Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent Developments in Porous Silicon Nanovectors with Various Imaging Modalities in the Framework of Theranostics

The number of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies on porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles for biomedical applications has increased extensively over the last decade. The focus of the reports has been on the carrier properties of PSi concerning the therapeutic aspect due to several beneficial nanovector characteristics including high payload capacity, biocompatibility, and versatile surface chemistry. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the diagnostic aspects of PSi, which is typically attributed to the biotraceability of the nanovector. Also, PSi has been studied as a contrast agent. When both these aspects, therapy and diagnosis, are integrated into one nanovector, we can discuss a real nanotheranostics approach. Herein, we review the recent progress developing PSi for various imaging modalities, specifically focusing on optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine imaging. Furthermore, we summarized the knowledge gaps that must be covered before applying PSi in clinical imaging, highlighting future research trends.
Co-Exposure with an Invasive Seaweed Exudate Increases Toxicity of Polyamide Microplastics in the Marine Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Plastic pollution and invasive species are recognised as pervasive threats to marine biodiversity. However, despite the extensive on-going research on microplastics’ effects in the biota, knowledge on their combination with additional stressors is still limited. This study investigates the effects of polyamide microplastics (PA-MPs, 1 mg/L), alone and in combination with the toxic exudate from the invasive red seaweed Asparagopsis armata (2%), after a 96 h exposure, in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Biochemical responses associated with oxidative stress and damage, neurotoxicity, and energy metabolism were evaluated in different tissues (gills, digestive gland, and muscle). Byssus production and PA-MP accumulation were also assessed. Results demonstrated that PA-MPs accumulated the most in the digestive gland of mussels under PA-MP and exudate co-exposure. Furthermore, the combination of stressors also resulted in oxidative damage at the protein level in the gills as well as in a significant reduction in byssus production. Metabolic capacity increased in both PA-MP treatments, consequently affecting the energy balance in mussels under combined stress. Overall, results show a potential increase of PA-MPs toxicity in the presence of A. armata exudate, highlighting the importance of assessing the impact of microplastics in realistic scenarios, specifically in combination with co-occurring stressors, such as invasive species.
Characteristics and surgical outcomes of patients with atraumatic splenic rupture

Objective Although rare, late-diagnosed atraumatic splenic rupture (ASR) may result in mortality. We investigated the occurrence of ASR cases at our centre over the previous six years. Methods This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study that included all patients who underwent emergency splenectomy due to ASR between January 01, 2015, and January 01, 2021. Results Of the 203 patients who underwent splenectomy, 15 met our criteria for ASR. Median age was 55 years (34–90), and 10 (67%) patients were male. Most common pre-existing diseases were diabetes mellitus (6, 40%) and heart valve disease (5, 33%). Ten (67%) patients had splenic rupture due to splenic infarction and abscess. There were two (13%) cases with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and two (13%) cases with lung cancer and spleen metastasis. Median length of hospital stay was 6 days (2–24) and three (20%) patients died in hospital. Conclusions Male sex, previous splenic infarctions, haematological malignancies, lung cancer spleen metastases, underlying cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus may increase the risk for ASR. Further prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm our results.
Factors Influencing the Concentration of Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) in School Children Aged 8–9-Years-Old in Krakow, with High FeNO Values ≥ 20 ppb

Background and Objectives: Measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentration is currently used as a non-invasive biomarker to assess airway inflammation. Many factors can influence the FeNO level. However, there have been no reports concerning factors attributed to FeNO levels in different age groups of children, especially those with high FeNO values. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of selected factors on nitric oxide concentration in exhaled air in children aged 8–9 attending class 3 of public primary schools in Krakow with high FeNO values ≥ 20 ppb. Materials and Methods: The population-based study covered all third-grade pupils attending primary schools in the city of Krakow. Five thousand, four hundred and sixty children participated in the first screening stage, conducted from October 2017 to January 2018. Then, 792 participants with an FeNO level ≥ 20 ppb were selected. Finally, those selected pupils were invited to participate in the second stage, diagnostic, in April 2018. Four hundred and fifty-four children completed the diagnostic stage of the study, and their data was included in the presented analysis. Results and Conclusions: Significantly higher FeNO levels were observed in children diagnosed with the following diseases: asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and allergy (p < 0.05). In addition, it was observed that a higher FeNO concentration characterised children taking antihistamines compared to children not taking those medications (p = 0.008). In multivariate models, we observed that regardless of sex, age, BMI value, home smoking, and whether they were taking medications, children who had allergic rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis, or allergies had significantly higher FeNO levels. The strongest relationship was noted with allergic diseases. The results of our study may be of importance to clinicians when interpreting FeNO results, for example, when making a therapeutic decision.
Extremely low frequency electromagnetic stimulation reduces ischemic stroke volume by improving cerebral collateral blood flow

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic stimulation (ELF-EMS) has been considered as a neuroprotective therapy for ischemic stroke based on its capacity to induce nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Here, we examined whether ELF-EMS reduces ischemic stroke volume by stimulating cerebral collateral perfusion. Moreover, the pathway responsible for ELF-EMS-induced NO production was investigated. ELF-EMS diminished infarct growth following experimental stroke in collateral-rich C57BL/6 mice, but not in collateral-scarce BALB/c mice, suggesting that decreased lesion sizes after ELF-EMS results from improved collateral blood flow. In vitro analysis demonstrated that ELF-EMS increased endothelial NO levels by stimulating the Akt-/eNOS pathway. Furthermore, ELF-EMS augmented perfusion in the hind limb of healthy mice, which was mediated by enhanced Akt-/eNOS signaling. In healthy C57BL/6 mouse brains, ELF-EMS treatment increased cerebral blood flow in a NOS-dependent manner, whereas no improvement in cerebrovascular perfusion was observed in collateral-sparse BALB/c mice. In addition, ELF-EMS enhanced cerebral blood flow in both the contra- and ipsilateral hemispheres of C57BL/6 mice subjected to experimental ischemic stroke. In conclusion, we showed that ELF-EMS enhances (cerebro)vascular perfusion by stimulating NO production, indicating that ELF-EMS could be an attractive therapeutic strategy for acute ischemic stroke by improving cerebral collateral blood flow.
Spectral Resolution Development in Children With Normal Hearing and With Cochlear Implants: A Review of Behavioral Studies.

PURPOSE This review article provides a theoretical overview of the development of spectral resolution in children with normal hearing (cNH) and in those who use cochlear implants (CIs), with an emphasis on methodological considerations. The aim was to identify key directions for future research on spectral resolution development in children with CIs. METHOD A comprehensive literature review was conducted to summarize and synthesize previously published behavioral research on spectral resolution development in normal and impaired auditory systems. CONCLUSIONS In cNH, performance on spectral resolution tasks continues to improve through the teenage years and is likely driven by gradual maturation of across-channel intensity resolution. A small but growing body of evidence from children with CIs suggests a more complex relationship between spectral resolution development, patient demographics, and the quality of the CI electrode-neuron interface. Future research should aim to distinguish between the effects of patient-specific variables and the underlying physiology on spectral resolution abilities in children of all ages who are hard of hearing and use auditory prostheses.
Mechanical model of steady-state and inflammatory conditions in patients with relapsing polychondritis

Abstract Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder, considered to associate with immune aberration. Increased T helper type-1 cell-related cytokines were reported in RP patients. mRNA expressions of a regulatory T cell cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 increased, whereas pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1β and IL6 mRNA expressions decreased in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of RP patients compared with those in healthy individuals. Upon in vitro stimulation with mitogen, IL10 mRNA expressions decreased, and IL1β and IL6 mRNA expressions increased in RP patients. This short-time dynamic change of gene expressions from anti-inflammatory to pro-inflammatory features of immune cells may be associated with the “relapsing” disease course of patients with RP. IL1β mRNA expressions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibited positive correlations with serum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 concentrations in patients with respiratory involvement. Such positive correlation was not found in those without respiratory involvement. In a metagenomic analysis, an altered composition of gut microbes was found, suggesting that microbe metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids may affect T cell responses of the patients. In this review, the relationships among RP-related inflammatory molecules were summarized. The data support a hypothesis that the immune conditions are different between steady-state and inflammation in RP patients.
Morphology and morphometry of pharyngeal bone and teeth in cyprinid species from the Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The morphology of pharyngeal bones and teeth was determined on seven cyprinid species caught from the Greater Zab River, a tributary of Tigris River, located in the northern part of Iraq in the Kurdistan Region. Eleven morphological characters of the pharyngeal bone and teeth were identified, measured and compared from photographs of the 152 individual species collected. The relationship between pharyngeal bone total length and four‐dimensional measurements of the pharyngeal bone were determined using linear regression and multivariate analysis. Results show bone characteristics of the studied species are distinctly different in terms of shape, tooth number, tooth formulae and dimensions of the pharyngeal bones. Regression analysis shows positive coefficients of TL with all parameters PL, DL, PW and DP while multivariate linear discriminate analysis shows distinct groupings of each species using non‐dimensional measurements of the bone characters. The measurements gathered and application of biometric relationships to ease the identification of the cyprinid species contributes to the morphological information on cyprinid species in a data deficient region of the world. This work provides a new set of morphological characters of the pharyngeal bone and teeth of the seven cyprinid species from Northern Mesopotamia that may enable their separation from the members of their cyprinid genera.
Age Moderates the Relation between Sleep Problems and Suicide Risk.

OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional study examined whether age moderates the relation between sleep problems and suicide risk and investigated whether sleep problems are differentially associated with suicide risk in younger (18-40) and older (60+) adults. METHODS MTurk workers (N = 733) completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, Patient Health Questionnaire, and demographic questions. Analysis of variance and linear regressions were utilized. RESULTS Older adults scored lower on four PSQI components, symptoms of depression, and suicide risk than younger adults. Age significantly moderated the relation between sleep problems and suicide risk after controlling for gender and depressive symptoms, F(5, 635) = 72.38, p < . 001. Sleep problems significantly related to suicide risk in younger adults (t = 6.47, p < .001) but not in older adults (t = 0.57, p = .57). Sleep medication use was related to suicide risk in both groups, whereas daytime dysfunction was related to suicide risk in older adults and sleep disturbances were related to suicide risk in younger adults. CONCLUSIONS The relation between sleep problems and suicide risk differs between younger and older adults. This study adds to the literature suggesting that sleep medications may not be appropriate for older adults. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Sleep problems are significantly related to suicide risk in younger adults but not older adults. Sleep medication use is associated with suicide risk regardless of age.
Fear of Missing out (FOMO): Implications for Employees and Job Performance

Abstract Recently, there has been growing interest in how individual differences in FOMO affect personal and individual outcomes. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the impact of FOMO in the workplace. The current study examined whether individual differences in fear of missing out (FOMO) affect employee job performance. This was accomplished by investigating the mediating role of burnout and social media engagement (SME). Furthermore, we also examined whether amotivation moderates the mediation process. Data were gathered from 214 Israeli employees by using the following scales: Fear of Missing Out (FOMOs), Burnout, Social Media Engagement (SME), Multidimensional Work Motivation (MWMS), and Job Performance. The results indicated that individual differences in FOMO are associated with relatively low levels of job performance. The relationship is mediated by burnout but not by SME. Amotivation was found to moderate the mediation effect of burnout. Interpretation of these results and practical implications are discussed.
Contemporary Management of Chylous Ascites after Retroperitoneal Surgery: Development of an Evidence-Based Treatment Algorithm

Purpose: Chylous ascites (CA) is an uncommon complication that occurs from traumatic disruption of lymphatic channels after retroperitoneal surgery. The purpose of this study was to generate an evidence-based management strategy for CA by reviewing the current literature and available treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: A MEDLINE® literature review was performed for “chylous ascites. ” Individual patient data were extracted from case series and reports to create an efficacy analysis. Treatment modality, drain output, time to escalation of care and time to resolution were recorded. The efficacy analysis was utilized to generate a data-driven treatment algorithm. Results: The literature review yielded 1,953 articles, from which 146 studies contributed data for 523 patients. The efficacy analysis included 245 patients, 168 (69%) of whom were managed successfully with conservative management (CM), at a median time to resolution of 11 days. Forty-eight patients underwent lymphangiography±embolization after CM, with a success rate of 85%. Thirty-one (12%) patients underwent surgical exploration. When treating CA, the patients who underwent stepwise management with CM followed by lymphangiography if CM failed experienced a resolution rate of 96.7%. An evidence-based treatment algorithm was created to guide treatment selection and duration of therapy before escalating to additional forms of therapy. Conclusions: In this report, we describe the largest conglomeration of iatrogenic CA cases from a literature review (523 cases) and efficacy analysis (245 cases), and created the first evidence-based treatment algorithm for this condition. Treatment success is substantial when using a stepwise combination of CM followed by lymphangiography±embolization.
On the shape of convolution kernels in MRI reconstruction: Rectangles versus ellipsoids

Many MRI reconstruction methods (including GRAPPA, SPIRiT, ESPIRiT, LORAKS, and convolutional neural network [CNN] methods) involve shift‐invariant convolution models. Rectangular convolution kernel shapes are often chosen by default, although ellipsoidal kernel shapes have potentially appealing theoretical characteristics. In this work, we systematically investigate the differences between different kernel shape choices in several contexts.
High-order terminal sliding mode control of grid-connected inverter with disturbance observer

Aiming at the voltage fluctuations caused by the fault,the unbalanced loads and other uncertainty factors in the wind power system,the mathematical model of grid-connected inverter was analyzed, a kind of disturbance observer was designed to compensate them adaptively,and the adverse effect to power system was suppressed. Based on the theory of vector control,a nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller was designed,which made the quadrature direct axis current of grid-connected follow the given value in finite time. A kind of high-order terminal sliding modes was utilized to eliminate the chattering. The simulation results show that the method combining the disturbance observer with the high-order terminal sliding mode control has strong robustness against the outside disturbance,the tracking precision is improved,and good dynamic performance is got.
Identification of High and Low Branched-Chain Fatty Acid-Producing Phenotypes in Holstein Cows following High-Forage and Low-Forage Diets in a Crossover Designed Trial.

Background Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) are rumen-derived fatty acids comprising ∼2% of bovine-milk fatty acids. BCFAs possess anti-inflammatory properties and enriching the BCFA content of bovine milk may provide human health benefits. Objective We determined whether forage content impacts the BCFA content of milk from Holstein cows and identified fatty acid phenotypes in high vs. low BCFA-containing milks. Methods Holstein cows (n = 62), fed for 67 d in a crossover design, consumed a diet with high forage and low concentrate (HF:C) and a diet with low forage and high concentrate (LF:C). Milk samples were collected at the end of each treatment period and fatty acid content determined. Paired t-tests, 1-factor ANOVA, sparse partial least-squares discriminant analysis (sPLSDA), and Pearson's correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Results The total milk fatty acid concentration for cows fed the HF:C diet was greater than that of cows fed the LF:C diet (4.2 ± 0.7 g/100 mL vs. 3.9 ± 0.9 g/100 mL). sPLSDA demonstrated separation of the dietary treatments, with BCFAs and odd-chain fatty acids as primary determinants. Total BCFA content in milk fat was elevated by HF:C intake compared with LF:C intake (1.80 vs. 1.68%). Quintile separation of high vs. low BCFA milks resulted in 4 groups: HF:C /low BCFAs, HF:C /high BCFAs; LF:C /low BCFAs, and LF:C /high BCFAs. Milks from the high BCFA quintiles had lower palmitic acid content (29.6% vs. 34.4%) but higher oleic acid content than milks from the low BCFA quintiles (19.7% vs. 17.0%). Some cows were identified as high BCFA producers or low BCFA producers regardless of diet. Conclusions BCFA content of milk is diet-sensitive but variation in responses exists. The potential to produce milk with high BCFA content and lower SFA content needs further study.
Fusobacterium nucleatum promotes liver metastasis in colorectal cancer by regulating the hepatic immune niche and altering gut microbiota

Liver metastasis is the major cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Gut microbiota intricately affect the initiation and progression of CRC by instigating immune response through the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we investigated the contribution of Fusobacterium nucleatum (F.nucleatum) to the microbiota-liver axis of CRC in mice, focusing on the correlation between liver immunity and gut microbiota alterations. When F. nucleatum was orally administered to mice, CRC liver metastasis was evidently exaggerated and accompanied by noticeable deleterious effects on body weight, cecum weight, and overall survival time. Further evaluation of the immune response and cytokine profiles revealed a substantial increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL6, IL12, IL9, IL17A, CXCL1, MCP-1, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in the plasma of mice treated with F. nucleatum as compared to that in the untreated control mice. Besides, hepatic immune response was also modulated by recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, reduction in the infiltration of natural killer (NK) and T helper-17 (Th17) cells, as well as increase in regulatory T cell accumulation in the liver. Additionally, sustained F. nucleatum exposure abridged the murine gut microbiota diversity, inducing an imbalanced and restructured intestinal microflora. In particular, the abundance of CRC-promoting bacteria such as Enterococcus and Escherichia/Shigella was evidently elevated post F. nucleatum treatment. Thus, our findings suggest that F. nucleatum might be an important factor involved in promoting CRC liver metastasis by triggering of liver immunity through the regulation of gut microbiota structure and composition.
XELOX doublet regimen versus EOX triplet regimen as first‐line treatment for advanced gastric cancer: An open‐labeled, multicenter, randomized, prospective phase III trial (EXELOX)

There is no consensus on whether triplet regimen is better than doublet regimen in the first‐line treatment of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of oxaliplatin plus capecitabine (XELOX) and epirubicin, oxaliplatin, plus capecitabine (EOX) regimens in treating AGC.
Facilitators for use of oral healthcare services among people with substance use disorders: a qualitative study in Norway

Abstract Objective Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) patients in Norway are eligible for free oral healthcare services; however, oral health morbidity remains high and the uptake of services among this patient group is low. As knowledge of the reasons for the low uptake of services among OMT patients is insufficient, this study adopted a qualitative approach to explore this from the perspectives of patients and dental healthcare workers (DHWs). Material and methods Through focus group and individual interviews, data were collected from 63 participants: 30 patients receiving OMT and 33 DHWs. Key themes were identified through a thematic analysis. Results Teeth were a significant factor in OMT patients’ quality of life and recovery. Accompaniment to scheduled dentist appointments was identified as a facilitator by both the patients and the DHWs. The dentist-patient relationship was also seen as an important facilitator of dental treatment; DHWs with previous experience of treating OMT patients were valued by patients because of their high verbal and non-verbal communication. Conclusions Helping OMT patients attend dental appointments, improving the dentist-patient relationship, and expanding stakeholders’ knowledge of OMT patients’ right to oral healthcare services may increase the uptake and benefits of dental healthcare services among OMT patients. The current support framework within the OMT system has the potential to increase the communication and efficiency of dental healthcare services available to patients undergoing OMT.