Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sickle-trait hemoglobin reduces adhesion to both CD36 and EPCR by Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes

Sickle-trait hemoglobin protects against severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Severe malaria is governed in part by the expression of the Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1) that are encoded by var genes, specifically those variants that bind Endothelial Protein C Receptor (EPCR). In this study, we investigate the effect of sickle-trait on parasite var gene expression and function in vitro and in field-collected parasites. We mapped var gene reads generated from RNA sequencing in parasite cultures in normal and sickle-cell trait blood throughout the asexual lifecycle. We investigated sickle-trait effect on PfEMP1 interactions with host receptors CD36 and EPCR using static adhesion assays and flow cytometry. Var expression in vivo was compared by assembling var domains sequenced from total RNA in parasites infecting Malian children with HbAA and HbAS. Sickle-trait did not alter the abundance or type of var gene transcripts in vitro, nor the abundance of overall transcripts or of var functional domains in vivo. In adhesion assays using recombinant host receptors, sickle-trait reduced adhesion by 73–86% to CD36 and 83% to EPCR. Similarly, sickle-trait reduced the surface expression of EPCR-binding PfEMP1. In conclusion, Sickle-cell trait does not directly affect var gene transcription but does reduce the surface expression and function of PfEMP1. This provides a direct mechanism for protection against severe malaria conferred by sickle-trait hemoglobin. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02645604.
An examination of the prospective association between physical activity and academic achievement in youth at the population level

Exercise has significant benefits for brain health and this may have downstream learning benefits for youth. However existing studies looking at links between physical activity and academic achievement are limited by relatively small sample sizes and/or cross-sectional designs. The objective of this study is to determine the direction and magnitude of the association between physical activity and academic achievement in a large prospective sample of adolescents. Linear mixed models with random intercepts and multinomial ordinal generalized estimating equations were employed to analyze the prospective relationship between measures of physical activity and academic achievement from the COMPASS study (N = 9,898 linked participant data cases from year 2 (2013–2014) to year 4 (2015–2016)). The linear relationships between minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity and academic achievement (English: r = -.047, p < .000; Math: r = -.026, p = .008) as well as meeting the national physical activity guidelines and academic achievement (English: est = -.052, p = .004; Math: est = -.052, p = .028) were negative and trivial in magnitude. Organized sport participation showed slight positive associations with academic achievement indices, but these were also of trivial magnitude. In conclusion, the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement was effectively null in this population sample. Advocacy for physical activity programming for adolescent populations may best be undertaken with reference to lack of net academic achievement cost, rather than presence of benefit, or simply with reference to the many other physical and mental health benefits for youth.
Biomarker analyses in the phase III ASCENT study of sacituzumab govitecan versus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Biomarker analyses in the phase III ASCENT study of sacituzumab govitecan versus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer5 A. Bardia, S. M. Tolaney, K. Punie, D. Loirat, M. Oliveira, K. Kalinsky, A. Zelnak, P. Aftimos, F. Dalenc, S. Sardesai, E. Hamilton, P. Sharma, S. Recalde, E. C. Gil, T. Traina, J. O’Shaughnessy, J. Cortes, M. Tsai, L. Vahdat, V. Diéras, L. A. Carey, H. S. Rugo, D. M. Goldenberg, Q. Hong, M. Olivo, L. M. Itri & S. A. Hurvitz Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA; Department of General Medical Oncology and Multidisciplinary Breast Centre, Leuven Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Medical Oncology Department and D3i, Institut Curie, Paris, France; Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain; Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta; Northside Hospital, Atlanta, USA; Institut Jules Bordet e Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Claudius Regaud, Toulouse, France; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; Sarah Cannon Research Institute/Tennessee Oncology, Nashville; University of Kansas Medical Center, Westwood, USA; Institut Catala d’Oncologia Hospitalet, Barcelona; Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York; Baylor University Medical Center, Texas Oncology, US Oncology, Dallas, USA; International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Quiron Group, Madrid & Barcelona, Spain; VPCI Oncology Research, Minneapolis; MSK-Norwalk Hospital Partnership, Norwalk, USA; Centre Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France; University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill; University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco; Immunomedics, Inc., Morris Plains; Center for Molecular Medicine and Immunology, Mendham; Department of Clinical Development, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Morris Plains; Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, USA
General health of patients with diabetic macular edema—The LIPSIA study

Purpose Cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension or dyslipidemia can influence the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). The aim of this study is to describe the comorbidities in patients with DME. Methods Prospective, monocentric observational study. Patients presenting for the treatment of DME received laboratory and clinical examinations including 24-hour blood pressure measurement. Results Seventy-five consecutive patients were included in the study. The mean age was 61.0 ± 14.5 years, and 83% had type 2 diabetes. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 32.8 ± 6.0 kg/m2. Overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) was present in 92% of all patients. HbA1c values were > 7.0% in 57%. Although 87% of the patients already received antihypertensive therapy, the blood pressure (BP) of 82% was still above the recommended target values of systolic < 140 mmHg and diastolic < 80 mmHg. An insufficient nocturnal fall of the systolic BP (< 10%, non-dipping or reverse dipping) was observed in 62%. In 83% of the patients the glomerular filtration rate was ≤ 90 ml/min/1.73m2. Despite 65% of the cohort already receiving lipid-lowering therapy, LDL cholesterol was above the target value of 1.4 mmol/l in 93%. All patients had at least one cardiovascular risk factor in addition to diabetes (overweight, hypertension, insufficient nocturnal BP fall, dyslipidemia, or renal dysfunction) and 86% had ≥ 3 risk factors. Conclusion DME patients are characterized by highly prevalent cardiovascular risk factors that are poorly controlled. These comorbidities reduce the prognosis and negatively influence existing DR and DME. The data reveal an important opportunity for improving patient care by interaction of the ophthalmologist with the general practitioner and internal specialists for the detection and treatment of these conditions.
Sexual network and condom use among male migrants in the context of China’s gender imbalance

ABSTRACT In the context of China’s gender imbalance, this study addresses the characteristics of sexual networks and their association with condom use in a sample of 713 male migrants (aged 28-64) who have rural hukou (household registration) in China. Descriptive statistics, univariate analyses, and multilevel random intercept models were used to investigate the characteristics of sexual networks and their associations with condom use. We found that age, marital status, type of sex partners, support (the main help given to each sex partner by the participant), type of sexual intercourse, and stability of sexual relationships were associated with condom use. The sexual networks were mainly composed of sex partners of similar age (58.46%), unmarried people (50.53%), and regular partners (49.38%). Married male migrants were more likely to use condoms with casual partners; unmarried male migrants were less likely to use condoms in emotional and stable relationships. Variation in individual factors, sex partners, and sexual relationship characteristics contribute to participation in condomless sex by male migrants. HIV prevention strategies should target unmarried male migrants and their casual sex partners by increasing their awareness of the risk of HIV transmission and the availability of free condoms.
Prognostic significance of inflammatory response markers for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the external auditory canal and middle ear

Abstract We investigated the prognostic significance and treatment outcomes of pretreatment inflammatory response markers for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the external auditory canal (EAC) and middle ear (ME). Between July 2003 and July 2019, 21 patients with SCC of the EAC (n = 18) or ME (n = 3) who received radiotherapy with or without surgery or systemic therapy (radiotherapy alone [n = 2], radiotherapy + systemic therapy [n = 6], radiotherapy + surgery [n = 7], radiotherapy + surgery + systemic therapy [n = 6]) were retrospectively examined. The median radiation dose was 66.0 (range, 50.4–70.0) Gy, with daily fractions of 1.8–2.0 Gy. The median follow-up period was 25 months (range, 6–137). The two-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and locoregional control (LC) rates were 61%, 48%, and 55%, respectively. OS, PFS, and LC did not differ significantly according to patient- (age, sex), tumor- (Pittsburgh stage, pretreatment neurological findings), and treatment-related (surgery or systemic therapy, radiation dose, prophylactic neck irradiation) factors. Conversely, there were significant differences in OS, PFS, and LC between patients with high and low pretreatment C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratios (p = 0.002, 0.003, and 0.004, respectively). OS also differed significantly between patients with high and low pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR; p = 0.037). Other inflammatory response markers, including platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), did not influence OS, PFS, or LC. Our findings suggest that pretreatment C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and NLRs have a significant impact on treatment outcomes in patients with locally advanced SCC of the EAC and ME.
A Comparative Study of Autologous and Acellular Dermal Matrix Static Cheek Slings in Corrective Surgery for Facial Palsy

Background Facial palsy causes devastating disability due to loss of facial function as well as social and psychological impairment. Cheek slings are a secondary technique that provide static support to the midface. This study aimed to describe our technique and compare a traditional sling material (tensor fascia lata) with a porcine-derived acellular dermal matrix alternative (Strattice). Methods A 5-year case-control retrospective review of consecutive static cheek slings in a tertiary cancer and facial palsy center was performed. Demographic data, risk factors, and complications were collected and compared. Improvement in static smile position was assessed by Emotrics (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA) at 3 months. Long-term sling failure was assessed by need for reoperation. Results The study group comprised 41 patients on which 33 autogenous fascia lata slings and 12 Strattice slings were performed. Medium-term improvement in static smile position was similar between the 2 groups (judged by the Emotrics software), as was complication rate (P = 0.496). Need for revision due to stretching was higher in the Strattice group but did not achieve significance (P = 0.087). Mean follow-up was 38.02 ± 19.17 months. Twelve of 41 patients were deceased at study conclusion. Conclusions Fascia lata and Strattice slings provide satisfactory results in restoring symmetry at rest and functional oral competence. Our results suggest that Strattice is a safe sling material with an acceptable risk profile and comparable medium-term maintenance of tensile strength to fascia lata, and should be considered where life expectancy, donor site morbidity, and procedure length are important considerations.
Attitude stability as a moderator of the relationships between cognitive and affective attitudes and behaviour.

Temporal stability is assumed to be an important basis for attitudes being strong predictors of behaviour, but this notion has been little tested. The current research reports tests of temporal stability in moderating the attitude-behaviour relationship, specifically in relation to cognitive attitude (i.e., evaluation implied by cognitions about an attitude object) and affective attitude (i.e., evaluation implied by feelings about the attitude object). In three prospective studies (Study 1: physical activity, N = 909; Study 2: multiple health behaviours, N = 281; Study 3: smoking initiation, N = 3,371), temporal stability is shown to moderate the cognitive and affective attitudes to subsequent behaviour relationship in two-, three-, and four-wave designs utilizing between- (Studies 1 and 3) and within-participants (Study 2) analyses and controlling for past behaviour. Effects were more consistent for affective attitudes (when affective and cognitive attitudes were considered simultaneously and past behaviour controlled). Moderation effects were attenuated, but remained significant, in three- and four-wave compared with two-wave designs. The findings underline the role of temporal stability as an indicator of strength and confirm the relative importance of affective over cognitive (components of) attitudes for predicting behaviour.
PHKA2 variants expand the phenotype of phosphorylase B kinase deficiency to include patients with ketotic hypoglycemia only

Idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (IKH) is a diagnosis of exclusion with glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) as a differential diagnosis. GSD IXa presents with ketotic hypoglycemia (KH), hepatomegaly, and growth retardation due to PHKA2 variants. In our multicenter study, 12 children from eight families were diagnosed or suspected of IKH. Whole‐exome sequencing or targeted next‐generation sequencing panels were performed. We identified two known and three novel (likely) pathogenic PHKA2 variants, such as p.(Pro869Arg), p.(Pro498Leu), p.(Arg2Gly), p.(Arg860Trp), and p.(Val135Leu), respectively. Erythrocyte phosphorylase kinase activity in three patients with the novel variants p.(Arg2Gly) and p.(Arg860Trp) were 15%–20% of mean normal. One patient had short stature and intermittent mildly elevated aspartate aminotransferase, but no hepatomegaly. Family testing identified two asymptomatic children and 18 adult family members with one of the PHKA2 variants, of which 10 had KH symptoms in childhood and 8 had mild symptoms in adulthood. Our study expands the classical GSD IXa phenotype of PHKA2 missense variants to a continuum from seemingly asymptomatic carriers, over KH‐only with phosphorylase B kinase deficiency, to more or less complete classical GSD IXa. In contrast to typical IKH, which is confined to young children, KH may persist into adulthood in the KH‐only phenotype of PHKA2.
Comparison of the analgesic effects of two quadratus lumborum blocks (QLBs), QLB type II vs QLB type III, in caesarean delivery: A randomised study

Quadratus lumborum blocks (QLBs) are relatively novel regional anaesthesia techniques, and the efficacy of all three types of QLB for postoperative analgesia in caesarean delivery (CD) has been demonstrated in separate studies. The aim of the present study is to compare the analgesic efficacy of the QLB‐II and QLB‐III blocks performed at the end of surgery in patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia for CD.
Cognitive remediation therapy for anorexia nervosa as a rolling group intervention: Data from a longitudinal study in an eating disorders specialized inpatient unit

Abstract Objective Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) has been proposed as an add‐on treatment approach that could increase the engagement in treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients and reduce maintaining factors, but prior studies have evaluated CRT in individual and group settings, difficult protocols for rehabilitation settings. Our aim is to evaluate the CRT rolling protocol implementation in an inpatient specialised unit. Methods A historical longitudinal controlled study was designed to include 31 AN patients for the CRT program, and 28 AN patients treated as usual. The CRT rolling group was implemented in a multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation ward with both adolescent and adult patients and an 8‐weeks protocol. To evaluate the treatment implementation effect, different self‐administered questionnaires were used. Results The study found greater improvements of the CRT group in clinical symptomatology (p = 0.039), flexibility (p = 0.003), self‐confidence about the ability to change (p < 0.001), and less short‐term focus (p < 0.001), with no differences between restrictive and binge‐purging patients. Conclusion This study demonstrates that CRT rolling group protocol is feasible in an inpatient treatment setting and may improve a rehabilitation program's outcome. Our results have shown how CRT can influence cognitive styles considered AN maintenance factors, positively affecting both restrictive and binge‐purge type.
Phylogenomic Analysis Reveals Dispersal-Driven Speciation and Divergence with Gene Flow in Lesser Sunda Flying Lizards (Genus Draco).

The Lesser Sunda Archipelago offers exceptional potential as a model system for studying the dynamics of dispersal-driven diversification. The geographic proximity of the islands suggests the possibility for successful dispersal, but this is countered by the permanence of the marine barriers and extreme intervening currents that are expected to hinder gene flow. Phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses of flying lizards (genus Draco) using single mitochondrial genes, complete mitochondrial genomes, and exome-capture data sets identified 9-11 deeply divergent lineages including single-island endemics, lineages that span multiple islands, and parapatrically-distributed non-sister lineages on the larger islands. Population clustering and PCA confirmed these genetic boundaries with isolation-by-distance playing a role in some islands or island sets. While gdi estimates place most candidate species comparisons in the ambiguous zone, migration estimates suggest 9 or 10 species exist with nuclear introgression detected across some intra-island contact zones. Initial entry of Draco into the archipelago occurred at 5.5-7.5 Ma, with most inter-island colonization events having occurred between 1-3 Ma. Biogeographical model testing favors scenarios integrating geographic distance and historical island connectivity, including an initial stepping-stone dispersal process from the Greater Sunda Shelf through the Sunda Arc as far eastward as Lembata Island. However, rather than reaching the adjacent island of Pantar by dispersing over the 15-km wide Alor Strait, Draco ultimately reached Pantar (and much of the rest of the archipelago) by way of a circuitous route involving at least five over-water dispersal events. These findings suggest that historical geological and oceanographic conditions heavily influenced dispersal pathways and gene flow, which in turn drove species formation and shaped species boundaries.
Electronic Structure Engineering in ZnSe/CdS Type-II Nanoparticles by Interface Alloying

We report the synthesis and characterization of type-II ZnSe/CdS semiconductor nanocrystals that exhibit strong charge separation, high photoluminescence quantum yields, low optical gain thresholds, and alloyed core–shell interfaces. Shell growth rates and the degree of alloying both depend strongly on the shelling temperature. The core–shell NCs exhibit band edge PL with emission wavelengths spanning the blue to orange region of the electromagnetic spectrum (380–562 nm). Fluorescence quantum yields up to 75% can be obtained by deposition of an additional ZnS layer. Transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that the population of the first two exciton states (1Se–1Sh, 1Se–2Sh) in the type-II structures can be controlled by alloying. Increased alloying leads to a greater population of the 2S hole state exciton.
Dance Exposure, Individual Characteristics, and Injury Risk over Five Seasons in a Professional Ballet Company

ABSTRACT Purpose This study aimed to describe the relationships between dance exposure, dancer characteristics, and injury risk across five seasons in a professional ballet company. Methods Dance exposure time and clinician-reported time-loss and medical attention injury data were prospectively collected from 118 professional dancers of The Royal Ballet between 2015/2016 and 2019/2020. Cox proportional hazards and shared frailty models were fitted to overuse and traumatic injuries; individualized robust Z-scores for 7- and 28-d accumulated exposure, and week-to-week change in exposure, age, sex, company rank, and injury history were included as time-varying covariates. Results Across 381,710 h of exposure, 1332 medical attention and 427 time-loss injuries were observed. Positive relationships were observed between week-to-week change in exposure and overuse time-loss (+1 Z-score hazard ratio (HR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–1.53) and medical attention injury risk (+1 Z-score HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06–1.28). A negative relationship was observed between 7-d accumulated exposure and overuse medical attention injury risk (+1 Z-score HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.66–0.84). Overuse time-loss injury risk was greater in soloists compared with the corps de ballet (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.01–2.15) and in dancers with a higher previous injury rate (+1 injury per 1000 h HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02–1.10). Only age was associated with traumatic time-loss (+1-yr HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01–1.09) or medical attention injury risk (+1-yr HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07). Conclusions Professional ballet companies should implement training principles such as periodization and progression, particularly in the case of senior-ranking dancers, older dancers, and dancers with high rates of previous injury. These findings provide a basis for future prospective investigations into specific causal injury pathways.