Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EARLY COMPLICATIONS AFTER RADICAL OPERATIONS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. In many cases, a major component of complex treatment for breast cancer is surgery - radical mastectomy or radical breast resection. The aim of the work – to investigate the frequency and structure of complications after radical surgery with dissection of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. Material and methods . The baseline and surgical results of 147 women with breast cancer who underwent radical mastectomy or radical breast resection with lymph node dissection were analysed. Results . Complications in the early period after surgery for breast cancer were found in 76 (51.7 %), including postoperative extremity edema in 60 (40.8 %); lymphorrhea – in 37 (25.2 %), seroma – in 33 (22.4 %); wound infection in 18 (12.2 %), necrosis of the wound edges – in 15 (10.2 %) patients. Correlation of postoperative edema with almost all other complications was found, lymphorrhea and seroma were most associated with swelling and with each other; necrosis of edges with postoperative edema. Wound infection was significantly associated with lymphorrhea. Patients' age, stage of disease, and immunohistochemical type of tumour did not affect the development of complications. With increasing BMI, the incidence of complications increased significantly (χ 2 =9.530; p=0.009). The tendency to decrease the frequency of complications during reconstructive surgery was revealed (42.6 % versus 58.1 %, p=0.064), and adjuvant radiotherapy, on the contrary, contributed to the increase of complications (57.8 % versus 43.8 %, p=0.090). Conclusion . Radical operations with lymph node dissection in patients with breast cancer are characterized by a high frequency of early postoperative complications, mainly associated with disorders of lymphatic outflow, which indicates the need for a set of measures of preoperative preparation, improvement of surgical technique.
Microbiological Quality of Some Dairy Products with Special Reference to the Incidence of Some Biological Hazards

Background and Objective: Ingestion of contaminated dairy products causes foodborne diseases (FBD) which pose a significant but often under recognized threat to public health, worldwide, consequently this study was aimed to throw light on the microbiological quality of some dairy products sold in Egyptian markets. Materials and Methods: Ninety random samples of ice cream, Ras cheese and fresh white soft cheese (30 of each) collected from dairy shops and stores in Port-Said and Giza governorates, Egypt and examined microbiologically. Results: The mean titratable acidity of ice cream, Ras cheese and fresh white soft cheese samples were (0.13, 0.43 and 0.14%), microbiological examination proved contamination of the examined samples with high numbers of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, coliform, staphylococci, yeast, mold and anaerobic spore formers. E. coli was isolated from Ras and white fresh soft cheese with 2.9 and 4.4%, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes couldn't be isolated from all of the examined samples, while Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated from 23.3% of ice cream samples. Conclusion: Inadequate hygienic conditions of production and storage mandate the promotion of hygienic regulations and guarantee of safety from production until receiving to consumer.
Time-Gated Single-Photon Detection in Time-Domain Diffuse Optics: A Review

This work reviews physical concepts, technologies and applications of time-domain diffuse optics based on time-gated single-photon detection. This particular photon detection strategy is of the utmost importance in the diffuse optics field as it unleashes the full power of the time-domain approach by maximizing performances in terms of contrast produced by a localized perturbation inside the scattering medium, signal-to-noise ratio, measurement time and dynamic range, penetration depth and spatial resolution. The review covers 15 years of theoretical studies, technological progresses, proof of concepts and design of laboratory systems based on time-gated single-photon detection with also few hints on other fields where the time-gated detection strategy produced and will produce further impact.
Reconsidering electrophysiological markers of response inhibition in light of trigger failures in the stop-signal task

We investigate the neural correlates underpinning response inhibition using a parametric ex-Gaussian model of stop-signal task performance, fit with hierarchical Bayesian methods, in a large healthy sample (N=156). The parametric model accounted for trigger failure (i.e., failures to initiate the inhibition process) and returned an SSRT estimate (SSRTEXG3) that was attenuated by ≈65ms compared to traditional non-parametric SSRT estimates (SSRTint). The amplitude and latency of the N1 and P3 event related potential components were derived for both stop-success and stop-failure trials and compared to behavioural estimates derived from traditional (SSRTint) and parametric (SSRTEXG3, trigger failure) models. Both the fronto-central N1 and P3 peaked earlier and were larger for stop-success than stop-failure trials. For stop-failure trials only, N1 peak latency correlated with both SSRT estimates as well as trigger failure and temporally coincided with SSRTEXG3, but not SSRTint. In contrast, P3 peak and onset latency were not associated with any behavioural estimates of inhibition for either trial type. While overall the N1 peaked earlier for stop-success than stop-failure trials, this effect was not found in poor task performers (i.e., high trigger failure/slow SSRT). These findings are consistent with attentional modulation of both the speed and reliability of the inhibition process, but not for poor performers. Together with the absence of any P3 onset latency effect, our findings suggest that attentional mechanisms are important in supporting speeded and reliable inhibition processes required in the stop-signal task.
What Is the Relationship Among Positive Emotions, Sense of Presence, and Ease of Interaction in Virtual Reality Systems? An On-Site Evaluation of a Commercial Virtual Experience

Abstract Scientific knowledge is still limited about the effect of commercial virtual reality content, such as experiences developed for advertising purposes, on individual emotional experience. In addition, even though correlations between emotional responses and perceived sense of presence in virtual reality have often been reported, the relationship remains unclear. Some studies have suggested an important effect of ease of interaction on both emotions and the sense of presence, but only a few studies have scientifically explored this topic. Within this context, this study aimed to: (a) test the effect of inducing positive emotions of a commercial virtual experience developed for the promotion of an urban renewal project, (b) investigate the relationship between positive emotions and the perceived sense of presence, and (c) explore the association between the ease of interaction of the virtual experience with positive emotions and the sense of presence reported by the users. Sixty-one participants were recruited from visitors to the 2017 Milan Design Week “Fuorisalone” event. A survey was administered before and after the experience to collect information about users' demographics, positive emotions, sense of presence, and the ease of interaction with the virtual content. Results give evidence that: (a) the commercial virtual reality experience was able to induce positive emotions; (b) the positive emotions reported by users were associated with the sense of presence experienced in the virtual environment, with a directional effect from emotion to sense of presence; and (c) the easier the interaction, the more the sense of presence and positive emotions were reported by users.
Depth Perception and Manipulation in Projection-Based Spatial Augmented Reality

Abstract Spatial augmented reality (SAR) technology allows one to change the appearance of objects by projecting directly onto their surface without the requirement of wearing glasses, and therefore can be used in many practical applications. In this article, we present a human–subject study, which investigates the research question whether it is possible to use SAR to change one's perception of depth and spatial relationships among objects and humans in a real-world environment. Such projected illusions could open up new possibilities, for example, supporting people who suffer from poor depth perception by compensating distance and size misperceptions. We present three monoscopic projection-based techniques that we adapted from visual arts: (i) color temperature, (ii) luminance contrast, and (iii) blur, and show that each of them can significantly change depth perception, even in a real-world environment when displayed with other distance cues. We discuss practical implications and individual differences in the perception of depth between observers, and we outline future directions to influence and improve human depth perception in the real world.
The Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein Mbd2 Regulates Susceptibility to Experimental Colitis via Control of CD11c+ Cells and Colonic Epithelium

Methyl-CpG-binding domain-2 (Mbd2) acts as an epigenetic regulator of gene expression, by linking DNA methylation to repressive chromatin structure. Although Mbd2 is widely expressed in gastrointestinal immune cells and is implicated in regulating intestinal cancer, anti-helminth responses and colonic inflammation, the Mbd2-expressing cell types that control these responses are incompletely defined. Indeed, epigenetic control of gene expression in cells that regulate intestinal immunity is generally poorly understood, even though such mechanisms may explain the inability of standard genetic approaches to pinpoint the causes of conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. In this study we demonstrate a vital role for Mbd2 in regulating murine colonic inflammation. Mbd2−/− mice displayed dramatically worse pathology than wild type controls during dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced colitis, with increased inflammatory (IL-1β+) monocytes. Profiling of mRNA from innate immune and epithelial cell (EC) populations suggested that Mbd2 suppresses inflammation and pathology via control of innate-epithelial cell crosstalk and T cell recruitment. Consequently, restriction of Mbd2 deficiency to CD11c+ dendritic cells and macrophages, or to ECs, resulted in increased DSS colitis severity. Our identification of this dual role for Mbd2 in regulating the inflammatory capacity of both CD11c+ cells and ECs highlights how epigenetic control mechanisms may limit intestinal inflammatory responses.
Using Mobile EEG to Investigate Alpha and Beta Asymmetries During Hand and Foot Use

The Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) and the Waterloo Footedness Questionnaire (WFQ) are two of the most widely used questionnaires to assess lateralized everyday behavior in human participants. However, it is unclear to what extent the specific behavior assessed in these questionnaires elicit lateralized neural activity when performed in real-life situations. To illuminate this unresolved issue, we assessed EEG alpha and beta asymmetries during real-life performance of the behaviors assessed in the EHI and WFQ using a mobile EEG system. This methodology provides high ecological validity for studying neural correlates of motor behavior under more naturalistic conditions. Our results indicate that behavioral performance of items of both the EHI and WFQ differentiate between left- and right-handers and left- and right-footers on the neural level, especially in the alpha frequency band. These results were unaffected by movement parameters. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that neural activity elicited specifically during left-sided task performance provides predictive power for the EHI or WFQ score of the participants. Overall, our results show that these prominent questionnaires not only distinguish between different motor preferences on the behavioral level, but also on the neurophysiological level. Furthermore, we could show that mobile EEG systems are a powerful tool to investigate motor asymmetries in ecologically valid situations outside of the laboratory setting. Future research should focus on other lateralized behavioral phenotypes in real-life settings to provide more insights into lateralized motor functions.
Targeting Extracellular Vesicles to the Arthritic Joint Using a Damaged Cartilage-Specific Antibody

The targeted delivery of therapies to diseased tissues offers a safe opportunity to achieve optimal efficacy while limiting systemic exposure. These considerations apply to many disease indications but are especially relevant for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as RA is a systemic autoimmune disease which affects multiple joints. We have identified an antibody that is specific to damaged arthritic cartilage (anti-ROS-CII) that can be used to deliver treatments specifically to arthritic joints, yielding augmented efficacy in experimental arthritis. In the current study, we demonstrate that scaffolds enriched with bioactive payloads can be delivered precisely to an inflamed joint and achieve superior efficacy outcomes consistent with the pharmacological properties of these payloads. As a scaffold, we have used extracellular vesicles (EVs) prepared from human neutrophils (PMNs), which possess intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to penetrate inflamed arthritic cartilage. EV fortified with anti-ROS-CII (EV/anti-ROS-CII) retained anti-ROS-CII specificity and bound exclusively to the damaged cartilage. Following systemic administration, EV/anti-ROS-CII (a) exhibited the ability to localize specifically in the arthritic joint in vivo and (b) was able to specifically target single (viral IL-10 or anti-TNF) or combined (viral IL-10 and anti-TNF) anti-inflammatory treatments to the arthritic joint, which accelerated attenuation of clinical and synovial inflammation. Overall, this study demonstrates the attainability of targeting a pro-resolving biological scaffold to the arthritic joint. The potential of targeting scaffolds such as EV, nanoparticles, or a combination thereof alongside combined therapeutics is paramount for designing systemically administered broad-spectrum of anti-inflammatory treatments.
Ideomotor Action: Evidence for Automaticity in Learning, but Not Execution

Human habits are widely assumed to result from stimulus-response (S-R) associations that are formed if one frequently and consistently does the same thing in the same situation. According to Ideomotor Theory, a distinct but similar process could lead to response-outcome (R-O) associations if responses frequently and consistently produce the same outcomes. This process is assumed to occur spontaneously, and because these associations can operate in a bidirectional manner, merely perceiving or thinking of an outcome should automatically activate the associated action. In the current paper we test this automaticity feature of ideomotor learning. In four experiments, participants completed the same learning phase in which they could acquire associations, and were either explicitly informed about the contingency between actions and outcomes, or not. Automatic action selection and initiation were investigated using a free-choice task in Experiment 1 and forced-choice tasks in Experiment 2, 3a, and 3b. An ideomotor effect was only obtained in the free-choice, but not convincingly in the forced-choice tasks. Together, this suggests that action-outcome relations can be learned spontaneously, but that there may be limits to the automaticity of the ideomotor effect.
Bioprocess for Production, Characteristics, and Biotechnological Applications of Fungal Phytases

Phytases are a group of enzymes that hydrolyze the phospho-monoester bonds of phytates. Phytates are one of the major forms of phosphorus found in plant tissues. Fungi are mainly used for phytase production. The production of fungal phytases has been achieved under three different fermentation methods including solid-state, semi-solid-state, and submerged fermentation. Agricultural residues and other waste materials have been used as substrates for the evaluation of enzyme production in the fermentation process. Nutrients, physical conditions such as pH and temperature, and protease resistance are important factors for increasing phytase production. Fungal phytases are considered monomeric proteins and generally possess a molecular weight of between 14 and 353 kDa. Fungal phytases display a broad substrate specificity with optimal pH and temperature ranges between 1.3 and 8.0 and 37–67°C, respectively. The crystal structure of phytase has been studied in Aspergillus. Notably, thermostability engineering has been used to improve relevant enzyme properties. Furthermore, fungal phytases are widely used in food and animal feed additives to improve the efficiency of phosphorus intake and reduce the amount of phosphorus in the environment.
Functional Assessment of Pluripotent and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Secretome in Heart Disease

Objectives: Cell-based therapies have demonstrated variable degrees of success in the management of myocardial infarction and heart failure. By inducing a myocardial infarction in a rat model, the effects of secretome from human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on cardiac function and remodeling were investigated. Methods: HiPSCs and hMSCs were cultured and after 12 cycles, secretome was collected. The quantification of stem cell growth factors was measured using the ELISA test. Thirty female Lewis rats underwent surgical ligation of the left coronary artery. The rats were then randomized (n=10/group) to receive one of three treatments injected into the peri-infarct area; normal saline, HiPSC and hMSC. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), fractional shortening (FS), histology and serum proteomics were evaluated in a blinded fashion both pre-operatively and at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Results: ELISA studies revealed, Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) concentration of 3.35± 0.031 ng/ml (0.68± 0.027ng/ml) for MSC-CM group, 3.44± 0.042 ng/ml (0.78± 0.03 ng/ml) for the HiPSC-CM group, 3.2± 0.107 ng/ml (0.64±0.013 ng/ml) for the MSC-pre-group, 3.1± 0.075 ng/ml (0.71± 0.013 ng/ml) for the HiPSC-pre group and 3.3± 0.047 ng/ml (0.71± 0.014ng/ml) for the HiPSC-pre-r group at 60 min in comparison to at (0 min). Compared to non-treated (NT), HiPSC and hMSC, treated rats demonstrated significant improvement in LVEF and FS, and significant reduction in scar size (p<0.05) at 4 and 6 weeks. Proteomic analysis detected the presence of Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the serum of rats receiving HiPSC, which was absent in the NT and hMSC groups. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated a significant improvement of cardiac function and remodeling in response to secretome from HiPSCs and hMSCs. These findings suggest that secretome from HiPSCs may have potential therapy for acute myocardial infarction (MI) without the need of stem cell harvesting and implantation.
Regulation of calcification site pH is a polyphyletic but not always governing response to ocean acidification

Diverse organisms are all found to regulate the pH of their calcifying fluids in response to ocean acidification. The response of marine-calcifying organisms to ocean acidification (OA) is highly variable, although the mechanisms behind this variability are not well understood. Here, we use the boron isotopic composition (δ11B) of biogenic calcium carbonate to investigate the extent to which organisms’ ability to regulate pH at their site of calcification (pHCF) determines their calcification responses to OA. We report comparative δ11B analyses of 10 species with divergent calcification responses (positive, parabolic, threshold, and negative) to OA. Although the pHCF is closely coupled to calcification responses only in 3 of the 10 species, all 10 species elevate pHCF above pHsw under elevated pCO2. This result suggests that these species may expend additional energy regulating pHCF under future OA. This strategy of elevating pHCF above pHsw appears to be a polyphyletic, if not universal, response to OA among marine calcifiers—although not always the principal factor governing a species’ response to OA.
Relationship between internet addiction and academic performance of undergraduate medical students of Azad Kashmir

Objective: To assess the relationship between internet addiction (IA) and academic performance among the medical students of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done involving 316 medical students of Poonch Medical College, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan from May 2018 to November 2018. Dr. Young’s Internet Addiction Test questionnaire was used as the tool of data collection. The questionnaire contained twenty 5-points Likert scale questions to assess internet addiction. IA score was calculated and the association between IA and academic performance was observed by Spearman Rank Correlation test. Relationship between baseline characteristics of the medical students and IA was also seen. Results: Eighty-nine (28.2%) medical students fell under the category of ‘severe addiction’ and most importantly only 3 (0.9%) were not internet addicted according to Dr. Young’s questionnaire. Internet addicted medical students scored significantly poor in their exams (p. <.001). One hundred thirty one (41.4%) students with a median IA score of 45 scored in the range of 61-70% marks as compared to 3 (0.9%) students with a median IA score of 5, secured greater than 80% marks. Conclusion: This study and many other previous studies have revealed that internet addiction affects academic performance. The number of internet users is ever increasing therefore, the number of internet misusers will also increase. If no step is taken to control internet addiction, it may cause a serious impact in the future.
Retinoid X receptor alpha is a spatiotemporally predominant therapeutic target for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity

RXRA is an endothelial- and early stage–predominant therapeutic target for treating anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. To uncover the genetic basis of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC), we recently established a genetic suppressor screening strategy in zebrafish. Here, we report the molecular and cellular nature of GBT0419, a salutary modifier mutant that affects retinoid x receptor alpha a (rxraa). We showed that endothelial, but not myocardial or epicardial, RXRA activation confers AIC protection. We then identified isotretinoin and bexarotene, two FDA-approved RXRA agonists, which exert cardioprotective effects. The therapeutic effects of these drugs only occur when administered during early, but not late, phase of AIC or as pretreatment. Mechanistically, these spatially- and temporally-predominant benefits of RXRA activation can be ascribed to repair of damaged endothelial cell-barrier via regulating tight-junction protein Zonula occludens-1. Together, our study provides the first in vivo genetic evidence supporting RXRA as the therapeutic target for AIC, and uncovers a previously unrecognized spatiotemporally-predominant mechanism that shall inform future translational efforts.