Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scabies-An Ancient Disease With Unanswered Questions in Modern Times.

Scabies, believed to have been first described by Aristotle (384-322 bc) in ancient Greece, has been with humankind throughout the ages. During the past decade, there has been a resurgence of global interest in scabies owing to enhanced awareness of its detrimental effect on health. The World Health Organization recently added scabies to its list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which are a group of diseases, primarily infectious, prevalent in tropical and subtropical world regions that cause enduring disfigurement and debilitation, leading to social stigma and the inability to work or attend school. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1 billion people—about one-sixth of the world’s population—have 1 or more NTDs, which cost developing economies billions of dollars annually. With an NTD designation, the World Health Organization increases the spotlight on Sarcoptes scabiei and calls on organizations, governments, researchers, funders, and policymakers to respond. Why such attention on this mite that does not even burrow beyond the stratum corneum?
Incomplete fissures are associated with increased alveolar ventilation via spiracles in severe emphysema.

OBJECTIVES In emphysema, air can flow preferentially via collateral pathways, which can connect an entire lung when incomplete fissures are present. Spiracles are openings through the chest wall into the lung parenchyma. We previously observed increased alveolar ventilation (VA) in subjects with severe emphysema, when spiracles occurred during lung transplant operations. In this study, we set out to identify a computed tomography (CT) imaging phenotype associated with improved VA via spiracles in severe emphysema. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 4 patients with severe emphysema who exhaled ≥75% of the inhaled tidal volume via transpleural spiracles during a lung transplant operation. We used quantitative image analysis via VIDA VISION CT software to describe emphysema severity and distribution and fissure integrity from pretransplant CT scans of the chest. We analysed partial pressure of carbon dioxide and calculated estimates of VA at baseline and during spiracle ventilation. RESULTS All 4 subjects demonstrated severe hyperinflation (total lung capacity 148 ± 24%predicted, residual volume 296 ± 79% predicted). On CT imaging, severe emphysema was present, with an average 38.7 ± 9% (range 28-50%) of lung parenchyma showing low-attenuation areas of - 950 Hounsfield units or less. Lung fissure integrity analysis demonstrated evidence of incomplete fissures (average detectable fissure integrity 67 ± 19%, range 40 ± 11-90 ± 10%). During spiracle ventilation on unchanged ventilator settings, there was a significant reduction in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (61 ± 4-35 ± 4 mmHg, P < 0.001) and increase in estimated VA (2.1 ± 0.5-3.8 ± 0.8 l/min, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Incomplete lung fissures on quantitative CT analysis seem to be a key image phenotype associated with substantial improvements in VA during transpleural ventilation via spiracles in severe emphysema.
Acute high-intensity exercise test in soccer athletes affects salivary biochemical markers

Abstract Saliva has been reported as a potential biological fluid for biochemical monitoring. This study investigated salivary markers of exercise intensity, oral mucosal immunity, and redox homeostasis in soccer athletes subjected to an acute high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) protocol characterised by a repeated sprint ability test. Thirty-two professional soccer athletes were recruited and saliva aliquots were collected at rest and immediately after HIIE protocol. When compared with pre-test values we observed that HIIE protocol induced moderate changes for total protein (p = .015; effect size (ES) = 0.51; smallest worthwhile change (SWC)factor = 5.7) and for cortisol levels (p < .0001; ES = 0.49; SWCfactor = 3.9). Lactate levels showed very large changes (p < .000; ES = 1.35; SWCfactor = 10.8), while Ig-A alterations were considered unclear. Besides, transferrin changes were trivial and maintained its levels at rest and after HIIE below the proposed threshold of 0.5 mg/dL. Regarding redox homeostasis we observed unclear effects for TBARs, MDA, GSH, GSSG, CAT, and SOD while uric acid showed large decreases (p = .005; ES = 0.80; SWCfactor = −5.4). HIIE protocol as a physical test conducted in soccer athletes increased salivary concentration of exercise intensity markers, such as lactate, total protein, and cortisol, but did not affect Ig-A levels. Redox homeostasis in saliva seems to be more related with uric acid levels as a possible key factor TBARs homeostasis.
Bi-directional movement characteristics of Camponotus japonicus ants during nest relocation

ABSTRACT Foraging and nest relocation forming a bi-directional traffic of outbound and inbound individuals in one-lane organization are two main activities in an ant's life. In this paper, we conducted an experiment on nest relocation of loaded and unloaded ants, moving back and forth between the old nest and the new one. In the experiment, we observed both uni- and bi-directional traffic flow. The headway–speed relationships indicate that the ants showed the same sensitivity to the distance headway in the two types of flow. For bi-directional traffic flow, head-on encounters and giving-way behavior between ants moving in opposing directions were a common occurrence. It took one unloaded ant 2.61 s to solve a head-on encounter with another unloaded ant. Compared with unloaded ants, loaded ants had a lower moving speed, but were less likely to be impacted by a head-on encounter. In the observation region, both sudden stop and head-on encounters contained two phases: deceleration and acceleration. Our analysis indicates that the relaxation time in the deceleration process is less than that in the acceleration process. The reduction of movement efficiency of encountering two discontinuous ants is larger than that when encountering two successive ants (0.18). This is owing to the absence of head-on encounters with following ants. The bi-directional traffic of ants under experimental conditions investigated in this study may inform future studies of high-efficiency movement in collective behavior and traffic systems. Summary: Quantitative study of the bi-directional flow of ants (Camponotus japonicus) on a narrow path highlights the importance of cooperation to maintain movement efficiency.
Tracking pressure injuries as adverse events: National use of the Global Trigger Tool over a 4‐year period

AIM To examine the frequency, preventability, and consequences of hospital acquired pressure injuries in acute care hospitals over a 4-year period. METHOD A retrospective record review was performed using the Swedish version of the Global Trigger Tool (GTT). A total of 64 917 hospital admissions were reviewed. Data were collected between 2013 and 2016 from all 63 Swedish acute care hospitals. RESULTS The prevalence of pressure injuries (category 2-4) was 1%. Older patients, "satellite patients", and patients with acute admissions had more pressure injuries. Most pressure injuries (91%) were determined to be preventable. The mean extended length of hospital stay was 15.8 days for patients who developed pressure injuries during hospitalization. CONCLUSION The GTT provides a useful and complementary national perspective on hospital acquired pressure injuries across hospitals, informing health care providers on safety priorities to reduce patient harm. Clinical leaders can use information on the preventability and the consequences of pressure injuries, as well as evidence-based arguments for improving the health care organization.
MicroRNA-29b Regulates the Mitochondria-Dependent Apoptotic Pathway by Targeting Bax in Doxorubicin Cardiotoxicity

Background/Aims: Myocardial apoptosis plays an important role in doxorubicin (Dox) cardiotoxicity. MicroRNA-29 (miR-29) is suggested to function as an anti-fibrotic factor with potential therapeutic effects on cardiac fibrosis. However, it has not been shown whether there is an association between miR-29b and myocardial apoptosis. Methods: Male Wistar rats were transfected with miR-29b agomir by local delivery to the myocardium prior to Dox treatment. Rat cardiomyocytes were pretreated with miR-29b mimics or inhibitor followed by Dox incubation in vitro. Cardiac function and underlying mechanisms were evaluated by echocardiography, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, real-time PCR, and western blotting. Results: Our results revealed that miR-29b is the only member of the miR-29 family that was significantly downregulated in myocardium from Dox-treated rats. Delivery of miR-29b agomir to myocardium resulted in a marked improvement of cardiac function. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining showed that rescue of miR-29b expression inhibited Dox-induced myocardial apoptosis, concomitantly with increased Bcl-2 expression and decreased Bax expression and caspase-3 activity. In vitro, miR-29b overexpression mitigated, whereas inhibition of miR-29b promoted, Dox-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-29b negatively regulated Bax expression by directly targeting the 3′ untranslated region of Bax. In Dox-treated cardiomyocytes, upregulation of miR-29b resulted in a significant decrease in Bax expression, with an increase in Bcl-2 expression, accompanied by inhibition of mitochondrial membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release, and caspase activation. However, inhibition of miR-29b produced the opposite effects by further augmenting the effects of Dox. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that miR-29b prevents Dox-induced myocardial apoptosis through inhibition of the mitochondria-dependent pathway by directly targeting Bax, suggesting that miR-29b is a potential novel therapeutic target for the treatment of Dox cardiotoxicity.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography Assessment of the Buccal Bone Thickness in Anterior Maxillary Teeth: Relevance to Immediate Implant Placement.

PURPOSE Peri-implant bone thickness is an important local factor that could influence esthetic outcomes in immediate implant therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the thickness of the buccal bone overlying the anterior maxillary teeth in Kenyans. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 184 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans that met the inclusion criteria were retrospectively studied. Buccal bone thickness of all maxillary anterior teeth was assessed, resulting in a total of 1,104 teeth. Measurements were taken on sagittal views at a point 4 mm below the cementoenamel junction (M1) and at the mid-root level (M2). The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20, IBM), and statistical significance was set at P ≤ . 05. RESULTS Mean buccal bone thickness of the teeth studied was 0.55 ± 0.38 mm at M1 and 0.60 ± 0.30 mm at M2. Missing buccal bone wall was observed in 31.61% (349 teeth) of all teeth at M1 and in 21.38% (236 teeth) of all teeth at M2. The majority of the teeth had a thin buccal bone wall (< 1 mm) at M1 (56.34%) and at M2 (68.48%), whereas a thick buccal bone (≥ 1 mm) was only observed in 12.05% of teeth at M1 and in 10.14% of teeth at M2. Thin buccal bone was mainly found in central incisors, while thick buccal bone wall was found mainly in canines. The thickness of buccal bone at M1 decreased with an increase in age. CONCLUSION Contour augmentation would be necessary in most of these cases, as the buccal bone was typically thin. The thickness at the cervical portion was inversely correlated with age. One in every four of the cases would not be ideal for flapless immediate implant placement due to a missing buccal bone wall. Preoperative CBCT analysis of the buccal wall is recommended for appropriate treatment planning.
Adult neurogenesis and its role in brain injury and psychiatric diseases

In the adult mammalian brain, neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in two neurogenic regions, the walls of the lateral ventricles, and the subgranular zone of the hippocampus, which generate new neurons for the olfactory bulb and dentate gyrus, respectively. These adult NSCs retain their self‐renewal ability and capacity to differentiate into neurons and glia as demonstrated by in vitro studies. However, their contribution to tissue repair in disease and injury is limited, lending credence to the claim by prominent neuropathologist Ramón y Cajal that ‘once development was ended, the founts of growth and regeneration of the axons and dendrites dried up irrevocably’. However, recent progress toward understanding the fundamental biology of adult NSCs and their role in pathological conditions has provided new insight into the potential therapeutic utility of endogenous NSCs. In this short review, we highlight two topics: the altered behavior of NSCs after brain damage and the dysfunction of NSCs and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, another type of undifferentiated cell in the adult brain, in mood affective disorders.
HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) Metrics and Atherosclerotic Risk in Women: Do Menopause Characteristics Matter? MESA

Objective— HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) may not always be cardioprotective in postmenopausal women. HDL particles (HDL-P) via ion-mobility may better reflect the antiatherogenicity of HDL. Objectives were (1) to evaluate associations of HDL-C and ion-mobility HDL-P with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid plaque separately and jointly in women; and (2) to assess interactions by age at and time since menopause. Approach and Results— Analysis included 1380 females from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; age: 61.8±10.3; 61% natural-, 21% surgical-, and 18% peri-menopause). Women with unknown or early menopause (age at nonsurgical menopause ⩽45 years) were excluded. Adjusting for each other, higher HDL-P but not HDL-C was associated with lower cIMT (P=0.001), whereas higher HDL-C but not HDL-P was associated with greater risk of carotid plaque presence (P=0.04). Time since menopause significantly modified the association of large but not small HDL-P with cIMT; higher large HDL-P was associated with higher cIMT close to menopause but with lower cIMT later in life. The proatherogenic association reported for HDL-C with carotid plaque was most evident in women with later age at menopause who were >10 years postmenopausal. Conclusions— Elevated HDL-C may not always be cardioprotective in postmenopausal women. The cardioprotective capacity of large HDL-P may adversely compromise close to menopause supporting the importance of assessing how the menopause transition might impact HDL quality and related cardiovascular disease risk later in life.
Musculoskeletal Outcomes from Chronic High-Speed, High-Impulse Resistance Exercise

Abstract While bones and muscles adapt to mechanical loading, it appears that very specific types of stimuli must be applied to achieve osteogenesis. Our study assessed musculoskeletal outcomes to 30 training sessions on an Inertial Exercise Trainer (Newnan, GA). Subjects (n=13) performed workouts with their left leg, while their right served as an untreated control. Workouts entailed three 60-s sets each of knee extension, hip extension and calf press exercises, separated by 90-s rests. Before and after the 30 training sessions, subjects underwent strength tests (knee and ankle extensors of both legs), DEXA scans (hip, knee and ankles of both legs), and blood draws. After 30 training sessions 2×2 ANOVAs showed left leg peak torques rose significantly. 2×2 ANCOVAs, with bone scan area as a covariate, showed significant left leg calcaneal bone mineral content (+29%) and density (+33%) increases after 30 training sessions. A significant decline in C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen, a blood marker of bone resorption, also occurred after 30 training sessions. The Inertial Exercise Trainer’s large volume of training session repetitions elicited high peak force, peak acceleration and impulses that likely provided a mechanical loading stimulus that evoked calcaneal accretion.
Poor in vivo efficacy of caspofungin, micafungin and amphotericin B against wild-type Candida krusei clinical isolates does not correlate with in vitro susceptibility results

We determined micafungin, caspofungin and amphotericin B (AMB) minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) and killing rates in RPMI-1640 and in RPMI-1640 with 50% serum against three Candida krusei bloodstream isolates. MIC ranges in RPMI-1640 were 0.125–0.25, 0.25 and 0.125–0.5 mg/L, in RPMI-1640 with 50% serum, MICs were 64–128-, 8- and 4–16-fold higher, respectively. In RPMI-1640 micafungin and caspofungin at 1, 4, 16 and 32 mg/L as well as AMB at 2 mg/L were fungicidal against all isolates in ≤3.96, ≤4.42 and 14.96 h, respectively. In RPMI-1640 with 50% serum, caspofungin was fungicidal for all isolates only at 32 mg/L, micafungin and AMB were fungistatic. In neutropenic mice, 5 mg/kg caspofungin and 1 mg/kg AMB were ineffective against two of the three isolates. Thus, in vivo efficacy of echinocandins and AMB is weak or absent against C. krusei. Prescribers treating C. krusei infections with echinocandins should watch out for clinical resistance and therapeutic failure.
Causes and Factors Associated with Neonatal Seizure and its Short-term Outcome: A Retrospective Prognostic Cohort Study

Objective: Neonatal seizures are common, difficult to diagnose and treat, and associated with a great mortality rate and long-term risk of neurodevelopmental impairments. We aimed to determine the etiology, clinical presentation, and neurodevelopmental outcome of neonatal seizures. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 88 neonates, aged < 28 days, admitted to Mofid Children’s Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from September 2011 to 2013 with the initial diagnosis of seizure were enrolled by convenient sampling method. Data, including age, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar of the fifth minute, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, family history, type, cause, and age of seizure, EEG and paraclinic findings, anticonvulsant used for treatment, neurodevelopmental status, and the final outcome, were collected from medical records and the missed cases were completed by phone calls. The frequency and association of variables were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Among neonates with seizures, 67% were male, 79.5% were born term, and 72.7% had normal birth weight. The most common type of seizure was multifocal clonic seizures (45.5%). The main diagnosis in neonates with seizures was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (23.9%) and hypoglycemia (10.22%). The mortality rate was 11.36% during a mean follow-up period of 21.4±6.4 months. Neurodevelopmental assessments showed that 64% were normal, 27% had global delay, and 9% had motor delay. Positive family history of epilepsy (P=0.006), low Apgar score (P=0.002) and epilepsy (P<0.001) were significantly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome. Conclusion: Since HIE and hypoglycemia were the most common cause of neonatal seizures, efforts should be made to improve care during delivery and early breastfeeding.
Recanalization in Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose— The role of recanalization of the occluded dural sinus or vein in the outcome of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is not established. We aimed to systematically review, in patients with CVT, (1) the recanalization rate and its association with (2) clinical outcome and (3) CVT recurrence. Methods— Systematic search in MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov (inception to September 2017). We considered cohort studies reporting the recanalization rate in adult patients with CVT treated with anticoagulation. Reported rates of venous recanalization at the last follow-up, functional outcome defined using the modified Rankin scale at last follow-up dichotomized for favorable (0–1) and unfavorable (2–6) outcome, and recurrence rate of CVT according to recanalization status were extracted independently by 2 authors. Meta-analyses of proportions were performed using Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Functional outcomes according to the recanalization status were compared using meta-analysis and ordinal logistic regression. We conducted sensitivity analyses for time to assessment of recanalization and study quality. Results— Four hundred sixty-eight studies were identified, and 19 studies were included. (1) We found report of 694 patients with recanalization in the follow-up among 818 cases of CVT. The overall pooled proportion of patients achieving recanalization was 85% (95% confidence interval, 80–89; I2=58%). In studies with higher methodological quality, the recanalization rate was 77% (95% confidence interval, 70–82; I2=0%). (2) There was a significant increase in the chance of favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale, 0–1) in patients with recanalization with a pooled odds ratio of 3.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.2–8.9; I2=32%) in the random effects meta-analysis and a common odds ratio of 3.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.7–6.3) in the ordinal logistic regression. (3) Data on CVT recurrence according to recanalization was scarce. Conclusions— The overall rate of recanalization in patients receiving anticoagulation was 85%, but exclusion of severe patients from follow-up imaging is a plausible source of bias. Lack of venous recanalization was associated with worse clinical outcome.
Translation and Validation of the Nigerian Pidgin English Version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (NAIJA ECOHIS).

OBJECTIVES The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) has been used in different countries and in different versions to assess the impact of oral health conditions on preschoolers. This study aimed to develop the Nigeria Pidgin English version of ECOHIS and investigate its psychometric properties. METHODS The Nigerian Pidgin English version (NAIJA ECOHIS) was developed from the English version using the forward-backward translation technique. One hundred and four children aged 2-5 years attending a clinic were recruited for the study and the new version was administered to their parents/caregivers. Validity of the instrument was assessed based on the relationship between the NAIJA-ECOHIS scores and the global health rating scores using Spearman's rank correlation. The internal consistency reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha coefficient while the test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient by using scores of fifty participants who reported no change in their symptoms after one week. RESULTS The NAIJA-ECOHIS version was created with some modifications to the original version. The association between the NAIJA ECOHIS scores and the two global questions as well as the correlation between the child and family sections were statistically significant (p <0.001). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the child section, family section and Total NAIJA ECOHIS scores were 0.83, 0.79 and 0.86 respectively demonstrating good internal consistency. CONCLUSION The NAIJA ECOHIS version was valid and reliable for assessing oral health related quality of life of preschool children whose parents/caregivers speak the Nigerian Pidgin English.