Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio as an Initial Screening Biomarker for Differential Diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome from Nonfunctional Adenoma in Patients with an Adrenal Mass

Objective Assessing excess adrenal hormones is important in patients with adrenal mass. Current screening tests for excess cortisol hormones are complex, so it cannot be done sometimes due to the limited medical resources. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be used as an initial screening biomarker for Cushing's syndrome (CS) in patients with an adrenal mass. Methods This retrospective study included a total of 185 patients with CS and 185 patients with nonfunctional adrenal adenoma (matched 1 : 1 by sex, body mass index, and discharge date). The NLR was compared between the two groups. The association between NLR and serum and urinary cortisol concentrations was analyzed, and an NLR cut-off value for CS screening was calculated. Results NLR (3.38 (2.33, 5.45) vs. 2.13 (1.74, 3.00), P < 0.001) was significantly higher in the CS group than in the nonfunctional adenoma group. In CS patients, the NLR was positively associated with serum cortisol concentrations at 8 am, with 24-hour urine free cortisol and with serum cortisol after a 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (P < 0.001 each). An NLR cut-off of 2.2 had a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 54.05%. The weighted Youden index for the NLR was similar to that of the 24-hour urine free cortisol and late-night serum cortisol tests, which are recommended initial tests for CS diagnosis. Conclusion The NLR may be useful for initial screening for CS among patients with an adrenal mass as an easy and convenient marker.
A Cross-Sectional Study of Barriers in Prevention of Anemia in Pregnancy

Introduction Anemia in pregnancy is a significant health challenge in India and other developing countries. Various health programs aiming anemia prevention are existing in India for many decades. Despite that, anemia affects more than half of pregnant women. Our objective for performing this study was to evaluate the barriers in the prevention of anemia and to evaluate the perceptions and practices of anemic women towards their condition. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, including 210 anemic women, was conducted in a tertiary care center in Delhi, India. In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 participants. Results Our important observations were that anemia was more prevalent in multigravida, and 43.80% of anemic patients were not taking iron supplements at the time of diagnosis. Chronic diseases were associated with 28.2% (n=59) of anemic women. Only 19% (n=40) of women sought antenatal care in the first and second trimester; the rest all booked themselves in the third trimester only. Twenty-two percent (n=48) of women reached our hospital after 36 weeks. Ignorance to anemia symptoms and the importance of consistent intake of the oral iron supplements was seen in 35.2% (n=74). One hundred and sixty-five (74.8%) women accepted that healthcare provider had informed them about iron-rich and high protein diet, but only 47.1% (n=98) actually made dietary modifications. Only 9.5% (n=20) of women were consistent in iron intake. Side effects of iron were reported by 30% (n=64) of women, and 15% (n=32) were intolerant to oral iron. Non-availability, change of residence, and forgetfulness were the main reasons behind non-compliance to oral iron. Conclusion We emphasize motivation for early registration, regular antenatal care, adequate iron supplement supply, and persistent counseling to ensure compliance to iron supplements by the antenatal care provider. Behavior-changing communication is needed at a societal level for antenatal mothers and their families aiming to prevent anemia in pregnancy instead of focussing on treatment.
High Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Type I Diabetic Patients

Background Type I diabetes (TΙDM) is a genetic or autoimmune disorder, which may be stimulated by induced immune system components due to the underlying infectious diseases. This study was undertaken to find out any possible association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and TIDM. Materials and Methods One hundred and eighty-two blood samples were taken from individuals who were referred to outpatient clinics in Shiraz city, Southern Iran, during a 6-month period. The age of type I diabetic subjects (n = 91) and the control group (n = 91) was identical, which were less than 30 years. The sera were examined for IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA and correlated with epidemiological factors such as age, sex, and family history of diabetes. Results Out of 91 diabetic patients, 54 (59.3%) were female and 37 (40.7%) were male. The highest frequency of diabetes belonged to 6-10- and 11-15-year groups (P = 0.17). Toxoplasma infection prevalence in diabetic and control groups was 28.6% and 7.7%, respectively (P = 0.001). A significantly positive family history of diabetes was observed between diabetic patients (31 cases, 34.1%) and the control group (3 cases, 3.3%) (P = 0.01). Interestingly, IgG positivity was seen in 13 cases (41.9%) of patients with positive family history of type I diabetes and 13 cases (21.7%) of subjects with no positive family history of type I diabetes (P = 0.04). Conclusion Our study showed a higher prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in type I diabetes patients. It is likely that the prevalence of TIDM decreases by increasing hygiene and preventing toxoplasmosis.
Evaluation of Thymic Output and Regulatory T Cells in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection

Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) have an essential role in the regulation of allogeneic immune responses. However, their mechanisms of action in chronic antibody-mediated rejection (cAMR) are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to compare Treg and RTE levels between stable graft function (SGF) patients and cAMR subjects after kidney transplantation. Method Mononuclear cells (MNs) were separated from peripheral blood, and flow cytometry analysis was performed for detection of CD4+ and CD25high as Treg markers and CD4+, CD31+, and CD45RA+ as RTE immunophenotyping markers. Result The level of peripheral Treg cells was significantly lower in cAMR subjects in comparison to stable graft function patients. Moreover, SGF patients who had received cyclosporine A had a higher level of Treg in comparison to the tacrolimus recipients. Nevertheless, the RTE level between SGF and cAMR patients did not show any significant differences. Conclusion It seems that Treg cells are significantly associated with transplant outcomes in cAMR patients, and prescribed immunosuppressive drugs can influence the frequency of this crucial subset of T cells. Although these drugs are beneficial and inevitable for allograft maintenance, more investigations are needed to elucidate their complete effects on different immune cell subsets which some of them like Tregs are in favor of transplant tolerance. Besides, the thymic output is seemingly not a beneficial biomarker for predicting cAMR; however, more in vivo and in vitro studies are needed for revealing the precise role of Tregs and RTEs in the transplantation context.
Insights into the actions of angiotensin-1 receptor (AT1R) inverse agonists: Perspectives and implications in COVID-19 treatment

New coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has caused chaos in health care systems. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are variable, with a complex pathophysiology and as yet no specific treatment. It has been suggested that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system has a possible role in the severity of cases and the number of deaths. Our hypothesis is that drugs with inverse agonist effects to the angiotensin-1 receptor can be promising tools in the management of patients with COVID-19, possibly avoiding complications and the poor evolution in some cases. Any risk factors first need to be identified, and the most appropriate time to administer the drugs during the course of the infection also needs to be established. Several angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) have a favorable profile and are important candidates for the treatment of COVID-19. In this review we discussed a set of compounds with favorable profile for COVID-19 treatment, including azilsartan, candesartan, eprosartan, EXP3174, olmesartan, telmisartan, and valsartan. They are effective as inverse agonists and could reduce the “cytokine storm” and reducing oxidative stress. As COVID-19 disease has several evolution patterns, the effectiveness of ARB therapy would be related to infection "timing", patient risk factors, previous use of ARBs, and the specific molecular effects of an ARB. However, controlled studies are needed to identify whether ARBs are beneficial in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
A New Recognition Method for the Auditory Evoked Magnetic Fields

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a persuasive tool to study the human brain in physiology and psychology. It can be employed to obtain the inference of change between the external environment and the internal psychology, which requires us to recognize different single trial event-related magnetic fields (ERFs) originated from different functional areas of the brain. Current recognition methods for the single trial data are mainly used for event-related potentials (ERPs) in the electroencephalography (EEG). Although the MEG shares the same signal sources with the EEG, much less interference from the other brain tissues may give the MEG an edge in recognition of the ERFs. In this work, we propose a new recognition method for the single trial auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs) through enhancing the signal. We find that the signal strength of the single trial AEFs is concentrated in the primary auditory cortex of the temporal lobe, which can be clearly displayed in the 2D images. These 2D images are then recognized by an artificial neural network (ANN) with 100% accuracy, which realizes the automatic recognition for the single trial AEFs. The method not only may be combined with the source estimation algorithm to improve its accuracy but also paves the way for the implementation of the brain-computer interface (BCI) with the MEG.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the common strain black carp (Cyprinus carpio var. baisenensis)

ABTRACT The common strain black carp (Cyprinus carpio var. baisenensis), known for its black skin is cultured in the integrated rice-agriculture system and non-escape property under torrential floods. The total mitogenome length of Cyprinus carpio var. baisenensis obtained in this study was 16,478bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2rRNA genes (large and small), a light strand origin of replication, and one major non-coding region. By providing the complete mitochondrial genomes of Cyprinus carpio var. baisenensis, we will further understand the phylogenetic relationships within genus.
Carbon-coated nano-sized Li4Ti5O12 nanoporous micro-sphere as anode material for high-rate lithium-ion batteries

In this study, we report a facile process for preparing a carbon-coated nanosized Li4Ti5O12 nanoporous micro-sphere (CN-LTO-NMS) by a carbon pre-coating process combined with the spray drying method. The obtained material consists of a micron-size secondary sphere (10–20 μm) accumulated by carbon-coated nanosized primary particles (∼200 nm). The nanosized primary particles and nano-thickness carbon layer uniformly coated over the particles as well as the interconnected nanopores greatly improve its rate capability. As a consequence, the resulting sample delivers a reversible capacity of 160 mAhg−1 at 0.2 C, and shows remarkable rate capability by maintaining 79% of the capacity at 20 C (vs. 0.2 C), as well as excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 95% after 1000 cycles at 1 C rate (vs. 0.2 C).
The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Postoperative Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort in Patients Undergoing Transurethral Resection of the Prostate

Background Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD), an extremely distressing complication secondary to an indwelling urinary catheterization, is frequently reported in patients with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), postoperatively. A prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind study was designed to assess the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) as a treatment for CRBD in patients undergoing TURP. Methods Seventy benign prostatic hyperplasia male patients undergoing TURP under general anesthesia requiring intraoperative urinary catheterization were enrolled for the trial. An experienced acupuncturist performed TEAS for 30 minutes before general anesthesia with acupoints RN7, RN6, RN5, RN4, and RN3 and bilateral BL32, BL33, and BL34. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SPO2), body temperature (T), and blood samples were collected during the surgery. A series of assessments included the incidence and severity of CRBD, postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, and physical and mental state measurements. Results The incidence of CRBD was significantly lower in TEAS group than in control group at the time T5 [9(26%) vs. 28(80%), P < 0.001], T9 [20(57%) vs. 28(80%), P=0.039], T11 [7(20%) vs. 31(89%), P < 0.001], and T12 [4(11%) vs. 7(20%), P=0.003]. The severity of CRBD was significantly lower in TEAS group than in control group at the time T5 [0 vs. 10 (29%), P < 0.001], T9 [2(6%) vs. 10(29%), P=0.011], and T11 [0 vs . 9(26%), P=0.002]. The QoR-40 total score was higher in TEAS group at time T11 [191.7(4.4) vs. 189.1(4.3), P=0.007] and T12 [195.3(1.9) vs. 193.3(3.0), P < 0.001]. The postoperative analgesia requirement was higher in control group [5.0(2.9) vs. 3.8(1.9), P=0.045]. Conclusions TEAS could significantly prevent the incidence and severity of CRBD, reduce the postoperative analgesic requirement in the early postoperative period, and promote the quality of early recovery in patients undergoing TURP.
Mortality and Attrition Rates within the First Year of Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation among People Living with HIV in Guangxi, China: An Observational Cohort Study

Objective To assess the mortality and attrition rates within the first year of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in rural Guangxi, China. Design Observational cohort study. Setting. The core treatment indicators and data were collected with standard and essential procedures as per the Free ART Manual guidelines across all the rural health care centers of Guangxi. Participants. 58,115 PLHIV who were under ART were included in the study. Interventions. The data collected included sociodemographic characteristics that consist of age, sex, marital status, route of HIV transmission, CD4 cell count before ART, initial ART regimen, level of ART site, and year of ART initiation. Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures. Mortality and attrition rate following ART initiation. Results The average mortality rate was 5.94 deaths, and 17.52 attritions per 100 person-years within the first year of ART initiation among PLHIV. The mortality rate was higher among intravenous drug users (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR) 1.27, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.14-1.43), prefecture as a level of ART site (AHR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.28), and county as the level of ART site (AHR 2.12, 95% CI 1.90-2.37). Attrition was higher among intravenous drug users (AHR 1.87, 95% CI 1.75-2.00), the first-line ART containing AZT (AHR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.16), and first-line ART containing LVP/r (AHR 1.34, 95% CI 1.23-1.46). Conclusion The mortality and attrition rates were both at the highest level in the first year of post-ART; continued improvement in the quality of HIV treatment and care is needed.
Controlled drug release by polymer dissolution. I. Partial esters of maleic anhydride copolymers—properties and theory

The kinetics of drug release from a series of partial esters of vinyl acetate–maleic anhydride has been investigated. These polymers in their un-ionized forms are hydrophobic and water insoluble, but in their ionized forms they are water soluble. Polymer dissolution is pH sensitive, and different half-esters have a characteristic pH range above which they are soluble and below which they are insoluble. When films are placed in buffered media, they erode at a constant rate that depends on the pH of dissolution of the polymer and on the pH of the buffered medium. Dissolution of the polymer is limited to the polymer–buffer medium interface, and drugs dissolved or uniformly dispersed in the polymer are released by zero-order kinetics. A detailed model has been developed that successfully correlates dissolution behavior and various experimental parameters.
Rhizosphere assisted bioengineering approaches for the mitigation of petroleum hydrocarbons contamination in soil

Abstract The high demand for petroleum oil has led to hydrocarbon contamination in soil, including agricultural lands, and many other ecosystems across the globe. Physical and chemical treatments are effective strategies for the removal of high contamination levels and are useful for small areas, although with concerns of cost-effectiveness. Alternatively, several bacteria belonging to the Phylum: Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Nocardioides, or Firmicutes are used for biodegradation of different hydrocarbons – aliphatic, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and asphaltenes in the oil-contaminated soil. The rhizoremediation strategy with plant-microbe interactions has prospects to achieve the desired result in the field conditions. However, adequate biostimulation, and bioaugmentation with the suitable plant-microbe combination, and efficiency under a toxic environment needs to be evaluated. Modifying the microbiomes to achieve better biodegradation of contaminants is an upcoming strategy popularly known as microbiome engineering. In this review, rhizoremediation for the successful removal of the hydrocarbons have been critically discussed, with challenges for making it a feasible technology. HIGHLIGHTS Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination has increased around the globe. Rhizoremediation has the potential for the mitigation of pollutants from the contaminated sites. An accurate and detailed analysis of the physio-chemical and climatic conditions of the contaminated sites must be focused on. The suitable plant and bacteria, with other major considerations, may be employed for in-situ remediation. The appropriate data should be obtained using the omics approach to help toward the success of the rhizoremediation strategy.
The Value of Family History in Colorectal Screening Decisions for Oldest Old Geriatric Populations

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common form of cancer affecting both men and women. Extensive screening guidelines have been developed to help reduce the incidence of disease. Currently, United States Preventative Service Task Force guidelines recommend against routine screening in those 85 years and older. However, octogenarians and nonagenarians continue to be screened for CRC with no consensus on indications. The aim of this study is to examine family history of CRC as a risk factor and clinical indication for providing screening colonoscopies to the “oldest old” geriatric population, defined as aged 80 years and above. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of a Veterans’ Health Administration database to identify male veterans aged 80 years and older who underwent screening colonoscopy. Subsequently, we examined those who tested positive for CRC with a family history of CRC. Results: Of the 458,224 patients who are 80 years and older in the Veterans Affairs (VA) database, 17.8% underwent a screening colonoscopy; 11.42% of these individuals were further diagnosed with CRC; and 8.89% of those with diagnosed CRC had a documented family history of CRC. Conclusion: Family history should not be used as an inclusionary criterion for CRC screening in the 80 years and above age group as the rate of CRC in these patients with a family history of CRC is significantly lower than that in the younger age groups with a family history of CRC.
Assessing genome assembly quality prior to downstream analysis: N50 versus BUSCO

With the ever‐increasing number of publicly available eukaryotic genome assemblies and user‐friendly bioinformatics tools, there are increasing opportunities for researchers to use genomic resources in their research. While there are multiple dimensions to genome quality, it is often reduced to a single score that may not be correlated with other metrics, or appropriate for all applications of an assembly. To assess whether the commonly reported N50 value could reliably predict a separate dimension of genome quality, gene space completeness, we performed a meta‐analysis of 611 published articles on eukaryotic genomes that used BUSCO scores, in addition to the typical N50 score. We found that although assemblies with relatively high contig and scaffold N50 values consistently had high BUSCO scores, a high BUSCO score could also be obtained from assemblies with a low N50. This reinforces that despite its ubiquity, N50 is not a perfect proxy for all measures of genome accuracy. Our data also suggests that variations in BUSCO scores among assemblies with poor N50 scores may be related to the number of introns in conserved eukaryotic genes. We stress the importance of screening and evaluating assembly quality based on the appropriate tools and urge increased reporting of additional genome assessment metrics in addition to N50. We also discuss the potential limitations of BUSCO and suggest improvements for assessing gene space within genome assemblies.
Comparison study of clinical outcomes and sagittal alignment improvement between anterior and posterior fusion techniques for multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Purpose: To compare the sagittal alignment of different surgical approaches in patients with multiple levels cervical spondylotic myelopathy and explore the relationship between the cervical sagittal alignment and patient’s health relative quality of life. Method: A total of 97 multiple levels cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients who underwent surgery from January 2013 to January 2019 were collected in this study. Patients were divided into three groups: anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion and laminectomy with fusion groups. Clinical outcomes and sagittal alignment parameters were compared preoperative and postoperative. Results: There were no significant differences in the average age and sex ratio among the groups. Sagittal parameters correlated to health relative quality of life were C7 slope, occipito-C2 angle, external auditory meatus tilt and cervical sagittal vertical axis. Both anterior cervical discectomy with fusion and anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion groups exhibited better sagittal alignment and clinical outcomes improvement postoperatively. Anterior cervical discectomy with fusion provided better clinical outcomes and the better improvement of cervical lordosis, C7 slope, occipito-C2 angle and cervical sagittal vertical axis compared with patients with Laminectomy with fusion. Conclusion: C7 slope, occipito-C2 angle, external auditory meatus tilt and cervical sagittal vertical axis are the most important cervical sagittal parameters correlated to clinical outcomes in patients with multilevels cervical spondylotic myelopathy; anterior cervical discectomy with fusion and anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion provides more efficient to restoration of cervical sagittal alignment.