Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum catestatin level is increased in women with preeclampsia

Abstract Catestatin can inhibit catecholamine release from chromaffin cells and adrenergic neurons. Catestatin can also have a strong vasodilator effect. This may be useful in understanding the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and its treatment. In this study, we investigated the serum catestatin levels in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia. Fifty consecutive women with mild preeclampsia, 50 consecutive women with severe preeclampsia, and 100 consecutive pregnant women with a gestational age-matched (±1 week) uncomplicated pregnancy were evaluated in a cross-sectional study. Mean serum catestatin was significantly increased in the preeclampsia group compared to the control group (290.7 ± 95.5 pg/mL vs. 182.8 ± 72.0 pg/mL). Mean serum catestatin was comparable in mild and severe preeclampsia groups (282.7 ± 97.9 pg/mL vs. 298.7 ± 93.4 pg/mL, p = .431). Serum catestatin levels had positive correlations with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, urea, uric acid, and creatinine. In conclusion, serum catestatin levels are increased in preeclamptic pregnancies compared to gestational age-matched controls. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? The role of autonomic nervous system dysregulation in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia is known. The most obvious part of this dysregulation is the sympathetic nervous system activation. The adrenal medulla is one of the locations of the sympathetic nervous system in the body. What do the results of this study add? Serum catestatin levels were found to be correlated with clinical and laboratory data of preeclampsia. This highlights the importance of chromaffin cell secretions in the adrenal medulla in preeclampsia. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study will help understand the role of the adrenal medulla in the autonomic nervous system dysregulation in preeclampsia. Also, control of serum catestatin levels may support the treatment of hypertension in preeclampsia.
Increased Glucose Activity in Subgenual Anterior Cingulate and Hippocampus of High Performing Older Adults, Despite Amyloid Burden.

BACKGROUND Individuals at 80 years of age or above with exceptional memory are considered SuperAgers (SA), an operationalized definition of successful cognitive aging. SA showed increased thickness and altered functional connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex as a neurobiological signature. However, their metabolic alterations are yet to be uncovered. OBJECTIVE Herein, a metabolic (FDG-PET), amyloid (PIB-PET), and functional (fMRI) analysis of SA were conducted. METHODS Ten SA, ten age-matched older adults (C80), and ten cognitively normal middle-aged (C50) adults underwent cognitive testing and multimodal neuroimaging examinations. Anterior and posterior regions of the cingulate cortex and hippocampal areas were primarily examined, then subregions of anterior cingulate were segregated. RESULTS The SA group showed increased metabolic activity in the left and right subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sACC, p < 0.005 corrected, bilateral) and bilateral hippocampi (right: p < 0.0005 and left: p < 0.005, both corrected) as compared to that in the C80 group. Amyloid deposition was above threshold in 30% of SA and C80 (p > 0.05). The SA group also presented decreased connectivity between right sACC and posterior cingulate (p < 0.005, corrected) as compared to that of the C80 group. CONCLUSION These results support the key role of sACC and hippocampus in SA, even in the presence of amyloid deposition. It also suggests that sACC may be used as a potential biomarker in older adults for exceptional memory ability. Further longitudinal studies measuring metabolic biomarkers may help elucidate the interaction between these areas in the cognitive aging process.
Influences of pH and substrate supply on the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction

Iron reduction and sulfate reduction often occur simultaneously in anoxic systems, and where that is the case, the molar ratio between the reactions (i.e., Fe/SO42− reduced) influences their impact on water quality and carbon storage. Previous research has shown that pH and the supply of electron donors and acceptors affect that ratio, but it is unclear how their influences compare and affect one another. This study examines impacts of pH and the supply of acetate, sulfate, and goethite on the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction in semi‐continuous sediment bioreactors. We examined which parameter had the greatest impact on that ratio and whether the parameter influences depended on the state of each other. Results show that pH had a greater influence than acetate supply on the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction, and that the impact of acetate supply on the ratio depended on pH. In acidic reactors (pH 6.0 media), the ratio of iron to sulfate reduction decreased from 3:1 to 2:1 as acetate supply increased (0–1 mM). In alkaline reactors (pH 7.5 media), iron and sulfate were reduced in equal proportions, regardless of acetate supply. Secondly, a comparison of experiments with and without sulfate shows that the extent of iron reduction was greater if sulfate reduction was occurring and that the effect was larger in alkaline reactors than acidic reactors. Thus, the influence of sulfate supply on iron reduction extent also depended on pH and suggests that iron reduction grows more dependent on sulfate reduction as pH increases. Our results compare well to trends in groundwater geochemistry and provide further evidence that pH is a major control on iron and sulfate reduction in systems with crystalline (oxyhydr)oxides. pH not only affects the ratio between the reactions but also the influences of other parameters on that ratio.
Differential effects of nematode infection on pollinating and non-pollinating fig wasps: can shared antagonism provide net benefits to a mutualism?

Species pairs that form mutualistic associations are also components of broader organismal community networks. These interaction networks have shaped the evolution of individual mutualisms through interspecific interactions ranging from secondarily mutualistic to intensely antagonistic. Our understanding of this complex context remains limited because characterizing the impacts of species interacting with focal mutualists is often difficult. How is the fitness of mutualists impacted by the co-occurring interactive network of community associates? We investigate this context using a model interaction network comprised of a fig and fig wasp mutualist, eight non-pollinating fig wasp (NPFW) antagonists/commensals, and a nematode previously believed to be associated only with the pollinator wasp mutualist. Through repeated sampling and field observations we characterize the ecological roles of these mutualist-associated organisms to identify key antagonists. We then investigated how potential nematode infection of NPFWs could impact wasp survival across key life stages and, in turn, inferred how this influences the fitness of the fig-pollinator mutualists. Unexpectedly, we found all F. petiolaris-associated NPFWs to be targets for nematode infection, with infection-levels sometimes exceeding that of pollinators. Experimental data collected for the most abundant NPFW species suggests that nematode infection significantly reduces their longevity. Further, comparisons of nematode loads for emerging and successfully arriving NPFWs suggest that infection severely limits their dispersal ability. Through these observations we conclude that this infection could impact NPFWs more severely than either mutualistic partner, suggesting a novel role of density-dependent facultative mutualism between figs, pollinator wasps, and the nematode. This antagonist-mediated suppression of other network antagonists may present an ecologically common mechanism through which antagonists can present net benefits for mutualists' fitness.
Stable Transfection of the Singlet Oxygen Photosensitizing Protein SOPP3: Examining Aspects of Intracellular Behavior †

Protein‐encased chromophores that photosensitize the production of reactive oxygen species, ROS, have been the center of recent activity in studies of oxidative stress. One potential attribute of such systems is that the local environment surrounding the chromophore, and that determines the chromophore’s photophysics, ideally remains constant and independent of the global environment into which the system is placed. Therefore, a protein‐encased sensitizer localized in the mitochondria would arguably have the same photophysics as that protein‐encased sensitizer at the plasma membrane, for example. One thus obtains a useful tool to study processes modulated by spatially localized ROS. One ROS of interest is singlet oxygen, O2(a1Δg). We recently developed a singlet oxygen photosensitizing protein, SOPP, in which flavin mononucleotide, FMN, is encased in a re‐engineered light‐oxygen‐voltage protein. One goal was to ascertain how a version of this system, SOPP3, which selectively makes O2(a1Δg), in vitro, behaves in a cell. We now demonstrate that SOPP3 undergoes exacerbated irradiation‐mediated bleaching when expressed at either the plasma membrane or mitochondria in stable cell lines. We find that the environment around the SOPP3 system affects the bleaching rate, which argues against one of the key suppositions in support of a protein‐encased chromophore.
Impact of adherence to drugs for secondary prevention on mortality and cardiovascular morbidity: A population‐based cohort study. IMPACT study

Adherence to pharmacological therapy for secondary prevention after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) reduces the risk of new cardiovascular events. However, several studies showed poor adherence. Our study aim was to assess the risk of a composite endpoint of major cardiovascular events (MACE) and all‐cause mortality according to the adherence to these drugs in patients after an ACS in a primary health care cohort.
RO4929097 regulates RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and LPS-mediated bone resorption

To investigate the suppressive function of RO4929097, a potent -secretase inhibitor, on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. The cytotoxicity of RO4929097 was evaluated. The suppressive effect and possible molecular mechanism of RO4929097 on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The IC50 of RO4929097 was 2.93 μM. Treatment with different doses of RO4929097 (100 nM, 200 nM, and 400 nM) effectively reduced osteoclast formation (number and resorption area) in a dose-dependent manner. The qPCR results revealed that RO4929097 attenuates RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and NFATc1 protein expression. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that RO4929097 had an inhibitory effect on LPS-induced bone resorption. Our in vitro experiments showed that RO4929097 can potently inhibit osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption by down-regulating the Notch/MAPK/JNK/Akt-mediated reduction of NFATc1. In accordance with these in vitro observations, RO4929097 attenuated LPS-induced osteolysis in mice. In conclusion, our findings indicate that Notch may represent a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of osteolytic diseases.
The natural antisense transcript DONE40 derived from the lncRNA ENOD40 locus interacts with SET domain protein ASHR3 during inception of symbiosis in Arachis hypogaea.

The lncRNA ENOD40 is required for cortical cell division during root nodule symbiosis (RNS) of legumes, though it is not essential for actinorhizal RNS. Our objective was to understand whether ENOD40 was required for aeschynomenoid nodule formation in Arachis hypogaea. AhENOD40 express from chr5 (AhENOD40-1) and chr15 (AhENOD40-2) during symbiosis, and RNA interference of these transcripts drastically affected nodulation indicating the importance of ENOD40 in A.hypogaea. Furthermore, we demonstrated several distinct characteristics of ENOD40: (i) Natural antisense transcript of ENOD40 was detected from the AhENOD40-1 locus (designated as NAT-AhDONE40). (ii) Both AhENOD40-1 and AhENOD40-2 had two exons, whereas NAT-AhDONE40 was monoexonic. RT-qPCR analysis indicated both sense and antisense transcripts to be present in both cytoplasm and nucleus, and their expression increased with the progress of symbiosis. (iii) RNA Pulldown from whole cell extracts of infected roots at 4DPI indicated NAT-AhDONE40 to interact with the SET (Su(var)3-9, Enhancer-of-zeste and Trithorax) domain containing Ash (Absent Small homeotic disc) family protein AhASHR3 and this interaction was further validated using RNA immunoprecipitation and EMSA. (iv) ChIP assays indicate deposition of ASHR3 specific histone marks H3K36me3 and H3K4me3 in both the ENOD40 loci during the progress of symbiosis. ASHR3 is known for its role in optimizing cell proliferation and reprogramming. Since both ASHR3 and ENOD40 from legumes cluster away from those in actinorhizal plants and other nonlegumes in phylogenetic distance trees, we hypothesize that the interaction of DONE40 with ASHR3 could have evolved for adapting the nodule organogenesis program for legumes.
Dual effect of IL‐7/IL‐7R signalling on the osteoimmunological system: a potential therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis

The IL‐7/IL‐7R pathway plays a vital role in the immune system, especially in the inflammatory response. Monocytes/macrophages (osteoclast precursors) have been recently recognized as important participants in the osteoclastogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Here, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of IL‐7/IL‐7R pathway in RA and to determine whether it could restrain osteoclastogenic functions and therefore ameliorate RA. Firstly, collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) mice were administered with IL‐7Rα‐target antibodies to assess their therapeutic effect on arthritis. We found that blockade of the IL‐7/IL‐7R pathway protected CIA mice from bone destruction in addition to inducing inflammatory remission, by altering the RANKL/RANK/OPG ratio and consequently decreasing osteoclast formation. To explore the effect and mechanism of this pathway, bone marrow cells were induced to osteoclasts and treated with IL‐7, a STAT5 inhibitor or supernatants from T cells. The results showed that the IL‐7/IL‐7R pathway played a direct inhibitory role in osteoclast differentiation via STAT5 signalling pathway in a RANKL‐induced manner. We applied flow cytometry to analyse the effect of IL‐7 on T‐cell RANKL expression and found that IL‐7/IL‐7R pathway had an indirect role in the osteoclast differentiation process by enhancing the RANKL expression on T cells. In conclusion, the IL‐7/IL‐7R pathway exhibited a dual effect on osteoclastogenesis of CIA mice by interacting with osteoimmunology processes and could be a novel therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases such as RA.
Volar location and degree of pigmentation are associated with poor survival and first metastasis pattern in acral melanoma

The risk factors affecting acral melanoma metastasis and prognosis remain unclear. The study included 168 patients with invasive acral melanoma who were followed for ≥3 years. We evaluated patient demographics, stages, clinicopathological features, anatomic site of melanoma including nail versus volar surface, and degree of melanoma pigmentations, sentinel lymph node biopsy results, and the first metastasis sites. Of the 168 patients (mean age 64.5 years; 52.4% male), 43 (25.6%) had invasive melanoma without metastasis, 113 (67.3%) had invasive melanoma with a first lymph node metastasis, and 12 (7.1%) had invasive melanoma with invasive melanoma with a first distant metastasis. Advanced T stage, high mitotic rate, ulceration, and the degree of pigmentation were significant risk factors for metastasis. Amelanotic and mild pigmentation of acral melanoma was associated with first distant metastasis, whereas heavy pigmentation was associated with first lymph node metastasis. Advanced TNM stages, high mitotic rate, volar location (hazard ratio = 2.24, 95% confidence interval 1.18–4.26), and low‐pigmentation (hazard ratio = 2.02, 95% confidence interval 1.17–3.49) were associated with melanoma‐specific mortality.
Circadian rhythm‐associated Rev‐erbα modulates polarization of decidual macrophage via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Problem: Circadian rhythms are involved not only in the repair and regeneration of the immune system, but may also be associated with regulation of inflammation and immune responses. Rev‐erbα could constitute a link between immunity and circadian rhythms since it is a transcription factor that regulates circadian rhythms and has functions in multiple physiological and pathological processes. Decidual macrophages (dMφs) play crucial roles in immune balance at the maternal‐fetal interface, and abnormal macrophage polarization is related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as infertility, recurrent spontaneous abortion, and preterm labor. However, whether Rev‐erbα could modulate the polarization of macrophages is unknown.
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria: a disease beyond TB and preparedness in India

ABSTRACT Background and Methods Fifty-six Indian studies on NTM diseases were selected between 1981 and 2020 from various electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, BIOSIS preview, and Scopus) for systematic review. Results NTM isolation rates increased from 0.9% between 2001 and 2010 to 1.6% between 2011 and 2020. Prevalence of NTM-pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) among presumptive-TB patients in India was 1.1% (395/34,829). M. avium complex (MAC) (19%) was most commonly isolated from pulmonary specimens followed by M. chelonae (10%), M. fortuitum (9.8%), and M. abscessus (8.8%). M. fortuitum (35.5%), M. chelonae (23.6%) and M. abscessus (15%) were frequently reported from extra-pulmonary specimens. Patients with NTM-PD were mostly treated with a macrolide-based three-drug regimen. Clarithromycin-based-drug regimen in combination with amikacin, ciprofloxacin and several other drugs (rifampicin, imipenem, ofloxacin, linezolid, azithromycin) was used for treatment of EP-NTM. Median duration of the treatment in NTM-PD was 12 months, (6–18 months) whereas it was 6 months (3.1–8.7 months) in EP-NTM. Treatment was successful in 45% (19/42) of NTM-PD patients and 75% (93/124) of EP-NTM patients. Conclusion It is concluded from this review that most Indian studies have published laboratory data on NTM isolation and speciation and lacked information on clinical, microbiological and radiological correlation and treatment outcome details. Future studies should address these issues while publishing on NTM diseases.
Bilateral Sinonasal Inverted Papilloma: Report of an Uncommon Case Involving Sinuses of the Face and Orbital Cavity

Patient: Male, 60-year-old Final Diagnosis: Sinonasal inverted papilloma Symptoms: Facial asymmetry • nasal obstruction • right hemiface proptosis Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Dentistry • Pathology • Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: Nasosinusal papilloma is a benign aggressive tumor. It usually occurs unilaterally in the nasal cavity and can extend to the sinuses. The diagnosis is made by the correlation of findings observed in tomographic and histo-pathological exams. The recommended treatment is surgical excision with clinical monitoring. Orbital involvement occurs in about 9% of cases of advanced SIP. However, there is no report of cases of a benign tumor that invaded the adjacent soft tissues. Therefore, our objective is to report an unusual case of SIP that bilaterally involved the nasal cavity and maxillary sinuses, and extended to involve the ethmoidal cells and sphenoid and frontal sinuses. Case Report: In this article, we report an unusual presentation of sinonasal inverted papilloma (SIP) in a 60-year-old man. The tumor bilaterally involved the nasal cavity and maxillary sinuses and extended to involve the ethmoidal cells and the sphenoid and frontal sinuses, as well as the orbital cavity on the right side. An open surgical procedure was performed for complete removal of the lesion and follow-up with imaging exams. Conclusions: The involvement of these structures is uncommon in SIP. This highlights the importance of this case report. Diagnosis and surgical treatment must be carefully planned. In this work, we describe all the steps that helped guide the choice of the best surgical technique to be performed and offer the best clinical follow-up.
The mitigating effect of low firearm background check requirements on firearm homicides in border states

Abstract: Background: Firearm-related violence is a significant public health issue in the US. Research has found an increase in guns used in crimes sourced from low gun law states into high gun law states. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of distance from states without universal background checks (UBC), background checks at shows (BCS), or permit to purchase (PTP) laws on firearm homicide rates in states with them. Methods: States were identified based on their enactment of laws that are designed to prevent the private sale of firearms to criminals. Demographic data for each county were obtained for the years 2014 through 2017. The border distance from a county in a state with the evaluated gun laws to the nearest border state without the gun laws was obtained using Google Maps. Multiple regression analyses were performed to test the relationship between border distance and firearm homicide rates. Results: The regression model evaluating all formats found the border distance was negatively associated with firearm homicides (p=.009). The parameter estimate indicated as border distance increased, the firearm homicide rate decreased. When counties with UBC or PTP on all guns were evaluated separately from all formats model, the statistical significance was lost (p=.62). In counties where all handgun sales either require a background check or a PTP is required, the distance was also not statistically significant (p=.11). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that there may be a mitigating effect on the reduction of firearm homicides in states that require background checks or PTP on private sales when there is a state in close proximity that did not have these laws. Limited counties at certain distances may have contributed to the insignificant findings in other models.
Serum‐soluble PD‐L1 may be a potential diagnostic biomarker in sepsis

To investigate whether serum‐soluble PD‐L1 (sPD‐L1) is a potential biomarker for identifying sepsis. This study enrolled 64 septic patients, 29 patients with acute appendicitis, 33 patients with acute pancreatitis and 30 healthy volunteers. Sepsis was defined according to the Sepsis 3.0 criteria. [1] The associated clinical parameters were recorded, blood samples were collected on the first day of diagnosis, and serum sPD‐L1 levels were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Compared with the control group, a significant increase in sPD‐L1 levels was observed in patients with sepsis (n = 64). Increased sPD‐L1 expression correlated strongly with increased clinical inflammatory values (CRP, PCT and WBC) and decreased immunological functional parameters (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for sPD‐L1 in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was superior to the AUC for either sPD‐L1 or SOFA score in regard to the diagnosis of sepsis. sPD‐L1 may represent a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis.