Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concussion Incidence and Impact on Player Performance in Major League Baseball Players Before and After a Standardized Concussion Protocol

Background: Sports-related concussions have garnered significant attention in recent years because of the negative effects they can have on a player’s cognitive health and performance. In response to this growing concern, Major League Baseball (MLB) introduced a standardized concussion protocol during the 2011-2012 season. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare the reported incidence of concussions and the subsequent performance of MLB players before and after the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol. We hypothesized that the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol would not have an impact on player performance postconcussion. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Players who suffered a concussion between 2001 and 2018 were identified from the MLB transactions page. Incidence and player performance were compared before and after the introduction of the standardized concussion protocol. Player performance was evaluated using traditional data and sabermetric data, which are advanced statistics used in conjunction with standard statistics to better compare players and teams. Player averages were calculated and compared using paired t tests for 30 days before and after concussion, 1 year before and after concussion, and career before and after concussion. Averages were also compared before and after the institution of the standardized concussion protocol using independent-measures t tests. Results: There were a total of 114 players who suffered 142 concussions, with 77% of those occurring after the introduction of the concussion protocol (32 before, 110 after). The average time missed because of concussion significantly decreased from 33.7 days (range, 10-122 days) to 18.9 days (range, 6-111 days) after the concussion protocol (P = .0005). There was no difference in player performance (including batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging for batters; earned run average, fielding-independent pitching, and walks plus hits per inning pitched for pitchers) after concussion at any time point (30 days, 1 year, or career) when comparing these statistics before versus after the MLB concussion protocol. However, batter performance was significantly poorer 1 year after concussion and over the remainder of the players' careers (P < .05). Conclusion: The number of reported concussions increased after the introduction of the MLB concussion protocol. However, players spent significantly less time on the disabled list without any adverse effect on player performance. Despite these changes, long-term batting performance was significantly poorer after concussion.
The Effect of Breathing Exercises and Sleep Hygiene Instructions on Insomnia and Pain in Patients with Burn Injuries

Background: Insomnia and pain are the most commonly reported problems after burn injuries. Poor sleeping and pain can be extremely distressing and debilitating, and actually interfere with recovery from a burn injury. Aim: This study was intended to evaluate the effect of breathing exercises and sleep hygiene instructions on insomnia and pain in patients with burn injuries. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was utilized. A convenience sample of 60 male and female adults who were admitted to the burn unit in one of the biggest teaching hospitals in Cairo were recruited and randomly allocated to a control and intervention group. One questionnaire and four scales were utilized to collect the data: (1) Background data sheet, (2) The Behavioral Relaxation Scale (BRS), (3) Self-rating relaxation scale, (4) Visual Analogue Scale for assessing pain and fatigue and (5) Insomnia Severity Index. The patients were followed for three days. Results: The intervention group achieved a significantly higher reduction in the mean pain intensity score (p = 0.037), decreased insomnia (p = 0.001) and increased relaxation level (p = 0.000) after the intervention compared to the control group. Fatigue was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.069). Conclusions and recommendations: breathing exercises and sleep hygiene instructions could reduce pain and insomnia in patients with burn injuries. Thus, breathing exercises and sleep hygiene instructions must be endorsed as a nursing role for patients with burn injuries in the early course of the disease, so that the patients experience the maximum benefit. Keywords: burn, sleep hygiene instructions, insomnia, breathing exercises, pain
Plants use identical inhibitors to protect their cell wall pectin against microbes and insects

Abstract As fundamentally different as phytopathogenic microbes and herbivorous insects are, they enjoy plant‐based diets. Hence, they encounter similar challenges to acquire nutrients. Both microbes and beetles possess polygalacturonases (PGs) that hydrolyze the plant cell wall polysaccharide pectin. Countering these threats, plant proteins inhibit PGs of microbes, thereby lowering their infection rate. Whether PG‐inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) play a role in defense against herbivorous beetles is unknown. To investigate the significance of PGIPs in insect–plant interactions, feeding assays with the leaf beetle Phaedon cochleariae on Arabidopsis thaliana pgip mutants were performed. Fitness was increased when larvae were fed on mutant plants compared to wild‐type plants. Moreover, PG activity was higher, although PG genes were downregulated in larvae fed on PGIP‐deficient plants, strongly suggesting that PGIPs impair PG activity. As low PG activity resulted in delayed larval growth, our data provide the first in vivo correlative evidence that PGIPs act as defense against insects.
Bisphenol A and the Risk of Obesity a Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of the Epidemiological Evidence

Bisphenol A (BPA) is suspected to be associated with several chronic metabolic diseases. The aim of the present study was to review previous epidemiological studies that examined the relationship between BPA exposure and the risk of obesity. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were systematically searched by 2 independent investigators for articles published from the start of database coverage until January 1, 2020. Subsequently, the reference list of each relevant article was scanned for any other potentially eligible publications. We included observational studies published in English that measured urinary BPA. Odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the highest versus lowest level of BPA were calculated. Ten studies with a sample size from 888 to 4793 participants met our inclusion criteria. We found a positive correlation between the level of BPA and obesity risk. A dose–response analysis revealed that 1-ng/mL increase in BPA increased the risk of obesity by 11%. The similar results were for different type of obesity, gender, and age.
A Review of Salivary Diagnostics and Its Potential Implication in Detection of Covid-19

Saliva is an exocrine secretion produced from the salivary glands and has numerous functions, such as cleansing and protection of the oral cavity, antimicrobial effects and aids in digestion. Due to the speedy development in the field of salivaomics, saliva is now well accepted as a pool of biological markers that vary from changes in biochemicals, nucleic acids and proteins to the microflora. Saliva has an immense potential as a diagnostic fluid and offers an edge over other biological fluids as its collection method does not require invasive procedure, economical and is useful for monitoring systemic health. Development of sensitive and precise salivary diagnostic tools and the formulation of defined guidelines following meticulous testing will allow salivary diagnostics to be utilised as chair side tests for various oral and systemic diseases in the near future. The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic is the biggest challenge and global health crisis for the world since World War Two. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of Covid-19 is crucial in controlling the outbreak in the community and in hospitals. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs are the recommended specimen types for Covid-19 diagnostic testing. The collection of these specimen types requires close contact between healthcare workers and patients and poses a risk of transmission of the virus, causes discomfort and may cause bleeding, especially in patients with condition such as thrombocytopenia. Hence, nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swabs are not desirable for sequential monitoring of viral load. Saliva specimens can be obtained easily as the patient is asked to spit into a sterile bottle. The collection of saliva is non-invasive and greatly minimizes the exposure of healthcare workers to Covid-19. Saliva has a high consistency rate of greater than 90% with nasopharyngeal specimens in the detection of respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses. Saliva has also been used in screening respiratory viruses among hospitalized patients without pyrexia or respiratory symptoms. SARS-CoV can be detected in saliva at high titers. Salivary diagnostics is a dynamic field that is being incorporated as part of disease diagnosis, clinical monitoring of systemic health and to make significant clinical decisions for patient care. More research is required to analyze the potential diagnostic of Covid-19 in saliva to develop rapid chair side tests for the detection of Covid-19 and it is also pivotal to improve and develop successful strategies for prevention, especially for dentists and healthcare professionals who are involved in performing aerosol-generating procedures.
Mortality and Morbidity in Kidney Transplant Recipients With a Failing Graft: A Matched Cohort Study

Background: Due to their history of renal disease and exposure to immunosuppression, kidney transplant recipients with a failing graft may be at higher risk of adverse outcomes compared to nontransplant controls. Understanding the burden of disease in transplant recipients may inform treatment decisions of people whose native kidneys are failing and may be eligible for a transplant. Objective: To compare mortality and morbidity in kidney transplant recipients with a failing graft to matched nontransplant controls. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Alberta, Canada. Patients: Kidney transplant recipients with a failing graft were identified as having at least 2 estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurements between 15-30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (90-365 days apart). We also identified nontransplant controls with a similar degree of kidney dysfunction. Measurements: Mortality and hospitalization. Methods: We propensity-score matched 520 kidney transplant recipients with a failing graft to 520 nontransplant controls. Results: The median age of the matched cohort was 57 years and 40% were women. Compared to matched nontransplant controls, recipients with a failing graft had a higher hazard of death (hazard ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-1.85; p < .001) and a higher rate of all-cause hospitalization (rate ratio, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.42-1.97; p < .001). Kidney transplant recipients also had a higher rate of several cause-specific hospitalizations including genitourinary, cardiovascular, and infectious causes. Limitations: Observational design with the risk of residual confounding. Conclusions: A failing kidney transplant is associated with an increased burden of mortality and morbidity beyond chronic kidney disease. This information may assist the discussion of prognosis in kidney transplant recipients with a failing graft and the design of strategies to minimize risks.
PD-L1 is overexpressed on breast cancer stem cells through notch3/mTOR axis

ABSTRACT The T-cell inhibitory molecule PD-L1 is expressed on a fraction of breast cancer cells. The distribution of PD-L1 on the different subpopulations of breast cancer cells is not well-defined. Our aim was to study the expression level of PD-L1 on breast cancer stem-like (CSC-like) cells and their differentiated-like counterparts. We used multi-parametric flow cytometry to measure PD-L1 expression in different subpopulations of breast cancer cells. Pathway inhibitors, quantitative immunofluorescence, cell sorting, and western blot were used to investigate the underlying mechanism of PD-L1 upregulation in CSC-like cells. Specifically, PD-L1 was overexpressed up to three folds on breast CSC-like cells compared with more differentiated-like cancer cells. Functional in vitro and in vivo assays show higher stemness of PD-L1hi as compared with PD-L1lo cells. Among different pathways examined, PD-L1 expression on CSCs was partly dependant on Notch, and/or PI3K/AKT pathway activation. The effect of Notch inhibitors on PD-L1 overexpression in CSCs was completely abrogated upon mTOR knockdown. Specific knockdown of different Notch receptors shows Notch3 as a mediator for PD-L1 overexpression on CSCs and important for maintaining their stemness. Indeed, Notch3 was found to be overexpressed on PD-L1hi cells and specific knockdown of Notch3 abolished the effect of notch inhibitors and ligands on PD-L1 expression as well as mTOR activation. Our data demonstrated that overexpression of PD-L1 on CSCs is partly mediated by the notch pathway through Notch3/mTOR axis. We propose that these findings will help in a better design of anti-PD-L1 combination therapies to treat breast cancer effectively.
An Undergraduate Elective Course That Introduces Topics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into Discussions of Science†

In this Science, Ethics, and Society elective undergraduate course at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, students consider topics that scientists face continuously, including human and animal subjects, science denial, treatment of scientists, who owns and funds science, personalized medicine and genetics, health disparities, and scientific integrity, all through lenses of inclusion and equity. Students read primary and secondary literature pertaining to each day’s topic, upload reflections to a course management system, and engage in structured dialogue in a facilitated classroom environment. Overarching themes address how women and men and their scientific work have been treated or received differently, as well as particular challenges faced by people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those with disabilities. This course helps students see how the culture of science has been created and sustained, how it has not encouraged equal participation, and how it could be shaped differently. Student responses to the course recognize that this approach to the scientific material is valuable and that it does not appear elsewhere in their curriculum.
Spatial variability of hosts, parasitoids and their interactions across a homogeneous landscape

Abstract Species assemblages and their interactions vary through space, generating diversity patterns at different spatial scales. Here, we study the local‐scale spatial variation of a cavity‐nesting bee and wasp community (hosts), their nest associates (parasitoids), and the resulting antagonistic network over a continuous and homogeneous habitat. To obtain bee/wasp nests, we placed trap‐nests at 25 sites over a 32 km2 area. We obtained 1,541 nests (4,954 cells) belonging to 40 host species and containing 27 parasitoid species. The most abundant host species tended to have higher parasitism rate. Community composition dissimilarity was relatively high for both hosts and parasitoids, and the main component of this variability was species turnover, with a very minor contribution of ordered species loss (nestedness). That is, local species richness tended to be similar across the study area and community composition tended to differ between sites. Interestingly, the spatial matching between host and parasitoid composition was low. Host β‐diversity was weakly (positively) but significantly related to geographic distance. On the other hand, parasitoid and host‐parasitoid interaction β‐diversities were not significantly related to geographic distance. Interaction β‐diversity was even higher than host and parasitoid β‐diversity, and mostly due to species turnover. Interaction rewiring between plots and between local webs and the regional metaweb was very low. In sum, species composition was rather idiosyncratic to each site causing a relevant mismatch between hosts and parasitoid composition. However, pairs of host and parasitoid species tended to interact similarly wherever they co‐occurred. Our results additionally show that interaction β‐diversity is better explained by parasitoid than by host β‐diversity. We discuss the importance of identifying the sources of variation to understand the drivers of the observed heterogeneity.
Tumor-associated tertiary lymphoid structure predicts postoperative outcomes in patients with primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors

ABSTRACT Tumor-infiltrating tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are thought to have anti-tumor activity and are believed to indicate a favorable prognosis in cancer patients. However, the prognostic value of TLS in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is unknown. We evaluated the prognostic value of TLS using two independent GIST cohorts. Pathological examinations identified TLS in 44.9% of patients in our discovery cohort (DC). TLS was significantly associated with smaller tumor size (P = .011), relatively well morphological classification (P < .001), lower NIH classification (P < .001), lower recurrence (P = .005), longer survival time (P < .001) and lower imatinib resistance (P = .006). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that TLS was remarkably associated with favorable survival (P = .0002) and recurrence (P = .0015) time. In addition, the presence of KIT mutations and the absence of TLS suggested worst prognosis both in terms of overall survival (OS) (P = .0029) and time to recurrence (TTR) (P = .0150), while the presence of PDGFRA mutations and TLS suggested optimal prognosis for OS and TTR. Multivariate analyzes demonstrated that TLS was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR:0.180, P = .002) and TTR (HR:0.412, P = .023). These results were confirmed using our validation cohort. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry staining was used to determine the composition of TLS. Therapies designed to target TLS may be a novel therapeutic strategy for GIST patients with imatinib resistance.
Standardized 11-color flow cytometry panel for the functional phenotyping of human T regulatory cells

T regulatory cells (Tregs) are a cell subset that can suppress immune responses to maintain homeostasis and self-tolerance. In some scenarios, the immunosuppressive nature could be associated to other pathological developments such as autoimmune diseases and cancers. Due to the importance of Tregs in disease pathogenesis, we developed and validated an 11-color flow cytometry panel for phenotypic and functional detection of Treg markers using healthy human donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Our panel contains 4 Treg surface proteins and 2 functional cytokines as well as T-lymphocyte lineage markers CD3, CD4, and CD8. Our data shows an increase in expression of markers CD25, FoxP3, CTLA4, GITR and intracellular cytokines IL4 and TGFβ when comparing unstimulated samples to CD3/CD28 bead stimulated samples. This 11-color panel can be used to functionally evaluate immunosuppressive Tregs in human PBMC samples.
Using the otolith sulcus to aid in prey identification and improve estimates of prey size in diet studies of a piscivorous predator

Abstract Diet studies are fundamental for understanding trophic connections in marine ecosystems. In the southeastern US, the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus is the predominant marine mammal in coastal waters, but its role as a top predator has received little attention. Diet studies of piscivorous predators, like bottlenose dolphins, start with assessing prey otoliths recovered from stomachs or feces, but digestive erosion hampers species identification and underestimates fish weight (FW). To compensate, FW is often estimated from the least affected otoliths and scaled to other otoliths, which also introduces bias. The sulcus, an otolith surface feature, has a species‐specific shape of its ostium and caudal extents, which is within the otolith edge for some species. We explored whether the sulcus could improve species identification and estimation of prey size using a case study of four sciaenid species targeted by fisheries and bottlenose dolphins in North Carolina. Methods were assessed first on otoliths from a reference collection (n = 421) and applied to prey otoliths (n = 5,308) recovered from 120 stomachs of dead stranded dolphins. We demonstrated in reference‐collection otoliths that cauda to sulcus length (CL:SL) could discriminate between spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) and weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) (classification accuracy = 0.98). This method confirmed for the first time predation of spotted seatrout by bottlenose dolphins in North Carolina. Using predictive models developed from reference‐collection otoliths, we provided evidence that digestion affects otolith length more than sulcus or cauda length, making the latter better predictors. Lastly, we explored scenarios of calculating total consumed biomass across degrees of digestion. A suggested approach was for the least digested otoliths to be scaled to other otoliths iteratively from within the same stomach, month, or season as samples allow. Using the otolith sulcus helped overcome challenges of species identification and fish size estimation, indicating their potential use in other diet studies.
Psychiatric Disorders Among Older Black Americans: Within- and Between-Group Differences

Abstract Psychiatric disorders impose significant personal, social, and financial costs for individuals, families, and the nation. Despite a large amount of research and several journals focused on psychiatric conditions, there is a paucity of research on psychiatric disorders among Black Americans (i.e., African Americans and Black Caribbeans), particularly older Black Americans. The present literature review examines research on psychiatric disorders among older Black Americans and provides a broad overview of research findings that are based on nationally representative studies. Collectively, this research finds: (1) older African Americans have lower rates of psychiatric disorders than younger African Americans; (2) family support is not protective of psychiatric disorders, whereas negative interaction with family members is a risk factor; (3) everyday discrimination is a risk factor for psychiatric disorders; (4) both older African Americans and African American across the adult age range have lower prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders than non-Latino whites; (5) Black Caribbean men have particularly high rates of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicide attempts; and (6) a significant proportion of African American older adults with mental health disorders do not receive professional help. This literature review also discusses the “Race Paradox” in mental health, the Environmental Affordances Model, and the importance of investigating ethnicity differences among Black Americans. Future research directions address issues that are directly relevant to the Black American population and include the following: (1) understanding the impact of mass incarceration on the psychiatric disorders of prisoners’ family members, (2) assessing the impact of immigration from African countries for ethnic diversity within the Black American population, (3) examining the impact of racial identity and racial socialization as potential protective factors for psychiatric morbidities, and (4) assessing racial diversity in life-course events and their impact on mental health.