Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Comparative Effect of Citrullus colocynthis Hydro-Alcoholic Extract and Metformin on Morphometric Ovarian Follicles Disorders in Estradilol Valerate Iinduced-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Rats

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects 6-10% of women in reproductive age. The medicinal values of Citrullus colocynthis (CCT) extract stems from its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. This study evaluated the comparative effect of CCT and metformin on morphometric ovarian disorders in PCOS rats. Materials and Methods: Fifty female Wistar rats having 2-3 consecutive estrous cycles during two weeks were divided into five groups (n=10 each group). The rats in the control group only received sesame oil as estradiol valerate solvent, whereas the rats in the sham group were injected intramuscularly with 4 mg/rat estradiol valerate-induced PCOS. Following PCOS induction, the rats in the metformin group received 50 mg/kg metformin orally for three weeks. Rats in the Extract group were treated with 50 mg/kg plant extract for 21 days following the induction with PCOS. Additionally, the rats in metformin+ extract group were treated with the combination of 50 mg metformin plus plant extract for three weeks. The ovaries were removed and were fixed for tissue processing. The slices were stained by hematoxylin-eosin after clearing and hydration. Follicular count and morphometric changes were evaluated in primordial, primary, pre-antral and antral follicles. Results: The mean diameter of primordial follicle was similar in all groups, but mean diameter of primary follicle decreased in the sham group (145.50± 49.26 µm) compared to metformin (278.76± 156.64 µm), extract (311.70± 147.74 µm) and metformin+ extract groups (265.35± 88.16 µm). The diameter of pre-antral and antral follicles in the sham group were significantly larger than those in the control group, but were not significantly different in all other groups including metformin, extract, and metformin+ extract in comparison with control group (P< 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, the data has demonstrated that CCT like metformin could improve follicular morphometric disorders in PCOS rats.
Prediction of Leishmania major Key Proteins Via Topological Analysis of Protein-Protein Interaction Network

Background: Although leishmaniasis is regarded as a public health problem, no effective vaccine or decisive treatment has been introduced for this disease. Therefore, representing novel therapeutic proteins is essential. Protein-protein Interaction network analysis is a suitable tool to discover novel drug targets for leishmania major. To this aim, gene and protein expression data is used for instructing protein network and the key proteins are highlighted. Materials and Methods: In this computational and bioinformatics study, the protein/gene expression data related to leishmania major were studied, and 252 candidate proteins were extracted. Then, the protein networks of these proteins were explored and visualized by using String database and Cytoscape software. Finally, clustering and gene ontology were performed by MCODE and PANTHER databases, respectively. Results: Based on gene ontology analysis, most of the leishmania major proteins were located in cell compartments and membrane. Catalytic activity and binding were regarded as the relevant molecular functions and metabolic and cellular processes were the significant biological process. In this network analysis, UB-EP52, EF-2, chaperonin, Hsp70.4, Hsp60, tubulin alpha and beta chain, and ENOL and LACK were introduced as hub-bottleneck proteins. Based on clustering analysis, Lmjf.32. 3270, ENOL and Lmjf.13. 0290 were determined as seed proteins in each cluster. Conclusion: The results indicated that hub proteins play a significant role in pathogenesis and life cycle of leishmania major. Further studies of hubs will provide a better understanding of leishmaniasis mechanisms. Finally, these key hub proteins could be a suitable and helpful potential for drug targets and treating leishmaniasis by considering their validation.
On the Cantor set and the Cantor-Lebesgue functions

The ternary Cantor set C, constructed by George Cantor in 1883, is the best known example of a perfect nowhere-dense set in the real line. The present article we study the basic properties C and also study in detail the ternary expansion characterization C. We then consider the Cantor-Lebesgue function defined on C, prove its basic properties and study its continuous extension to [0, 1]. We also consider the geometric construction of F as the uniform limit of polygonal functions. Finally, we consider the Lebesgue’s function defined from C onto [0, 1]2 and onto [0, 1]3, as well as their continuous extension to [0, 1], i.e., obtained the Lebesgue’s space filling curves. Finally we discuss Hausdorff’s theorem, which is a natural generalization of the definition of Lebesgue’s functions, that states that any compact metric space is a continuous image of the Cantor set C. This notes are the outgrowth of a (zoom)-seminar during the 2020 spring and summer semesters based on H. Sagan’s book [14], thus there is not any pretension of originality and/or innovation in this notes and its main objective is a systematic exposition of these topics, in other words its objective is being a review. 1. CANTOR TERNARY SET. The Cantor ternary set C is probably the best known example of a perfect nowhere-dense set in the real line. It was constructed by George Cantor in 1883, see [5], but it was not the first perfect nowhere-dense set in the real line to be constructed. The first construction was done by the a British mathematician Henry J. S. Smith in 1875, but not many mathematicians were aware of Smith’s construction. Vito Volterra, still a graduate student in Italy, also showed how to construct such a set in 1881 (his famous Volterra set1V ,that allowed him to construct a counter-example of a function with bounded derivative that exists everywhere but the derivative is not Riemann integrable in any closed bounded interval i.e., the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus fails, see [4, chapter 4]) but he published his result in an Italian journal not widely read. In 1883 Cantor rediscover this construction himself, and due to Cantor’s prestige, the Cantor ternary set has become the typical example of a perfect nowhere-dense set. Following D. Bresoud [4], we will refer as Smith-Volterra-Cantor sets, denoted as SV C(m) sets, to the family of examples of perfect, nowhere-dense sets exemplified by the work of Smith, Voterra and Cantor, obtained by removing in the n-iteration, an open interval of length 1/m from the center of the remaining closed intervals. Observe that C = SV C(3). As it is well known, C is obtained from the closed interval [0, 1] by a sequence of deletions of open intervals known as “middle thirds”. We begin with the interval [0, 1], let us call it C0, and remove the middle third, leaving us with the union of two closed intervals of length 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification Primary 26A03 Secondary 26A30.
Meta-Analysis of Therapy of Cinobufacini Capsule Adjunct with First-Line Platinum-Based Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Advanced NSCLC

Background Cinobufacini capsule, an anticancer traditional Chinese patent medicine, has been widely used as adjunctive treatment to platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cinobufacini capsule combined with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC. Study Design. A systematic review and meta-analysis of eight outcome measures selected for this study were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted in 7 electronic databases to identify all the relevant randomised controlled trials. Cochrane handbook 5.1. 0 was applied to evaluate the quality of included trials, and the RevMan 5.3 and Stata 15.1 software were used to combine the trials for data analysis and assess the publication bias. Results From the 19 studies reviewed, a total of 1,564 patients were included. Compared with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy alone, cinobufacini capsule combined with chemotherapy showed significant effects in improving ORR (RR = 1.49, 95% CI (1.33, 1.66)), 1-year survival rate (RR = 1.44, 95% CI (1.28, 1.63)), and 2-year survival rate (RR = 1.78, 95% CI (1.42, 2.22)), raising the percentages of CD3+ cells (SMD = 1.25, 95% CI (1.05, 1.45)), CD4+ cells (SMD = 1.52, 95% CI (1.33, 1.71)), and ratio of CD4+/CD8+ (SMD = 1.36, 95% CI (1.17, 1.54)), and reducing chemotherapy toxicity including leukopenia (RR = 0.61, 95% CI (0.51, 0.72)), thrombocytopenia (RR = 0.52, 95% CI (0.41, 0.67)), and vomiting (RR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.70, 0.88)). Conclusion Cinobufacini capsule may increase the therapeutic effectiveness, improve cellular immune function, and reduce the toxicity of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC. These results require confirmation by further rigorously designed randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
Objectively Measured Sleep Characteristics and Incidence of Ischemic Stroke: The Sleep Heart Health Study

Objective Sleep disorders are associated with the prevalence of stroke. However, there is limited evidence regarding the association between objectively measured sleep characteristics and ischemic stroke. Methods Ischemic stroke was assessed during the mean follow-up period of 11 years in the Sleep Heart Health Study. Sleep parameters such as wake after sleep onset (WASO) and sleep efficiency (SE) were objectively measured based on in-home polysomnography records. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between objective sleep characteristics and ischemic stroke incidence. Results This study involved 4204 participants (1978 males and 2226 females, 63.8±11.1 years). The incidence of ischemic stroke increased in individuals with long WASO, poor SE, and short sleep duration. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that WASO within the fourth quartile (hazard ratio [HR] 3.771, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.805–7.877, P<0.001), third quartile (HR 3.009, 95% CI 1.433–6.317, P=0.004), and second quartile (HR 3.108, 95% CI 1.470–6.568, P=0.003) had a higher incidence of ischemic stroke than WASO within the first quartile. Poor SE (<80.0%) was also found to be a predictor for ischemic stroke (HR 2.220, 95% CI 1.244–3.960, P=0.007). Additionally, a short sleep duration (<6 h) was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (HR 1.725, 95% CI 1.026–2.899, P=0.040). Conclusion Our results revealed a relationship between WASO, SE, and sleep duration and ischemic stroke. Therefore, these sleep characteristics may be adequate predictors for the incidence of ischemic stroke.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Preventing Surgical-Site Infection in Patients Undergoing Plastic Surgery.

Question: Should patients undergoing plastic surgery receive antibiotic prophylaxis? Answer: The American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS) evaluated the effectiveness and safety of antibiotics for preventing surgical-site infections in patients undergoing plastic surgery and developed evidence-based recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis across different types of plastic surgery (Ariyan et al., 2015). To develop the recommendations, selected members of the AAPS with expertise in selected plastic surgical procedures as well as individuals with expertise in infection prevention, epidemiology, evidence-based medicine, and guidelines development were invited to participate. After reviewing the existing evidence and achieving consensus on best practices, the panel made recommendations regarding the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for several subtypes of plastic surgery. The recommendations are categorized according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Surgical Wound Classification (Mangram et al., 1999). In this classification, surgical wounds are classified as follows:
A mathematical model for Escherichia coli chemotaxis to competing stimuli

Chemotactic bacteria sense and respond to temporal and spatial gradients of chemical cues in their surroundings. This phenomenon plays a critical role in many microbial processes such as groundwater bioremediation, microbially enhanced oil recovery, nitrogen fixation in legumes, and pathogenesis of the disease. Chemical heterogeneity in these natural systems may produce numerous competing signals from various directions. Predicting the migration behavior of bacterial populations under such conditions is necessary for designing effective treatment schemes. In this study, experimental studies and mathematical models are reported for the chemotactic response of Escherichia coli to a combination of attractant (α‐methylaspartate) and repellent (NiCl2), which bind to the same transmembrane receptor complex. The model describes the binding of chemoeffectors and phosphorylation of the kinase in the signal transduction mechanism. Chemotactic parameters of E. coli (signaling efficiency σ , stimuli sensitivity coefficient γ , and repellent sensitivity coefficient κ ) were determined by fitting the model with experimental results for individual stimuli. Interestingly, our model naturally identifies NiCl2 as a repellent for κ>1 . The model is capable of describing quantitatively the response to the individual attractant and repellent, and correctly predicts the change in direction of bacterial population migration for competing stimuli with a twofold increase in repellent concentration.
A 3D-2D Convolutional Neural Network and Transfer Learning for Hyperspectral Image Classification

As one of the fast evolution of remote sensing and spectral imagery techniques, hyperspectral image (HSI) classification has attracted considerable attention in various fields, including land survey, resource monitoring, and among others. Nonetheless, due to a lack of distinctiveness in the hyperspectral pixels of separate classes, there is a recurrent inseparability obstacle in the primary space. Additionally, an open challenge stems from examining efficient techniques that can speedily classify and interpret the spectral-spatial data bands within a more precise computational time. Hence, in this work, we propose a 3D-2D convolutional neural network and transfer learning model where the early layers of the model exploit 3D convolutions to modeling spectral-spatial information. On top of it are 2D convolutional layers to handle semantic abstraction mainly. Toward simplicity and a highly modularized network for image classification, we leverage the ResNeXt-50 block for our model. Furthermore, improving the separability among classes and balance of the interclass and intraclass criteria, we engaged principal component analysis (PCA) for the best orthogonal vectors for representing information from HSIs before feeding to the network. The experimental result shows that our model can efficiently improve the hyperspectral imagery classification, including an instantaneous representation of the spectral-spatial information. Our model evaluation on five publicly available hyperspectral datasets, Indian Pines (IP), Pavia University Scene (PU), Salinas Scene (SA), Botswana (BS), and Kennedy Space Center (KSC), was performed with a high classification accuracy of 99.85%, 99.98%, 100%, 99.82%, and 99.71%, respectively. Quantitative results demonstrated that it outperformed several state-of-the-arts (SOTA), deep neural network-based approaches, and standard classifiers. Thus, it has provided more insight into hyperspectral image classification.
Green Synthesized Honokiol Transfersomes Relieve the Immunosuppressive and Stem-Like Cell Characteristics of the Aggressive B16F10 Melanoma

Background Honokiol (HK) is a natural bioactive compound with proven antineoplastic properties against melanoma. However, it shows very low bioavailability when administered orally. Alternatively, topical administration may offer a promising route. The objective of the current study was to fabricate HK transfersomes (HKTs) for topical treatment of melanoma. As an ultradeformable carrier system, transfersomes can overcome the physiological barriers to topical treatment of melanoma: the stratum corneum and the anomalous tumor microenvironment. Moreover, the immunomodulatory and stemness-regulation roles of HKTs were the main interest of this study. Methods TFs were prepared using the modified scalable heating method. A three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design was utilized for the optimization of the process and formulation variables. Intracellular uptake and cytotoxicity of HKTs were evaluated in nonactivated and stromal cell–activated B16F10 melanoma cells to investigate the influence of the complex tumor microenvironment on the efficacy of HK. Finally, ELISA and Western blot were performed to evaluate the expression levels of TGF-β and clusters of differentiation (CD47 and CD133, respectively). Results The optimized formula exhibited a mean size of 190 nm, highly negative surface charge, high entrapment efficiency, and sustained release profile. HKTs showed potential to alleviate the immunosuppressive characteristics of B16F10 melanoma in vitro via downregulation of TGF-β signaling. In addition, HKTs reduced expression of the “do not eat me” signal — CD47. Moreover, HKTs possessed additional interesting potential to reduce the expression of the stem-like cell marker CD133. These outcomes were boosted upon combination with metformin, an antihyperglycemic drug recently reported to possess different functions in cancer, while combination with collagenase, an extracellular matrix–depleting enzyme, produced detrimental effects. Conclusion HKTs represent a promising scalable formulation for treatment of the aggressive B16F10 melanoma, which is jam-packed with immunosuppressive and stem-like cell markers.
Rickettsia conorii survival in THP‐1 macrophages involves host lipid droplet alterations and active rickettsial protein production

Rickettsia conorii is a Gram‐negative, cytosolic intracellular bacterium that has classically been investigated in terms of endothelial cell infection. However, R. conorii and other human pathogenic Rickettsia species have evolved mechanisms to grow in various cell types, including macrophages, during mammalian infection. During infection of these phagocytes, R. conorii shifts the host cell's overall metabolism towards an anti‐inflammatory M2 response, metabolically defined by an increase in host lipid metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Lipid metabolism has more recently been identified as a key regulator of host homeostasis through modulation of immune signalling and metabolism. Intracellular pathogens have adapted mechanisms of hijacking host metabolic pathways including host lipid catabolic pathways for various functions required for growth and survival. In the present study, we hypothesised that alterations of host lipid droplets initiated by lipid catabolic pathways during R. conorii infection is important for bacterial survival in macrophages. Herein, we determined that host lipid droplet modulation is initiated early during R. conorii infection, and these alterations rely on active bacteria and lipid catabolic pathways. We also find that these lipid catabolic pathways are essential for efficient bacterial survival. Unlike the mechanisms used by other intracellular pathogens, the catabolism of lipid droplets induced by R. conorii infection is independent of upstream host peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐alpha (PPARα) signalling. Inhibition of PPARɣ signalling and lipid droplet accumulation in host cells cause a significant decrease in R. conorii survival suggesting a negative correlation with lipid droplet production and R. conorii survival. Together, these results strongly suggest that the modulation of lipid droplets in macrophage cells infected by R. conorii is an important and underappreciated aspect of the infection process.
Integrating Patient Activation Into Dialysis Care.

Patient activation, the measure of patients' readiness and willingness to manage their own health care, is low among people on in-center hemodialysis (HD), exacerbated by how passively patients receive care. In our pursuit of person-centered care and value-based medicine, enabling patients to take a more active role in their care can lead to healthy behaviors, with subsequent reductions in individual burden and costs to the healthcare system. To improve patient activation, we need to embrace a "patient-first" approach and combine it with ways to equip patients to thrive with self-management. This requires changes in the training of the healthcare team, as well as changes in the delivery care models, promoting interventions such as health coaching and peer mentoring, while leveraging technology to enable self-access to records, self-monitoring, and communication with providers. We also need healthcare policies that encourage a focus on patient-identified goals, including more attention to patient-reported outcomes. In this article, we review the current status of patient activation in dialysis patients, outline some of the available interventions, and propose steps to change the dynamics of the current system to move towards a more active role for patients in their care.
Surgical Skills Olympiad: A 4-Year Experience in a General Surgery Residency Program

Abstract Background The acquisition of operative skills is the critical defining component of general surgery training. Performing simulated tasks has been shown to increase a resident's technical skills. As such, we devised the Surgical Skills Olympiad, an annual simulation-based skills competition. We examined our 4-year experience with the Olympiad at a large academic general surgery residency program. Objective This study aimed to use competition to motivate trainees to increase the time they spent practicing basic surgical skills, resulting in improved performance over time. Methods Teams were formed from members of each postgraduate year (PGY) class. Competition tasks were level specific: knot tying for PGY-1, basic laparoscopy for PGY-2, handsewn bowel anastomosis for PGY-3, vascular anastomosis for PGY-4, and advanced laparoscopy for PGY-5. Task scores over a 4-year period (2014–2017) were analyzed and a survey of participating teaching faculty was conducted. Results Ten faculty members responded to the survey, for a response rate of 63%. A total of 50% respondents felt that the caliber of surgical skills increased since the Olympiad was implemented. Ninety percent agreed that the Olympiad was beneficial for residents to assess their skills against their peers. Over 4 years, there was an improvement in scores for suturing task, advanced laparoscopy, and bowel anastomosis (p < 0.05 for all three). Conclusion A residency-wide surgical skills competition can improve resident performance in technical tasks and promote faculty engagement in resident skills training.