Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stem Cell Therapy for Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Studies

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the perinatal period. This condition results from a period of ischemia and hypoxia to the brain of neonates, leading to several disorders that profoundly affect the daily life of patients and their families. Currently, therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the standard of care in developing countries; however, TH is not always effective, especially in severe cases of HIE. Addressing this concern, several preclinical studies assessed the potential of stem cell therapy (SCT) for HIE. With this systematic review, we gathered information included in 58 preclinical studies from the last decade, focusing on the ones using stem cells isolated from the umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord tissue, placenta, and bone marrow. Outstandingly, about 80% of these studies reported a significant improvement of cognitive and/or sensorimotor function, as well as decreased brain damage. These results show the potential of SCT for HIE and the possibility of this therapy, in combination with TH, becoming the next therapeutic approach for HIE. Nonetheless, few preclinical studies assessed the combination of TH and SCT for HIE, and the existent studies show some contradictory results, revealing the need to further explore this line of research.
Unripe Papaya By-Product: From Food Wastes to Functional Ingredients in Pancakes

Papaya is one of the most economic and valuable fruits in tropical countries. However, the fruit processing industries generate a high volume of unripe papaya waste and by-products. To reduce this waste, unripe papaya powder (UPP) was manufactured and incorporated into pancake formulation. The results showed that a particle size of UPP was 140.8 ± 2.1 µm, which contained polyphenolic compounds, dietary fiber and demonstrated ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Compared with wheat flour, UPP had higher values of water absorption index, water solubility index and swelling index and lower level of amylose. In the cholesterol-reducing effect, UPP decreased the formation of cholesterol micellization and bound bile acids. Interestingly, incorporation of 5–20% UPP into pancakes could decrease the glucose release with a concomitant increase in the percentage of undigestible starch. The hardness and chewiness of pancake was increased with a higher amount of UPP (10–20%). The results suggest that UPP from fruit processing waste can be regarded as a promising functional ingredient to incorporate with pancakes.
NbTMP14 Is Involved in Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Infection and Symptom Development by Interaction with the Viral NSm Protein

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the most destructive plant viruses, causing severe losses in many important crops worldwide. The non-structural protein NSm of TSWV is a viral movement protein that induces viral symptoms. However, the molecular mechanisms by which NSm contributes to symptom development are unclear. Here, we present evidence that NSm directly interacts with Nicotiana benthamiana chloroplast thylakoid membrane protein TMP14 (NbTMP14) by yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. The interaction between NSm and NbTMP14 led to the translocation of the NbTMP14 protein from the chloroplast to the cytoplasm in TSWV-infected plants, and overexpressing NSm decreased NbTMP14 mRNA accumulation. In addition, abnormal chloroplasts and starch accumulation were observed in TSWV-infected plants. Silencing of NbTMP14 by TRV VIGS also showed similar results to those of TSWV-infected plants. Overexpressing NbTMP14 in transgenic N. benthamiana plants impeded TSWV infection, and silencing NbTMP14 in N. benthamiana plants increased disease symptom severity and virus accumulation. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that the plant chloroplast TMP14 protein is involved in viral infection. Knowledge of the interaction between NSm and NbTMP14 advances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying TSWV symptom development and infection.
Degradation Mechanism of Porous Metal-Organic Frameworks by In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy

In recent years, Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have attracted a growing interest for biomedical applications. The design of MOFs should take into consideration the subtle balance between stability and biodegradability. However, only few studies have focused on the MOFs’ stability in physiological media and their degradation mechanism. Here, we investigate the degradation of mesoporous iron (III) carboxylate MOFs, which are among the most employed MOFs for drug delivery, by a set of complementary methods. In situ AFM allowed monitoring with nanoscale resolution the morphological, dimensional, and mechanical properties of a series of MOFs in phosphate buffer saline and in real time. Depending on the synthetic route, the external surface presented either well-defined crystalline planes or initial defects, which influenced the degradation mechanism of the particles. Moreover, MOF stability was investigated under different pH conditions, from acidic to neutral. Interestingly, despite pronounced erosion, especially at neutral pH, the dimensions of the crystals were unchanged. It was revealed that the external surfaces of MOF crystals rapidly respond to in situ changes of the composition of the media they are in contact with. These observations are of a crucial importance for the design of nanosized MOFs for drug delivery applications.
Clinical Reality and Treatment for Local Recurrence of Rectal Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background and Objectives: Despite advances in treatment, local recurrence remains a great concern in patients with rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of local recurrence of rectal cancer in our single center over a 7-year-period. Materials and Methods: Patients with stage I-III rectal cancer were treated with curative intent. The necessity for radiotherapy and chemotherapy was determined before surgery and/or postoperative histopathological results. Results: Of 365 rectal cancer patients, 76 (20.8%) developed recurrent disease. In total, 27 (7.4%) patients presented with a local tumor recurrence (isolated in 40.7% of cases). Radiotherapy was performed in 296 (81.1%) patients. The most often used schema was 5 × 5 Gy followed by immediate surgery (n = 214, 58.6%). Local recurrence occurred less frequently in patients treated with 5 × 5 Gy radiotherapy followed by surgery (n = 9, 4%). Surgical procedures of relapses were performed in 12 patients, six of whom were operated with radical intent. Only two (7.4%) patients lived more than 5 years after local recurrence treatment. The incidence of local recurrence was associated with primary tumor distal location and worse prognosis. The median overall survival of patients after local recurrence treatment was 19 months. Conclusions: Individualized rectal cancer patient selection and systematic treatment algorithms should be used clinical practice to minimize likelihood of relapse. 5 × 5 Gy radiotherapy followed by immediate surgery allows good local control in resectable cT2N+/cT3N0 patients. Radical resection of isolated local recurrence offers the best chances of cure.
Association between Chinese Dietary Guidelines Compliance Index for Pregnant Women and Risks of Pregnancy Complications in the Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort

Background: Compliance with dietary guidelines among pregnant women can positively influence not only their own health but also the health of their babies. Measuring the compliance requires professional skills in nutrition and dietary counseling. In China, few simple and effective techniques assess dietary quality among pregnant women, especially in rural areas. We aimed to establish a new simple and effective assessment technique, the “Chinese Dietary Guidelines Compliance Index for Pregnant Women (CDGCI-PW)” and assess the association between maternal dietary compliance and risks of pregnancy complications. Methods: The CDGCI-PW consists of 13 main components which were based on the 2016 edition of the Chinese dietary guidelines for pregnant women. Each component was assigned a different score range, and the overall score ranged from 0 to 100 points. The Tongji Maternal and Child Health Cohort study (from September 2013 to May 2016) was a prospective cohort study designed to examine maternal dietary and lifestyle effects on the health of pregnant women and their offspring. The maternal diet during the second trimester was compared with the corresponding recommended intake of the Chinese balanced dietary pagoda for pregnant women to verify their compliance with dietary guidelines. The association between maternal dietary quality and risks of pregnancy complications was estimated by regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to identify the optimal cut-off values of CDGCI-PW for gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Results: Among the 2708 pregnant women, 1489 were eventually followed up. The mean CDGCI-PW score was 74.1 (standard deviation (SD) 7.5) in the second trimester. The majority of foods showed the following trend: the higher the CDGCI-PW score, the higher the proportion of pregnant women who reported food intake within the recommended range. Moreover, a higher maternal CDGCI-PW score was significantly associated with lower risks of gestational hypertension [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [(CI): 0.30 (0.20, 0.37)] and GDM [OR (95% CI): 0.38 (0.31, 0.48)]. The optimal CDGCI-PW cut-off value for gestational hypertension was ≥68.5 (sensitivity 82%; specificity: 61%; area under the ROC curve, AUC = 0.743), and the optimal CDGCI-PW cut-off score for GDM was ≥75.5 (sensitivity 43%; specificity: 81%; area under the ROC curve, AUC = 0.714). Conclusions: The CDGCI-PW is a simple and useful technique that assesses maternal diet quality during pregnancy, while adherence to the CDGCI-PW is associated with a lower risk of gestational hypertension and GDM.
Isolated Cognitive Decline in Neurologically Stable Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

(1) Background: Cognitive deterioration is an important marker of disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). It is vital to detect cognitive decline as soon as possible. Cognitive deterioration can take the form of isolated cognitive decline (ICD) with no other clinical signs of disease progression present. (2) Methods: We investigated 1091 MS patients from the longitudinal GQ (Grant Quantitative) study, assessing their radiological, neurological, and neuropsychological data. Additionally, the confirmatory analysis was conducted. Clinical disease activity was defined as the presence of new relapse or disability worsening. MRI activity was defined as the presence of new or enlarged T2 lesions on brain MRI. (3) Results: Overall, 6.4% of patients experienced cognitive decline and 4.0% experienced ICD without corresponding clinical activity. The vast majority of cognitively worsening patients showed concomitant progression in other neurological and radiologic measures. There were no differences in disease severity between completely stable patients and cognitively worsening patients but with normal cognition at baseline. (4) Conclusions: Only a small proportion of MS patients experience ICD over short-term follow-up. Patients with severe MS are more prone to cognitive decline; however, patients with normal cognitive performance and mild MS might benefit from the early detection of cognitive decline the most.
Morpho-Functional Consequences of Swiss Cheese Knockdown in Glia of Drosophila melanogaster

Glia are crucial for the normal development and functioning of the nervous system in many animals. Insects are widely used for studies of glia genetics and physiology. Drosophila melanogaster surface glia (perineurial and subperineurial) form a blood–brain barrier in the central nervous system and blood–nerve barrier in the peripheral nervous system. Under the subperineurial glia layer, in the cortical region of the central nervous system, cortex glia encapsulate neuronal cell bodies, whilst in the peripheral nervous system, wrapping glia ensheath axons of peripheral nerves. Here, we show that the expression of the evolutionarily conserved swiss cheese gene is important in several types of glia. swiss cheese knockdown in subperineurial glia leads to morphological abnormalities of these cells. We found that the number of subperineurial glia nuclei is reduced under swiss cheese knockdown, possibly due to apoptosis. In addition, the downregulation of swiss cheese in wrapping glia causes a loss of its integrity. We reveal transcriptome changes under swiss cheese knockdown in subperineurial glia and in cortex + wrapping glia and show that the downregulation of swiss cheese in these types of glia provokes reactive oxygen species acceleration. These results are accompanied by a decline in animal mobility measured by the negative geotaxis performance assay.
Impacts of in Utero Heat Stress on Carcass and Meat Quality Traits of Market Weight Gilts

Simple Summary This study evaluated the effects of exposure of the porcine fetus to in utero heat stress (IUHS) during the first half of gestation on carcass and meat quality attributes when market weight was reached. Pigs exposed to IUHS had lower head and heart weights at slaughter compared to the thermoneutral group. Most measures of carcass quality were not impacted by the treatments, but lower loin muscle area was observed for IUHS carcasses. Additionally, the loins from the heat stressed pigs were found to be tougher, regardless of the duration of aging. Accordingly, minimizing heat stress experienced by gestating pigs would be considered an important factor in improving both yield and quality of pork production systems. Abstract This study evaluated the impacts of in utero heat stress (IUHS) on the carcass and meat quality traits of offspring when market weight was reached. Twenty-four F1 Landrace × Large White gilts were blocked by body weight and allocated among thermoneutral (IUTN) or IUHS treatments from d 6 to d 59 of gestation. The offspring were raised under identical thermoneutral conditions, and gilts (n = 10/treatment) at market weight (117.3 ± 1.7 kg) were harvested. At 24 h postmortem, the loins (M. longissimus lumborum) were obtained, and sections were allocated among 1 d and 7 d aging treatments at 2 °C. Carcasses from IUHS pigs had lower head and heart weights (p < 0.05), as well as decreased loin muscle area (p < 0.05) compared to IUTN pigs. Loins from the IUHS group had a higher shear force value than the IUTN group (p < 0.05). Treatments had no other impacts on carcass and meat quality traits (p > 0.05), and Western blots suggested increased toughness of IUHS loins would not be attributed to proteolysis. These results suggest minimizing IUHS during the first half of gestation may be beneficial in improving pork yield and quality, though in general the effects of IUHS would be minimal.
Incorporation of In Situ Synthesized Nano-Copper Modified Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin to Improve the Mechanical Properties of Chinese Fir: A Preliminary Study

Phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin, modified using nano-copper with varying contents (0 wt%, 1 wt%, 3 wt%), was manufactured to improve the mechanical properties of Chinese fir. The morphology, chemical, micromechanical and micromechanical properties of the samples were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nanoindentation (NI) and traditional mechanical testing. The TEM and AFM results indicated that the in situ synthesized nano-copper particles were well-dispersed, and spherical, with a diameter of about 70 nm in PF resin. From the FTIR chemical changes detected by FTIR inferred that the nano-copper modified PF resin penetrated into the Chinese fir cell walls and interacted with the acetyl groups of hemicellulose by forming a crosslinked structure. Accordingly, the micro-mechanical properties of the Chinese fir cell walls were enhanced after treatment with nano-copper modified PF resin. The filling of the PF-1-Cu resin (1 wt% nano-copper) in the wood resulted in 13.7% and 22.2% increases in the elastic modulus (MOE) and hardness, respectively, of the cell walls. Besides, the impact toughness and compressive strength of the Chinese fir impregnated with PF-1-Cu resin were 21.8% and 8.2% higher than that of the PF-0-Cu resin. Therefore, in situ synthesized nano-copper-modified PF resin is a powerful treatment method for Chinese fir due to improved diffusive properties and reinforcement of the mechanical properties.
Cognitive Diversity as the Quality of Leadership in Crisis: Team Performance in Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The level of leadership skills of healthcare team leaders has long been the subject of interest and many discussions. Several studies have pointed to their inadequacy, which is becoming a serious problem during the global crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a direct link between the leadership in the healthcare system and its performance, conditioned by the level of decisions of leaders of medical teams. It is they who determine the performance of healthcare delivery. The study published in this article contains the results from the examination of the dependence between crisis leadership and team performance in healthcare providers. The subject of the research is the impact of cognitive diversity and the quality of crisis-leadership decision-making on the performance of medical teams in the acute crisis phase. The study was conducted on a research sample of 216 healthcare providers after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia (April 2020). The respondents to the research sample involved team leaders in healthcare providers, who have been involved in managing the crisis. The study has justified the positive association between crisis leadership and team performance, which is mediated by cognitive diversity, supporting the quality of decision-making in crisis leadership. The results of the research have proven that the performance of the medical team in the acute crisis phase can be positively influenced through qualified decision-making in crisis leadership amplified by the usage of cognitive diversity.
Microglial Pruning: Relevance for Synaptic Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Experimental Models

Microglia, besides being able to react rapidly to a wide range of environmental changes, are also involved in shaping neuronal wiring. Indeed, they actively participate in the modulation of neuronal function by regulating the elimination (or “pruning”) of weaker synapses in both physiologic and pathologic processes. Mounting evidence supports their crucial role in early synaptic loss, which is emerging as a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and its preclinical models. MS is an inflammatory, immune-mediated pathology of the white matter in which demyelinating lesions may cause secondary neuronal death. Nevertheless, primitive grey matter (GM) damage is emerging as an important contributor to patients’ long-term disability, since it has been associated with early and progressive cognitive decline (CD), which seriously worsens the quality of life of MS patients. Widespread synapse loss even in the absence of demyelination, axon degeneration and neuronal death has been demonstrated in different GM structures, thus raising the possibility that synaptic dysfunction could be an early and possibly independent event in the neurodegenerative process associated with MS. This review provides an overview of microglial-dependent synapse elimination in the neuroinflammatory process that underlies MS and its experimental models.
Association between Kinesiophobia and Gait Asymmetry after ACL Reconstruction: Implications for Prevention of Reinjury

Gait asymmetries have been documented in individuals after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR). The relationship between gait asymmetry and associated psychological factors, however, is not yet known. This study aimed to examine the relationship between kinesiophobia (fear of reinjury) and asymmetry of vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and lower-extremity muscular activity in individuals after ACLR during gait. Twenty-eight males with a history of ACLR participated in the study. Force plate and surface electromyography was used to record peak vGRF and muscular activity. The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-11) was used to measure kinesiophobia. Spearman’s rank correlations analysis was used to examine the relationship between TSK-11 scores and both gait asymmetry variables. There was a significant positive relationship between TSK-11 and asymmetry of the second peak of vGRF (rs = 0.531, p = 0.002). In addition, there was a significant positive association between asymmetry of rectus femoris activity (rs = 0.460, p = 0.007) and biceps femoris activity (rs = 0.429, p = 0.011) in the contact phase. Results revealed a significant relationship between kinesiophobia and asymmetry in muscle activity and vGRF in different phases of the gait cycle. Interventions addressing kinesiophobia early in the rehabilitation after ACLR may support the restoration of gait symmetry, facilitate a more rapid return to sport, and reduce the risk of ACL reinjury.
Study of the l-Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase Penetration Kinetics and the Efficacy of Phenylalanine Catabolism Correction Using In Vitro Model Systems

The kinetics of l-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) penetration into the monolayer of liver cells after its release from capsules was studied. The studies showed the absence of the effect of the capsule shell based on plant hydrocolloids on the absorption of l-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in systems simulating the liver surface. After 120 min of incubation, in all variants of the experiment, from 87.0 to 96.8% of the enzyme penetrates the monolayer of liver cells. The combined analysis of the results concludes that the developed encapsulated form of l-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase is characterized by high efficiency in correcting the disturbed catabolism of phenylalanine in phenylketonuria, which is confirmed by the results of experiments carried out on in vitro model systems. PAL is approved for the treatment of adult patients with phenylketonuria. The encapsulated l-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase form can find therapeutic application in the phenylketonuria treatment after additional in vitro and in vivo studies, in particular, the study of preparation safety indicators. Furthermore, it demonstrated high efficacy in tumor regression and the treatment of tyrosine-related metabolic disorders such as tyrosinemia. Several therapeutically valuable metabolites biosynthesized by PAL via its catalytic action are included in food supplements, antimicrobial peptides, drugs, amino acids, and their derivatives. PAL, with improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, is a highly effective medical drug.