Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SCAI position statement on optimal percutaneous coronary interventional therapy for complex coronary artery disease

Robert F. Riley MD, MS, FSCAI | Timothy D. Henry MD, MSCAI | Ehtisham Mahmud MD, FSCAI | Ajay J. Kirtane MD, SM, FSCAI | Emmanouil S. Brilakis MD, PhD, FSCAI | Abhinav Goyal MD | Cindy L. Grines MD, MSCAI | William L. Lombardi MD, FSCAI | Anbukarasi Maran MD, FSCAI | Tanveer Rab MD, FSCAI | Jennifer A. Tremmel MD, MS, FSCAI | Alexander G. Truesdell MD, FSCAI | Robert W. Yeh MD, MSc, MBA, FSCAI | David X. Zhao MD, FSCAI | Farouc A. Jaffer MD, PhD, FSCAI
Persistent Roseoloviruses Infection in Adult Patients with Epilepsy

Background: Human herpesviruses (HHV)-6A, HHV-6B and HHV-7 are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, a common neurological disorder. The objective of this study was to determine the association of roseoloviruses infection with epilepsy. Methods: 53 epilepsy patients and 104 ordinary blood donors were analyzed to determine presence of virus-specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence assay (IFA), genomic sequences, viral load and gene expression by polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and restriction analysis, HHV-6 protein expression by IFA and level of cytokines by ELISA. Results: Roseoloviruses genomic sequences in DNA samples from whole blood were found in 86.8% of patients versus 54.8% of controls and active infection was revealed only in patients with epilepsy (19.6% of roseolovirus-positive patients). Significantly higher viral load and more frequent gene expression was detected in patients compared to the controls. HHV-6-encoded protein expression was demonstrated in 53.3% of patients with previously detected HHV-6 DNA. Changes in level of cytokines were determined in patients with elevated viral load compared to the patients without elevated viral loads and to the controls. Conclusions: Results on frequent active HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection in epilepsy patient’ peripheral blood indicate on possible involvement of these viruses in the disease development.
The CEP5 Peptide Promotes Abiotic Stress Tolerance, As Revealed by Quantitative Proteomics, and Attenuates the AUX/IAA Equilibrium in Arabidopsis

The proteome and phosphoproteome of CEP5 overexpressing Arabidopsis seedlings have been determined. This revealed that CEP5 impacts abiotic stress-related processes. Subsequent genetic, physiological, biochemical, and pharmacological results demonstrated that CEP5-mediated signaling is relevant for osmotic and drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, CEP5 specifically counteracts auxin effects by stabilizing AUX/IAA transcriptional repressors. Graphical Abstract Highlights Quantitative Arabidopsis (phospho)proteomes of C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE 5 (CEP5). CEP5 impacts abiotic stress-related processes and counteracts auxin effects. CEP5 signaling stabilizes AUX/IAA transcriptional repressors. Novel peptide-dependent control mechanism that tunes auxin signaling. Peptides derived from non-functional precursors play important roles in various developmental processes, but also in (a)biotic stress signaling. Our (phospho)proteome-wide analyses of C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE 5 (CEP5)-mediated changes revealed an impact on abiotic stress-related processes. Drought has a dramatic impact on plant growth, development and reproduction, and the plant hormone auxin plays a role in drought responses. Our genetic, physiological, biochemical, and pharmacological results demonstrated that CEP5-mediated signaling is relevant for osmotic and drought stress tolerance in Arabidopsis, and that CEP5 specifically counteracts auxin effects. Specifically, we found that CEP5 signaling stabilizes AUX/IAA transcriptional repressors, suggesting the existence of a novel peptide-dependent control mechanism that tunes auxin signaling. These observations align with the recently described role of AUX/IAAs in stress tolerance and provide a novel role for CEP5 in osmotic and drought stress tolerance.
Metformin pretreatment suppresses alterations to the articular cartilage ultrastructure and knee joint tissue damage secondary to type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats

ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis (OA) secondary to diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and can lead to disability. The protective effect of metformin pretreatment against alterations to the articular cartilage ultrastructure induced by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated with the inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation has not been investigated before. Therefore, we induced T2DM in rats (the model group) using high carbohydrate and fat diet and a single injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). The protective group of rats started metformin (200 mg/kg body weight) treatment 14 days before diabetic induction and continued on metformin until the end of the experiment at week 12. Harvested tissues obtained from knee joints were prepared for staining with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), safranin o staining, and electron microscopy. Histology images showed that OA was developed in the T2DM rats as demonstrated by a substantial damage to the articular cartilage and profound chondrocyte and territorial matrix ultrastructural alterations, which were partially protected by metformin. In addition, metformin significantly (p < .05) reduced hyperglycemia, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1 c), malondialdehyde (MDA), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and interleukin-6 blood levels induced by diabetes. Furthermore, a significant (p ≤ 0.015) correlation between either OA cartilage grade score or the thickness of the articular cartilage and the blood levels of HbA1 c, hs-CRP, MDA, superoxide dismutase (SOD) were observed. These findings demonstrate effective protection of the articular cartilage by metformin against damage induced secondary to T2DM in rats, possibly due to the inhibition of hyperglycemia and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation.
COVID-19 in Post-Operative Patients: Imaging Findings.

Background: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the post-operative period is challenging. Its clinical manifestations may have similarities to other septic, thoracic, or gastrointestinal post-surgical complications. Additionally, the post-operative period may be a time of increased risk for severe manifestations of COVID-19. We sought to evaluate the frequency of COVID-19 in a cohort of patients who had recently had operations who were undergoing imaging for acute symptoms and the role of chest computed tomography (CT) in this setting. Patients and Methods: We included all patients who had chest CT for acute symptoms in the 15 days after a surgical procedure between March 1 and 31, 2020. Results: Of 46 patients with acute post-operative symptoms requiring chest imaging, eight (17%) were ultimately diagnosed with COVID-19. Among them, five (62%) required mechanical ventilation and two (25%) died. All had abnormal chest CT with typical findings of COVID-19 in 87%. Computed tomography provided an alternate diagnosis in 53% of patients who did not have COVID-19. The average time between a COVID-19-positive chest CT and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation was 1.2 days (range, 0-4 days). Conclusion: COVID-19 is a serious post-operative condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Chest CT provides prompt diagnosis of COVID-19. In centers with a high prevalence of COVID-19, chest acquisition should be included in CT scans done for acute post-operative symptoms.
Nephrotoxicity/renal failure after therapy with 90Yttrium- and 177Lutetium-radiolabeled somatostatin analogs in different types of neuroendocrine tumors: a systematic review

Background/objective Data regarding the nephrotoxicity of the peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with 90Yttrium- and 177Lutetium-radiolabeled somatostatin analogs (RSA) are inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term nephrotoxicity following PRRT usage in patients with all types of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Methods A systematic review of observational studies reporting data about nephrotoxicity after treatment with 90Yttrium and 177Lutetium RSA was performed. Data on serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and need for renal replacement therapy were compiled. We included patients with progressive, inoperable symptomatic G1, G2 and G3 different types of NETs. After searching in three electronic databases PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library, from 1 January 1978 to November 2018, data were extracted and summarized using a random-effects model. Results The final analysis included 34 studies, comprising 5386 participants, enrolling patients with G1, G2, G3 NETs and a follow-up from 12 up to 191 months. Compared with renal function before treatment, measured/estimated glomerular filtration rate (m/eGFR) values changed after PRRT, with a mean annual decrease following PRRT between 2 and 4 mL/min/1.73 m2 suggesting different grades of nephrotoxicity after PRRT. When compared, 90Y-RSA and the 90Y-RSA-177Lu-RSA combination are associated with a higher m/eGFR decline compared to 177Lu-RSA alone. Conclusions PRRT can be followed by potentially serious long-term nephrotoxicity, despite kidney protection. The use of the quantified renal function combined with a long follow-up period and personalized dosimetry-based PRRT can reduce nephrotoxicity, in order to use the whole PRRT potential in the management of NETs.
Yellow‐chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri) abundance and canopy foraging at a dry forest in western Brazil

I studied Brotogeris chiriri abundance and foraging activity at a dry forest of the Urucum mountains in western Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, to evaluate their relationships with food resource production. Brotogeris chiriri abundance sharply increased during the early wet season (mainly October 2001) when it mostly foraged for fleshy fruits. At that time Protium heptaphyllum, one of the most common tree species, bore a large crop of fruits, the arils of which were extensively consumed by B. chiriri. Conversely, only a few parakeets were recorded foraging from the late wet to the late dry season, when dry fruit production predominated. The monthly pattern of parakeet abundance paralleled both its monthly pattern of foraging activity and fleshy fruit availability. Moreover, the variations in foraging activity were highly correlated to fleshy fruit production. Thus, data presented here evidenced the effect of both fruiting pulses and a common tree species that produced a large and ephemeral fruit crop, on the dynamic of a small and mobile canopy forager at a primary dry forest.
Biomechanical and Morphometric Evaluation of a Strontium-Incorporated Implant and Four Commercially Available Implants: A Study in Rabbits.

PURPOSE Strontium has shown a positive effect on osseointegration in experiments. This study compared surface characterization and osseointegration of a strontium-incorporated implant with four commercial implants with different surface treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS A strontium-oxide layer was created by hydrothermal treatment on the surface of the implant (SLA-Sr). Surface characterizations were observed using a scanning electron microscope, three-dimensional (3D) optical microscope, and x-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry. Implants of different surface treatments including resorbable blasting media (RBM), sandblasting with large grit and acid etching (SLA-1, SLA-2), sandblasting and thermal acid etching (STA), and SLA-Sr were implanted into the proximal tibiae and femoral condyles of rabbits. Biologic effects were evaluated by removal torque testing and histomorphometric analysis after 3, 6, and 12 weeks of implantation. RESULTS Nanostructures were observed on the surface of SLA-Sr and STA. Calcium (Ca) was detected on the surface of RBM. Sr was detected on the surface of SLA-Sr. SLA-1 and STA had greater surface roughness than SLA-2, SLA-Sr, and RBM (P < .05). In vivo, SLA-Sr achieved better removal torque value (RTV) than that of RBM and SLA-2 at 3 weeks (P < .05), as well as increased bone area ratio (BA%) in cortical bone compared with RBM at 3 weeks (P < .05). STA showed higher bone-to-implant contact ratio (BIC%) in cortical bone than RBM at 3 and 6 weeks (P < .05). Compared with RBM, SLA-1 had better RTV at 6 weeks and higher BIC% in cortical bone at 12 weeks (P < .05). CONCLUSION In vivo, compared with SLA-2 and RBM, the implant with the strontium-oxide layer displayed slight advantages in new bone formation and osseointegration in the early healing stage. In the later osseointegration stage, the results of SLA-Sr were comparable with other implants.
Proximate Predictors of Variation in Egg Rejection Behavior by Hosts of Avian Brood Parasites

The rejection of parasitic eggs by hosts of avian brood parasites is one of the most common and effective defenses against parasitism. Despite its adaptive significance, egg rejection often shows substantial intraspecific variation: some individuals are more likely to remove or abandon parasitic eggs than others. Understanding variation in egg rejection requires that we study factors linked to both the ability to perceive parasitic eggs, as well as factors that may influence the rejection of a foreign egg once it has been recognized. Here we asked what cognitive, physiological, and life-history factors explained variation in the rejection of model eggs by American Robin Turdus migratorius females. We found that the probability of egg rejection was related to the clutch size at the time of parasitism: in support of Weber’s law, females with fewer eggs were more likely to reject the model eggs. In turn, females with greater mass and higher corticosterone levels were less likely to reject eggs, and egg rejection probability was negatively related to incubation progress. Our data thus suggest that proximate predictors of an individual’s egg rejection behavior include components of the nest’s perceptual environment, life-history factors, as well as the physiological state of the animal. However, much of the variation in the responses of robins to the model eggs remained unexplained. Future experiments should aim to understand the causal roles of these and other factors in generating within- and among-individual variation in the rejection of parasitic eggs.
Nutrient concentrations in narrow-leaved snow tussock (Chionochloa rigida) after spring burning

Abstract The mean concentration of total major nutrients increased by 82 percent in the leaf tissue, changed little in the stem tissue, and decreased by 62 percent in the root tissue of snow tussocks (Chionochloa) in the year after spring burning. This resulted from an immediate reallocation of nutrients, principally nitrogen and potassium, from root to leaf tissue, and from increased nutrient availability resulting from modified soil conditions. By the eighth year after fire nutrient concentrations were again equivalent to unburnt plants in leaf tissue, but had declined significantly in stem tissue. Nutrient concentrations remained significantly depressed in root tissue throughout the 13 years after fire. It is suggested that a rapid depletion of nutrients after fire in soils of naturally low fertility could subsequently limit the amount of nutrient uptake from the soil for at least 13 years after a single fire, and account for the decline in leaf growth and the depression of flowering after the second year
ESTIMATION OF CHLOROPHYLL a FROM TIME SERIES MEASUREMENTS OF HIGH SPECTRAL RESOLUTION REFLECTANCE IN AN EUTROPHIC LAKE

We acquired high spectral resolution reflectance data in Carter Lake, a eutrophic oxbow on the Iowa–Nebraska border, from April 1995 to April 1996. Chlorophyll a, total seston, sestonic organic matter, Secchi depth, and nephelometric turbidity were determined for each respective spectral measurement. Changes in algal taxonomic structure and abundance coincided with the development and senescence of a midsummer through autumn bloom of Anabaena. Taxonomic structure was more diverse in late winter and spring when Synedra sp. (diatom) and several chlorophytes and dinoflagellates were present. Overall, chlorophyll a varied from about 20 to 280 μg·L−1, Secchi transparency from 18 to 74 cm, and seston dry weight from 11 to 48 mg·L−1 in February and September, respectively. Particulate matter completely dominated lake water light attenuation. Dissolved organic matter had low optical activity. The most sensitive spectral feature to variation in chlorophyll a concentration was the magnitude of the scattering peak near 700 nm. The 700‐nm peak correlated to chlorophyll concentration through the relationships between algal pigment absorption near 670 nm and the cell biomass and surface‐related scattering signal in the near infrared. An algorithm relating the height of the 700‐nm reflectance peak above a reference baseline between 670 and 850 nm to chlorophyll a was accurate and robust despite large variations in optical constituents caused by both strong seasonality in the algal system and short‐term variations in seston from wind‐induced sediment resuspension. The present algorithms were successfully used in other systems with different seasonality and productivity patterns. The coefficients of the models relating chlorophyll a and spectral reflectance variables appeared to be ecosystem specific: both the intercept and slope for the models in this study were moderately lower than for several other recently published results. We validated our algorithm coefficients with a second, independent dataset. The standard error for chlorophyll a prediction was ±28 μg·L−1.
Binaural Interaction in Tinnitus Patients

The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a commonly used objective clinical measure for hearing evaluation. It can be also used to draw conclusions about the functioning of distinct stages of the auditory pathway including the binaural processing stages using the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the ABR. Objective: To study binaural processing in normal hearing subjects complaining of tinnitus. Methods: Sixty cases with bilateral normal peripheral hearing were included in this work, divided into 2 groups, i.e., group 1 (comprised of 30 healthy subjects representing the control group) and group 2 (comprised of 30 subjects with tinnitus representing the study group). All of the subjects were submitted to a basic audiological evaluation (including pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, and immittancemetry) and ABR audiometry recorded in monaural and then binaural conditions. Results: In monaural recording, the tinnitus group showed significantly delayed latencies of waves I, III, and V in addition to significantly reduced wave I and III amplitudes when compared with the controls. Similar significant findings were found when binaural ABR responses were compared between both groups. Comparing BIC between both groups showed significant earlier BIC for latencies of waves I and V in the control group, while the BIC for amplitudes showed similar results in both groups. Conclusions: These finding suggest the presence of binaural processing deficits in tinnitus patients at different levels along the ascending auditory pathway.
Crop loading studies with ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Braeburn’ apples: Effect of time and level of hand thinning

Abstract The effects of time and level (fruit number/tree) of hand thinning on fruit size were investigated for ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Braeburn’ apple (Malus domestica (Borkh.)) trees growing on dwarfing rootstocks. Early thinning resulted in larger fruit at harvest in three separate experiments whereas the number of fruit per tree had a significant influence on mean fruit weight in only one experiment. Compared to thinning at full bloom (FB), mean fruit weight of ‘Royal Gala’ at harvest was reduced by 16% when thinning was delayed by 3–4 weeks after full bloom (WAFB), with a much smaller decrease in weight with further delay. ‘Braeburn’ gave the opposite pattern, with the greatest loss in mean fruit size at harvest being recorded when thinning was delayed by 8 WAFB. Thinning 4 or 8 WAFB resulted in a 17% decrease in leaf area per tree of ‘Royal Gala’ compared to thinning at FB, whereas laterthinning of ‘Braeburn’ reduced leaf area per tree by 6% per 4 weeks delay in thinning. Removal of fruit from ‘Braeburn’ .
Prediagnostic concentrations of circulating bile acids and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: REVEAL‐HBV and HCV studies

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the dominant histologic type of liver cancer, accounting for 75% of cases. Growing evidence suggests that the cross‐talk between the gut microbiome and metabolome (ie, gut‐liver axis) are related to the development of hepatic inflammation, and ultimately, HCC. Bile acids are metabolites, derived from cholesterol and synthesized in the liver, which may have a critical role in regulation of the gut‐liver axis. We investigated whether prediagnostic circulating bile acids were associated with HCC risk, using the Risk Evaluation of Viral Load Elevation and Associated Liver Disease/Cancer (REVEAL)‐Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and REVEAL‐Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) cohorts from Taiwan. Fifteen bile acids were quantitated using liquid chromatography, from 185 cases and 161 matched controls in REVEAL‐HBV and 96 cases and 96 matched controls in REVEAL‐HCV. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between bile acid levels and HCC were calculated using multivariable‐adjusted logistic regression. Higher levels of glycine and taurine conjugated primary bile acids were associated with a 2‐ to 8‐fold increased risk of HBV‐ (eg, glycocholic acid ORQ4vsQ1 = 3.38, 95% CI: 1.48‐7.71, Ptrend < .003) and HCV‐related HCC (eg, OR = 8.16, 95% CI: 2.21‐30.18, Ptrend < .001). However, higher levels of the secondary bile acid deoxycholic acid were inversely associated with HBV‐related HCC risk (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19‐0.88, Ptrend = .02). Our study provides evidence that higher concentrations of bile acids—specifically, conjugated primary bile acids—are associated with increased HCC risk. However, our study does not support the hypothesis that higher levels of secondary bile acids increase liver cancer risk; indeed, deoxycholic acid may be associated with a decreased HCC risk.
Hypertension, Thrombosis, Kidney Failure, and Diabetes: Is COVID-19 an Endothelial Disease? A Comprehensive Evaluation of Clinical and Basic Evidence

The symptoms most commonly reported by patients affected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) include cough, fever, and shortness of breath. However, other major events usually observed in COVID-19 patients (e.g., high blood pressure, arterial and venous thromboembolism, kidney disease, neurologic disorders, and diabetes mellitus) indicate that the virus is targeting the endothelium, one of the largest organs in the human body. Herein, we report a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of both clinical and preclinical evidence supporting the hypothesis that the endothelium is a key target organ in COVID-19, providing a mechanistic rationale behind its systemic manifestations.