Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Segmentation of Melanocytic Skin Lesions in Dermoscopic and Standard Images Using a Hybrid Two-Stage Approach

The segmentation of a skin lesion is regarded as very challenging because of the low contrast between the lesion and the surrounding skin, the existence of various artifacts, and different imaging acquisition conditions. The purpose of this study is to segment melanocytic skin lesions in dermoscopic and standard images by using a hybrid model combining a new hierarchical K-means and level set approach, called HK-LS. Although the level set method is usually sensitive to initial estimation, it is widely used in biomedical image segmentation because it can segment more complex images and does not require a large number of manually labelled images. The preprocessing step is used for the proposed model to be less sensitive to intensity inhomogeneity. The proposed method was evaluated on medical skin images from two publicly available datasets including the PH2 database and the Dermofit database. All skin lesions were segmented with high accuracies (>94%) and Dice coefficients (>0.91) of the ground truth on two databases. The quantitative experimental results reveal that the proposed method yielded significantly better results compared to other traditional level set models and has a certain advantage over the segmentation results of U-net in standard images. The proposed method had high clinical applicability for the segmentation of melanocytic skin lesions in dermoscopic and standard images.
Proxy-Reported Quality of Life and Access to Nusinersen Among Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Saudi Arabia

Background The recent approval of innovative therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), such as nusinersen, has brought hope to patients and their families. Objective The aims of this study were to compare the characteristics and HRQoL of SMA patients treated with nusinersen and those treated with the standard of care. Methods This was a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered telephone questionnaire, which used a purposive sampling of SMA patients through a social support network. EuroQol five-dimensions-3-level (EQ-5D-3L) and the visual analog scale (VAS) have been used to assess the HRQoL. Different descriptive and inferential tests have been performed to compare the characteristics, EQ-5D responses, and mean scores of EQ-VAS between patients on nusinersen and the standard of care. Results Eleven out of 36 SMA patients (30.55%) have been treated with nusinersen. Patients with type I SMA represented 54% of those treated with nusinersen (P=0.012). Only 12.5% of SMA patients living in the Mecca region are treated with nusinersen in comparison to 50% of patients living in the Riyadh region (P=0.029). No difference was noticed in the proxy-responses for the five domains of the EQ-5D or the mean VAS scores for patients on nusinersen and the standard of care despite controlling for the SMA type and the ability to breathe independently (β= 1.39, 95% CI= – 5.15-7.93, P=0.667). However, the mean VAS score for patients who are unable to breathe independently was significantly lower than their counterparts who are able to breathe independently even after controlling for the SMA type and nusinersen treatment (β= –31.61, 95% CI= – 51.59 - –11.63, P=0.003). Conclusion The results of this study highlight the uncertainty about the impact of nusinersen on SMA patients’ HRQoL. Therefore, the impact of nusinersen on HRQoL should be examined using more robust study designs.
Microclimate drives intraspecific thermal specialization: conservation perspectives in freshwater habitats

Downscaling the study of the endangered relict snail, Melanopsis etrusca, at the level of populations, inhabiting geographically separated thermal springs in central Italy, we identified intraspecific mechanisms of local specialization. We advocate that the fit of physiological and behavioural traits to different microclimatic niches should be included to design effective conservation actions.
Exploring the Pharmacological Mechanism of Duhuo Jisheng Decoction in Treating Osteoporosis Based on Network Pharmacology

Objective The purpose of this work is to study the mechanism of action of Duhuo Jisheng Decoction (DHJSD) in the treatment of osteoporosis based on the methods of bioinformatics and network pharmacology. Methods In this study, the active compounds of each medicinal ingredient of DHJSD and their corresponding targets were obtained from TCMSP database. Osteoporosis was treated as search query in GeneCards, MalaCards, DisGeNET, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), and OMIM databases to obtain disease-related genes. The overlapping targets of DHJSD and osteoporosis were identified, and then GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed. Cytoscape was employed to construct DHJSD-compounds-target genes-osteoporosis network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. CytoHubba was utilized to select the hub genes. The activities of binding of hub genes and key components were confirmed by molecular docking. Results 174 active compounds and their 205 related potential targets were identified in DHJSD for the treatment of osteoporosis, including 10 hub genes (AKT1, ALB, IL6, MAPK3, VEGFA, JUN, CASP3, EGFR, MYC, and EGF). Pathway enrichment analysis of target proteins indicated that osteoclast differentiation, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway were the specifically major pathways regulated by DHJSD against osteoporosis. Further verification based on molecular docking results showed that the small molecule compounds (Quercetin, Kaempferol, Beta-sitosterol, Beta-carotene, and Formononetin) contained in DHJSD generally have excellent binding affinity to the macromolecular target proteins encoded by the top 10 genes. Conclusion This study reveals the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway of DHJSD against osteoporosis and provides novel insights for verifying the mechanism of DHJSD in the treatment of osteoporosis.
Identification of Inflammatory Genes, Pathways, and Immune Cells in Necrotizing Enterocolitis of Preterm Infant by Bioinformatics Approaches

Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most serious gastrointestinal disease-causing high morbidity and mortality in premature infants. However, the underlying mechanism of the pathogenesis of NEC is still not fully understood. Methods RNA sequencing of intestinal specimens from 9 NEC and 5 controls was employed to quantify the gene expression levels. RNA sequencing was employed to quantify the gene expression levels. DESeq2 tool was used to identify the differentially expressed genes. The biological function, pathways, transcription factors, and immune cells dysregulated in NEC were characterized by gene set enrichment analysis. Results In the present study, we analyzed RNA sequencing data of NECs and controls and revealed that immune-related pathways were highly activated, while some cellular responses to external stimuli-related pathways were inactivated in NEC. Moreover, B cells, macrophages M1, and plasma cells were identified as the major cell types involved in NEC. Furthermore, we also found that inflammation-related transcription factor genes, such as STAT1, STAT2, and IRF2, were significantly activated in NEC, further suggesting that these TFs might play critical roles in NEC pathogenesis. In addition, NEC samples exhibited heterogeneity to some extent. Interestingly, two subgroups in the NEC samples were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis. Notably, B cells, T cells, Th1, and Tregs involved in adaptive immune were predicted to highly infiltrate into subgroup I, while subgroup II was significantly infiltrated by neutrophils. The heterogeneity of immune cells in NEC indicated that both innate and adaptive immunes might induce NEC-related inflammatory response. Conclusions In summary, we systematically analyzed inflammation-related genes, signaling pathways, and immune cells to characterize the NEC pathogenesis and samples, which greatly improved our understanding of the roles of inflammatory responses in NEC.
Evaluation of Multimode Color Doppler Flow Imaging in the Diagnosis of Solid Renal Tumor

Background Renal cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in urinary system, seriously affecting people's health and life. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of multi-mode color Doppler flow imaging for diagnosis of solid renal tumor. Methods Sixty-six renal solid tumors from 63 patients were examined by color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), power Doppler flow imaging (PDFI), superb microvascular imaging (SMI), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) before surgery. The diagnostic efficacy of the four methods was compared by determining blood flow grade and ring-like blood flow with Adler's method. Chi-square test and Fisher's test were performed to compare the results of sensitivity and specificity among four methods. Results Statistically significant differences in blood flow grade and ring-like blood flow were observed between benign and malignant renal tumors as detected by SMI and CEUS (P < 0.05), whereas no difference was found as detected by CDFI and PDFI (P > 0.05). The results indicated that the sensitivity and specificity of SMI (82.46%, 88.89%) and CEUS (84.21%, 88.89%) were higher than those of CDFI (42.11%, 66.67%) and PDFI (47.37%, 77.78%). Compared with the abilities of CDFI and PDFI, SMI and CEUS can better display the micro-blood flow in the tumors and evaluate the blood flow grading, which indicated that SMI and CEUS may have high values in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant solid renal tumors. Conclusion SMI and CEUS can improve the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of benign and malignant renal tumors and have a high application value.
High Biofidelity 3D Biomodel Reconstruction from Soft and Hard Tissues (Knee), FEM, and 3D Printing: A Three-Dimensional Methodological Proposal

The modelling of biological structures has allowed great advances in Engineering, Biology, and Medicine. In turn, these advances are seen from the design of footwear and sports accessories, to the design of prostheses, accessories and rehabilitation treatments. The reproduction of the various tissues has gone through an important evolution thanks to the development of computer systems and programs. However, knowledge of the medical-biological and engineering areas continues to be required, and it involves a considerable investment of time and resources. The resulting biomodels still require great precision. The present work shows a methodology that allows to optimize computational resources and reduce elaboration time of biomodels. Through this methodology, it is possible to generate a biomodel of high biofidelity of a human knee. This biomodel is constituted by hard tissues (cortical and trabecular bones) and soft tissues (ligaments and meniscus) resulting in the modelling of the lower third of the femur, the tibial plateaus, the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, external lateral ligament, interior lateral ligaments, and the meniscus. With this model and methodology, it is possible to perform numerical analyses that will provide results very similar to those of real life. As, the methodology allows to assign the mechanical properties to each tissue and the anatomical structure.
Blockade of Erythropoietin-Producing Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receptor B1 in Spinal Dorsal Horn Alleviates Visceral Pain in Rats

Objective This experiment was designed to determine whether erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph) receptors were involved in the development of visceral pain. Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups receiving different treatments (n = 16 per group): intracolonic vehicle (control group), intracolonic 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) (TNBS group), and intracolonic TNBS and intrathecal EphB1 receptor blocking reagent (TNBS + EphB2-Fc group). Visceral hyperalgesia was evaluated with quantification of visceral pain threshold induced by colorectal distention. The spinal expressions of EphB1 and ephrinB2 and levels of their phosphorylated forms (p-EphB1 and p-ephrinB2) were assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Results The TNBS-treated rats developed significant visceral hyperalgesia. The spinal expressions of EphB1, p-EphB1, ephrinB2, and p-ephrinB2 were significantly increased in the TNBS group compared with the control group, but visceral hyperalgesia and elevation of spinal EphB1 and p-EphB1 expressions were evidently alleviated by intrathecal administration of EphB2-Fc in the TNBS + EphB2-Fc group. The number of EphB1- and p-EphB1-immunopositive cells, the average optical (AO) value of EphB1, and its phosphorylated form in the spinal dorsal horn were significantly increased in the TNBS group than in the control group, but they were obviously reduced by intrathecal administration of EphB2-Fc. There were no significant differences in the number of ephrinB2- and p-ephrinB2-immunopositive cells and the AO value of ephrinB2 and its phosphorylated form between the TNBS and TNBS + EphB2-Fc groups. Conclusion EphB1 receptors in the spinal dorsal horn play a pivotal role in the development of visceral pain and may be considered as a potential target for the treatment of visceral pain.
Effect of Perioperative Tranexamic Acid on Allogeneic Blood Transfusions for Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients at a Community Hospital

Introduction Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to be a cost-effective method for reducing blood loss and postoperative transfusions in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at tertiary care centers. However, the efficacy of TXA has not been studied in community hospitals, and the potential cost savings may be especially beneficial for these institutions. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of TXA in reducing postoperative transfusions and blood loss following TKA at a community hospital. Methods Institutional approval was obtained for the retrospective review of a consecutive series of patients that underwent a total knee arthroplasty procedure between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019. Patients undergoing bilateral TKA were excluded from the analysis, yielding a total of 190 TKA procedures of which 131 patients received TXA. Fisher's exact test was conducted to compare rates of transfusion between the groups. A difference in difference analysis was conducted to assess TXA’s effect on patient hemoglobin levels (Hgb) on postoperative Days 1 and 2. All analyses were conducted using R studio (Vienna, Austria). A p-value of 0.05 was set as the threshold for statistical significance. Results There was no difference in group characteristics in terms of age (70 years vs 68 years, p=0.17; no-TXA vs TXA, respectively). Fisher's exact test revealed no difference in the rates of allogeneic transfusion between TKA patients who did not receive a TXA and TKA patients who received a TXA (3.4% vs 0.8%; p=0.228). However, our difference in differences analysis revealed that TXA patients had a mean reduction in hemoglobin (Hgb)-related blood loss of 0.876 Hgb/dl (95% CI: 0.56 to 1.19; p<0.001) between the preoperative period and postoperative Day 1. Similarly, our difference in differences analysis revealed a mean reduction in Hgb-related blood loss of 0.972 Hgb/dl (95% CI: 0.593 to 1.349; p<0.001) between the preoperative period and postoperative Day 2. Conclusion The present study shows TXA to be effective for reducing blood loss and transfusions following TKAs performed at a small community hospital. Given the cost-savings previously reported with TXA use, as well as the medical benefits reported in this study, TXA may have a niche in small community hospitals where cost savings from reduced transfusions and shorter hospital stays are important. Further studies should assess the exact amount of financial savings from TXA utilization in small community hospitals.
Optimization of Organosolv Based Fractionation Process for Separation of High Purity Lignin from Bagasse

Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable source for sustainable production of fuels, chemicals, and other materials with the advantages on its carbon-neutral nature. Fractionation of lignocellulosic materials is a pre-requisite in the biorefinery process in order to convert the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin to valuable products with maximized economics prospective. In this work, a modified clean fractionation (CF) process using ternary mixture system of ethyl acetate/methanol/water was studied with the use of acid promoters. H2SO4 was found to be the efficient promoter due to low cost compare to other acid promoters. The optimal fractionation conditions operated in the solvent mixture containing 0.025 M H2SO4 at 160°C for 50 min led to 63.72% recovery of the cellulose in the solid pulp while 90% and 59.94% of hemicellulose-derived products and lignin were recovered in the aqueous-alcohol and organic fractions, respectively. The enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose-enriched pulp was increased, resulting increasing glucose yield from 38.32% of the native biomass to 70.04% using the hydrolysis reaction with Cellic Ctech2® at 15 FPU/g. The work demonstrated the applicability of the modified CF process for fractionation of lignocellulose components for integrated biorefinery process.
Effects of Overweight and Obesity on Running Mechanics in Children

ABSTRACT Although obesity has been linked to several differences in walking mechanics, few studies have examined movement mechanics of overweight and obese (OW/OB) children performing higher impact activities, such as running. Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine differences in running mechanics between healthy weight (HW) children and children classified as OW/OB. Methods Forty-two children (17 OW/OB, 25 HW) ran overground while kinematic and kinetic data were recorded using a motion capture system and force plate. Kinematic variables of interest included stance time, step length, and frontal and sagittal plane joint angles and excursions at the hip, knee, and ankle. Kinetic variables of interest included ground reaction forces and hip, knee, and ankle moments in the sagittal and frontal planes. Results The OW/OB group spent more time in stance, took shorter steps, displayed less hip flexion during the first half of stance, had greater ankle inversion at foot strike, had greater knee abduction throughout stance, and had smaller knee flexion, knee adduction, and hip adduction excursions. In comparing unscaled ground reaction forces, the OW/OB group displayed greater peak vertical force, vertical impact peaks, and vertical loading rates. The OW/OB group also displayed greater unscaled plantar and dorsiflexion moments, knee flexion and extension moments, ankle inversion moments, and knee and hip abduction moments. Conclusion These data suggest that increased body weight in children is associated with changes in running mechanics. Higher joint moments and ground reaction forces may indicate increased injury risk or the development of joint degeneration among overweight/obese children.
Does supplementation with leucine-enriched protein alone and in combination with fish-oil-derived n–3 PUFA affect muscle mass, strength, physical performance, and muscle protein synthesis in well-nourished older adults? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

ABSTRACT Background Leucine-enriched protein (LEU-PRO) and long-chain (LC) n–3 (ω–3) PUFAs have each been proposed to improve muscle mass and function in older adults, whereas their combination may be more effective than either alone. Objective The impact of LEU-PRO supplementation alone and combined with LC n–3 PUFAs on appendicular lean mass, strength, physical performance and myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) was investigated in older adults at risk of sarcopenia. Methods This 24-wk, 3-arm parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 107 men and women aged ≥65 y with low muscle mass and/or strength. Twice daily, participants consumed a supplement containing either LEU-PRO (3 g leucine, 10 g protein; n = 38), LEU-PRO plus LC n–3 PUFAs (0.8 g EPA, 1.1 g DHA; LEU-PRO+n–3; n = 38), or an isoenergetic control (CON; n = 31). Appendicular lean mass, handgrip strength, leg strength, physical performance, and circulating metabolic and renal function markers were measured pre-, mid-, and postintervention. Integrated rates of MyoPS were assessed in a subcohort (n = 28). Results Neither LEU-PRO nor LEU-PRO+n–3 supplementation affected appendicular lean mass, handgrip strength, knee extension strength, physical performance or MyoPS. However, isometric knee flexion peak torque (treatment effect: −7.1 Nm; 95% CI: −12.5, −1.8 Nm; P < 0.01) was lower postsupplementation in LEU-PRO+n–3 compared with CON. Serum triacylglycerol and total adiponectin concentrations were lower, and HOMA-IR was higher, in LEU-PRO+n–3 compared with CON postsupplementation (all P < 0.05). Estimated glomerular filtration rate was higher and cystatin c was lower in LEU-PRO and LEU-PRO+n–3 postsupplementation compared with CON (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not observe a beneficial effect of LEU-PRO supplementation alone or combined with LC n–3 PUFA supplementation on appendicular lean mass, strength, physical performance or MyoPS in older adults at risk of sarcopenia. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03429491.
Phenolic Compounds from the Leaves of Eucalyptus microcorys F. Muell.

A new acylated glycoside, 4-O-(4’,6’-di-O-galloyl--D-glucopyranosyl)-trans-p-coumaric acid, named microcoryn (1), together with sixteen known phenolic compounds, 5-O-(6'-O-galloyl--D-glucopyranosyl)-gentisic acid (2), ellagic acid (3), gallic acid (4), kaempferol (5), quercetin (6), 3-O-galloyl--D-glucose (7), 2,3,6-tri-O-galloyl--D-glucose (8), 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-galloyl--D-glucose (9), 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl--D-glucose (10), 4,6-hexahydroxydiphenoyl--Dglucose (11), gemin D (12), tellimagrandin I (13), tellimagrandin II (14), isocoriariin F (15), oenothein C (16), and oenothein B (17) were isolated from the leaves of Eucalyptus microcorys. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic data, especially by 2D NMR techniques. This is the first phytochemical investigation of this plant’s leaf extract.