Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rate Versus Rhythm Control for Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an arrhythmia characterized by disorganized atrial activity with an associated unevenly irregular ventricular response on an electrocardiogram. It is the most common sustained arrhythmia, with a lifetime risk of 25% in patients older than 40 years old. The incidence of AF increases with age and is associated with an increased risk for heart failure, stroke, adverse cardiac events, and dementia. The 2 main aims of AF treatment include anticoagulation for thromboembolism prophylaxis as well as rate vs rhythm control. The focus of this article will be on the treatment strategies in managing AF. Rate control refers to the use of atrioventricular nodal blocking medications, including beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, to maintain a goal heart rate. Rhythm control, on the other hand, refers to a treatment strategy focused on the use of antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD), cardioversion, and ablation to restore and to maintain a patient in sinus rhythm. Currently, the ideal treatment strategy remains greatly debated. Thus, we hope to compare the risks and benefits of rate to rhythm control to highlight how patients with AF are managed here at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
Targeting CGRP pathways and aura: A peripheral site with a central effect

Targeting CGRP-pathways has substantially expanded our options for treating individuals with migraine. Although the efficacy of these drugs on migraine aura is yet to be fully revealed, it seems from existing studies that CGRP antagonism reduces the number of migraine auras. The present perspective summarizes the evidence linking CGRP to the migraine aura and proposes a model by which targeting the CGRP-pathways and, thus, inhibition the interaction between C- and Aδ-trigeminal fibers might reverse a possible high cortical glutamate level leading to a reduced number of migraine auras.
Individual genotypes from environmental DNA: Fingerprinting snow tracks of three large carnivore species.

Continued advancements in environmental DNA (eDNA) research have made it possible to access intraspecific variation from eDNA samples, opening new opportunities to expand non-invasive genetic studies of wildlife populations. However, the use of eDNA samples for individual genotyping, as typically performed in non-invasive genetics, still remains elusive. We present successful individual genotyping of eDNA obtained from snow tracks of three large carnivores: brown bear (Ursus arctos), European lynx (Lynx lynx) and wolf (Canis lupus). DNA was extracted using a protocol for isolating water eDNA and genotyped using amplicon sequencing of short tandem repeats (STR), and for brown bear a sex marker, on a high-throughput sequencing platform. Individual genotypes were obtained for all species, but genotyping performance differed among samples and species. The proportion of samples genotyped to individuals was higher for brown bear (5/7) and wolf (7/10) than for lynx (4/9), and locus genotyping success was greater for brown bear (0.88). The sex marker was typed in six out of seven brown bear samples. Results for three species show that reliable individual genotyping, including sex identification, is now possible from eDNA in snow tracks, underlining its vast potential to complement the non-invasive genetic methods used for wildlife. To fully leverage the application of snow track eDNA, improved understanding of the ideal species- and site-specific sampling conditions, as well as laboratory methods promoting genotyping success, is needed. This will also inform efforts to retrieve and type nuclear DNA from other eDNA samples, thereby advancing eDNA-based individual and population-level studies.
Lipid profile in women of different ethnicity with gestational diabetes: Relationship with fetal growth

Abstract Aims/Introduction Pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by excessive insulin resistance that impairs the metabolism of glucose and lipids. the aim of the study was to examine lipid profiles during pregnancy of women with GDM, and its impact on fetal growth in a multiethnic population. Materials and Methods The study included 322 pregnant women of different ethnicity with GDM attending a clinical unit specializing in metabolic diseases. Results The area under the curve for the 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test and glycated hemoglobin were significantly different among all groups. At the time of being diagnosed with GDM, Asian and African mothers had significantly lower levels of total and low‐density liprotein cholesterol than European mothers (P < 0.001). The trend for high‐density liprotein cholesterol was similar. Triglycerides levels in the Asian group (193.6 ± 65.5 mg/dL) were higher than in the African group (133.2 ± 49.6 mg/dL, P < 0.001), whereas the European group presented intermediate values (175.8 ± 58.8 mg/dL), which differed significantly only versus the African group (P < 0.001). Pre‐partum lipid profiles showed a trend quite similar to that observed at diagnosis. The newborn's birthweight was significantly different, with that of African women (3,437 ± 503 g) being the highest, followed by that of European women (3,294 ± 455 g) and of Asian women (3,006 ± 513 g). The rates of macrosomia showed a trend with higher values in the African group (13.5%), followed by the European group (5.7%, P = 0.1162), whereas that of the Asian group was zero (P = 0.0023 vs African). Conclusions Our data show that lipid profiles in women with GDM differ by ethnicity. The impact of lipid profile on fetal growth is limited and uninfluenced by ethnicity.
Tea seed saponin‑reduced extract ameliorates palmitic acid‑induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells

Tea (Camellia sinensis) seed cake is a potential resource that contains a wealth of bioactive compounds. However, the high toxicity of tea saponins in tea seed cake restricts its applications. The present study aimed to i) develop a method of extracting bioactive compounds and reducing tea saponins during the process of tea seed cake extraction and ii) investigate the anti-insulin resistance effect of tea seed saponin-reduced extract (TSSRE) in a palmitic acid (PA)-induced insulin resistance HepG2-cell model. The concentration of tea saponins in TSSRE was ~10-fold lower than that in tea seed crude extract (TSCE) after the saponin-reduction process. In addition, TSSRE cytotoxicity was significantly lower than that of TSCE in HepG2 cells. TSSRE treatment improved glucose consumption as well as glucose transporter (GLUT) 2 and GLUT4 expression levels in PA-stimulated HepG2 cells. Moreover, TSSRE enhanced the phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate 1/protein kinase B/forkhead box protein O1/glycogen synthase kinase 3β and inhibited the elevated expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in PA-exposed HepG2 cells. The effect of TSSRE on the mediation of the insulin signaling pathway was attributed to the inhibition of PA-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. The findings of the present study indicated that TSSRE ameliorates hepatic insulin resistance by ameliorating insulin signaling and inhibiting inflammation-related pathways.
Metadherin inhibits chemosensitivity of triple‐negative breast cancer to paclitaxel via activation of AKT/GSK‐3β signaling pathway

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) has an aggressive clinical course, and paclitaxel (PTX)‐based chemotherapy remains the main therapeutic drug. Metadherin (MTDH) acts as an oncogene that regulates proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance. This study aimed to investigate whether TNBC chemosensitivity to PTX was related to the MTDH/AKT/glycogen synthase kinase‐3beta (GSK‐3β) pathway. Clinical baseline characteristics and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to evaluate the expression and prognosis of MTDH and AKT (protein kinase B, PKB) in TNBC patient samples. MTDH shRNA, MTDH overexpression vector, MK‐2206, and PTX intervention were used in cell models and mouse tumor‐bearing models. Afterwards, mRNA and protein levels were assessed using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Evaluate the level of tumor cell apoptosis and cell cycle using flow cytometry. Cell viability was detected using Cell Count Kit 8. The in vivo imaging system is used to analyze the growth of tumors. We found that higher expression of MTDH or AKT resulted in poorer disease‐free survival and a lower Miller–Payne grade. MTDH promotes cell proliferation and increases p‐AKT and p‐GSK‐3β expression in TNBC cells. Notably, suppression of AKT terminated MTDH overexpression‐induced cell proliferation and apoptosis. MTDH knockdown or the AKT inhibitor MK2206 reduced the p‐AKT and p‐GSK‐3β ratio, reduced cell viability and proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, and increased chemosensitivity to PTX. In vivo, xenograft tumors of an MTDH knockdown+MK2206 group treated with PTX were the smallest compared to other groups. In short, MTDH inhibits TNBC chemosensitivity to PTX by activating the AKT/GSK‐3β signaling pathway.
Use of Piezometer Cone Data

The piezometer cone is generally regarded as the most efficient tool for stratigraphic logging of soft soils. A thin pore pressure element (5 mm thick) can sense layers a few centimeters thick. However, there remains some uncertainty with regard to the interpretation and use of the piezometer cone data for engineering applications. This paper summarizes some of the experience with piezometer cone testing and its use in the Vancouver, B. C. , Canada area.
Healing profiles in patients with a chronic diabetic foot ulcer: An exploratory study with machine learning

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the most frequent and debilitating complications of diabetes. DFU wound healing is a highly complex process, resulting in significant medical, economic and social challenges. Therefore, early identification of patients with a high‐risk profile would be important to adequate treatment and more successful health outcomes. This study explores risk assessment profiles for DFU healing and healing prognosis, using machine learning predictive approaches and decision tree algorithms. Patients were evaluated at baseline (T0; N = 158) and 2 months later (T1; N = 108) on sociodemographic, clinical, biochemical and psychological variables. The performance evaluation of the models comprised F1‐score, accuracy, precision and recall. Only profiles with F1‐score >0.7 were selected for analysis. According to the two profiles generated for DFU healing, the most important predictive factors were illness representations on T1 IPQ‐B (IPQ‐B ≤ 9.5 and < 10.5) and the DFU duration (≤ 13 weeks). The two predictive models for DFU healing prognosis suggest that biochemical factors are the best predictors of a favorable healing prognosis, namely IL‐6, microRNA‐146a‐5p and PECAM‐1 at T0 and angiopoietin‐2 at T1. Illness perception at T0 (IPQ‐B ≤ 39.5) also emerged as a relevant predictor for healing prognosis. The results emphasize the importance of DFU duration, illness perception and biochemical markers as predictors of healing in chronic DFUs. Future research is needed to confirm and test the obtained predictive models.
Chemotherapy-induced Emesis: Experienced Burden in Life, and Significance of Treatment Expectations and Communication in Chemotherapy Care

Objective: Because antiemetics have become more effective and integrative therapies such as acupuncture are used in combination with antiemetics, people receiving chemotherapy for cancer today might expect less emesis than in the past. It is not previously described if and how people receiving modern antiemetics during chemotherapy experience emesis. The objective of this study was to describe experiences regarding emesis among persons undergoing emetogenic chemotherapy, and how it affects their quality of life, daily life and work. A further aim was to describe views on the significance of treatment expectations and communication with healthcare personnel while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Method: Fifteen participants (median age 62 years, n = 1 man and n = 14 women, with breast (n = 13) or colorectal (n = 2) cancer) undergoing adjuvant or neo-adjuvant highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy were interviewed individually. The data were then analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three themes described the participants’ experiences: “Your whole life is affected, or continues as usual,” covering descriptions of emesis limiting some participants’ everyday lives, while others experienced no emesis at all or had found ways to manage it. Overall, participants described satisfaction with their antiemetic treatment. “Experiences and expectations more important than information”, that is, the participants reported wanting all the information they could get about possible adverse effects of treatment, although they believed previous experiences were more important than information in creating expectations about treatment outcomes. The participants reported that being seen as a unique person was of utmost importance: “Meet me as I am. ” This creates trust in healthcare personnel and a feeling of safety and security in the situation. Conclusions: These findings underline the importance of person-centered care and support in creating positive treatment expectations. Future research is called for regarding the potential antiemetic effects of positive communication regarding strengthening positive treatment expectations during emetogenic chemotherapy.
Applying a novel kinomics approach to study decidualization and the effects of antigestagens using a canine model

Abstract Maternal decidual cells are crucial for the maintenance of canine pregnancy as they are the only cells expressing the nuclear progesterone (P4) receptor (PGR) in the placenta. Interfering with P4/PGR signaling adversely affects decidual cells and terminates pregnancy. Although immortalized dog uterine stromal (DUS) cells can be decidualized in vitro using cAMP, the involvement of cAMP-dependent kinases in canine decidualization had not been investigated. Therefore, the present project investigated changes in the kinome of DUS cells following in vitro decidualization, using the serine/threonine kinase (STK) PamChip assay (PamGene). Decidualization led to a predicted activation of 85 STKs in DUS cells, including protein kinase (PK) A, PKC, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and other mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CAMKs), and Akt1/2. In addition, blocking PGR with type 2 antigestagens (aglepristone or mifepristone) decreased the activity of virtually all kinases modulated by decidualization. The underlying transcriptional effects were inferred from comparison with available transcriptomic data on antigestagen-mediated effects in DUS cells. In targeted studies, interfering with PKA or MAPK kinase (MEK)1/2 resulted in downregulation of important decidualization markers (e.g., insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), prostaglandin E2 synthase (PTGES), prolactin receptor (PRLR), PGR, and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2/COX2)). Conversely, blocking of PKC decreased the mRNA availability of IGF1, PGR, and PTGS2, but not of PTGES and PRLR. Moreover, suppressing PKA decreased the phosphorylation of the transcription factors cJUN and CREB, whereas blocking of PKC affected only cJUN. This first kinomics analysis to target decidualization showed an increased activity of a wide range of STKs, which could be hindered by disrupting P4/PGR signaling. Decidualization appears to be regulated in a kinase-dependent manner, with PKA and PKC evoking different effects.
Fine root chemistry and decomposition in model communities of north-temperate tree species show little response to elevated atmospheric CO 2 and varying soil resource availability

Rising atmospheric [CO2] has the potential to alter soil carbon (C) cycling by increasing the content of recalcitrant constituents in plant litter, thereby decreasing rates of decomposition. Because fine root turnover constitutes a large fraction of annual NPP, changes in fine root decomposition are especially important. These responses will likely be affected by soil resource availability and the life history characteristics of the dominant tree species. We evaluated the effects of elevated atmospheric [CO2] and soil resource availability on the production and chemistry, mycorrhizal colonization, and decomposition of fine roots in an earlyand latesuccessional tree species that are economically and ecologically important in north temperate forests. Open-top chambers were used to expose young trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) trees to ambient (36 Pa) and elevated (56 Pa) atmospheric CO2. Soil resource availability was composed of two treatments that bracketed the range found in the Upper Lake States, USA. After 2.5 years of growth, sugar maple had greater fine root standing crop due to relatively greater allocation to fine roots (30% of total root biomass) relative to aspen (7% total root biomass). Relative to the low soil resources treatment, aspen fine root biomass increased 76% with increased soil resource availability, but only under elevated [CO2]. Sugar maple fine root biomass increased 26% with increased soil resource availability (relative to the low soil resources treatment), and showed little response to elevated [CO2]. Concentrations of N and soluble phenolics, and C/N ratio in roots were similar for the two species, but aspen had slightly higher lignin and lower condensed tannins contents compared to sugar maple. As predicted by source-sink models of carbon allocation, pooled constituents (C/N ratio, soluble phenolics) increased in response to increased relative carbon availability (elevated [CO2]/low soil resource availability), however, biosynthetically distinct compounds (lignin, starch, condensed tannins) did not always respond as predicted. We found that mycorrhizal colonization of fine roots was not strongly affected by atmospheric [CO2] or soil resource availability, as indicated by root ergosterol contents. Overall, absolute changes in root chemical composition in response to increases in C and soil resource availability were small and had no effect on soil fungal biomass or specific rates of fine root decomposition. We conclude that root contributions to soil carbon cycling will mainly be influenced by fine root production and turnover responses to rising atmospheric [CO2], rather than changes in substrate chemistry.
Synaptic plasticity at the dentate gyrus granule cell to somatostatin-expressing interneuron synapses supports object location memory

Significance During contextual learning, hippocampal dendrite-targeting inhibitory interneurons couple dynamically to excitatory principal cell (PC) assemblies encoding locations and objects within the animal’s environment. Repeated activation of PCs and interneurons strengthens glutamatergic inputs onto GABAergic cells and thereby supports their recruitment, which in turn silences less excited PCs and stabilizes active PC assemblies. Here, we show that potentiation of granule cell synapses in the dentate gyrus (DG) onto dendrite-targeting interneurons requires activation of postsynaptic NMDA and metabotropic glutamate-1α receptors (mGluR1α). Cell-type- and DG-specific mGluR1α knockdown results in reduced object location memory, highlighting the key role of this form of plasticity in mnemonic functions. Understanding the mechanisms underlying plasticity in the various interneuron types will elucidate their function in memory and behavior.
Effective and High-Throughput Analytical Methodology for the Determination of Lead and Cadmium in Water Samples by Disposable Pipette Extraction Coupled with High-Resolution Continuum Source Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS)

Abstract A new procedure for the preconcentration of trace amounts of free Pb and Cd by disposable pipette extraction (DPX) is proposed herein. Recycled cork is used as a biosorbent and the procedure is completely free of organic solvents. The cork was reduced to a powder and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Several parameters that influence the preconcentration of Pb and Cd with DPX-cork, such as the sample pH, number of extraction cycles, biosorbent mass, and percentage of acid in the desorption step, were studied. The tolerance of DPX-cork with respect to 10 potential interfering ions was also evaluated. Coupled with the high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS) technique, the sample preparation method allowed the analytical limits required for quality control (according to the permitted limits established by legislation) to be obtained. The limits of detection for the extraction of a 3.5-mL water sample were 200 ng L−1 for Pb and 100 ng L−1 for Cd. The relative standard deviations were around 7.5% for Pb and 8.0% for Cd. The optimized method was successfully applied to the determination of Cd and Pb in two certified reference materials (water and wastewater) and five water samples (collected from a mangrove, a creek, and the sea).
Albumin, an interesting and functionally diverse protein, varies from ‘native’ to ‘effective’ (Review)

Human serum albumins (HSAs) are synthesized in the liver and are the most abundant proteins in plasma of healthy human. They play an important role in the pathophysiological processes of the liver and even the whole organism. Previous studies have mainly focused on the regulation of HSAs' expression. However, with the progress of research in recent years, it has been found that the content of circulating albumin cannot fully reflect the biological function of albumin itself. Given the aforementioned fact, the concept of serum ‘effective albumin concentration’ has been proposed. It refers to the content of albumin that is structurally and functionally intact. Alterations in the molecular structure and function of albumin have been reported in a variety of diseases, including liver disease. Moreover, these changes have been verified to affect the progression of oxidative stress-related diseases. However, the link between albumin structure and function has not been fully elaborated, and the mechanisms by which different forms of albumin affect disease also need to be further investigated. In this context, the present review mainly expounded the biological characteristics and functions of albumin, summarized the different types of post-translational modification of albumin, and discussed their functional changes and possible mechanisms in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, viral hepatitis and different stages of cirrhosis. This will help to improve understanding of the role of albumin in disease development and provide a more comprehensive physiological basis for it in disease treatment.