Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uterine Morcellation for Presumed Leiomyomas: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 822.

ABSTRACT Morcellation is a surgical technique used to reduce the size of the uterus or myomas by creating smaller pieces to allow the tissue to be removed through small incisions or with laparoscopic instruments. Open (uncontained) morcellation of the uterus and myomas has been scrutinized because of the possible spread of an unsuspected leiomyosarcoma while using a power morcellator during a hysterectomy or myomectomy for presumed symptomatic uterine leiomyomas. Before considering morcellation of the uterus, a woman should be evaluated to determine if she is at increased risk of malignancy of the uterine corpus. Morcellation of a malignancy is contraindicated and women should be evaluated preoperatively to identify malignancy. However, leiomyosarcoma cannot be reliably diagnosed preoperatively; thus, there is a risk that a woman with a presumed leiomyoma may have a malignancy that may be spread through morcellation, leading to a potentially worsened prognosis. Although an abdominal hysterectomy or myomectomy may reduce the chance of spreading cancer cells in women with undiagnosed leiomyosarcoma, it is associated with increased morbidity when compared with minimally invasive approaches. The obstetrician-gynecologist and patient should engage in shared decision making, including informed consent, explaining the risks and benefits of each approach to surgery for presumed leiomyomas, the risks and benefits of morcellation, and alternatives to morcellation.
Lower implicit self-esteem as a pathway linking childhood abuse to depression and suicidal ideation

Abstract Identifying the potential pathways linking childhood abuse to depression and suicidal ideation is critical for developing effective interventions. This study investigated implicit self-esteem—unconscious valenced self-evaluation—as a potential pathway linking childhood abuse with depression and suicidal ideation. A sample of youth aged 8–16 years (N = 240) completed a self-esteem Implicit Association Test (IAT) and assessments of abuse exposure, and psychopathology symptoms, including depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and externalizing symptoms. Psychopathology symptoms were re-assessed 1–3 years later. Childhood abuse was positively associated with baseline and follow-up depression symptoms and suicidal ideation severity, and negatively associated with implicit self-esteem. Lower implicit self-esteem was associated with both depression and suicidal ideation assessed concurrently and predicted significant increases in depression and suicidal ideation over the longitudinal follow-up period. Lower implicit self-esteem was also associated with baseline anxiety, externalizing symptoms, and a general psychopathology factor (i.e. p-factor). We found an indirect effect of childhood abuse on baseline and follow-up depression symptoms and baseline suicidal ideation through implicit self-esteem. These findings point to implicit self-esteem as a potential mechanism linking childhood abuse to depression and suicidal ideation.
Controlled synthesis and functionalization of PEGylated methacrylates bearing cyclic carbonate pendant groups

Homopolymer bearing cyclic carbonate (CC) group, ABA type triblock copolymers, and (AC)B(AC) type terpolymers with statistical arrangement of A and C monomers bearing side chain CC groups are reported here. Difunctional poly(ethylene glycol) macroinitiators (PEGMIs) were prepared from PEG of three different molecular weights. PEGMIs were subsequently used for the preparation of polymers bearing CC pendant groups from cyclic carbonate methacrylate (CCMA) under atom transfer radical polymerization to yield polymers with low polydispersity index. Homopolymer and ABA type triblock copolymers were obtained by polymerizing CCMA monomer and (AC)B(AC) type statistical terpolymers were obtained when methyl methacrylate was included as a comonomer. No polymer was obtained when styrene was used as comonomer. The cyclic carbonate groups were subjected to ring-opening reaction with monoamine to yield side chain hydroxyurethane polymers with increased solubility and diamines to yield crosslinked insoluble materials. Changes in wettability characteristics were studied by following the water contact angle of the polymers before and after ring-opening reaction involving the cyclic carbonate pendant group. The polymers which composed of electrolyte in the form of PEG and coordinating species in the form of pendant cyclic carbonate groups showed conductivity in the range of 2-5 x 10 -6 Scm -1 at 23 °C after doping with lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide as characterized by impedance spectroscopy.
A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Analysis of Oncologic Outcomes for Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Undergoing Platinum-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Objective: To evaluated the oncologic outcomes associated with platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy following concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in the management of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Methods: A total of 695 patients with FIGO stage IB2, IIA2, IIB-IVA LACC treated at 6 medical facilities were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: 478 were assigned to CCRT alone (CCRT group) and 217 to adjuvant chemotherapy after CCRT (CCRT-ACT group). The treatment outcomes were retrospectively compared and reported after the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Results: With a median follow-up of 56.4 months, no statistically significant differences were found in overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and distance metastasis-free survival (DMFS) between 2 groups. In CCRT-ACT group, patients with lymph nodes involvement or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) had significantly longer DMFS, but no significant benefit in survival outcomes were observed with more than 2 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. Moreover, patients with a high level of CA125 (>20.5U/mL) or SCC-Ag (>22.8μg/L) had a relatively better DFS or PFS, and grade 3-4 acute hematological toxicity, late urinary and lower gastrointestinal complications and diarrhea symptom were more frequent in CCRT-ACT group. Conclusions: Adjuvant chemotherapy after CCRT has a potential role in further improving disease control for LACC patients with lymph nodal-metastasis or SCC with a high level of CA125 or SCC-Ag. Due to increased treatment-related complications and diarrhea symptom affecting the quality of life, post-CCRT adjuvant chemotherapy with excessive cycles was not be considered as the most appropriate choice in general.
Cell spheroids as a versatile research platform: formation mechanisms, high throughput production, characterization and applications

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture has tremendous advantages to closely mimic the in vivo architecture and microenvironment of healthy tissue and organs, as well as of solid tumors. Spheroids are currently the most attractive 3D model to produce uniform reproducible cell structures as well as a potential basis for engineering large tissues and complex organs. In this review we discuss, from an engineering perspective, processes to obtain uniform 3D cell spheroids, comparing dynamic and static cultures and considering aspects such as mass transfer and shear stress. In addition, computational and mathematical modeling of complex cell spheroid systems are discussed. The non-cell-adhesive hydrogel-based method and dynamic cell culture in bioreactors are focused in detail and the myriad of developed spheroid characterization techniques is presented. The main bottlenecks and weaknesses are discussed, especially regarding the analysis of morphological parameters, cell quantification and viability, gene expression profiles, metabolic behavior and high-content analysis. Finally, a vast set of applications of spheroids as tools for in vitro study model systems is examined, including drug screening, tissue formation, pathologies development, tissue engineering and biofabrication, 3D bioprinting and microfluidics, together with their use in high-throughput platforms.
On the Quadrupole Moment of the Hydrogen Molecule

Various matrix elements of the quadrupole moment of H2 in the ground electronic state are calculated in the adiabatic approximation and the results are presented in Table II. These matrix elements are of the form , where v, J and v′, J′ denote the vibrational and rotational quantum numbers of the initial and final states, respectively; Q represents the quadrupole moment for fixed nuclei. The calculations are based on the adiabatic potential and electronic quadrupole moment computed by Koℏos and Wolniewicz. The results of the calculations are compared with experimental values obtained from the quadrupole absorption spectrum by Fink, Wiggins, and Rank. The influence of the rotation—vibration interaction on the matrix elements is discussed and an estimate of the contribution due to nonadiabatic effects is given for the case Δv=0.
A Clinical Tool (CUE-tool) for Health Care Professionals to Assess the Usability and Quality of the Content of Medical Information Websites: Electronic Delphi Study

Background As patients are increasingly searching for information about their medical condition on the internet, there is a need for health professionals to be able to guide patients toward reliable and suitable information sources on the internet. Objective The aim of the study was to develop a clinical tool for health care professionals to assess the usability and quality of the content of websites containing medical information that could be recommended to patients. Methods A 3-round modified electronic Delphi (eDelphi) study was conducted with 20 health care professionals. Results In round one of the eDelphi study, of the 68 items initially created, 41 items (29 on usability and 12 on content) were rated as important or very important by more than half of the panel and thus selected for further evaluation in round two. In round two, of the 41 items chosen from round 1, 19 were selected (9 on usability and 10 on content) as important or very important by more than half of the panel for further evaluation. As a result of round three, 2 items were combined as a single item, leaving the instrument with 18 items in total (8 on usability and 10 on content). The tool is freely accessible online. Conclusions The CUE-tool can be used to (1) evaluate the usability and reliability of the content of websites before recommending them to patients as a good information source; (2) identify websites that do not have reliable content or may be difficult for patients to use; (3) develop quality websites by using the criteria in the CUE-tool; and (4) identify different qualities between different websites.
Natural Mucosal Barriers and COVID-19 in Children

COVID-19 is more benign in children compared to adults for unknown reasons. This contrasts with viruses such as influenza where disease manifestations are often more severe in children1. We hypothesized that a more robust early innate immune response to SARS-CoV-2 may protect against severe disease and compared clinical outcomes, viral copies and cellular gene and protein expression in nasopharyngeal swabs from 12 children and 27 adults upon presentation to the Emergency Department. SARS-CoV-2 copies were similar, but compared to adults, children displayed higher expression of genes associated with interferon signaling, NLRP3 inflammasome, and other innate pathways. Higher levels of IFN-alpha2, IFN-gamma, IP-10, IL-8, and IL-1beta were detected in nasal fluid in children versus adults. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG were detected in nasal fluid from both groups and correlated negatively with mucosal IL-18. These findings suggest that a more robust innate immune response in children compared to adults contributes to favorable clinical outcomes.
Preparation of multicolor emitting carbon dots for HeLa cell imaging

We have synthesized biocompatible fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) by a one-step hydrothermal method using Solanum tuberosum (potato) as a raw material. The CDs were characterized by UV-visible, fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic (HR-TEM) techniques. We found that the carbonization of potato at ∼170 °C for 12 h produces highly fluorescent CDs of 0.2–2.2 nm size. The synthesized CDs are well dispersed in water and exhibited strong blue and bright blue emissions under UV illumination (λex = 302, 365 nm). The CDs showed a strong emission peak at 455 nm at an excitation wavelength of 374 nm. The CDs acted as fluorescent probes for multicolor (blue, green and red) imaging of HeLa cells and the CDs did not induce cell death, which indicates that the CDs are biocompatible and nontoxic to HeLa cells. Therefore, the CDs can be used as probes for cell-imaging applications in vitro and in vivo.
Influence of Ionic Liquid Structure on Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes Effectiveness in Carbon Dioxide/Methane Separation

This paper indicates the possibility of application of imidazolium ionic liquids immobilized in polymeric supports—supported ionic liquid membranes—in CO2 separation from gaseous streams (e.g., biogas). Imidazolium salts containing alkyl fluoride anions, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and trifluoromethanesulfonate, selectively separating CO2 were used. The permeability of CO2 through membranes was investigated under gas pressure of 30 kPa and temperature range 283–298 K. Permeability values occurred to be higher for ionic liquids containing bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion. Moreover, CO2 permeability exhibited an increase with increasing temperature for all investigated systems. Stability of supported ionic liquid membranes was studied. In total, polypropylene membrane revealed the best properties, mechanical stability and observed wettability of this support were better than for polyamide and polyvinylidene fluoride ones. Polyethersulfone supports showed similar contact angles; however, its mechanical stability was significantly lower. Obtained results allowed to evaluate the effectiveness of separation process using selected ILs and supports.
Base stable quaternary ammonium ionic liquids

Ionic liquids with the bis(2-ethylhexyl)dimethylammonium cation, [BEDMA]+, were prepared by a halide-free route starting from the readily available secondary amine bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine. The following anions were considered: chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, hydrogensulphate, dihydrogenphosphate, formate, acetate, propionate, trifluoroacetate, methyl sulphate, methanesulphonate, tosylate, isonicotinate, nicotinate and picolinate. Several of the compounds are room-temperature ionic liquids, albeit with a high viscosity. All ionic liquids are soluble in water. The ionic liquids are very stable in strongly alkaline medium. No signs of decomposition could be observed by contact of the chloride ionic liquid with 50 wt% sodium hydroxide, even after prolonged heating at 80 °C. The high stability against strong bases is attributed to the branched structure of the quaternary ammonium cation, which blocks the Hofmann elimination reaction.
Lumbopelvic Control and the Development of Upper Extremity Injury in Professional Baseball Pitchers

Background: The baseball-throwing motion requires a sequential order of motions and forces initiating in the lower limbs and transferring through the trunk and ultimately to the upper extremity. Any disruption in this sequence can increase the forces placed on subsequent segments. No research has examined if baseball pitchers with less lumbopelvic control are more likely to develop upper extremity injury than pitchers with more control. Purpose: To determine if baseball pitchers who sustain a chronic upper extremity injury have less lumbopelvic control before their injury compared with a group of pitchers who do not sustain an injury. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 49 asymptomatic, professional baseball pitchers from a single Major League Baseball organization participated. Lumbopelvic control was measured using an iPod-based digital level secured to a Velcro belt around each player’s waist to measure anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) deviations (degrees) during single-leg balance with movement and static bridge maneuvers. During a competitive season, 22 of these pitchers developed upper extremity injuries, while the remaining 27 sustained no injuries. Separate 2-tailed t-tests were run to determine if there were significant differences in lumbopelvic control between groups (P < .05). Results: There were no significant between-group differences for the stride leg (nondominant) during the bridge test in either the AP (P = .79) or the ML (P = .42) directions, or either direction during the drive leg bridge test (P > .68). However, the injured group had significantly less lumbopelvic control than the noninjured group during stride leg balance in both the AP (P = .03) and the ML (P = .001) directions and for drive leg balance in both the AP (P = .01) and the ML (P = .04) directions. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that baseball pitchers with diminished lumbopelvic control, particularly during stride leg and drive leg single-leg balance with movement, had more upper extremity injuries than those with more control. Clinicians should consider evaluating lumbopelvic control in injury prevention protocols and provide appropriate exercises for restoring lumbopelvic control before returning athletes to competition after injury. Specific attention should be given to testing and exercises that mimic a single-limb balance task.
Dynamic detection of caspase-3 activation during photosensitization by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Apoptosis is one of the important modes in PDT-induced cell death. Activation of caspase-3 is considered to be the final step in many apoptosis pathways. In this study, we used SCAT3, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probe containing caspase-3 substrate, to study the dynamics of caspase-3 activation in living ASTC-a-1 cells expressing stably SCAT3. The FRET analysis results indicated that caspase-3 activation in response to tumor necrosis factor-α or PDT resulted in cleavage of the linker peptide and subsequent disruption of the FRET signal. The SCAT3 was cleaved immediately after PDT treatment, but that for TNF-a treatment was delayed two hours. Our experimental results suggested that the different apoptotic pathways induced by TNF-α or PDT caused different cleavage kinetics of SCAT3. This study shows that FRET technique based on GFPs could be used to study the mechanism of PDT-induced apoptosis in living cells.
Neuronal and glial CSF biomarkers in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with inflammatory demyelination and astroglial activation, with neuronal and axonal damage as the leading factors of disability. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to determine changes in CSF levels of neuronal and glial biomarkers, including neurofilament light chain (NFL), total tau (t-tau), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and S100B in various groups of MS (MS versus controls, clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) versus controls, CIS versus MS, relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) versus progressive MS (PMS), and MS in relapse versus remission. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, we included 64 articles in the meta-analysis, including 4071 subjects. For investigation of sources of heterogeneity, subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis were conducted. Meta-analyses were performed for comparisons including at least three individual datasets. NFL, GFAP, t-tau, CHI3L1, and S100B were higher in MS and NFL, t-tau, and CHI3L1 were also elevated in CIS patients than controls. CHI3L1 was the only marker with higher levels in MS than CIS. GFAP levels were higher in PMS versus RRMS, and NFL, t-tau, and CHI3L1 did not differ between different subtypes. Only levels of NFL were higher in patients in relapse than remission. Meta-regression showed influence of sex and disease severity on NFL and t-tau levels, respectively and disease duration on both. Added to the role of these biomarkers in determining prognosis and treatment response, to conclude, they may serve in diagnosis of MS and distinguishing different subtypes.
Controlled radical polymerization of N-vinylcaprolactam mediated by xanthate or dithiocarbamate

Controlled radical polymerization of N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization or macromolecular design via the interchange of xanthate (MADIX) was described, employing 2-diphenylthiocarbamoylsulfanyl-2-methyl-propionic acid (CTA1), ((O-ethylxanthyl)methyl)benzene (CTA2) and (1-(O-ethylxanthyl)ethyl)benzene (CTA3) as chain transfer agents (CTA). It was found that all the CTAs led to controlled radical polymerization of NVCL, with the molecular weight increased along with the conversion of monomer and a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution could be obtained, as determined with matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), the polydispersity indices, as determined by MALDI-TOF, were typically on the order of 1.24, but the polymerization did not proceed in a strictly living manner. The chain transfer ability of these CTAs was in the following order: CTA1 ≈ CTA2 < CTA3. MALTI-TOF measurement showed that the major population of polymer retained the chain-end functional group, but minor population deactivated by radical coupling. In preparation of the block copolymer of NVCL and vinyl acetate (VAc) by sequential polymerization, the sequence of monomer addition was important. Using VAc as the first monomer could lead to a block copolymer presenting a unimodal GPC trace and a narrow PDI index, and if NVCL was used as the first monomer, the polymerization was less well controlled. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3756–3765, 2008