Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Chemoresistance of Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review

Purpose Accumulating evidence demonstrates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a vital role in the chemoresistance of gastric cancer (GC). The present systematic review summarises the emerging role, potential targets or pathways and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs involved in chemoresistance and proposes a number of clinical implications of lncRNAs as novel therapeutic targets for GC. Methods Studies on lncRNAs involved in the chemoresistance of GC published until July 2020 in the PubMed and Web of Science databases were systematically reviewed and the expression form, role in chemoresistance, targets or pathways, corresponding drugs and potential mechanisms of relevant lncRNAs were summarised in detail. Results A total of 48 studies were included in this systematic review. Amongst these studies, 32 involved single drug resistance and 16 involved in multidrug resistance (MDR). The 48 studies collected described 38 lncRNAs in the drug-resistant cells of GC, including 33 upregulated and 5 downregulated lncRNAs. Cisplatin (DDP) was the most studied drug and lncRNA MALAT1 was the most studied lncRNA related to the chemoresistance of GC. The potential mechanisms of chemoresistance for lncRNAs in GC mainly included, amongst others, reduction of apoptosis, induction of autophagy, repair of DNA damage, promotion of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and regulation of the related signalling pathways. Conclusion LncRNAs play a vital role in the chemoresistance of GC and are novel therapeutic targets for the disease. Detailed chemoresistance mechanisms, translational studies and clinical trials on lncRNAs in GC are urgently needed.
Socioeconomic status and race as social determinants of health to be considered in clinical use of pre-season vestibular and oculomotor tests for concussion

Background: Aside from racial and socioeconomic disparities in computerized neurocognitive testing and symptomology, there is a scarcity of research representing more diverse populations on other widely used tests for concussion, including vestibular and visual assessment. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate if racial and socioeconomic differences exist on baseline vestibular/ocular motor screening (VOMS) and King-Devick (K-D) test performance in high school student-athletes. Methods: A total of 670 participants (66.1% White, 33.9% Black) with a mean age of 15.43±1.2 years were administered a baseline VOMS, average Near Point of Convergence (NPC) distance, and K-D test. The exposure variables included race (White or Black) and socioeconomic status (SES), defined as free and reduced lunch status (FRL or No-FRL). FRL status was determined by each participant’s school SES. The outcome variables consisted of baseline VOMS item symptom provocation scores, average NPC distance, and K-D baseline time. A series of Mann–Whitney U tests were performed for K-D baseline time, NPC distance, and VOMS items with FRL status or race as a between-subject factor. Two multivariable linear regressions were run to assess the association of (1) K-D baseline times using FRL, race, sex, and corrected vision as variables in the model and (2) average NPC distance using FRL, race, sex, and corrected vision as variables in the model. Results: When adjusting for multiple comparisons, FRL athletes had slower (worse) K-D times (P<0.001) than non-FRL athletes. Black athletes had significantly lower mean NPC distance compared to White athletes at baseline (P=0.02) and FRL status athletes reported a significantly greater (worse) mean symptom provocation following the visual motion sensitivity item on the VOMS (P=0.02); however, these findings were no longer significant following adjustments for multiple comparisons. No differences were noted for any remaining VOMS items. The first model explained 3.9% of the total variance of K-D baseline times, whereas the second model was not significant. Conclusions: Racial and SES differences existed on average NPC distance and the K-D test at baseline. Possible explanations for group differences may be neurobiological, anatomical, and/or disparity in nature. With a higher probability of undiagnosed and uncorrected vision impairment, vestibular dysfunction, and saccadic eye tracking deficits likely to be more apparent as a consequence of poverty or health inequities, it is important that healthcare providers, especially those that diagnose and treat concussions, understand that performance on the VOMS and K-D tests at baseline may be subject to sociodemographic factors of SES and race. Relevance for patients: To provide the most culturally competent care, clinicians should consider sociodemographic variables of race and SES as social determinants of health worthy of attention on objective and subjective measures of baseline concussion assessment.
The Relationship Between Couples’ Gender-Role Attitudes Congruence and Wives’ Family Interference with Work

Background Previous research on female employees’ family interference with work (FIW) has demonstrated that such conflict is affected by their or their spouses’ gender-role attitudes. However, few studies have considered the perspective of husbands-wives congruence, which is further meaningful of the research on FIW. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between husband-wife congruence of gender-role attitudes and wife’s FIW. Methods Data were collected from 148 husband-wife dyads from eight companies in China. The average age of the husbands was 31.86 years (SD = 8.75) and that of the wives was 28.39 (SD = 6.38). The hypotheses were tested by the combination of polynomial regression and response surface methodology. Results Four results were drawn. First, wives’ role overload is lower when husbands and wives are aligned in terms of gender-role attitudes than when they are not aligned (a4 = 0.53, p < 0.01). Second, on the condition of husband-wife congruence, role overload is positively correlated with their gender-role attitudes (a1 = 0.59, p < 0.001). Third, on the condition of incongruence, wives’ role overload is stronger when husbands’ traditional gender-role attitudes are higher than wives’, compared to when wives’ traditional gender-role attitudes are higher than husbands’ (a3 = 0.23, p < 0.05). Fourth, role overload mediates the relationship between husband-wife congruence of gender-role attitudes and wives’ FIW (indirect effect = 0.15; 95% CI [0.05, 0.27]). Conclusion Guided by the role theory, the current study suggests that the husband-wife incongruence of gender-role attitudes augments wives’ role overload and further leads to FIW.
DIFFERENT RATES TRANSLOCATION OF 14C-L-α-ALANINE (U) AND TRITIATED WATER IN THE XYLEM VESSELS OF TOMATO PLANTS

SUMMARY A solution of 5 mM 14C-L-α-alanine in tritiated water was allowed to perfuse the xylem vessels of tomato stem segments. In each stem segment an exponential distribution gradient for THO was found, the slope of which was dependent on the length of the stem segment and the perfusion velocity. Nearly all the THO was retained in the stem segment whereas a great amount of 14C-alanine could be recollected. Thus the 14C-alanine was recollected in a solution of other water molecules than those it was introduced in. A similar phenomenon could be observed, if 14C-L-α-alanine or 14C-D-sucrose dissolved in THO were allowed to flow through a Sephadex G-10 column. The results clearly demonstrate, that mass flow in xylem vessels goes along with exchange and diffusion-like processes. Moreover experimentally they show that different velocities for the movement of organic solutes and THO in other long distance translocation systems (sieve tubes) – as reported in literature – need in no way be in conflict with an assumed longitudinal mass flow of their contents.
Long-Term Risk of Progression to Sustained Hypertension in White-Coat Hypertension with Normal Night-Time Blood Pressure Values

Background The long-term prognosis and transition towards sustained ambulatory hypertension (SHT) of white-coat hypertension (WCHT) remain uncertain particularly in those with both normal nighttime and daytime blood pressure (BP) values. Different classification criteria and the use of antihypertensive drugs may contribute to conflicting results. Patients and Methods. We prospectively evaluated for a 7.1 year transition to SHT in 899 nondiabetic subjects free from cardiovascular (CV) events: normotensive (NT) (n = 344; 52, 9% female; ageing 48 ± 14 years); untreated WCHT (UnWCHT n = 399; 50, 1% female; ageing 51 ± 14 years); and treated WCHT with antihypertensive drugs after baseline (TxWCHT n = 156; 54, 4% female; ageing 51 ± 15 years). All underwent 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring (24 h-ABPM) at baseline, at 30 to 60 months, and at 70 to 120 months thereafter. WCHT was at baseline (with no treatment) as office BP ≥ 140/or 90 mm·Hg, daytime BP < 135/85 mm·Hg, and nighttime BP < 120/70 mm·Hg. Development of SHT was considered if daytime BP ≥ 135/or 85 mm Hg and/or nighttime BP ≥ 120/or 70 mm·Hg. Results Baseline metabolic parameters did not differ among groups. At 30–60 months and at the end of follow-up, development of SHT occurred, respectively, in NT (3.8% (n = 13) and 9.6% (n = 33)) and in UnWCHT (10.1% (n = 40) and 16.5% (n = 66)) (p < 0.009). The mean annual increase of average 24 h-systolic BP was 0.48 + 0.93 in NT and 0.73 + 1.06 in UnWCHT, whereas annual SBP in office increased in NT by 1.2 + 0.95 but decreased in UnWCHT by 1.36 + 1.35 mm Hg (p < 0.01). Conclusion Untreated WCHT patients exhibit a faster and a higher risk of developing SHT compared to NT with TxWCHT assuming an intermediate position between them.
Ivermectin Treatment Coverage Validation in Two Onchocerciasis Endemic Districts in Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study, 2019

Background Onchocerciasis is the second leading cause of blindness globally next to trachoma, thus eliminating the infection is an important health priority. It is estimated that 15.7 million people are at risk of infection in different parts of Ethiopia. Mass drug administration with ivermectin at community and school level is the basis for control and elimination of onchocerciasis. This study was aimed at validating onchocerciasis treatment coverage in the selected districts of Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was employed in Itang special and Wombera districts of Ethiopia, from April 1 to 30, 2019 G.C. We used a coverage validation survey builder tool to compute sample size. Individuals aged five years old and above were eligible population. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and exported to STATA 14 for cleaning and analyses. A chi-square test was used to note statistical association of the outcome variables with independent variables. Main Findings A total of 3765 individuals were interviewed. Of these, 3244 were offered onchocerciasis treatment. The overall treatment coverage of onchocerciasis in the two selected districts of Ethiopia was 85.9% of the eligible population (3235/3765) (95% CI, 84.8%, 87%). There was significant difference between the two districts in terms of ivermectin offering (X2=70.467, P<0.001). School attendance was also significantly associated with treatment offering and swallowing status (X2=77.29, P<0.001; and X2=30.581, P<0.001). The main reported reasons for not being offered ivermectin were “being absent” (40.86%) and “not knowing about the mass drug administration” (MDA) (25.29%). Conclusion In conclusion, the treatment coverage of onchocerciasis in this survey was higher than minimum national desired therapeutic coverage. Treatment coverage in Wombera was higher than Itang special district. In addition, children who attended school had a higher chance of swallowing the drug.
Reasons for initiating long-acting antipsychotics in psychiatric practice: findings from the STAR Network Depot Study

Background: Long acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics have been claimed to ensure treatment adherence and possibly reduce the daily burden of oral formulations. So far, only surveys investigating the theoretical prescribing attitudes of clinicians have been employed. On this basis, we aimed to investigate reasons for prescribing LAIs in a real-world, unselected sample of patients. Methods: The STAR Network Depot Study is an observational, multicentre study consecutively enrolling adults initiating a LAI over a 12-months period. Clinical severity was assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and patient’s attitude toward medications with the Drug Attitude Inventory 10 items. Psychiatrists recorded reasons for LAI prescribing for each study participant. Responses were grouped into six non-mutually exclusive categories: aggressiveness, patient engagement, ease of drug taking, side-effects, stigma, adherence. Results: Of the 451 patients included, two-thirds suffered from chronic psychoses. Improving patient engagement with the outpatient psychiatric service was the most common reason for prescribing LAIs (almost 80% of participants), followed by increasing treatment adherence (57%), decreasing aggressiveness (54%), and improving ease of drug taking (52%). After adjusting for confounders, logistic regression analyses showed that reasons for LAI use were associated with LAI choice (e.g. first-generation LAIs for reducing aggressiveness). Conclusion: Despite the wide availability of novel LAI formulation and the emphasis on their wider use, our data suggest that the main reasons for LAI use have remained substantially unchanged over the years, focusing mostly on improving patient’s engagement. Further, clinicians follow implicit prescribing patterns when choosing LAIs, and this may generate hypotheses for future experimental studies.
Antihypertensive and Renal Protective Effects of Oryeongsan in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Oryeongsan (ORS), a traditional medicine used to regulate body fluids, has a long history of use as a diuretic in Korea, China, and Japan. ORS is commonly thought to lower blood pressure, but high-quality data on its effects are sparse. The purpose of this study was to determine the antihypertensive and renal protective effects of ORS in rats with hypertension. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were divided into two groups with similar mean baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Then, 10 mL/kg of vehicle (distilled water) or 200 mg/kg of ORS extract were administered orally once a day for 3 weeks. SBP and DBP were measured at weeks 1, 2, and 3. At the end of the experiment, blood was collected, and kidneys were removed for histology. By the 2nd and 3rd week after initiation of treatment, the ORS-treated group had significantly lower SBP than control-treated rats (191.3 ± 6.5 vs. 206.3 ± 9.8 mmHg, p = 0.022 at the 2nd week; 195.8 ± 7.8 vs. 217.0 ± 8.1 mmHg, p = 0.003 at the 3rd week, respectively). The ORS-treated group trended toward having a lower DBP than control, but there was no significant difference. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr) were not different between the ORS-treated and control groups (BUN: 23.7 ± 1.1 vs. 22.7 ± 2.8 mg/dL, p = 0.508; Cr: 19.0 ± 2.2 vs. 21.6 ± 2.1 μM, p = 0.083, respectively). The percentage of renal tissue affected by tubulointerstitial fibrosis was significantly lower in the ORS-treated group (1.68 ± 0.60) compared to controls (3.17 ± 0.96, p = 0.019). These findings suggest that treatment with ORS reduces SBP and ameliorates renal damage in SHR.
Characterısatıon of volatıle compounds by spme and gc-fıd/ms of capers (Capparis spinosa L.)

Capparis spinosa L. has highly biologically active natural substances. C. spinosa L. is rich in volatile components, and is becoming increasingly popular because of its components’ potential role in contributing to human health. In this study, solid phase microextraction (SPME) was used to analyze the volatile compounds identified in C. spinosa L. Seventeen compounds, constituting 93.5% of the oil composition of C. spinosa L. were isolated and characterized using GC-FID/MS. The most abundant chemical classes identified were aldehydes (18.2%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (4.4%). Common components of C. spinosa L. identified were benzyl alcohol, octanoic acid, benzoic acid, α-terpinolene, carvacrol, zingerone and 4-fluoro benzaldehyde. Key words: Capparis spinosa L. , essential oil, solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS).
Elasticity of the coracohumeral ligament in patients with frozen shoulder following rotator interval injection: a case series

Abstract Aim of the study: To evaluate changes in the elasticity of the coracohumeral ligament in patients with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder treated with ultrasound-guided rotator interval injections. Methods: Shear wave elastography was used to evaluate elasticity of the coracohumeral ligament in symptomatic and asymptomatic shoulders in the shoulder-neutral position and 30° external rotation. A total of 24 shoulders were assessed. Symptomatic shoulders were treated with targeted steroid injection via the rotator interval and manipulation under local anaesthetic block. Follow-up assessment of the elasticity of the coracohumeral ligament was obtained at 10 weeks post-injection. Results: In all subjects, the coracohumeral ligament elastic modulus was larger at 30° external rotation than in the neutral position. In patients with adhesive capsulitis, the coracohumeral ligament thickness and elastic modulus was significantly greater in the symptomatic shoulder in the neutral position and 30° ER. Treated patients had an excellent response with improved Oxford Shoulder Score and reduced visual analogue scale pain scores. Median Oxford Shoulder Score was 13.5 pre-injection and 34 at 10 weeks post-injection. Median visual analogue scale pain scores measured 8.5 pre-injection, 3.5 at 1 day, 2 at 1 week, and 2.5 at 10 weeks. Improved Oxford Shoulder Score and visual analogue scale pain score was associated with a trend to normalisation of the elastic modus of the coracohumeral ligament. Conclusion: In patients with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder, shear wave elastography demonstrated the coracohumeral ligament is stiffer in the symptomatic shoulder than in the unaffected shoulder. Treatment with the ultrasound-guided rotator interval injection is associated with improved Oxford Shoulder Score, reduced visual analogue scale pain scores, and reduced stiffness in the coracohumeral ligament.
Epoxidized Esters of Palm Kernel Oil as an Effective Plasticizer for PVC: A Study of Mechanical Properties and Effect of Processing Conditions

Abstract One of the most commonly used vegetable oil plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO). On the contrary, epoxidized palm oil is among the least used, because of its low compatibility with PVC. This work reports that epoxidized and esterified palm kernel oil (EEPKO) has the potential to be used as a plasticizer for PVC. In this study, it was found that a maximum of 65 phr of EEPKO could be incorporated within the PVC resin. In addition, subjecting this EEPKO plasticized PVC (p-PVC) at a processing temperature of 200 °C resulted in much reduced plasticizer loss. EEPKO lowers the glass transition temperature of PVC from 79 °C to −23 °C. The optimum mechanical properties, namely tensile strength, elongation at break and hardness, were obtained for p-PVC processed at 200 °C.
Survivin Regulates Bad Gene Expression by Binding to Its Promoter and Modulates Cell Cycle and Apoptosis in Esophageal Carcinoma Cell

Esophageal cancer (EC) is the eighth most prevalent cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. As an antiapoptotic and a proapoptotic protein, respectively, survivin and Bad play an important role in carcinogenesis of the most human cancers including EC. However, the regulatory relationships between them remain unclear. We sought to investigate the effects of survivin knockdown and overexpression on the expression of Bad gene, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma cell. The mRNA expression levels of survivin and Bad were determined in EC tissue samples. The knockdown and overexpression experiments were performed in ECA109 and KYSE450 cells via transfection with survivin overexpression and shRNA plasmids. A Bad overexpression experiment was conducted to confirm the biological effect on knockdown of survivin via modulating Bad expression. RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis were used to detect mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was conducted to determine the binding sites of survivin on the promoter of Bad gene. By analyzing the mRNA expression of survivin and Bad in 40 ESCC patient specimens, we found that the positive expression rate of survivin in tumor tissues (88%, 35/40) was remarkably high, compared with the distal nontumor tissues (48%, 19/40, p < 0.01). On the other hand, the positive expression rate of Bad in tumor tissues (70%, 28/40) was remarkably low, compared with the distal nontumor tissues (95%, 38/40, p < 0.01). Overexpression of survivin decreases Bad mRNA and protein expression and promotes transformation of cell cycle to S phase. Conversely, knockdown of survivin increases Bad mRNA and protein expression and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Bad overexpression inducing apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma cell shows the similar apoptotic effect with survivin knockdown. ChIP assays indicate that survivin directly binds to the Bad promoter region, diminishing the transcriptional activity of Bad. In conclusion, the result suggested that survivin regulates Bad gene expression by binding to its promoter and modulates cell cycle and apoptosis in esophageal carcinoma cell.
Pimavanserin Treatment for Parkinson's Disease Psychosis in Clinical Practice

Background Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP) is a common, nonmotor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which may affect up to 60% of patients and is associated with impaired quality of life, increased healthcare costs, and nursing home placement, among other adverse outcomes. Characteristic symptoms of PDP include illusions; visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory hallucinations; and delusions. PDP symptoms typically progress over its course from being mild, infrequent, and often untroubling to complex, sometimes constant, and potentially highly disturbing. PDP has traditionally been treated with atypical antipsychotics (e.g., clozapine and quetiapine) although these are not approved for this indication and clozapine requires frequent white blood cell count monitoring due to the risk of agranulocytosis. Pimavanserin is a newer atypical antipsychotic with highly selective binding to serotonergic receptors, no evidence for worsening motor symptoms in PD, and no need for white blood cell count monitoring. It is currently the only approved medication indicated for PDP treatment. However, because it was approved relatively recently (2016), clinical experience with pimavanserin is limited. Case Presentations. A wide variety of representative clinical scenarios are presented, each with distinct variables and complications. Issues addressed include distinguishing PDP from similar symptoms caused by other disorders such as dementia, coordinating pimavanserin with other PD medications and with deep brain stimulation, adapting pimavanserin dosing for optimal benefit and tolerability, and recognizing variability of PDP symptoms due to patients' changing life circumstances. Conclusions These scenarios provide multiple insights regarding PDP management and the role of pimavanserin. Effective treatment of PDP may reduce disturbing symptoms of psychosis, thus improving patient function and quality of life. In addition, effective pharmacotherapy for PDP may also facilitate the use of other medications needed to treat neurological symptoms of PD (e.g., tremor, bradykinesia, and dyskinesia), although they may also have adverse effects that contribute to symptoms of PDP.