Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kratom and Pain Tolerance: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study

Background: Kratom has a long history of traditional medicine use in Southeast Asia. Consumption of kratom products has also been reported in the US and other regions of the world. Pain relief is among many self-reported kratom effects but have not been evaluated in controlled human subject research. Methods: Kratom effects on pain tolerance were assessed in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. During a 1-day inpatient stay, participants received a randomized sequence of kratom and placebo decoctions matched for taste and appearance. Pain tolerance was measured objectively in a cold pressor task (CPT) as time (seconds) between the pain onset and the hand withdrawal from the ice bath. Health status, vital signs, objective, and subjective indicators of withdrawal symptoms, self-reported data on lifetime kratom use patterns, and assessments of blinding procedures were also evaluated. Results: Twenty-six males with the mean (SD) age 24.3 (3.4) years were enrolled. They reported the mean (SD) 6.1 (3.2) years of daily kratom consumption. Pain tolerance increased significantly 1 hour after kratom ingestion from the mean (SD) 11.2 (6.7) seconds immediately before to 24.9 (39.4) seconds 1 hour after kratom consumption (F(2,53.7)=4.33, p=0.02). Pain tolerance was unchanged after consuming placebo drinks: 15.0 (19.0) seconds immediately before and 12.0 (8.1) seconds 1 hour after consumption of placebo (F(2,52.8)=0.93, p=0.40). No discomfort or signs of withdrawal were reported or observed during 10-20 hours of kratom discontinuation. Conclusions: Kratom decoction demonstrated a substantial and statistically significant increase in pain tolerance. Further rigorous research on kratom pain-relieving properties and a safety profile is needed.
The Predictive Ability of Two Triglyceride-Associated Indices for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Large for Gestational Age Infant Among Chinese Pregnancies: A Preliminary Cohort Study

Background/Aims To investigate the potential of maternal first-trimester triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-c) ratio, triglyceride glucose index (TyG) and total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-c to predict the risk of later gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and large for gestational age (LGA) newborn in Chinese women. Methods We included 352 women with a singleton pregnancy, who were followed up prospectively from the first prenatal visit until delivery. Fasting glucose and plasma lipid profiles including TG, TC, HDL-c, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were measured in the first trimester. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of GDM and LGA according to tertiles of those indices, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) and areas under the curve (AUC) were employed to evaluate the ability of those indices to predict the risk of GDM and LGA infants, and differences in the AUC values between them were compared. Results Women with the top tertile of TG/HDL-c or TyG other than TC/HDL-c had a significantly higher risk of GDM (ORTG/HDL-c=2.388, 95% CI 1.026–5.467; ORTyG=3.535, 95% CI 1.483–8.426, respectively) and LGA infant delivery (ORTG/HDL-c=3.742, 95% CI 1.114–12.569; ORTyG=3.011, 95% CI 1.012–8.962, respectively) than women with the lowest tertile of TG/HDL-c or TyG after adjusting for confounders. The AUC of TG/HDL-c and TyG to detect GDM was 0.664 (95% CI 0.595–0.733) and 0.686 (95% CI 0.615–0.756), respectively, and that to detect LGA was 0.646 (95% CI 0.559–0.734) and 0.643 (95% CI 0.552–0.735), respectively (all P < 0.01). There were no statistical differences between TG/HDL-c and TyG in the ability of predicting the risk of GDM or LGA infants. Conclusion Maternal first-trimester TG/HDL-c and TyG are both good indicators in predicting the risk of later GDM and LGA newborn, and it may be useful to evaluate them in early pregnancy.
Reusability Comparison of Melt-Blown vs Nanofiber Face Mask Filters for Use in the Coronavirus Pandemic

Shortage of face masks is a current critical concern since the emergence of coronavirus-2 or SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). In this work, we compared the melt-blown (MB) filter, which is commonly used for the N95 face mask, with nanofiber (NF) filter, which is gradually used as an effective mask filter, to evaluate their reusability. Extensive characterizations were performed repeatedly to evaluate some performance parameters, which include filtration efficiency, airflow rate, and surface and morphological properties, after two types of cleaning treatments. In the first cleaning type, samples were dipped in 75% ethanol for a predetermined duration. In the second cleaning type, 75% ethanol was sprayed on samples. It was found that filtration efficiency of MB filter was significantly dropped after treatment with ethanol, while the NF filter exhibited consistent high filtration efficiency regardless of cleaning types. In addition, the NF filter showed better cytocompatibility than the MB filter, demonstrating its harmlessness on the human body. Regardless of ethanol treatments, surfaces of both filter types maintained hydrophobicity, which can sufficiently prevent wetting by moisture and saliva splash to prohibit not only pathogen transmission but also bacterial growth inside. On the basis of these comparative evaluations, the wider use of the NF filter for face mask applications is highly recommended, and it can be reused multiple times with robust filtration efficiency. It would be greatly helpful to solve the current shortage issue of face masks and significantly improve safety for front line fighters against coronavirus disease.
The expression and role of integrin-linked kinase during human trophoblast differentiation

A critical phase of placental development is the differentiation of cytotrophoblasts into invasive extravillous trophoblasts. Alterations of this process can lead to serious pregnancy pathologies such as preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. Unfortunately it is poorly understood which physiological and molecular mechanisms are involved in the regulation of trophoblast differentiation. -- lntegrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) is a ubiquitous protein able to regulate outside-inside signaling by binding to integrins. Since ILK is overexpressed in tumors that become invasive, it was hypothesized that ILK is expressed in human placenta and that it is necessary for the differentiation of trophoblasts into invasive cells. To test the hypothesis, spatial and temporal patterns of ILK expression were studied in normal human and mouse placentas by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence analysis, and immunoblot analysis. In human placenta, ILK was present in cytotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblast in the first trimester (n=17), early second trimester (n=6) and at term (n=10). By comparison, ILK was present in the three layers of the mouse placenta: labyrinth, junctional zone, and trophoblast giant cells. -- HTR8-SVneo cells were also used to determine the role of ILK in migration and invasion. When ILK function was impaired in HTR8-SVneo cells with a dominant negative form of ILK, migration and invasion were inhibited. Furthermore, HTR8-SVneo and human chorionic villous explant cultures were utilized to study the effect of the oxygen environment on ILK expression and activity. Exposure of HTR8-SVneo cells to a low oxygen environment produced a transient increase in the expression of ILK mRNA, but did not affect the level of protein expression nor its kinase activity. In contrast to these results, placental explants showed lower expression of ILK under 3% O₂ environment compared to placental ex plants exposed to 8% and 20% O₂ . Placentas from preeclamptic patients also showed lower detection of ILK in the fetal capillaries compared to age-matched controls. -- In total these novel results showed that ILK is present in human and mouse placenta in cells that invade the maternal uterus during pregnancy and that it plays a critical role in the migration and invasion of trophoblasts. -- The results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the control of placental invasion and could assist in the production of future tools to improve the early diagnosis and treatment of gestational trophoblastic diseases such as preeclampsia.
A TASMAN Expedition: Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Specific Self-Management Abilities

Introduction Self-management (SM) is a core component of well-being and perceived health for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Most theories on SM share that self-efficacy, illness-perception and coping are determinants of SM behavior. Optimal support to improve SM should be tailored to the individual patient’s level of these determinants as SM abilities vary between patients. To tailor SM support, it is therefore necessary to assess the scores on these determinants. Unfortunately, no such instrument exists for clinical use. Therefore, the first goal of this study was to verify presumed correlations between SM and the determinants thereof. The second goal was to develop an instrument to assess the SM abilities. Methods In this cross-sectional, observational study, COPD patients completed the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) and the Utrecht Proactive Coping Competence measure (UPCC) as well as the Self-Management Ability Scale (SMAS-30). Correlations between the questionnaires were assessed and a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify the best-fitting items in the three independent variables related to SM. These items were used to create an instrument to assess SM abilities. Results Hundred COPD patients (58 males, 41 females, 1 unknown) were included. The correlation between SM and self-efficacy, illness perception on concerns and proactive coping was moderate and significant (r=0.318, p<0.01; r=−.230, p<0.05; r=.426, p<0.01, respectively). PCA identified six UPCC items and nine GSES items that met the predefined criteria. These items were supplemented with the B-IPQ concerns item to establish the new instrument to assess SM abilities.
Frontal cerebral oxygenation asymmetry: intersubject variability and dependence on systemic physiology, season, and time of day

Abstract. Significance: Our study reveals that frontal cerebral oxygenation asymmetry (FCOA), i.e. a difference in the oxygenation between the right and left prefrontal cortex (PFC), is a real phenomenon in healthy human subjects at rest. Aim: To investigate FCOA, we performed a study with 134 healthy right-handed subjects with the systemic physiology augmented functional near infrared spectroscopy (SPA-fNIRS) approach. Approach: Subjects were measured 2 to 4 times on different days resulting in an unprecedented number of 518 single measurements of the absolute values of tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and total hemoglobin concentration ([tHb]) of the right and left PFC. Measurements were performed with frequency-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the cardiorespiratory parameters were measured simultaneously. Results: We found that (i) subjects showed an FCOA (higher StO2 on the right PFC), but not for tHb; (ii) intrasubject variability was excellent for both StO2 and tHb, and fair for FCOA; (iii) StO2 correlated significantly with blood CO2 concentration, [tHb] with heart rate, respiration rate (RR), and the pulse–respiration quotient (PRQ), and FCOA with RR and PRQ; (iv) FCOA and StO2 were dependent on season and time of day, respectively; (v) FCOA was negatively correlated with the room temperature; and (vi) StO2 and tHb were not correlated with the subjects mood but with their chronotype, whereas FCOA was not dependent on the chronotype. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that FCOA is real, and it provides unique insights into this remarkable phenomenon.
Ki67 and CD31 Differential Expression in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Its Mimickers: Association with Clinicopathological Criteria and Disease Advancement

Background Cell proliferation and angiogenesis are important in progression of cancerous processes. Differentiating cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) from its mimicking dermatoses and prognosticating it are challenging. Aim This study assesses cell proliferation and angiogenesis in different CTCL subtypes using immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Ki67 and CD31 to testify their usability in differentiating CTCL from mimicking dermatoses and discriminating CTCL subtypes from each other with correlation to clinicopathological parameters and disease advancement. Patients and Methods IHC for Ki67 and CD31 were applied to skin biopsies from 81 patients divided into CTCL (n=59) and dermatoses (n=22) groups. Hot-spot analysis was used to score Ki67 and CD31 microvascular density (MVD) semiquantitatively. Statistical analysis was performed to compare Ki67 index and MVD between CTCL and dermatoses. CTCL subgroups were compared to each other. Ki67 index and CD31 were compared to age, gender, skin and nodal involvement, blood tumor burden and TNMB stage. Results and Conclusion There were significant differences in proliferation index and MVD between dermatoses and CTCL, and between dermatoses and all CTCL subtypes with exception of Ki67 in early mycosis fungoides (MF) and CD31 in patch lesions. Increased cell proliferation and MVD were significantly associated with older age, T3 and 4 skin involvement, significant nodes (N1-3), positive blood tumor burden (B1,2) in CTCL and TNMB stage of MF. Both markers differentiated significantly late from early MF, classic MF from its variants and non-MF CTCL from total MF, but not from late MF. In conclusion, Ki67 and CD31 expression in skin biopsies using IHC reproduces the role of proliferation and angiogenesis in the differential diagnosis and prognostication of CTCL being expressed at higher levels in aggressive than indolent CTCL. Therapeutic targeting of cell proliferation and angiogenesis may improve patient’s outcome in CTCL. Usability of these markers into patient’s stratification should be considered in further studies.
Optimization of light quality for production of alkaloid and polysaccharide in Dendrobium candidum Wall. ex Lindl.

The main bioactive substances of traditional medicine Dendrobium candidum are alkaloids and polysaccharides. A strategy is described for optimizing light quality to maximize the production of alkaloids and polysaccharides in D. candidum, so as to provide the basis for industrial production. Concentration of alkaloids and polysaccharides were studied by acid dye colorimetry and vitriol-phenol colorimetry, respectively, after culturing the D. candidum fewer than three light qualities: red light, blue light and white light. Production of alkaloids and polysaccharides were increasing with the growth extension under all light treatments. Explants cultured under red light contained significantly more alkaloids and polysaccharides than explants cultured under blue light, followed by white light, exhibiting that the most effective light was red light. But, upon the onset of continuous red light and blue light irradiation, growth of D. candidum decreased in a continuous manner. These observations suggested that among different light qualities, a mixture of red and nature light would be necessary for normal plant and had the potential to replace others for the large-scale production. Key words: Dendrobium candidum, alkaloids, polysaccharides, light quality.
Evolution, Organization, and Expression of α-Tubulin Genes in the Antarctic Fish Notothenia coriiceps

To assess the organization and expression of tubulin genes in ectothermic vertebrates, we have chosen the Antarctic yellowbelly rockcod, Notothenia coriiceps, as a model system. The genome of N. coriiceps contains ∼15 distinct DNA fragments complementary to α-tubulin cDNA probes, which suggests that the α-tubulins of this cold-adapted fish are encoded by a substantial multigene family. From an N. coriicepstesticular DNA library, we isolated a 13.8-kilobase pair genomic clone that contains a tightly linked cluster of three α-tubulin genes, designated NcGTbαa, NcGTbαb, andNcGTbαc. Two of these genes, NcGTbαa andNcGTbαb, are linked in head-to-head (5′ to 5′) orientation with ∼500 bp separating their start codons, whereasNcGTbαa and NcGTbαc are linked tail-to-tail (3′ to 3′) with ∼2.5 kilobase pairs between their stop codons. The exons, introns, and untranslated regions of the three α-tubulin genes are strikingly similar in sequence, and the intergenic region between the αa and αbgenes is significantly palindromic. Thus, this cluster probably evolved by duplication, inversion, and divergence of a common ancestral α-tubulin gene. Expression of the NcGTbαc gene is cosmopolitan, with its mRNA most abundant in hematopoietic, neural, and testicular tissues, whereas NcGTbαa andNcGTbαb transcripts accumulate primarily in brain. The differential expression of the three genes is consistent with distinct suites of putative promoter and enhancer elements. We propose that cold adaptation of the microtubule system of Antarctic fishes is based in part on expansion of the α- and β-tubulin gene families to ensure efficient synthesis of tubulin polypeptides.
Measurement of the tibial plateau angle of normal small-breed dogs and the application of the tibial plateau angle in cranial cruciate ligament rupture

Objective: In Korea, small dogs are more common than large breeds. This study was performed to measure the influence of body weight, sex, breed, age, and cranial cruciate ligament rupture (RCCL) on the tibial plateau angle (TPA) in small-breed dogs. Materials and methods: A total of 274 dogs (221 normal dogs and 53 RCCL dogs) were selected for this study based on medical records. The TPA was measured from stifle joint radiographs. The dogs were divided according to body weight, sex (male and female; normal and neutered), age, breed, and RCCL, and the TPAs of the dogs were compared. Results: In general, the TPAs of male dogs were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of female dogs, and those of healthy neutered dogs were higher than those of healthy intact dogs. The TPA had a tendency to increase along with the animal’s age but was not significantly different among the four age groups. In general, the TPA of RCCL dogs was 27.12° ± 0.62°, which was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of normal dogs (20.21° ± 0.32°), indicating that an increased TPA is associated with a higher risk for RCCL. Similar results were also observed among dogs with similar body weights, breeds, and ages for male and female RCCL dogs. Conclusion: This study suggested that the sex and neutering status of dogs could affect the TPA. This study also confirmed the use of TPA in the veterinary clinic as a possible indicator of RCCL, as the TPA is higher in RCCL dogs than in normal dogs.
Risk Factors for Heart Failure with Preserved or Reduced Ejection Fraction Among Medicare Beneficiaries: Application of Competing Risks Analysis and Gradient Boosted Model

Background The differential impact of various demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions on development of heart failure (HF) with preserved (pEF) and reduced ejection fraction (rEF) is not well studied among the elderly. Methods Using Medicare claims data linked to electronic health records, we conducted an observational cohort study of individuals ≥65 years of age without HF. A Cox proportional hazards model accounting for competing risk of HFrEF and HFpEF incidence was constructed. A gradient-boosted model (GBM) assessed the relative influence (RI) of each predictor in the development of HFrEF and HFpEF. Results Among 138,388 included individuals, 9701 developed HF (incidence rate = 20.9 per 1000 person-years). Males were more likely to develop HFrEF than HFpEF (HR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.81–2.37 vs. 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02–1.20, P for heterogeneity <0.01). Atrial fibrillation and pulmonary hypertension had stronger associations with the risk of HFpEF (HR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.80–2.26 and 1.66, 95% CI: 1.23–2.22) while cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction were more strongly associated with HFrEF (HR = 4.37, 95% CI: 3.21–5.97 and 1.94, 95% CI: 1.23–3.07). Age was the strongest predictor across all HF subtypes with RI from GBM >35%. Atrial fibrillation was the most influential comorbidity for the development of HFpEF (RI = 8.4%) while cardiomyopathy was the most influential comorbidity for the development of HFrEF (RI = 20.7%). Conclusion These findings of heterogeneous relationships between several important risk factors and heart failure types underline the potential differences in the etiology of HFpEF and HFrEF.
Structural and functional studies of bacterial mechanosensitive channels

Bacterial mechanosensitive (MS) channels represent the most primitive form of MS channels gating solely in response to changes in bilayer tension. The two main families of bacterial MS channels are MscS and MscL. In concert these channels are imperative to obviate the effects of toxic downshocks in external osmolarity. While osmoprotection is the best characterised physiological role for these channels the genetic diversity of this family hints at as yet undiscovered physiological functions. This thesis explores one such possibility, showing that MscS expression provides a selective advantage in the presence of cell wall attack with knockout E. coli strains of MscS having increased susceptibility to cell wall targeting antibiotics. This thesis also shows, using the Ca2+ sensitive photoprotein aequorin, that on gating these channels become not only a gateway for solute efflux but also a conduit for ion entry. In particular, influx of Ca2+ may represent a physiologically relevant signal but more importantly this finding may pave the way for a high-throughput screen for novel MS channel activators which would be of potential value as lead compounds for antibiotics. Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates that in the presence of divalentcations (Ca2+ & Ba2+) MscS exhibits increased anion selectivity, rectification and eight distinct long-lived subconducting states at hyperpolarising membrane potentials. In an attempt to identify the structural basis of these subconducting states the first single residue MscS mutants that display altered anion selectivity are reported. This selectivity, in contrast to voltage-gated K+, Na+ and Ca2+ channels, is not determined by residues in the pore region but rather by charged residues in the cytoplasmic domain and is likely conserved throughout the MscS family.