Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hearing Preservation Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Acoustic Neuroma Surgery: Predicting Cutoffs.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the outcomes of hearing preservation surgery (HPS) for acoustic neuroma and quantify tumor and patient characteristics predictive of hearing preservation after surgery. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS A total of 100 consecutive patients diagnosed with acoustic neuroma from 2000 to 2012. INTERVENTION Hearing preservation surgery through microscopic retrosigmoid approach combined with a retrolabyrinthine meatotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Pre- and postoperative hearing stratified according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and the Tokyo classifications. The most accurate cutoff was identified for each tumor and patients' variable affecting the outcome by calculating the Youden index. A multivariable analysis was undertaken at these cutoffs to identify prognostic factors for hearing preservation. RESULTS Preoperative hearing class was preserved after surgery in 31% (AAO-HNS), and 39% (Tokyo classification) of patients. According to the AAO-HNS classification, the tumor size in the cerebello-pontine angle, pure-tone average (PTA), and speech discrimination score cutoffs for predicting good postoperative hearing function were 7 mm, 21 dB, and 90%, respectively. With the Tokyo classification, only the PTA cutoff differed, with 27 dB. On multivariable analysis, tumor size and PTA were independent prognostic factors for postoperative hearing with high model's goodness of fit (area under the curve = 0.784; 95% CI = 0.68-0.88 and area under the curve = 0.813; 95% CI = 0.72-0.90), according to both the hearing classifications. CONCLUSIONS The estimated cutoffs for tumor size and PTA were independently associated with HPS. These factors should be prospectively investigated before they are adopted as selection criteria for HPS.
Deformity correction in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

AIMS To compare the rates of sagittal and coronal correction for all-pedicle screw instrumentation and hybrid instrumentation using sublaminar bands in the treatment of thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 124 patients who had undergone surgery in two centres for the correction of Lenke 1 or 2 AIS. Radiological evaluation was carried out preoperatively, in the early postoperative phase, and at two-year follow-up. Parameters measured included coronal Cobb angles and thoracic kyphosis. Postoperative alignment was compared after matching the cohorts by preoperative coronal Cobb angle, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and pelvic incidence. RESULTS A total of 179 patients were available for analysis. After matching, 124 patients remained (62 in each cohort). Restoration of thoracic kyphosis was significantly better in the sublaminar band group than in the pedicle screw group (from 23.7° to 27.5° to 34.0° versus 23.9° to 18.7° to 21.5°; all p < 0.001). When the preoperative thoracic kyphosis was less than 20°, sublaminar bands achieved a normal postoperative thoracic kyphosis, whereas pedicle screws did not. In the coronal plane, pedicle screws resulted in a significantly better correction than sublaminar bands at final follow-up (73.0% versus 59.7%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION This is the first study to compare sublaminar bands and pedicle screws for the correction of a thoracic AIS. We have shown that pedicle screws give a good coronal correction which is maintained at two-year follow-up. Conversely, sublaminar bands restore the thoracic kyphosis better while pedicle screws are associated with a flattening of the thoracic spine. In patients with preoperative hypokyphosis, sublaminar bands should be used to restore a proper sagittal profile. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(3):376-382.
Callous-Unemotional Traits and Executive Functions are Unique Correlates of Disruptive Behavior in Children

ABSTRACT This study examined the influence of executive functions on the association between callous-unemotional traits and severity and type of childhood disruptive behavior. Eighty one children aged 8–12 years and their parents participated in the study. We assessed children’s callous-unemotional traits, executive functions, and two indices of disruptive behavior. Callous-unemotional traits and parent ratings of executive dysfunction were uniquely correlated with elevated conduct problems and oppositional and defiant behavior. Neither performance-based measures, nor parent ratings of executive function, moderated the association between callous-unemotional traits and disruptive behavior. Study findings suggest that executive functions and callous-unemotional traits may impact children’s behavior independently.
Overexpression of miR-17 is correlated with liver metastasis in colorectal cancer

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. The presence of systemic disease, with metastatic spread to distant sites such as the liver, considerably reduces the survival rate in CRC. Cancer stem cells contribute to the metastatic potential of CRC. However, the mechanism underlying metastasis in CRC remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to examine the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in CRC stem cells in cases of liver metastases and assess their correlation with clinicopathological features. Methods: miRNAs showing high expression in liver metastases and primary lesions were selected through data mining of gene expression omnibus datasets, and miRNAs characteristic of stem cells were selected through COREMINE medical text mining. Subsequently, paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of primary CRC and liver metastasis from 30 patients were examined for the expression of miRNAs common to these lists (hsa-miR-20a, hsa-miR-26b, hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-17, hsa-miR-451, hsa-miR-23a, and hsa-miR-29a) using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Further, miRNA expression was compared between liver metastases and the primary tumor in each patient and the factors associated with differential expression were analyzed. Results: hsa-miR-17 was significantly upregulated in liver metastases (P < .05), but no significant difference in the expression of hsa-miR-26b, hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-451, hsa-miR-23a, and hsa-miR-29a was observed between primary tumors and liver metastases. The higher expression of hsa-miR-17 in liver metastases was associated with the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and tumor differentiation (P < .05) but was not associated with age, sex, tumor location, or lymphatic metastasis. Conclusions: High expression of miR-17 may contribute to liver metastasis in CRC. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of its downstream pathways could help in elucidating the mechanisms underlying liver metastases in CRC. However, additional studies are warranted to validate these findings.
Bearing the Burden of Non-AIDS Comorbidities: This is What Women Aging with HIV Look Like.

EDITORIAL COMMENTARY • cid 2020:XX (XX XXXX) • 1 Received 21 February 2020; editorial decision 23 February 2020; accepted 26 February 2020; published online March 2, 2020. Correspondence: C. J. Fichtenbaum, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 200 Albert Sabin Way, Room 3114, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0405 (carl.fichtenbaum@ uc.edu and fichtecj@ucmail.uc.edu). Clinical Infectious Diseases 2020;XX(XX):1–2 © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa209 Bearing the Burden of Non-AIDS Comorbidities: This Is What Women Aging With Human Immunodefiency Virus Look Like
Older and more mindful? Age differences in mindfulness components and well-being

Abstract Objectives Empirical research on the processes through which mindfulness affects well-being is in its infancy. Furthermore, few studies have considered the positive effects of mindfulness on psychological functioning from a lifespan perspective. The present study aimed to examine the role of age in moderating associations of mindfulness components with well-being in the context of a proposed model of mindfulness. Methods A community-based sample of 623 participants aged between 18 and 86 years (M = 48.78, SD = 16.74) was recruited via an internet-based research platform. Participants completed questionnaire measures of mindful characteristics (i.e. present-moment attention, nonjudgment, interoception, acceptance, nonattachment, and decentering), flexible goal adjustment, and well-being. Results Parallel mediation analyses showed that both present-moment attention and nonjudgment provided significant pathways to (a) flexible goal adjustment through nonattachment and decentering; and (b) well-being through acceptance, nonattachment, and decentering. Furthermore, present-moment attention, nonjudgment, acceptance, nonattachment, and decentering were all positively associated with age. Conditional process analyses revealed that the direct relationships between (1) present-moment attention and well-being, (2) nonjudgment and well-being, and (3) decentering and flexible goal adjustment became stronger with age and were significant for adults from around 40 years of age and older. Conclusions The findings suggest that the tendency to focus on the present-moment and adopt a nonjudgmental orientation may become especially important for well-being with advancing age, and the ability to appreciate the transitory nature of personal experiences may be particularly important for flexible employment of both goal disengagement and reengagement strategies across the second half of life.
Sexual health literacy among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men: a conceptual framework for future research

Abstract Good sexual health requires navigating intimate relationships within diverse power dynamics and sexual cultures, coupled with the complexities of increasing biomedicalisation of sexual health. Understanding this is important for the implementation of biomedical HIV prevention. We propose a socially nuanced conceptual framework for sexual health literacy developed through a consensus building workshop with experts in the field. We use rigorous qualitative data analysis to illustrate the functionality of the framework by reference to two complementary studies. The first collected data from five focus groups (FGs) in 2012 (n = 22), with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men aged 18–75 years and 20 in-depth interviews in 2013 with men aged 19–60 years. The second included 12 FGs in 2014/15 with 55 patients/service providers involved in the use/implementation of HIV self-testing or HIV prevention/care. Sexual health literacy goes well beyond individual health literacy and is enabled through complex community practices and multi-sectoral services. It is affected by emerging (and older) technologies and demands tailored approaches for specific groups and needs. The framework serves as a starting point for how sexual health literacy should be understood in the evaluation of sustainable and equitable implementation of biomedical sexual healthcare and prevention internationally.
Manipulation of the host cell response to infection with Toxoplasma gondii

The principal aim of the work presented in this thesis was to investigate the host-pathogen interaction in Toxoplasma gondii infected cells and to elucidate which proteins and pathways were involved in the host response to infection. Toxoplasma gondii is of clinical importance for both human and veterinary disease. There are currently no drugs available to treat the chronic stage of disease. The transcriptional response of host cells to Toxoplasma infection has previously been investigated using microarrays. Proteins are the functional molecules in the cell and the protein expression response is likely to differ from the transcriptional response due to gene expression control and post translational modifications. The advantage of a global proteomic expression profiling study of Toxoplasma gondii infected cells is that, in principle, all possible host responses could be identified without pre-supposing a specific mechanism. Advanced proteomic methods were developed and used to investigate the host protein response to infection with Toxoplasma gondii. A conventional gel-to-gel approach was used in concert with difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) to investigate the protein expression in infected cells. This part of the work concluded that the patterns of protein expression in infected cells showed clear differences from that of the non-infected cell. This resulted in the unambiguous identification of one hundred and fifty seven host proteins which changed in expression during infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Many proteins not previously implicated in response to infection were identified. The results from the proteomic studies were compared with the transcriptional study in order to determine the gene to protein correlation in Toxoplasma gondii infected cells. A weakly positive correlation between gene and protein expression was determined. To investigate whether the host response is uniquely tailored to an individual pathogen or whether cells have a common response to infection, the protein response to a second intracellular parasite, Leishmania major, was investigated. Far fewer changes were seen in the L.major infected cell proteome, proving that the host response to infection is unique to the pathogen. Phosphorylation is one the most common post translational modifications therefore the host cell phosphoproteome was investigated alongside the steady state proteome of infected cells using three techniques and proteins specifically phosphorylated due to the presence of the parasite were identified. Functional analysis of the modulated proteins revealed extensive modulation of many pathways and functions within the infected host cell including glycolytic, mitotic and structural proteins. Over one third of all the modulated proteins identified were mitochondrial. Overall the findings detailed in this thesis indicate that the host cell has a highly specific response to Toxoplasma gondii infection and that many host cell functions are modulated due to the presence of the parasite and reveal the intimate molecular relationship between host and parasite.
Outcomes of therapy‐related acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Therapy‐related acute lymphoblastic leukemia (t‐ALL) is an increasingly recognized subset of therapy‐related acute leukemia. There are limited data on the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in t‐ALL. Recent reports suggest comparable outcomes of t‐ALL with de novo ALL after HSCT.
Does exergaming drive future physical activity and sport intentions?

We studied how usability and playability of sport exergames affect future intentions of participation in physical activity or actual sport. We employed questionnaires to measure participants’ enjoyment, usability, game-experience, and future intentions of physical activity and real sport. We compared the outcomes based on players’ gender, previous real-swimming, and exergame experience. Psychological parameters were not different between groups but players without exergame experience enjoyed the game more. Physical activity intentions increased for all participants but not swimming intentions. The limitations of current gaming systems and their effects on players’ gaming experience and intentions are discussed.
Synthesis of sericin‐conjugated silver nanoparticles and their potential antimicrobial activity

Nanoparticles (NPs) are being recognized as antibacterial agents due to their rapidly increasing multidrug resistance in bacterial pathogens. Hence, there is an unmet need to identify the natural antibacterial agent. The present study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of sericin‐conjugated silver NPs synthesized by using sericin as a reducing and capping agent. Synthesized NPs were characterized by scanning electron microscope, nanolaser particle size analyzer (BT‐90), Fourier‐transform infrared analysis, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray. The biogenic NPs significantly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli (12–15 mm zone of inhibition), Staphylococcus aureus (14.6–15.4 mm zone of inhibition), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.5–18 mm zone of inhibition). The stability of naturally synthesized NPs was examined at various temperatures (i.e., 4°C, 37°C, and 55°C) and pH (i.e., 3, 7, and 11). Temperature variability did not significantly affect the efficacy of NPs. However, NPs performed better at higher pH levels. This study suggested that the sericin‐based silver NPs are not only effective against bacteria, but they also maintain the stability at different ranges of temperature and pH. We concluded that the sericin‐conjugated silver NPs possess the remarkable antibacterial potential, which suggests their large‐scale use as a cheap and stable antimicrobial agent in the future.
Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) and neonate: What neonatologist need to know

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) cause china epidemics with high morbidity and mortality, the infection has been transmitted to other countries. About three neonates and more than 230 children cases are reported. The disease condition of the main children was mild. There is currently no evidence that SARS‐CoV‐2 can be transmitted transplacentally from mother to the newborn. The treatment strategy for children with Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) is based on adult experience. Thus far, no deaths have been reported in the pediatric age group. This review describes the current understanding of COVID‐19 infection in newborns and children.
Mitigating effects and mechanisms of Tai Chi on mild cognitive impairment in the elderly

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a major public health concern that endangers health and decreases the quality of life of the elderly around the world. A recent clinical guideline has recommended regular exercise (twice per week) for patients with MCI as part of an overall approach to management. Tai Chi, a form of light-to-moderate-intensity mind-body exercise, is particularly suitable for seniors. This review aims to summarize epidemiological studies related to the effects of Tai Chi on symptom remission in older adults with MCI and reveal the potential mechanisms. Evidence suggested that Tai Chi can improve cognitive functions and alleviate the accompanying symptoms of MCI in the elderly potentially by activating the expression of signals in different brain regions, altering their connectivity, increasing the brain volume, and modulating brain-derived neurotropic and inflammation factors. Studies comparing various types of Tai Chi may contribute to the identification of paradigms that have appropriate intensities and difficulty and exert good effects on older people with MCI. In addition, studies are warranted to determine the frequency and duration of training that can optimize the beneficial effects of Tai Chi on MCI.
Gold nanorods with an ultrathin anti-biofouling siloxane layer for combinatorial anticancer therapy

Abstract Despite the wide utility of gold nanorods (GNRs) in biomedical fields, only a few methods for modifying or coating the surface of GNRs suitable for biomedical applications are available. In this study, we report a new facile method that enables formation of an ultra-thin (nanometre-thickness) siloxane layer on GNRs with anti-biofouling properties and ligand functionalisation ability. A triblock random copolymer, poly(TMSMA-r-PEGMA-r-NAS), was used to coat GNRs. An ultrathin polymeric shell was formed surrounding GNRs through acid-catalysed crosslinking of silicates of TMSMA. The polymer-coated GNRs (p-GNRs) exhibited high colloidal stability in biological solutions of high ionic strength and long-term stability superior to that of PEG2k-S-GNRs. The functionalities of NAS were demonstrated using two methods for conjugating targeting ligands and loading doxorubicin via electrostatic interactions. The ligand-specific cancer-targeting ability and combinatorial chemo-photothermal anticancer effects were validated in vitro and in vivo, suggesting their potential utility in various fields.
Current and emerging biologics for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis

ABSTRACT Introduction The management of a child with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) requires a combination of pharmacological, physical, and psychosocial therapies in order to induce disease remission, by controlling articular and systemic inflammation. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion on the biological therapies currently in use in the treatment of JIA referring to existing recommendations and clinical evidence. We also discuss on the emerging biological drugs actually under consideration. Areas covered Recent findings on immunological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of the disease allowed us to identify several specific targets for biologic therapies. A systematic literature review was conducted between January 1997 and January 2020 on PubMed including national and international guidelines and recommendations, trials and case–control studies. Expert opinion There is now a plethora of therapies that are directed against variable targets, and the physician has to choose the most appropriate available medication in order to achieve early and sustained remission with as few side effects as possible. Research is advancing very fast in order to be more and more specific in suppressing inflammatory pathways without harming natural defenses. Finally, pharmacoeconomic considerations will also be very important to deal with, considering the high cost of most of these molecules.
Burns in Nepal: a participatory, community survey of burn cases and knowledge, attitudes and practices to burn care and prevention in three rural municipalities

Objectives As part of an ongoing, long-term project to co-create burn prevention strategies in Nepal, we collected baseline data to share and discuss with the local community, use as a basis for a co-created prevention strategy and then monitor changes over time. This paper reports on the method and outcomes of the baseline survey and demonstrates how the data are presented back to the community. Design A community-based survey. Setting Community based in three rural municipalities in Nepal. Participants 1305 households were approached: the head of 1279 households participated, giving a response rate of 98%. In 90.3% of cases, the head of the household was male. Results We found that 2.7% (CI 1.8 to 3.7) of 1279 households, from three representative municipalities, reported at least one serious burn in the previous 12 months: a serious burn was defined as one requiring medical attention and/or inability to work or do normal activities for 24 hours. While only 4 paediatric and 10 adult cases in the previous 12 months reached hospital care, the impact on the lives of those involved was profound. Only one patient was referred on from primary to secondary/tertiary care; the average length of hospital stay for those presenting directly to secondary/tertiary care was 21 days. A range of first-aid behaviours were used, many of which are appropriate for the local context while a few may be potentially harmful (eg, the use of dung). Conclusion The participatory approach used in this study ensured a high response rate. We have demonstrated that infographics can link the pathway for each of the cases observed from initial incident to final location of care.