Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The comparison of the suture materials on intestinal anastomotic healing: an experimental study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: This experimental comparative study was to evaluate the local effects of three different suture materials on intestinal anastomosis healing. METHODS: Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Ethical Committee (E-60758568-020-176720). A prospective, experimental comparative analysis was conducted on 24 rats. They were divided into three equal groups; Group 1 underwent colonic anastomosis with Vicryl suture material, Group 2 underwent colonic anastomosis with polypropylene suture; and Group 3 underwent colonic anastomosis with polydioxanone (PDS) suture. The second operation underwent the 7th post-operative day. Adhesion score, anastomotic leakage, anastomotic bursting pressure, hydroxyproline levels, and histopathologic examination were evaluated. RESULTS: All animals survived, and no leakage, intestinal obstruction, or wound infection was observed during the experiment. The adhesion score was evaluated according to the Diamond classification and same in all groups. Median anastomotic bursting pressure was 125.75 mmHg (10–241) in the Vicryl group, 159.25 mmHg (113–190) in the polypropylene group, and 154.50 mmHg (20–212) in the PDS group. Hydroxyproline tissue concentrations were in the Vicryl group 1699.92±220.8 ng/mg (range: 1509.81–2186.47), in the polypropylene group 1126.24±607.12 ng/mg (range: 53.22–1815.63), and 1547.86±335.2 ng/mg (range: 973.66–1973.2) in PDS group. There was no difference among groups regarding the inflammatory response evaluated by histopathology. There was no statistical significance in all variables evaluated. CONCLUSION: This experimental study demonstrates that suture materials did not worsen tissue healing during intestinal anastomosis. Absorbable, slowly-absorbable, and non-absorbable suture materials could be used safely in every situation.
Community-level effects of solar ultraviolet radiation on benthic marine assemblages in Antarctica and Australia

vi Acknowledgments viii List of Figures xi List of Tables xiv Chapter One 1 General Introduction Introduction 1 The Role of Stratospheric Ozone 2 The Basic Concepts of UV Photobiology 2 Stratospheric Ozone Depletion 3 Ultraviolet Radiation in the Marine Environment 5 The Detrimental Effects of UVR in Marine Systems 6 Reviews on UVR in the Marine Environment 7 Direct and Indirect Effects of UVR 8 Laboratory Versus Field Studies 10 Aims of This Thesis 12 Chapter Two 18 Effects of UVR on Benthic Diatom Assemblages in Antarctica Introduction 18 Methods 22 Study Site 22 Experimental Rafts 22 Experiment One 24 Experiment Two 25 Data Collection 26 Diatom Extraction and Analysis 27 Statistical Analyses 28 Results 36 Experiment One 36 Experiment Two 37
Antigen-specific decidual CD8+ T cells include distinct effector memory and tissue-resident memory cells

Maternal decidual CD8+ T cells must integrate the antithetical demands of providing immunity to infection while maintaining immune tolerance for fetal and placental antigens. Human decidual CD8+ T cells were shown to be highly differentiated memory T cells with mixed signatures of dysfunction, activation, and effector function. However, no information is present on how specificity for microbial or fetal antigens relates to their function or dysfunction. In addition, a key question, whether decidual CD8+ T cells include unique tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) or also effector memory T cell (Tem) types shared with peripheral blood populations, is unknown. Here, high-dimensional flow cytometry of decidual and blood CD8+ T cells identified 2 Tem populations shared in blood and decidua and 9 functionally distinct Trm clusters uniquely found in decidua. Interestingly, fetus- and virus-specific decidual CD8+ Trm cells had similar features of inhibition and cytotoxicity, with no significant differences in their expression of activation, inhibitory, and cytotoxic molecules, suggesting that not all fetus-specific CD8+ T cell responses are suppressed at the maternal-fetal interface. Understanding how decidual CD8+ T cell specificity relates to their function and tissue residency is crucial in advancing understanding of their contribution to placental inflammation and control of congenital infections.
Minimization techniques for p(x)-Laplacian problem using WEB-Spline based mesh-free method

ABSTRACT In this paper, we propose minimization techniques with WEB-Spline based mesh-free finite element method for the solution of -Laplacian problem. The WEB-Spline method uses weighted extended B-splines on a regular grid as basis functions and does not require any mesh generation which eliminates a difficult, time-consuming preprocessing step and accurate approximations are possible with relatively low-dimensional subspaces. We perform some numerical experiments to demonstrate the efficiency of the WEB-Spline method.
Frailty, psychological well‐being, and social isolation in older adults with cognitive impairment during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic: data from the GeroCovid initiative

The containment measures linked to the COVID‐19 pandemic negatively affected the phyco‐physical well‐being of the population, especially older adults with neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). This study aims to evaluate whether the frailty of NCD patients was associated with different changes in multiple health domains, in particular in relation to loneliness and social isolation, pre‐ and post‐lockdown.
Adult Prg4+ progenitors repair long-term articular cartilage wounds in vivo

The identity and origin of the stem/progenitor cells for adult joint cartilage repair remain unknown, impeding therapeutic development. Simulating the common therapeutic modality for cartilage repair in humans, i.e., full-thickness microfracture joint surgery, we combined the mouse full-thickness injury model with lineage tracing and identified a distinct skeletal progenitor cell type enabling long-term (beyond 7 days after injury) articular cartilage repair in vivo. Deriving from a population with active Prg4 expression in adulthood while lacking aggrecan expression, these progenitors proliferate, differentiate to express aggrecan and type II collagen, and predominate in long-term articular cartilage wounds, where they represent the principal repair progenitors in situ under native repair conditions without cellular transplantation. They originate outside the adult bone marrow or superficial zone articular cartilage. These findings have implications for skeletal biology and regenerative medicine for joint injury repair.
Treatment preferences towards thrombopoietin-receptor agonists for immune thrombocytopenia and experience of disease (TRAPeze): Italy cohort

ABSTRACT Objective Identify patient preference towards thrombopoietin-receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) and determine the clinical and social impact of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in Italy. Methods The Thrombopoietin-Receptor Agonist Patient experience (TRAPeze) survey collected responses from Italian residents from 17th January to 28th February 2022. TRAPeze utilized a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit patient preferences towards TPO-RA attributes and a patient burden survey (PBS) to determine ITP disease characteristics and social impact. Results Seventy-six respondents completed the DCE, of which 69 completed both the DCE and PBS (mean [range] age 45 [18.0–73.0] years, 80% female). TPO-RA attributes with the greatest influence over respondent choice were method of administration (odds ratio [OR] 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.16–4.06), drug-food interactions (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.17–1.86) and frequency of dosing (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.15–1.52). Respondents were more likely to prefer therapies administered orally over subcutaneous injection (OR 3.76; 95% CI 2.51–5.63), once weekly over once daily (OR 1.83; 95% CI 1.26–2.65), and therapies without food restrictions over with restrictions (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.17–2.14). The most frequently reported symptoms were bruising (82%), petechiae (65%) and fatigue (64%). Most respondents (84%) felt ITP impacted familial relationships and 71% of employed respondents reported fatigue influencing their ability to work, with 31% reducing working hours. Conclusion Although responses indicated a moderate perception of general health, ITP clearly impacted respondent work and social life. Our findings demonstrate respondents preferred TPO-RAs delivered orally, with less frequent dosing and without food restrictions.
Summer rainfall variability and the use of rice (Oryza sativa L.) varietal diversity for adaptation

Climate variability, farmers’ understanding of this and the crop varietal diversity are so far discussed inadequately in the same context. This study compared summer rainfall variability and farmers’ perceptions of rainfall changes between two periods; 2004-2008 and 1995-1999. The use of rice varietal diversity from an adaptation point of view was studied. The findings were from two rice growing agro-ecological zones of Nepal; mid-hills and western terai. The information was collected through a survey in 45 households in mid-hills and 44 households in terai, supplemented with focus group discussions and meteorological data. The analysis revealed a distinct variation in rainfall distribution with a decrease in rainfall amount in mid-hills and an increase in terai during 2004-2008. In the same period, pre and late monsoon rainfall increased in both sites. The rainfall decreased up to 41 percent in mid-hills during June-July, which has resulted in more dry spells during rice transplanting and establishment period. A concurrence of farmers’ perceptions with the rainfall data demonstrates their understanding about rainfall variability, gained by crop and weather observations. Shannon-Weiner index revealed a higher overall rice varietal diversity in terai (H′=2.58) than in mid-hills (H′=2.0). However, on average a household in each site maintained nearly the equal number of rice varieties (≈4). There was significantly higher landrace diversity in mid-hills (H′=1.5) and modern varieties diversity in terai (H′=2.17). The perceived varietal vulnerability to rainfall variability differed significantly (p<0.01). Farmers cautiously selected less vulnerable varieties whether landraces or modern for use on large areas, often considering their adaptation and production potential. The perceived production loss due to rainfall variability was negatively correlated (r=-0.29, p<0.05) with the number of varieties grown in terai, where modern varieties were dominant. Farmers’ seed selection and on-farm experimentations are seen as adaptation practices to reduce vulnerability in traditional farming systems.
Factors Associated With Sports Function and Psychological Readiness to Return to Sports at 12 Months After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Sports function and psychological readiness to return to sports (RTS) are important outcomes when evaluating rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). It is, however, unclear which specific factors contribute most to these outcomes. Purpose: To determine associations between demographic characteristics, objective measurements of physical function, patient-reported outcome measure scores, sports-related function assessed with the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Sport and Recreation subscale, and psychological readiness to RTS assessed with the Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale at 1 year after ACLR. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: At a mean of 12.5 ± 2.0 months after ACLR, 143 participants (50.3% female), with a mean age of 25.0 ± 5.7 years, were assessed for demographic characteristics, physical factors (hop performance, muscle strength, ankle and hip range of motion), and psychological factors (KOOS Pain and Symptoms subscales, Perceived Stress Scale, fear of reinjury) as well as the KOOS Sport and Recreation subscale and ACL-RSI scale. Backward linear regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with sports function and psychological readiness to RTS. Results: Lower isokinetic knee extension peak torque (limb symmetry index) (B = 18.38 [95% CI, 3.01-33.75]), lower preinjury activity level (B = 2.00 [95% CI, 0.87-3.14]), greater knee pain (B = 0.90 [95% CI, 0.70-1.10]), shorter time between injury and reconstruction (B = 0.16 [95% CI, 0.05-0.26]), and greater fear of reinjury (B = 0.11 [95% CI, 0.01-0.20]) were associated with a worse KOOS Sport and Recreation subscore (R2 = 0.683). A shorter hop distance (B = 0.15 [95% CI, 0.00-0.29]) was associated with a lower ACL-RSI score (R2 = 0.245). Conclusion: A combination of knee muscle strength, activity level, knee pain, timing of surgery, and fear of reinjury accounted for approximately 70% of the variation in sports function at 1 year after ACLR. In contrast, there was only 1 weak association between physical function and psychological readiness to RTS at this time point. Thus, factors associated with current sports function are much better known than features related to psychological readiness to RTS.
Disease trajectories in hospitalized COVID-19 patients are predicted by clinical and peripheral blood signatures representing distinct lung pathologies.

Linking clinical biomarkers and lung pathology still is necessary to understand COVID-19 pathogenesis and the basis of progression to lethal outcomes. Resolving these knowledge gaps enables optimal treatment approaches of severe COVID-19. We present an integrated analysis of longitudinal clinical parameters, blood biomarkers and lung pathology in COVID-19 patients from the Brazilian Amazon. We identified core signatures differentiating severe recovered patients and fatal cases with distinct disease trajectories. Progression to early death was characterized by rapid and intense endothelial and myeloid activation, presence of thrombi, mostly driven by SARS-CoV-2 + macrophages. Progression to late death was associated with systemic cytotoxicity, interferon and Th17 signatures and fibrosis, apoptosis, and abundant SARS-CoV-2 + epithelial cells in the lung. Progression to recovery was associated with pro-lymphogenic and Th2-mediated responses. Integration of antemortem clinical and blood biomarkers with post-mortem lung-specific signatures defined predictors of disease progression, identifying potential targets for more precise and effective treatments.
Cerebrospinal fluid and blood serum biomarkers in neurodegenerative proteinopathies: A prospective, open, cross‐correlation study

Neurodegenerative diseases are a broad heterogeneous group affecting the nervous system. They are characterized, from a pathophysiological perspective, by the selective involvement of a subpopulation of nerve cells with a consequent clinical picture of a disease. Clinical diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases are quite challenging and often not completely accurate because of their marked heterogeneity and frequently overlapping clinical pictures. Efforts are being made to define sufficiently specific and sensitive markers for individual neurodegenerative diseases or groups of diseases in order to increase the accuracy and speed of clinical diagnosis. Thus said, this present research aimed to identify biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum (α‐synuclein [α‐syn], tau protein [t‐tau], phosphorylated tau protein [p‐tau], β‐amyloid [Aβ], clusterin, chromogranin A [chromogrA], cystatin C [cyst C], neurofilament heavy chains [NFH], phosphorylated form of neurofilament heavy chains [pNF‐H], and ratio of tau protein/amyloid beta [Ind tau/Aβ]) that could help in the differential diagnosis and differentiation of the defined groups of α‐synucleinopathies and four‐repeat (4R‐) tauopathies characterized by tau protein isoforms with four microtubule‐binding domains. In this study, we analyzed a cohort of 229 patients divided into four groups: (1) Parkinson's disease (PD) + dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) (n = 82), (2) multiple system atrophy (MSA) (n = 25), (3) progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) + corticobasal syndrome (CBS) (n = 30), and (4) healthy controls (HC) (n = 92). We also focused on analyzing the biomarkers in relation to each other with the intention of determining whether they are useful in distinguishing among individual proteinopathies. Our results indicate that the proposed set of biomarkers, when evaluated in CSF, is likely to be useful for the differential diagnosis of MSA versus 4RT. However, these biomarkers do not seem to provide any useful diagnostic information when assessed in blood serum.
Longitudinal analysis of physical function in older adults: The effects of physical inactivity and exercise training

Lack of exercise contributes to systemic inflammation and is a major cause of chronic disease. The long‐term impact of initiating and sustaining exercise in late life, as opposed to sustaining a sedentary lifestyle, on whole‐body health measures such as physical performance is not well known. This is an exploratory study to compare changes in physical performance among older adults initiating exercise late in life versus inactive older adults. Data from two observational cohorts were included in this analysis, representing two activity groups. The Active group cohort comprises older adults (n = 318; age 72.5 ± 7.2 years) enrolled in a supervised exercise program, “Gerofit. ” The inactive group comprises older adults (n = 146; age 74.5 ± 5.5 years) from the Italian study “Act on Ageing” (AOA) who self‐reported being inactive. Participants in both groups completed physical performance battery at baseline and 1‐year including: 6‐min walk test, 30‐s chair stand, and timed up‐and‐go. Two‐sample t‐tests measured differences between Gerofit and AOA at baseline and 1‐year across all measures. Significant between‐group effects were seen for all performance measures (ps = 0.001). The AOA group declined across all measures from baseline to 1 year (range −18% to −24% change). The Gerofit group experienced significant gains in function for all measures (range +10% to +31% change). Older adults who initiated routine, sustained exercise were protected from age‐related declines in physical performance, while those who remained sedentary suffered cumulative deficits across strength, aerobic endurance, and mobility. Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviors and increase physical activity are both important to promote multi‐system, whole‐body health.
The Influence of Quadriceps Strength and Rate of Torque Development on the Recovery of Knee Biomechanics During Running After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: After anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), altered surgical knee biomechanics during running is common. Although greater quadriceps strength is associated with more symmetrical running knee kinetics after ACLR, abnormal running mechanics persist even after resolution of quadriceps strength deficits. As running is a submaximal effort task characterized by limited time to develop knee extensor torque, quadriceps rate of torque development (RTD) may be more closely associated with recovery of running knee mechanics than peak torque (PT). Purpose: To assess the influence of recovery in quadriceps PT and RTD symmetry on knee kinematic and kinetic symmetry during running over the initial 2 years after ACLR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 39 Division I collegiate athletes (106 testing sessions; 19 female) completed serial isometric performance testing and running analyses between 3 and 24 months after ACLR. Athletes performed maximal and rapid isometric knee extension efforts with each limb to assess PT and RTD between-limb symmetry indices (PTLSI and RTDLSI), respectively. Peak knee flexion difference (PKFDIFF) and peak knee extensor moment limb symmetry index (PKEMLSI) during running were computed. Multivariable linear mixed-effects models assessed the influence of PTLSI and RTDLSI on PKFDIFF and PKEMLSI over the initial 2 years after ACLR. Results: Significant main effects of RTDLSI (P < .001) and time (P≤ .02) but not PTLSI (P≥ .24) were observed for both PKFDIFF and PKEMLSI models. For a 10% increase in RTDLSI, while controlling for PTLSI and time, a 0.9° (95% CI, 0.5°-1.3°) reduction in PKFDIFF and a 3.5% (95% CI, 1.9%-5.1%) increase in PKEMLSI are expected. For every month after ACLR, a 0.2° (95% CI, 0.1°-0.4°) reduction in PKFDIFF and a 1.3% (95% CI, 0.6%-2.0%) increase in PKEMLSI are expected, controlling for PTLSI and RTDLSI. Conclusion: Quadriceps RTDLSI was more strongly associated with symmetrical knee biomechanics during running compared with PTLSI or time throughout the first 2 years after ACLR.
Bleeding in Critically Ill Children With Malignancy or Hematopoietic Cell Transplant: A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of bleeding in critically ill children with malignancy and to describe associated patient characteristics, interventions, and clinical outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: PICU in a specialized cancer hospital. PATIENTS: Children with malignancy or hematopoietic cell transplant 0–18 years of age were admitted to the PICU from November 2020 to November 2021. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: Patient demographic data, laboratory values, and PICU outcome data were collected. Bleeding was classified according to the Bleeding Assessment Scale in Critically Ill Children. MAIN RESULTS: Ninety-three bleeding patients were enrolled, and a total of 322 bleeding days were recorded. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 5.8 (2.9–11.8) years and 56% (52/93) of the patients were male. There were 121 new bleeding episodes, in 593 at-risk person-days, translating into a 20% incidence rate per day (95% CI, 17–24%). The incidence of severe, moderate, and minimal bleeding was 2% (95% CI, 1–3), 4% (95% CI, 3–6), and 14% (95% CI, 12–17), respectively. Of the new bleeding episodes, 9% were severe, 25% were moderate and 66% were minimal. Thrombocytopenia was the only laboratory value independently associated with severe bleeding (p = 0.009), as compared to minimal and moderate bleeding episodes. History of radiation therapy was independently associated with severe bleeding (p = 0.04). We failed to identify an association between a history of stem cell transplant (p = 0.49) or tumor type (p = 0.76), and bleeding severity. Patients were transfused any blood product on 28% (95% CI, 22–34) of the bleeding days. Severe bleeding was associated with increased length of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.003), longer PICU stays (p = 0.03), and higher PICU mortality (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort of children with malignancy, the incidence rate of bleeding was 20%. Most events were classified as minimal bleeding. Low platelet count and radiation therapy were variables independently associated with severe bleeding episodes.