Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal and fetal outcomes of lupus pregnancies: A collective effort by Karnataka Rheumatologists

Introduction Identifying factors predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes involving systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a research priority. The aims of this study were to investigate (a) the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant lupus patients and the factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and (b) the effect of pregnancy on lupus disease activity of these patients. Methods This was an ambi-directional study collecting information from five multi-specialist referral centres across the state of Karnataka, India over 5 years (2013–2018). Clinical details of pregnancies and outcomes that were temporally associated with lupus disease were recorded using a structured pro forma. The Safety of Estrogen in SLE National Assessment-SLE Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) was used to assess lupus activity during the 6 months prior to pregnancy and the intra- and post-partum periods. Modifications suggested in the SLE Pregnancy Disease Activity Index were considered while scoring. Results A total of 121 pregnancies in 80 SLE patients with a mean age of 27.1 (±4.5) years and with a mean disease duration of 4.6 (±4.1) years were reviewed. Largely patients were in clinical remission (109/121; 90.1%). Antiphospholipid antibody positivity was seen in 45/121 (37.2%) patients. A history of lupus nephritis was noted in 29/121 (24%) patients. Maternal complications (32%) were mainly due to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; 19/121; 15.7%). Adverse fetal outcomes (58%) were mainly in the form of spontaneous first-trimester abortions (21/121; 16%), stillbirth (14/121; 11.6%) and prematurity (24/121; 20%). HDP is strongly associated with stillbirth and prematurity and is independent of active lupus. Disease activity was associated with a three-fold increased risk of adverse fetal outcome in univariate analysis. The risk of major flare during pregnancy is low (4.1%) when conception occurs during stable disease. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use was associated with reduced risk of flare (p = 0.001) in patients in remission at the time of conception. Conclusions The risk of major flare during pregnancy is low when conception happens during stable disease. HCQ use was associated with reduced risk of flare in patients in remission at the time of conception. HDP was strongly associated with stillbirth and prematurity and are independent of active lupus in our cohort.
Are Dental Maturation, Skeletal Maturation, and Chronological Age Associated With Complete Cleft Lip and Palate?

Objective: The relationship between dental and skeletal development levels was determined in individuals with cleft lip and palate and a control group comprising individuals without cleft lip and palate. Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional study. Setting: A university clinic specializing in orthodontic and pedodontic care. Patients: A total of 198 patients with cleft lip and palate (99 females, 11.66 ± 2.36 years; 99 males, 12.44 ± 2.33 years) and 198 patients without cleft lip and palate (99 females, 11.88 ± 2.26 years; 99 males, 12.99 ± 2.25 years). Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: The Demirjian method and cervical vertebra maturation method were used to evaluate panoramic and lateral cephalometric radiographs, respectively. The Fishman maturation predictors were determined from hand-wrist radiographs. Results: Statistically significant correlations were found between the chronological age and the dental age in both the groups (P < .05). Significant correlations between skeletal maturation indicators and dental maturation indicators were observed in both groups and sexes (P < .05), with a stronger correlation among teeth with incomplete dental maturation. Dental age was found to be significantly lower (female, P = .001; male, P = .001) in individuals with cleft lip and palate (female, 11.71 ± 2.58 years; male, 12.51 ± 2.62 years) compared to those in the control group (female, 12.95 ± 2.47 years; male, 13.64 ± 2.37 years). Conclusions: A high correlation between the results of the evaluated radiographic methods and chronological age supports their use for accurate age estimation in the patients with cleft lip and palate.
Fish biodiversity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Brazil: new records and a species database.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Archipelago (SPSPA), one of the smallest and most isolated island groups in the world, is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, between Brazil and the African continent. SPSPA has low species richness and high endemism, however, the diversity of fishes from deep habitats (> 30 m depth) had not been previously studied in detail. On several expeditions conducted between 2009 and 2018, we explored shallow and deep reefs of SPSPA using SCUBA, closed-circuit rebreathers, manned submersibles, baited remote underwater stereo-videos (stereo-BRUV), and fishing between 0 and 1,050 m depth. These expeditions yielded a total of 41 new records of fishes for SPSPA, nine in open waters, nine in shallow waters (0-30 m), eight in mesophotic ecosystems (30-150 m) and 15 in deeper reefs (> 150 m). Combined with literature records of adult pelagic, shallow and deep-reef species, as well as larvae, the database of the fish biodiversity for SPSPA currently comprises 225 species (169 recorded as adult fishes and 79 as larvae, with 23 species found in both stages). Most of them (112) are pelagic, 86 are reef-associated species, and 27 are deep water specialists. Species accumulation curves show that the number of fish species has not yet reached an asymptote. Whereas the number of species recorded in SPSPA is similar to other oceanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the proportion of shorefishes is relatively lower, and the endemism level is the third highest in the Atlantic. Twenty-nine species are listed as threatened with extinction. Observations confirm the paucity of top predators on shallow rocky reefs of the island, despite the presence of several pelagic shark species around SPSPA. Since all of the endemic species are reef-associated, we argue that the new marine protected areas created by the Brazilian government do not ensure the protection and recovery of SPSPA's biodiversity because they allow exploitation of the most vulnerable species around the archipelago itself. We suggest a ban on reef fish exploitation inside an area delimited by the 1,000 m isobath around the islands (where all known endemics are concentrated) as the main conservation strategy to be included in the SPSPA management plan being prepared by the Brazilian government. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Mice deficient in UXT exhibit retinitis pigmentosa-like features via aberrant autophagy activation

ABSTRACT UXT (ubiquitously expressed prefoldin like chaperone), a small chaperone-like protein, is widely expressed in diverse human and mouse tissues and is more abundant in retina and kidney. However, the functional characterization of UXT at tissue level was largely unknown. Here, we reported that mice deficient in UXT exhibited salient features of retinal degenerative disease, similar to retinitis pigmentosa. Conditional knockout (CKO) of Uxt led to retinal degeneration and pigmentation in mice retina along with significant alterations of retinitis pigmentosa-related genes, which indicated UXT might be associated with retinal degenerative disease sharing key features to retinitis pigmentosa. Consistently, the electroretinogram (ERG) responses were dramatically impaired in uxt CKO retinas. Strong degenerative features were observed in uxt CKO retinas, including specific and progressive reduction of photoreceptor cells and increased numbers of apoptotic cells. Intriguingly, macroautophagic/autophagic ﬂux was enhanced in uxt CKO retina. Mechanistically, we found UXT was indispensable to suppress photoreceptor apoptotic cell death by inhibiting autophagy through regulating the activity of MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase), a key negative regulator of autophagy. Conversely, knockdown of UXT induced the robust expression of the canonical autophagy-related genes and boosted autophagic ﬂux and apoptosis, finally resulting in severe retina degeneration in uxt CKO mice. Taken together, our study reveals a vital role of UXT in preventing retina from degeneration. The loss of UXT results in a hyper-autophagic state leading to massive retinal degeneration. Therefore, UXT may be a crucial target for retinal degenerative disease. Abbreviations: 3-ma: 3-methyladenine; casp3: caspase 3; cko: conditional knockout; erg: electroretinogram; gapdh: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; map1lc3b/lc3b: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; mtor: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; parp: poly (adp-ribose) polymerase family; rna-seq: rna sequencing; rp: retinitis pigmentosa; rps6kb1/s6k: ribosomal protein s6 kinase b1; sqstm1: sequestosome 1; tunel: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dutp nick-end labeling; uxt: ubiquitously expressed prefoldin like chaperone.
The Risk of Dementia in Relation to Cognitive and Brain Reserve

Background: Individual differences in the risk to develop dementia remain poorly understood. These differences may partly be explained through reserve, which is the ability to buffer cognitive decline due to neuropathology and age. Objective: To determine how much early and late–life cognitive reserve (CR) and brain reserve (BR) contribute to the risk of dementia. Methods: 4,112 dementia-free participants (mean age = 66.3 years) from the Rotterdam Study were followed up for on average 6.0 years. Early-life CR and BR were defined as attained education and intracranial volume, respectively. Late-life CR was derived through variance decomposition based on cognition. Late-life BR was set as the total non-lesioned brain volume divided by intracranial volume. Results: Higher early-life CR (hazard ratio = 0.48, 95% CI = [0.21; 1.06]) but not early-life BR associated with a lower risk of incident dementia. Higher late-life CR (hazard ratio = 0.57, 95% CI = [0.48; 0.68]) and late-life BR (hazard ratio = 0.54, 95% CI = [0.43; 0.68]) also showed lower levels of dementia. Combining all proxies into one model attenuated the association between early-life CR and dementia (hazard ratio = 0.56, 95% CI = [0.25; 1.25]) whereas the other associations were unaffected. These findings were stable upon stratification for sex, age, and APOE ɛ4. Finally, high levels of late-life CR and BR provided additive protection against dementia. Conclusion: The findings illustrate the importance of late-life over early-life reserve in understanding the risk of dementia, and show the need to study CR and BR conjointly.
Are Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus) Attracted to Schreckstoff? A Test of the Predator Attraction Hypothesis

Abstract The predator attraction (PA) hypothesis proposes that chemicals released from the skin (Schreckstoff) of an injured fish during a predation event attract nearby piscivorous fishes, which then compete for the prey. The confusion of this additional competition may allow the injured fish to escape. This is an alternate hypothesis to kin selection for the evolution of fish alarm systems, particularly in the superorder Ostariophysi. Schreckstoff is found in the skin of ostariophysans and some unrelated taxa, whereas muscle is not known to possess any unique pheromones. I tested the PA hypothesis using a natural assemblage of southeastern fishes. Micropterus punctulatus (Spotted Bass) were exposed to skin (Schreckstoff) and muscle (non-Schreckstoff) extracts from five co-occurring prey species, Cyprinella venusta (Blacktail Shiner), Pimephales vigilax (Bullhead Minnow), Gambusia affinis (Western Mosquitofish), Fundulus olivaceus (Blackspotted Topminnow), and Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill). Micropterus punctulatus did not increase foraging behavior after exposure to skin extract from any of the five potential prey species; however, there was an increase in foraging behavior after exposure to muscle extract from C. venusta. The PA hypothesis was not supported by this study, and other influences on the evolution of this system are proposed.
Cougar predation and population growth of sympatric mule deer and white-tailed deer

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations throughout the west appear to be declining, whereas white- tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are increasing. We compared abundance, number of fetuses per female (maternity rate), recruitment, and cause-specific adult ( ♢1 year old) mortality rate for sympatric mule deer and white- tailed deer in south-central British Columbia to assess population growth for each species. White-tailed deer were three times more abundant (908 ± 152) than mule deer (336 ± 122) (mean ± 1 SE). Fetal rates of white-tailed deer (1.83) were similar to those of mule deer (1.78). There was no statistically significant difference in recruitment of white-tailed deer (56 fawns : 100 does) and mule deer (38 fawns : 100 does). The annual survival rate for adult white-tailed deer (SWT = 0.81) was significantly higher than that for mule deer (SMD = 0.72). The main cause of mortality in both popu- lations was cougar predation. The lower mule deer survival rate could be directly linked to a higher predation rate (0.17) than for white-tailed deer (0.09). The finite growth rate ( λ) was 0.88 for mule deer and 1.02 for white-tailed deer. The disparate survival and predation rates are consistent with the apparent-competition hypothesis.
The antioxidant properties of calafate (Berberis microphylla) fruits from four different locations in southern Chile

Se determino la capacidad antioxidante (CA), antocianinas totales (AT) y fenoles totales (FT) de frutos de calafate de cuatro localidades del sur de Chile (El Blanco, Lonquimay, Manihuales y Temuco) utilizando los metodos del radical libre 2,2-difenil -1- picrilhidrazil (DPPH) y la capacidad de inhibir la oxidacion del acido linoleico, asi como pH diferencial y el metodo de Folin-Ciocalteu. Ademas, se identificaron los compuestos fenolicos por medio de HPLC-DAD (Cromatografia liquida de alta eficacia- con Deteccion por Arreglo de Diodos). Los resultados mostraron que los FT variaron significativamente segun la localidad, destacandose Manihuales con 34,9 mg GAE g-1 de fruta seca. La CA vario de acuerdo con la metodologia, por DPPH vario significativamente entre localidades, y de nuevo se destaco Manihuales con los valores mas altos de CA (9,4 mg de TE g-1 de frutas secas). La inhibicion de la oxidacion del acido linoleico revelo que no hubo diferencias significativas entre Temuco y El Blanco, presentando Manihuales el valor mas alto (0,25 mg de TE g-1 de fruta seca). Las AT mostraron diferencias significativas entre localidades, siendo El Blanco el mayor (0,64 mg de cianidina g-1 fruta seca). En relacion a los compuestos fenolicos, fueron identificados acido galico, acido clorogenico, acido cafeico, acido cumarico, acido ferulico, y flavonoides como rutina, miricetina, quercetina y kaempferol. Estos compuestos variaron de acuerdo a la localidad: Temuco mostro un valor mas alto de acido cumarico; Lonquimay en acido clorogenico, acido cafeico, acido cumarico, y flavonoides como rutina y quercetina; Manihuales en acido galico, acido clorogenico, acido cafeico, acido ferulico y favonoides como la rutina y la quercetina; El Blanco en acido cafeico y flavonoides como miricetina, quercetina y kaempferol. La CA se correlaciono positivamente con FT (DPPH r=1; acido linoleico r=0,84). Por el contrario, se obtuvo una baja correlacion entre la CA y AT (DPPH r=0,31; acido linoleico r=-0,28), y entre FT y AT (r=0,27). Se concluye que los frutos de calafate de diferentes areas geograficas del sur de Chile tienen diferencias estadisticamente significativas en su CA, FT, AT y compuestos fenolicos, siendo Manihuales el area que presento los valores mas altos para estos parametros. La composicion quimica de los frutos tambien vario dependiendo del origen de las muestras.
Le récif-barrière de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile de Santa Liberata (Toscane, Italie): cartographie et biometrie

Abstract Barrier-reef of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile of Santa Liberata (Tuscany, Italy): cartography and biometry. - The submerged phytocenoses of Posidonia oceanica barrier-reef in the stretch of Santa Liberata coast (Orbetello, Grosseto) have been analyzed. This work has been based on examination of aerophotogrammetric material, on specimens and records made on the spot, according to the technical descriptions on the texts. The barrier-reef presents a very high leaf shoot density and high values of leaf area index, but low values for the leaf length and high values of epiphytism have been noticed.
Common Symptom Presentations in Individuals With Probable Comorbid Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are heterogeneous disorders that share common underlying factors, etiology, and symptoms. A small body of literature suggests common OCD symptom presentations may exist for this comorbid group, yet common comorbid PTSD symptom presentations remain unknown. The current study examined common symptom presentations in individuals with probable comorbid OCD + PTSD compared with those with a sole presentation of probable OCD or PTSD, controlling for overlapping symptoms, using a sample of 133 undergraduates. Individuals who exceeded cutoffs for probable OCD + PTSD endorse more severe OCD symptoms overall but report similar levels of PTSD symptoms compared with the respective diagnostic groups. Logistic regressions found that symptom domains present similarly overall in a comorbid presentation compared with the respective diagnostic groups, yet some OCD symptom domains were significantly more severe in the comorbid group compared with individuals with probable PTSD. Explanations for the unique contributions of symptoms are discussed, and clinical recommendations for addressing these domains are provided.
αV integrins in Schwann cells promote attachment to axons, but are dispensable in vivo

In the developing peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells (SCs) extend their processes to contact, sort, and myelinate axons. The mechanisms that contribute to the interaction between SCs and axons are just beginning to be elucidated. Using a SC‐neuron coculture system, we demonstrate that Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) peptides that inhibit αV‐containing integrins delay the extension of SCs elongating on axons. αV integrins in SC localize to sites of contact with axons and are expressed early in development during radial sorting and myelination. Short interfering RNA‐mediated knockdown of the αV integrin subunit also delays SC extension along axons in vitro, suggesting that αV‐containing integrins participate in axo‐glial interactions. However, mice lacking the αV subunit in SCs, alone or in combination with the potentially compensating α5 subunit, or the αV partners β3 or β8, myelinate normally during development and remyelinate normally after nerve crush, indicating that overlapping or compensatory mechanisms may hide the in vivo role of RGD‐binding integrins.
Avaliação técnica e econômica da produção de duas cultivares de alface tipo crespa em função de lâminas de irrigação

Objetivou-se, com o presente trabalho, a avaliacao tecnica e economica da producao de duas cultivares de alface tipo crespa em funcao de lâminas de irrigacao, cultivadas sob ambiente protegido, na regiao de Lavras, MG. O experimento foi instalado em casa de vegetacao, com delineamento em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 2 x 4, com quatro repeticoes. Os tratamentos constituiram-se de duas cultivares de alface, Veronica e Hortencia, e quatro lâminas de irrigacao, 75, 100, 125 e 150% de reposicao de agua, sendo a lâmina de 100% correspondente a tensao da agua no solo de 15 kPa. Os resultados permitiram concluir que as duas cultivares apresentaram a mesma tendencia com relacao ao consumo de agua, durante o ciclo de producao (eficiencia de uso de agua media de 152,27 kg ha-1 mm-1); maiores produtividades (total e comercial) foram obtidas com a aplicacao da lâmina de irrigacao de 240 mm (121,2% de reposicao de agua); a maxima produtividade comercial, 33.225 kg ha-1, foi estimada com a aplicacao da lâmina de 244,9 mm (123,7% de reposicao de agua); a lâmina economicamente otima foi estimada em 244,2 mm, resultando em uma produtividade comercial praticamente igual a maxima fisica.
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ-Deficient Heterozygous Mice Develop an Exacerbated Neural Antigen-Induced Th1 Response and Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis 1

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor transcription factor that regulates cell growth, differentiation, and homeostasis. PPARγ agonists are potent therapeutic agents for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammation. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a Th1 cell-mediated inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disease model of multiple sclerosis. We have shown recently that PPARγ agonists inhibit EAE by blocking IL-12 production, IL-12 signaling, and neural Ag-induced Th1 differentiation. In this study, we show that the PPARγ-deficient heterozygous mice develop an exacerbated EAE with prolonged clinical symptoms than the wild-type littermates, following immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) p35–55 peptide. The exacerbation of EAE in PPARγ+/− mice associates with an increased expansion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and expression of CD40 and MHC class II molecules in response to MOGp35–55 Ag. The PPARγ+/− mice also showed an increase in T cell proliferation and Th1 response to MOGp35–55 Ag than the wild-type littermates. These findings suggest that PPARγ be a critical physiological regulator of CNS inflammation and demyelination in EAE and perhaps multiple sclerosis and other Th1 cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Biochemical Diagnosis of Bile Acid Diarrhea: Prospective Comparison With the 75Seleno-Taurohomocholic Acid Test.

INTRODUCTION The diagnosis of bile acid diarrhea is often missed because the availability of the seleno-taurohomocholic acid (SeHCAT) test is limited. We aimed to compare the biomarkers 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (C4) and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) with the SeHCAT test. METHODS Patients with chronic diarrhea without intestinal resection referred for SeHCAT were prospectively recruited for this diagnostic accuracy study. Blood was sampled at fasting and after a stimulation meal with chenodeoxycholic acid. SeHCAT retention ≤10% defined bile acid diarrhea and >10% defined miscellaneous diarrhea. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were analyzed with SeHCAT as the gold standard. www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT03059537). RESULTS Patients with bile acid diarrhea (n = 26) had mean C4 of 30 ng/mL (95% confidence interval: 19-46) vs 8 (7-11; P < 0.001) in the miscellaneous diarrhea group (n = 45). Area under the ROC curve (ROCAUC) for C4 was 0.83 (0.72-0.93). C4 < 15 ng/mL had 85% (74%-96%) negative predictive value; C4 > 48 ng/mL had 82% (59%-100%) positive predictive value. Twenty patients had C4 values 15-48 ng/mL, of whom 11/20 had SeHCAT ≤10%. Median fasting FGF19 was 72 pg/mL (interquartile range: 53-146) vs 119 (84-240) (P = 0.004); ROCAUC was 0.71 (0.58-0.83). Stimulated FGF19 responses did not differ (P = 0.54). DISCUSSION We identified C4 thresholds with clinically useful predictive values for the diagnosis of and screening for bile acid diarrhea in patients with chronic watery diarrhea. Further validation of the cutoff values with the placebo-controlled effect of sequestrant therapy is warranted (see Visual Abstract, Supplementary Digital Content 2, http://links.lww.com/AJG/B603).