Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Era of Thromboinflammation: Platelets Are Dynamic Sensors and Effector Cells During Infectious Diseases

Platelets are anucleate cells produced by megakaryocytes. In recent years, a robust body of literature supports the evolving role of platelets as key sentinel and effector cells in infectious diseases, especially critical in bridging hemostatic, inflammatory, and immune continuums. Upon intravascular pathogen invasion, platelets can directly sense viral, parasitic, and bacterial infections through pattern recognition receptors and integrin receptors or pathogen: immunoglobulin complexes through Fc and complement receptors—although our understanding of these interactions remains incomplete. Constantly scanning for areas of injury or inflammation as they circulate in the vasculature, platelets also indirectly respond to pathogen invasion through interactions with leukocytes and the endothelium. Following antigen recognition, platelets often become activated. Through a diverse repertoire of mechanisms, activated platelets can directly sequester or kill pathogens, or facilitate pathogen clearance by activating macrophages and neutrophils, promoting neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation, forming platelet aggregates and microthrombi. At times, however, platelet activation may also be injurious to the host, exacerbating inflammation and promoting endothelial damage and thrombosis. There are many gaps in our understandings of the role of platelets in infectious diseases. However, with the emergence of advanced technologies, our knowledge is increasing. In the current review, we mainly discuss these evolving roles of platelets under four different infectious pathogen infections, of which are dengue, malaria, Esterichia coli (E. coli) and staphylococcus aureus S. aureus, highlighting the complex interplay of these processes with hemostatic and thrombotic pathways.
Muscle Responses to Passive Joint Movements in Infants During the First Year of Life

Muscle tone represents one of the important concepts for characterizing changes in the state of the developing nervous system. It can be manifested in the level of activity of flexors and extensors and in muscle reactions to its passive stretching (StR) or shortening (ShR). Here we investigated such reactions in a cohort of healthy infants aged from 2 weeks to 12 months. We examined the presence and the characteristics of StR and ShR during slow passive cyclic flexion/extension movements (T~3 s) in the hip, knee, ankle, and elbow joints while awake infants were in the supine position. The results showed that most infants demonstrated prominent ShRs in response to passive joint rotations, although the StR was observed more frequently, suggesting that the ShR is an important component of adaptive motor behavior already at an early developmental stage. Interestingly, the occurrence of both StR and ShR in most muscles significantly decreased throughout the first year of life. Passive cyclic flexion/extension movements could also evoke rhythmic muscle responses in other joints or in the contralateral limb, however, such responses were predominantly observed in younger infants (<6 months). A noticeable manifestation of muscle reactions at an early developmental stage, along with spontaneous motor activity in this period of life, may reflect the processes underlying a formation of appropriate muscle tone and the self-organization of neural circuits. A substantial reduction of ipsilateral and contralateral muscle responses to passive movements with age is consistent with the idea of a functional reorganization of the motor circuitry during early development.
Glucocorticoids and Glucocorticoid-Induced-Leucine-Zipper (GILZ) in Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory human disease initiated by impaired function of immune cells and epidermal keratinocytes, resulting in increased cytokine production and hyperproliferation, leading to skin lesions. Overproduction of Th1- and Th17-cytokines including interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-23, IL-17, and IL-22, is a major driver of the disease. Glucocorticoids (GCs) represent the mainstay protocol for treating psoriasis as they modulate epidermal differentiation and are potent anti-inflammatory compounds. The development of safer GC-based therapies is a high priority due to potentially severe adverse effects associated with prolonged GC use. Specific efforts have focused on downstream anti-inflammatory effectors of GC-signaling such as GC-Induced-Leucine-Zipper (GILZ), which suppresses Th17 responses and antagonizes multiple pro-inflammatory signaling pathways involved in psoriasis, including AP-1, NF-κB, STAT3, and ROR-γt. Here we review evidence regarding defective GC signaling, GC receptor (GR) function, and GILZ in psoriasis. We discuss seemingly contradicting data on the loss- and gain-of-function of GILZ in the imiquimod-induced mouse model of psoriasis. We also present potential therapeutic strategies aimed to restore GC-related pathways.
Maternal Obesity Alters Neurotrophin-Associated MAPK Signaling in the Hypothalamus of Male Mouse Offspring

Purpose Maternal obesity has emerged as an important risk factor for the development of metabolic disorders in the offspring. The hypothalamus as the center of energy homeostasis regulation is known to function based on complex neuronal networks that evolve during fetal and early postnatal development and maintain their plasticity into adulthood. Development of hypothalamic feeding networks and their functional plasticity can be modulated by various metabolic cues, especially in early stages of development. Here, we aimed at determining the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to disturbed hypothalamic network formation in offspring of obese mouse dams. Methods Female mice were fed either a control diet (CO) or a high-fat diet (HFD) after weaning until mating and during pregnancy and gestation. Male offspring was sacrificed at postnatal day (P) 21. The hypothalamus was subjected to gene array analysis, quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Results P21 HFD offspring displayed increased body weight, circulating insulin levels, and strongly increased activation of the hypothalamic insulin signaling cascade with a concomitant increase in ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1) expression. At the same time, the global gene expression profile in CO and HFD offspring differed significantly. More specifically, manifest influences on several key pathways of hypothalamic neurogenesis, axogenesis, and regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity were detectable. Target gene expression analysis revealed significantly decreased mRNA expression of several neurotrophic factors and co-factors and their receptors, accompanied by decreased activation of their respective intracellular signal transduction. Conclusion Taken together, these results suggest a potential role for disturbed neurotrophin signaling and thus impaired neurogenesis, axogenesis, and synaptic plasticity in the pathogenesis of the offspring’s hypothalamic feeding network dysfunction due to maternal obesity.
Vitrimer Chemistry Assisted Fabrication of Aligned, Healable, and Recyclable Graphene/Epoxy Composites

The alignment is a key factor to fully exploit the potential of graphene in reinforcement of polymer composites. However, it is still a challenge to orientate graphene in thermosets because of the insoluble and infusible features of the later. In this paper, we report a facile and scalable hot press method to fabricate aligned graphene nanoplate (GnP)/epoxy composites by utilizing the dynamic character of epoxy vitrimer. The bond exchange and topological rearrangement associated viscous flow of epoxy vitrimer during hot press allows the spontaneous orientation of GnP in matrix because the 2D structure and volume exclusion effect. SEM images demonstrate the orientation of GnP, while tensile test reveals the significantly increased reinforcement effect of GnP on matrix after hot press. Moreover, the dynamic reaction of epoxy vitrimer confers good healability and recyclability to the aligned composites as confirmed by the nearly fully recovered mechanical properties of the healed sample after cutting, and the recycled sample after grinding. This work is expected to provide new opportunity for fabrication of aligned thermosetting composites.
Effort-Reward Imbalance Is Associated With Alcohol-Related Problems. WIRUS-Screening Study

There is ample evidence of associations between a perceived stressful working environment and several health-related outcomes. To better understand potential mechanisms behind these observations some studies have focused on the relationship between effort-reward imbalance at work and alcohol consumption. So far, the findings have been inconsistent. One reason for this inconsistency might come from the focus on alcohol consumption per se, while disregarding other aspects such as adverse consequences related to the consumption of alcohol. The aim of the present study was to explore associations between perceived effort and reward, effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment, and alcohol-related problems. Using data from the alcohol screening component in the Norwegian WIRUS-project (N = 5,080), we ascertained the perceived effort, reward, effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and overcommitment using the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire. Alcohol-related problems was determined using a cut-off ≥8 on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Associations were estimated using crude and adjusted logistic regression models. Covariates were age, gender and education. We found associations between different aspects of ERI and overcommitment, and alcohol-related problems. Specifically, the main analysis indicated that there was an increased odds for alcohol-related problems among those who reported high levels of ERI in conjunction with high overcommitment [adjusted OR: 1.40 (CI 95% 1.10–1.78)] compared to those with low levels of ERI and low overcommitment. Our findings suggest that ERI and overcommitment is associated with increased likelihood of alcohol-related problems. These findings indicate that individual and work-related factors should be taken into account collectively when aiming to determine the impact of psychosocial work environment on alcohol-related problems. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the present study, we are not able to determine the direction of the associations, and future studies should aim to investigate this.
The Association of Non-obscene Socially Inappropriate Behavior With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, Conduct Problems, and Risky Decision Making in a Large Sample of Adolescents

Non-obscene socially inappropriate behavior (NOSI) is recognized as part of the tic disorder spectrum but has received little attention from researchers to date. A study in 87 patients with Tourette syndrome showed that comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder were also associated with an increase in socially inappropriate behavior. This study used data from the Millennium Cohort Study to investigate the relationship between NOSI and emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and hyperactivity/inattention as assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in 1,280 youths, aged 14 years. Furthermore, the relationship between NOSI and decision-making processes as assessed by the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) was investigated. Hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems were significantly associated with NOSI; emotional problems were not. Risk taking was significantly associated with misbehaving in lessons but not with being rude or noisy in public. The results replicate and confirm the association of NOSI with ADHD and conduct problems in a large sample, although it should be stressed that the size of the association was small. The results also suggest that some inappropriate behaviors are related to risk-taking behavior, while others are not.
Mindfulness and Suicide Risk in Undergraduates: Exploring the Mediating Effect of Alexithymia

The present study was designed to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and suicide risk in undergraduates, and it further explored the potential mediating role of alexithymia in this relationship. A total of 2,633 undergraduates completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire – Revised (SBQ-R), and the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The results indicate that mindfulness and suicide risk were negatively correlated, and alexithymia partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and suicide risk only in the female undergraduates. Moreover, only the difficulty in identifying feelings (DIF) factor of alexithymia mediated the relationship between mindfulness and suicide risk in the female undergraduates. These findings contribute to the potential mechanism that explains the relationship between mindfulness and suicide risk. Furthermore, it is possible to implement mindfulness in the suicide intervention of alexithymic individuals.
Inhibition of IL-1β by Aliskiren Improved Renal AQP2 Expression and Urinary Concentration Defect in Ureteral Obstruction and Release

We previously demonstrated that ureteral obstruction is associated with a urinary concentrating defect and reduced expression of renal aquaporins (AQPs), in which the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) may play an important role. The aims of the present study were to examine whether the renin inhibitor aliskiren could prevent the reduction in AQP expression and improve the urinary concentrating capacity in mice with bilateral ureteral obstruction (BUO) and BUO release. BUO was performed for 24 h, and BUO release was performed for 1 (B-R1D) or 3 days (B-R3D) with or without aliskiren treatment. Aliskiren prevented polyuria and decreased urine osmolality induced by B-R3D. In mice with BUO and BUO release, aliskiren attenuated the reduction in AQP2 protein and mRNA expression in the obstructed kidneys. B-R3D increased the protein expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components ASC, caspase-1, and interleukin-1β in the obstructed kidneys, which was markedly prevented by aliskiren. Moreover, the NF-κB inhibitor Bay 11-7082 blocked NLRP3 inflammasome activation and attenuated the decrease in AQP2 protein expression in primary cultured rat inner medullary collecting duct cells treated with angiotensin II. These results indicate that the renin inhibitor aliskiren increases water channel AQP2 expression at least partially by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the obstructed kidneys of mice with BUO and BUO release.
Harnessing Aspect - Based Sentiment Analysis: How A re Tweets Associated with Forecast Accuracy?

For firms in the consumer sector of the economy, tweets about service quality reflect consumer satisfaction, which determines firms’ future earnings. Our study responds to anecdotal evidence indicating that analysts have adopted opinion mining to scrutinize Twitter data in order to detect shifts in consumer behavior and make earnings forecasts. If this anecdotal evidence is accurate, certain tweet characteristics may be associated with the accuracy of earnings forecasts for these firms. Our study draws on the literature on consumer satisfaction and firm earnings to identify possible tweet characteristics and hypothesize their associative relationships with analyst forecast accuracy. We use the airline industry as the study context and extract tweets related to airline service quality from publicly available Twitter data and analyst forecast data from the Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System Academic. We apply content analysis, followed by aspect-based sentiment analysis, to the downloaded tweets. Using regressions, we find that the breadth of coverage and the number of posters are associated positively with forecast accuracy. The valence of tweets differentiates their effects on forecast accuracy: negative tweets enhance forecast accuracy to a greater extent than do positive tweets. We do not detect any association between tweet subjectivity and analyst forecast accuracy. There is a marginal negative association between tweet dispersion and forecast accuracy. We conclude by discussing theoretical and practical contributions.
Correlation of fine-needle aspiration cytology and surgical excision in the diagnosis of patients with cancer

Background: Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other terms used are malignant tumors and neoplasms. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) has been extensively used for many years in the diagnosis of cancers, especially breast cancers, but its use has gradually been reduced in some hospitals because of its controversial inadequate rates and suboptimal accuracy in inexperienced hands and in some cases conflicting reports when compared with the excised biopsy of the same lesion. This is a prospective study to correlate the cytological findings in patients diagnosed with cancer with the histological diagnosis on excision. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study of 30 patients that attended the Department of Pathology, Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, from July 2016 to June 2017. All patients who were diagnosed after FNAC as having a malignant lesion were followed up for surgery for their excision biopsy. FNAC of the 30 patients was performed using 23-gauge needle under direct palpation (27 cases) by the pathologist and by ultrasonographic guidance (3 cases) before the surgical excision. Specimen after excision was fixed in 10% buffered formalin and stained with routine hematoxylin and eosin. Diagnosis on FNAC was subsequently compared with diagnosis after excision. Immunohistochemistry studies using limited antibody panels (CD5, CD10, CD20, CD30, and Bcl-2) were used on some surgical tissues (mostly lymphoid tissues) using Genemed biotechnology protocol to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. Results: A total of 30 patients had FNAC of various cancers during the study period, and all patients had excision biopsy subsequently. The age range was 5–65 years, with the most common sites of FNAC been the breast 17 (56.7%), abdomen 5 (16.5%), and cervical lymph nodes 4 (13.3%). There was 100% concordance between the diagnosis on FNAC and the excised tissues. Conclusion: FNAC correlates very well with histology of the excised tissues and remains a useful tool to guide the clinician for better management of patients.
An autopsy review of sudden unexpected natural deaths at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, North Central, Nigeria

Objectives: In every population, the pattern of sudden unexpected natural deaths (SUNDs) is often associated with the epidemiologic profile of certain common killer diseases. The old narratives have been that infectious/communicable diseases are the most common reasons why people die in our locality. However, changing lifestyle, increasing literacy level, and urbanization in Nigeria must have impacted immensely on the causes of death. We, therefore, embarked on this study to determine the etiology and epidemiologic characteristics of SUND at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. Materials and Methods: A review of all cases of sudden unexpected deaths at Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, over a 5-year period, from March 2012 to February 2017. Results: A total of 125 medicolegal autopsies were performed over a 5-year period (2012–2017), 58 (46.4%) represented SUND. Thirty-five (60.3%) cases of SUND were due to cardiovascular disorders, comprising 26 males and 9 females with a male-to-female ratio of 2.9:1, while twenty-eight (80.0%) cases those who died from cardiovascular disorders were due to hypertensive heart disease. Twelve (20.7%) cases classified as SUND were due to central nervous system disorder, eight males and four females, having male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The remaining 11 (19.0%) cases of SUND were due to respiratory diseases comprising 9 males and 2 females with male-to-female ratio of 4.5:1. Conclusion: Cardiovascular, central nervous system, and respiratory disorders were the major causes of SUND. Systemic hypertension-related disorders constituted a large proportion, especially in the middle age group.
Clinical spectrum of dystonia in a tertiary care movement disorders clinic in India

CONTEXT: Scant data exist regarding the overall distribution of dystonia phenotypes in individuals presenting with abnormal posturing to a movement disorder center in India. AIM: To identify the proportion of various types of dystonia presenting to a tertiary care, academic movement disorder center in India. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients presenting to the movement disorder clinic of our tertiary care, university hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We included subjects evaluated at least once by a movement disorder specialist and documented to have dystonia (n = 170). Dystonia was classified according to the consensus update on phenomenology and classification of dystonia (Axes 1 and 2). We calculated the proportion of patients classified into one of the defined dystonia syndromes: early-onset isolated generalized dystonia, focal or segmental isolated dystonia with onset in adulthood, combined dystonia, and dystonia associated with other neurological or systemic manifestations. RESULTS: Focal or segmental isolated dystonia with onset in adulthood was the most common phenotype. Among focal dystonias, majority were brachial (65.8%), followed by cranial (27.1%) and cervical (15.7%). Task specificity was documented in 51.2% of focal dystonias, all brachial dystonias. Tremor was present in 70.3%. Etiologically (Axis 2), evidence of neurodegeneration was present in 10.0% and structural lesion in 5.9%. CONCLUSION: Writer’s cramp was the most common isolated dystonia identified in this hospital-based series.
Adenotonsillar surgeries in Kaduna, Nigeria

Background: Adenotonsillar surgeries are the most common otolaryngology procedures in the pediatric age group worldwide. Aims: The aim is to evaluate the prevalence, indications, complications, and postoperative symptoms resolution after adenotonsillectomy in pediatric patients in our center. Settings and Design: A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary health facility in Kaduna, Nigeria. Methodology: The medical records of all children that had surgical procedures from January 2009 to December 2012 were extracted. A total of 232 pediatric patients had adenotonsillectomy of a total of 312 who underwent surgical procedures over 4 years. Forty-eight patients did not meet criteria for inclusion in this study. Therefore, 184 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria for this study. Data were analyzed descriptively with Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Results: The mean age at the time of surgery was 3.5 ± 2.43 years. There were 102 males and 82 females in a ratio of 1:0.8. The main indications were obstructive, pharyngeal, and otologic symptoms. The duration of follow-up after adenotonsillectomy range from 4 weeks to 6 months, 177 (96.19%) had complete resolution of symptoms after surgery, 7 (3.80%) had an additional treatment for rhinosinusitis. Four patients had immediate mild postoperative bleeding (reactionary hemorrhage). No deaths were recorded within the period under review. Conclusions: Adenotonsillar surgeries are common otolaryngology procedures in our hospital, mainly done on account of obstructive symptoms. They are rewarding procedures in terms of symptoms resolution and safety.