Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ergogenic Properties of Ketogenic Diets in Normal-Weight Individuals: A Systematic Review

Abstract Ketogenic diets (KDs) have received increasing attention among athletes and physically active individuals. However, the question as to whether and how the diet could benefit this healthy cohort remains unclear. Purpose: This study was designed to systematically review the existing evidence concerning the effect of KDs on body composition, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, muscle development, and sports performance in normal-weight individuals including athletes. Methods: A systematic search of English literature was conducted through electronic databases including PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar. Upon the use of search criteria, 23 full-text original human studies involving non-obese participants were included in this review. For more stratified and focused analysis, these articles were further categorized based on the outcomes being examined including 1) body mass (BM) and %fat, 2) substrate utilization, 3) blood substrate and hormonal responses, 4) aerobic capacity and endurance performance, and 5) strength, power, and anaerobic capacity. Results: Our review indicates that a non-calorie-restricted KD carried out for ≥3 weeks can produce a modest reduction in BM and %fat, while maintaining fat-free mass. This diet leads to augmented use of fat as fuel, but this adaptation doesn’t seem to improve endurance performance. Additionally, ad libitum KDs combined with resistance training will pose no harm to developing strength and power, especially when protein intake is increased modestly. Conclusions: It appears that a non-calorie-restricted KD provides minimal ergogenic benefits in normal-weight individuals including athletes, but can be used for optimizing BM and body composition without compromising aerobic and anaerobic performance. Key teaching points Ketogenic diets have received increasing attention among athletes and physically active individuals. It remains elusive as to whether ketogenic diets could confer ergogenic benefits for those who are normal weight but want to use the diet to improve fitness and performance. An interesting dilemma exists in that ketogenic diets can reduce body mass and %fat and increase fat oxidation, but they can also decrease glycogen stores and limit sports performance. This review concludes that a non-calorie-restricted ketogenic diet provides minimal ergogenic benefits in normal-weight individuals, but can be used to optimize body mass and composition without compromising athletic performance. This finding can be important for esthetic or weight-sensitive athletes because the diet may allow them to reach a target body mass without having to sacrifice athletic performance. The ketogenic diet-induced metabolic adaptations require a state of ketosis, and thus caution should be taken because an excessive increase in ketone bodies can be detrimental to health.
Pediatric Hematologists Report Infrequent Prognosis Discussions in the Routine Care of Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract:A large proportion of the morbidity and almost all of the mortality of sickle cell disease (SCD) now occurs in adulthood. Children with SCD underuse disease-modifying and curative treatments, in part because of how patients/parents understand SCD morbidity and mortality. Whether practitioners provide prognostic information to families is unknown. We emailed a 31-item survey to 1,149 pediatric hematologist-oncologists and analyzed 96 responses. Most said discussing prognosis would change patient/parent willingness to start hydroxyurea, but fewer actually discuss prognosis when they want to start hydroxyurea (91% vs. 75%, p=.001). Similarly, most said discussing prognosis would change adherence to therapy, but fewer actually discuss prognosis to motivate adherence (78% vs 31%, p<.001). Most (77%) addressed prognosis when the "patient or their parent bring it up. " Respondents reporting frequent life expectancy discussions were more likely to report a pathway for such discussions (p=.017). Pediatric hematologists may not conduct prognostic discussions without prompting, although these conversations may be important for shared, informed decision-making.
An extended discrete element method for the estimation of contact pressure at the ankle joint during stance phase

Abnormalities in the ankle contact pressure are related to the onset of osteoarthritis. In vivo measurements are not possible with currently available techniques, so computational methods such as the finite element analysis (FEA) are often used instead. The discrete element method (DEM), a computationally efficient alternative to time-consuming FEA, has also been used to predict the joint contact pressure. It describes the articular cartilage as a bed of independent springs, assuming a linearly elastic behaviour and absence of relative motion between the bones. In this study, we present the extended DEM (EDEM) which is able to track the motion of talus over time. The method was used, with input data from a subject-specific musculoskeletal model, to predict the contact pressure in the ankle joint during gait. Results from EDEM were also compared with outputs from conventional DEM. Predicted values of contact area were larger in EDEM than they were in DEM (4.67 and 4.18 cm2, respectively). Peak values of contact pressure, attained at the toe-off, were 7.3 MPa for EDEM and 6.92 MPa for DEM. Values predicted from EDEM fell well within the ranges reported in the literature. Overall, the motion of the talus had more effect on the extension and shape of the pressure distribution than it had on the magnitude of the pressure. The results indicated that EDEM is a valid methodology for the prediction of ankle contact pressure during daily activities.
Modulation of the in vitro angiogenic potential of human mesenchymal stromal cells from different tissue sources

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been widely exploited for the treatment of several conditions due to their intrinsic regenerative and immunomodulatory properties. MSC have demonstrated to be particularly relevant for the treatment of ischemic diseases, where MSC‐based therapies can stimulate angiogenesis and induce tissue regeneration. Regardless of the condition targeted, recent analyses of MSC‐based clinical trials have demonstrated limited benefits indicating a need to improve the efficacy of this cell product. Preconditioning MSC ex vivo through microenvironment modulation was found to improve MSC survival rate and thus prolong their therapeutic effect. This workstudy aims at enhancing the in vitro angiogenic capacity of a potential MSC‐based medicinal product by comparing different sources of MSC and culture conditions. MSC from three different sources (bone marrow [BM], adipose tissue [AT], and umbilical cord matrix [UCM]) were cultured with xenogeneic‐/serum‐free culture medium under static conditions and their angiogenic potential was studied. Results indicated a higher in vitro angiogenic capacity of UCM MSC, compared with cells derived from BM and AT. Physicochemical preconditioning of UCM MSC through a microcarrier‐based culture platform and low oxygen concentration (2% O2, compared with atmospheric air) increased the in vitro angiogenic potential of the cultured cells. Envisaging the clinical manufacturing of an allogeneic, off‐the‐shelf MSC‐based product, preconditioned UCM MSC maintain the angiogenic gene expression profile upon cryopreservation and delivery processes in the conditions of our study. These results are expected to contribute to the development of MSC‐based therapies in the context of angiogenesis.
Key Anthropometric Variables Associated With Front-Crawl Swimming Performance in Youth Swimmers: An Allometric Approach

Abstract Sammoud, S, Negra, Y, Chaabene, H, Bouguezzi, R, Attia, A, Granacher, U, Younes, H, and Nevill, AM. Key anthropometric variables associated with front-crawl swimming performance in youth swimmers: an allometric approach. J Strength Cond Res 37(6): 1259–1263, 2023—This study aimed to establish key anthropometric characteristics (e.g., optimal body height, limb-segment length, and girth/breadth ratios) related to 100-m front-crawl performance in young swimmers. In total, 74 swimmers (boys [n = 41; age: 18.1 ± 3.5 years]; girls [n = 33; age: 15.9 ± 3.1 years]) participated in this study. We adopted a multiplicative allometric log-linear regression model to identify key anthropometric characteristics associated with 100-m front-crawl swimming performance. The main outcomes indicated that length ratio = ([height/leg length]), foot length and ankle girth, biacromial breadth, and % of body fat were associated with 100-m front-crawl mean swimming speed performance. These findings highlight the importance of assessing anthropometric characteristics in young front-crawl swimmers for talent identification and development.
Electrophysiological findings during atrial fibrillation reablation: Extending from pulmonary vein reconnection to sequential bipolar voltage map information

Left atrial substrate modification targeting low voltage zones (LVZ) is an ablation strategy that—in addition to pulmonary vein (PV) isolation—tries to eliminate arrhythmogenic mechanisms harbored in such tissue. Electrophysiological findings at reablation include (a) PV reconnection, (b) reconnection over previous substrate ablation, and (c) de‐novo LVZ.
Simultaneous Fluorescence Imaging Reveals NMDA Receptor Dependent Zn2+/H+ Flux in the Brains of Mice with Depression.

Depression is immensely attributed to the over-activation of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor in the brains. As regulatory binding partners of NMDA receptor, both Zn2+ and H+ are intimately interrelated to NMDA receptor's activity. Therefore, exploring synergistic changes on the levels of Zn2+ and H+ in brains will promote the knowledge and treatment of depression. However, the lack of efficient, appropriate imaging tools limits simultaneously tracking Zn2+ and H+ in living mouse brains. Thus, a well-designed dual-color ﬂuorescent probe (DNP) was fabricated for the simultaneous monitoring of Zn2+ and H+ in the brains of mice with depression. Encountering Zn2+, the probe evoked bright blue fluorescence at 460 nm. Meanwhile, the red fluorescence at 680 nm was decreased with H+ addition. With blue/red dual fluorescence signal of DNP, we observed the synchronous increased Zn2+ and H+ in PC12 cells under oxidative stress. Notably, in vivo imaging for the ﬁrst time revealed the simultaneous reduction of Zn2+ and pH in brains of mice with depression-like behaviors. Further results implied that NMDA receptor might be responsible for the coinstantaneous fluctuation of Zn2+ and H+ during depression. Altogether, this work is conducive to the knowledge of neural signal transduction mechanisms, advancing our understanding of the pathogenesis in depression.
The association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with breast density and breast cancer survival: the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study

Background Genetic factors are important in determining breast density, and heritable factors account for 60% of the variation. Certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with density and risk of breast cancer but the association with prognosis is not clear. Purpose To investigate associations between selected SNPs and breast cancer survival in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS). Material and Methods A total of 724 unrelated women with breast cancer and registered radiological and pathological data were identified in MDCS 1991–2007, with genotyping available for 672 women. Associations among 15 SNPs, density, and breast cancer-specific survival were analyzed using logistic/Cox regression, adjusted for factors affecting density and survival. Variants significantly associated with either density or survival were validated in a large independent breast cancer cohort (LIBRO-1). Results Minor homozygotes of SNPs rs9383589, CCDC170 and rs6557161, ESR1 were associated with high breast density (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 8.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–59.57; AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.19–3.65, respectively) and poorer breast cancer survival (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj] 6.46, 95% CI 1.95–21.39; HRadj 2.30, 95% CI 1.33–3.96, respectively) compared to major homozygotes. For SNP rs3757318, ESR1, minor homozygotes (HRadj 7.46, 95% CI 2.28–24.45) were associated with poorer survival. We confirmed that rs6557161, ESR1 was significantly associated with both density and survival in the LIBRO-1 study. Conclusion These findings support a shared genetic basis for density and breast cancer survival. The SNP significantly associated with both density and survival in both cohorts may be of interest in future research investigating polygenic risk scores for breast cancer risk and screening stratification purposes.
Prevalence of pressure ulcers in hospitalized adult patients in Bursa, Turkey: A multicentre, point prevalence study.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES Pressure ulcers (PUs), which are preventable complications, increase the cost of health care and the risk of prolonged hospital stay, as well as morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to describe the prevalence, clinical features, and risk factors for PUs among hospitalized patients. METHOD This study was cross-sectional and conducted over a single day in all the care units. Data were recorded on a patient observation form that included demographic data, diagnosis of admission to the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU), comorbidity and chronic diseases, location, stage of PU, and Braden Scale score. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score, Glasgow coma score (GCS), PaO2 /FiO2 ratio, and albumin level were recorded for ICU patients. RESULTS A total of 1548 adult patients participated in the study. Of these patients, 177 (11.43%) had PU. The patients with PU had more advanced age, lower body mass index (BMI), and longer duration of hospital and ICU stay (for all P = .001). Evaluation of PU in the first 24 hours after hospital admission and the last PU evaluation time also showed a significant effect (both P = .001). Braden Scale score less than or equal to 13 in the first evaluation after hospital admission increased the risk of PU. Albumin was 2.78 ± 0.57 gm/dL in ICU patients, and albumin level was significantly lower in patients with PU (P = .001). PUs were located mainly in the sacrum (47.59%) and were classified as stage II (42.76%) for all patients. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of PU is related to the age and severity of patient clinical status, as predicted by the Braden Scale score and APACHE II score, and length of hospital and ICU stay. Low albumin level is also related to development of PUs in ICU patients.
Rapid identification method for gamma-irradiated soybeans using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with a headspace solid-phase microextraction technique.

This study evaluated the applicability of a rapid analytical method using a headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) technique to identify gamma-irradiated soybeans (0.1-5 kGy). From the partial least squares discriminant analysis used to discriminate between non-irradiated and irradiated soybean samples, 1,7-hexadecadiene was selected as the identifying marker. Response surface methodology experiments were used to determine the optimal HS-SPME extraction conditions including a carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane fiber, an extraction temperature of 98 °C, and an extraction time of 55 min. 1,7-hexdecadiene was detected in all samples irradiated at ≥ 0.1 kGy under the optimized HS-SPME-GC-MS conditions and the unique presence of the marker in a gamma-irradiated sample was verified by comparisons with heat, steam, microwave, sonication, and ultraviolet treatments. The comparisons of the identification properties for various conventional methods validated several advances in HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis in terms of rapid analysis, high sensitivity, and absence of solvent.
Neuregulin‐1 promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction, and prevents hypoxia/reoxygenation injury in neonatal cardiomyocytes

Neuregulin‐1 (NRG‐1)/erythroblastic leukaemia viral oncogene homologues (ErbB) pathway activation plays a crucial role in regulating the adaptation of the adult heart to physiological and pathological stress. In the present study, we investigate the effect of recombined human NRG‐1 (rhNRG‐1) on mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial function, and cell survival in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (NRCMs) exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). The results of this study showed that, in the H/R‐exposed NRCMs, mitochondrial biogenesis was impaired, as manifested by the decrease of the expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator‐1 alpha (PGC‐1α) and mitochondrial membrane proteins, the inner membrane (Tim23), mitofusin 1 (Mfn1), and mitofusin 2 (Mfn2). RhNRG‐1 pretreatment effectively restored the expression of PGC‐1α and these membrane proteins, upregulated the expression of the anti‐apoptosis proteins Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL, preserved the mitochondrial membrane potential, and attenuated H/R‐induced cell apoptosis. Blocking PGC‐1 expression with siRNA abolished the beneficial role of rhNRG‐1 on mitochondrial function and cell survival. The results of the present study strongly suggest that NRG‐1/ErbB activation enhances the adaption of cardiomyocytes to H/R injury via promoted mitochondrial biogenesis and improved mitochondrial homeostasis.
Suicide risk among prostate cancer patients before and after the implementation of prostate-specific antigen-based prostate screening in Lithuania in 2006

Despite good prognosis, increased suicide rates are reported for prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of suicide among prostate cancer patients before and after the start of nation-wide prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening programme. Prostate cancer cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2011 were identified from the population-based Lithuanian Cancer Registry and analysis was conducted in 2018. Analysis was stratified by period of diagnosis, age, Gleason score, extent of disease, and time since diagnosis. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were used to assess suicide risk. SMRs were calculated by dividing the observed number of suicides among prostate cancer patients by the expected number of suicides from the general population. Overall, 25 786 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed 2000–2011, and 135 suicides occurred among them compared with expected number of 133 (SMR: 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85–1.20). The suicide risk among prostate cancer patients was 1.08 before and 0.97 after the start of nation-wide PSA-based screening programme. Statistically significant increase in suicide risk was associated with Gleason score 8–10 in the prescreening period (SMR: 2.45; 95% CI 1.23–4.90). Suicide risk among prostate cancer patients before and after introduction of nation-wide PSA-based screening programme is similar to that in the general population.
β-catenin expression and prognosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of β-catenin in Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) tissues,and evaluate its correlation with pathological features as well as prognosis of ESCC patients.METHODS: The expression of β-catenin was detected by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays consisting of 211 specimens of ESCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues.Whether the expression of β-catenin was associated with clinical pathological features was determined by Chi Square analysis.The cumulative survival rate was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method,and the prognosis factors were screened by COX proportional hazards model.RESULTS: β-catenin was mainly expressed in cytoplasm of ESCC tissues,and its positive rate in ESCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues(64.5% vs 5.7%,P0.001). The result of Kaplan-meier analysis indicated that ESCC patients with higher positive rate of β-catenin had a poorer prognosis(P=0.010). Multivariate analysis showed that β-catenin was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients(P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: The overexpression of β-catenin is significantly correlated with poor prognosis of ESCC patients.These findings suggest that β-catenin is one of the important prognostic factors for ESCC patients.
Gut microbiota in ulcerative colitis: insights on pathogenesis and treatment

Gut microbiota constitute the largest reservoir of the human microbiome and are an abundant and stable ecosystem—based on its diversity, complexity, redundancy, and host interactions This ecosystem is indispensable for human development and health. The integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier depends on its interactions with gut microbiota. The commensal bacterial community is implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC). The dysbiosis of microbes is characterized by reduced biodiversity, abnormal composition of gut microbiota, altered spatial distribution, as well as interactions among microbiota, between different strains of microbiota, and with the host. The defects in microecology, with the related metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms, play a critical role in the innate immunity of the intestinal mucosa in UC. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used to treat many diseases related to gut microbiota, with the most promising outcome reported in antibiotic‐associated diarrhea, followed by IBD. This review evaluated the results of various reports of FMT in UC. The efficacy of FMT remains highly controversial, and needs to be regularized by integrated management, standardization of procedures, and individualization of treatment.
50 Years of the IAEA/WHO postal dose audit programme for radiotherapy: what can we learn from 13756 results?

Abstract Background: The IAEA/WHO postal dose audit programme has been operating since 1969 with the aim of improving the accuracy and consistency of dosimetry in radiotherapy in low-income and middle-income countries world-wide. This study summarises the 50 years’ experience of audits and explores the quality of reference dosimetry in participating radiotherapy centres throughout the years. Material and methods: During the IAEA/WHO postal audits the dose determined from the mailed dosimeter is compared with that stated by the participant. Agreement to within ±5% is regarded acceptable whilst deviations outside ±5% limits trigger follow-up actions. Of particular interest in this study was the dependence of clinical dosimetry quality on factors related to the centre infrastructure and expertise in dosimetry of its staff. Results: The IAEA/WHO dose audit programme noted great increase in the overall percentage of acceptable results from about 50% in its early years to 99% at present, although there is some variability of results amongst participating countries. Whereas results for younger radiotherapy machines show the agreement rate between the measured and the stated doses well above 90%, for those over 20 years old the rate dropped to <80%. Linac dosimetry was always better than 60Co dosimetry and multi-machine centres generally performed better than single machine centres equipped with cobalt alone. Second and subsequent participation in audits showed higher quality dosimetry than the first participation. The implementation of modern dosimetry protocols resulted in more accurate dosimetry than the use of the older protocols. Conclusions: Over the 50 years that the IAEA has accumulated dosimetry audit data, practices in radiotherapy centres have significantly improved. Higher quality dosimetry confirmed in audits is generally associated with better infrastructure and adequate dosimetry expertise of medical physicists in participating centres.