Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transperitoneal vs extraperitoneal radical cystectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background One of the most complex surgeries including radical cystectomy (RC) has a high rate of morbidity. The standard approach for the muscle-invasive bladder is conventional transperitoneal radical cystectomy. However, the procedure is associated with significant morbidities like ileus, urinary leak, bleeding, and infection. The aim of this study is to compare the transperitoneal RC approach with the extraperitoneal RC approach in the treatment of bladder cancer patients. The outcomes of this study are Operative time, Estimated Blood Loss, Hospital Stay, Post-Operative Ileus, Infection, and Major Complication (Clavien-Dindo Grade 3–5). Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct were systematically searched for different publications related to the meta-analysis. Keywords used for searching were Radical Cystectomy AND Extraperitoneal AND Transperitoneal up until 31st August 2022. The studies were screened for our eligibility criteria. Demographic parameters, perioperative variables, and postoperative complications were recorded and analyzed. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the risk of bias in each study. The Review Manager (RevMan) software version 5.4. 1 was used for statistical analysis. Results Eight studies (3 laparoscopic and 5 open methods) involving 1207 subjects (588 patients using the extraperitoneal approach and 619 using the transperitoneal approach) were included. The incidence of postoperative ileus is significantly lower after the extraperitoneal approach compared to the transperitoneal approach (p < 0.00001). The two techniques did not differ in operative time, estimated blood loss, duration of hospital stay, total infection, and major complication events. Conclusion This meta-analysis shows that extraperitoneal radical cystectomy benefits in terms of reduced postoperative ileus.
Post-parotidectomy facial nerve function: comparison between original and modified Sunnybrook Facial Grading Systems

Abstract Background: Facial nerve dysfunction is the principal postoperative complication related to parotidectomy. Objective: To test the hypothesis that the modified Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (mS-FGS) is superior to the original S-FGS in the assessment of facial nerve function following parotidectomy. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal study evaluating patients with primary or metastatic parotid neoplasms undergoing parotidectomy with facial nerve-sparing between 2016 and 2020. The subjects were assessed twice, on the first postoperative day and at the first outpatient evaluation, 20-30 days post-surgery. Facial assessments were performed using the original and modified (plus showing the lower teeth) versions of the Sunnybrook System and documented by pictures and video recordings. Intra- and inter-rater agreements regarding the assessment of the new expression were analyzed. Results: 101 patients were enrolled. In both steps, the results from the mS-FGS were significantly lower (p < 0.001). Subjects with a history of previous parotidectomy and those who underwent neck dissection had more severe facial nerve impairment. The mandibular marginal branch was the most frequently injured, affecting 68.3% of the patients on the first postoperative day and 52.5% on the first outpatient evaluation. Twenty patients (19.8%) presented an exclusive marginal mandibular branch lesion. The inter-rater agreement of the new expression assessment ranged from substantial to almost perfect. The intra-rater agreement was almost perfect (wk = 0.951). Conclusion: The adoption of the Modified Sunnybrook System, which includes evaluation of the mandibular marginal branch, increases the accuracy of post-parotidectomy facial nerve dysfunction appraisal.
Recent Advances in Serum Biomarkers for Cardiological Risk Stratification and Insight into the Cardiac Management of the Patients With Hematological Malignancies Treated With Targeted Therapy

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have emerged as a common and serious complication of cancer treatment, particularly in patients undergoing cardiotoxic therapies. Over the last few years, the medical community has become increasingly aware of the potential for cardiotoxicity resulting from cancer treatments involving chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and radiation therapy. This recognition is due to the significant risk of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients and survivors resulting from such treatment-induced cardiovascular damage. While the cardiotoxic effects of chemotherapy and targeted therapy have been discussed in medical literature, only a limited number of studies have explored the role of serum biomarkers in cardiological risk stratification. In recent years, serum biomarkers have emerged as a valuable tool for assessing and managing cardiotoxicity in patients with hematological malignancies. This review article provides a summary of the current state of knowledge on the usefulness of biomarkers in managing cardiotoxicity resulting from different targeted therapies throughout the cancer care continuum. Although cardiac biomarkers have demonstrated potential in identifying subclinical cardiotoxicity and tracking the response to cardioprotective treatments, further research is necessary to determine optimal biomarkers and surveillance strategies. The incorporation of cardiac biomarkers into clinical practice in patients undergoing targeted therapies could potentially lead to improved long-term cardiovascular outcomes in cancer patients and survivors.
Parent-child communication about substance use, puberty, sex, and social media use among Hispanic parents and pre-adolescent children

Background & purpose Previous research has noted that Hispanic pre-adolescents may be at an increased probability for engagement in risk-taking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore parent-child communication among Hispanic parents and 4th-6th grade children related to substance use, puberty, sex, and social media use. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used to examine Hispanic parents’/caregivers’ communication with their children about substance use behaviors, pubertal developments, engagement in sexual risk behaviors, and social media use. The study included two components: four focus groups consisting of 23 children; five focus groups and one interview consisting of 24 adults. All were conducted until data saturation was reached. Parents and pre-adolescents were interviewed separately. Interviews with parents and pre-adolescents were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis techniques. Results & conclusion The themes that emerged from the interviews were about children’s feelings, parents’ feelings, communication messages that children received from their parents, and information parents provided to their children during parent-child communication. The results indicate discrepancies between information that parents provided and information that the pre-adolescents reported. The results have implications for healthcare providers in that parents need to be better educated on communicating effectively with their pre-adolescents about risk-taking behaviors. Healthcare providers may help facilitate parent-child communication with Hispanic families. More research is needed to develop intervention programs for Hispanic parents to learn how to effectively communicate with their pre-adolescent children in a developmentally appropriate manner.
Ocelots in the moonlight: Influence of lunar phase on habitat selection and movement of two sympatric felids

Various landscape and environmental factors influence animal movement and habitat selection. Lunar illumination affects nocturnal visual perception of many species and, consequently, may influence animal activity and habitat selection. However, the effects of varying moon stage may differ across taxa. Prey species often reduce activity during highly visible periods of night while predators may increase activity or alter their habitat use. Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) and bobcats (Lynx rufus), two nocturnal predatory felids that coexist in southern Texas, may also alter their behavior in response to the phase of the moon. To evaluate the effects of lunar phase on habitat selection of ocelots and bobcats, we executed a step selection analysis using high-frequency GPS-telemetry data collected on each species (ocelot, N = 8; bobcat, N = 13) in southern Texas during 2017–2021 and compared step length during new versus full moons. We predicted that ocelots would increase use of dense thornshrub to reduce their visibility during a full moon. However, as bobcats are habitat generalists and are more active during crepuscular periods, we predicted less influence of moon phase on activity. Ocelots did not alter habitat selection in response to lunar phase but moved shorter distances during full moon phases. Conversely, bobcats selected for greater vegetation cover during full moons, possibly to facilitate hunting during brighter periods, but exhibited no difference in movement across lunar phase. We provide, to our knowledge, the first example of habitat selection by predators in relation to lunar phase and show differences across new versus full moons by ocelots and bobcats such that ocelots alter step length but not habitat selection while bobcats altered habitat selection but not step length in response to shifting lunar phase. Further, we suggest the high potential for ocelot-vehicle collisions on darker nights due to increased movement by ocelots and poor visibility for drivers.
Activation of the pentose phosphate pathway in macrophages is crucial for granuloma formation in sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a disease of unknown etiology in which granulomas form throughout the body and is typically treated with glucocorticoids, but there are no approved steroid-sparing alternatives. Here, we investigated the mechanism of granuloma formation using single-cell RNA-Seq in sarcoidosis patients. We observed that the percentages of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2–positive (TREM2-positive) macrophages expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and lysozyme, diagnostic makers of sarcoidosis, were increased in cutaneous sarcoidosis granulomas. Macrophages in the sarcoidosis lesion were hypermetabolic, especially in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Expression of the PPP enzymes, such as fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1), was elevated in both systemic granuloma lesions and serum of sarcoidosis patients. Granuloma formation was attenuated by the PPP inhibitors in in vitro giant cell and in vivo murine granuloma models. These results suggest that the PPP may be a promising target for developing therapeutics for sarcoidosis.
Dual-polarized 8-port sub 6 GHz 5G MIMO diamond-ring slot antenna for smart phone and portable wireless applications

This manuscript presents high performance dual polarized eight-element multiple input multiple output (MIMO) fifth generation (5G) smartphone antenna. The design consists of four dual-polarized microstrip diamond-ring slot antennas, positioned at corners of printed circuit board (PCB). Cheap Fr-4 dielectric with permittivity 4.3 and thickness of 1.6mm is used as substrate with overall dimension of 150 × 75 × 1.6 mm3. In mobile system due to limited space mutual coupling between nearby antenna elements is an issue that distort MIMO antenna performance. Defected ground structure is used to control coupling. The defected ground structure has advantages like ease of fabrication, compact size and high efficiency as compare to other techniques. Less than 30dB coupling is achieved for adjacent elements. The -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 700 MHz is achieved for all radiating elements ranging from 3.3 GHz to 4.1 GHz. The value is about 900MHz for -6dB. The proposed antenna offers good results in terms of fundamental antenna parameters like reflection coefficient, transmission coefficient, maximum gain, total efficiency. The antenna achieved average gain more than 3.8dBi and average radiation efficiency more than 80% for single dual polarized element. The antenna provides sufficient radiation coverage in all sides. The MIMO antenna characteristics like diversity gain (DG), envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), total active reflection coefficient (TARC) and channel capacity are calculated and found according to standards. Furthermore, effect of user on antenna performance in data-mode and talk-mode are studied. Proposed design is fabricated and tested in real time. The measured results shows that proposed design can be used in future smartphones applications. The design is compared with some of the existing work and found to be the best one in many parameters and can be used for commercial use.
Development of a bispecific nanobody conjugate broadly neutralizes diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants and structural basis for its broad neutralization

The continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with increased transmissibility and profound immune-escape capacity makes it an urgent need to develop broad-spectrum therapeutics. Nanobodies have recently attracted extensive attentions due to their excellent biochemical and binding properties. Here, we report two high-affinity nanobodies (Nb-015 and Nb-021) that target non-overlapping epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD. Both nanobodies could efficiently neutralize diverse viruses of SARS-CoV-2. The neutralizing mechanisms for the two nanobodies are further delineated by high-resolution nanobody/S-RBD complex structures. In addition, an Fc-based tetravalent nanobody format is constructed by combining Nb-015 and Nb-021. The resultant nanobody conjugate, designated as Nb-X2-Fc, exhibits significantly enhanced breadth and potency against all-tested SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron sub-lineages. These data demonstrate that Nb-X2-Fc could serve as an effective drug candidate for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, deserving further in-vivo evaluations in the future.
Site-specific warning system for rainfall-induced slope failure

In New Zealand, rainfall-induced slope failures cause millions of dollars’ worth of damage annually. As a means of mitigating the associated risk, a site-specific early warning system was developed based on field instrumentation, laboratory tests and finite element modeling. The selected site is a cut slope adjacent SH-1, one of Auckland’s busiest state highways. The site consists of Northland Allochthon residual soil, known for its susceptibility to rainfallinduced landslides. In fact, a landslide occurred at the site in the winter of 2008 following a period of prolonged rainfall. Firstly, a variety of laboratory tests were undertaken on soils taken from the slope to better understand their shear strength and hydraulic characteristics. Next, a cross section of the slope about 45m from the 2008 landslide site was instrumented with 13 volumetric water content sensors installed at different depths, together with a tipping bucket rain gauge to monitor rainfall events. With the rainfall and volumetric water content readings monitored since 2010, the soil properties and boundary conditions of the monitored slope cross-section were calibrated using a transient seepage analysis program (SEEP/W). After successful validation, the matric suction/pore-water pressure profile was coupled with a limit equilibrium analyses (SLOPE/W) to simulate the 2008 landslide. For this purpose, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained to predict the factor of safety (FoS), which successfully validated the model using the 2008 rainfall record, obtaining FoS=1.0 at the exact time the 2008 landslide occurred. Finally, the ANN-based methodology was extended to predict the FoS at the monitored site in the future, using rainfall forecasts. This can serve as basis of an early warning system as a means to mitigate the risk of rainfall induced landslides.
Transforming medical device biofilm control with surface treatment using microfabrication techniques

Biofilm deposition on indwelling medical devices and implanted biomaterials is frequently attributed to the prevalence of resistant infections in humans. Further, the nature of persistent infections is widely believed to have a biofilm etiology. In this study, the wettability of commercially available indwelling medical devices was explored for the first time, and its effect on the formation of biofilm was determined in vitro. Surprisingly, all tested indwelling devices were found to be hydrophilic, with surface water contact angles ranging from 60° to 75°. First, we established a thriving Candida albicans biofilm growth at 24 hours. in YEPD at 30°C and 37°C plus serum in vitro at Cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) modified surface, which was subsequently confirmed via scanning electron microscopy, while their cellular metabolic function was assessed using the XTT cell viability assay. Surfaces with patterned wettability show that a contact angle of 110° (hydrophobic) inhibits C. albicans planktonic and biofilm formation completely compared to robust growth at a contact angle of 40° (hydrophilic). This finding may provide a novel antimicrobial strategy to prevent biofilm growth and antimicrobial resistance on indwelling devices and prosthetic implants. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the surface characteristics of medical devices and their potential impact on biofilm formation, leading to the development of improved approaches to control and prevent microbial biofilms and re-infections.
Relationship between the evaluation of agricultural scientific and technological innovation capacity and the influencing factors of green agriculture

China has limited arable land area, and its output value is increased with enhanced agricultural inputs such as machinery, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides. However, this mode is accompanied by an increase in agricultural carbon emissions. With the aim to further examine the driving effect of scientific and technological innovation on economic growth and green agriculture, this study uses the Solow growth model coupled with the Cobb–Douglas production function and vector autoregressive models. Then, the agricultural scientific and technological innovation capacity in Guangdong Province during 2006–2020 is evaluated by using the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress (ASTP) as the assessment index. In addition, the carbon footprints of green agricultural indexes such as machinery, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides are measured to analyze the relationship between green agriculture and agricultural scientific and technological innovation capacity. Results demonstrate the gradual increase in the contribution rate of ASTP in Guangdong Province. During the 11th, 12th, and 13th Five-Year Plan periods, the rates were 65.09%, 65.94%, and 70.40%, respectively, indicating that the agricultural scientific and technological innovation ability constantly improved. Among the indexes of green agriculture, the carbon footprints of machinery have a significant impact on agricultural scientific and technological innovation, which is quickly transformed into machinery. Such innovation requires the driving force of science and technology itself, which have relatively significant and rapid effects. On the basis of the results, corresponding policy suggestions are proposed: increasing investments in scientific and technological innovation in the agricultural field, vigorously developing new energy-saving and emission reduction products and processes for fertilizers, and increasing the research and promotion of agricultural machinery. The proposed method provides good prospects for the development of agricultural production towards mechanization, intelligence, efficiency, and greenness.
Replacement of dietary carbohydrate with protein increases fat mass and reduces hepatic triglyceride synthesis and content in female obese Zucker rats

Previous studies have demonstrated both energy restriction (ER) and higher protein (HP), lower carbohydrate (LC) diets downregulate hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Little is known about the independent and combined impact of ER and HP/LC diets on tissue‐specific lipid kinetics in leptin receptor‐deficient, obese rodents. This study investigated the effects of ER and dietary macronutrient content on body composition; hepatic, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral AT (VAT) lipid metabolic flux (2H2O‐labeling); and blood and liver measures of cardiometabolic health in six‐week‐old female obese Zucker rats (Leprfa+/fa+). Animals were randomized to a 10‐week feeding intervention: ad libitum (AL)‐HC/LP (76% carbohydrate/15% protein), AL‐HP/LC (35% protein/56% carbohydrate), ER‐HC/LP, or ER‐HP/LC. ER groups consumed 60% of the feed consumed by AL. AL gained more fat mass than ER (P‐energy = 0.012) and HP/LC gained more fat mass than HC/LP (P‐diet = 0.025). Hepatic triglyceride (TG) concentrations (P‐interaction = 0.0091) and absolute hepatic TG synthesis (P‐interaction = 0.012) were lower in ER‐HP/LC versus ER‐HC/LP. ER had increased hepatic, SAT, and VAT de novo cholesterol fractional synthesis, absolute hepatic cholesterol synthesis, and serum cholesterol (P‐energy≤0.0035). A HP/LC diet, independent of energy intake, led to greater gains in fat mass. A HP/LC diet, in the context of ER, led to reductions in absolute hepatic TG synthesis and TG content. However, ER worsened cholesterol metabolism. Increased adipose tissue TG retention with the HP/LC diet may reflect improved lipid storage capacity and be beneficial in this genetic model of obesity.
Monitoring of the Southern Gold Coast Beach Nourishment Project

Stage 1 of the Southern Gold Coast Beach Nourishment Project provided 3.6 million cubic metres of sand to severely eroded beaches from Kirra to Tugun. Trailing suction hopper dredges undertook near shore dumping and upper beach pumping of sand from an offshore borrow area from November 1989 to May 1990. The monitoring program was designed to aid the works, to evaluate the effectiveness of the nourishment, to aid the design of subsequent nourishment and to supplement knowledge of coastal processes within the region. Monitoring included hydrographic and topographic surveys, sediment analyses, aerial and ground photography, wave recording, near shore current measurements, COPE (Coastal Observation Programme-Engineering) observations and inspections. This progress report presents analyses of three years of results which have produced sediment budgets which demonstrate the effectiveness of the Stage 1 nourishment, and refine design options for further nourishment.
Mortality Patterns of British Jews 1975-79: Insights and Applications for the Size and Structure of British Jewry

Mortality statistics for the Jewish population of Great Britain for the period 1975-79 are described. Using these data which are available for the deceased subdivided by age and sex and information collected from surveys of various Jewish communities indirect estimates of the population of British Jews are obtained. The results are described in some detail and suggest that British Jews in mid-1977 numbered 336000 (with an estimated error of 34000). Inconsistencies in the data are discussed and the results are compared with the limited information available from other sources. (EXCERPT)