Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy of allogeneic umbilical cord blood therapy combined with erythropoietin in children with cerebral palsy: study protocol for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Background and objectives: Cerebral palsy typically results from brain injury during prenatal, perinatal, or infant period. Established medical management involves rehabilitation therapy with comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to minimize various complications and to improve brain plasticity. Recently, direct brain tissue modifying therapy using stem cell therapy has been investigated as a new therapeutic modality. In this study, the combination therapy of allogeneic umbilical cord blood and/or erythropoietin is investigated to find out the efficacy and safety in children with cerebral palsy over empirical rehabilitation therapy. Design: A randomized, double blind, controlled trial. Methods: Patients with cerebral palsy who visited Rehabilitation medicine center in CHA Bundang Medical Center, Republic of Korea from October 2013 to October 2015 are included in this trial. A sample size of 120 patients is needed. Patients will be randomly assigned to three groups of cord blood treatment or a control group. Cord blood treatment group will receive either cord blood and erythropoietin, or cord blood and erythropoietin placebo, or placebo cord blood and erythropoietin in addition to conservative rehabilitation therapy. Outcome measures: The primary outcome of the study is the efficacy of combination therapy of allogeneic cord blood stem cell and erythropoietin and either monotherapy in terms of the change from baseline motor function assessments including Gross Motor Function Measure, Gross Motor Performance Measure, motor and mental subscales of Korean version Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition. The secondary outcomes of the study include other functional assessment tools, imaging studies (fractional anisotropy of diffusion tensor imaging and positron emission tomography), electroencephalography, and evoked potentials. Discussion: The results of this trial will provide optimal evidence of cord blood transplantation with or without erythropoietin as a therapeutic modality in children with cerebral palsy. Ethics and dissemination: The study will be reviewed by IRB. The results of the trial will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and will be disseminated via various forms of media. Trial registration: This trial had been registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT0199114) on 17 November 2013.
Occlusal characteristics in facial pain cases and controls – 12-year follow-up of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) 1966

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the occlusal characteristics in Finnish adults at 12-year follow-up based on the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) subjects. Methods: The occlusal analyses were performed at ages 34 and 46 years of facial pain cases (n = 52) and controls (n = 49) by two different methods. Results: At 12-year follow-up, a significant decrease in upper anterior segment peer assessment rating (PAR) score was found in the controls, indicating improvement in teeth alignment. In facial pain cases, left lateral occlusal relationship and midline asymmetry were significantly decreased. Occlusal asymmetry and overjet were significantly increased. In controls, the left canine showed a more normal occlusal relationship, cuspid asymmetry was changed, and midline asymmetry was significantly decreased. Conclusion: During a 2-year period, occlusal asymmetry and overjet increased significantly in facial pain cases, while occlusal relationship showed more normal characteristics in controls.
Exploring the lived experiences of the suicide attempt survivors: a phenomenological approach

ABSTRACT Purpose: Suicide is a complex phenomenon that needs to be studied with a variety of approaches. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of attempted suicide with the phenomenology approach. Method: An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to analyse semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 participants (ages 19–57) who were recruited by means of purposive sampling from October to November 2017 at the Farshchian Psychiatric Hospital in Hamadan/Iran. Data analysis was conducted according to van Manen’s phenomenological method. Results: Identified three themes and eight subthemes: Mental pain (subthemes: living through grief, internal conflict, the world is better without me), Social challenges (lack of social connection, financial problems, social support services) and Need for love and belonging (feeling understood, need of empathy). Conclusions: Outcomes and key implications of the study related primarily to improving the treatment experiences of suicide attempt survivors and other at-risk population, and also advancing suicide prevention efforts and to provide support for suicide attempt survivors.
Validity of patient-derived xenograft mouse models for lung cancer based on exome sequencing data

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models are frequently used to test the drug efficacy in diverse types of cancer. They are known to recapitulate the patient characteristics faithfully, but a systematic survey with a large number of cases is yet missing in lung cancer. Here we report the comparison of genomic characters between mouse and patient tumor tissues in lung cancer based on exome sequencing data. We established PDX mouse models for 132 lung cancer patients and performed whole exome sequencing for trio samples of tumor-normal-xenograft tissues. Then we computed the somatic mutations and copy number variations, which were used to compare the PDX and patient tumor tissues. Genomic and histological conclusions for validity of PDX models agreed in most cases, but we observed eight (~7%) discordant cases. We further examined the changes in mutations and copy number alterations in PDX model production and passage processes, which highlighted the clonal evolution in PDX mouse models. Our study shows that the genomic characterization plays complementary roles to the histological examination in cancer studies utilizing PDX mouse models.
Effect of Cytomegalovirus Recombinant Phosphoprotein 150 (pp150) on Maturation and Function of Murine Dendritic Cells: an In-Vitro Study.

BACKGROUND Tegument protein pp150 of cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) plays a vital role in all stages of viral life cycle, representing the most important tegument protein candidate for HCMV treatment. However, the exact role of pp150 in immune regulation is yet to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of pp150 on the maturity and function of murine dendritic cells (DCs). METHODS Maturity status (CD40, CD86, and MHC-II expression) and phagocytic capacity of DCs (dextran uptake assay) were characterized. Gene expression profiles of ROR-γ, GATA-3, T-bet, and FOXP-3 as well as the protein expression of INF-γ (Th1), IL-4 (Th2), IL-35 (Treg), IL-17A (Th17), IL-22, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-2 were evaluated in T cells co-cultured with DCs. RESULTS A significant increase in CD40, CD86, and CCR7 expression and a reduction in the phagocytosis rate were observed in pp150-stimulated DCs compared with unstimulated DCs. T cells co-cultured with stimulated DCs showed higher expressions of ROR-γ, IL-6, IL-2, IL-17A, IL-22, and TNF-α. CONCLUSION Despite improvements in maturity status, pp150-stimulated DCs did not seem to be able to induce Th1 or Th2 immunity. In fact, Th17 and its mediators, IL-17A and IL-22, might be the main inflammatory factors involved in pp150-stimulated DC's mechanism of action. However, it is necessary to conduct further investigations to corroborate these observations.
Th1/Th2 Imbalance and Elevated PD-L1 in Pleural Effusion Predict the Risk of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculous Pleuritis.

BACKGROUND Patient immune status might be indicative of the variance in bacterial genetics in drug-resistant tuberculous pleuritis and could be used for predicting the risk of multi-drug resistant tuberculous pleuritis (MDR-TB). OBJECTIVE To determine the significance of Th2/Th1 ratio and concentration of PD-L1 in the pleural effusions for prediction of MDR-TB. METHODS We measured the ratio of Th2 to Th1 T cells from pleural effusions in 373 tuberculous pleuritis patients. We also measured the concentration of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in the pleural effusions of these patients. Afterwards, we determined the optimal cut-off value for predicting the occurrence of multi-drug resistant tuberculous based on the Youden index, diagnostic evaluation test, and receiver operation curve. Multiple logistic analysis was employed to identify the independent risk factors for MDR-TB occurrence. RESULTS The area under the curve (AUC) of the Th2 to Th1 ratio was 0.66 and the concentration of PD-L1 was 0.71. Based on the combined detection of PD-L1 concentration in pleural effusion and the Th2 to Th1 ratio, our AUC was 0.81 and had a specificity of 0.92. Only a combined detection was able to identify patients developing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Multiple logistic analysis showed that a high concentration of PD-L1 and a high Th2 to Th1 ratio in pleural effusions were indicative of an immunocompromised status. Therefore, these measurements might be independent risk factors for the occurrence of multidrug-resistant tuberculous. CONCLUSION Evaluation of immune status based on PD-L1 pleural concentration and Th2 to Th1 ratio might predict the risk of MDR-TB occurrence.
Effectiveness of a Multifactorial Intervention in the First 1000 Days of Life to Prevent Obesity and Overweight in Childhood: Study Protocol

(1) Background: Obesity is a global health problem, and its prevention must be a priority goal of public health, especially considering the seriousness of the problem among children. It is known that fetal and early postnatal environments may favor the appearance of obesity in later life. In recent years, the impact of the programs to prevent obesity in childhood has been scarce. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention based on the concept of early programming. (2) Methods: Non-randomized controlled trial design. Inclusion criteria are: two-year-old infants whose gestational period begins in the 14 months following the start of the intervention, and whose mothers have made the complete follow-up of their pregnancy in the same clinical unit of the study. The intervention will be developed over all the known factors that affect early programming, during pregnancy up to 2 years of life. Data will be collected through a data collection sheet by the paediatricians. A unibivariate and multivariate analysis of the data will be carried out. (3) Ethics and dissemination: The trial does not involve any risk to participants and their offspring. Signed informed consent is obtained from all participants. Ethical approval has been obtained. (4) Results: It is expected that this study will provide evidence on the importance of the prevention of obesity from the critical period of the first 1000 days of life, being able to establish this as a standard intervention in primary care.
Immune surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases

ABSTRACT Introduction Immunesurveillance is an important tool to monitor the protection of the population against vaccine-preventable diseases, which is currently mostly based on the detection of specific serum antibodies. However, the landscape of immune surveillance is changing, driven by emerging and evolving pathogens, changes in the age distribution of the population and scientific understanding of protective immunity, necessitating a comprehensive review. Areas covered To anticipate these changes, reliable and high-throughput detection of antibody levels is desired to enable screening in larger population settings. Antibody levels alone do not always equate with protection and may require additional functional testing of the antibodies or immune cell-based assays. In addition, the location (systemic or locally mucosal) of the infection and whether the antibodies are induced through infection or vaccination have implications for both immune protection and assessing immune status. Expert commentary In order to perform multicenter studies on many samples for multiple antigens, more validated reference materials and wider adoption of high-throughput techniques are needed. The field of serosurveillance will also benefit from better correlates of protection and understanding of (local) mechanisms of protection. Here we give an overview of the current state-of-the-art of serosurveillance and how the field could move forward.
Grad‐seq in a Gram‐positive bacterium reveals exonucleolytic sRNA activation in competence control

RNA–protein interactions are the crucial basis for many steps of bacterial gene expression, including post‐transcriptional control by small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs). In stark contrast to recent progress in the analysis of Gram‐negative bacteria, knowledge about RNA–protein complexes in Gram‐positive species remains scarce. Here, we used the Grad‐seq approach to draft a comprehensive landscape of such complexes in Streptococcus pneumoniae, in total determining the sedimentation profiles of ~ 88% of the transcripts and ~ 62% of the proteins of this important human pathogen. Analysis of in‐gradient distributions and subsequent tag‐based protein capture identified interactions of the exoribonuclease Cbf1/YhaM with sRNAs that control bacterial competence for DNA uptake. Unexpectedly, the nucleolytic activity of Cbf1 stabilizes these sRNAs, thereby promoting their function as repressors of competence. Overall, these results provide the first RNA/protein complexome resource of a Gram‐positive species and illustrate how this can be utilized to identify new molecular factors with functions in RNA‐based regulation of virulence‐relevant pathways.
LncRNA CASC11 was downregulated in coronary artery disease and inhibits transforming growth factor-β1

Objective To investigate the involvement of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Cancer Susceptibility 11 (CASC11) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods This case–control study enrolled patients with CAD and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. The plasma levels of lncRNA CASC11 and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) were measured. Diagnostic values of lncRNA CASC11 and TGF-β1 for CAD were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Correlations between plasma levels of lncRNA CASC11 and TGF-β1 were analysed using linear regression. Results The study enrolled 82 patients with CAD and 82 healthy controls. Plasma levels of lncRNA CASC11 were downregulated in patients with CAD, while plasma TGF-β1 levels were upregulated in patients with CAD, compared with healthy controls. Plasma levels of lncRNA CASC11 and TGF-β1 distinguished patients with CAD from healthy controls and were inversely correlated in both groups. LncRNA CASC11 over-expression mediated the downregulation of TGF-β1 in human primary coronary artery endothelial cells, while TGF-β1 over-expression showed no significant effects on lncRNA CASC11 levels. An 8-year follow-up study showed that low lncRNA CASC11 levels were closely correlated with a higher mortality rate in patients with CAD. Conclusion LncRNA CASC11 is downregulated in CAD and inhibits TGF-β1.
Comparison of clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features between dogs with chronic gastritis with and without lymphofollicular hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVE To compare clinical, endoscopic, and histopathologic features between dogs with chronic gastritis (CG) with and without lymphofollicular hyperplasia (LFH). ANIMALS 64 and 56 dogs with CG with (cases) and without (controls) LFH, respectively. PROCEDURES The medical record database of a referral clinic was searched to identify dogs that underwent endoscopic examination of the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract and were subsequently determined to have CG with or without LFH between October 2006 and February 2011. Signalment and clinical, endoscopic, and histologic findings were compared between cases and controls. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with CG with LFH. RESULTS Compared with controls, cases were significantly younger and more likely to be of a brachycephalic phenotype. The proportions of dogs with a poor body condition or diarrhea were significantly lower and the proportions of dogs with inspiratory dyspnea, exercise intolerance, or hyperemia and discoloration of the gastric mucosa were significantly higher for the case group, compared with the control group. Inspiratory dyspnea, gastric mucosal hyperemia, and gastritis severity were positively associated, whereas poor body condition was negatively associated, with CG with LFH on multivariable logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The strong positive association between inspiratory dyspnea and CG with LFH suggested that the condition may be a consequence of an increase in negative intrathoracic pressure rather than a distinct clinical entity. Prospective studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanism by which inspiratory dyspnea contributes to the development of CG with LFH.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease by means of Wavelet & Synchrony based features & Machine Learning algorithms

: Previous studies have highlighted that EEG signal of Alzheimer’s disease patients tends to be less complex and have low synchronization as compared to that of healthy and normal subjects. These changes in EEG signals of Alzheimer’s disease patients start at early stage but are not clinically observed and detected. To detect these abnormalities, three synchrony measures and wavelet based features have been computed and studied on experimental database. After computing these synchrony measures and wavelet features, it is observed that Phase Synchrony and Coherence based features are able to distinguish between Alzheimer’s disease patients and healthy subjects. Combining these features, healthy subjects and Alzheimer’s disease patients are classified by use of different machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machine, Deep Learning and Naive Bayes Classifier. Combining, these synchrony features and other such relevant features can yield a reliable system for diagnosing the Alzheimer’s disease.
Gigantic chloroplasts, including bizonoplasts, are common in shade-adapted species of the ancient vascular plant family Selaginellaceae.

PREMISE Unique among vascular plants, some species of Selaginella have single giant chloroplasts in their epidermal or upper mesophyll cells (monoplastidy, M), varying in structure between species. Structural variants include several forms of bizonoplast with unique dimorphic ultrastructure. Better understanding of these structural variants, their prevalence, environmental correlates and phylogenetic association, has the potential to shed new light on chloroplast biology unavailable from any other plant group. METHODS The chloroplast ultrastructure of 76 Selaginella species was studied with various microscopic techniques. Environmental data for selected species and subgeneric relationships were compared against chloroplast traits. RESULTS We delineated five chloroplast categories: ME (monoplastidy in a dorsal epidermal cell), MM (monoplastidy in a mesophyll cell), OL (oligoplastidy), Mu (multiplastidy, present in the most basal species), and RC (reduced or vestigial chloroplasts). Of 44 ME species, 11 have bizonoplasts, cup-shaped (concave upper zone) or bilobed (basal hinge, a new discovery), with upper zones of parallel thylakoid membranes varying subtly between species. Monoplastidy, found in 49 species, is strongly shade associated. Bizonoplasts are only known in deep-shade species (<2.1% full sunlight) of subgenus Stachygynandrum but in both the Old and New Worlds. CONCLUSIONS Multiplastidic chloroplasts are most likely basal, implying that monoplastidy and bizonoplasts are derived traits, with monoplastidy evolving at least twice, potentially as an adaptation to low light. Although there is insufficient information to understand the adaptive significance of the numerous structural variants, they are unmatched in the vascular plants, suggesting unusual evolutionary flexibility in this ancient plant genus.
Effect of mesotherapy with nanochip in the treatment of facial rejuvenation

ABSTRACT Objective: To observe the clinical effect of mesotherapy with nanochip for facial rejuvenation. Methods: 24 volunteers with aging skin were treated with a polycomponent formulation – NCTF® BOOST 135 HA for 5 times (once weekly for 3 times and successively biweekly for 2 times). Photographs were taken by VISIA at baseline, and after 1, 4, 10 weeks, while global scores for photoaging (GSP), improvement scores, volunteers’ satisfaction, parameters describing the properties of the skin, and adverse effects were assessed during each follow-up period. Results: Total 20 volunteers completed the treatment. Evaluation of the whole face showed that GSP, skin texture (ophthalmic wrinkles, dermal thickness, and intensity of collagen fibers of skin), and skin brightness (Lab value) significantly improved at 4 weeks compared to baseline, while the difference between 4 and 10 weeks was not statistically significant. No evident improvement was observed in pigmented spots, telangiectasia, skin tightening, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and skin hydration. Slight erythema, pain was the most common side effect. Conclusion: Mesotherapy with nanochip can improve skin texture and brightness, but the effect is not permanent. It is recommended that the treatment be used as a complementary method for patients with facial rejuvenation needs.
Tackling complex sheet production efficiency and effluent quality issues using advanced bioanalytical strategies

Incoming water is the single largest component in the production of paper and related products. Contamination problems, due to ineffective water treatment, may not only manifest themselves on the machine, but also at the wastewater treatment plant. Freshwater microorganisms form biofilms that can lead to reduced efficiency and product quality on the process side of the mill operation and filter plugging, poor clarification, and effluent turbidity issues in the wastewater treatment plant. These organisms often go undetected using standard monitoring techniques, making it impossible to treat consistently. Therefore, the use of sophisticated monitoring strategies is required. DNA analysis of complex communities is valuable in assuring the correct prevention and treatment strategies are implemented. The use of Next Generation Sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) approaches to analyze DNA from complex microbial communities makes it possible to trace organisms to their point of origin, where appropriate chemistry can be applied to eliminate them. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) is used to obtain information about the distribution of organisms in a biofilm and their susceptibility to biocides. Advanced biomonitoring technologies provide information necessary to execute a comprehensive water management strategy and bring chemical and operational cost-savings, process efficiency, and confidence in treatment strategies to the mill. INTRODUCTION Industries that are heavy users of water are dependent upon optimal preparation of this raw material to maintain their production efficiency and consistently meet product quality specifications. By reducing variability in the water, its utility is enhanced for the end user. One of the major variables in fresh water is microorganisms. When not treated properly, fresh water bacteria wreak havoc by forming slime on machine surfaces which reduces the efficiency of heat exchangers, plugs shower nozzles, and sloughs into the final product leading to losses in production time and revenue. It is estimated that 90% of microbiologically-related problems in the production of paper arise from inadequate fresh water treatment (5).