Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis: Determining the Optimal Subgroup of Patients in Whom the Procedure is Beneficial

Recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) is a syndrome characterized by relapsing bouts of acute pancreatitis punctuated by asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic intervals of variable durations—ranging from months to years. Patients with RAP are at potential risk of developing chronic pancreatitis over time. Therefore, when managing a patient with RAP, clinicians should make every effort to minimize the likelihood of relapse. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is generally required as a therapeutic tool after a definite etiology has been identified; meanwhile, tools such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are used as less invasive alternatives for diagnosing chronic pancreatitis, ductal abnormalities, and occult obstructive etiologies. However, even among experts there is debate regarding the use of endoscopic treatment for RAP; some advocate the use of ERCP, while others do not. Moreover, the specific interventions performed during ERCP are still heterogenous. In a study published in this issue of Clinical Endoscopy, Reichstein et al. investigated the clinical patterns of ERCP use in the treatment of RAP through a nationwide survey in the United States. The study focused on whether or not a patient would undergo ERCP for RAP and did not consider other modalities of evaluation such as EUS or secretin MRCP. They concluded that factors like duct dilatation, presence of symptoms, and pancreas divisum significantly increased the probability that ERCP is recommended for a patient. Of these, pancreatic duct dilatation was found to be the most significant factor, followed by presence of symptoms and pancreas divisum. Pancreatic duct dilatation can be due to various etiologies such as choledochal cysts, anomalous pancreatobiliary junctions, tumors, papillary stenosis, and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD). ERCP plays a clear role in patients with RAP secondary to pancreatobiliary neoplasms, type 3 choledochal cysts, and anomalous pancreatobiliary junctions. SOD is defined as a pathologic elevation in basal sphincter pressure (>40 mm Hg) and might be related to RAP; however, it remains unclear whether SOD represents an underlying cause, or is the result of a fibroinflammatory change around the papilla. Studies investigating ERCP for SOD based on manometry are generally limited due to a lack of control groups. One longterm study showed that the 10-year recurrence rate for cases of RAP due to SOD treated with ERCP is more than 50%. Received: December 10, 2019 Revised: January 1, 2020 Accepted: January 2, 2020 Correspondence: Takuji Iwashita First Department of Internal Medicine, Gifu University Hospital, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan Tel: +81-58-230-6308, Fax: +81-58-230-6310, E-mail: takuji@w7.dion. ne.jp ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4978-1787
Alcohol Harms over a Period of Alcohol Policy Reform: Surveys of New Zealand College Residents in 2004 and 2014

Background: We estimated the change in the prevalence of harms attributed by students to their drinking and to others’ drinking, over a decade of concerted effort by university authorities to reduce antisocial behaviour and improve student safety. Interventions included a security and liaison service, a stricter code of conduct, challenges to liquor license applications near campus, and a ban on alcohol advertising. Methods: We used a pre-post design adjusting for population changes. We invited all students residing in colleges of a New Zealand University to complete web surveys in 2004 and 2014, using identical methods. We estimated change in the 4-week prevalence of 15 problems and harms among drinkers, and nine harms from others’ drinking among all respondents. We adjusted for differences in sample sociodemographic characteristics between surveys. Results: Among drinkers there were reductions in several harms, the largest being in acts of vandalism (7.1% to 2.7%), theft (11% to 4.5%), and physical aggression (10% to 5.3%). Among all respondents (including non-drinkers), there were reductions in unwanted sexual advances (14% to 8.9%) and being the victim of sexual assault (1.0% to 0.4%). Conclusion: Alcohol-related harm, including the most serious outcomes, decreased substantially among college residents in this period of alcohol policy reform. In conjunction with evidence of reduced drinking to intoxication in this population, the findings suggest that strategies to reduce the availability and promotion of alcohol on and near campus can substantially reduce the incidence of health and social harms.
Zwitterion Co-Polymer PEI-SBMA Nanofiltration Membrane Modified by Fast Second Interfacial Polymerization

Nanofiltration membranes have evolved as a promising solution to tackle the clean water scarcity and wastewater treatment processes with their low energy requirement and environment friendly operating conditions. Thin film composite nanofiltration membranes with high permeability, and excellent antifouling and antibacterial properties are important component for wastewater treatment and clean drinking water production units. In the scope of this study, thin film composite nanofiltration membranes were fabricated using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support and fast second interfacial polymerization modification methods by grafting polyethylene amine and zwitterionic sulfobutane methacrylate moieties. Chemical and physical alteration in structure of the membranes were characterized using methods like ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, XPS analysis, FESEM and AFM imaging. The effects of second interfacial polymerization to incorporate polyamide layer and ‘ion pair’ characteristics, in terms of water contact angle and surface charge analysis was investigated in correlation with nanofiltration performance. Furthermore, the membrane characteristics in terms of antifouling properties were evaluated using model protein foulants like bovine serum albumin and lysozyme. Antibacterial properties of the modified membranes were investigated using E. coli as model biofoulant. Overall, the effect of second interfacial polymerization without affecting the selectivity layer of nanofiltration membrane for their potential large-scale application was investigated in detail.
Voxel-FPN: Multi-Scale Voxel Feature Aggregation for 3D Object Detection from LIDAR Point Clouds

Object detection in point cloud data is one of the key components in computer vision systems, especially for autonomous driving applications. In this work, we present Voxel-Feature Pyramid Network, a novel one-stage 3D object detector that utilizes raw data from LIDAR sensors only. The core framework consists of an encoder network and a corresponding decoder followed by a region proposal network. Encoder extracts and fuses multi-scale voxel information in a bottom-up manner, whereas decoder fuses multiple feature maps from various scales by Feature Pyramid Network in a top-down way. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method has better performance on extracting features from point data and demonstrates its superiority over some baselines on the challenging KITTI-3D benchmark, obtaining good performance on both speed and accuracy in real-world scenarios.
Transplacental Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Identified in Paired Maternal and Cord Sera Using Suspect and Non-Target Screening.

Novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in various environmental media have attracted increasing attention; however, the information regarding PFASs exposure in pregnant women and fetuses is insufficient. In this study, we built and applied suspect and non-target screening strategies based on the mass difference of the CF2, CF2O, and CH2CF2 units to select potential novel PFASs from 117 paired maternal and cord sera. In total, 10 legacy PFASs and 19 novel PFASs from 10 classes were identified to be above confidence levels 3, among which 14 were not previously reported in human serum. Novel PFASs accounted for a considerable percentage of total PFASs in pregnant women and can be transferred to fetuses at non-negligible concentrations (i.e. 27.9% and 30.3% of total PFAS intensities in maternal and cord sera, respectively). The transplacental transfer efficiency (TTE) of PFASs showed a U-shape trend in the series of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) and unsaturated perfluorinated alcohols (UPFAs). The TTE of novel PFASs is suggested to be structure-dependent, based on a flexible docking experiment. This study provides a comprehensive TTE information of legacy and novel PFASs for the first time, and additional toxicity studies are needed to evaluate the risk of novel PFASs further.
Quercetin protects against cisplatin‐induced acute kidney injury by inhibiting Mincle/Syk/NF‐κB signaling maintained macrophage inflammation

Acute kidney injury (AKI) with high incidence and mortality is the main cause of chronic kidney disease. Previous studies have indicated that quercetin, an abundant flavonoid in plants, exhibited renoprotective role in AKI. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we try to explore whether quercetin protects against AKI by inhibiting macrophage inflammation via regulation of Mincle/Syk/NF‐κB signaling. The results demonstrated that quercetin can significantly inhibit expression and secretion of IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α in LPS‐induced bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDMs) and reduce activity of Mincle/Syk/NF‐κB signaling in vitro. We also found that quercetin can strongly reduce the concentration of serum creatinine, BUN, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α in cisplatin‐induced AKI model. Furthermore, quercetin down‐regulated protein levels of Mincle, phosphorylated Syk and NF‐κB in kidney macrophages of AKI, as well as inhibited M1, up‐regulated M2 macrophage activity. Notably, the down‐regulation of LPS‐induced inflammation by quercetin was reversed after adding TDB (an agonist of Mincle) in BMDMs, suggesting that quercetin suppresses macrophage inflammation may mainly through inhibiting Mincle and its downstream signaling. In summary, these findings clarified a new mechanism of quercetin improving AKI‐induced kidney inflammation and injury, which provides a new drug option for the clinical treatment of AKI.
PBPK modeling characterization of potential acute impairment effects from inhalation of ethanol during e-cigarette use

Abstract Objective: Ethanol is used as a solvent for flavoring chemicals in some electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) liquids (e-liquids). However, there are limited data available regarding the effects of inhalation of ethanol on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) during e-cigarette use. In this study, a modified physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for inhalation of ethanol was used to estimate the BAC time-profile of e-cigarette users who puffed an e-liquid containing 23.5% ethanol. Materials and Methods: A modified PBPK model for inhalation of ethanol was developed. Use characteristics were estimated based on first-generation and second-generation e-cigarette topography parameters. Three representative use-case puffing profiles were modeled: a user that took many, short puffs; a typical user with intermediate puff counts and puff durations; and a user that took fewer, long puffs. Results and Discussion: The estimated peak BACs for these three user profiles were 0.22, 0.22, and 0.30 mg/L for first-generation devices, respectively, and 0.85, 0.58, and 0.34 mg/L for second-generation devices, respectively. Additionally, peak BACs for individual first-generation users with directly measured puffing parameters were estimated to range from 0.06 to 0.67 mg/L. None of the scenarios modeled predicted a peak BAC result that approached toxicological or regulatory thresholds that would be associated with physiological impairment (roughly 0.01% or 100 mg/L). Conclusions: The approach used in this study, combining a validated PBPK model for a toxicant with peer-reviewed topographical parameters, can serve as a screening-level exposure assessment useful for evaluation of the safety of e-liquid formulations. Abbreviations: BAC: blood alcohol concentration; e-cigarette: electronic cigarette; e-liquid: e-cigarette liquid or propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin-based liquid; HS-GC-FID: headspace gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection; HS-GC-MS: headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; PBPK: physiologically based pharmacokinetic; Cair: puff concentration expressed as ppm; Cair,mass: ethanol air concentration expressed on a mass basis; Cv: ethanol concentration in the venous blood; ρ: density; EC: ethanol concentration in the liquid; PLC: liquid consumption per puff; PAV: air volume of the puff; Cair,mass: puff concentration expressed as ppm; MW: molecular weight; P: pressure; T: temperature; PK: pharmacokinetic
Non-Contact, Non-Destructive Testing in Various Industrial Sectors with Terahertz Technology

In this article, we survey various non-contact, non-destructive testing methods by way of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging designed for use in various industrial sectors. A brief overview of the working principles of THz spectroscopy and imaging is provided, followed by a survey of selected applications from three industries—the building and construction industry, the energy and power industry, and the manufacturing industry. Material characterization, thickness measurement, and defect/corrosion assessment are demonstrated through the examples presented. The article concludes with a discussion of novel spectroscopy and imaging devices and techniques that are expected to accelerate industry adoption of THz systems.
Effect of Rhododendron arboreum Leaf Extract on the Antioxidant Defense System against Chromium (VI) Stress in Vigna radiata Plants

In the current investigation, we studied role of Rhododendron leaf extract in Vigna radiata grown under chromium metal stress. We observed that seed treatment with Rhododendron leaf extract resulted in the recuperation of seedling growth under chromium toxicity. Seed treatment with Rhododendron leaf extract significantly improved the contents of anthocyanin and xanthophyll pigments under stress. The antioxidative defense system triggered after Rhododendron extract treatment, resulting in the increased actions of antioxidant enzymes. Oxidative stress induced by the assembly of reactive oxygen species was reduced after Rhododendron extract treatment under chromium toxicity as indicated by the enhanced contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants, namely ascorbic acid, tocopherol, and glutathione. Furthermore, Rhododendron leaf extract treatment under chromium metal stress also encouraged the biosynthesis of organic acids, polyphenols, as well as amino acids in Vigna radiata. Statistical analysis of the data with multiple linear regression also supported that Rhododendron leaf extract can effectively ease chromium metal-induced phytotoxicity in Vigna radiata.
Biosimilars: concept, current status, and future perspectives in inflammatory bowel diseases

The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which consist of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic, incurable immunemediated inflammatory disorders of the intestine. As IBD incidence continues to increase globally and its mortality is low, prevalent cases of IBD are rapidly increasing, thereby leading to a substantial increase in health care costs. Although the introduction of biologic agents for IBD management has revolutionized the armamentarium of IBD therapy, the high cost of this therapy is concerning. With the expirations of patents for existing biologic agents (originals), biosimilars with cheaper costs have been highlighted in the field of IBD. Despite concerns regarding their short- and long-term efficacy, safety, immunogenicity, and interchangeability, increasing evidence via prospective observations and phase III or IV clinical trials, which aim to prove the “biosimilarity” of biosimilars to originals, has partly confirmed their efficacy, safety, and interchangeability. Additionally, although patients and physicians are reluctant to use biosimilars, a positive budget impact has been reported owing to their use in different countries. In the near future, multiple biosimilars with lower costs, and efficacy and safety profile similar to originals, could be used to treat IBD; thus, further consideration and knowledge dissemination are warranted in this new era of biosimilars.
The Effect of Cold Atmospheric Plasma on the Membrane Permeability of Human Osteosarcoma Cells

Background: Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has a variety of anticancer effects on different cancer cell types. In osteosarcoma (OS) cells, CAP reduces growth and motility, induces apoptosis, and alters secretion of cellular factors. The influence of CAP on membrane integrity of OS cells is unknown. Materials and Methods: Two different OS cell lines (U-2 OS and MNNG-HOS) were treated with CAP. Proliferation assays for cell growth after treatment was performed. Alterations in membrane permeability and the associated translocation of low molecular weight particles through the cytoplasmic membrane of OS cells after CAP treatment were shown in fluorescein diacetate (FDA) assays. Results: FDA increasingly passed the membrane after CAP treatment and this effect depended on the duration of treatment. It was also shown that after CAP treatment, FDA was able to diffuse into the cells from the outside as well as out of the cell interior. These effects were observed when CAP-treated buffer was used and therefore no direct contact between cells and CAP occurred. Conclusion: The observations suggest that changes in membrane permeability and function may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of CAP.
Neural substrates of mnemonic discrimination: A whole‐brain fMRI investigation

A fundamental component of episodic memory is the ability to differentiate new and highly similar events from previously encountered events. Numerous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified hippocampal involvement in this type of mnemonic discrimination (MD), but few studies have assessed MD‐related activity in regions beyond the hippocampus. Therefore, the current fMRI study examined whole‐brain activity in healthy young adults during successful discrimination of the test phase of the Mnemonic Similarity Task.
C-myc Contributes to Malignancy of Lung Cancer: A Potential Anticancer Drug Target

Emerging evidence has provided important information on oncoproteins involved in cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, and resistance to current therapies. C-myc, one of the critical oncoproteins, has been shown to be implicated in enhancing the aggressiveness of many cancers, mainly through its ability to increase cancer cell growth and cellular survival mechanisms. Despite the more precise and earlier detection and the availability of better therapies, lung cancer remains the most dreadful cancer as it causes high mortality rate with relatively poor treatment success. In lung cancer, C-myc is frequently dysregulated and associated with unfavorable patient survival. C-myc plays a role in regulation of lung cancer cell behaviors including growth, resistance, death, and dissemination through the activation of cell cycle driving proteins, an increase in the cellular levels of anti-apoptotic proteins, and the modulation of metabolism. Besides, C-myc has been shown to be important for cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. Taken together, targeting as well as inhibiting C-myc could provide promising means for resolving lung cancer. This review emphasizes on the molecular mechanism by which C-myc influences lung cancer growth, metastasis, drug resistance, and CSC maintenance, and suggests the target proteins that may benefit drug discovery and design.
LINC00467 promotes proliferation and invasion in glioma via interacting with miRNA-485-5p.

OBJECTIVE Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00467 was found to be upregulated in glioma tissues by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. This study aims to uncover the biological role of LINC00467 in influencing the progression of glioma and to provide novel directions for clinical treatment of glioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS The expression levels of LINC00467 in glioma tissues were analyzed in the downloaded Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) dataset. Meanwhile, LINC00467 levels in glioma tissues collected in our hospital and glioma cell lines were determined as well. Proliferative, apoptotic, and invasive changes in U87 and U251 cells transfected with si-LINC00457 or si-NC were assessed. The binding between LINC00467 and microRNA-385-5p (miR-385-5p) was predicted through online bioinformatics and verified by the Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay. The interaction between LINC00467 and miR-385-5p involved in the progression of glioma was finally verified through rescue experiments. RESULTS LINC00467 was upregulated in glioma. The knockdown of LINC00467 attenuated proliferative and invasive abilities, and induced apoptosis in U87 and U251 cells. LINC00467 could bind miRNA-485-5p and negatively regulate its level. Moreover, miRNA-485-5p was responsible for the development of glioma influenced by LINC00467. CONCLUSIONS LINC00467 aggravates the progression of glioma by negatively regulating miRNA-485-5p, which may be a potential therapeutic target for glioma.
Electronic health records and burnout: Time spent on the electronic health record after hours and message volume associated with exhaustion but not with cynicism among primary care clinicians

OBJECTIVES The study sought to determine whether objective measures of electronic health record (EHR) use-related to time, volume of work, and proficiency-are associated with either or both components of clinician burnout: exhaustion and cynicism. MATERIALS AND METHODS We combined Maslach Burnout Inventory survey measures (94% response rate; 122 of 130 clinicians) with objective, vendor-defined EHR use measures from log files (time after hours on clinic days; time on nonclinic days; message volume; composite measures of efficiency and proficiency). Data were collected in early 2018 from all primary care clinics of a large, urban, academic medical center. Multivariate regression models measured the association between each burnout component and each EHR use measure. RESULTS One-third (34%) of clinicians had high cynicism and 51% had high emotional exhaustion. Clinicians in the top 2 quartiles of EHR time after hours on scheduled clinic days (those above the sample median of 68 minutes per clinical full-time equivalent per week) had 4.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-20.1; P = .04) and 12.52 (95% CI, 2.6-61; P = .002) greater odds of high exhaustion. Clinicians in the top quartile of message volume (>307 messages per clinical full-time equivalent per week) had 6.17 greater odds of high exhaustion (95% CI, 1.1-41; P = .04). No measures were associated with high cynicism. DISCUSSION EHRs have been cited as a contributor to clinician burnout, and self-reported data suggest a relationship between EHR use and burnout. As organizations increasingly rely on objective, vendor-defined EHR measures to design and evaluate interventions to reduce burnout, our findings point to the measures that should be targeted. CONCLUSIONS Two specific EHR use measures were associated with exhaustion.