Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF USE OF PLASTER CASTING VERSUS ELASTIC BANDAGE FOLLOWING CARPAL TUNNEL RELEASE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

Objective To compare the effects of two postoperative regimens following carpal tunnel release; plaster casting and elastic bandaging. Design A randomized controlled study. Patients Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and planned surgical carpal tunnel release were invited to participate. Methods A total of 94 patients were randomized to either plaster casting or elastic bandaging to be used 2 weeks postoperatively. Muscle strength, pain rated on a visual analogue scale, range of movement, sensibility, oedema, and different scores regarding symptoms and function were measured before and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 26 weeks after surgery. Results No differences were found between the 2 groups for any measurement, except for the DASH (Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) Health Score and daily function, rated 2 weeks postoperatively, in which the bandage group scored better. Both groups improved significantly over time for all measurements, sensibility was improved after 2 weeks, while strength was not fully recovered until week 26. Conclusion Following carpal tunnel release no benefits were found in using plaster casting, compared with elastic bandaging. Among these patients there was more discomfort during plaster casting compared with elastic bandaging; therefore plaster casting is not recommended following this type of surgery. LAY ABSTRACT No clear consensus exists regarding benefits of use of plaster casting following carpal tunnel release. This study aimed to compare two different postoperative regimens in a randomized controlled study. A total of 94 patients were randomized to either plaster casting or elastic bandage to be used for 2 weeks after surgery for carpal tunnel release. Muscle strength, rated pain, range of movement, sensibility, oedema, and different scores regarding symptoms and function were measured before and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 26 weeks after surgery. No differences were found between the 2 groups for any measurement, except for health score and rated daily function 2 weeks postoperatively, in which the bandage group scored better. Both groups improved significantly over time for all measurements, sensibility was improved after 2 weeks, while strength was not fully recovered until week 26. This study found no benefits, but some disadvantages, of plaster casting following carpal tunnel release, and therefore plaster casting is not recommended for these patients.
Corosolic acid inhibits colorectal cancer cells growth as a novel HER2/HER3 heterodimerization inhibitor

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. HER2 and HER3 are two members of human epidermal receptor family of tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs) and associated with poor survival in colorectal cancer. They have been observed as important therapeutic targets in various types of cancer. Corosolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpene, has been demonstrated to have a significant anti‐cancer activity. However, the target of corosolic acid has not yet been explored. This study aimed to reveal the direct targets of corosolic acid underlying its anti‐cancer activities.
A Novel Tri-Axial Piezoelectric MEMS Accelerometer with Folded Beams

Microelectromechanical (MEMS) piezoelectric accelerometers are diversely used in consumer electronics and handheld devices due to their low power consumption as well as simple reading circuit and good dynamic performance. In this paper, a tri-axial piezoelectric accelerometer with folded beams is presented. The four beam suspensions are located at two sides of the mass aligned with edges of the mass, and the thickness of the beams is the same as the thickness of the mass block. In order to realize the multi-axis detection, a total of 16 sensing elements are distributed at the end of the folded beams. The structural deformations, stress distribution, and output characteristics due to the acceleration in x-, y-, and z-axis directions are theoretically analyzed and simulated. The proposed accelerometer is fabricated by MEMS processes to form Mo/AlN/ScAlN/Mo piezoelectric stacks as the sensing layer. Experiments show that the charge sensitivity along the x-, y-, and z-axes could reach up to ~1.07 pC/g, ~0.66 pC/g, and ~3.35 pC/g. The new structure can provide inspiration for the design of tri-axial piezoelectric accelerometers with great sensitivity and linearity.
Comparative Analysis of Transcriptome and sRNAs Expression Patterns in the Brachypodium distachyon—Magnaporthe oryzae Pathosystems

The hemibiotrophic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (Mo) is the causative agent of rice blast and can infect aerial and root tissues of a variety of Poaceae, including the model Brachypodium distachyon (Bd). To gain insight in gene regulation processes occurring at early disease stages, we comparatively analyzed fungal and plant mRNA and sRNA expression in leaves and roots. A total of 310 Mo genes were detected consistently and differentially expressed in both leaves and roots. Contrary to Mo, only minor overlaps were observed in plant differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 233 Bd-DEGs in infected leaves at 2 days post inoculation (DPI), compared to 4978 at 4 DPI, and 138 in infected roots. sRNA sequencing revealed a broad spectrum of Mo-sRNAs that accumulated in infected tissues, including candidates predicted to target Bd mRNAs. Conversely, we identified a subset of potential Bd-sRNAs directed against fungal cell wall components, virulence genes and transcription factors. We also show a requirement of operable RNAi genes from the DICER-like (DCL) and ARGONAUTE (AGO) families for fungal virulence. Overall, our work elucidates the extensive reprogramming of transcriptomes and sRNAs in both plant host (Bd) and fungal pathogen (Mo), further corroborating the critical role played by sRNA species in the establishment of the interaction and its outcome.
Plasticity-Related Activity in the Hippocampus, Anterior Cingulate, Orbitofrontal, and Prefrontal Cortex Following a Repeated Treatment with D2/D3 Agonist Quinpirole

Quinpirole (QNP) sensitization is a well-established model of stereotypical checking relevant to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Previously, we found that QNP-treated rats display deficits in hippocampus-dependent tasks. The present study explores the expression of immediate early genes (IEG) during QNP-induced stereotypical checking in the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Adult male rats were injected with QNP (0.5 mg/mL/kg; n = 15) or saline (n = 14) daily for 10 days and exposed to an arena enriched with two objects. Visits to the objects and the corners of the arena were recorded. QNP-treated rats developed an idiosyncratic pattern of visits that persisted across experimental days. On day 11, rats were exposed to the arena twice for 5 min and sacrificed. The expression of IEGs Arc and Homer1a was determined using cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity by fluorescence in situ hybridization. IEG-positive nuclei were counted in the CA1 area of the hippocampus, ACC, OFC, and mPFC. We found significantly fewer IEG-positive nuclei in the CA1 in QNP-treated rats compared to controls. The overlap between IEG expressing neurons was comparable between the groups. We did not observe significant differences in IEG expression between QNP treated and control rats in ACC, OFC, and mPFC. In conclusion, treatment of rats with quinpirole decreases plasticity-related activity in the hippocampus during stereotypical checking.
Refinement of an Amesite-2H1 Polytype from Postmasburg, South Africa

The crystal structure of amesite-2H1 from the Postmasburg Mn ores of South Africa has been refined to R = 4.7% using Siemens P4 rotating-anode MoKα X-ray data and SHELXL-93 software. Partial ordering of tetrahedral Si,Al and especially of octahedral Mg,Al has reduced the ideal P63cm symmetry to triclinic P1 (refined as C1). Tetrahedral rotation of 15° moves the basal oxygens toward the octahedral cations in the same layer but away from the OH H-donors of the next layers. The ordering pattern of AlIV and AlVI is unique in that the locus of Al-rich sites consists of 2 intersecting sets of zigzag lines parallel to X2 and X3, plus 2 Al-rich octahedra in layer 2 instead of the usual 1 site.
Carotid Arterial Stiffness and Cerebral Blood Flow in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND Central arterial stiffness is an emerging risk factor of age-related cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that carotid arterial stiffness is associated with reduced cerebral blood flow (CBF) and increased cerebrovascular resistance (CVR) in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a prodromal stage of AD. METHODS Fifty-four patients with amnestic MCI and 24 cognitively normal subjects (CN) of similar age and sex to MCI patients underwent measurements of CBF and carotid β-stiffness index using ultrasonography and applanation tonometry. Total CBF was measured as the sum of CBF from both the internal carotid and vertebral arteries, and divided by total brain tissue mass (assessed with MRI) to obtain normalized CBF (nCBF). RESULTS Relative to CN subjects, MCI patients showed lower nCBF (53.3 ± 3.2 vs 50.4±3.4 mL/100 g/min, P < 0.001) and higher CVR (0.143 ± 0.019 vs 0.156 ± 0.023 mmHg/mL/min, P < 0.015). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that nCBF was negatively associated with carotid β-stiffness index (B = -0.822, P < 0.001); CVR was positively associated with carotid systolic pressure (B = 0.001, P < 0.001) after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and MCI status. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that carotid artery stiffening may contribute at least in part to the reduced nCBF and increased CVR in patients with MCI associated with augmented carotid arterial pulsatility.
Validation and Implementation of 4-domain Patient-reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) Tailored for Orthopedic Sports Medicine

Abstract The validation of a 4-domain PROM tailored to orthopedic sports medicine was performed through item generation, item scaling, validity and reliability testing, statistical analysis, as well as item reduction. Conbrach's alpha was used to verify item homogeneity, i. e. their accuracy or consistency. This PROM showed acceptable statistical accuracy and clinical applicability for a variety of surgical treatments, regardless of the anatomical injury sites. Moreover, this PROM considers the athletes’ primary physical demands in an non-injured baseline condition, their motivation to continue sports practice and participation, and the influence of sports practice on their quality of life. This 4-domain PROM tailored for orthopedic sports medicine appears to be a valid tool to assess athletes and high-performing practitioners with sports injuries, recording their perception of injury, expectations of treatment; evaluation of postoperative care and treatment received, and perceived outcomes compared to their pre-injury status of physical demands in sports activity. The tool is unique, allowing direct comparisons between athletes’ perception of pre-injury baseline, injury, treatment, and outcome. It will be a welcome adjunct to the sports medicine professional’s tool box when assessing athlete’s status and outcome after injury and intervention.
Role of MALDI-MSI in combination with 3D tissue models for early stage efficacy and safety testing of drugs and toxicants

ABSTRACT Introduction: Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures have become increasingly important materials to investigate biological processes and drug efficacy and toxicity. The ability of 3D cultures to mimic the physiology of primary tissues and organs in the human body enables further insight into cellular behavior and is hence highly desirable in early-stage drug development. Analyzing the spatial distribution of drug compounds and endogenous molecules provides an insight into the efficacy of a drug whilst simultaneously giving information on biological responses. Areas Covered: In this review we will examine the main 3D cell culture systems employed and applications, which describe their integration with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Expert Opinion: MSI is a powerful technique that can map a vast range of molecules simultaneously in tissues without the addition of labels that can provide insights into the efficacy and safety of a new drug. The combination of MSI and 3D cell cultures has emerged as a promising tool in early-stage drug analysis. However, the most common administration route for pharmaceutical drugs is via oral delivery. The use of MSI in combination with models of the GI tract is an area that has been little explored to date, the reasons for this are discussed.
EUROPART: EUROpean research program for the PARTitioning of minor actinides from high active wastes arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels

In many countries of the world, dealing with nuclear technology, the spent nuclear fuels are reprocessed in order to recycle uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) to make new fuels. The process used for reprocessing spent nuclear fuels is the PUREX process. Most of the Fission Products (FPs) and Minor Actinides (MAs: Np, Am and Cm) are immobilized in glass product. These High Level Wastes (HLW) will be stored in the future in underground geological repository. The definition of a geological repository is very complex because the MAs have radiotoxicity for more than 105 y (in the HLW glasses). Fig. 1 gives the radiotoxicity of an UOX nuclear spent fuel (33 GWd/t). If only FPs are vitrified in the HLW glasses, the definition of the geological repository will be simpler, because after 400 years the radiotoxicity of the HLW glasses will decrease by 105. After separation of MAs from the FPs, the MAs can be transmuted in FPs. For this transmutation of MAs, Nuclear Fast Reactors and a new system: ADS (Accelerator-Driven Subcritical System) will be conceived.
Variability of an early developmental cell population underlies stochastic laterality defects

Embryonic development seemingly proceeds with almost perfect precision. However, it is largely unknown how much microscopic variability is hidden beneath this macroscopic accuracy. Here, we quantified embryo-to-embryo variability in vertebrate development, by studying cell number variation in the zebrafish endoderm. We noticed that the size of a subpopulation of the endoderm, the dorsal forerunner cells (which later form the left-right organizer), is highly variable between individual embryos. We found that the frequency of left-right laterality defects is increased drastically in embryos with a low number of dorsal forerunner cells, and we observed that these fluctuations are largely nonhereditary. Hence, a stochastic variation in early development leads to a remarkably strong macroscopic phenotype. These fluctuations appear to be caused by variable deposition of maternal factors involved in specification of the dorsal forerunner cells. In summary, we here dissect cause and consequence of embryo-to-embryo variability in a vertebrate model.
Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes From Soft Tissue Sarcoma Have Tumor-specific Function.

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can generate durable clinical responses in patients with metastatic melanoma and ongoing trials are evaluating efficacy in other advanced solid tumors. The aim of this study was to develop methods for the expansion of tumor-reactive TIL from resected soft tissue sarcoma to a degree required for the ACT. From 2015 to 2018, 70 patients were consented to an institutional review board-approved protocol, and fresh surgical specimens were taken directly from the operating room to the laboratory. Fragments of the tumor (1 mm3) or fresh tumor digest were placed in culture for a period of 4 weeks. Successfully propagated TIL from these cultures were collected and analyzed by flow cytometry. TIL were cocultured with autologous tumor and function was assessed by measurement of interferon-γ in the supernatant by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Initial TIL cultures were further expanded using a rapid expansion protocol. Nearly all specimens generated an initial TIL culture (91% fragment method, 100% digest method). The phenotype of the TIL indicated a predominant CD3+ population after culture (43% fragment, 52% digest) and TIL were responsive to the autologous tumor (56% fragment, 40% digest). The cultured TIL expanded to a degree required for clinical use following rapid expansion protocol (median: 490-fold fragment, 403-fold digest). The data demonstrate the feasibility of TIL culture from fresh soft tissue sarcoma. The derived TIL have tumor-specific reactivity and can be expanded to clinically relevant numbers. An active ACT clinical trial using the methods described in this report is now approved for patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.
QTL Mapping and Candidate Gene Identification of Swollen Root Formation in Turnip

The swollen root is an important agronomic trait and is a determinant of yield for turnips, which are cultivated as both vegetables and fodder. However, the genetic mechanism of swollen root formation is poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the F2 and BC1P2 populations derived from a cross between “10601” (European turnip with swollen root, Brassica rapa ssp. rapifera, AA, 2n = 2× = 20) and “10603” (Chinese cabbage with normal root, Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, AA, 2n = 2× = 20), and suggested that the swollen root is a quantitative trait. Two major quantitative trait loci (QTLs), FR1.1 (Fleshy root 1.1) and FR7.1 (Fleshy root 7.1), were identified by QTL-seq analysis and further confirmed by QTL mapping in F2 and BC1P2 populations. The QTL FR1.1 with a likelihood of odd (LOD) of 7.01 explained 17.2% of the total phenotypic variations for root diameter and the QTL FR7.1 explained 23.0% (LOD = 9.38) and 31.0% (LOD = 13.27) of the total phenotypic variations in root diameter and root weight, respectively. After a recombinant screening, the major QTL FR7.1 was further narrowed down to a 220 kb region containing 47 putative genes. A candidate gene, Bra003652, which is a homolog of AT1G78240 that plays an essential role in cell adhesion and disorganized tumor-like formation in Arabidopsis thaliana, was identified in this region. In addition, expression and parental allele analysis supported that Bra003652 was a possible candidate gene of QTL FR7.1 for swollen root formation in turnip. Our research may provide new insight into the molecular mechanism of swollen root formation in root crops.
Physiological role of the 3′IgH CBEs super-anchor in antibody class switching

Significance B lymphocytes change antibody heavy chain (IgH) isotypes by a recombination/deletion process called IgH class switch recombination (CSR). CSR involves introduction of DNA breaks into a donor switch (S) region and also into one of six downstream S regions, with joining of the breaks changing antibody isotype. A chromatin super-anchor, of unknown function, is located just downstream of the IgH locus. We show that complete deletion of this super-anchor variably decreases CSR to most S regions and creates an ectopic S region downstream of IgH locus that undergoes aberrant CSR-driven chromosomal rearrangements. Based on these and other findings, we conclude that the super-anchor downstream of IgH is a critical insulator for focusing potentially dangerous CSR rearrangements to the IgH locus. IgH class switch recombination (CSR) replaces Cμ constant region (CH) exons with one of six downstream CHs by joining transcription-targeted double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the Cμ switch (S) region to DSBs in a downstream S region. Chromatin loop extrusion underlies fundamental CSR mechanisms including 3′IgH regulatory region (3′IgHRR)-mediated S region transcription, CSR center formation, and deletional CSR joining. There are 10 consecutive CTCF-binding elements (CBEs) downstream of the 3′IgHRR, termed the “3′IgH CBEs. ” Prior studies showed that deletion of eight 3′IgH CBEs did not detectably affect CSR. Here, we report that deletion of all 3′IgH CBEs impacts, to varying degrees, germline transcription and CSR of upstream S regions, except that of Sγ1. Moreover, deletion of all 3′IgH CBEs rendered the 6-kb region just downstream highly transcribed and caused sequences within to be aligned with Sμ, broken, and joined to form aberrant CSR rearrangements. These findings implicate the 3′IgH CBEs as critical insulators for focusing loop extrusion-mediated 3′IgHRR transcriptional and CSR activities on upstream CH locus targets.
Field evaluation of a valved sediment trap

An internally valved sediment trap designed to isolate sinking particulate matter from free-swimming animals, temporally subsample particle flux, and minimize washout of solid and dissolved material is described. The trap is controlled by a single microprocessor capable of supporting multiple traps as well as other instrumentation on a single array. Test deployments of valved and nonvalved control traps, along with three other conventional cylindrical trap designs, were undertaken during a series of six 1 -week experiments in Dabob Bay, Washington. Trcatcd traps containing biocide-spiked (HgC& or Formalin) bottom brine layers (800~ NaCl brine), brine layers alone, and only seawater (untreated) were deployed on multitrap arrays. Fluxes of material > 850 pm in size (almost exclusively large zooplankton) caught in biocide- and brinetreated valved traps wcrc reduced by an average of 88% rclativc to non-valved control traps; all other open traps collcctcd >850-pm fluxes equivalent to controls. The type of treatment had a significant effect on the >850-pm mass flux, with Formalin-treated traps >HgCl, - *NaCl brine > untreated. Fluxes of 80%) of zooplankton ~850 pm from valved traps.
Exploring the Causal Roles of Circulating Remnant Lipid Profile on Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases: Mendelian Randomization Study

Background Causal evidence of circulating lipids especially the remnant cholesterol with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is lacking. This research aimed to explore the causal roles of extensive lipid traits especially the remnant lipids in CVD. Methods Two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis was performed based on large-scale meta-analysis datasets in European ancestry. The causal effect of 15 circulating lipid profiles including 6 conventional lipids and 9 remnant lipids on coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke (IS), as well as the subtypes, was assessed. Results Apolipoprotein B (Apo B), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were still important risk factors for CHD and myocardial infarction (MI) but not for IS. Apo B is the strongest which increased the CHD and MI risk by 44% and 41%, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of total TG on CHD and MI were 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.38) and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.11–1.38), respectively. A one standard deviation difference increased TG in medium very-low-density lipoproteins (M.VLDL.TG), TG in small VLDL (S.VLDL.TG), TG in very small VLDL (XS.VLDL.TG), TG in intermediate-density lipoproteins (IDL.TG), TG in very large HDL (XL.HDL.TG), and TG in small HDL (S.HDL.TG) particles also robustly increased the risk of CHD and MI by 9–28% and 9–27%, respectively. TG in very/extremely large VLDL (XXL.VLDL.TG and XL.VLDL.TG) were insignificant or even negatively associated with CHD (in multivariable TSMR), and negatively associated with IS as well. Conclusion The remnant lipids presented heterogeneity and two-sided effects for the risk of CHD and IS that may partially rely on the particle size. The findings suggested that the remnant lipids were required to be intervened according to specific components. This research confirms the importance of remnant lipids and provides causal evidence for potential targets for intervention.