Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Raman spectroscopic analysis of skin penetration and moisturizing effects of Bionics vernix caseosa cream compared with Vaseline

BACKGROUND: The stratum corneum (SC) is the outermost layer of human skin and deemed as barrier against chemical exposure and water loss. Moisturizers have beneficial effects in treating dry skin, especially the SC. Confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) was used to evaluate the efficacy of moisturizers on skin hydration and penetration, with such agents posing inherent characteristics of being noninvasive, nondestructive, timesaving, and cost effective. Bionics vernix caseosa (BVC) cream mimics the composition of vernix caseosa (VC), which could protect the newborn skin. METHODS: This research applied CRS to evaluate the penetration depth and water content variation during the intervention with two moisturizers, BVC cream and Vaseline. Volunteers received the 2 h application of BVC cream and Vaseline on the forearms. The evaluations on 0 h, 2 h, 4 h and 6 h were performed clinical assessment. Experimental data was processed by least square method and analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: The penetration depth of Vaseline was deeper than that of Bionics vernix caseosa cream. Specifically, BVC cream penetrated 18 μm into human skin, while Vaseline penetrated at least 20 μm. Compared with Vaseline, only BVC cream increased skin hydration, with a moisturizing effect lasting for 4 h. At 6 h, the Vaseline moisturizing effect decreased significantly.
Toxicity assessment of watermelon seed supplemented diet in rats

Abstract Health benefits have been attributed to the consumption of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) seeds in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia but the potential toxicity especially on chronic use remains to be investigated. Here, diets containing watermelon seeds (WMSs) at 2.5% or 5% were eaten ad libitum daily for 21 d by male and female Wistar rats. Changes in body and organ (liver, kidney, brain, testis, and ovary) weights following diet supplementation were monitored. Biomarkers of organ injury, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cholesterol (CHO), triglyceride (TRI), urea, and creatinine (CRE) were measured. WMS-formulated diet led to a decrease in body weight in male but not in female rats compared to the control group. Also, testes weight significantly increased, whereas a decrease in that of the ovaries was noted. Although the ingestion of WMS did not significantly alter the weights of the liver and brain, a trend toward reduction was noticed. No significant changes were observed for the serum levels of ALT, ALP, CHO, and TRI in all rats. However, the kidney may be targeted for toxicity as indicated by significant elevations in serum urea and CRE levels in male and female rats when compared to controls. Furthermore, the sperm morphology anomalies observed after WMS supplementation demonstrate the potentially detrimental effects of high consumption of the seeds on the male reproductive system. We conclude that WMSs at 2.5% or 5% dose in the diet may elicit negative effects in organs particularly on the kidney and testes in rats.
Deep Residual Network in Network

Deep network in network (DNIN) model is an efficient instance and an important extension of the convolutional neural network (CNN) consisting of alternating convolutional layers and pooling layers. In this model, a multilayer perceptron (MLP), a nonlinear function, is exploited to replace the linear filter for convolution. Increasing the depth of DNIN can also help improve classification accuracy while its formation becomes more difficult, learning time gets slower, and accuracy becomes saturated and then degrades. This paper presents a new deep residual network in network (DrNIN) model that represents a deeper model of DNIN. This model represents an interesting architecture for on-chip implementations on FPGAs. In fact, it can be applied to a variety of image recognition applications. This model has a homogeneous and multilength architecture with the hyperparameter “L” (“L” defines the model length). In this paper, we will apply the residual learning framework to DNIN and we will explicitly reformulate convolutional layers as residual learning functions to solve the vanishing gradient problem and facilitate and speed up the learning process. We will provide a comprehensive study showing that DrNIN models can gain accuracy from a significantly increased depth. On the CIFAR-10 dataset, we evaluate the proposed models with a depth of up to L = 5 DrMLPconv layers, 1.66x deeper than DNIN. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method and its role in providing the model with a greater capacity to represent features and thus leading to better recognition performance.
UpFrontPSMA: a randomized phase 2 study of sequential 177Lu‐PSMA‐617 and docetaxel vs docetaxel in metastatic hormone‐naïve prostate cancer (clinical trial protocol)

To assess the activity and safety of sequential lutetium‐177 (177Lu)‐PSMA‐617 and docetaxel vs docetaxel on a background of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with de novo metastatic hormone‐naïve prostate cancer (mHNPC).
Phrenic nerve study as outcome in clinical trials for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract Introduction: Respiratory tests are fundamental for monitoring respiratory function in ALS, and essential in clinical trials. Slow vital capacity (SVC) was canceled in some countries to prevent COVID-19 transmission. We aimed to test phrenic nerve motor responses as an option to SVC in clinical trials. Methodology: Patients followed-up in our unit were selected respecting inclusion criteria used elsewhere: possible/probable/definite disease; onset-age 18–80years; disease duration from disease duration ≤24months; body mass index (BMI)>20kg/m2; respiratory subscore of the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R)≥11; upright SVC ≥ 70%. We added normal phrenic responses (meanPhrenAmpl, ≥0.4mV). All patients were on riluzole. SVC and meanPhrenAmpl were recorded at study entry (T0) and 24 weeks later (T1). Decays were determined. Sample size was calculated for a treatment effect of 30% on the decay rate. Results: We included 317 ALS patients (191 males, 225 spinal-onset), mean onset-age 59.9 ± 10.7 (31–80)years, mean onset BMI 25.48 ± 3.2 (20.1–35)kg/m2, mean disease duration 10.5 ± 5.6 (1–24)months, mean ALSFRS-R 41.54 ± 4.3 (22–47) and respiratory subscore 11.83 ± 0.38 (11–12). MeanPhrenAmpl and SVC were weakly but significantly correlated at T0 and T1. At T1, MeanPhrenAmpl decayed 16.94 ± 16.45% and SVC 13.5 ± 16.86%. For the proposed drug effect, 174 and 272 patients would be needed to recruit using respectively meanPhrenAmpl and SVC decline as the primary outcome measurement (accepting no dropouts). Discussion: Contrary to SVC, meanPhrenAmpl is non-volitional and not associated with aerosolization risk. Lower recruitment number (98 patients less) would be needed, translating shorter inclusion period, trial length and costs, and probable lower missed data rate. MeanPhrenAmp is an alternative test in ALS clinical trials.
Intermittent hypoxia: Friend or foe on endothelial repair in mouse model

Abstract Aim of the study: Obstructive sleep apnea, which is characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH), is a common respiratory disease. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between hypoxia and endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) function, and explain the role of IH in endothelial repair. Materials and methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from a mouse model of IH. The number of CD133+ kinase insert domain receptor (KDR)+, CD133+CD34+, CD34+KDR+ and ALDHlowCD34+KDR+ EPCs was determined by flow cytometry. HIF-1α, stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) α and VEGF were measured by ELISA. The proliferative ability of PBMCs was determined. EPC migration was assessed by Transwell assay and surface proteins by western blot analysis. EPCs were co-cultured with mouse brain endothelial cells and their angiogenic ability was analyzed. Results: The number of CD133+KDR+, CD133+CD34+ and CD34+KDR+ EPCs increased with IH ingravescence. The number of ALDHlowCD34+KDR+ EPCs with mild IH stimulation was higher and gradually decreased in the moderate and severe IH groups. The release of HIF-1α, SDF-1α and VEGF in the serum increased with the increase in the degree of IH. In the mild IH treatment, the migration and angiogenesis of EPCs, as well as the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and cysteine-X-cysteine receptor 4, were higher than those in the control group, but progressively decreased in the groups with moderate and severe IH. Conclusion: Increased levels of IH accelerated the increase in vasoactive factors in peripheral blood, thereby mobilizing a large number of EPCs. Increasing of IH diminished the mobilization, chemotactic and angiogenetic ability of EPCs.
Evaluating telehealth delivery of a compensatory memory rehabilitation programme following stroke: A single-case experimental design

ABSTRACT Rehabilitation of memory remains an unmet need for many stroke survivors. Telehealth methods may provide a solution, however evidence supporting the efficacy of remotely-delivered therapy is needed. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design was used with randomized onset of intervention across five individuals with chronic stroke-related memory complaints. A six-week compensatory memory skills programme was delivered individually via internet videoconferencing. Target behaviours of frequencies of self-reported lapses of everyday and prospective memory were measured weekly across baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases. A secondary outcome of functional goal attainment was measured once per phase, with participants setting two personal rehabilitation goals. Data were analysed visually and statistically. Improvements in memory functioning were statistically significant on at least one measure of target behaviour for four out of five participants at intervention or follow-up. Visual evidence of level change indicated at least modest improvements for all participants by follow-up. All participants attained at least one functional goal by follow-up. High rates of treatment adherence and participant satisfaction were observed. Technological issues were minimal and did not impact content delivery or engagement. These results provide preliminary support for the efficacy of a telehealth-delivered rehabilitation programme in improving memory function and achieving memory-related goals for stroke survivors.
Review: Technology, Chemistry and Microbiology of Whey Cheeses

In whey cheese manufacture, whey, plain or added with milk, is heated by direct fire, bubbling steam or alternatively in jacketed vats. In some cases, salt s or organic acids are previously added. At 80-85 OC, the first particles of curd form; at 85-95 'C, the curd may be cooked for a few minutes to reduce moisture content and/or to obtain the desirable level of browning. After drainage at room temperature during molding for ca. 4 h, whey cheese is stored at ca. 4 'C. The typical mass yield is 6%, but addition of milk, calcium salts and preliminary concentration of protein (by condensation or ultrafiltration techniques) may increase yield considerably. Some types of whey cheeses are supposed to be consumed within a short time upon manufacture (e.g., Ricotta, Requeijdo and Manouri), whereas others bear a longer shelf life (e.g., Gjetost, Mysost and Myzithra). Whey cheeses are significantly different from one another in terms of chemical composition, which is mainly due to variations in the source and type of whey, as well as to the processing practices followed. Moisture content and pH of whey cheeses are usually high and favor microorganism growth (molds, yeasts, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae account for the dominant microflora in these cheeses). Adequate packaging of whey cheeses should be provided, and legislation should be prepared to fix standard characteristics of each type of whey cheese, and hence protect typical products from adulteration and fakes. Marketing efforts should also be aimed at increasing whey cheese consumption, either directly or incorporated in desserts, snack dips and pasta-type dishes.
Evidence‐based use of scalable biomarkers to increase diagnostic efficiency and decrease the lifetime costs of autism

Challenges associated with the current screening and diagnostic process for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the US cause a significant delay in the initiation of evidence‐based interventions at an early age when treatments are most effective. The present study shows how implementing a second‐order diagnostic measure to high risk cases initially flagged positive from screening tools can further inform clinical judgment and substantially improve early identification. We use two example measures for the purposes of this demonstration; a saliva test and eye‐tracking technology, both scalable and easy‐to‐implement biomarkers recently introduced in ASD research. Results of the current cost‐savings analysis indicate that lifetime societal cost savings in special education, medical and residential care are estimated to be nearly $580,000 per ASD child, with annual cost savings in education exceeding $13.3 billion, and annual cost savings in medical and residential care exceeding $23.8 billion (of these, nearly $11.2 billion are attributable to Medicaid). These savings total more than $37 billion/year in societal savings in the US. Initiating appropriate interventions faster and reducing the number of unnecessary diagnostic evaluations can decrease the lifetime costs of ASD to society. We demonstrate the value of implementing a scalable highly accurate diagnostic in terms of cost savings to the US.
Time to reconsider the routine use of tourniquets in total knee arthroplasty surgery

Aims Many surgeons choose to perform total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery with the aid of a tourniquet. A tourniquet is a device that fits around the leg and restricts blood flow to the limb. There is a need to understand whether tourniquets are safe, and if they benefit, or harm, patients. The aim of this study was to determine the benefits and harms of tourniquet use in TKA surgery. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, and trial registries up to 26 March 2020. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparing TKA with a tourniquet versus without a tourniquet. Outcomes included: pain, function, serious adverse events (SAEs), blood loss, implant stability, duration of surgery, and length of hospital stay. Results We included 41 RCTs with 2,819 participants. SAEs were significantly more common in the tourniquet group (53/901 vs 26/898, tourniquet vs no tourniquet respectively) (risk ratio 1.73 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10 to 2.73). The mean pain score on the first postoperative day was 1.25 points higher (95% CI 0.32 to 2.19) in the tourniquet group. Overall blood loss did not differ between groups (mean difference 8.61 ml; 95% CI -83.76 to 100.97). The mean length of hospital stay was 0.34 days longer in the group that had surgery with a tourniquet (95% CI 0.03 to 0.64) and the mean duration of surgery was 3.7 minutes shorter (95% CI -5.53 to -1.87). Conclusion TKA with a tourniquet is associated with an increased risk of SAEs, pain, and a marginally longer hospital stay. The only finding in favour of tourniquet use was a shorter time in theatre. The results make it difficult to justify the routine use of a tourniquet in TKA surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(5):830–839.
Excellent c-Si surface passivation by low-temperature atomic layer deposited titanium oxide

In this work, we demonstrate that thermal atomic layer deposited (ALD) titanium oxide (TiOx) films are able to provide a—up to now unprecedented—level of surface passivation on undiffused low-resistivity crystalline silicon (c-Si). The surface passivation provided by the ALD TiOx films is activated by a post-deposition anneal and subsequent light soaking treatment. Ultralow effective surface recombination velocities down to 2.8 cm/s and 8.3 cm/s, respectively, are achieved on n-type and p-type float-zone c-Si wafers. Detailed analysis confirms that the TiOx films are nearly stoichiometric, have no significant level of contaminants, and are of amorphous nature. The passivation is found to be stable after storage in the dark for eight months. These results demonstrate that TiOx films are also capable of providing excellent passivation of undiffused c-Si surfaces on a comparable level to thermal silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and aluminum oxide. In addition, it is well known that TiOx has an optimal refractive index of 2.4 in the visible range for glass encapsulated solar cells, as well as a low extinction coefficient. Thus, the results presented in this work could facilitate the re-emergence of TiOx in the field of high-efficiency silicon wafer solar cells.
Removal of Fe(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions by duckweed

Duckweed was used to study the adsorption of Fe(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The experimental conditions which includes; pH, contact time, initial concentration, and loading weight on the removal process were investigated. Bach adsorption was studied at 30°C. The efficiency of adsorption depends on pH value, it increases with the increase of pH value from (2-8 ) in range time between 60 to 90 min. The most percentage of removal in the main way of loading weighed was 1.5 gm and 50 ml mixed metal ions solution at 50 ppm concentration of each metal ion. The study of isothermal showed that data was confirmed with temkin isotherm model. The removal order was found to be Pb2+ < Zn2+ < Cu2+< Fe2+. The potential of application for the treatment of solutions containing these heavy metals in multimetal solutions is indicated. The characterization (the infrared) for the surface of duckweed showed the presence of many function groups which can be binding with metal cations. Key words: Duckweed, heavy metals, adsorption, removal of metals, adsorption isotherm, adsorption from aqueous solution.
Differences in organization of care are associated with mortality, severe complication and failure to rescue in emergency colon cancer surgery

Abstract Background Emergency colon cancer surgery is associated with increased mortality and complication risk, which can be due to differences in the organization of hospital care. This study aimed. Objective To explore which structural factors in the preoperative, perioperative and postoperative periods influence outcomes after emergency colon cancer surgery. Methods An observational study was performed in 30 Dutch hospitals. Medical records from 1738 patients operated in the period 2012 till 2015 were reviewed on the type of referral, intensive care unit (ICU) level, surgeon specialization and experience, duration of surgery and operating room time, blood loss, stay on specialized postoperative ward, complication occurrence, reintervention and day of surgery and linked to case-mix data available in the Dutch Colorectal Audit. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the influence of these factors on 30-day mortality, severe complication and failure to rescue (FTR), after adjustment for case-mix. Results Patients operated by a non-Gastro intestinal/oncology specialized surgeon have significantly increased mortality (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.28 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.23–4.23]) and severe complication risk (OR 1.61 [95% CI 1.08–2.39]). Also, duration of stay in the operating room was significantly associated with increased risk on severe complication (OR 1.03 [95% CI 1.01–1.06]). Patients admitted to a non-specialized ward have significantly increased mortality (OR 2.25 [95% CI 1.46–3.47]) and FTR risk (OR 2.39 [95% CI 1.52–3.75]). A low ICU level (basic ICU) was associated with a lower severe complication risk (OR 0.72 [95% CI 0.52–1.00]). Surgery on Tuesday was associated with a higher mortality risk (OR 2.82 [95% CI 1.24–6.40]) and a severe complication risk (OR 1.77, [95% CI 1.19–2.65]). Conclusion This study identified a non-specialized surgeon and ward, operating room, time and day of surgery to be risk factors for worse outcomes in emergency colon cancer surgery.
Radiomics: a new tool to differentiate adrenocortical adenoma from carcinoma

Abstract Background The main challenge in the management of indeterminate incidentally discovered adrenal tumours is to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. In the absence of clear signs of invasion or metastases, imaging techniques do not always precisely define the nature of the mass. The present pilot study aimed to determine whether radiomics may predict malignancy in adrenocortical tumours. Methods CT images in unenhanced, arterial, and venous phases from 19 patients who had undergone resection of adrenocortical tumours and a cohort who had undergone surveillance for at least 5 years for incidentalomas were reviewed. A volume of interest was drawn for each lesion using dedicated software, and, for each phase, first-order (histogram) and second-order (grey-level colour matrix and run-length matrix) radiological features were extracted. Data were revised by an unsupervised machine learning approach using the K-means clustering technique. Results Of operated patients, nine had non-functional adenoma and 10 carcinoma. There were 11 patients in the surveillance group. Two first-order features in unenhanced CT and one in arterial CT, and 14 second-order parameters in unenhanced and venous CT and 10 second-order features in arterial CT, were able to differentiate adrenocortical carcinoma from adenoma (P < 0.050). After excluding two malignant outliers, the unsupervised machine learning approach correctly predicted malignancy in seven of eight adrenocortical carcinomas in all phases. Conclusion Radiomics with CT texture analysis was able to discriminate malignant from benign adrenocortical tumours, even by an unsupervised machine learning approach, in nearly all patients.
5-Fluorouracil, capecitabine and vasospasm: a scoping review of pathogenesis, management options and future research considerations

Abstract Background 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent that can cause cardiotoxicity manifesting, among others, as chest pain. Capecitabine is an oral prodrug of 5-FU, with reported preferential activation in malignant cells that may also cause cardiotoxic reactions. Standard treatment of 5-FU and capecitabine induced chest pain with vasodilators is mostly effective, but there are several cases of patients unresponsive to these agents. Methods We performed a PubMed search on 31st May 2020. We used a three keyword search strategy using Boolean search operators. More specifically, we included fluorouracil or 5-FU or capecitabine and chest pain or angina and mechanism or treatment or management. We included primary reports of clinical and non-clinical data, as well as systematic reviews. Narrative reviews, expert opinions, letters to the editor and other forms of non-primary literature were excluded. Results Our search yielded a total of 1595 reports. Of these, 1460 were narrative reviews or irrelevant to the topic and were excluded. A total of 135 reports were used for our review. We used 81 reports for data extraction, which included 13 clinical trials, 4 retrospective reports, 61 case reports, and 3 systematic reviews. Conclusion We report the incidence and predisposing factors, the value of available diagnostic procedures, and standard medical and invasive treatments. We also speculate on the potential benefit of arginine as a promising option both in prevention as well as treatment of 5-FU-induced chest pain. Finally, gaps of evidence are identified and proposals are made in terms of future research.