Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity: Clinical Characteristics and Microbiota and Mycobiota Composition by Response to the Gluten Challenge Test

The aims of this observational “proof-of-concept” study were to analyze the clinical/psychological characteristics and gut microbiota/mycobiota composition of individuals with suspected non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGS/WS) according to responses to the double-blind-placebo-controlled (DBPC) crossover gluten challenge test. Fifty individuals with suspected NCGS/WS were subjected to the DBPC challenge test; anthropometric measurements, psychometric questionnaires, and fecal samples were collected. Twenty-seven (54%) participants were gluten responsive (NCGS), and 23 were placebo responsive, with an order effect. NCGS individuals displayed a significantly lower risk of eating disorders and a higher mental health score when compared to placebo-responsive participants, confirmed by multiple logistic regression analyses (OR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.76–0.98, p = 0.021, and OR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.06–1.59, p = 0.009, respectively). Principal coordinate analyses based on microbiota composition showed a separation by the DBPC response (p = 0.039). For Bacteroides (p = 0.05) and Parabacteroides (p = 0.007), the frequency of amplicon sequence variants was lower, and that for Blautia (p = 0.009) and Streptococcus (p = 0.004) was higher in NCGS individuals at multiple regression analyses. No difference in the mycobiota composition was detected between the groups. In conclusion, almost half of the individuals with suspected gluten sensitivity reported symptoms with placebo; they showed lower mental health scores, increased risk for eating disorders, and a different gut microbiota composition.
Effects of Benzoquinones on Radicles of Orobanche and Phelipanche Species

The holoparasitic broomrape weeds (Orobanche and Phelipanche species) cause severe yield losses throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Southern and Eastern Europe. These parasitic weeds form an haustorium at the tip of their radicles to infect the crop upon detection of the host-derived haustorium-inducing factors. Until now, the haustorial induction in the broomrapes remains less studied than in other parasitic plant species. Known haustorium-inducing factors active in hemiparasites, such as Striga and Triphysaria species, were reported to be inefficient for the induction of haustoria in broomrape radicles. In this work, the haustorium-inducing activity of p-benzoquinone and 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone (BQ and DMBQ) on radicles of three different broomrapes, namely Orobanche cumana, Orobanche minor and Phelipanche ramosa, is reported. Additional allelopathic effects of benzoquinones on radicle growth and radicle necrosis were studied. The results of this work suggest that benzoquinones play a role in the induction of haustorium in broomrapes. Although dependent on the broomrape species assayed and the concentration of quinones used in the test, the activity of BQ appeared to be stronger than that of DMBQ. The redox property represented by p-benzoquinone, which operates in several physiological processes of plants, insects and animals, is invoked to explain this different activity. This work confirms the usefulness of benzoquinones as haustorium-inducing factors for holoparasitic plant research. The findings of this work could facilitate future studies in the infection process, such as host-plant recognition and haustorial formation.
Low Self-Rated Health as A Risk Factor for Depression in South Korea: A Survey of Young Males and Females

This is a cross-sectional study aimed to examine whether low self-rated health (SRH) is a risk factor for depression among young males and females. Data from the SRH, quality of life (QoL) and depression questionnaires as well as general information, were collected from 512 males and females aged 20–29 years in South Korea. Chi-square test was used to analyze the distribution of depression between the high and low SRH groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between SRH and depression after adjusting for covariates. There were 32.6% males and 30.1% females who were at risk for depression. A significant difference in the distribution of depression between the low and high SRH groups in both males and females was found. The low SRH group had a higher prevalence of depression than the high SRH group in both males and females in the crude analysis. However, when the BMI, economic status, and mental component score were adjusted, the OR of the low SRH group was still significant in males. Low SRH may be a risk factor for depression especially in males. Further studies to improve SRH by developing preventive measures against depression status while considering gender characteristics are needed.
Effects of Groove Sealing of the Posterior Occlusal Surface and Offset of the Internal Surface on the Internal Fit and Accuracy of Implant Placements Using 3D-Printed Surgical Guides: An In Vitro Study

This study evaluated the internal fit and the accuracy of the implant placement position in order to determine how the surface shape of the tooth and the offset influence the accuracy of the surgical guide. The acquired digital data were analyzed in three dimensions using 3D inspection software. The obtained results confirmed that the internal fit was better in the groove sealing (GS) group (164.45 ± 28.34 μm) than the original shape (OS) group (204.07 ± 44.60 μm) (p < 0.001), and for an offset of 100 μm (157.50 ± 17.26 μm) than for offsets of 30 μm (206.48 ± 39.12 μm) and 60 μm (188.82 ± 48.77 μm) (p < 0.001). The accuracy of implant placement was better in the GS than OS group in terms of the entry (OS, 0.229 ± 0.092 mm; GS, 0.169 ± 0.061 mm; p < 0.001), apex (OS, 0.324 ± 0.149 mm; GS, 0.230 ± 0.124 mm; p < 0.001), and depth (OS, 0.041 ± 0.027 mm; GS, 0.025 ± 0.022 mm; p < 0.001). In addition, the entries (30 μm, 0.215 ± 0.044 mm; 60 μm, 0.172 ± 0.049 mm; 100 μm, 0.119 ± 0.050 mm; p < 0.001) were only affected by the amount of offset. These findings indicate that the accuracy of a surgical guide can be improved by directly sealing the groove of the tooth before manufacturing the surgical guide or setting the offset during the design process.
Secular Trends in Ablation Therapy for Graves’ Disease: An Analysis of a 15-Year Experience at a Tertiary Hospital in South Korea

Ablation therapy, such as radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy or thyroidectomy, is generally used as the second-line treatment for Graves’ disease (GD) in Asia. This study investigated changes in the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ablation therapies for GD over 15 years. Patients who underwent ablation therapy between 2001 and 2015 at a single tertiary hospital were included. Among the 10,991 GD patients treated over this 15-year period, 1357 (12.3%) underwent ablation therapy, and the most common reason was intractable GD. The proportion of patients who underwent any type of ablation therapy significantly decreased from 9.0% (2001–2005) to 7.7% (2011–2015). However, the proportion of patients who underwent surgery significantly increased from 1.1% (2001–2005) to 2.4% (2011–2015), and the proportion of patients who received ablation therapy due to suspected thyroid cancer increased from 5% to 13% over time. With a median follow-up duration of 6.2 years, remission was achieved in 86% and 98% of patients in the RAI and surgery groups, respectively, and these rates remained stable over time. In conclusion, although the proportion of patients who underwent ablation therapy for GD decreased during 15 years, the proportion of those who underwent surgery increased in association with the increased rate of suspected thyroid cancers.
Detection of Epstein–Barr virus small RNAs in routine paraffin sections using non‐isotopic RNA/RNA in situ hybridization

The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is associated with an increasing range of reactive and neoplastic lesions. There is a need for a sensitive and specific method for detecting latent EBV in routine histological sections. We report the use of a highly sensitive paraffin section RNA/RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) technique using digoxigenin‐labelled antisense riboprobes for demonstrating EBV encoded‐small RNAs (EBERs), EBV gene products that are transcribed in abundance during latent EBV infection. We applied EBER‐ISH to 846 paraffin embedded specimens, including cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (n= 28), infectious mononucleosis (16), Burkitt's lymphoma (44), immunodeficiency‐associated lymphomas in transplant recipients (9) and AIDS patients (128), Hodgkin's disease (130), CD30 antigen positive lymphomas (106), peripheral T‐cell lymphomas (104), sporadic B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas (162), undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (86), salivary gland lymphoepithelioma (11), and oral hairy leukoplakia (5). Strong, reproducible EBER staining was seen in EBV latently infected cells in archival surgical biopsy and autopsy specimens. EBER‐ISH is specific, has a sensitivity comparable to that of the polymerase chain reaction, and is now the method of choice for the in situ detection of latent EBV infection.
Hyperoxidation of Peroxiredoxins and Effects on Physiology of Drosophila

The catalytic activity of peroxiredoxins (Prx) is determined by the conserved peroxidatic cysteine (CysP), which reacts with peroxides to form sulfenic acid (Cys-SOH). Under conditions of oxidative stress, CysP is oxidized to catalytically inactive sulfinic (Cys-SO2) and sulfonic (Cys-SO3) forms. The Cys-SO2 form can be reduced in a reaction catalyzed by sulfiredoxin (Srx). To explore the physiological significance of peroxiredoxin overoxidation, we investigated daily variations in the oxidation state of 2-Cys peroxiredoxins in flies of different ages, or under conditions when the pro-oxidative load is high. We found no statistically significant changes in the 2-Cys Prxs monomer:dimer ratio, which indirectly reflects changes in the Prx catalytic activity. However, we found daily variations in Prx-SO2/3 that were more pronounced in older flies as well as in flies lacking Srx. Unexpectedly, the srx mutant flies did not exhibit a diminished survivorship under normal or oxidative stress conditions. Moreover, the srx mutant was characterized by a higher physiological activity. In conclusion, catalytically inactive forms of Prx-SO2/3 serve not only as a marker of cellular oxidative burden, but may also play a role in an adaptive response, leading to a positive effect on the physiology of Drosophila melanogaster.
Complex Liver Resections for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract: Background The only curative treatment option for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is liver resection. Due to central tumor localization and vascular invasion, complex liver resections play an important role in curative treatment. However, the long-term outcomes after complex liver resection are not known. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted for all patients undergoing liver surgery for iCCA. Complex liver resections included ante situm resections, associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) and major liver resection with vascular reconstructions. Results: Forty-nine patients (34%) received complex liver resection, 66 patients (46%) received conventional liver resection and 28 patients (20%) were not resectable during exploration. Preoperative characteristics were not different between the groups, except for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stages. The postoperative course for complex liver resections was associated with more complications and perioperative mortality. However, long-term survival was not different between complex and conventional resections. Independent risk factors for survival were R0 resections and UICC stage. Four patients underwent ante situm resection without any mortality. Conclusions: Complex liver resections are justified in selected patients and survival is comparable with conventional liver resections. Survival in iCCA is affected by UICC stage or resections margins and not by the complexity of the case.
Induced Torpor as a Countermeasure for Low Dose Radiation Exposure in a Zebrafish Model

The development of the Artemis programme with the goal of returning to the moon is spurring technology advances that will eventually take humans to Mars and herald a new era of interplanetary space travel. However, long-term space travel poses unique challenges including exposure to ionising radiation from galactic cosmic rays and potential solar particle events, exposure to microgravity and specific nutritional challenges arising from earth independent exploration. Ionising radiation is one of the major obstacles facing future space travel as it can generate oxidative stress and directly damage cellular structures such as DNA, in turn causing genomic instability, telomere shortening, extracellular-matrix remodelling and persistent inflammation. In the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) this can lead to leaky gut syndrome, perforations and motility issues, which impact GIT functionality and affect nutritional status. While current countermeasures such as shielding from the spacecraft can attenuate harmful biological effects, they produce harmful secondary particles that contribute to radiation exposure. We hypothesised that induction of a torpor-like state would confer a radioprotective effect given the evidence that hibernation extends survival times in irradiated squirrels compared to active controls. To test this hypothesis, a torpor-like state was induced in zebrafish using melatonin treatment and reduced temperature, and radiation exposure was administered twice over the course of 10 days. The protective effects of induced-torpor were assessed via RNA sequencing and qPCR of mRNA extracted from the GIT. Pathway and network analysis were performed on the transcriptomic data to characterise the genomic signatures in radiation, torpor and torpor + radiation groups. Phenotypic analyses revealed that melatonin and reduced temperature successfully induced a torpor-like state in zebrafish as shown by decreased metabolism and activity levels. Genomic analyses indicated that low dose radiation caused DNA damage and oxidative stress triggering a stress response, including steroidal signalling and changes to metabolism, and cell cycle arrest. Torpor attenuated the stress response through an increase in pro-survival signals, reduced oxidative stress via the oxygen effect and detection and removal of misfolded proteins. This proof-of-concept model provides compelling initial evidence for utilizing an induced torpor-like state as a potential countermeasure for radiation exposure.
The Impact of Temperature on the Risk of COVID-19: A Multinational Study

The current understanding of ambient temperature and its link to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the environmental and climatic risk factors for SARS-CoV-2. For this study, we analyzed the data at the beginning of the outbreak (from 20 January to 31 March 2020) to avoid the influence of preventive or control measures. We obtained the number of cases and deaths due to SARS-CoV-2, international tourism, population age, universal health coverage, regional factors, the SARS-CoV-2 testing rate, and population density of a country. A total of 154 countries were included in this study. There were high incidence rates and mortality risks in the countries that had an average ambient temperature between 0 and 10 °C. The adjusted incidence rate for temperatures between 0 and 10 °C was 2.91 (95% CI 2.87–2.95). We randomly divided the data into a training set (80% of data) for model derivation and a test set (20% of data) for validation. Using a random forest statistical model, the model had high accuracy for predicting the high epidemic status of a country (ROC = 95.5%, 95% CI 87.9–100.0%) in the test set. Population age, temperature, and international tourism were the most important factors affecting the risk of SARS-CoV-2 in a country. An understanding the determinants of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak can help to design better strategies for disease control. This study highlights the need to consider thermal effect in the prevention of emerging infectious diseases.
Peroxisomal Disorders and Their Mouse Models Point to Essential Roles of Peroxisomes for Retinal Integrity

Peroxisomes are multifunctional organelles, well known for their role in cellular lipid homeostasis. Their importance is highlighted by the life-threatening diseases caused by peroxisomal dysfunction. Importantly, most patients suffering from peroxisomal biogenesis disorders, even those with a milder disease course, present with a number of ocular symptoms, including retinopathy. Patients with a selective defect in either peroxisomal α- or β-oxidation or ether lipid synthesis also suffer from vision problems. In this review, we thoroughly discuss the ophthalmological pathology in peroxisomal disorder patients and, where possible, the corresponding animal models, with a special emphasis on the retina. In addition, we attempt to link the observed retinal phenotype to the underlying biochemical alterations. It appears that the retinal pathology is highly variable and the lack of histopathological descriptions in patients hampers the translation of the findings in the mouse models. Furthermore, it becomes clear that there are still large gaps in the current knowledge on the contribution of the different metabolic disturbances to the retinopathy, but branched chain fatty acid accumulation and impaired retinal PUFA homeostasis are likely important factors.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cultural Education Training: Cultural Competence and Cultural Intelligence Development among Nursing Students

Background: Since 2012, education standards in medical faculties in Poland have allowed medical universities to introduce content related to multiculturalism. On the one hand, this creates a necessity to introduce new strategies, forms, and techniques of education aimed at the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes in terms of multiculturalism. On the other hand, there is a need to evaluate their effects. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the cultural competence and cultural intelligence of master’s degree nursing students before the commencement of and two months after cultural education training in the form of the intercultural communication workshops included in the study program. Methods: The following questionnaires were used in the study: the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory (CCCI) and the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). Two consecutive classes (2019 and 2020) of master’s nursing students were tested twice (pre-test, post-test). The study was conducted at a leading medical university that educates nurses at a master’s level in Poland. In total, 130 master’s nursing students took part in this evaluative study: 64 individuals in 2019 (study 1) and 66 individuals in 2020 (study 2). Results: In comparison to the pre-test, the post-test showed that the surveyed students in both study 1 and study 2 obtained significantly higher overall results in terms of cultural intelligence (p = 0.001; p = 0.004, respectively) as well as in the behavioral (p = 0.001; p = 0.002) and cognitive (p = 0.001; p = 0.008, respectively) subscales. The cultural competence results were also higher overall, but the difference was insignificant. Conclusions: The study shows the efficiency of training/workshops in the development of culturally specific knowledge and cultural intervention skills. At the same time, it postulates the need to plan and organize cultural education programs in a form that aims to improve the development of culturally sensitive attitudes.
The Effect of Regimen Frequency Simplification on Provider Order Generation: A Quasi-Experimental Study in a Korean Hospital

The multiplicity of dosing frequencies that are attached to medication orders poses a challenge to patients regarding adhering to their medication regimens and healthcare professionals in maximizing the efficiencies of health care service delivery. A multidisciplinary team project was performed to simplify medication regimens to improve the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system to reduce the dosing frequencies for patients who were discharged from the hospital. A 36-month pre-test–post-test study was performed, including 12-month pre-intervention, 12-month intervention, and 12-month post-intervention periods. Two-pronged strategies, including regimen standardization and prioritization, were devised to evaluate the dosing frequencies and prescribing efficiency. The results showed that the standardized menu reduced the dosing frequencies from 4.3 ± 2.2 per day in the pre-intervention period to 3.5 ± 1.8 per day in the post-intervention period (p < 0.001). In addition, the proportion of patients taking medications five or more times per day decreased from 40.8% to 20.7% (p < 0.001). After prioritizing the CPOE dosing regimen, the number of pull-down options that were available reflected an improvement in the prescribing efficiency. Our findings indicate that concerted efforts in improving even a simple change on the CPOE screen via standardization and prioritization simplified the dosing frequencies for patients and improved the physicians’ prescribing process.
FeIII, CuII and ZnII Complexes of the Rigid 9-Oxido-phenalenone Ligand—Spectroscopy, Electrochemistry, and Cytotoxic Properties

The three complexes [Fe(opo)3], [Cu(opo)2], and [Zn(opo)2] containing the non-innocent anionic ligand opo− (opo− = 9-oxido-phenalenone, Hopo = 9-hydroxyphenalonone) were synthesised from the corresponding acetylacetonates. [Zn(opo)2] was characterised using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the paramagnetic [Fe(opo)3] and [Cu(opo)2] by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. While the EPR spectra of [Cu(opo)2] and [Cu(acac)2] in dimethylformamide (DMF) solution are very similar, a rather narrow spectrum was observed for [Fe(opo)3] in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution in contrast to the very broad spectrum of [Fe(acac)3] in THF (Hacac = acetylacetone, 2,4-pentanedione; acac− = acetylacetonate). The narrow, completely isotropic signal of [Fe(opo)3] disagrees with a metal-centred S = 5/2 spin system that is observed in the solid state. We assume spin-delocalisation to the opo ligand in the sense of an opo− to FeIII electron transfer. All compounds show several electrochemical opo-centred reduction waves in the range of −1 to −3 V vs. the ferrocene/ferrocenium couple. However, for CuII and FeIII the very first one-electron reductions are metal-centred. Electronic absorption in the UV to vis range are due to π–π* transitions in the opo core, giving Hopo and [Zn(opo)2] a yellow to orange colour. The structured bands ranging from 400 to 500 for all compounds are assigned to the lowest energy π−π* transitions. They show markedly higher intensities and slight shifts for the CuII (brown) and FeIII (red) complexes and we assume admixing metal contributions (MLCT for CuII, LMCT for FeIII). For both complexes long-wavelength absorptions assignable to d–d transitions were detected. Detailed spectroelectrochemical experiments confirm both the electrochemical and the optical assignments. Hopo and the complexes [Cu(opo)2], [Zn(opo)2], and [Fe(opo)3] show antiproliferative activities against HT-29 (colon cancer) and MCF-7 (breast cancer) cell lines in the range of a few µM, comparable to cisplatin under the same conditions.