Methods: Daily concentrations of particle mass (PM10, PM2.5, and PM10–2.5), measured using gravimetric, tapered-element-oscillating, and filter-dynamic-measurement-system samplers, as well as particle number concentration and particle composition (carbon, sulfate, nitrate and chloride), were collected from a background monitoring station in central London between 2000 and 2005. All-cause and cause-specific deaths and emergency admissions to hospital in London for the same period were also collected. A Poisson regression time-series model was used in the analysis. Results: The results were not consistent across the various outcomes and lags. Particle number concentration was associated with daily mortality and admissions, particularly for cardiovascular diseases lagged 1-day; increases in particle number concentration (10,166 n/cm3) were associated with 2.2% (95% confidence interval = 0.6% to 3.8%) and 0.6% (−0.4% to 1.7%) increases in cardiovascular deaths and admissions, respectively. Secondary pollutants, especially nonprimary PM2.5, nitrate and sulfate, were more important for respiratory outcomes. Conclusions: This study provides some evidence that specific components of the particle mixture for air pollutants may be relevant to specific diseases. Interpretation should be cautious, however, in particular because exposures were based upon data from a single centrally located monitoring site. There is a need for replication with more comprehensive exposure data, both in London and elsewhere.
Patients with Chronic Renal Failure Have Abnormal Small Intestinal Motility and a High Prevalence of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

Background/Aims: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common among patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The pathogenesis of these symptoms is probably multifactorial. Our aims were to assess gastric and small intestinal motility and the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in order to clarify possible pathophysiological mechanisms behind these symptoms in CRF patients. Methods: Twenty-two patients with CRF, 12 with GI symptoms and 10 without GI symptoms underwent antroduodenojejunal manometry. All patients with GI symptoms had diarrhea and half of them had abdominal pain, nausea and/or early satiety. Symptoms were unexplained by conventional investigations. Interdigestive motility was recorded for 5 h and postprandially for 1 h. Samples for culture from the small intestine were obtained through the manometry catheter. Results were compared with 34 healthy controls. Results: On manometry, 11 CRF patients demonstrated neuropathic-like abnormalities, with no significant difference between the patients with (7/12) and without (4/10) GI symptoms. SIBO was seen in 8 CRF patients (36%), 3 with and 5 without GI symptoms (p = 0.15). Six of eleven (55%) of the CRF patients with neuropathic-like abnormalities had SIBO, compared to 2/11 (18%) in those without abnormalities on conventional analysis (p = 0.07). The propagation velocity of phase III was significantly faster in CRF patients with GI symptoms compared to CRF patients without symptoms and healthy controls (21.4 (16.4–54.7) vs. 8.1 (4.6–9.6) and 10.8 (7.2–21.6) cm/min, p = 0.007 and p = 0.019, respectively). We found a higher proportion of retrograde pressure waves in late phase II in the proximal duodenum in patients with and without GI symptoms, than in healthy controls (29 (17–38) and 16 (14–42) vs. 8 (0–24)%, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0005, respectively). The number of long clusters during the fasting recording was higher in both patient groups than in controls (9 (5–21) and 11 (7–15) vs. 4 (2–9)/5, p = 0.046 and p = 0.002, respectively). Conclusion: In the small intestine, abnormal motility and bacterial overgrowth are common in patients with chronic renal failure. These alterations correlate poorly with GI symptoms, but disturbed intestinal motility might explain diarrhea in some of these patients.
Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus among Blood Donors and Other Investigated Groups

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is found worldwide in all geographical locations and socio-economic groups and is the virus most frequently transmitted to a developing child before birth. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to CMV among repeated abortion females, immune-compromised patients, dialysis patients and healthy blood donors and to evaluate different methods of diagnosis as ELISA, latex agglutination and complement fixation tests. Blood samples were collected from four investigated groups (repeated abortion females, immune-compromised patients, dialysis patients and healthy blood donors). Highest positive cases were detected by latex agglutination test (63.3 %.), followed by ELISA and complement fixation test (61 and 53.3%) respectively. Non significant association (P>0.05) was recorded between positive cases and different methods. Antibodies for cytomegalovirus was mostly prevalent among blood donors (91.4 and 82.9%) by both latex agglutination and ELISA and immune-compromised patients with (75%) by both ELIZA and CFT. There was a statistically significant difference (P< 0.05) between positive cases among different investigated groups. The validity test of latex agglutination proved sensitivity, specificity and accuracy with (94.7, 97 and 95.6%) respectively more than that detected by CFT (91.7, 73.8 and 83.3%) respectively. The seroprevalence of CMV appears to be very high in this environment among healthy blood donors, also high seropositivity rates were detected among different investigated groups. Latex agglutination test proved higher sensitivity, specificity and accuracy than CFT. ELISA and latex agglutination test are reliable, easy and rapid methods of cytomegalovirus diagnosis. Furthermore, the routine screening of blood donors for CMV antibodies should be recommended for the prevention and/or reduction of CMV.
Intra-arterial nitrovasodilators do not increase cerebral blood flow in angiographically normal territories of arteriovenous malformation patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The mechanism of adaptation to chronic cerebral hypotension in normal brain adjacent to cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is unknown. To clarify these mechanisms, we performed cerebral blood flow (CBF) studies in structurally and functionally normal vascular territories during 53 distal cerebral angiographic procedures in 37 patients with AVMs. METHODS CBF was measured using the superselective intra-arterial 133Xe method before and after a 3-minute infusion of either verapamil (1 mg.min-1, n = 23), acetylcholine (1.33 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, n = 7), nitroprusside (0.5 microgram.kg-1.min-1, n = 16) or nitroglycerin (0.5 microgram.kg-1.min-1, n = 7). RESULTS Mean +/- SD systemic (76 +/- 13 mm Hg) and distal cerebral arterial (55 +/- 16 mm Hg; range, 20 to 97 mm Hg) pressures were not different among groups. Verapamil increased CBF (45 +/- 12 to 65 +/- 21 mL.100 g-1.min-1, P < .001). There was no effect of acetylcholine (no change [46 +/- 9 to 46 +/- 9 mL.100 g-1.min-1], NS) or nitroglycerin (36 +/- 14 to 36 +/- 13 mL.100 g-1.min-1, NS). Nitroprusside decreased CBF (40 +/- 12 to 31 +/- 11 mL.100 g-1.min-1, P < .001). The percent change in CBF after drug administration was proportional to cerebral arterial pressure for verapamil only (r = .57, P = .0051). CONCLUSIONS When infused intra-arterially in clinically relevant doses in both hypotensive and normotensive normal vascular territories remote from an AVM nidus, calcium channel blockade caused vasodilation, but there was an absence of response to nitric oxide-mediated vasodilators. These data suggest that (1) the nitric oxide pathway probably is not involved in the adaptation to chronic cerebral hypotension in AVM patients and (2) if our findings in vessels remote from or contralateral to the AVM are applicable to vessels of patients with other forms of cerebrovascular disease, clinically relevant doses of intra-arterial nitrovasodilators may not be useful in the manipulation of cerebrovascular resistance.
Identification of pathogenic yeasts of the imperfect genus Candida by polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting

With the increase in the number of immunocompromised hosts, the number of fungal pathogens has increased markedly. Identification and classification, especially of yeast species and strains, is often difficult when based solely on phenotypic characteristics. Since it became clear that different fungal pathogens require specific treatment strategies, there is a need for simple, rapid and reliable methods to identify fungal isolates. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fingerprinting was successfully applied here to identify yeast isolates Microsatellite [(GTG)5; (GACA)4] and minisatellite [(5′GAGGGTGGCGGTTCT 3′), derived from the core‐sequence of the phage M13] specific primers were used as single primers in the PCR to amplify hypervariable interrepeat DNA sequences from over 200 European, American and Australian clinical isolates within the genus Candida. Each species, represented by its type strain, could be identified by a specific multilocus pattern, allowing for the assignment of all the isolates to the appropriate species. Intra‐species variation in the multilocus profiles was about 20% compared to inter‐species variation, which was up to 80%. Anamorph‐teleomorph pairs could be identified by highly homologous PCR fingerprint patterns. PCR fingerprinting was more discriminatory when compared with routinely used biochemical tests (Vitek YBC and API ID 32C). PCR fingerprinting has proven to be a powerful tool for the identification of medically important yeasts. It is rapid, sensitive, reliable, highly reproducible, stable in vitro and in vivo, and applicable to large‐scale experiments. Potential applications include: yeast taxonomy, epidemiology, environmental surveys, and improvement of the diagnosis of mycotic diseases.
The fate and impact of fertiliser derived contaminants in New Zealand soils – development of a risk assessment model

Hauptziel dieser Arbeit war eine systematische Bewertung der Konzentrationen und Schwankungsbreiten anorganischer Schadstoffe, die mit der Dungung in den Boden gelangen, sowie deren okologischer Auswirkungen. Eine Vielzahl von Spurenelementen in organischen und mineralischen Dungern wurde untersucht. Es wurde eine Methode zur systematischen Priorisierung entwickelt, um die Konsequenzen des Eintrages von Spurenelementen fur Umwelt und menschliche Gesundheit zu modellieren und zukunftige Problemfelder zu identifizieren und priorisieren. Die modellierten Ergebnisse wurden mithilfe von Monitoring-Datensatzen aus Untersuchungen von Boden, Grund- und Oberflachengewassern, See- und Flussmundungssedimenten validiert. Die daraus resultierende Rangfolge und dieser zugrundeliegende Informationen konnen von Politik, Ressourcenmanagement und Forschung zur Entscheidungsfindung und Allokation von Prioritaten genutzt werden. Folgende Ergebnisse wurden gewonnen: 1. Keine der Dungergruppen war frei von allen Schadstoffen. B, Cd, F, REE, und U in Mineraldungern bzw. Cu und Zn in organischen Dungern waren die Elemente mit den hochsten Konzentrationen. 2. Die Monitoringdaten bestatigten die Brauchbarkeit des Modells zur Bewertung der von anorganischen Schadstoffen ausgehenden okologischen Risiken. 3. Es wurde ein Mangel an risiko-basierten Richtlinien fur das Management verschiedener Elemente fest gestellt, z.B. fur F, U, B, REE, Zr. Folgende spezielle Auswirkungen fur Neuseeland wurden fest gestellt: 1. F reicherte sich im Boden an. Hauptexpositionspfad ist die Aufnahme von Boden durch grasende Nutztiere. 2. U reicherte sich im Boden an oder wurde von Seesedimenten effektiv gebunden. Dungergaben erhohen auserdem die Verfugbarkeit von nativem, im Boden stark gebundenem U, da sie die Verwitterung von Bodenmineralen verstarken. 3. Ein Grosteil des applizierten Cd reicherte sich im Boden an, ein Teil wurde jedoch offenbar durch Pflanzenentzug oder Auswaschung ausgetragen. In Sedimenten aus Einzugsgebieten, die durch intensive Landwirtschaft charakterisiert sind, wurde Cd ebenfalls angereichert. 4. B war in Boden hoch mobil und akkumulierte in Flussmundungssedimenten. 5. Ag ist ein neu auftauchender diffuser Schadstoff. Erhohte Ag-Konzentrationen wurden in Flussmundungssedimenten gefunden. 6. Algenbluten erhohen den pH-Wert des Wassers, was zur Freisetzung einiger Elemente aus den Sedimenten fuhrt.
Outcome of primary repair of obstetric anal sphincter rupture using the overlap technique

Background. Grade III and IV anal sphincter ruptures after vaginal delivery are an increasing problem. We assessed the outcome of an overlap technique in primary repair. Methods. In this retrospective observational study, from 2002 to 2004, 61 consecutive women with grade III and IV obstetric tears were included. Of the 61 women, 42 had complete rupture of the external sphincter and underwent sphincter repair using standardised overlap technique. The outcome was assessed by clinical examination, Wexner questionnaire, and endoanal ultrasonography (EAUS), after a median follow‐up of 9.4 months. Main outcome measure was continence following primary repair. Results. At follow‐up, 64% of the patients had no symptoms of anal incontinence. A total of 29% experienced occasional incontinence to flatus, 1 patient (2%) experienced occasional incontinence to liquid stools, and 1 patient to liquid or normal stools. EAUS revealed intact external sphincter in 29 of the 35 patients (83%). In 6 patients (17%), EAUS showed partial discontinuity of the sphincter muscle. Conclusion. The results show that the primary overlap technique in the repair of anal sphincter rupture following vaginal delivery is highly successful.
Circumferential variation in human second metacarpal cortical thickness: Sex, age, and mechanical factors

Variation in cortical thickness (CT) in four quadrants of the human second metacarpal was investigated in a sample (100 males and 72 females, skeletal age 20 to 50+ years) from a 19th‐century cemetery. Both left and right elements were studied (total N = 344). Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) (for age, sex, and side, controlling for absolute size) was used to test the hypothesis of equality of thickness in the dorsal, palmar, medial, and lateral quadrants. Differences in regional CT posits localized regulation of resorption and formation adapting bone shape to functional loads, with implications for activity‐modulation of skeletal senescence. The palmar cortex was found to be uniformly thicker in both sexes and both sides, and at all ages (young, middle, and old adult); the medial, lateral, and dorsal cortices did not differ significantly. Patterns of age‐related loss occurring preferentially at the endocortical surface differed between men and women, with women showing significant declines across all age groups for all quadrants, and males only small decrements after middle age. The greater CT in the palmar quadrant corresponds to the region of maximum compressive strain in the second metacarpal for functions involving full flexion (grasping). Although the palmar cortex is thicker at all ages, women lose mass in that quadrant at the same rate as in other quadrants, suggesting that function does not offer protection against endocrinologically‐mediated depletion of bone mass (postmenopausal osteopenia). Anat Rec 267:154–158, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fatal varicella zoster virus encephalitis in two patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Abstract: Background: Reduced cellular immunocompetence following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) increases susceptibility to viral infections. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation in this setting most commonly manifests as dermatomal herpes zoster but in some cases life‐threatening VZV encephalitis occurs.
Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition in the Perioperative Period: State of the Art

Nutritional support of surgical and critically ill patients has undergone significant advances since 1936 when Studley demonstrated a direct relationship between pre-operative weight loss and operative mortality. The advent of total parenteral nutrition followed by the extraordinary progress in parenteral and enteral feedings, in addition to the increased knowledge of cellular biology and biochemistry, have allowed clinicians to treat malnutrition and improve surgical patient’s outcomes. We reviewed the literature for the current status of perioperative nutrition comparing parenteral nutrition with enteral nutrition. In a surgical patient with established malnutrition, nutritional support should begin at least 7–10 days prior to surgery. Those patients in whom eating is not anticipated beyond the first five days following surgery should receive the benefits of early enteral or parenteral feeding depending on whether the gut can be used. Compared to parenteral nutrition, enteral nutrition is associated with fewer complications, a decrease in the length of hospital stay, and a favorable cost-benefit analysis. In addition, many patients may benefit from newer enteral formulations such as Immunonutrition as well as disease-specific formulations.