Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Holmium Laser Enucleation versus Bipolar Plasmakinetic Resection for Management of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients with Large Volume Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Randomised Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES To compare safety and efficacy of holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) versus bipolar plasmakinetic resection (BPRP) of prostate in management of large sized (≥75gm) benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS This randomised controlled trial recruited 145 symptomatic BPH patients who had failed medical management, who underwent either HoLEP (Versa pulse®100W) (n=73) or BPRP (AUTOCON® II 400 ESU) (n= 72). Both groups were compared using Mann-Whitney, Chi-Square, Student-t or Fisher-Exact tests as appropriate. Preoperative vs postoperative findings (24-months) were compared using paired t-test or Wilcoxon-signed rank test. RESULTS The two groups were comparable for most preoperative findings including prostate size (p=0.629), although HoLEP included more patients on anticoagulants (p=0.001). HoLEP was associated with significantly less operative duration (p<0.001), hemoglobin loss (p<0.001), catheterisation duration (p=0.009) and hospital stay (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in total complications(p=0.291), and each separate complication. Blood transfusion was reported only with BPRP(p=0.058). At 24-months follow-up, there was significant improvement in all parameters in each group(IPSS, Qmax, QoL and PVRU; p<0.001). There was no significant difference between both groups in postoperative IPSS(p=0.08), Qmax(p=0.051), QoL(p=0.057), or PVRU(p=0.069). There was significantly better percentage improvement of both IPSS(p=0.006) and QoL(p=0.025) in HoLEP. HoLEP and smaller removed (resected or enucleated) tissues were associated with reduction in the primary outcomes (hemoglobin loss and operative duration) in logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION HoLEP showed better safety profile with significantly less operative duration, hemoglobin loss, hospital stay and catheterization duration. Although both procedures were effective, HoLEP showed significantly better percentage improvement of both IPSS and QoL.
dmPFC-vlPAG projection neurons contribute to pain maintenance thresholds and anxiolytic behaviors.

The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) has been recognized as a key cortical area for nociceptive modulation. However, the underlying neural pathway and the function of specific cell types remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that lesions of the dmPFC induced an algesic and anxious state. By using multiple tracing methods including rabies-based transsynaptic tracing method, an excitatory descending neural pathway from the dmPFC to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) was outlined. Specific activation of the dmPFC-vlPAG neural pathway by an optogenetic manipulation, produced analgesic and anxiolytic effects in a chronic pain mice model. Inhibitory neurons in the dmPFC were specifically activated by using a chemogenetic approach, which logically produced an algesic and anxious state under both normal and chronic pain conditions. Antagonists of GABAAR or mGluR1 were applied to the dmPFC, which produced analgesic and anxiolytic effects. In summary, the present results suggest that the dmPFC-vlPAG neural pathway might participate in the maintenance of pain thresholds and anxiolytic behaviors under normal conditions, while silencing or suppressing the dmPFC-vlPAG pathway might be involved in the initial stages and maintenance of chronic pain and the emergence of anxiety-like behaviors.
The Effects of Gradual Change in Head Positioning on the Relationship between Systemic and Cerebral Haemodynamic Parameters in Healthy Controls and Acute Ischaemic Stroke Patients

(1) Background: Larger blood pressure variability (BPv) in the first 3 h post-stroke onset increases pathophysiological effects such as infarct size, and leads to greater risk of disability, comorbidities and mortality at 90 days. However, there is limited information on the relationship between systemic and cerebral haemodynamic and variability parameters. (2) Objectives: This study determined the effect of a gradual change in head position (GHP) on cerebral blood flow velocity variability (CBFVv) and mean arterial blood pressure variability (MABPv), in healthy controls and acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: CBFVv and MABPv were expressed as standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation. A total of 16 healthy controls (mean age 57 ± 16 years) were assessed over two visits, 12 ± 8 days apart, and 15 AIS patients (mean age 69 ± 8.5 years) were assessed over three visits (V1: 13.3 ± 6.9 h, V2: 4.9 ± 3.2 days and V3: 93.9 ± 11.5 days post-stroke). (3) Results: In response to GHP, MABPv does not initially increase, but over time MABPv showed a significant increase in response to GHP in AIS (visits 2 and 3) and controls (visit 2). Additionally, in response to GHP in AIS, CBFVv increased in the affected hemisphere. Lastly, in AIS, a significant correlation between CBFVv and MABPv, assessed by SD, was seen in the unaffected hemisphere, whereas this relationship was not demonstrated in the affected hemisphere. (4) Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse the relationship between CBFVv and MABPv. Shedding light on the effect of head position on the relationship between cerebral blood flow and blood pressure is important to improve our understanding of the underlying effects of cerebral autoregulation impairment. This early mechanistic study provides evidence supporting supine head positioning in healthy controls and stroke patients, through demonstration of a reduction of MABPv and increase in CBFVv.
Changes in the Plantar Flexion Torque of the Ankle and in the Morphological Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of the Achilles Tendon after 12-Week Gait Retraining

Purpose: Although the Achilles tendon (AT) is the largest and strongest tendon, it remains one of the most vulnerable tendons among elite and recreational runners. The present study aims to explore the effects of 12-week gait retraining (GR) on the plantar flexion torque of the ankle and the morphological and mechanical properties of the AT. Methods: Thirty-four healthy male recreational runners (habitual rearfoot strikers) who never tried to run in minimal shoes were recruited, and the intervention was completed (20 in the GR group vs. 14 in the control (CON) group). The participants in the GR group were asked to run in minimal shoes (INOV-8 BARE-XF 210) provided by the investigators with forefoot strike patterns during the progressive 12-week GR. Meanwhile, the participants in the CON group were instructed to run in their own running shoes, which they were familiar with, with original foot strike patterns and intensities. The morphological properties of the AT, namely, length and cross-sectional area (CSA), were obtained by using an ultrasound device. A dynamometer was utilized simultaneously to measure and calculate the plantar flexion torque of the ankle, the rate of torque development, the peak force of the AT, and the stress and strain of the AT. Results: After 12-week GR, the following results were obtained: (1) A significant time effect in the peak ankle plantarflexion torque was observed (p = 0.005), showing a 27.5% increase in the GR group; (2) A significant group effect in the CSA was observed (p = 0.027), specifically, the increase in CSA was significantly larger in the GR group than the CON group; (3) A significant time effect in the peak AT force was observed (p = 0.005), showing a 27.5% increase in the GR group. Conclusion: The effect of 12 weeks of GR is an increase in AT CSA, plantar flexor muscle strength of the ankle, and peak AT force during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction test. These changes in AT morphology and function could be positive for tendon health and could prevent future AT injury.
Breast-cancer mortality in screened versus unscreened women: Long-term results from a population-based study in Queensland, Australia

Objective In the context of a mature mammographic screening programme, the aim of this population-based study was to estimate rates of breast-cancer mortality among participants versus non-participants in Queensland, Australia. Methods The Queensland Electoral Roll was used to identify women aged 50–65 in the year 2000 (n = 269,198). Women with a prior history of invasive or in situ breast cancer were excluded (n = 6,848). The study population was then linked to mammography records from BreastScreen Queensland together with the Wesley Breast Screening Clinic (the largest provider of private screening in Queensland) to establish a screened cohort (n = 187,558) and an unscreened cohort (n = 74,792). Cohort members were matched and linked to cancer notifications and deaths through the state-based Queensland Oncology Repository. Differences in breast-cancer mortality between the two cohorts were measured using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results After 16 years of follow-up, women in the screened cohort showed a 39% reduction in breast-cancer mortality compared to the unscreened cohort (HR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.55–0.68). Cumulative mortality over the same period was 0.47% and 0.77% in the screened and unscreened cohorts, respectively. Conclusions This study found a significant reduction in breast-cancer mortality for women who participated in mammographic screening compared to unscreened women. Our findings of a breast-cancer mortality benefit for women who have mammographic screening are in line with other observational studies.
Cell polarity (the ‘four lines’) distinguishes gastric dysplasia from epithelial changes in reactive gastropathy

Gastric dysplasia is a risk factor for synchronous and subsequent gastric carcinoma. Distinguishing gastric dysplasia from reactive changes is subject to interobserver disagreement and is a frequent reason for expert consultation. We previously used assessment of surface cell polarity (the ‘four lines’) as a key feature to decrease equivocal diagnoses in Barrett oesophagus. In the current study, we examined for the presence or absence of the four lines in gastric dysplasia and reactive gastropathy.
Knockdown of Tripartite Motif 8 Protects H9C2 Cells Against Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Injury Through the Activation of PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Tripartite motif 8 (TRIM8) is a member of the TRIM protein family that has been found to be implicated in cardiovascular disease. However, the role of TRIM8 in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) has not been investigated. We aimed to explore the effect of TRIM8 on cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). We found that TRIM8 expression was markedly upregulated in H9c2 cells after stimulation with H/R. Gain- and loss-of-function assays proved that TRIM8 knockdown improved cell viability of H/R-stimulated H9c2 cells. In addition, TRIM8 knockdown suppressed reactive oxygen species production and elevated the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Knockdown of TRIM8 suppressed the caspase-3 activity, as well as caused significant increase in bcl-2 expression and decrease in bax expression. Furthermore, TRIM8 overexpression exhibited apposite effects with knockdown of TRIM8. Finally, knockdown of TRIM8 enhanced the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in H/R-stimulated H9c2 cells. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt by LY294002 reversed the effects of TRIM8 knockdown on cell viability, oxidative stress, and apoptosis of H9c2 cells. These present findings defined TRIM8 as a therapeutic target for attenuating and preventing myocardial I/R injury.
EFEITO DA MONENSINA SÓDICA NO CONSUMO DE ALIMENTOS E pH RUMINAL EM OVINOS (Effect of sodium monensin on food intake and ruminal pH in sheep)

RESUMO – Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos da adicao da monensina sodica no consumo de alimentos e no pH do liquido ruminal em ovinos. Foram utilizadas quatro ovelhas da raca Santa Ines, nao prenhas, nao lactantes e canuladas no rumen. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o quadrado latino, com quatro tratamentos (T1 - 0; T2 - 25; T3 - 50 e T4 - 75 mg de monensina/ animal/dia). Foram avaliados o consumo de racao, de materia seca e o pH do fluido do rumen. A colheita do liquido ruminal para determinacao do pH foi realizada as 0; 2; 4; 6 e 8 horas apos a alimentacao. As analises de variância para consumo de racao e de materia seca mostraram nao haver efeito significativo dos niveis de monensina. Nao foi observado efeito significativo nos valores medios do pH ruminal de cada tratamento e na interacao tratamento x tempo; os valores de pH ruminal foram considerados normais. Houve diferenca estatistica no decorrer das horas. O consumo voluntario de alimentos e o pH do liquido ruminal nao foram influenciados pela adicao da monensina sodica na dieta dos ovinos, para a qual os valores de pH permaneceram elevados, caracterizando um bom ambiente de fermentacao ruminal. Palavras-Chave: Cordeiro, ionoforos, rumen.
Mimicry genes reduce pre‐adult survival rate in Papilio polytes: A possible new mechanism for maintaining female‐limited polymorphism in Batesian mimicry

Batesian mimicry, in which harmless organisms resemble unpalatable or harmful species, is a well‐studied adaptation for predation avoidance. The females of some Batesian mimic species comprise mimetic and nonmimetic individuals. Mimetic females of such polymorphic species clearly have a selective advantage due to decreased predation pressure, but the selective forces that maintain nonmimetic females in a population remain unclear. In the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polytes, female polymorphism is controlled by the H (mimetic) and h (nonmimetic) alleles at a single autosomal locus. Here, we examined whether the dominant H allele has a deleterious effect on the pre‐adult survival rate (egg‐to‐adult emergence rate). We repeated an assortative mating‐like treatment—that is breeding of males and females whose mothers had the same phenotype (mimetic or nonmimetic)—for three consecutive generations, while avoiding inbreeding. Results showed that pre‐adult survival rate decreased over generations only in lines derived from mothers with the mimetic phenotype (hereafter, mimetic‐assorted lines). This lowered survival was due to an increased mortality at the final instar larval stage and the pupal stages. Interestingly, the pre‐adult mortality in the mimetic‐assorted lines seemed to be associated with a male‐biased sex ratio at adult emergence. These results suggest that the dominant H allele displays a mildly deleterious effect that is expressed more strongly in females and homozygous individuals than in heterozygous individuals. We propose that this cost of mimicry in larval and pupal stages contributes to the maintenance of female‐limited polymorphism in P. polytes.
Ustilago maydis secreted T2 ribonucleases, Nuc1 and Nuc2 scavenge extracellular RNA

Ustilago maydis genome codes for many secreted ribonucleases. The contribution of two among these belonging to the T2 family (Nuc1 and Nuc2) in the pathogen virulence, has been assessed in this study. The nuc1 and nuc2 deletion mutants showed not only reduced pathogenicity compared to the SG200 WT strain but also exhibited significant delay in the completion of the pathogenic lifecycle. Both the proteins were also tested for their nucleolytic activities towards RNA substrates from maize and yeast. This also yielded valuable insights into the ability of the ribonucleases to utilise extracellular RNA as a nutrient source. Our study therefore established a role of two T2 type secreted ribonucleases of a phytopathogen in the acquisition of nutrient for the first time. This study also provides evidence that maize apoplast contains RNA, which can be utilised as a substrate by both Nuc1 and Nuc2.
Integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain expression: a potential prognostic biomarker in cervical cancer.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic value of integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain in patients with cervical cancer (CC). Materials & methods: The study included 96 samples. Cytological diagnosis, human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping, HPV integration status and integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain expressions were performed or determined using Papanicolaou smear, INNO-LiPA® Genotyping Extra Kit, in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry, respectively. The association between variables was calculated using chi-squared and Fisher's exact test; logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios and CI at 95%. Results: Our results show that integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain expressions increase according to tumor progression. Integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain expressions are associated with cytological diagnosis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) and laminin γ1 chain expression with the integration status of HPV (p < 0.001). Moderate/high expressions of integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain were correlated with overall survival and increased risk of CC (6.86 and 3.75, respectively), the odds ratio was 12.91 when the moderate/high expression of integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain were combined. Conclusion: Our results suggest that integrin subunit β1 and laminin γ1 chain expressions could be a prognostic biomarker in CC.
Role of the Sec22b–E-Syt complex in neurite growth and ramification

ABSTRACT Axons and dendrites are long and often ramified neurites that need particularly intense plasma membrane (PM) expansion during the development of the nervous system. Neurite growth depends on non-fusogenic Sec22b–Stx1 SNARE complexes at endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–PM contacts. Here, we show that Sec22b interacts with members of the extended synaptotagmin (E-Syt) family of ER lipid transfer proteins (LTPs), and this interaction depends on the longin domain of Sec22b. Overexpression of E-Syts stabilizes Sec22b–Stx1 association, whereas silencing of E-Syts has the opposite effect. Overexpression of wild-type E-Syt2, but not mutants unable to transfer lipids or attach to the ER, increase the formation of axonal filopodia and ramification of neurites in developing neurons. This effect is inhibited by a clostridial neurotoxin cleaving Stx1, and expression of the Sec22b longin domain and a Sec22b mutant with an extended linker between the SNARE and transmembrane domains. We conclude that Sec22b–Stx1 ER–PM contact sites contribute to PM expansion by interacting with LTPs, such as E-Syts. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Highlighted Article: The non-fusogenic Sec22b–Stx1 SNARE complex contributes to plasma membrane expansion by interacting with the E-Syt lipid transfer proteins at ER–PM contact sites.
Research progress on quality evaluation methods of fritillaria cirrhosa

Fritillaria cirrhosa is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in clinic.The identification difficulties due to similar appearance of different species and fake products flooded in the market make the quality evaluation of fritillaria cirrhosa extremely important.This article summarized the research progress on qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods of fritillaria cirrhosa for better quality control of fritillaria cirrhosa.
A prospective birth cohort study on cord blood folate subtypes and risk of autism spectrum disorder.

BACKGROUND We previously reported that extremely high concentrations of maternal plasma folate were associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. This study explored whether specific types of folate in cord blood have differential association with ASD. OBJECTIVES In the Boston Birth Cohort (BBC), we assessed the association between cord blood unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA), 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate (THF), and total folate and a child's ASD risk. In a subset, we explored whether the association between UMFA and ASD risk can be affected by the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) genotype and cord plasma creatinine. We also examined prenatal correlates of cord UMFA concentrations. METHODS This report included 567 BBC children (92 ASD, 475 neurotypical), who were recruited at birth and prospectively followed at the Boston Medical Center. ASD was defined from International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 codes documented in electronic medical records. RESULTS Children with cord UMFA in the highest, versus lowest quartile, had a greater ASD risk (adjusted OR, aORquartile4: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.08, 4.75). When stratified by race/ethnicity, the association was limited to 311 (45 ASD) Black children (aORquartile4: 9.85; 95% CI: 2.53, 38.31); a test of interaction between race/ethnicity and cord UMFA concentrations was significant (P = 0.007). The UMFA-ASD association in Black children slightly attenuated after adjusting for cord plasma creatinine (P = 0.05). There was no significant association between cord 5-methyl THF, total folate, DHFR genotype, and ASD risk. Cord total folate and maternal supplement intake during second trimester were associated with higher cord UMFA. CONCLUSIONS Higher concentrations of cord UMFA, but not 5-methyl THF or total folate, were associated with a greater risk of ASD in Black children. This study in a preterm-birth-enriched cohort raises more questions than it could answer and underscores the need for additional investigations on the sources and role of cord UMFA in children's neurodevelopmental outcomes and underlying mechanisms.
Non-Uniformly Powered and Spaced Corporate Feeding Power Divider for High-Gain Beam with Low SLL in Millimeter-Wave Antenna Array

A corporate feeding antenna array with parasitic patches has been investigated previously for millimeter-wave applications due to its high gain and wide bandwidth. However, the parasitic patch integration in the uniformly powered and spaced patch antenna array led to a high sidelobe level (SLL). In this study, we designed a non-uniformly powered and spaced corporate feeding network to feed a 12-element parasitic patch-integrated microstrip antenna array for SLL reduction at 28 GHz in the millimeter-wave band. In the power divider, we arranged two one-to-six unequally feeding power dividers from the opposite side to feed 12 antenna elements with non-uniform excitation, and effectively controlled the spacing between antenna elements. The two opposite input ports from the power divider were fed 180° out-of-phase for good isolation between the adjacent antenna elements. To verify the SLL reduction effect from the non-uniform spacing in the array, we designed two non-uniformly powered patch antenna arrays with uniform and non-uniform spacing. In the measurement, the non-uniformly powered and spaced patch antenna array demonstrated a nearly 16.56 dBi boresight gain and −17.27 dB SLL, which is nearly 2 dB lower than the uniformly spaced counterpart. Finally, we expect that the non-uniformly powered and spaced high gain patch antenna array with a low SLL will be suitable for millimeter-wave communication applications.