Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Device simulations of isolation techniques for silicon microstrip detectors made on p-type substrates

Recent studies have shown that silicon particle detectors made on p-type substrates feature an improved radiation hardness compared to more conventional single-side n-type devices. In particular, they show an increased charge collection efficiency at very high irradiation levels. At present few devices have been fabricated on these substrates and there are still many doubts regarding the best type of isolation structure to be employed for the interruption of the inversion electron layer present between the n/sup +/ electrodes. In this paper, a description of the behavior of microstrip detectors featuring three isolation solution (p-spray, p-stop and a combination between the previous two) is presented. The analysis is based on device simulations and covers the breakdown and interstrip capacitance issues.
Developing a Preliminary Definition and Domains of Flare in Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis (OA): Consensus Building of the Flare-in-OA OMERACT Group

Flare in knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) is more than just an exacerbation of pain. Unstructured, semistructured, and focus group interviews followed by Delphi surveys with patients and health professionals (HP) generated candidate domains of an OA flare. Content analysis of interviews with 29 patients and 16 HP extracted 180 statements, which were grouped into 9 clusters. Delphi consensus with 50 patients (Australia, Canada, and France) and 116 HP (17 countries on 4 continents) identified 5 flare domains: pain, swelling, stiffness, psychological aspects, and effect of symptoms. Elements for a preliminary definition of an OA flare are proposed. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT02892058.
Controlled Release of Biological Control Agents for Preventing Aflatoxin Contamination from Starch–Alginate Beads

For the wise use of fungal biocontrol and metalaxyl fungicide, starch–alginate-based formulations have been developed by encapsulating metalaxyl and non-toxigenic Aspergillus flavus spores simultaneously in the form of microspheres using calcium chloride as a cross-linking agent. The formulations were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a scanning electron micrograph (SEM), and thermogravimetry (TGA). Formulation characteristics, including the bead size, entrapment efficiency, swelling ratio of the beads, and rheological properties, were analyzed. The release behavior of beads with different formulations was evaluated. The addition of kaolin and rice husk powder in starch–alginate beads retarded the release profile of spores and metalaxyl. The release of the active ingredient from starch–alginate–kaolin beads and starch–alginate–rice husk powder beads occurred in both a controlled and sustained manner. Additionally, the release rate decreased with the increase of kaolin or rice husk powder content. The beads added with kaolin were slower than the release of rice husk powder. In comparison, spores released slower and lasted longer than metalaxyl. The starch–alginate–kaolin formulations could be used as controlled release material in the field of biocontrol and reduce the harm of fungicides to the environment.
Using the K-SADS psychosis screen to identify people with early psychosis or psychosis risk syndromes

Background: Current methods to identify people with psychosis risk involve administration of specialized tools such as the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS), but these methods have not been widely adopted. Validation of a more multipurpose assessment tool—such as the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS)—may increase the scope of identification efforts. Methods: We assessed the correspondence between SIPS-determined clinical high risk/early psychosis (CHR/early psychosis) status and K-SADS psychosis screen (child and parent reports and their combination) in a sample of 147 help-seeking individuals aged 12–25. Detailed classification results are reported. Results: Both the child and parent interviews on the K-SADS psychosis screen were strongly predictive of CHR/early psychosis status, although parent reports contributed no significant additional information beyond child reports. Across informants, the presence of either subthreshold hallucinations or subthreshold delusions was highly suggestive of CHR/early psychosis status as determined by SIPS interview (78% (child) and 74% (parent) accuracy). Conclusions: Subthreshold scores on the two-item K-SADS psychosis screen may be good indicators of the presence or absence of early signs of psychosis. The option of using a non-specialized assessment such as the K-SADS as a staged approach to assess for CHR/early psychosis status could increase rates of early psychosis screening and treatment.
Effect of Increasing Blood Pressure With Noradrenaline on the Microcirculation of Patients With Septic Shock and Previous Arterial Hypertension.

OBJECTIVES To assess whether an increase in mean arterial pressure in patients with septic shock and previous systemic arterial hypertension changes microcirculatory and systemic hemodynamic variables compared with patients without arterial hypertension (control). DESIGN Prospective, nonblinded, interventional study. SETTING Three ICUs in two teaching hospitals. PATIENTS After informed consent, we included patients older than 18 years with septic shock for at least 6 hours, sedated, and under mechanical ventilation. We paired patients with and without arterial hypertension by age. INTERVENTIONS After obtaining systemic and microcirculation baseline hemodynamic variables (time 0), we increased noradrenaline dose to elevate mean arterial pressure up to 85-90 mm Hg before collecting a new set of measurements (time 1). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We included 40 patients (20 in each group). There was no significant difference in age between the groups. After the rise in mean arterial pressure, there was a significant increase in cardiac index and a slight but significant reduction in lactate in both groups. We observed a significant improvement in the proportion of perfused vessels (control: 57.2 ± 14% to 66 ± 14.8%; arterial hypertension: 61.4 ± 12.3% to 70.8 ± 7.1%; groups: p = 0.29; T0 and T1: p < 0.001; group and time interaction: p = 0.85); perfused vessels density (control: 15.6 ± 4 mm/mm to 18.6 ± 4.5 mm/mm; arterial hypertension: 16.4 ± 3.5 mm/mm to 19.1 ± 3 mm/mm; groups: p = 0.51; T0 and T1: p < 0.001; group and time interaction: p = 0.70), and microcirculatory flow index (control: 2.1 ± 0.6 to 2.4 ± 0.6; arterial hypertension: 2.1 ± 0.5 to 2.6 ± 0.2; groups: p = 0.71; T0 and T1: p = 0.002; group and time interaction: p = 0.45) in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Increasing mean arterial pressure with noradrenaline in septic shock patients improves density and flow in small vessels of sublingual microcirculation. However, this improvement occurs both in patients with previous arterial hypertension and in those without arterial hypertension.
Use of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inhibitors for Pancreas Transplant Immunosuppression Is Associated With Improved Allograft Survival and Improved Early Patient Survival

Objectives Mammalian targets of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi) are considered second-line immunosuppression agents because of associated increases in rejection and impaired wound healing. Recent reports indicate mTORi have been linked to improved survival, decreased inflammatory response in pancreatitis, and antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity. Mammalian targets of rapamycin inhibitors have not been extensively analyzed in pancreas transplant recipients. Methods Adults with pancreas and kidney-pancreas transplants from 1987 to 2016 in the United Network for Organ Sharing database were analyzed (N = 25,837). Subjects were stratified into 2 groups: use of mTORi (n = 4174) and use of non–mTORi-based immunosuppression (n = 21,663). The log-rank test compared survival rates. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses assessed patient and graft survival. Results Mammalian targets of rapamycin inhibitors were associated with a 7% risk reduction in allograft failure (hazard ratio, 0.931; P = 0.006). Allograft survival rates were significantly different between mTORi versus non-mTORi (P < 0.0001). The mTORi group showed a significantly higher patient survival rate 1, 3, 5, and 10 years posttransplant compared. Patient survival at 15 years was not significantly different. Conclusions The use of mTORi for immunosuppression in pancreas transplant is associated with improved allograft survival and early patient survival posttransplant (up to 10 years).
Clinical Usefulness of Perioperative C-reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio in Patients With Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Retrospective Single Institutional Study

Background/Aim: Prognoses of patients with cancer can be predicted on the basis of preoperative nutrition- or inflammation-based scores; however, predicting the prognostic impact of undergoing surgery remains challenging. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of the perioperative C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Patients and Methods: We retrospectively investigated 80 patients who had undergone curative resection of primary ICC between April 2002 and December 2017. We identified the time at which perioperative CRP/Alb ratio most influences the prognosis, and investigated the correlations among the perioperative CRP/Alb ratio, clinicopathological features and patient outcomes. Results: The only perioperative CRP/Alb ratios significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) was a high CRP/Alb ratio on POD14. High CRP/Alb ratio on POD 14 was significantly associated with older age, male sex, and the presence of postoperative complications. Finally, a high CRP/Alb ratio at POD 14 was an independent prognostic factor for poor OS. Conclusion: CRP/Alb ratio on POD 14 may be a useful prognostic factor in patients with ICC who have undergone curative resections.
Comparison of Elastic Resistance Band Exercises and Yoga in Physiotherapy Students with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives: To study and compare the effectiveness of elastic resistance band exercises and yoga in physiotherapy students with chronic non-specific low back pain Design: Randomized clinical trial Participants: 40 physiotherapy students, 20 in each group. Interventions: Group A received elastic band exercises and group B received yoga for 10 days i.e. 5days/week. Measurements: VAS, Pressure biofeedback, MODQ, lumbar ROM. Results: Elastic resistance band exercises resulted in significant improvement in pain reduction (mean change 4.3, p = 0.001), Core strength (mean change 3.2, p = 0.001), flexibility (mean change extension 0.9 and flexion 1, p = 0.001for both flex and extension) and functional disability (mean change11.1, p =0.001) than yoga at 10th day of intervention. Limitations: small sample size, no follow up and less duration of intervention Conclusions: Though the study showed beneficial results in both groups, results reflected that 10 sessions of elastic resistance band exercises showed better improvement than the Yoga postures in physiotherapy students with chronic NSLBP.
More than just a pressure relief valve: physiological roles of volume-regulated LRRC8 anion channels

Abstract The volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC) is a key player in the volume regulation of vertebrate cells. This ubiquitously expressed channel opens upon osmotic cell swelling and potentially other cues and releases chloride and organic osmolytes, which contributes to regulatory volume decrease (RVD). A plethora of studies have proposed a wide range of physiological roles for VRAC beyond volume regulation including cell proliferation, differentiation and migration, apoptosis, intercellular communication by direct release of signaling molecules and by supporting the exocytosis of insulin. VRAC was additionally implicated in pathological states such as cancer therapy resistance and excitotoxicity under ischemic conditions. Following extensive investigations, 5 years ago leucine-rich repeat-containing family 8 (LRRC8) heteromers containing LRRC8A were identified as the pore-forming components of VRAC. Since then, molecular biological approaches have allowed further insight into the biophysical properties and structure of VRAC. Heterologous expression, siRNA-mediated downregulation and genome editing in cells, as well as the use of animal models have enabled the assessment of the proposed physiological roles, together with the identification of new functions including spermatogenesis and the uptake of antibiotics and platinum-based cancer drugs. This review discusses the recent molecular biological insights into the physiology of VRAC in relation to its previously proposed roles.
“Like Opening Up Old Wounds”: Conceptualizing Intersectional Trauma Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Despite increasing acknowledgment of intimate partner violence (IPV) as a potentially traumatic experience, there is a gap in research investigating women’s perspectives of trauma related to their experiences of IPV from an intersectional lens. Intersectionality, which illuminates interconnected inequalities due to constructions of race, gender, sexuality, class, and culture, is particularly important for exploring the broader contexts of women’s experiences of IPV and trauma. In response to this dearth in research, this paper presents qualitative findings from a constructivist grounded theory study of 15 women’s experiences of IPV and trauma. To conceptualize IPV-related trauma from an intersectional lens, this study addressed the following research questions: (a) How do women who have experienced IPV understand and view trauma? (b) What do women who have experienced IPV indicate are experiences of trauma? and (c) How do women’s differing identities, experiences of oppression, or other hardships or adversities relate to their experiences of IPV? Through analysis, six distinct themes were identified: (a) changing perceptions of trauma; (b) the pain of trauma; (c) fear, anxiety, and triggers; (d) lasting impact of trauma; (e) struggle for acceptance; and (f) growth and insight. Implications from these findings illustrate the pervasiveness of IPV and other forms of trauma among women who have been abused by a partner, the long-lasting traumatic impacts of IPV, and the multiple experiences of being blamed and not believed that many women have experienced. These findings represent first steps in understanding the relationship between IPV and trauma from the perspectives of women who have survived IPV, offering an important contribution to previous knowledge on IPV. As well, this study provides first steps in understanding the interacting, intersectional effects of multiple forms of adversity, oppression, and IPV, and their relationships to trauma.
Aspergillus niger

Aspergillus is the most ubiquitous fungi found in soil, water and decaying vegetation. It commonly affects immunocompromised individuals and in primary cutaneous aspergillosis, the skin is directly inoculated of spores by intravenous catheters, trauma and surgery. Primary cutaneous aspergillosis is a rare entity, mostly caused by Aspergillus(A) flavus , A. fumigatus
Mental health symptoms and disorders in elite athletes: a systematic review on cultural influencers and barriers to athletes seeking treatment

Objective To summarise the literature on the barriers to athletes seeking mental health treatment and cultural influencers of mental health in elite athletes. Design Systematic review Data sources PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, SportDiscus (Ebsco), and PsycINFO (ProQuest) up to November 2018. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Qualitative and quantitative original studies of elite athletes (those who competed at the professional, Olympic, or collegiate/university levels), published in any language. Results Stigma, low mental health literacy, negative past experiences with mental health treatment-seeking, busy schedules, and hypermasculinity are barriers to elite athletes seeking mental health treatment. Cultural influencers of mental health in elite athletes include: (1) the lack of acceptance of women as athletes; (2) lower acceptability of mental health symptoms and disorders among non-white athletes; (3) non-disclosure of religious beliefs; and (4) higher dependence on economic benefits. Coaches have an important role in supporting elite athletes in obtaining treatment for mental illness. Brief anti-stigma interventions in elite athletes decrease stigma and improve literary about mental health. Conclusion There is a need for various actors to provide more effective strategies to overcome the stigma that surrounds mental illness, increase mental health literacy in the athlete/coach community, and address athlete-specific barriers to seeking treatment for mental illness. In this systematic review, we identified strategies that, if implemented, can overcome the cultural factors that may otherwise limit athletes seeking treatment. Coaches are critical for promoting a culture within elite athletes’ environments that encourages athletes to seek treatment.
Microvascularization is not a limiting factor for exercise in adults with cerebral palsy.

Muscle contractures are a common complication in patients with central nervous system (CNS) lesions which limit range of movement and cause joint deformities. Furthermore, it has previously been shown that muscles with contractures have a reduced number of capillaries, indicating decreased tissue vascularization. The aim of the present study was to investigate the microvascular volume (MV) at rest and after acute exercise in the muscle tissue of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and healthy control individuals. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was used before and after 30 min of walking or running on a treadmill in 10 healthy control participants and 10 individuals with CP to detect MV of their skeletal muscle tissue. A significant increase in the MV was observed after exercise both in the adult CP group (21-53 yr) and in the control group (21-52 yr) (1.8 ± 0.8 ΔdB to 3.1 ± 0.9 ΔdB or 42.9% and 1.5 ± 0.6 ΔdB to 2.5 ± 0.9 ΔdB or 39.0%, respectively). Furthermore, a difference in the resting MV was observed between the most severe cases of CP [gross motor function classification scale (GMFCS) 3 and 4] (2.3 ± 0.5 ΔdB) and the less severe cases (GMFCS 1 and 2) (1.5 ± 0.2 ΔdB). When the CP group was walking (3.4 km/h), the lactate levels, Borg score, and heart rate matched the level of controls when they were running (9.8 km/h). In conclusion, individuals with CP become exhausted at much lower exercise intensities than healthy individuals. This is not explained by impaired microvascularization, since the MV of the individuals with CP respond normally to increased O2 demand during acute exercise. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cerebral palsy (CP) patients were less physically active compared with typically developed individuals. This may affect the microvascularization. We observed that the CP group became exhausted at much lower exercise intensities compared with healthy individuals. However, impaired microvascularization was not the reason for the decreased physical activity as the CP group responded normally to increased O2 demand during acute exercise. These results indicate that walking may be recommended as an intervention to train and maintain skeletal muscle tissue in individuals with CP.
Irisin and Bone: From Preclinical Studies to the Evaluation of Its Circulating Levels in Different Populations of Human Subjects

Almost four years after the discovery of the anabolic action of irisin on bone in mice, ample clinical evidence is emerging in support of its additional physiological relevance in human bone. Irisin inversely correlates with sclerostin levels in adults with prediabetes and with vertebral fragility fractures in post-menopausal women. Furthermore, in athletes we observed a positive correlation between irisin and bone mineral density at different anatomical sites. Our group also described a positive association between serum irisin and bone status in healthy children and multivariate regression analysis showed that irisin is a stronger determinant of bone mineral status than bone alkaline phosphatase. In children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, serum irisin concentrations are positively associated with bone quality and with glycemic control following continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Additionally, our in vitro studies suggest the existence of a negative interplay between PTH and irisin biology and these results were also supported by the observation that post-menopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism have lower levels of irisin compared to matched controls. In this review, we will focus on recent findings about circulating level of irisin in different populations of human subjects and its correlation with their bone status.
Robust intrinsic differences in mitochondrial respiration and H2O2 emission between L6 and C2C12 cells.

Rat L6 and mouse C2C12 cell lines are commonly used to investigate myocellular metabolism. Mitochondrial characteristics of these cell lines remains poorly understood despite mitochondria being implicated in development of various metabolic diseases. To address this need we performed high-resolution respirometry to determine rates of oxygen consumption and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) emission in suspended myoblasts during multiple substrate and inhibitor titration protocols. The capacity for oxidative phosphorylation supported by glutamate and malate, with and without succinate, or supported by palmitoyl-L-carnitine was lower in L6 compared with C2C12 myoblasts (all P<0.01 for L6 vs. C2C12). Conversely, H2O2 emission during oxidative phosphorylation was greater in L6 than C2C12 myoblasts (P<0.01 for L6 vs. C2C12). Induction of non-coupled respiration revealed a significantly greater electron transfer capacity in C2C12 compared with L6 myoblasts, regardless of the substrate(s) provided. Mitochondrial metabolism was also investigated in differentiated L6 and C2C12 myotubes. Basal rates of oxygen consumption were not different between intact, adherent L6 and C2C12 myotubes; however, non-coupled respiration was significantly lower in L6 compared with C2C12 myotubes (P<0.001). In summary, L6 myoblasts had lower respiration rates than C2C12 myoblasts, including lesser capacity for fatty acid oxidation and greater electron leak towards H2O2. L6 cells also retain a lower capacity for electron transfer compared with C2C12 following differentiation to form fused myotubes. Intrinsic differences in mitochondrial metabolism between these cell lines should be considered when modeling and investigating myocellular metabolism.