Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of acute kidney injury with radial vs. femoral access for patients undergoing coronary catheterization: An updated meta-analysis of 46,816 patients

Trans-radial access for percutaneous coronary intervention or angiography has gained popularity amongst interventional cardiologists. Radial access is also thought to reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in the immediate post-operative period. The purpose of the present study was to perform a comprehensive updated systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the incidence of AKI following the radial vs. femoral route of coronary catheterization. An electronic literature search of the PubMed, BioMed Central, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Google Scholar databases up to 1st January 2020 was performed. A total of 14 studies were included, 2 of which were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 6 studies utilized propensity score matching. Comparison of the data of 21,479 patients in the radial group and 25,337 patients in the femoral group indicated a reduced incidence of AKI with the radial route [odds ratio (OR):0.66, 95% CI: 0.54-0.81, P<0.0001, I2=74%]. Similar results were obtained with sub-group analyses for RCTs (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.98, P=0.02, I2=0%), retrospective studies (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.36-0.90, P=0.02, I2=86%) and propensity score-matched studies (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.48-0.83, P=0.0009, I2=45%). Multivariable-adjusted ORs of AKI for the radial vs. femoral route were extracted from non-RCTs and pooled for a meta-analysis, which also demonstrated similar results (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57-0.88, P=0.002, I2=70%). Within the limitations of the study, the present results indicate that, as compared to femoral access, the use of trans-radial access for coronary catheterization is associated with a significantly reduced incidence of AKI. A reduction of AKI by ~34% may be expected with the use of radial access.
Pancreatic Duct Variations and the Risk of Post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an important diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in the management of biliary and pancreatic disorders. Despite advances in ERCP facilities and techniques, pancreatitis remains the most common and feared complication of this procedure. The technical challenges of ERCP could be further compounded by variations in the configuration of the pancreatic ductal system. As a result, the knowledge of these variations and their potential role in the development of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) is essential to any successful risk reduction strategy. This review provides an overview of the anatomy and embryological basis of pancreatic duct variations, as well as explore the different types and prevalence of these variations. Also, we discuss the mechanisms of PEP and provide evidence supporting a link between the variations and PEP using published data
Comparison of Anterior Ocular Biometric Measurements Using Swept-Source and Time-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose To compare central corneal thickness (CCT), aqueous depth (AQD), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) measurements using the swept-source (CASIA SS-1000, Tomey, Japan) and time-domain (Visante, Carl Zeiss Meditec, USA) anterior segment optical coherence tomographers (OCT) in normal eyes. Methods Sixty-eight eyes of 68 subjects were included. Three consecutive scans of each subject were obtained using both devices in a random order by one experienced operator. Standard deviation (Sw), coefficient of repeatability (CoR), coefficients of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to evaluate the intraoperator repeatability. Agreement was assessed using the Bland–Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Results All measurements of the swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) and time-domain OCT (TD-OCT) showed high repeatability with low CoR (CCT: 2.34 μm and 6.16 μm; AQD: 0.05 mm and 0.09 mm; ACD: 0.06 mm and 0.09 mm), low CoV (CCT: 0.16% and 0.42%; AQD: 0.61% and 0.97%; ACD: 0.53% and 0.83%), and high ICC (>0.98). The mean CCT with SS-OCT was slightly thicker than the results with TD-OCT (difference = 4.55 ± 2.62 μm, P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in AQD or ACD measurements between the two devices (0.01 ± 0.05 mm, P=0.111; 0.02 ± 0.05 mm, P=0.022, respectively). The 95% LoA between the SS-OCT and TD-OCT were −0.59 to 9.69 μm for CCT, −0.10 to 0.12 mm for AQD, and −0.09 to 0.12 mm for ACD. Conclusions High levels of repeatability and agreement were found between the two devices for all three parameters, suggesting interchangeability. SS-OCT demonstrated superior repeatability compared with TD-OCT.
Herbicide Widespread: The Effects of Pethoxamid on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Steatosis In Vitro

Pethoxamid is a widespread herbicidal product, presenting itself as an extremely flexible active substance and with a high potential for use as an herbicide for preemergence. The emergence of multiple resistance in crops has been addressed using combinations of preemergence and postemergence herbicides in the same seeding-harvest cycle. A winning combination of pethoxamid and glyphosate mainly affected the acidobacteria population. Glyphosate scientific literature has demonstrated an observational link between herbicide exposure and liver disease in human subjects. Identifying and ranking the risk to the public that pethoxamid could exert on target organs has not been evaluated so far. Due to similarities to glyphosate, we did look at the effect of pethoxamid on impaired liver cells HepG2, using a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cell model in vitro. Pethoxamid was cytotoxic starting at 1 ppm. Fatty acid accumulation (FA) was enhanced while low doses of pethoxamid slightly decreased LDH protein expression compared to FA-treated HepG2. The same trend was observed for cytochrome c. Based on our data, we can argue that NAFLD hepatic cells react to pethoxamid trying detoxifying strategies, ready to undergo cell death to avoid further degeneration. Downregulation of cytochrome can lead to the hypothesis that pethoxamid should not induce herbicide resistance.
Frequency-specific neural synchrony in autism during memory encoding, maintenance and recognition

Abstract Working memory impairment is associated with symptom severity and poor functional outcome in autistic individuals, and yet the neurobiology underlying such deficits is poorly understood. Neural oscillations are an area of investigation that can shed light on this issue. Theta and alpha oscillations have been found consistently to support working memory in typically developing individuals and have also been shown to be functionally altered in people with autism. While there is evidence, largely from functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, that neural processing underlying working memory is altered in autism, there remains a dearth of information concerning how sub-processes supporting working memory (namely encoding, maintenance and recognition) are impacted. In this study, we used magnetoencephalography to investigate inter-regional theta and alpha brain synchronization elicited during the widely used one-back task across encoding, maintenance and recognition in 24 adults with autism and 30 controls. While both groups performed comparably on the working-memory task, we found process- and frequency-specific differences in networks recruited between groups. In the theta frequency band, both groups used similar networks during encoding and recognition, but different networks specifically during maintenance. In comparison, the two groups recruited distinct networks across encoding, maintenance and recognition in alpha that showed little overlap. These differences may reflect a breakdown of coherent theta and alpha synchronization that supports mnemonic functioning, or in the case of alpha, impaired inhibition of task-irrelevant neural processing. Thus, these data provide evidence for specific theta and widespread alpha synchrony alterations in autism, and underscore that a detailed examination of the sub-processes that comprise working memory is warranted for a complete understanding of cognitive impairment in this population.
Kick-starting ovarian cyclicity by using dietary glucogenic precursors in post-partum dairy cows: a review

ABSTRACT The objective of this review is to describe how dietary glucogenic precursors could stimulate ovarian activity in post-partum dairy cows and improve reproductive success. Although the nutrient requirements for the early resumption of ovarian cycles, and for follicle and embryo development are quantitatively small, reproductive success is deteriorated by post-partum negative energy balance. Since very little glucose is absorbed directly from the digestive tract of ruminants one of the targets for nutritional manipulation could be the glucogenic potential of the diet. This could be achieved by giving rumen-resistant starch or mono-propylene glycol. Both these adaptations increase glucose, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 plasma concentrations and stimulate ovarian follicle growth.
Interaction of perforin and granzyme B and HTLV-1 viral factors is associated with Adult T cell Leukemia development

Objective(s): Human T cell leukaemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with adult T cell leukaemia (ATL), a malignant lymphoproliferative disease that infects CD4 T cells. It is not clear why the majority of HTLV-1-infected individuals remain asymptomatic carries (ACs) and a minority develop ATL. Cellular immune response has a critical role in ATL and destroys malignant and HTLV-1-infected cells. Perforin and granzyme have important functional roles in apoptosis and destruction of infected cells. In the present study we examined the role of perforin and granzyme in ATL patients and ACs. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from ATL patients and ACs by using Ficoll-hypaque density centrifugation. RNA was extracted and cDNA was synthesized. A real-time PCR TaqMan method was designed and optimized for evaluation of perforin, granzyme, tax, and HBZ gene expression. HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) was quantified in patients with ATL and ACs. Results: The mRNA expression of tax and HBZ was significantly higher in ATL patients than ACs (P=0.011 and P=0.0001,respectively). The HTLV-1 PVL was higher in ATL patients compared to with AC group (P=0.015). There was a significant increase in perforin gene expression in ACs compared with ATL patients (P=0.002). Furthermore, the expression of granzyme was also higher in ACs compared with ATL patients, and significant differences were observed between the two groups (P=0.036). Conclusion: Low expression of perforin and granzyme in ATL patients seems to influence the efficiency of CTL function and destruction of HTLV-1-infected cells, which might contribute to the disease pathogenesis.
Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Salmonella Typhi and Salmonella Paratyphi in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Islamabad

Background Enteric fever is a serious public health problem in Pakistan. Growing problem of drug-resistant Salmonella strains and outbreak of ceftriaxone-resistant Salmonella typhi in Hyderabad during 2016-2017 is concerning. This study aimed to determine the antibiogram profile of Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi isolated from blood cultures of patients presenting in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad. Materials and methods A retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in PIMS. A case of enteric fever was defined as a patient with blood culture positive for either S. typhi or S. paratyphi. Demographics and antibiogram profile of the 664 cases who presented during 2012-2018 were included in this study. Results Out of 664 cases, S. typhi was isolated from 528 and S. paratyphi was isolated from 136 cases. Males accounted for the majority of the cases (n = 440, 66.3%). Clustering of the cases was observed in young adults (18-25 years). Incidence was highest during months of summer and monsoon (May-September). Most of the S. typhi isolates were resistant to the first-line antibiotics (amoxicillin 57.6%, co-trimoxazole 61.4%, chloramphenicol 46.9%) and ciprofloxacin (62.7%). Antibiotic resistance rates were lowest for imipenem (3.8%) and ceftriaxone (4.4%). Among S. typhi isolates tested for all first-line antibiotics, 44.6% (149/334) were multidrug-resistant (MDR). In contrast, only 12.2% (11/90) of the S. paratyphi isolates were MDR. 0.7% (2/283) of the tested S. typhi isolates were extensively drug-resistant (XDR). XDR strains were sensitive to imipenem. There was an overall reduction in first-line antibiotic resistance rates from 2012 to 2018. Conclusion S. typhi accounted for the majority of the cases of enteric fever. Most S. typhi isolates were resistant to first-line antibiotics. S. paratyphi exhibited lower antibiotic resistance rates. This study recommends third-generation cephalosporins for empirical therapy and for treatment of MDR cases of enteric fever. Imipenem should be reserved for the treatment of XDR Salmonella cases. A decreasing trend in first-line antibiotic resistance rates over time is promising. Antibiotic stewardship is the need of the hour.
Estimation of some phytoconstituents in the aqueous extract of the endocarp, seeds and exocarp of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an indigenous fruit consumed in Nigeria and the world over. This study was aimed at comparatively evaluating phytoconstituents in the endocarp, seeds and exocarp of this fruit. Phytochemical tests revealed that, terpenoids, flavonoids and saponins were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the endocarp, whereas, alkaloids, total phenols, cyanogenic glycosides and anthraquinones were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the exocarp. Proximate analysis revealed that crude lipids and proteins were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the seeds; crude fibre and ash significantly (p<0.05) higher in the exocarp, while the moisture and carbohydrates were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the endocarp. Minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, chloride, iron, calcium and potassium were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the exocarp while sodium and iron were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the endocarp. The entire fruit may be consumed since every part had phytoconstituents of medicinal relevance; instead of the common practice of discarding the exocarp and seeds.
Left ventricular phosphorylation patterns of Akt and ERK1/2 after triiodothyronine intracoronary perfusion in isolated hearts and short-term in vivo treatment in Wistar rats

Objective(s): To determine the effects of triiodothyronine (T3) intracoronary perfusion in isolated hearts and short-term administration in rats on the left ventricular (LV) phosphorylation patterns of Akt and ERK1/2. Materials and Methods: Cardiodynamic and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated in Langendorff–perfused hearts. Left ventricles were used for histomorphometric and Western blot analyses. Short-term hyperthyroidism was established by T3 (500 μg.kg-1.d-1; subcutaneous injection) for 1 (T31d), 3 (T33d), and 10 (T310d) days. Results: Isolated hearts receiving T3 perfusion did not modify LV developed pressure, +dP/dtmax, -dP/dtmin, heart rate, and coronary perfusion pressure compared with vehicle-perfused hearts. P-ERK1/2 and p-Akt levels in LV tissues after 5, 15, or 60 min of T3 or vehicle perfusion were similar. Compared with their time-matched controls, isolated hearts of T33d and T310d rats exhibited LV hypertrophy and increased absolute values of +dP/dtmax and -dP/dtmin (i.e., positive inotropic and lusitropic effects). P-ERK1/2 decreased in LV tissues of T31d and T310d but not in those of T33d rats, and p-Akt levels augmented in left ventricles of T33d and stayed unaltered in those of T31d and T310d rats. Conclusion: T3 intracoronary perfusion did not alter cardiodynamics and hemodynamics nor influence the activation of Akt and ERK of normal hearts. Accordingly, the rapid non-genomic effects of T3 were not evident. Short-term T3 treatment provoked cardiac hypertrophy coincidental with increased LV function and associated with transient Akt activation and cyclic ERK1/2 inhibition; which implies activation of physiological hypertrophy signaling and deactivation of pathological hypertrophy signaling, respectively.
Novel imaging biomarkers in diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the major microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. The most common causes of vision loss in diabetic retinopathy are diabetic macular edema and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Recent developments in ocular imaging have played a significant role in early diagnosis and management of these complications. Color fundus photography is an imaging modality, which is helpful for screening patients with diabetic eye disease and monitoring its progression as well as response to treatment. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) is a dye-based invasive test to detect subtle neovascularization, look for areas of capillary non-perfusion, diagnose macular ischemia, and differentiate between focal and diffuse capillary bed leak in cases of macular edema. Recent advances in retinal imaging like the introduction of spectral-domain and swept source-based optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), OCT angiography, and ultrawide field imaging and FFA have helped clinicians in the detection of certain biomarkers that can identify disease at an early stage and predict response to treatment in diabetic macular edema. This article will summarize the role of different imaging biomarkers in characterizing diabetic retinopathy and their potential contribution in its management.
Simulating highly disturbed vegetation distribution: the case of China’s Jing-Jin-Ji region

Background Simulating vegetation distribution is an effective method for identifying vegetation distribution patterns and trends. The primary goal of this study was to determine the best simulation method for a vegetation in an area that is heavily affected by human disturbance. Methods We used climate, topographic, and spectral data as the input variables for four machine learning models (random forest (RF), decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM), and maximum likelihood classification (MLC)) on three vegetation classification units (vegetation group (I), vegetation type (II), and formation and subformation (III)) in Jing-Jin-Ji, one of China’s most developed regions. We used a total of 2,789 vegetation points for model training and 974 vegetation points for model assessment. Results Our results showed that the RF method was the best of the four models, as it could effectively simulate vegetation distribution in all three classification units. The DT method could only simulate vegetation distribution in units I and II, while the other two models could not simulate vegetation distribution in any of the units. Kappa coefficients indicated that the DT and RF methods had more accurate predictions for units I and II than for unit III. The three vegetation classification units were most affected by six variables: three climate variables (annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, and annual precipitation), one geospatial variable (slope), and two spectral variables (Mid-infrared ratio of winter vegetation index and brightness index of summer vegetation index). Variables Combination 7, including annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, mean diurnal range and precipitation of driest month, produced the highest simulation accuracy. Conclusions We determined that the RF model was the most effective for simulating vegetation distribution in all classification units present in the Jing-Jin-Ji region. The RF model produced high accuracy vegetation distributions in classification units I and II, but relatively low accuracy in classification unit III. Four climate variables were sufficient for vegetation distribution simulation in such region.
Distributed interactive brain circuits for object-in-place memory: A place for time?

Rodents will spontaneously learn the location of an individual object, an ability captured by the object-in-place test. This review considers the network of structures supporting this behavioural test, as well as some potential confounds that may affect interpretation. A hierarchical approach is adopted, as we first consider those brain regions necessary for two simpler, ‘precursor’ tests (object recognition and object location). It is evident that performing the object-in-place test requires an array of areas additional to those required for object recognition or object location. These additional areas include the rodent medial prefrontal cortex and two thalamic nuclei (nucleus reuniens and the medial dorsal nucleus), both densely interconnected with prefrontal areas. Consequently, despite the need for object and location information to be integrated for the object-in-place test, for example, via the hippocampus, other contributions are necessary. These contributions stem from how object-in-place is a test of associative recognition, as none of the individual elements in the test phase are novel. Parallels between the structures required for object-in-place and for recency discriminations, along with a re-examination of the demands of the object-in-place test, signal the integration of temporal information within what is usually regarded as a spatial-object test.
Putting objects in context: A prefrontal–hippocampal–perirhinal cortex network

When we encounter an object, we spontaneously form associations between the object and the environment in which it was encountered. These associations can take a number of different forms, which include location and context. A neural circuit between the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex and perirhinal cortex is critical for object-location and object-sequence associations; however, how this neural circuit contributes to the formation of object-context associations has not been established. Bilateral lesions were made in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex or perirhinal cortex to examine each region contribution to object-context memory formation. Next, a disconnection lesion approach was used to examine the necessity of functional interactions between the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex or perirhinal cortex. Spontaneous tests of preferential exploration were used to assess memory for different types of object-context associations. Bilateral lesion in the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex or perirhinal cortex impaired performance in both an object-place-context and an object-context task. Disconnection of the hippocampus from either the medial prefrontal cortex or perirhinal cortex impaired performance in both the object-place-context and object-context task. Interestingly, when object recognition memory was tested with a context switch between encoding and test, performance in the hippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex lesion groups was disrupted and performance in each disconnection group (i.e. hippocampus + medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus + perirhinal cortex) was significantly impaired. Overall, these experiments establish the importance of the hippocampal-medial prefrontal-perirhinal cortex circuit for the formation of object-context associations.