Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observation of Gonio Structures during Microhook Ab Interno Trabeculotomy Using a Novel Digital Microscope with Integrated Intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose Observation of ocular structures using microscope-integrated intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT) has been adopted. Using the novel digital ophthalmic microscope, ARTEVO 800 with iOCT, we tested the feasibility of trabecular meshwork (TM) imaging during microhook ab interno trabeculotomy, a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Methods The nasal and temporal sides of the TM/inner wall of Schlemm's canal were incised more than 3 clock hours in 14 glaucomatous eyes of 10 patients. To observe the trabeculotomy site, iOCT was performed with the real-time five-line scan mode under observation using a Swan-Jacob gonioprism lens. The success of the imaging and visibility of the trabeculotomy cleft and its incisional patterns (i.e., anterior, middle, or posterior pattern) were determined by reviewing the iOCT video files. Results OCT images of the region of interest were acquired successfully in 100% of the 28 nasal or temporal sides in 14 eyes, although the trabeculotomy cleft was not visualized in four (14%) sides due to blockage of the OCT signal by a blood clot. Based on the predominant locations of the TM flaps in 24 of the acquired images, the trabeculotomy clefts were classified as anterior incisional patterns in 13 (54%), middle incisional patterns in nine (38%), and posterior incisional patterns in two (8%). Conclusion Intraoperative imaging of the gonio structures including the trabeculotomy cleft was feasible using the ARTEVO 800 with iOCT in combination with a gonioprism.
A voxel-based analysis of cerebral blood flow abnormalities in obsessive-compulsive disorder using pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling MRI

Objective To identify abnormalities of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by conducting a voxel-based analysis of pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) perfusion images. Materials and methods This prospective study included 23 OCD patients (nine males, 14 females; age 21–62 years; mean ± SD 37.2 ± 10.7 years) diagnosed based on DSM-IV-TR criteria and 64 healthy controls (27 males, 37 females; age 20–64 years; mean ± SD 38.3 ± 12.8 years). Subjects were recruited from October 2011 to August 2017. Imaging was performed on a 3T scanner. Quantitative rCBF maps generated from pCASL images were co-registered and resliced with the three-dimensional T1-weighted images, and then spatially normalized to a brain template and smoothed. We used statistical nonparametric mapping to assess the differences in rCBF and gray matter volume between the OCD and control groups. The significance level was set at the p-value <0.05 with family-wise error rate correction for multiple comparisons. Results Compared to the control group, there were significant rCBF reductions in the right putamen, right frontal operculum, left midcingulate cortex, and right temporal pole in the OCD group. There were no significant between-group differences in the gray matter volume. Conclusion The pCASL imaging noninvasively detected physiologically disrupted areas without structural abnormalities in OCD patients. The rCBF reductions observed in these regions in OCD patients could be associated with the pathophysiology of OCD.
Psoriasis and Risk of Uveitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Uveitis is a known ophthalmologic manifestation of seronegative spondyloarthropathy, including psoriatic arthritis. However, the data is less clear among patients with psoriasis due to the limited number of published studies. Aims To investigate whether the risk of incident and prevalent uveitis is elevated among patients with psoriasis using systematic review and meta-analysis technique. Methods The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched from their inception to May 2019. Eligible studies must have included a psoriasis group and a nonpsoriasis group. Eligible studies must also have investigated for prevalent or incident uveitis, and the magnitude of difference between the study groups must have been reported. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using random-effect generic inverse variance methods. Results Of 7,107 potentially eligible articles from the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, 7 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Two of those studies compared the incidence, and 5 studies compared the prevalence of uveitis between the psoriasis and nonpsoriasis groups. For incident uveitis, a total of 5,865,801 patients (222,083 with psoriasis and 5,643,718 without psoriasis) were analyzed. For prevalent uveitis, a total of 1,343,436 patients (37,891 with psoriasis and 1,305,545 without psoriasis) were studied. The risk of incident uveitis was significantly higher among patients with psoriasis with a pooled risk ratio of 1.23 (95% CI: 1.05-1.45, I2 = 55%). The risk of prevalent uveitis was also significantly higher among patients with psoriasis with a pooled risk ratio of 1.97 (95% CI: 1.68-2.31, I2 = 0%). Conclusions The results of this study revealed significantly increased risk of both prevalent and incident uveitis among patients with psoriasis.
The digestibility and voluntary intake of the leaves of trees and shrubs by sheep and goats

The dried leaves of four species of shrub (Atriplex vesicaria, A. nummularia, Maireana pyramidata and Bassia diacantha) and four species of tree (Acacia pendula, Casuarina cristata, Geijera parvifora and Heterodendrum oleifolium) that are common to western New South Wales were fed to either sheep or goats to determine their digestibility. Four species were of low digestibility (< 50%) and one (C. cristata) had a digestibility of only 29%. Those of higher digestibility (A. nummularia 69%, M. pyramidata 58%, G. parviflora 59%) were only eaten sparingly: Digestibility alone gave a poor assessment of forage value because there was no correspondence between digestibility and organic matter intake. The intake of C. cristata (lowest digestibility) was much greater than that of A. nummularia or G. parviflora (highest digestibilities). There was good agreement (within 1 or 2 digestibility units) between in oitro (two-stage pepsin) and in vivo digestibility for six forages, but a greater disparity for M. pyramidata and H. oleifolium. For the trees the digestibility of cell wall constituents and acid-detergent fibre was low, in some cases less than 10%. This was not related to the amount of acid-detergent lignin in the fibre. Most samples were high in nitrogen (above 2%), which had a true digestibility ranging from 66 to 98%.
Selected Hematological Biomarkers to Predict Acute Mortality in Emergency Department Patients. Recent Polish Hospital Statistics

Background Complete blood count (CBC), red cell distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), or platelet (PLT) count are referred as predictors of adverse clinical outcomes in patients. The aim of the research was to identify potential factors of acute mortality in Polish emergency department (ED) patients by using selected hematological biomarkers and routine statistical tools. Methods The study presents statistical results on patients who were recently discharged from inpatient facilities within one month prior to the index ED visit. In total, the analysis comprised 14,881 patients with the first RDW, MPV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, or PLT biomarkers' measurements recorded in the emergency department within the years 2016–2019 with a subsequent one month of all-cause mortality observation. The patients were classified with the codes of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems after 10th Revision (ICD10). Results Based on the analysis of RDW, MPV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, and PLT on acute deaths in patients, we establish strong linear and quadratic relationships between the risk factors under study and the clinical response (P < 0.05), however, with different mortality courses and threats. In our statistical analysis, (1) gradient linear relationships were found for RDW and MPV along an entire range of the analyzed biomarkers' measurements, (2) following the quadratic modeling, an increasing risk of death above 95 fL was determined for MCV, and (3) no relation to excess death in ED patients was calculated for MCH, MCHC, and PLT. Conclusion The study shows that there are likely relationships between blood counts and expected patient mortality at some time interval from measurements. Up to 1 month of observation since the first measurement of an hematological biomarker, RDW and MPV stand for a strong relationship with acute mortality of patients, whereas MCV, MCH, MCHC, and PLT give the U-shaped association, RDW and MPV can be established as the stronger predictors of early deaths of patients, MCV only in the highest levels (>95 fL), whereas MCH, MCHC, and PLT have no impact on the excess acute mortality in ED patients.
Methylobacterium, a major component of the culturable bacterial endophyte community of wild Brassica seed

Background Plants are commonly colonized by a wide diversity of microbial species and the relationships created can range from mutualistic through to parasitic. Microorganisms that typically form symptomless associations with internal plant tissues are termed endophytes. Endophytes associate with most plant species found in natural and managed ecosystems. They are extremely important plant partners that provide improved stress tolerance to the host compared with plants that lack this symbiosis. Plant domestication has reduced endophyte diversity and therefore the wild relatives of many crop species remain untapped reservoirs of beneficial microbes. Brassica species display immense diversity and consequently provide the greatest assortment of products used by humans from a single plant genus important for agriculture, horticulture, bioremediation, medicine, soil conditioners, composting crops, and in the production of edible and industrial oils. Many endophytes are horizontally transmitted, but some can colonize the plant’s reproductive tissues, and this gives these symbionts an efficient mechanism of propagation via plant seed (termed vertical transmission). Methods This study surveyed 83 wild and landrace Brassica accessions composed of 14 different species with a worldwide distribution for seed-originating bacterial endophytes. Seed was stringently disinfected, sown within sterile tissue culture pots within a sterile environment and incubated. After approximately 1-month, direct isolation techniques were used to recover bacterial endophytes from roots and shoots of symptomless plants. Bacteria were identified based on the PCR amplification of partial 16S rDNA gene sequences and annotated using the BLASTn program against the NCBI rRNA database. A diversity index was used as a quantitative measure to reflect how many different bacterial species there were in the seed-originating microbial community of the Brassica accessions sampled. Results Bacterial endophytes were recovered from the majority of the Brassica accessions screened. 16S rDNA gene sequencing identified 19 different bacterial species belonging to three phyla, namely Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria with the most frequently isolated species being Methylobacterium fujisawaense, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila and Pseudomonas lactis. Methylobacterium was the dominant genus composing 56% of the culturable isolated bacterial community and was common in 77% of accessions possessing culturable bacterial endophytes. Two selected isolates of Methylobacterium significantly promoted plant growth when inoculated into a cultivar of oilseed rape and inhibited the growth of the pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans in dual culture. This is the first report that investigates the seed-originating endophytic microorganisms of wild Brassica species and highlights the Brassica microbiome as a resource for plant growth promoting bacteria and biological control agents.
Those who tan and those who don’t: A natural experiment on colorism

Are darker-skinned workers discriminated against in the labor market? Studies using survey data have shown that darker skin tone is associated with increased labor market disadvantages. However, it is hard to refute the possibility that other factors correlated with skin tones might affect employment outcomes. To overcome this inherent limitation, we use a natural experiment: we utilize changes in one’s own skin tone, generated by exposure to the sun, to explore the effect of skin tone on the tendency to be employed. We find that those people whose skin tone becomes darker by exposure to the sun (but not others) are less likely to be employed when the UV radiation in the previous three weeks in the area in which they reside is greater. These within-person findings hold even when controlling for the week, the year, the region, demographic characteristics and the occupation and industry one is employed in.
Comparison of kidney allograft survival in the Eurotransplant senior program after changing the allocation criteria in 2010—A single center experience

Aims The European Senior Program (ESP) aims to avoid waiting list competition between younger and elderly patients applying for renal transplantation. By listing patients ≥65 years on a separate waiting list and locally allocating of grafts ≥65 years exclusively to this cohort, waiting and cold ischemia times are predicted to be shortened, potentially resulting in improved kidney transplantation outcomes. This study compared a historic cohort of renal transplant recipients being simultaneously listed on the general and the ESP waiting lists with a collective exclusively listed on the ESP list in terms of surrogates of the transplantation outcome. Methods Total 151 eligible patients ≥ 65 years from Münster transplant Center, Germany, between 1999 and 2014 were included. Graft function, graft and patient survival were compared using surrogate markers of short- and long-term graft function. Patients were grouped according to their time of transplantation. Results Recipients and donors in the newESP (nESP) cohort were significantly older (69.6 ± 3.5 years vs 67.1 ± 2 years, p<0.05; 72.0 ± 5.0 years vs 70.3 ± 5.0 years, p = 0.039), had significantly shorter dialysis vintage (19.6 ± 21.7 months vs 60.2 ± 28.1 months, p<0.001) and suffered from significantly more comorbidities (2.2 ± 0.9 vs 1.8 ± 0.8, p = 0.009) than the historic cohort (HC). Five-year death-censored graft survival was better than in the HC, but 5-year graft and patient survival were better in the ESP cohort. After 2005, cold ischemia time between groups was comparable. nESP grafts showed more primary function and significantly better long-term graft function 18 months after transplantation and onwards. Conclusion nESP recipients received significantly older grafts, but experienced significantly shorter time on dialysis. Cold ischemia times were comparable, but graft function in the nESP cohort was significantly better in the long term.
Curcumin Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Regulating miR-21/TIMP3 Axis

Background/Aim Curcumin exhibits anticancer effects against various types of cancer including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). miR-21 has been reported to be involved in the malignant biological properties of HCC. However, whether miR-21 plays a role in curcumin-mediated treatment of HCC is unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential functions and mechanisms of miR-21 in curcumin-mediated treatment of HCC. Methods The anticancer effects of curcumin were assessed in vivo and in vitro. The underlying mechanism of miR-21 in curcumin-mediated treatment of HCC was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot, and Dual-Luciferase Reporter assays. Results The present study revealed that curcumin suppressed HCC growth in vivo and inhibited HCC cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Meanwhile, the curcumin treatment can downregulate miR-21 expression, upregulate TIMP3 expression, and inhibit the TGF-β1/smad3 signaling pathway. miR-21 inhibition enhanced the effect of curcumin on cell proliferation inhibition, apoptosis, and TGF-β1/smad3 signaling pathway inhibition in HepG2 and HCCLM3 cells. It demonstrated that TIMP3 was a direct target gene of miR-21. Interestingly, the effect of miR-21 inhibition on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and TGF-β1/smad3 signaling pathway in HepG2 and HCCLM3 cells exposed to curcumin was attenuated by TIMP3 silencing. Conclusion Taken together, the present study suggests that miR-21 is involved in the anticancer activities of curcumin through targeting TIMP3, and the mechanism possibly refers to the inhibition of TGF-β1/smad3 signaling pathway.
Relationships among commercial practices and author conflicts of interest in biomedical publishing

Recently, concerns have been raised over the potential impacts of commercial relationships on editorial practices in biomedical publishing. Specifically, it has been suggested that certain commercial relationships may make editors more open to publishing articles with author conflicts of interest (aCOI). Using a data set of 128,781 articles published in 159 journals, we evaluated the relationships among commercial publishing practices and reported author conflicts of interest. The 159 journals were grouped according to commercial biases (reprint services, advertising revenue, and ownership by a large commercial publishing firm). 30.6% (39,440) of articles were published in journals showing no evidence of evaluated commercial publishing relationships. 33.9% (43,630) were published in journals accepting advertising and reprint fees; 31.7% (40,887) in journals owned by large publishing firms; 1.2% (1,589) in journals accepting reprint fees only; and 2.5% (3,235) in journals accepting only advertising fees. Journals with commercial relationships were more likely to publish articles with aCOI (9.2% (92/1000) vs. 6.4% (64/1000), p = 0.024). In the multivariate analysis, only a journal’s acceptance of reprint fees served as a significant predictor (OR = 2.81 at 95% CI, 1.5 to 8.6). Shared control estimation was used to evaluate the relationships between commercial publishing practices and aCOI frequency in total and by type. BCa-corrected mean difference effect sizes ranged from -1.0 to 6.1, and confirm findings indicating that accepting reprint fees may constitute the most significant commercial bias. The findings indicate that concerns over the influence of industry advertising in medical journals may be overstated, and that accepting fees for reprints may constitute the largest risk of bias for editorial decision-making.
Modeling drug-resistant tuberculosis amplification rates and intervention strategies in Bangladesh

Tuberculosis (TB) is the seventh leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh. Although the National TB control program (NTP) of Bangladesh is implementing its nationwide TB control strategies, more specific and effective single or combination interventions are needed to control drug-susceptible (DS) and multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. In this study, we developed a two strain TB mathematical model with amplification and fit it to the Bangladesh TB data to understand the transmission dynamics of DS and MDR TB. Sensitivity analysis was used to identify important parameters. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of varying combinations of four basic control strategies including distancing, latent case finding, case holding and active case finding, all within the optimal control framework. From our fitting, the model with different transmission rates between DS and MDR TB best captured the Bangladesh TB reported case counts. The estimated basic reproduction number for DS TB was 1.14 and for MDR TB was 0.54, with an amplification rate of 0.011 per year. The sensitivity analysis also indicated that the transmission rates for both DS and MDR TB had the largest influence on prevalence. To reduce the burden of TB (both DS and MDR), our finding suggested that a quadruple control strategy that combines distancing control, latent case finding, case holding and active case finding is the most cost-effective. Alternative strategies can be adopted to curb TB depending on availability of resources and policy makers’ decisions.
Study on bio-inspired feet based on the cushioning and shock absorption characteristics of the ostrich foot

As the main actuator of high-speed running, the ostrich feet are highly capable of cushioning and shock absorption. In this study, based on the elastic modulus scales and assembly order of the 3rd toe soft tissues and the functions of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint, we designed fourteen bio-inspired feet. The impact process on loose sand was simulated on the finite element software Abaqus. Also the stress distributions and deformations of each component of the bio-inspired feet were clarified. With the peak acceleration as the index, the cushioning performances of the bio-inspired feet were compared on both loose sand and solid ground through height-variable impact tests. The 15-15-15 HA (hardness unit) bio-inspired foot showed lower peak acceleration and thereby better cushioning performance, but larger deformation, less-uniform stress distribution and thereby lower stability than the 15-35-55 HA bio-inspired foot. In fact, the silicon rubbers with different hardness degrees (which simulate the elasticity modulus scales of the digital cushions, fascia and skin) and the spring mechanism (which simulates the functions of the MTP joint) work as an “integrated system” of cushioning and shock absorption.
A combined analysis of morphological traits, chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences within Santiria trimera (Burseraceae) suggests several species following the Biological Species Concept

Species delimitation remains a difficult task in many groups of organisms. Even widespread and conspicuous tropical trees make no exception. Santiria trimera, an African rainforest tree, displays substantial morphological variability. While classical analysis of historical herbarium samples lead to the recognition of a single species, two morphotypes of S. trimera are regularly collected in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, sometimes in sympatry: one form with stilt roots (SR) and another form without stilt roots (NSR). To assess whether these forms constitute distinct taxa and to understand evolutionary processes within African Santiria, we combined a morphological and a spatial analysis of both sympatric morphotypes in northern Gabon with a phylogenetic analysis of samples from West and Central Africa, including the island of Sao Tome. In Gabon, morphological traits, chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA) sequences congruently lead to the recognition of two well differentiated and reproductively isolated taxa corresponding to SR and NSR morphotypes. However, rare cases of the SR morphotype bearing DNA sequences typical of NSR individuals suggest that hybridization might sometimes occur. No evidence for habitat specialization of the two taxa was found. DNA sequences from Sao Tome formed monophyletic clades at both marker types and the nuDNA gene tree suggests that the Sao Tome population probably originated from Central Africa and subsequently underwent allopatric differentiation from continental populations. In Central Africa, S. trimera is composed of at least two distinct sympatric species following the Biological Species Concept and calls for further morphological and phenological studies and experimental crosses between them to specify their taxonomic status. Our results also show that classical taxonomic species delimitation may not always be congruent with the Biological Species Concept, calling for more population-based in situ morphological and molecular genetic analyses. (Resume d'auteur)