Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematic literature review of treatment patterns for venous thromboembolism patients during transitions from inpatient to post-discharge settings

Introduction Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have emerged as viable alternatives to traditional treatments such as vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The objective of this review was to summarize evidence on the use of DOACs and VKAs to treat VTE in the US for patients transitioning from inpatient to post-discharge settings. Materials and methods A systematic review of the VTE literature identified studies published in English (January 1, 2011–December 31, 2016) that reported inpatient and post-discharge treatments and discharge location. Two reviewers screened abstracts, abstracted information from included studies, and assessed the quality of the study methodology and reporting. Results Forty-nine studies were included (24 clinical and 25 economic). A limited number of studies (eight clinical and three economic) examined VTE treatment patterns during transitions of care from inpatient to post-discharge settings, irrespective of anticoagulant (eg, DOAC, warfarin, heparin), and < 25% of all studies reported a post-discharge location. Three clinical studies that reported inpatient and outpatient treatment found better patient outcomes with DOAC vs warfarin. Fourteen economic studies reported that DOACs were associated with shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) and lower direct costs vs warfarin. No studies reported indirect costs. Discussion Although DOACs are associated with shorter LOS, lower costs, and better patient outcomes vs VKAs, it appears in one study that only a small percentage of patients with stable VTE who are discharged to home may be receiving DOACs. Conclusion These findings identified the potential areas of opportunity to improve the management of VTE through coordination of care from the inpatient to the outpatient settings.
Thermovision: a new diagnostic method for orofacial pain?

Background Infrared thermography can be used to obtain more complete information about a patient's condition. The method can be used in various medical applications for monitoring acute and chronic orofacial pain syndrome. With this diagnostic method, thermal differences in the examined region are usually compared to the same reference region on the opposite side of the body. Methods Infrared quantitative thermography is a non-invasive method for contactless monitoring of dynamic thermal fields on a surface, or in this case, the human body. This method is based on detection of infrared radiation, which is naturally emitted from the surface of the body. In a pilot project with a patient having orofacial pain, changes before and after repetitive transcranial magnetic brain stimulation treatment were assessed. Results First-day measurements found significantly higher maximum, minimum, and average temperatures, before and after therapy, in the area where the patient subjectively reported pain. The fifth and final measurements, before and after therapy, found only a slight elevation of the maximum temperature of the assessed regions, relative to the same regions on the opposite side of the face. Conclusion During the measurements on the fifth day, a thermal difference greater than 0.4°C was only observed relative to the minimum temperatures associated with the regions of self-reported pain before and after therapy. For validation of the effects, this method will need to be tested using a randomized, double-blind study with a larger number of patients.
Telerehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis: Results of a Randomized Feasibility and Efficacy Pilot Study

A prospective, randomized, three-arm, evaluator blinded study to demonstrate the feasibility of a telerehabilitation (TR) program in individuals with ambulatory deficits secondary to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and evaluate its efficacy when compared to conventional on-site physical therapy (PT) was completed. Thirty participants were evaluated at baseline and randomized to one of three groups with intervention lasting 8 weeks: Group 1 (control)- customized unsupervised home-based exercise program (HEP) 5 days a week; Group 2 (TR)- remote PT supervised via audio/visual real-time telecommunication twice weekly; Group 3 (PT)- in-person PT at the medical facility twice weekly. Outcomes included patient reported outcomes (PROs) obtained through questionnaires, and measurements of gait and balance performed with bedside tests and a computerized system. Functional gait assessment improved from baseline in all three groups. There were no significant differences between the TR and the conventional PT groups for a variety of outcome measures. TR is a feasible method to perform PT in persons with MS and has comparable efficacy to conventional in-person PT as measured by patient reported outcomes and objective outcomes of gait and balance.
Gi/o protein-coupled receptors in dopamine neurons inhibit the sodium leak channel NALCN

Dopamine (D2) receptors provide autoinhibitory feedback onto dopamine neurons through well-known interactions with voltage-gated calcium channels and G protein-coupled inwardly-rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels. Here, we reveal a third major effector involved in D2R modulation of dopaminergic neurons - the sodium leak channel, NALCN. We found that activation of D2 receptors robustly inhibits isolated sodium leak currents in wild-type mice but not in NALCN conditional knockout mice. Intracellular GDP-βS abolished the inhibition, indicating a G protein-dependent signaling mechanism. The application of dopamine reliably slowed pacemaking even when GIRK channels were pharmacologically blocked. Furthermore, while spontaneous activity was observed in nearly all dopaminergic neurons in wild-type mice, neurons from NALCN knockouts were mainly silent. Both observations demonstrate the critical importance of NALCN for pacemaking in dopaminergic neurons. Finally, we show that GABA-B receptor activation also produces inhibition of NALCN-mediated currents. Therefore, we identify NALCN as a core effector of inhibitory G protein-coupled receptors.
Ceftriaxone-associated nephrolithiasis and gallstone in adults

Background Ceftriaxone (CTX) is widely used for the treatment of bacterial infections; however, side effects such as gallstone and nephrolithiasis have been reported in children. There is limited information about urinary tract calculi as CTX side effects in adults. Therefore, the present study was aimed to evaluate the incidence of gallstone and nephrolithiasis following CTX administration. Methods The present study was conducted in the Vali-e-Asr Hospital. Eighty-four patients with various infectious diseases with different daily treatment (mean ± SD: 4.19±2.54) were included in this study, consisting of 49 females and 35 males. The mean of total doses used in patients was 10.2143 (SD: 5.8585). To detect possible gallstone, gallbladder sludge, and urolithiasis, patients were evaluated by serial ultrasound before and after CTX treatment. Patients with renal and hepatobiliary dysfunction were excluded from the study and did not receive any nephrotoxic drugs during this study. Demographic parameters including age, sex, body mass index, dosage of CTX, as well as the duration of treatment and hospitalization were determined. Statistical significances were determined using Fisher's exact test and independent t-test. Results Results from our study showed that the incidence of gallstone and nephrolithiasis were 8.8% and 1.5% following CTX administration, respectively. Surprisingly, we found a significant correlation in terms of age between patients with and without gallstone (P=0.03). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the patients' age might play a role in the development of such a complication. This indicates the need for a close monitoring of CTX-treated patients to assess the possible formation of gallstone and nephrolithiasis.
Next-generation sequencing of circulating tumor DNA for detection of gene mutations in lung cancer: implications for precision treatment

Background Lung cancer remains a major global health problem, which causes millions of deaths annually. Because the prognosis is mainly determined by the stage of lung cancer, precise early diagnosis is of great significance to improve the survival and prognosis. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been recognized as a sensitive and specific biomarker for the detection of early- and late-stage lung cancer, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of ctDNA has been accepted as a noninvasive tool for early identification and monitoring of cancer mutations. This study aimed to assess the value of NGS-based ctDNA analysis in detecting gene mutations in lung cancer patients. Methods A total of 101 subjects with pathological diagnosis of lung cancer were enrolled, and blood samples were collected. ctDNA samples were prepared and subjected to NGS assays. Results There were 31 cases harboring 40 gene mutations, and EGFR was the most frequently mutated gene (27.72%). In addition, there were seven cases with double mutations and one case with triple mutations, with EGFR p.T790M mutation exhibiting the highest frequency. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that NGS of ctDNA is effective in detecting gene mutations in lung cancer patients, and may be used as a liquid biopsy for lung cancer, which facilitates the development of precision treatment regimens for lung cancer.
Fluorinated solid electrolyte interphase enables highly reversible solid-state Li metal battery

A principle of suppressing Li dendrite in solid-state electrolytes is proposed and demonstrated using LiF-rich SEI experimentally. Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are receiving great interest because their high mechanical strength and transference number could potentially suppress Li dendrites and their high electrochemical stability allows the use of high-voltage cathodes, which enhances the energy density and safety of batteries. However, the much lower critical current density and easier Li dendrite propagation in SSEs than in nonaqueous liquid electrolytes hindered their possible applications. Herein, we successfully suppressed Li dendrite growth in SSEs by in situ forming an LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) between the SSEs and the Li metal. The LiF-rich SEI successfully suppresses the penetration of Li dendrites into SSEs, while the low electronic conductivity and the intrinsic electrochemical stability of LiF block side reactions between the SSEs and Li. The LiF-rich SEI enhances the room temperature critical current density of Li3PS4 to a record-high value of >2 mA cm−2. Moreover, the Li plating/stripping Coulombic efficiency was escalated from 88% of pristine Li3PS4 to more than 98% for LiF-coated Li3PS4. In situ formation of electronic insulating LiF-rich SEI provides an effective way to prevent Li dendrites in the SSEs, constituting a substantial leap toward the practical applications of next-generation high-energy solid-state Li metal batteries.
Chronic low back pain and postural rehabilitation exercise: a literature review

Chronic low back represents one of the major causes of disability worldwide. Our narrative review has the purpose of highlighting the evidence supporting the different rehabilitative techniques described for its management. In total, 26 studies were found suitable to be included in the review (14 articles about pilates, six about McKenzie (MK), one article about Feldenkrais, three about Global Postural Rehabilitation (GPR) and two about Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation). The effect of exercise therapy was examined for each single study through changes in the main clinical outcomes (pain, disability,) quality of life (QoL) and psychological aspects and the targeted aspects of physical function (muscle strength, mobility, muscular activity and flexibility). All the techniques are effective for the study groups with respect to the control groups in reducing pain and disability and improving the QoL and maintaining benefits at follow-up; pilates, Back School, MK and Feldenkrais methods reduce pain and are more efficient than a pharmacological or instrumental approach in reducing disability and improving all psychological aspects also. GPR shows long lasting results for the last outcome. To date, it is difficult to affirm the superiority of one approach over another. Further high quality research is needed to confirm the effect of these techniques, together with the use of more appropriate evaluation measures.
MicroRNAs in pancreatic cancer diagnosis and therapy

Pancreatic cancer remains a disease with very poor prognosis (only 5-6% of patients are still alive after five years). Attempts to improve the results of treatment of pancreatic cancer focus on a better understanding of the pathogenesis, and non-invasive diagnostic methods (genetic testing from peripheral blood), which would create the possibility of early diagnosis and early surgical treatment before the onset of metastasis. New hopes for the improvement of early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are associated with genetic testing of microRNA expression changes. A large body of evidence has revealed that microRNAs are aberrantly expressed in the serum and in cancer tissues and elicit oncogenic or tumour-suppressive functions. Selected microRNAs can distinguish pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from non-cancerous lesions of the pancreas. This review focuses on the involvement of microRNAs in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Research results related to the development of a novel therapeutic strategy based on the modulation of microRNA expressions for a better outcome in patients with pancreatic cancer are also presented.
Controlled intervention to compare the efficacies of manual pressure release and the muscle energy technique for treating mechanical neck pain due to upper trapezius trigger points

Purpose This study aimed at comparing the clinical efficacies of two manual therapies to determine the most beneficial result-oriented physiotherapeutic approach for treating nonspecific neck pain due to myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). Methods This was a randomized, controlled pretest–posttest experimental study that compared manual pressure release (MPR), the muscle energy technique (MET), and a control condition. These techniques were compared using a convenience sample of 45 female participants with neck pain due to MTrPs (mean age±SD=21.49±3.66; age range=18–30 years). The visual analog scale, pressure pain threshold, Neck Disability Index Questionnaire, and a standardized measuring tape were used to assess the participants’ neck pain, muscle tenderness, functional disability due to neck pain, and range of neck rotation, respectively, at baseline (day 0), day 1, and day 5 postintervention and at days 10 and 15 during follow-up. All groups were given postural advice and at-home neck exercises. Repeated-measures ANOVA and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results The within-group analyses showed significant improvement (P<0.05) in all outcome measures at days 1 and 5 postintervention and at days 10 and 15 during the follow-up for all groups. The between-group analyses confirmed nonsignificant differences (P>0.05) between all groups for all variables. Conclusion MPR and the MET are equally effective for reducing pain and muscle tenderness and for improving neck disability and range of rotation in patients with nonspecific neck pain. Furthermore, advice promoting postural correction can be an adjunct to physiotherapeutic interventions for reducing neck pain and its symptoms. A combination of these manual therapies with postural advice might be a good treatment option for nonspecific pain in physiotherapy clinics.
The number of resected lymph nodes is associated with the long-term survival outcome in patients with T2 N0 non-small cell lung cancer

Objective For the patients with pathologic T2 N0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the extent of lymph node (LN) removal required for survival is controversial. We aimed to explore the prognostic significance of examined LNs and to identify how many nodes should be examined. Methods We reviewed 549 patients who underwent pulmonary or pneumonectomy surgery or plus lymphadenectomy who were confirmed as T2 stage and LN negative by postoperative pathological diagnosis. According to Martingale residuals of the Cox model, the patients were classified into four groups by the number of examined LNs (1-2 LNs, 3-7 LNs, 8-11 LNs, and ≥12 LNs). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the association between survival and the number of examined LNs. Result Compared with the 1-2 LNs, 3-7 LNs, and 8-11 LNs groups, the survival was significantly better in the ≥12 LNs group. The 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 60.5% for patients with 1-2 negative LNs, compared with 68.7%, 72.6%, and 78.4% for those with 3-7, 8-11, and >11 LNs examined, respectively. The 7-year cancer-specific survival rate was 52.9% for patients with 1-2 negative LNs, compared with 63.7%, 63.8%, and 70.8% for those with 3-7, 8-11, and >11 LNs examined, respectively (P=0.045). There was a significant drop in mortality risk with the examination of more LNs. The lowest mortality risk occurred in those with 32 or more LNs examined. Multivariate analysis showed that age and the number of examined LNs were strong independent predictors of survival. Conclusion The number of examined LNs is a strong independent prognostic factor. Our study demonstrates that patients with T2 N0 NSCLC should have at least 12 LNs examined and that the results of this study may provide information for the optimal number of resected LNs in surgery.
PD-L1 monoclonal antibody-conjugated nanoparticles enhance drug delivery level and chemotherapy efficacy in gastric cancer cells

Background Docetaxel (DOC) is widely used as a chemotherapy drug for various tumors, including gastric cancer (GC), but the clinical application of DOC has been limited due to the hydrophobicity of the drug. We aimed to formulate a multifunctional nanoparticle (NP) system to reduce the side effects of the chemotherapy agent, to promote synergistic therapeutic effects, and to achieve targeted delivery of the therapy. Methods The polyethylene glycol-poly(ε-caprolactone) NPs (PEG-PCL NPs) were prepared by a ring opening copolymerization technique and were then conjugated with a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody (mAb). The effects of the surface coating on particle size, size distribution, zeta potential, drug encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, and the drug release kinetics were investigated. By using a panel of PD-L1-expressing human GC cell lines and PD-L1-overexpressing cells, we studied cellular uptake, cytotoxic effects, and cellular apoptosis in the presence of PD-L1 mAb-conjugated NPs. Results The characterization of the structure and biological functions of DOC-PEG-PCL-mAb NPs was investigated in vitro. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy validated the presence of the PD-L1 mAbs on the NP surface. The cellular uptake analysis showed that the antibody-conjugated NPs achieved significantly higher cellular uptake. The results of an in vitro cytotoxicity experiment on three GC lines further proved the targeting effects of the antibody conjugation. In addition, we found that the DOC-PEG-PCL-mAb NPs induced cell apoptosis and enhanced G2-M arrest in cancer cells, indicating the inhibition of microtubule synthesis. When compared with the control groups, DOC-PEG-PCL-mAb NPs are more effective in inhibiting PD-L1 expression in GC cells. Conclusion Our results reported here highlight the biological and clinical potential of DOC-PEG-PCL-mAb NPs using PD-L1 mAbs in GC treatment.
Psychotherapy in Europe

Psychotherapy was an invention of European modernity, but as the 20th century unfolded, and we trace how it crossed national and continental borders, its goals and the particular techniques by which it operated become harder to pin down. This introduction briefly draws together the historical literature on psychotherapy in Europe, asking comparative questions about the role of location and culture, and networks of transmission and transformation. It introduces the six articles in this special issue on Greece, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Russia, Britain and Sweden as well as its parallel special issue of History of Psychology on ‘Psychotherapy in the Americas’. It traces what these articles tell us about how therapeutic developments were entangled with the dramatic, and often traumatic, political events across the continent: in the wake of the Second World War, the emergence of Communist and authoritarian regimes, the establishment of welfare states and the advance of neoliberalism.
Enhanced Tolerance of Chinese Cabbage Seedlings Mediated by Bacillus aryabhattai H26-2 and B. siamensis H30-3 against High Temperature Stress and Fungal Infections

Two rhizobacteria Bacillus aryabhattai H26-2 and B. siamensis H30-3 were evaluated whether they are involved in stress tolerance against drought and high temperature as well as fungal infections in Chinese cabbage plants. Chinese cabbage seedlings cv. Ryeokgwang (spring cultivar) has shown better growth compared to cv. Buram-3-ho (autumn cultivar) under high temperature conditions in a greenhouse, whilst there was no difference in drought stress tolerance of the two cultivars. In vitro growth of B. aryabhattai H26-2 and B. siamensis H30-3 were differentially regulated under PEG 6000-induced drought stress at different growing temperatures (30, 40 and 50°C). Pretreatment with B. aryabhattai H26-2 and B. siamensis H30-3 enhanced the tolerance of Chinese cabbage seedlings to high temperature, but not to drought stress. It turns out that only B. siamensis H30-3 showed in vitro antifungal activities and in planta crop protection against two fungal pathogens Alternaria brassicicola and Colletotrichum higginsianum causing black spots and anthracnose on Chinese cabbage plants cv. Ryeokgwang, respectively. B. siamensis H30-3 brings several genes involved in production of cyclic lipopeptides in its genome and secreted hydrolytic enzymes like chitinase, protease and cellulase. B. siamensis H30-3 was found to produce siderophore, a high affinity iron-chelating compound. Expressions of BrChi1 and BrGST1 genes were up-regulated in Chinese cabbage leaves by B. siamensis H30-3. These findings suggest that integration of B. aryabhattai H26-2 and B. siamensis H30-3 in Chinese cabbage production system may increase productivity through improved plant growth under high temperature and crop protection against fungal pathogens.