Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Previous Coronavirus Disease 2019 on Immune Response After a Single Dose of BNT162b2 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccine

Abstract Immune response after a single dose of BNT162b2 vaccine was markedly increased in subjects with previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, reaching similar immunoglobulin titers to those elicited by the full 2 doses in naive cases, and increased modestly after the second dose. These data may inform the priority of the boosting dose.
The Spectrum of Beta-Thalassemia Mutations in Syrian Refugees and Turkish Citizens

Introduction and objectives Neighboring the border between Turkey and Syria, Sanliurfa is one of the Turkish provinces with the highest number of Syrian refugees in our country. We aimed to find out the spectrum of beta-globin gene mutations in adult Turkish citizens and Syrian refugees with beta-thalassemia major. Results Of the participants, 35 patients (70%) were Turkish citizens and 15 patients (30%) were Syrian. The most common mutation in Turkish patients was found to be IVS-I-110 (G>A) with a frequency of 28.8%, followed by IVS-I-6 (T>C) with a frequency of 15.5%. Other common mutations were IVS-I-1 (G>A) and codon 39 (C>T) with frequencies of 11.1%. These four mutations accounted for 65.5% of all mutations in the Turkish cohort. The most common mutations in Syrian refugee patients were IVS-I-1 (G>A), IVS-II-1 (G>A), IVS-I-5 (G>C), and codon 5 (-CT), all with a frequency of 15.7%, accounting for 62.8% of all mutations in the Syrian patients. In the analysis, codon 5 (-CT) mutation (15.7% vs 0%, p=0.023) was found significantly higher in Syrian refugees compared to Turkish citizens. Discussion and conclusions A wide spectrum of mutations was detected in beta-thalassemia major patients living in the Sanliurfa region. Mutational profiles in Turkish and Syrian patients were found to be significantly different from each other. Because marriages between Syrian refugees and Turkish citizens are increasing in our region, the genetic findings and the mutational profiles in Turkish and Syrian patients obtained in this study are thought to become useful for future prenatal molecular diagnostic tests.
Sevoflurane exerts improved protective effects than propofol on hypoxia-reoxygenation injury by regulating the microRNA-221-5p/ADAM8 axis in cardiomyocytes

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a leading cause of heart disease and death. Decreasing the detrimental effect of I/R remains an urgent issue in clinical practice. The present study examined the interaction of the anesthetics (sevoflurane and propofol), ADAM8, and microRNA (miR)-221-5p in myocardial tissue protection in the hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) model. H9C2 cells were cultured and subjected to H/R stimulation for further verifications in vitro. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR or western blotting was performed to evaluate mRNA or protein expression levels. Cell Counting Kit-8, BrdU, and caspase-3 activity assays were performed to investigate cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the association between miR-221-5p and ADAM8. Sevoflurane had greater protective effects on the life of cardiomyocytes with H/R injury compared with propofol by promoting cell viability, proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. Concurrently, compared with propofol-treated H/R injured cardiomyocytes, the expression level of ADAM8 in sevoflurane-treated H/R injured cardiomyocytes was higher. In addition, overexpression of ADAM8 promoted the cell viability and proliferation of sevoflurane-treated cardiomyocytes with H/R injury but inhibited cell apoptosis, while the downregulation of miR-221-5p showed an opposite trend to that of ADAM8 overexpression. The present data provide evidence that sevoflurane can mediate the miR-221-5p/ADAM8 axis, playing a better protective role compared with propofol in cardiomyocytes with H/R injury.
Serum IgE Predicts Difference of Population and Allergens in Allergic Diseases: Data from Weifang City, China

Background Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the most important promoter of allergic inflammation. However, there are few systematic studies on IgE in age range, genders, disease spectrum, and time regularity. Aim To screen the common allergens, allergen spectrum, and IgE difference between type 2 inflammatory allergic diseases and other allergic diseases in Weifang, China. Methods A retrospective study was performed by estimating patients' clinical data suffering from allergic diseases (urticaria, pollinosis, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and bronchial asthma) between May 2019 and April 2020 using an allergen detection kit of Macro-Union Pharmaceutical. Results 732 of the 1367 patients showed different antigen positive, and the positive rate was 53.5%. The most common allergens were dust mites, mixed fungi, Artemisia pollen, cat/dog dander, and cockroaches. There were 27.0% (369/1367) of the patients with single positive allergen-specific IgE (sIgE), 26.5% (363/1367) with multiple-positive IgE. The total immunoglobulin E (tIgE) levels varied with gender, age, and type of disease. There was a difference in the distribution of allergens between children and adults. A positive correlation between the serum-specific IgE and the corresponding local inhaled allergen density was observed. Conclusions In this study, we found that type 2 inflammatory allergic diseases have higher serum IgE and a higher probability of inhaled sIgE positive. According to age, gender, and condition, serological IgE detection of allergens provides new insight into the early diagnosis and prevention of allergic diseases.
Oxidative Stress Induced Damage and Early Senescence in Preterm Placenta

Introduction Senescent cells have been demonstrated to release High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) which induces labor through an inflammatory pathway. This research is aimed at demonstrating whether telomere shortening, proinflammatory HMGB1, and oxidative damage marker 8-OHdG play a role in the placenta of preterm birth in comparison to term birth. Method A cross-sectional study on 67 full thickness of the placenta obtained from mothers with term and preterm birth. Mothers with clinical signs of infection (fever > 38°C, leukocytosis > 18000/μL, or abnormal vaginal discharge) and other pregnancy complications were excluded. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure T/S ratio and ELISA quantification to measure the amount of HMGB1 and 8-OHdG. Result A total of 34 placentas from preterm and 33 placentas from term birth were examined. Maternal characteristics were comparable between the two groups. There were no statistical difference of T/S ratio (p = 0.181), HMGB1 (p = 0.119), and 8-OHdG (p = 0.144) between the preterm and term groups. HMGB1 was moderately correlated with 8-OHdG (r = 0.314). Telomere T/S ratio of the placenta did not differ between preterm and term labor despite difference in gestational age, suggesting earlier shortening in the preterm group. It is possible that critical telomere length has been achieved in both term and preterm placenta that warrants labor through senescence process. The result of our study also showed that HMGB1 was not correlated to telomere length, due to the fact that HMGB1 is not upregulated until the critical length of telomere for senescence is exhibited. Conclusion Similar telomere length might be exhibited due to early telomere shortening in preterm birth that mimics the term placenta. The relationship between placental telomere shortening and HMGB1 release remains to be uncovered. Further research is needed to discover the factors leading to early telomere shortening in the placenta of preterm birth.
Role of depleted initial energy reserves in early benthic phase mortality of six marine invertebrate species

Abstract Insufficient energy reserves are widely considered to be a primary factor contributing to high rates of early benthic phase mortality among benthic marine invertebrates, but this hypothesis has been based mostly on indirect, observational evidence, and remains largely untested. We therefore examined the role of initial energy reserves in regulating survivorship and growth during the early benthic phase. Recently settled or hatched individuals of six invertebrate species were collected from natural populations, maintained without food, and their survivorship was monitored. Contrary to expectations, starved individuals of all six species had high survivorship through the critical first 10 days of the early benthic phase, with half of the species experiencing <2% mortality, and the remaining three species experiencing only 6%–12% mortality. For five of the six species, 50% mortality was reached only after ≥50 days of starvation. Additionally, no difference in short‐term survivorship was detected among starved individuals of three different size classes (a proxy for energy reserves) of N. ostrina hatchlings. Finally, the effect of different durations of delayed feeding (0–50 days) on recovery (i.e., growth and survivorship) once food was made available revealed that duration of starvation prior to feeding can nevertheless have significant longer‐term impacts on the proportion of individuals that survive or their ability to grow. Together, these findings suggest that depleted energy reserves are not a primary cause of high mortality at the start of the early benthic phase, as had previously been hypothesized. Levels of energy reserves did influence growth, however, suggesting a possible indirect influence on performance by leaving individuals vulnerable for longer periods.
Legacy of pre‐eruption vegetation affects ground‐dwelling arthropod communities after different types of volcanic disturbance

Abstract Volcanic eruptions are one of the largest natural disturbances and are followed by the establishment of novel plant and animal communities in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the role of pre‐eruption vegetation in the establishment of arthropod communities after volcanic disturbances is currently unknown. Here, we asked whether the legacy of pre‐eruption vegetation mediates the community structure of ground‐dwelling arthropods after volcanic disturbances. The 2015 eruption in Kuchinoerabu‐jima Island, southwest Japan, caused two types of disturbances [a pyroclastic flow and a lahar (i.e., mudflow)] in three types of forests (broad‐leaved, black pine, and cedar). We hypothesized that pre‐eruption vegetation would influence the community structure of ground‐dwelling arthropods after the disturbance, and we expected that these effects from vegetation would be more prevalent for the less severe disturbances. The total abundance of ground‐dwelling arthropods decreased more in the lahar than the pyroclastic flow, and arthropod species composition showed a greater change after the lahar. These findings suggest that the lahar disturbance was more severe than the pyroclastic disturbance. Contrary to expectations, the difference in the arthropod species composition among the vegetation types was greatest after the lahar. After the pyroclastic flow, leaf litter remained to some degree with all the vegetation types. After the lahar disturbance, however, although the litter in the cedar forests remained, the litter disappeared completely from broad‐leaved and black pine forests. The disappearance of litter from these two forest types after the lahar may be responsible for the greater difference in arthropod species composition among the vegetation types. This study shows that the legacy effects of pre‐eruption vegetation on terrestrial arthropod communities after volcanic disturbance were different depending on the type of disturbance. Focusing on the role of pre‐eruption biotic factors would contribute to a better understanding of the recovery processes of terrestrial ecosystems after large natural disturbances.
At elevated temperatures, heat shock protein genes show altered ratios of different RNAs and expression of new RNAs, including several novel HSPB1 mRNAs encoding HSP27 protein isoforms

Heat shock proteins (HSP) serve as chaperones to maintain the physiological conformation and function of numerous cellular proteins when the ambient temperature is increased. To determine how accurate the general assumption that HSP gene expression is increased in febrile situations is, the RNA levels of the HSF1 (heat shock transcription factor 1) gene and certain HSP genes were determined in three cell lines cultured at 37˚C or 39˚C for three days. At 39˚C, the expression of HSF1, HSPB1, HSP90AA1 and HSP70A1L genes demonstrated complex changes in the ratios of expression levels between different RNA variants of the same gene. Several older versions of the RNAs of certain HSP genes that have been replaced by a newer version in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database were also detected, indicating that the older versions are actually RNA variants of these genes. The present study cloned four new RNA variants of the HSP27-encoding HSPB1 gene, which together encode three short HSP27 peptides. Reanalysis of the proteomics data from our previous studies also demonstrated that proteins from certain HSP genes could be detected simultaneously at multiple positions using SDS-PAGE, suggesting that these genes may engender multiple protein isoforms. These results collectively suggested that, besides increasing their expression, certain HSP and associated genes also use alternative transcription start sites to produce multiple RNA transcripts and use alternative splicing of a transcript to produce multiple mature RNAs, as important mechanisms for responding to an increased ambient temperature in vitro.
Massive Mixed Adenoneuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Case Report

Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a rare subtype of mixed tumors, and it is scarcely described in the literature. MANEC tumors are composed of adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma components, each of which comprises at least 30% of the lesion. Diagnosing MANEC requires specific histological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. Typically, MANEC tumors carry a poor prognosis due to their very aggressive nature. We report the case of a 70-year-old female patient with no past medical history who presented with a three-week history of abdominal pain and one episode of hematemesis one week prior to presentation. Initial CT of the abdomen showed a large, 8 x 6 x 6-cm mass arising from the stomach and extending to the lesser sac as well as the central crus of the diaphragm with bilateral retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Upper endoscopy revealed an excavated, ulcerated, and partially necrotic mass on the lesser curvature of the proximal gastric body. Tissue biopsy of the lesion showed infiltrating mixed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma. On IHC, the adenocarcinoma component stained positively for CDX2 and pancytokeratin, and the neuroendocrine component stained positively for synaptophysin and chromogranin. Further workup included CT of the chest, which demonstrated extensive bilateral pulmonary emboli and new liver lesions with moderate ascites not seen on the initial abdominal CT. The latter was repeated and showed remarkable enlargement of the gastric mass (up to 12 cm) with extensive retroperitoneal adenopathy and mesenteric implants. Given the rapid clinical deterioration and progression of tumor burden, comfort measures were offered and the patient passed away soon after. MANEC tumors are highly aggressive subtypes of "collision" tumors, which are not well described in the medical literature due to their rarity. The etiology is poorly understood with various theories proposing different pathophysiological mechanisms. Standard therapy is not well developed at present; however, a few reports have demonstrated successful outcomes with surgery or combined chemotherapy (cisplatin with irinotecan or etoposide) if diagnosed at an early stage.
Development and Validation of a Multivariable Predictive Model for Mortality of COVID-19 Patients Demanding High Oxygen Flow at Admission to ICU: AIDA Score

Introduction Risk stratification is an important aspect of COVID-19 management, especially in patients admitted to ICU as it can provide more useful consumption of health resources, as well as prioritize critical care services in situations of overwhelming number of patients. Materials and Methods A multivariable predictive model for mortality was developed using data solely from a derivation cohort of 160 COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe ARDS admitted to ICU. The regression coefficients from the final multivariate model of the derivation study were used to assign points for the risk model, consisted of all significant variables from the multivariate analysis and age as a known risk factor for COVID-19 patient mortality. The newly developed AIDA score was arrived at by assigning 5 points for serum albumin and 1 point for IL-6, D dimer, and age. The score was further validated on a cohort of 304 patients admitted to ICU due to the severe form of COVID-19. Results The study population included 160 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU in the derivation and 304 in the validation cohort. The mean patient age was 66.7 years (range, 20–93 years), with 68.1% men and 31.9% women. Most patients (76.8%) had comorbidities with hypertension (67.7%), diabetes (31.7), and coronary artery disease (19.3) as the most frequent. A total of 316 patients (68.3%) were treated with mechanical ventilation. Ninety-six (60.0%) in the derivation cohort and 221 (72.7%) patients in the validation cohort had a lethal outcome. The population was divided into the following risk categories for mortality based on the risk model score: low risk (score 0–1) and at-risk (score > 1). In addition, patients were considered at high risk with a risk score > 2. By applying the risk model to the validation cohort (n = 304), the positive predictive value was 78.8% (95% CI 75.5% to 81.8%); the negative predictive value was 46.6% (95% CI 37.3% to 56.2%); the sensitivity was 82.4% (95% CI 76.7% to 87.1%), and the specificity was 41.0% (95% CI 30.3% to 52.3%). The C statistic was 0.863 (95% CI 0.805-0.921) and 0.665 (95% CI 0.598-0.732) in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively, indicating a high discriminative value of the proposed score. Conclusion In the present study, AIDA score showed a valuable significance in estimating the mortality risk in patients with the severe form of COVID-19 disease at admission to ICU. Further external validation on a larger group of patients is needed to provide more insights into the utility of this score in everyday practice.
Residual β-Cell Function in Type 1 Diabetes Followed for 2 Years after 3C Study

Objective To investigate the natural history and related factors of the pancreatic β-cell function in Chinese type 1 diabetic patients from 3C study Shantou center. Method Stimulated C-peptide levels from follow-up data of 201 individuals in 3C study Shantou subgroup starting in 2012 were used. Residual β-cell function was defined as stimulated C − peptide level ≥ 0.2 pmol/mL, on the basis of cut-points derived from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). Results 36.8% of patients had residual β-cell function, and the percentage was 68.2% in newly diagnosed diabetic patients. COX regression analysis indicated that the age of diagnosis, HbA1C level, and duration were independent factors of residual β-cell function in individuals with ≤5 years duration, but in those with duration ≥5 years, only the age of diagnosis was a predictor. The pancreatic β-cell function mainly declined in the first 5 years of the duration, and the rate of decline was correlated negatively with the duration and age of diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that the cut-off point of stimulated C-peptide was 0.615 pmol/mL in patients with <5 years duration to have 7% HbA1c. Conclusion Age at diagnosis was the strongest predictor for residual C-peptide. There was a more rapid decline of stimulated C-peptide in duration ≤5 years and younger patients. Therefore, intervention therapies of β-cells should start from the early stage, and the recommended target goal of stimulated C-peptide is 0.615 pmol/mL or above.
A Real-World Single-Centre Study of Patients with Diabetic Macular Oedema Who Wore a Home-Use Sleep Mask (Noctura 400) for One Year

A “Real-World” single-centre observational study was carried out to analyse the effects of enhanced patient interaction with the use of the Noctura 400 sleep mask on a group of 26 diabetics displaying diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular oedema (DMO), of which 24 completed the study. We hoped to find if patient compliance could be maintained and to determine the anatomical and functional consequences of consistent mask wear. While this study was ongoing, COVID-19 impacted on normal eye clinic practice, allowing an unexpected analysis of the effects of this disruption to the clinical system on mask wear and disease progress. Throughout the whole study, outcomes were positive, with a high level of consistent patient use of the mask, above 74% up to and beyond 1 year. Even during the COVID-19 1st lockdown in England, the patients maintained a 65% nightly light mask compliance. Statistically significant improvements in maculopathy, including cyst reduction (56.4% of eyes with cysts exhibited cyst shrinkage), and visual acuity (VA) improvement (42/48 eyes gained 5 letters or more) were observed and maintained to the end of the study. Anatomical improvement or stability was recorded in all but one study eye. This investigation shows that given that there is appropriate interaction with patients who are self-treating in home environment, a high level of patient compliance can be maintained, even while there are disruptions to the normal hospital clinic setup.
The Herbal Formula Granule Prescription Mahuang Decoction Ameliorated Chronic Kidney Disease Which Was Associated with Restoration of Dysbiosis of Intestinal Microbiota in Rats

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global health issue, and there is increasing evidence showing the beneficial roles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in CKD treatment. Here, we studied the renoprotective role of Mahuang decoction, a famous TCM prescription, in a rat CKD model induced with the combination of doxorubicin and adenine. Our data showed that intragastric administration of Mahuang decoction inhibited the loss of bodyweight and attenuated proteinuria, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen in CKD rats. Kidney histological analysis revealed decreased tubulointerstitial injury and fibrosis in CKD rats treated with Mahuang decoction accompanied with suppressed expression of TGF-β1 and phosphorylated NF-κB/P65 (p-P65) as indicated by immunohistochemistry. ELISA analysis demonstrated reduced serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6. Most importantly, intestinal microbiota analysis by 16s rRNA-seq showed that Mahuang decoction restored the impaired richness and diversity of intestinal microflora and recovered the disrupted microbial community through reducing the abundance of deleterious microbes and promoting the expansion of beneficial microbes in CKD rats. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that Mahuang decoction mitigated kidney functional and structural impairment in CKD rats which were associated with the restoration of dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota, implying its potential in clinical CKD treatment.