Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cystic Fibrosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: the Host-Microbe Interface

In human pathophysiology, the clash between microbial infection and host immunity contributes to multiple diseases. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a classical example of this phenomenon, wherein a dysfunctional, hyperinflammatory immune response combined with chronic pulmonary infections wreak havoc upon the airway, leading to a disease course of substantial morbidity and shortened life span. SUMMARY In human pathophysiology, the clash between microbial infection and host immunity contributes to multiple diseases. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a classical example of this phenomenon, wherein a dysfunctional, hyperinflammatory immune response combined with chronic pulmonary infections wreak havoc upon the airway, leading to a disease course of substantial morbidity and shortened life span. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that commonly infects the CF lung, promoting an accelerated decline of pulmonary function. Importantly, P. aeruginosa exhibits significant resistance to innate immune effectors and to antibiotics, in part, by expressing specific virulence factors (e.g., antioxidants and exopolysaccharides) and by acquiring adaptive mutations during chronic infection. In an effort to review our current understanding of the host-pathogen interface driving CF pulmonary disease, we discuss (i) the progression of disease within the primitive CF lung, specifically focusing on the role of host versus bacterial factors; (ii) critical, neutrophil-derived innate immune effectors that are implicated in CF pulmonary disease, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antimicrobial peptides (e.g., LL-37); (iii) P. aeruginosa virulence factors and adaptive mutations that enable evasion of the host response; and (iv) ongoing work examining the distribution and colocalization of host and bacterial factors within distinct anatomical niches of the CF lung.
Blood pressure in athletic preparticipation evaluation and the implication for cardiac remodelling

Objectives To explore blood pressure (BP) in athletes at preparticipation evaluation (PPE) in the context of recently updated US and European hypertension guidelines, and to determine the relationship between BP and left ventricular (LV) remodelling. Methods In this retrospective study, athletes aged 13–35 years who underwent PPE facilitated by the Stanford Sports Cardiology programme were considered. Resting BP was measured in both arms; repeated once if ≥140/90 mm Hg. Athletes with abnormal ECGs or known hypertension were excluded. BP was categorised per US/European hypertension guidelines. In a separate cohort of athletes undergoing routine PPE echocardiography, we explored the relationship between BP and LV remodelling (LV mass, mass/volume ratio, sphericity index) and LV function. Results In cohort 1 (n=2733, 65.5% male), 34.3% of athletes exceeded US hypertension thresholds. Male sex (B=3.17, p<0.001), body mass index (BMI) (B=0.80, p<0.001) and height (B=0.25, p<0.001) were the strongest independent correlates of systolic BP. In the second cohort (n=304, ages 17–26), systolic BP was an independent correlate of LV mass/volume ratio (B=0.002, p=0.001). LV longitudinal strain was similar across BP categories, while higher BP was associated with slower early diastolic relaxation. Conclusion In a large contemporary cohort of athletes, one-third presented with BP levels above the current US guidelines’ thresholds for hypertension, highlighting that lowering the BP thresholds at PPE warrants careful consideration as well as efforts to standardise measurements. Higher systolic BP was associated with male sex, BMI and height and with LV remodelling and diastolic function, suggesting elevated BP in athletes during PPE may signify a clinically relevant condition.
Effect of Qigong on self-rating depression and anxiety scale scores of COPD patients

Abstract Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Qigong in reducing the self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: We searched CNKI, Wan fang, Chongqing VIP, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for studies published as of Dec 31, 2018. All randomized controlled trials of Qigong in COPD patients, which met the inclusion criteria were included. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used for literature evaluation. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results: Six studies (combined n = 415 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Compared with conventional therapy alone, Qigong in combination with conventional therapy significantly improved the following outcome measures: SDS score [mean difference (MD) −3.99, 95% CI (−6.17, −1.82), P < . 001, I2 = 69%]; SAS score[MD −4.57, 95% CI (−5.67, −3.48), P < . 001, I2 = 15%]; forced expiratory volume in one second/prediction (FEV1% pred) [MD 3.77, 95% CI (0.97,6.58), P < . 01, I2 = 0]; forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) [MD 0.21, 95% CI (0.13, 0.30), P < . 001, I2 = 0%]; forced vital capacity (FVC) [MD 0.28, 95% CI (0.16, 0.40), P < . 001, I2 = 0]; 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance [MD 39.31, 95% CI (18.27, 60.34), P < . 001, I2 = 32%]; and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score [MD −11.42, 95% CI (−21.80, −1.03), P < . 05, I2 = 72%]. Conclusion: Qigong can improve the SDS and SAS scores of COPD patients, and has auxiliary effects on improving lung function, 6MWT distance, and SGRQ score.
Serum leptin in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Ambiguous clinical implications concerning cardiovascular disease

Corresponding author : Dimitrios Patoulias Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital “Hippokration”, Konstantinoupoleos 49, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece Tel: +30-6946900777, Fax: +30-2310-225083 E-mail: dipatoulias@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6899-684X Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; CVD, cardiovascular disease; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; OR, odds ratio
A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Assess Whether Antibiotic Administration Should Be Recommended During Office Operative Hysteroscopy

We did a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to assess the incidence of infectious complications and the protective effect of antibiotic administration during operative hysteroscopic procedures in an office setting. A total of 1046 consecutively enrolled women with intrauterine lesions were randomly allocated to the reference group (523 patients administered with 1 g of cefazolin intramuscularly) and the study group (523 patients administered with 10 mL of isotonic sodium chloride solution), and treated in office setting by operative hysteroscopy for endometrial polypectomy, uterine septa, submucosal myomas, and intrauterine adhesions. The primary outcome measure was the computation of difference between groups in postsurgical infectious complications occurring in the 5 days after the procedures. The time spent in performing the various procedures did not differ significantly (P > .05) between the groups. With respect to the overall rate of postsurgical infection, we found that 12 (1.15%) of 1046 patients referred with symptoms related to infective complications, 7 (1.3% of 523 women) in the study—untreated—group and 5 (1.0% of 523 women) in the reference group. Such incidences did not differ significantly between the groups (P > .05). Antibiotics were prescribed in all cases of postsurgical infection and the infective process resolved in few days. None of these patients developed serious infections with adnexal involvement, as confirmed by clinical and ultrasounds evaluation. The results of the current study would support the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendation not to prescribe routine antibiotic administration in the case of hysteroscopic surgery.
Assessment of patient clinical descriptions and pathogenic variants from gene panel sequences in the CAGI‐5 intellectual disability challenge

The Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation‐5 intellectual disability challenge asked to use computational methods to predict patient clinical phenotypes and the causal variant(s) based on an analysis of their gene panel sequence data. Sequence data for 74 genes associated with intellectual disability (ID) and/or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from a cohort of 150 patients with a range of neurodevelopmental manifestations (i.e. ID, autism, epilepsy, microcephaly, macrocephaly, hypotonia, ataxia) have been made available for this challenge. For each patient, predictors had to report the causative variants and which of the seven phenotypes were present. Since neurodevelopmental disorders are characterized by strong comorbidity, tested individuals often present more than one pathological condition. Considering the overall clinical manifestation of each patient, the correct phenotype has been predicted by at least one group for 93 individuals (62%). ID and ASD were the best predicted among the seven phenotypic traits. Also, causative or potentially pathogenic variants were predicted correctly by at least one group. However, the prediction of the correct causative variant seems to be insufficient to predict the correct phenotype. In some cases, the correct prediction has been supported by rare or common variants in genes different from the causative one.
Dietary Predictors of Phthalate and Bisphenol Exposures in Pregnant Women

ABSTRACT Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can disrupt fetal developmental processes during pregnancy, leading to long-term adverse outcomes in humans. A major source of exposure to EDCs, such as phthalates and bisphenols, is the food supply, primarily due to contamination from processing and packaging. Therefore, this review aimed to 1) review food-monitoring sources of phthalates and bisphenols, and 2) evaluate methodologies and provide future directions needed to establish EDC-limiting dietary recommendations in pregnancy. Using PubMed, 10 peer-reviewed studies were found on dietary predictors of EDC exposure in pregnancy, and all were selected for review. Use of plastic containers in pregnancy was associated with higher urinary phthalate metabolites, whereas canned food consumption was associated with higher urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations. Foods and dietary patterns associated with healthier food choices (e.g., organic/grown/raised/caught foods, folic acid supplements, vegetarianism) were generally associated with lower urinary phthalate metabolite and BPA concentrations. Despite the many food-monitoring studies reporting high BPA and phthalate concentrations in various foods, the designs of most studies described here were not sufficiently robust to consistently detect associations of specific foods/food groups with phthalates and BPA. Given the limitations of currently available research, future studies should incorporate more valid questionnaires to accurately assess dietary EDC exposure, strive for concurrent diet and exposure assessment, and assess whether geographical and cultural differences modify associations of diet with gestational EDC exposures. Such progress will be critical for developing dietary recommendations that ensure the safety and health of pregnant women.
Role of the physical fitness test in risk prediction of diabetes among municipal in-service personnel in Guangxi

Abstract To explore the relationship between risk prediction of diabetes mellitus (DM) and different physical fitness parameters in municipal in-service personnel in Guangxi. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in China from July 2015 to December 2016. We enrolled in-service adults (20–65 year of age) from public institutions. All subjects underwent National Physical Fitness Test (NPFT) and EZSCAN screening. The 5668 subjects were 42.9±12.3 years; 2984 (52.6%) were male; 3998 (70.5%), 1579 (27.9%) and 85 (1.6%) were Han, Zhuang, and other ethnicities, respectively. The multivariable analysis showed that systolic blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] = 1.013, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.003–1.022, P = .01), Harvard step test index (OR = 0.958, 95% CI: 0.941–0.976, P <.001), bend-ahead in sitting (OR = 0.945, 95% CI: 0.926–0.963, P <.001), hand grip strength (OR = 0.981, 95% CI: 0.966–0.997, P = .02), vertical jump height (OR = 0.969, 95% CI: 0.944–0.996, P = .02), time of single-leg standing with eyes closed (OR = 0.981, 95% CI: 0.968–0.995, P = .007), choice reaction time (OR = 2.103, 95% CI: 1.261–3.507, P = .004), and body composition minerals (OR = 1.649, 95% CI: 1.261–1.813, P < .001) were independently associated with DM. The resulting equation for the prediction of DM had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.808, indicating good predictive ability. NPFT and EZSCAN could help predict the risk of diabetes and give early warnings to undertake preventive actions such as changing diet and performing physical activity.
Echocardiographic Abnormalities and Determinants of 1‐Month Outcome of Stroke Among West Africans in the SIREN Study

Background Little is known about the relationship between echocardiographic abnormalities and outcome among patients with acute stroke. We investigated the pattern and association of baseline echocardiographic variables with 1‐month disability and mortality among patients with stroke in the SIREN (Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network) study. Methods and Results We enrolled and followed up consecutive 1020 adult patients with acute stroke with baseline transthoracic echocardiography from west Africa. To explore the relationship between echocardiographic variables and 1‐month disability (using modified Rankin scale >3) and fatality, regression models were fitted. Relative risks were computed with 95% CIs. The participants comprised 60% men with a mean age of 59.2±14.6 years. Ischemic stroke was associated with smaller aortic root diameter (30.2 versus 32.5, P=0.018) and septal (16.8 versus 19.1, P<0.001) and posterior wall thickness at systole (18.9 versus 21.5, P=0.004). Over 90% of patients with stroke had abnormal left ventricular (LV) geometry with eccentric hypertrophy predominating (56.1%). Of 13 candidate variables investigated, only baseline abnormal LV geometry (concentric hypertrophy) was weakly associated with 1‐month disability (unadjusted relative risk, 1.80; 95% CI, 0.97–5.73). Severe LV systolic dysfunction was significantly associated with increased 1‐month mortality (unadjusted relative risk, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.36–6.83). Conclusions Nine of 10 patients with acute stroke had abnormal LV geometry and a third had systolic dysfunction. Severe LV systolic dysfunction was significantly associated with 1 month mortality. Larger studies are required to establish the independent effect and unravel predictive accuracy of this association.
Increased Risk of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Taiwanese Women with Chronic Periodontitis: A Nationwide Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders among women of reproductive age. Both hormonal and inflammatory influences are assumed to affect periodontal tissues. Previous studies have shown that PCOS patients could have higher prevalence of gingival inflammation. However, the relationship between PCOS and chronic periodontitis (CP) is not clear. Materials and Methods: In this study, we evaluated the risk of PCOS from CP exposure in a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan. We studied the claims data of Taiwanese population from 2001 to 2012. The 24,410 female patients with CP were identified from the National Health Insurance Database. The 24,410 controls were selected with randomly frequency matched by age, sex, and index year from the general population. The risk of PCOS was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression models, including sex, age, and comorbidities. Results: In this study, 24,410 female patients with CP (mean age: 35.14 ± 8.81 years) and 24,410 controls (mean age: 35.14 ± 8.8 years) were observed for 8.89 and 8.85 years, respectively. A total of 441 cases of PCOS were identified in CP cohort and 304 cases in non-CP cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the incidence rate of PCOS was significantly higher in CP cohort than those in non-CP cohort (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.44, 95% confidence interval: 1.24-1.67). Conclusions: Taken together, this nationwide retrospective cohort study demonstrated that the risk of PCOS was significantly higher in female patients with CP than those without CP in Taiwan.
Dopaminergic synapses in the matrix of the ventrolateral striatum after chronic haloperidol treatment

Antipsychotic drugs (APD) are used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders and exert their effects, in part, through dopamine receptor blockade. APD treatment causes many changes in the brains of humans and experimental animals including therapeutic, pathologic, or changes associated with motor side effects. Typical APD given chronically to animals induce behavioral sequelae that mimic tardive dyskinesia in several ways. Our previous work has shown that chronic treatment with haloperidol decreases striatal synaptic density but that symmetric synapses are lost only in rats that develop oral dyskinesias. The goals of this study were to determine if the density of dopaminergic terminals was affected by chronic haloperidol treatment and/or correlated with dyskinesias. Rats were given haloperidol (1.5 mg/kg/rat) or water, as a control. After 6 months of treatment, rats were divided into nondyskinetic or dyskinetic groups according to the behavior scores determined in the last month. Striatal volume was similar between controls and drug‐treated rats. Synaptic density, calculated using stereological methods, was obtained from the matrix of the ventrolateral striatum. The density of symmetric synapses (mean ± SD, per 100/μm3) formed by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) containing terminals in haloperidol treated rats (3.58 ± 1.64) was not significantly different from that of controls (3.06 ± 1.00). The density of TH‐labeled terminals forming symmetric synapses in the nondyskinetic group (3.65 ± 1.67) vs. the dyskinetic group (3.54 ± 1.73) was similar and neither was different from that of the controls. These data indicate that terminals other than dopaminergic ones form fewer symmetric synapses in dyskinetic rats. Moreover, these data have implications for interpreting results obtained in humans treated with typical antipsychotic drugs. Synapse 45:78–85, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The role of GDF11 in aging and skeletal muscle, cardiac and bone homeostasis

Abstract GDF11 is a secreted factor in the TGFß family of cytokines. Its nearest neighbor evolutionarily is myostatin, a factor discovered as being a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. High profile studies several years ago suggested that GDF11 declines with age, and that restoration of systemic GDF11 to ‘youthful’ levels is beneficial for several age-related conditions. Particularly surprising was a report that supplementation of GDF11 aided skeletal muscle regeneration, as its homolog, myostatin, has the opposite role. Given this apparent contradiction in functionality, multiple independent labs sought to discern differences between the two factors and better elucidate age-related changes in circulating GDF11, with most failing to reproduce the initial finding of declining GDF11 levels, and, importantly, all subsequent studies examining the effects of GDF11 on skeletal muscle described an inhibitory effect on regeneration – and that higher doses induce skeletal muscle atrophy and cachexia. There have also been several studies examining the effect of GDF11 and/or the downstream ActRII pathway on cardiac function, along with several interesting reports on bone. A review of the GDF11 literature, as it relates in particular to aging and skeletal muscle, cardiac and bone biology, is presented.
Novel delivery methods for treatment of viral hepatitis: an update

Viral hepatitis represents the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Currently approved therapies for chronic hepatitis B include IFN, an immune modulator, and nucleoside analogues lamivudine and adefovir. For chronic hepatitis C, a combination of pegylated IFN-α and ribavirin represents the standard treatment. However, currently available treatments for both these viruses are effective only in a limited number of patients, are costly, prolonged, associated with significant side effects and require a substantial commitment from the patients and healthcare providers. A number of novel antiviral treatments, together with strategies to enhance the response to current therapies, are being explored at present. For all new therapies, as well as for improving existing treatments, selective delivery of medications into liver cells would be desirable to enhance antiviral activity and avoid systemic side effects. New achievements in the field of drug and gene delivery against chronic hepatitis to the liver are reviewed here.
On Rational Monotony and Weak Rational Monotony for Inference Relations Induced by Sets of Minimal C-Representations

Reasoning in the context of a conditional knowledge base containing rules of the form ’If A then usually B’ can be deﬁned in terms of preference relations on possible worlds. These preference relations can be modeled by ranking functions that assign a degree of disbelief to each possible world. In general, there are multiple ranking functions that accept a given knowledge base. Several nonmonotonic inference relations have been proposed using c-representations, a sub-set of all ranking functions. These inference relations take subsets of all c-representations based on various notions of minimality into account, and they operate in different inference modes, i.e., skeptical, weakly skeptical, or credulous. For nonmonotonic inference relations, weaker versions of monotonicity like rational monotony (RM) and weak rational monotony (WRM) have been developed. In this paper, we investigate which of the inference relations induced by sets of minimal c-representations satisfy rational monotony or weak rational monotony.
Lemongrass and Cinnamon Bark: Plant Essential Oil Blend as a Spatial Repellent for Mosquitoes in a Field Setting

Abstract Plant essential oils (EOs) have been considered as spatial repellents to help disrupt the pathogen transmission cycle of mosquitoes. Our objective was to assess spatial repellency effects of EOs on the tropical yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) and on local mosquito populations in coastal British Columbia (Canada). In laboratory experiments using protocols of the World Health Organization, three of the solitary EOs tested proved repellent to Ae. aegypti: cinnamon bark, lemongrass, and rosemary. Binary combinations of select EOs enhanced the repellent effect of single EOs through synergistic interactions. The EO blend of geranium and peppermint lowered the RD50 (the dose required to obtain 50% repellency) of each solitary EO by >1,000-fold. Compared with binary EO blends, ternary EO blends were typically less repellent to mosquitoes, possibly due to a dilution effect of the most effective EO constituent(s) in the blend. In field experiments, the EO blend of lemongrass and cinnamon bark expressed spatial repellency towards the cool weather mosquito, Culiseta incidens (Thomson) (Diptera: Culicidae), even when this blend was disseminated from devices as much as 1 m away from a sentinel trap releasing attractive vertebrate host odorants and CO2. Deployment of EOs as spatial repellents in small outdoor gatherings could help protect humans from mosquito-borne diseases, particularly when this tactic is coupled with other tools of mosquito management.