Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DaPeCa-8: drawing the map of lymphatic drainage in patients with invasive penile cancer – evidence from SPECT/CT and sentinel node surgery

Abstract Background Anatomy of the lymphatic drainage guides the extent of inguinal lymph node dissection in penile cancer. Objective To prospectively assess the lymphatic drainage of penile cancer with single-photon emission computed tomography CT (SPECT-CT) and implications for the extent of inguinal lymph node dissection. Methods We assessed the lymphatic drainage of 62 patients with at least unilateral clinical lymph node-negative (cN0) status with SPECT-CT at our tertiary referral centre. We evaluated 122 cN0 inguinal basins and compared them to the histopathological outcome. The inguinal regions were divided into ten different Daseler zones on SPECT-CT. The surgical team filled in a corresponding scheme at sentinel node biopsy and sent lymph nodes from each Daseler zone individually for histopathological examination. Results SPECT-CT successfully visualized lymphatic drainage in 116 of the 122 cN0 inguinal basins (95.1%). The vast majority of sentinel nodes and all metastatic nodes were located in central and superior inguinal zones, including six metastatic nodes in lateral superior zones. Minimal lymphatic drainage was seen to the inferior Daseler zones and no metastatic deposits were located here. No direct pelvic drainage was observed. Conclusions Penile cancer lymphatic drainage is primarily to sentinel in the superior and central zones of Daseler. Colleagues practicing a modified inguinal lymph node dissection as a standard in cN0 patients are encouraged to include all these zones, while the inferior zones can be omitted. This study confirms the absence of lymphatic drainage directly to the pelvic region and supports the practice of omitting pelvic nodes from sentinel node biopsy.
Evaluating Antibacterial Efficacy and Biocompatibility of PAN Nanofibers Loaded with Diclofenac Sodium Salt

Side effects of the drugs’ oral administration led us to examine the possibility of using diclofenac sodium (DLF) in a polymeric drug delivery system based on electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, which can be produced cost-effectively and with good applicability for transdermal treatments. The inclusion of DLF in PAN nanofibers increased the nanofiber diameter from ~200 nm to ~500 nm. This increase can be attributed to the increase in the spinning solution viscosity. FTIR spectra confirm the entrapment of the DLF into the PAN nanofibers. X-ray diffraction pattern showed that the inclusion of the DLF in the PAN nanofibers had caused the misalignment in the polymeric chains of the PAN, thus resulting in a decrease of the peak intensity at 2θ = 17o. The DLF loaded PAN nanofibers were efficient against the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli), with maximum inhibition zone of 16 ± 0.46 mm for E. coli and 15.5 ± 0.28 mm for S. aureus. Good cell viability ~95% for L929 cells in more extended incubation periods was reported. A gradual release of DLF from the PAN nanofiber was observed and can be attributed to the stability of Pan in PBS medium. Cell adhesion micrographs show that cell-cell interaction is stronger than the cell-material interaction. This type of weak cell interaction with the wound dressing is particularly advantageous, as this will not disturb the wound surface during the nursing of the wound.
Patient factors associated with titration of medical therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: data from the QUALIFY international registry

Failure to prescribe key medicines at evidence‐based doses is associated with increased mortality and hospitalization for patients with Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF). We assessed titration patterns of guideline‐recommended HFrEF medicines internationally and explored associations with patient characteristics in the global, prospective, observational, longitudinal registry.
Quantification and Optimization of Standard-of-Care Therapy to Delay the Emergence of Resistant Bone Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Simple Summary Using a first-principles approach, we demonstrate how standard-of-care therapies for bone metastatic prostate cancer (BMPCa) patients can be optimized with the use of routine measurements to significantly delay the evolution of resistant disease, potentially extending overall patient survival. Abstract Background: Bone metastatic prostate cancer (BMPCa), despite the initial responsiveness to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), inevitably becomes resistant. Recent clinical trials with upfront treatment of ADT combined with chemotherapy or novel hormonal therapies (NHTs) have extended overall patient survival. These results indicate that there is significant potential for the optimization of standard-of-care therapies to delay the emergence of progressive metastatic disease. Methods: Here, we used data extracted from human bone metastatic biopsies pre- and post-abiraterone acetate/prednisone to generate a mathematical model of bone metastatic prostate cancer that can unravel the treatment impact on disease progression. Intra-tumor heterogeneity in regard to ADT and chemotherapy resistance was derived from biopsy data at a cellular level, permitting the model to track the dynamics of resistant phenotypes in response to treatment from biological first-principles without relying on data fitting. These cellular data were mathematically correlated with a clinical proxy for tumor burden, utilizing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) production as an example. Results: Using this correlation, our model recapitulated the individual patient response to applied treatments in a separate and independent cohort of patients (n = 24), and was able to estimate the initial resistance to the ADT of each patient. Combined with an intervention-decision algorithm informed by patient-specific prediction of initial resistance, we propose to optimize the sequence of treatments for each patient with the goal of delaying the evolution of resistant disease and limit cancer cell growth, offering evidence for an improvement against retrospective data. Conclusions: Our results show how minimal but widely available patient information can be used to model and track the progression of BMPCa in real time, offering a clinically relevant insight into the patient-specific evolutionary dynamics of the disease and suggesting new therapeutic options for intervention. Trial registration: NCT # 01953640. Funding: Funded by an NCI U01 (NCI) U01CA202958-01 and a Moffitt Team Science Award. CCL and DB were partly funded by an NCI PSON U01 (U01CA244101). AA was partly funded by a Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program (W81XWH-15-1-0184) fellowship. LC was partly funded by a postdoctoral fellowship (PF-13-175-01-CSM) from the American Cancer Society.
Case study: An older COVID‐19 patient in a Turkish intensive care unit with prolonged stay

Abstract This paper reports the presentation and management of an older female patient who was diagnosed with Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) and discharged from an intensive care unit (ICU) after prolonged hospitalization. The patient's COVID‐19 test was negative; therefore, she was monitored in the COVID‐19 general clinic with normal levels of oxygen saturation (SpO2). The patient had been taking Plaquenil for rheumatoid arthritis for a long time. Azithromycin was administered first, and then, the treatment continued with favipiravir according to the national treatment protocol in Turkey. On the third day in the COVID‐19 general clinic, she was transferred to the ICU because of decreased saturation levels. Owing to worsening respiratory status and SpO2 <70%, the patient was intubated on the sixth day in the ICU, and every day, she was nursed in a prone position for >16 hours. We believe that the treatment and care activities under qualified and effective nursing care, such as providing appropriate respiratory support at the right time, early initiation and maintenance of anticoagulant therapy, long‐term prone positioning, maintaining sufficient fluid resuscitation, and early commencement of balanced enteral nutrition, contributed to the successful discharge of the patient from the ICU. The patient was finally extubated on the 23rd day. Respiratory support was continued with oxygen administered at 2 lt/min through a nasal canula with SpO2 at 94%. We believe that by combining all these factors, the patient's results improved. She was discharged from the ICU after 25 days without any organ dysfunction. During the 25 days of care in the ICU, infectious disease protection and isolation rules were strictly adhered to, and personal protective equipment was worn.
New indicators for systematic assessment of aortic morphology: a narrative review

In order to prevent the occurrence of aortic adverse events in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm patients, preventive surgery is the sole option in case of large aneurysm. Identifying high-risk patients timely and accurately requires effective predictive indicators of aortic adverse events and accurate risk stratification thresholds. Absolute diameter measured after a single imaging examination, which has been used as the predictive indicator for decades, has been proved to be ineffective for risk stratification in moderately dilated aorta. Previously, new indicators combining absolute diameters with personalized parameters have been reported to show better predictive power of aortic adverse events than absolute diameters by correcting the effect of these parameters on the diameters. Meanwhile, combining three-dimensional parameters to formulate risk stratification thresholds not only may characterize the aortic risk morphology more precisely, but also predict aortic adverse events more accurately. These new indicators may provide more systematic assessment methods of patients’ risk, formulate more personalized intervention strategies for ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm patients, and also provide a basis for researchers to develop more accurate and effective risk thresholds. We also highlight that the algorithm obtained by combining multiple indicators may be a better choice compared with single indicator, but this still requires the support of more evidence. Due to the particularity of syndromic aortic disease, whether these new indicators can be used for its risk stratification is still uncertain. Therefore, the scope of this manuscript does not include this kind of disease.
Historical Overview of the “Firing” Liaison between Brain Tumors and Epilepsy

This review addresses, in a critical historical perspective, the link between seizures and endocranic neoplasms. Folkloric descriptions of epilepsy can be found in writings from ancient cultures. Hippocrates first provided a medical interpretation. In 1770, Tissot published Traité de l’épilepsie, a milestone in epileptology, whereas the 19th century is considered the golden era of epileptic studies. In 1882, the father of modern epileptology, Jackson, in his article Localized Convulsions from Tumour of the Brain, reported a case of a patient affected by typical Jacksonian seizures in the presence of a brain tumor. However, he did not establish a direct correlation between brain tumors and epilepsy, and an explanation for his clinical case was lacking. Before Jackson’s article, other authors reported similar cases, but only Gairdner in 1834 published a report suggesting the concept of a direct relationship between epilepsy and a brain tumor. From the beginning until the mid of the 20th century several authors reported seizures attributed to intracranial tumors, and in recent years studies have focused on the pathogenesis of tumor-related seizures. Biochemical and molecular changes in brain tumors and their environment opened unprecedented working hypotheses on epileptogenesis and on treatment of epilepsy associated with brain tumors.
Economic recession and cardiovascular disease among women: a cohort study from Eastern Finland

Aims: Little is known about the effect of economic recessions on cardiovascular disease. Therefore, we investigated the association of the economic recession in Finland in the 1990s with the incidence of cardiovascular disease among middle-aged and older women. Methods: A total of 918 women aged 53–73 years were examined for health and socioeconomic position in 1998–2001, as part of the population-based prospective Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. The participants were asked whether Finland’s economic recession in the early 1990s had affected their lives socially or economically. The cohort was followed for 18 years, and incident physician-diagnosed cases of cardiovascular disease were obtained through record linkage with the national hospital discharge registry that covers every hospitalisation in Finland. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the risk of cardiovascular disease among those with and without exposure to socioeconomic hardships during the recession, after adjusting for possible confounders. Results: At the baseline, 587 women reported having experienced socioeconomic hardships due to the recession. During the 20 years’ follow-up, 501 women developed cardiovascular disease. After adjustment for age, the risk of cardiovascular disease was 27% higher among women exposed to socioeconomic hardships compared to those who were not (hazard ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.53, P=0.012). Further adjustments for overall socioeconomic position at baseline, prior cardiovascular health, and lifestyle factors did not attenuate the association (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.5, P=0.029). Conclusions: The early 1990s economic recession was associated with a subsequently increased risk of cardiovascular disease among Finnish women.
A Longitudinal Study of Parenting Conditions on Two Adult, North American River Otters’ (Lontra Canadensis) Repetitive Behavior

ABSTRACT Captive animal welfare research focuses on husbandry, enrichment, enclosure space, visitor effects, and opportunities for species-typical behavior (e.g., foraging, territoriality, and social interaction). And yet, one of the most biologically relevant opportunities for species-typical behavior, parenting, has received little attention. The goal of this longitudinal investigation was to explore the differential variability of repetitive behavior across three parenting conditions (i.e., No parenting, parenting, and foster parenting) among captive, wild-rescued, North American river otters. This study represents anatural ABAC design, the conditions reflect differential parenting phases: No parenting (A), Parenting biological pups (B), and Alloparenting nonbiological pups (C). The behavior of two adult North American river otters at the Oregon Zoo were observed from April2016 through March2020 during the different parenting contexts. The frequency of repetitive behaviors was lowest during parenting and highest during the non-parenting conditions. Although data for season, weather, and visitor variables were also collected throughout this study; parenting condition was the only consistent moderator of abnormal repetitive behavior observed.
New insights into the role of the Nrf2 signaling pathway in green tea catechin applications

Nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcriptional signaling pathway that plays a crucial role in numerous clinical complications. Pivotal roles of Nrf2 have been proved in cancer, autoimmune diseases, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, renal injuries, respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal disturbances, and general disorders related to oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, gelatinolysis, autophagy, and fibrogenesis processes. Green tea catechins as a rich source of phenolic compounds can deal with various clinical problems and manifestations. In this review, we attempted to focus on intervention between green tea catechins and Nrf2. Green tea catechins especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) elucidated the protective role of Nrf2 and its downstream molecules in various disorders through Keap‐1, HO‐1, NQO‐1, GPx, GCLc, GCLm, NF‐kB cross‐link, kinases, and apoptotic proteins. Subsequently, we compiled an updated expansions of the Nrf2 role as a gate to manage and protect different disorders and feasible indications of green tea catechins through this signaling pathway. The present review highlighted recent evidence‐based data in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies on an outline for future clinical trials.
Using Mass Spectrometry for Proteins

The 2002 Chemistry Nobel Prize has mass spectrometrists everywhere celebrating. It recognizes work that put large proteins, 10,000 Da and up, into mass spectrometers. A description of Koichi Tanaka's experiments using laser desorption ionization and John B. Fenn's experiments using electrospray ionization is given along with a brief summary with references to previous researchers' work that Tanaka and Fenn were familiar with. The techniques Tanaka and Fenn used for their Prize-winning work—techniques that have revolutionized mass spectrometry—have yet to reach current chemistry textbooks, whatever their level.
Correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient and pathological characteristics of patients with invasive breast cancer

Background There is insufficient research on the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer patients. The present study is to investigate the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient and pathological characteristics of patients with invasive breast cancer. Methods From January 2019 to September 2020, 122 cases of invasive breast cancer and 21 cases of benign tumors were retrospectively enrolled. The apparent diffusion coefficient was compared between the two groups, and the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient and the pathological characteristics of the patients with invasive breast cancer were analyzed. Results Compared with the benign tumor group, the apparent diffusion coefficient in the invasive breast cancer group was significantly lower (0.89±0.17 vs. 1.47±0.27 10−3 mm2/s, P=0.000). Using the apparent diffusion coefficient to diagnose patients with invasive breast cancer, the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.966±0.021 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.924–1.000, P=0.000], and the best diagnostic cut-off value was 1.16 (10−3 mm2/s), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.905 and 0.902, respectively. The apparent diffusion coefficient was used to diagnose vascular tumor thrombus in patients with invasive breast cancer. The area under the ROC curve was 0.641±0.068 (95% CI: 0.508–0.774, P=0.047), and the best diagnostic threshold was 0.835 (10−3 mm2/s), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.676 and 0.650, respectively. The apparent diffusion coefficient in patients with high expression of Ki-67 (%) was significantly reduced (0.87±0.17 vs. 1.00±0.16 10−3 mm2/s, P=0.000). The apparent diffusion coefficient was not significantly correlated with age, menopause, lesion size, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or lymph node metastasis in patients with invasive breast cancer (P>0.05). Conclusions In patients with invasive breast cancer the apparent diffusion coefficient was significantly reduced. It was able to differentiate invasive breast cancer and vascular tumor thrombus, and was also related to Ki-67 (%) high expression.
Selective modulation of interhemispheric connectivity by transcranial alternating current stimulation influences binaural integration

Significance Sensory processing depends upon the integration of widely distributed neural assemblies. During every day listening, our ears receive different information (due to interaural time and amplitude differences) and it is known that both hemispheres extract different acoustic features. Nonetheless, acoustic features belonging to the same source become integrated. It has been suggested that the brain overcomes this “binding problem” by synchronization of oscillatory activity across the relevant regions. Here we probe interhemispheric oscillatory synchronization as a mechanism for acoustic feature binding using bihemispheric transcranial alternating current stimulation. Concurrent functional MRI reveals that antiphase stimulation of auditory areas changes effective connectivity between these areas, and that this change in connectivity predicts perceptual integration of dichotic stimuli. Brain connectivity plays a major role in the encoding, transfer, and integration of sensory information. Interregional synchronization of neural oscillations in the γ-frequency band has been suggested as a key mechanism underlying perceptual integration. In a recent study, we found evidence for this hypothesis showing that the modulation of interhemispheric oscillatory synchrony by means of bihemispheric high-density transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-TACS) affects binaural integration of dichotic acoustic features. Here, we aimed to establish a direct link between oscillatory synchrony, effective brain connectivity, and binaural integration. We experimentally manipulated oscillatory synchrony (using bihemispheric γ-TACS with different interhemispheric phase lags) and assessed the effect on effective brain connectivity and binaural integration (as measured with functional MRI and a dichotic listening task, respectively). We found that TACS reduced intrahemispheric connectivity within the auditory cortices and antiphase (interhemispheric phase lag 180°) TACS modulated connectivity between the two auditory cortices. Importantly, the changes in intra- and interhemispheric connectivity induced by TACS were correlated with changes in perceptual integration. Our results indicate that γ-band synchronization between the two auditory cortices plays a functional role in binaural integration, supporting the proposed role of interregional oscillatory synchrony in perceptual integration.
Inch-sized high-quality perovskite single crystals by suppressing phase segregation for light-powered integrated circuits

Low-temperature solution–grown large high-quality perovskite single crystals enable integrated circuits for imaging. The triple-cation mixed-halide perovskite (FAxMAyCs1-x-y)Pb(IzBr1-z)3 (FAMACs) is the best composition for thin-film solar cells. Unfortunately, there is no effective method to prepare large single crystals (SCs) for more advanced applications. Here, we report an effective additive strategy to grow 2-inch-sized high-quality FAMACs SCs. It is found that the judiciously selected reductant [formic acid (FAH)] effectively minimizes iodide oxidation and cation deprotonation responsible for phase segregation. Consequently, the FAMACs SC shows more than fivefold enhancement in carrier lifetimes, high charge mobility, long carrier diffusion distance, as well as superior uniformity and long-term stability, making it possible for us to design high-performance self-powered integrated circuit photodetector. The device exhibits large responsivity, high photoconductive gain, excellent detectivity, and fast response speed; all values are among the highest reported to date for planar-type single-crystalline perovskite photodetectors. Furthermore, an integrated imaging system is fabricated on the basis of 12 × 12 pixelated matrixes of the single-crystal photodetectors.
The TRAIL Sensitization Effect of Substituted Triazolyl Curcumin Mimics Against Brain Cancer Cells

Department of Microbiology, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung 210-701, Korea Department of Basic Science, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung 210-701, Korea Department of Pharmacology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan 570-749, Korea. *E-mail: stress@wku.ac. kr Department of Pharmacology, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung 210-701, Korea *E-mail: sjlee@cku.ac. kr Received June 13, 2014, Accepted July 9, 2014