Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the position of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic boundary in lipid bilayers

The%sensitivity of calculated phosphatidylcholine and ethanolamine with neutron and x-ray diffraction mea-structural dimensions of hydrated lipids bilayer from literature values of the surements. Hydration differences be-to the position of the hydrophobic/ x-ray long spacing shows that the tween phosphatidylcholines and phos-hydrophilic boundary is reviewed. The choice of boundary in phospholipids is phatidylethanolamines are readily position of this boundary is critical in not arbitrary and is best placed at the explained from derived estimates of the determining the extent of hydration and average position of the first CH2 group layers of water which cover these location of water in the bilayer. A calcu-in the hydrocarbon chains. Calculated headgroups. lation of the dimensions of the hydro-dimensions of the hydrocarbon core philic and hydrophobic parts of the and the water accessible regions agree
Gene Expression Alterations in the Bronchial Epithelium of e-Cigarette Users

BACKGROUND: Although e-cigarette (ECIG) use has increased in the United States, their potential health effects remain uncertain. Understanding the effects of tobacco cigarette (TCIG) smoke on bronchial airway epithelial gene expression have previously provided insights into tobacco-related disease pathogenesis. Identifying the impact of ECIGs on airway gene expression could provide insights into their potential long-term health effects. We sought to compare the bronchial airway gene-expression pro ﬁ les of former TCIG smokers now using ECIGs with the pro ﬁ les of former and current TCIG smokers. METHODS: We performed gene-expression pro ﬁ ling of bronchial epithelial cells collected from current TCIG smokers (n ¼ 9), current ECIG users who are former TCIG smokers (n ¼ 15), and former TCIG smokers (n ¼ 21). We then compared our ﬁ ndings with previous studies of the effects of TCIG use on bronchial epithelium, as well an in vitro model of ECIG exposure. RESULTS: Among 3,165 genes whose expression varied between the three study groups (q < 0.05), we identi ﬁ ed 468 genes altered in ECIG users relative to former smokers ( P < .05). Seventy-nine of these genes were up- or down-regulated concordantly among ECIG and TCIG users. We did not detect ECIG-associated gene-expression changes in known pathways associated with TCIG usage. Genes downregulated in ECIG users are enriched among the genes most downregulated by exposure of airway epithelium to ECIG vapor in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: ECIGs induce both distinct and shared patterns of gene expression relative to TCIGs in the bronchial airway epithelium. The concordance of the genes altered in ECIG users and in the in vitro study suggests that genes altered in ECIG users are likely to be changed as the direct effect of ECIG exposure. Student t test on the average expression across these replicates. We compared our observations from the study cohort with an in vitro model of ECIG exposure, which pro ﬁ led the gene expression effects of exposure to vapor from a single brand of disposable ECIGs on bronchial epithelial cells grown at an air-liquid interface. 22 Using data from an in vitro model of ECIG exposure , we generated a ranked list of genes differentially expressed between ECIG aerosol and air-exposed human bronchial epithelial cells via a Student t test, and ranked genes by their corresponding t statistic. The genes found to be associated with ECIG use in the current study were split into gene sets based on the clustering results, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) 34 was used to determine if these gene sets were signi ﬁ cantly enriched toward the bottom or top of the in vitro ranked list.
MRI-Guided Selection of Patients for Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment

Purpose of review— To summarize what is known about the use of MRI in acute stroke treatments (predominantly thrombolysis), to examine the assumptions and theories behind the interpretation of MR images of acute stroke and how they are used to select patients for therapies, and to suggest directions for future research. Recent findings— Recent studies have been contradictory about the usefulness of MRI in selecting patients for treatment. New MRI models for selecting patients have emerged that focus not only on the ischemic penumbra but also the core infarct. Fixed time-window selection parameters are being replaced by individualized MRI features. New ways to interpret traditional MRI sequences are emerging. Summary— Although the efficacy of acute stroke treatment is time dependent, the use of fixed time-windows does not account for individual differences in infarct evolution, which could be detected with MRI. While MRI shows promise for identifying patients who should be treated, as well as exclude patients who should not be treated, definitive evidence is still lacking. Future research should focus on validating the use of MRI to select patients for IV therapies in extended time windows.
Miniaturised printed monopole antenna with a linked ground plane and radiator

A novel miniature wideband microstrip antenna is presented. The proposed miniature design is achieved by exploiting the idea of a quasi-radiator. Here, a part of the radiator is connected to the ground plane through a shorting pin or via. The proposed antenna achieves a starting frequency of 1.8 GHz with a small antenna area of 20 mm2. An electrical size of 0. 05λ is realised leading to a miniaturised design. The proposed antenna is broadband, compact, and produces stable radiation patterns.
Integration of TGF- b /Smad and Jagged1/Notch signalling in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) underlie cell plasticity required in embryonic development and fre-quently observed in advanced carcinogenesis. Transforming growth factor- b (TGF- b ) induces EMT phenotypes in epithelial cells in vitro and has been associated with EMT in vivo . Here we report that expression of the hairy/enhancer-of-split-related transcriptional repressor Hey1, and the Notch-ligand Jagged1 (Jag1), was induced by TGF- b at the onset of EMT in epithelial cells from mammary gland, kidney tubules, and epidermis. The HEY1 expression proﬁle was biphasic, consisting of im-mediate-early Smad3-dependent, Jagged1/Notch-indepen-dent activation, followed by delayed, indirect Jagged1/ Notch-dependent activation. TGF- b -induced EMT was blocked by RNA silencing of HEY1 or JAG1 , and by chemical inactivation of Notch. The EMT phenotype, biphasic activation of Hey1 , and delayed expression of Jag1 were induced by TGF- b in wild-type, but not in Smad3-deﬁcient, primary mouse kidney tubular epithelial cells. Our ﬁndings identify a new mechanism for functional integration of Jagged1/Notch signalling and coordinated activation of the Hey1 transcriptional repressor controlled by TGF- b / Smad3, and demonstrate functional roles for Smad3, Hey1, and Jagged1/Notch in mediating TGF- b -induced EMT. proteolytic processing of Notch receptors mediated by accessory protein complexes and g -secretase activity, followed by nuclear translocation of the intracellular domain of Notch (NICD) (Mumm and 2000).
Bidirectional Relationship of PTSD Symptom Severity and Alcohol Use over the Course of Integrated Treatment

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder commonly co-occur. Little is known about how symptoms of one affect subsequent week symptoms of the other during the course of integrated treatment for both disorders. The sample included 107 veterans who were randomized to receive either Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorder Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE; an exposure-based trauma focused treatment) or Seeking Safety (SS; a present-focused coping skills-based treatment) and completed measures of PTSD and alcohol use at every other session. Multilevel models estimated the prospective associations between PTSD and alcohol use during treatment. Results indicated that greater PTSD symptom severity was associated with greater future alcohol use (b = 0.20, p = 0.024), and greater alcohol use was associated with greater future PTSD symptom severity (b = 0.13, p = 0.003). The effect size for PTSD symptoms to future alcohol use was larger than the reciprocal relationship. When using lagged PTSD severity to predict future drinking, results revealed that clinically significant differences in PTSD severity levels were associated with comparably large differences in drinking. Treatment condition did not moderate the effect of PTSD symptom severity on alcohol use (or the reciprocal relationship). Findings lend support to the mutual maintenance model of addiction. Integrated treatments that treat both PTSD and alcohol use may be preferential to sequential model of care where individuals are expected to achieve abstinence or reduced use prior to receiving trauma-focused treatment. There are several theoretical models that address and alcohol one
Improving the Accuracy of Hospital Report Cards by Incorporating Information on the Volume-outcome Association

CMS uses hierarchical modeling to stabilize hospital ranking by shrinking the performance of low-volume hospitals toward the performance of average hospitals. A CMS technical expert panel recommended consideration of the use of shrinkage targets to avoid mis-classifying poor-performing low-volume hospitals as average. We used Medicare data for patients undergoing aortic valve replacements to create one set of mortality hospital star ratings based on the standard approach, while the second shrunk the performance of low-volume hospitals toward the performance of low-volume hospitals. After grouping hospitals into star categories using a CMS clustering algorithm used to rate overall hospital quality, there was moderate to substantial agreement in hospital star ratings for all but the lowest volume hospitals. When hospitals were instead classified as high, average, and low performance based on their statistical outlier status, hospital ratings changed very little, which was not unexpected since nearly 99% of the hospitals were classified as average. The CMS risk-adjustment methodology does not mask the performance of hospitals as long as case volumes exceed the current case volume cutoff (25) used by CMS for public reporting. mortality ratio based on non-hierarchical modelling. The hospital predicted mortality rate (P) was calculated using patient-level risk factors and includes the hospital contribution to outcomes. The hospital expected mortality rate (E) was calculated using only patient-level risk factors and does not include the hospital effect. (12) We used bootstrapping to estimate 95% confidence intervals around the hospital PE ratios. (18) The risk-adjusted mortality rate (RAMR) was calculated by multiplying the hospital PE ratio by the overall 30-day mortality rate for all patients.
Matrix Stiffness Modulates Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Cell Fates in Three-Dimensional Hydrogels

Cancer progression is known to be accompanied by changes in tissue stiffness. Previous studies have primarily employed immortalized cell lines and 2D hydrogel substrates, which do not recapitulate the 3D tumor niche. How matrix stiffness affects patient-derived cancer cell fate in 3D remains unclear. In this study, we report a matrix metalloproteinase-degradable poly(ethylene-glycol)-based hydrogel platform with brain-mimicking biochemical cues and tunable stiffness (40–26,600 Pa) for 3D culture of patient-derived glioblastoma xenograft (PDTX GBM) cells. Our results demonstrate that decreasing hydrogel stiffness enhanced PDTX GBM cell proliferation, and hydrogels with stiffness 240 Pa and below supported robust PDTX GBM cell spreading in 3D. PDTX GBM cells encapsulated in hydrogels demonstrated higher drug resistance than 2D control, and increasing hydrogel stiffness further enhanced drug resistance. Such 3D hydrogel platforms may provide a valuable tool for mechanistic studies of the role of niche cues in modulating cancer progression for different cancer types. drug discovery and screening using patient-derived GBM cells.
Alternative Donor Transplantation for Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission: a CIBMTR-Eurocord Analysis

We studied AML patients over age 50 in CR1 after adult unrelated donor (URD; n = 441, 8/8 and n = 94 7/8 HLA-matched) or umbilical cord blood (UCB; n = 205) transplantations. UCB recipients less often achieved CR1 within 8 weeks, more often received reduced-intensity conditioning, and cyclosporin-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Neutrophil recovery was slower in UCB (69% by day 28) vs. 8/8 URD (97%); 7/8 (91%) (p<0.001). Three-year transplant-related mortality (TRM) was higher and leukemia-free survival (LFS) lower with UCB (35% and 28%, respectively) vs. 8/8 URD (27% and 39%). TRM was higher in 7/8 URD (41%, p=0.01), but LFS similar 34% (p=0.39). Three-year chronic GVHD was least in UCB (28%) vs. 53% and 59% in 8/8 and 7/8 URD recipients. Three-year survival was 8/8 URD 43% (95% CI 38-48), UCB 30% (95% CI
Notch regulates innate lymphoid cell plasticity during human natural killer cell development

Human natural killer (NK) cells develop in tonsils through discrete NK cell developmental intermediates (NKDIs), yet the mechanistic regulation of this process is unclear. We demonstrate that Notch activation in human tonsil-derived stage 3 (CD34 − CD117 + CD94 − NKp80 − ) and 4A (CD34 − CD117 +/− CD94 + NKp80 − ) NKDIs promoted non-NK innate lymphoid cell (ILC) differentiation at the expense of NK cell differentiation. In contrast, stage 4B (CD34 − CD117 +/− CD94 + NKp80 + ) NKDIs were NK cell lineage committed despite Notch activation. Interestingly, while NK cell functional maturation from stage 3 and 4A NKDIs was independent of Notch activation, the latter was required for high NKp80 expression and a stage 4B-like phenotype by the NKDI-derived NK cells. The Notch-dependent effects required simultaneous engagement with OP9 stromal cells and were also stage-specific, with NOTCH1 and NKDIs. These data establish stage-specific and stromal-dependent roles for Notch in regulating human NK cell developmental plasticity and maturation.
Survival Following Diagnosis of Localized T1a Kidney Cancer: Current Population-based Practice of Surgery and Nonsurgical Management

Hiten D Patela,b,c, Max Katesa, Phillip M Pierorazioa, Elias S Hyamsd, Michael A Gorina, Mark W Balla, Sam B Bhayanie, Xuan Huib, Carol B Thompsonc, and Mohamad E Allafa,b aJames Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD bCenter for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD cBiostatistics Department, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD dDivision of Urology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH eDivision of Urologic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
Deprescribed anticholinergic medication sustainability among RCT participants

B ACKGROUND — Older adults are especially susceptible to adverse effects of inappropriate medication therapy, and anticholinergic medications are common culprits for cognitive dysfunction due to their action on the central nervous system. Medication therapy management (MTM) interventions can aid in deprescribing and reducing inappropriate medication use in older adults. However, there is sparse literature on the long-term sustainability of these interventions. O BJECTIVES — (1) To investigate whether the deprescribing of anticholinergic medications during an 8-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a targeted MTM intervention is sustained at one-year post-intervention follow-up, and (2) to compare anticholinergic utilization trends in the study population to a large sample of similar individuals not exposed to the intervention. M ETHODS — Participants in the targeted MTM (tMTM) RCT had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment and were recruited from enrollees in a longitudinal study at the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Center (UKADC), and thus have pertinent medical information gathered approximately annually. In this post-trial observational follow-up, sustainability of the anticholinergic deprescribing intervention was assessed in participants in the RCT, and anticholinergic medication use trends were described from RCT baseline (which occurred immediately following an ADC visit) to the next annual visit in all participants. Mean change in anticholinergic burden from RCT baseline to the next annual visit was estimated using analysis of covariance, and participants were compared to two external samples. Anticholinergic burden was measured using the anticholinergic drug scale (ADS). The odds of decreasing baseline anticholinergic burden and number of total and strong anticholinergic medications at the follow-up study timepoint was assessed using logistic regression.
Home-Time as a Novel Post-Discharge Outcome for Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure

Background: Surveys of patients with cardiovascular disease have suggested that “home-time” —being alive and out of any healthcare institution—is a prioritized outcome. This novel measure has not been studied among patients with heart failure (HF). Objectives: This study sought to characterize home-time following hospitalization for HF and to assess its relationship with patient characteristics and traditionally reported clinical outcomes. Methods: Using Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry data, patients with a HF hospitalization and discharged alive between 2011 to 2014 and age ≥65 years were identified. Using Medicare claims, post-discharge home-time over 30-day and 1-year follow-up was calculated for each patient as the number of days alive and spent days. HF, heart SNF,
Rapid Publication Histiocytosis X Purified (T6+) Cells from Bone Granuloma Produce Interleukin I and Prostaglandin E2 in Culture

We have investigated the secretory function of cell suspensions from bone eosinophilic granulomas surgically collected in two patients with histiocytosis X. Unseparated cell preparations spontaneously produced interleukin 1 (IL-i) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). In order to ascertain that this secretion was due to the characteristic Langerhans cell-like histiocytosis X cells pre-dominantly found in the bone lesions, we have purified T6' cells by the use of a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. Such highly purified cell preparations were found to secrete IL-1 and PGE2 spontaneously in culture. Stimulation with endotoxins and treatment with interferon gamma (IFN 'y) revealed an intense IL-1 secretory function of histiocytosis X cells. Since both IL-i and PGE2 are able to induce bone resorption in vitro, our findings are compatible with the hypothesis that histiocytosis X cells are responsible for the typical osteolytic lesion observed in histiocytosis X through the local secretion of these two mediators.
Usefulness of Kelly clamp crushing technique during hepatic resection

Introduction. Recently, there are various kinds of parenchymal transection methods. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the Kelly clamp crushing technique compared to ultrasonic dissector during hepatic resection. Materials and methods. Comparisons between 10 ultrasonic dissector group and 10 Kelly clamp crushing technique group were performed by using nine items (transaction time, right lobe volume, perioperative transfusion, total bilirubin (TB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hospital stay, postoperative morbidity, in-hospital mortality). Results . The mean transection time in the Kelly clamp crushing technique group was 27 9 15.5 mins (range 15 (cid:1) 60) and was 48 9 7.1 mins (range 35 (cid:1) 60) in the ultrasonic dissector group ( p B 0.05), and no patients received transfusion in both groups. Conclusions. Since the Kelly clamp crushing technique shortens operative time and there is no significant difference in blood loss and in results of liver function tests compared to using the ultrasonic dissector, we propose that the Kelly clamp crushing technique should be considered as a standard method of liver resection.
Infrared Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Human Hair to Characterize Longitudinal Profiles of the Antiretroviral Maraviroc for Adherence Monitoring

Here, we assess infrared matrix assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization (IR-MALDESI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) analysis of hair as a clinical tool for monitoring patient adherence to the antiretroviral maraviroc (MVC). A custom MATLAB-based algorithm has been developed to streamline data analysis and generate longitudinal profiles of drug incorporation along the length of hair strands. Hair strands from volunteers enrolled in a directly observed therapy study were analyzed by IR-MALDESI MSI and processed using this tool to characterize the profiles of single doses and a daily dose regimen of MVC. Single dose responses were 1.7 [1.1, 2.5] mm (median [range]) wide along the length of the hair and were detected in 8 out of 12 volunteers. Daily dose profiles capturing 28 days of continuous dosing were approximately 5 times the intensity of single dose profiles and 10.5 [7.0, 13] mm wide, corresponding to 1 month of hair growth. MVC ion abundance was observed in all 12 volunteers for the daily dosing period. Daily dosing profiles were consistent with a model of MVC accumulation in hair based on linear superposition of a single dose response, indicating the potential for prediction of daily drug-taking behavior based on deconvolution of a complex longitudinal profile in hair. Graphical abstract
The effect of sonic vibration on electrospun fiber mats

Electrospun nanofibers have shown great potential in wide applications such as energy, filtration, medical devices, and sensors. For all these applications, fiber morphology, fiber diameter and pore size of electrospun fiber mat play critical roles in determining the performance of the final products. Research has proved that sonic vibration can dramatically improve the electrospinnability of polymer solutions and subsequently the resultant fiber properties. In this work, the effects of sonic vibration on fiber morphology as well as fiber diameter and the pore structures of electrospun polyacrylonitrile fiber mat were investigated. The relationships between sonic vibration and fiber diameter, and pore size of the electrospun fiber mats were also studied.
POSTNATAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CEREBR t' CORTEX IN THE RAT

Present knowledge of the development and structural organization of the cerebral cortex is based largely on qualitative observations, pioneered by the classical studies of Ramon y Cajal (1911) and later extended by Lorente de N6 (1922, 1949), von Bonin (1948a) and many others. Current treatment of the mode of functioning of the central nervous system, however, whether based on cybernetics, analogies with models or on mathematical concepts embracing information theory or conditional probability, lays emphasis on the pattern of connectivity between axons, perikarya and dendrites, and demands a closer knowledge of the quantitative aspects of the inter-relationship between neurones than is provided by purely descriptive neuro-histology.
RNA-DNA Differences Are Generated in Human Cells within Seconds After RNA Exits Pol II

, Summary RNA sequences are expected to be identical to their corresponding DNA sequences. Here, we found all 12 types of RNA-DNA sequence differences (RDDs) in nascent RNA. Our results show that RDDs begin to occur in RNA chains about 55 nucleotides from the RNA polymerase II (Pol II) active site. These RDDs occur so soon after transcription that they are incompatible with known deaminase-mediated RNA editing mechanisms. Moreover, the 55-nucleotide delay in appearance indicates they do not arise during RNA synthesis by Pol II or as a direct consequence of modified base incorporation. Preliminary data suggest that RDD and R-loop formations may be coupled. These findings identify sequence substitution as an early step in co-transcriptional RNA processing.