Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis and evaluation of the efficacy of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma

Abstract Objective The choice of the most appropriate therapeutic approach for a diagnosed papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) remains controversial. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for unifocal PTMC with a diameter of ≤0.6 cm. Methods A total of 63 consecutive patients with PTMC treated with MWA were studied retrospectively. MWA was performed using the hydrodissection technique and multidimensional fixed-needle principle. We analyzed the absorption of the MWA area and evaluated the prognosis over a follow-up period of 24 months. In addition, 83 patients with PTMC who underwent surgery were selected. The operating room characteristics and procedural complications of the two groups were compared. Results In the MWA group, the volume of nodules (p < 0.05) decreased from 0.04 ± 0.03 cm3 to 0.0001 ± 0.0004 cm3 at the 24-month follow-up after MWA, and the volume reduction rate (p < 0.05) was 99.43 ± 1.58%. The incidence of temporary reactive hyperplastic lymphadenectasis was higher and that of other complications was lower in the MWA group than in the surgery group. One percent of the patients in the surgery group had recurrence or metastasis, but none were detected in the MWA group. The loss of thyroid tissue volume (p < 0.001), operating room time (p < 0.001), and the mean length of hospital stay (p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the MWA group than in the surgery group. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided MWA is an effective treatment strategy for unifocal PTMC with a diameter of ≤0.6 cm.
Vascular Ultrasound for Giant Cell Arteritis: Establishing a Protocol Using Vascular Sonographers in a Fast‐Track Clinic in the United States

Objective We developed a fast‐track clinic (FTC) to expedite the evaluation of patients suspected of having giant cell arteritis (GCA) using vascular ultrasound. Though FTCs have demonstrated efficacy in Europe, no protocolized clinic in the United States has been developed. This study introduces a new FTC model unique to the United States, using vascular sonographers, and describes the protocols used to develop reliable findings. We evaluate clinical outcomes using vascular ultrasound and temporal artery biopsy (TAB). Methods A retrospective review included all subjects referred to the University of Washington FTC aged 50 years old or older who received both ultrasound and TAB between November 2017 and November 2019. Ultrasound was performed by a vascular sonographer trained in GCA detection. Ultrasound results were read by a vascular surgeon and reviewed by four rheumatologists certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound who had completed a course in vascular ultrasound use in GCA and large‐vessel vasculitis. Results A total of 43 subjects underwent both vascular ultrasound and TAB. Six subjects had both positive ultrasound and TAB results. There were also seven positive ultrasound results in patients with negative TAB results, most due to detection of large‐vessel GCA (LV‐GCA). All 29 subjects with negative ultrasound results had negative TAB results. Conclusion This is the first study in the United States to demonstrate a reliable FTC protocol using vascular sonographers. This protocol demonstrated good agreement between ultrasound and TAB and allowed for the detection of additional cases of LV‐GCA by vascular ultrasound. Vascular ultrasound improved the rate of GCA diagnosis primarily by detecting additional cases of LV‐GCA.
Quantitative proteomics identifies biomarkers to distinguish pulmonary from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas by immunohistochemistry

The differentiation between a pulmonary metastasis and a newly developed squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in patients with prior head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is difficult due to a lack of biomarkers but is crucially important for the prognosis and therapy of the affected patient. By using high‐resolution mass spectrometry in combination with stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture, we identified 379 proteins that are differentially expressed in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung and the head and neck. Of those, CAV1, CAV2, LGALS1, LGALS7, CK19, and UGDH were tested by immunohistochemistry on 194 tissue samples (98 lung and 96 HNSCCs). The combination of CAV1 and LGALS7 was able to distinguish the origin of the squamous cell carcinoma with high accuracy (area under the curve 0.876). This biomarker panel was tested on a cohort of 12 clinically classified lung tumours of unknown origin after HNSCC. Nine of those tumours were immunohistochemically classifiable.
Effect of different K:Na ratios in soil on dispersive charge, cation exchange and zeta potential

The role of potassium (K) in clay dispersion in agricultural soils containing large concentrations of K could be similar to Na. This research was carried out to assess the effect of potassium to sodium ratios (K:Na) on net dispersive charge, Gapon selectivity coefficient (KG), zeta potential (ζ) and percentage of dispersible clay. Different K:Na ratios at two electrical conductivity levels (EC = 3 and 6 dS m−1) were added to an agricultural loamy soil. The results demonstrated that the net dispersive charge and percentage of dispersible clay showed positive relations with K concentration and K:Na ratio; also, the percentage of dispersible clay and net dispersive charge had a positive correlation, at both EC levels. Therefore, net dispersive charge as well as percentage of dispersible clay can show the degrading effect of K on soil structure. The KG values for K (KG(K)) were larger than those of Na (KG(Na)) because of large cation selectivity for K in soil. Neither KG(K) nor KG(Na) had a significant effect on the percentage of dispersible clay, but they did influence net dispersive charge, indicating that the status of cation exchange might affect dispersive charge of the soil. At both EC levels, absolute amounts of ζ, as an index of diffuse double layer (DDL) thickness, increased with increasing concentrations of monovalent cations (especially K). In addition, a strong positive correlation was observed between the dispersive charge and ζ. Our results demonstrated that K could affect soil structure because of a change in cation selectivity, with K increasing repulsive forces among clay particles and creating dispersion.
Clinicopathological significance and underlying molecular mechanism of downregulation of basonuclin 1 expression in ovarian carcinoma

In this study, we aim to identify the clinical significance of basonuclin 1 (BNC1) expression in ovarian carcinoma (OV) and to explore its latent mechanisms. Via integrating in-house tissue microarrays, gene chips, and RNA-sequencing data, we explored the expression and clinical value of BNC1 in OV. Immunohistochemical staining was utilized to confirm the protein expression status of BNC1. A combined SMD of –2.339 (95% CI: –3.649 to –1.028, P < 0.001) identified that BNC1 was downregulated based on 1346 samples, and the sROC (AUC = 0.93) showed a favorable discriminatory ability of BNC1 in OV patients. We used univariate and multivariate Cox regulation to evaluate the prognostic role of BNC1 for OV patients, and a combined hazard ratio of 0.717 (95% CI: 0.445–0.989, P < 0.001) revealed that BNC1 was a protective factor for OV. Furthermore, the fraction of infiltrating naive B cells, memory B cells, and other immune cells showed statistical differences between the high- and low-BNC1 expression groups through cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm. Enrichment analysis showed that BNC1 may have a relationship with immune-related items in OV. By predicting the potential regulatory transcription factors (TFs) of BNC1, friend leukemia virus integration 1 (FLI1) may be a potential upstream TF of BNC1. Corporately, a decreasing trend of BNC1 may serve as a tumor suppressor and prognostic biomarker in OV patients. Moreover, BNC1 may take part in immune-related pathways and influence the fraction of tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
Environmental Factors, Lifestyle Risk Factors, and Host Characteristics Associated With Philadelphia Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasm: A Systematic Review

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by the overproduction of mature myeloid cells and are often associated with an acquired genetic mutation of Janus Kinase2V617F. Various epidemiological studies have indicated associations between environmental factors, lifestyle factors, and host characteristics with developing MPNs. This review aims to collect and summarize the existing information on these risk factors and establish their association with pathogenesis MPNs. Medline, Embase, PubMed, and grey literature were systematically searched using key terms for MPNs, and epidemiological study designs, that is, cross-sectional studies, case-control, and cohort, that investigated the risk factors for MPNs published were identified. Out of the 4621 articles identified, 20 met the selection criteria and were included in this review. Heterogeneity, study reliability, and bias were assessed. A significant association was found between smoking and the development of MPNs. This relationship has been explained by the substantial increase in several proinflammatory mediators and systematic oxidative stress causing hyperstimulation of myeloid compartments leading to the development of MPNs. Obesity was modestly linked with an increased risk of MPNs. The underlying mechanisms have been linked to changes in endocrine, metabolic, and inflammatory systems. No strong association was found between exposure to hazardous substances, that is, benzene and MPNs, but further investigation on the effects of increased levels and duration of exposure on hematopoietic stem cells will be beneficial. Unique individual and host variations have been determined as a modifier of disease pathogenesis and phenotype variations. There is a higher incidence rate of females developing MPNs, specifically ET, than males with higher PV incidence. Therefore, gender contributes to the heterogeneity in myeloproliferative neoplasm. Studies identified as part of this review are very diverse. Thus, further in-depth assessment to explore the role of these etiological factors associated with MPNs is warranted.
The molecular characteristics of high-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

High-grade (HG) gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are rare but have a very poor prognosis and represent a severely understudied class of tumours. Molecular data for HG GEP-NEN are limited, and treatment strategies for the carcinoma subgroup (HG GEP-NEC) are extrapolated from small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). After pathological re-evaluation, we analysed DNA from tumours and matched blood samples from 181 HG GEP-NEN patients; 152 neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) and 29 neuroendocrine tumours (NET G3). Based on the sequencing of 360 cancer-related genes, we assessed mutations and copy number alterations (CNA). For NEC, frequently mutated genes were TP53 (64%), APC (28%), KRAS (22%) and BRAF (20%). RB1 was only mutated in 14%, but CNAs affecting RB1 were seen in 34%. Other frequent copy number losses were ARID1A (35%), ESR1 (25%) and ATM (31%). Frequent amplifications/gains were found in MYC (51%) and KDM5A (45%). While these molecular features had limited similarities with SCLC, we found potentially targetable alterations in 66% of the NEC samples. Mutations and CNA varied according to primary tumour site with BRAF mutations mainly seen in colon (49%), and FBXW7 mutations mainly seen in rectal cancers (25%). Eight out of 152 (5.3%) NEC were microsatellite instable (MSI). NET G3 had frequent mutations in MEN1 (21%), ATRX (17%), DAXX, SETD2 and TP53 (each 14%). We show molecular differences in HG GEP-NEN, related to morphological differentiation and site of origin. Limited similarities to SCLC and a high fraction of targetable alterations indicate a high potential for better-personalized treatments.
Incidence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia and identification of potential predictive factors

Objective Contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (CTA) is commonly used to investigate acute abdominal conditions, but the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) has been poorly investigated in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of CI-AKI in these patients and identify potential predictive factors. Methods Patients admitted for acute mesenteric ischemia who had a diagnostic CTA with contrast medium and a follow-up of creatinine concentration were retrospectively included. Results Among 53 patients included, 9 (16.9%) developed CI-AKI. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease did not differ significantly between those who developed CI-AKI and those who did not (33.3 vs 18.2%, p=.372). Plasma total bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin levels were significantly higher in patients who developed CI-AKI (17.5 vs 8.0 μmol/L, p=.013 and 8.0 vs 3.0 μmol/L, p=.031, respectively). The proportion of patients who had revascularization was similar between patients who developed CI-AKI and those who did not (11.1 vs 20.5%, p>.999). No significant difference was observed for 30-day mortality and all-cause mortality for a median follow-up of 168 days (22.2 vs 13.6%, p=.611; and 33.3 vs 61.4%, p=.153, respectively). Conclusion This study reports the incidence of CI-AKI in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia after diagnostic CTA with contrast medium. Plasma bilirubin levels were a predictive factor of CI-AKI in these patients. The administration of contrast media during revascularization was not associated with an increased risk of CI-AKI.
Purinergic receptor ligands: the cytokine storm attenuators, potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of COVID-19

Abstract The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), at first, was reported in Wuhan, China, and then rapidly became pandemic throughout the world. Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) in COVID-19 patients is associated with high levels of cytokines and chemokines that cause multiple organ failure, systemic inflammation, and hemodynamic instabilities. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a common complication of COVID-19, is a consequence of cytokine storm. In this regard, several drugs have been being investigated to suppress this inflammatory condition. Purinergic signaling receptors comprising of P1 adenosine and P2 purinoceptors play a critical role in inflammation. Therefore, activation or inhibition of some subtypes of these kinds of receptors is most likely to be beneficial to attenuate cytokine storm. This article summarizes suggested therapeutic drugs with potential anti-inflammatory effects through purinergic receptors.
Associations between vitamin D levels and glucose metabolism markers among pregnant women and their infants in Puerto Rico.

OBJECTIVES low vitamin D during pregnancy is common and could adversely affect health outcomes. This study evaluated vitamin D status during pregnancy and early in life, and its association with glucose metabolism. METHODS maternal serum 25(OH)D, glucose, and insulin levels were measured longitudinally during pregnancy in Hispanic women with overweight/obesity (n = 31) and their infants at birth and 4 months. RESULTS insulin and HOMA-IR levels were higher among women with vitamin D below adequate levels compared to those with adequate levels in pregnancy (p < 0.05). Late in pregnancy, as vitamin D increased by one unit (ng/mL), insulin decreased by 0.44 units and HOMA-IR by 0.09 units. Maternal vitamin D late in pregnancy was correlated with infant vitamin D levels at birth (r = 0.89; p < 0.01) and 4 months (r = 0.9; p = 0.04), and with glucose (r = 0.79; p = 0.03) and insulin (r = 0.83; p = 0.04) at 4 months. CONCLUSION maternal vitamin D status was associated with maternal and infant glucose metabolism in this sample.
A small molecule CFTR potentiator restores ATP‐dependent channel gating to the cystic fibrosis mutant G551D‐CFTR

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) potentiators are small molecules developed to treat the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF). They interact directly with CFTR Cl− channels at the plasma membrane to enhance channel gating. Here, we investigate the action of a new CFTR potentiator, CP‐628006 with a distinct chemical structure.
Uncertain Progress: British Kitchens in the 1920S

Abstract British domestic kitchens are a product of long evolution but went through a period of great innovation one hundred years ago. Some sections of British society started to take an interest in a space that had been largely disregarded. The “servant problem” and suburban building were factors in this changed perspective. By reference to period newspaper archives, the nature of those changes can be demonstrated in some detail. Although there was a narrative of efficiency, and design ideas from Europe and the United States, progress for British kitchens was piecemeal and conflicted by fuel-choice issues as well as the question of how to equip the space for personal use. Ideas that survived this period of experimentation were to form the basis of kitchen development in subsequent decades.
A systematic review of immersive virtual reality for industrial skills training

ABSTRACT Virtual reality (VR) training offers the capability to industrial workers to acquire skills and address complex tasks by immersing them in a safe and controlled virtual environment. Immersive VR (IVR) training is adopted in many diverse settings, yet little systematic work currently exists on how researchers have applied it for industrial skills training and if it holds the potential to be applied remotely. In this review, 78 representative studies were analysed to answer three key questions: Is IVR an effective training method for industrial skills training? How is research in this field applied? And how can we make IVR training more effective and applicable for remote training? We can testify that IVR is a promising training method with high effectiveness scores. However, our analysis has uncovered several gaps in the application of IVR training, like the lack of learning theories in the design process and limited metrics beyond time and scores. Additionally, our review also exposed unexplored but intriguing avenues of research, like the utilisation of biosensors for users’ data collection, haptics that increases realism and applications with remote training potential.
Enhancing impact: a model for policy development research

Abstract The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has sought to increase its policy impact by transitioning from funding ‘policy relevant’ research to a ‘policy development’ research model. This model has been developed and implemented by AHURI over more than a decade in its role as an intermediary between the research and policy communities. The Policy Development Research Model (PDRM) integrates the traditionally separate processes of evidence building and policy development into one set of practices. The cornerstones of the PDRM are; AHURI’s reputation as a trusted advisor, strong engagement with policy officials in setting the annual research agenda, the development of specialized research vehicles that ensure engagement throughout the conduct of research, academic expertise, the quality and rigor of research outputs, and proactive dissemination of research findings through a variety of channels. This article describes how the PDRM enhances policy impact by improving two-way knowledge transfer between academic researchers and policymakers and practitioners. It offers an insight into how AHURI’s active role as an intermediary impacts on housing, homelessness and urban policy in Australia.
Investigation of electrolytic flocculation for microalga Scenedesmus sp. using aluminum and graphite electrodes

Electrolytic flocculation using non-sacrificial electrodes with flocculants added was studied on harvesting Scenedesmus sp. In order to optimize the operating conditions of the electrolytic flocculation process and to quantify the amount of flocculants added, aluminum electrodes were first used in the process. It was found that under optimal conditions, the microalgae removal efficiency using aluminum electrodes could reach 98.5%, while 34.2 mg L−1 of aluminum ions were released during the process. Different metal electrodes were also studied, but high microalgae removal efficiency was witnessed only using aluminum electrodes, indicating the influence of the aluminum ion in flocculation. When non-sacrificial graphite electrodes were used in the electrolytic flocculation process, the corresponding amount of aluminum sulfate was added so that the aluminum ion concentration in water was also equal to 34.2 mg L−1. The result showed that the microalgae removal efficiency of graphite electrodes could reach above 90% after aluminum sulfate was added. In contrast, using graphite electrodes alone and using the metal salt alone only yielded 22.9% and 7.1% of microalgae removal efficiency, respectively. These results indicated that the presence of metal ions is necessary in the electrolytic flocculation process. The energy consumption of the process was found to be 0.3 kW h m−3 or 0.88 kW h kg−1, which is considered to be low energy consumption. The total cost of the process, including energy and chemicals, was found to be $ 0.21 m−3, proving a cost competitive method in microalgae harvesting.
Long-term Follow-up of Lisfranc Injuries Treated With Open Reduction Internal Fixation Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background: There remains a paucity of data regarding long-term patient-reported outcomes following Lisfranc injuries. We sought to collect long-term clinical outcome data following Lisfranc injuries using PROMIS Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) and visual analog scale–foot and ankle (VAS-FA). Methods: A chart review was performed to identify all patients who had surgical treatment of an acute Lisfranc injury at our institution from 2005 to 2014. Of the 45 patients identified, we were able to recruit 19 for a follow-up clinic visit consisting of physical examination, administration of questionnaires addressing pain and medication usage, radiographs, and completion of outcome surveys including PROMIS-Physical Function and visual analog scale–foot and ankle. Results: There were 14 female and 5 male patients enrolled in the study with a mean time of 6.25 years from the time of injury. Within this cohort, the mean PROMIS-PF score was 52.4±8.2 and the mean VAS–foot and ankle score was 76.6±22.3. Conclusion: We report satisfactory long-term patient-reported outcomes using PROMIS-PF and VAS-FA. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study.
Enhanced prompt trigger optical switching using nonlinear photonic crystal ring resonator for application on all-optical AND/NAND and OR/NOR logic function

Abstract Nowadays, the development of optical telecommunication systems requires more efficient all-optical elements appreciation to their high data transmission speeds and reduced electromagnetic interferences. In this work, our objective is to attest by simulation a design of an optical switch using 2D photonic crystals from polystyrene, an organic polymeric material with high Kerr non-linearity. This excellent ultra-fast switching leads us to the exploited in the construction of two new structures of all-optical AND/NAND and OR/NOR logic gates. These structures based on non-linear ring resonator NRR of different radius in order to operate a telecom wavelength of 1550.3 µm using RSoft (Full-Wave) software. The average contrast intensity is between 15.52 and 23.42 dB and low delay time varied from 20 fs to 5.0 ps. Hence, resulting a very high output signal for ON-switching (82–130% of Pin) and a weak signal for OFF-switching (0.2–7% of Pin) through a minimum threshold power around of 1.2 mW/μm2.