Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treating vaginitis with probiotics in non-pregnant females: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Vaginitis, also known as vulvovaginitis, is an inflammation of the vagina and vulva and a common disease in females. It is thought to be caused by vaginal dysbiosis and improved by probiotics. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are the major types of vaginal infections. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of common vaginal infections in non-pregnant females. Literature on randomized controlled trials and two-armed prospective studies on any intervention with probiotics published until December 24th, 2018 was searched in the PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE databases. The outcomes of interest were recurrence rate, cure rate, remission rate and normal vaginal flora restoration. Finally, a total of 30 studies on bacterial vaginosis (BV) and/or VVC were included and stratified into 3 study types based on treatment design as follows: Type I, antibiotic/probiotics vs. antibiotics/antifungals (22 studies); Type II, probiotics vs. placebo (5 studies); Type III, probiotics vs. antibiotics (3 studies). The type I studies comprised 1,788 non-pregnant females and had the highest inter-study comparability in post-treatment follow-up design and meta-analysis outcome data. Probiotics interventions were significantly associated with a lower recurrence rate of vaginitis [pooled odds ratio (OR)=0.27, 95% CI: 0.18-0.41, P<0.001] and higher cure/remission rate (pooled OR=2.28, 95% CI: 1.20-4.32, P=0.011). However, a significant increase in normal vaginal flora after probiotic treatment was observed only in BV (pooled OR=4.55, 95% CI: 1.44-14.35, P=0.01). In addition, supportive but heterogeneous results were obtained from the 6-month follow-up data of Type-I studies, different infection types and supplementary analysis of Type-II studies. In conclusion, probiotics have a significant short-term effect in the treatment of common vaginal infections in non-pregnant females. In order to evaluate the long-term effects of probiotics in common vaginal infections, it is worthwhile to perform higher-quality clinical trials in the future.
Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Shear-Slitting of AA6111-T4 Aluminum Alloy Sheet

This work presents experimental studies with numerical modeling, aiming at the development of guidelines for shaping aluminum alloy AA6111-T4, t = 1.5 mm thick, with the use of a shear-slitting operation. During the experimental tests, parametric analyses were conducted for the selected material thickness. For the purposes of the material deformation’s analysis, a vision system based on the digital image correlation (DiC) method was used. Numerical models were developed with the use of finite element analysis (FEA) and the mesh-free method: smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), which were used to analyze the residual stress and strain in the cutting zone at different process conditions. The results indicate a significant effect of the horizontal clearance between knives on the width of the deformation zone on sheet cut edge. Together with the clearance value increase, the deformation zone increases. The highest burrs on the cut edge were obtained, when the slitting speed was set to v = 17 m/min, and clearance to hc = 6%t. A strong influence was observed of the horizontal clearance value at high slitting speeds on burr unshapeliness. The most favorable conditions were obtained for v = 32 m/min, hc = 0.062 mm, and rake angle of upper knife for α = 30°. For this configuration, a smooth sheared edge with minimal burr height was obtained.
Significance of high resolution MRI in the identification of carotid plaque

The stability of carotid artery plaque serves a key role in the occurrence of stroke. The present study was based on the recruitment of patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) was used to identify the nature of carotid artery plaque, and the results were then used to manage the high-risk group of stroke. The patients were divided equally into a symptomatic group (36 cases) and an asymptomatic group (36 cases). According to the degree of carotid artery stenosis, the patients were divided into mild, moderate and severe stenosis groups, each group comprising 12 patients, and HR-MRI was performed. The proportion of patients with vulnerable plaque in the symptomatic group was higher compared with that in the asymptomatic group (P<0.05). The more severe the stenosis, the higher the proportion of vulnerable plaque that was identified (P<0.05). Compared with carotid ultrasound, HR-MRI was indicated to have the capability to both identify and quantify the different components in the plaque, allowing an assessment of its properties. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that carotid HR-MRI is able to distinguish and quantify the different components of plaque, which may prove to be helpful for the hierarchical management of a population at high risk of stroke.
Efficient Delivery of Transducing Polymer Nanoparticles for Gene-Mediated Induction of Osteogenesis for Bone Regeneration

Developing non-viral gene therapy vectors that both protect and functionally deliver nucleic acid cargoes will be vital if gene augmentation and editing strategies are to be effectively combined with advanced regenerative medicine approaches. Currently such methodologies utilize high concentrations of recombinant growth factors, which result in toxicity and off-target effects. Herein we demonstrate the use of modified cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), termed Glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-binding Enhanced Transduction (GET) peptides with plasmid DNA (pDNA) encapsulated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA nanoparticles (pDNA-encapsulated PLGA NPs). In order to encapsulate the pDNA, it was first condensed with a cationic low molecular weight Poly L-Lysine (PLL) into 30–60 nm NPs followed by encapsulation in PLGA NPs by double emulsion; yielding encapsulation efficiencies (EE) of ∼30%. PLGA NPs complexed with GET peptides show enhanced intracellular delivery (up to sevenfold) and transfection efficiencies (up to five orders of magnitude). Moreover, the pDNA cargo has enhanced protection from nucleases (such as DNase I) promoting their translatability. As an example, we show these NPs efficiently deliver pBMP2 which can promote osteogenic differentiation in vitro. Gene delivery to human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (hMSCs) inducing their osteogenic programming was confirmed by Alizarin red calcium staining and bone lineage specific gene expression (Q RT-PCR). By combining simplistic and FDA-approved PLGA polymer nanotechnology with the GET delivery system, therapeutic non-viral vectors could have significant impact in future cellular therapy and regenerative medicine applications.
Association between Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Relative Skeletal Maturation: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Short Children and Adolescents

Objective Delays in skeletal maturity are related to bone mass and fracture risk in children, but the factors that determine it are unknown. We aimed to identify the association between insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and skeletal maturation before and after growth hormone (GH) treatment. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we observed 783 short children and adolescents, 229 of whom received GH therapy. Skeletal maturation was assessed based on the difference between bone age (BA) and chronological age (CA) (noted as BA-CA). Anthropometric data and laboratory values were measured, and BA was evaluated using the Greulich and Pyle method. Results The delayed BA group was defined as BA‐CA < −2 SD (n = 457), and the occurrence rate of BA delay was 58.37%. A nonlinear relationship was observed between the IGF-1 standard deviation score (IGF-1 SDS) and BA-CA before and after GH therapy. Before GH therapy, there was a significant positive association between the IGF-1 SDS and BA-CA when the IGF-1 level was greater than -2 SDS (β 0.17, 95% CI 0.08, 027; P < 0.001). However, we did not observe a significant relationship between the IGF-1 SDS and BA-CA when the IGF-1 level was lower than -2 SDS (β 0.07, 95% CI -0.12, 0.26; P = 0.454). After GH therapy, there was a significant positive association between the IGF-1 SDS and BA-CA when the IGF-1 level was lower than 2 SDS (β 0.20, 95% CI 0.12, 028; P < 0.001). However, we did not observe a significant relationship between the IGF-1 SDS and BA-CA when the IGF-1 level was greater than 2 SDS (β -0.03, 95% CI -0.33, 0.27; P = 0.866). Conclusion BA is more delayed in short children and adolescents. There is a nonlinear relationship between IGF-1 and BA maturation in short children before and after GH treatment. These findings suggest that a low level of IGF-1 may contribute to BA delay in short children and adolescents.
Prioritisation by FIT to mitigate the impact of delays in the 2-week wait colorectal cancer referral pathway during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK modelling study

Objective To evaluate the impact of faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) prioritisation to mitigate the impact of delays in the colorectal cancer (CRC) urgent diagnostic (2-week-wait (2WW)) pathway consequent from the COVID-19 pandemic. Design We modelled the reduction in CRC survival and life years lost resultant from per-patient delays of 2–6 months in the 2WW pathway. We stratified by age group, individual-level benefit in CRC survival versus age-specific nosocomial COVID-19–related fatality per referred patient undergoing colonoscopy. We modelled mitigation strategies using thresholds of FIT triage of 2, 10 and 150 µg Hb/g to prioritise 2WW referrals for colonoscopy. To construct the underlying models, we employed 10-year net CRC survival for England 2008–2017, 2WW pathway CRC case and referral volumes and per-day-delay HRs generated from observational studies of diagnosis-to-treatment interval. Results Delay of 2/4/6 months across all 11 266 patients with CRC diagnosed per typical year via the 2WW pathway were estimated to result in 653/1419/2250 attributable deaths and loss of 9214/20 315/32 799 life years. Risk–benefit from urgent investigatory referral is particularly sensitive to nosocomial COVID-19 rates for patients aged >60. Prioritisation out of delay for the 18% of symptomatic referrals with FIT >10 µg Hb/g would avoid 89% of these deaths attributable to presentational/diagnostic delay while reducing immediate requirement for colonoscopy by >80%. Conclusions Delays in the pathway to CRC diagnosis and treatment have potential to cause significant mortality and loss of life years. FIT triage of symptomatic patients in primary care could streamline access to colonoscopy, reduce delays for true-positive CRC cases and reduce nosocomial COVID-19 mortality in older true-negative 2WW referrals. However, this strategy offers benefit only in short-term rationalisation of limited endoscopy services: the appreciable false-negative rate of FIT in symptomatic patients means most colonoscopies will still be required.
Impaired Glomerular Filtration Rate in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Subjects: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Thailand

Background Type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients with impaired renal function have a higher risk of mortality, and often progress to end-stage renal disease. The study aims to determine the prevalence of kidney disease and investigate the relationship between various factors and impaired renal function in a large population of patients with T2DM. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among 30,377 patients from a nationwide diabetes study involving 602 Thai hospitals. Impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was defined as <60 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between standard risk factors and impaired GFR. Results The prevalence of impaired GFR in a T2DM population was 39.2%. After adjusting for multiple risk factors, advanced age (adjusted OR 11.69 (95%CI = 3.13 to 43.61)), macroalbuminuria (adjusted OR 3.54 (95%CI = 1.50 to 8.40)), high serum uric acid (adjusted OR 2.06 (95%CI = 1.73 to 2.46)), systolic BP 130-139 mmHg (adjusted OR 3.21 (95%CI = 1.30 to 7.96)), hemoglobinA1C (HA1C) <6% (adjusted OR 3.71 (95%CI = 1.65 to 8.32)), and HA1C >7% (adjusted OR 2.53 (95%CI = 1.38 to 4.63)) were found to be associated with a significantly increased risk of impaired GFR among T2DM patients. Conclusion Almost 40% of patients with T2DM in a nationwide cross-sectional study in Thailand had impaired GFR. Advanced age, albuminuria, hyperuricemia, hypertension, HA1C <6%, and HA1C >7% were independently associated with increased prevalence of impaired GFR.
Isolated Large Glenoid Fracture in Acute Glenohumeral Dislocation in the Elderly: A Novel Indication for Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty

Case Two elderly males presented with traumatic shoulder dislocation and bony Bankart fracture consisting of greater than 25% of the glenoid width. Due to several concomitant factors such as polytrauma, activity level, rotator cuff pathology, optimization of comorbidities, risk of complications, and potential for revision surgery, the patients were treated with reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). Conclusion RSA may be a satisfactory treatment option for isolated, large glenoid fractures associated with anterior glenohumeral instability in the elderly. These patients are susceptible to rapid deconditioning with prolonged immobilization and may not be medically suited to undergo the prolonged recovery period associated with open reduction internal fixation or potentially undergo revision operations.
DDHD1, but Not DDHD2, Suppresses Neurite Outgrowth in SH-SY5Y and PC12 Cells by Regulating Protein Transport From Recycling Endosomes

DDHD1 and DDHD2 are both intracellular phospholipases A1 and hydrolyze phosphatidic acid in vitro. Given that phosphatidic acid participates in neurite outgrowth, we examined whether DDHD1 and DDHD2 regulate neurite outgrowth. Depletion of DDHD1 from SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells caused elongation of neurites, whereas DDHD2 depletion prevented neurite elongation. Rescue experiments demonstrated that the enzymatic activity of DDHD1 is necessary for the prevention of neurite elongation. Depletion of DDHD1 caused enlargement of early endosomes and stimulated tubulation of recycling endosomes positive for phosphatidic acid-binding proteins syndapin2 and MICAL-L1. Knockout of DDHD1 enhanced transferrin recycling from recycling endosomes to the cell surface. Our results suggest that DDHD1 negatively controls the formation of a local phosphatidic acid-rich domain in recycling endosomes that serves as a membrane source for neurite outgrowth.
Effects of seawater irrigation on soil safety and crop yield in coastal semi-arid area

Seawater irrigation has recently emerged and plays important roles in saving freshwater resources and promoting agriculture production in the coastal semi-arid areas of North China Plain. From 2001 to 2003, field experiments were conducted to study the effects of seawater irrigation on soil safety and crop yield in Laizhou county, Shangdong province. There were four treatments in the experiments, i.e. CK (Non-irrigated), 25%, 50% and 75% seawater irrigation treatments. The results showed that total dissolved salts (TDS) in the soil of CK treatment significantly accumulated, and the accumulation in 2003 were 1.3 times higher than that in 2001. For 25% and 50% seawater irrigation treatments, although TDS in 2001 also significantly accumulated, a desalted trend in 2002 and 2003 was observed. The TDS of 25% and 50% seawater irrigation treatments in 2003 was decreased by 34.9% and 40.1% respectively, compared with that in 2001. After seawater irrigation for three years, TDS at the root zones did not accumulate for all the seawater treatments but for the CK. However, TDS for the CK and 50% seawater irrigation treatment significantly accumulated below the root zone (60～100 cm). Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of 25% seawater irrigation treatment was much higher than that of 50% and 75% seawater irrigation treatments but never exceeded 10 mmol/L, indicating that alkalization was small under seawater irrigation. In 2001 and 2002, the tuber yield of 25% and 50% seawater irrigation treatments was much higher than that of CK and 75% seawater irrigation treatment. However, there was a yield reduction in 2003 for all the treatments because Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus.L) suffered from typhoon damage during the growing season. This study suggests that using 25% and 50% seawater to irrigate Jerusalem artichoke was safe in terms of soil property and crop yield.
A nomogram for the prediction of renal outcomes among patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy

The early prediction of renal outcomes in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) remains challenging. The present retrospective study evaluated patients with iMN confirmed by renal biopsy. An optimized Cox regression model and a nomogram were constructed for the early prediction of renal outcomes. A total of 141 patients who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated in the present study. In total 18 (12.8%) patients eventually progressed to the endpoint, 6 of whom developed end-stage renal disease, and one patient died during follow-up. The optimized model demonstrated that 24-h proteinuria [hazard ratio (HR) 1.24; 95% CI, 1.10-1.40; P-value <0.001] and chronic tubulointerstitial injury [referred to as grade 0, grade 1 (HR), 5.12; 95% CI, 1.33-19.75; P-value=0.02] or grade 2 (HR, 6.43; 95% CI, 1.35-30.59; P-value=0.02) were independent risk factors for a poor renal outcome. Patients with an estimated three-year renal survival rate (ETR) less than 0.87 had a high risk of a poor renal outcome. In addition, patients with an ETR of 0.87 to 0.98 more quickly developed a decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate after two years of follow-up. In the present study a nomogram for the early prediction of renal outcomes in patients with iMN was developed. This nonogram suggested that patients with an ETR of 0.87-0.98 should receive greater attention during follow-up.
Propolis Envelope Promotes Beneficial Bacteria in the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Mouthpart Microbiome

Honey bees collect and apply plant resins to the interior of their nest cavity, in order to form a layer around the nest cavity called a propolis envelope. Propolis displays antimicrobial activity against honey bee pathogens, but the effect of propolis on the honey bee microbiome is unknown. Honey bees do not intentionally consume propolis, but they do manipulate propolis with their mouthparts. Because honey bee mouthparts are used for collecting and storing nectar and pollen, grooming and trophallaxis between adults, feeding larvae, and cleaning the colony, they are an important interface between the bees’ external and internal environments and serve as a transmission route for core gut bacteria and pathogens alike. We hypothesized that the antimicrobial activity of an experimentally applied propolis envelope would influence the bacterial diversity and abundance of the worker mouthpart microbiome. The results revealed that the mouthparts of worker bees in colonies with a propolis envelope exhibited a significantly lower bacterial diversity and significantly higher bacterial abundance compared to the mouthparts of bees in colonies without a propolis envelope. Based on the taxonomic results, the propolis envelope appeared to reduce pathogenic or opportunistic microbes and promote the proliferation of putatively beneficial microbes on the honey bee mouthparts, thus reinforcing the core microbiome of the mouthpart niche.
The Emerging Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Glioma Microenvironment: Biogenesis and Clinical Relevance

Gliomas are a diverse group of brain tumors comprised of malignant cells (‘tumor’ cells) and non-malignant ‘normal’ cells, including neural (neurons, glia), inflammatory (microglia, macrophage) and vascular cells. Tumor heterogeneity arises in part because, within the glioma mass, both ‘tumor’ and ‘normal’ cells secrete factors that form a unique microenvironment to influence tumor progression. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are critical mediators of intercellular communication between immediate cellular neighbors and distantly located cells in healthy tissues/organs and in tumors, including gliomas. EVs mediate cell–cell signaling as carriers of nucleic acid, lipid and protein cargo, and their content is unique to cell types and physiological states. EVs secreted by non-malignant neural cells have important physiological roles in the healthy brain, which can be altered or co-opted to promote tumor progression and metastasis, acting in combination with glioma-secreted EVs. The cell-type specificity of EV content means that ‘vesiculome’ data can potentially be used to trace the cell of origin. EVs may also serve as biomarkers to be exploited for disease diagnosis and to assess therapeutic progress. In this review, we discuss how EVs mediate intercellular communication in glioma, and their potential role as biomarkers and readouts of a therapeutic response.
Granular Calcite Stimulates Natural Mycorrhization and Growth of White Spruce Seedlings in Peat-Based Substrates in Forest Nursery

The acidity of peat-based substrates used in forest nurseries limits seedling mineral nutrition and growth as well as the activity of microorganisms. To our knowledge, no study has yet evaluated the use of granular calcite as a covering material to increase pH, calcium and CO2 concentrations in the rhizosphere and ectomycorrhizal development. The objective is to compare different covering treatments on early colonization of the roots by ectomycorrhizal fungi, as well as the growth and calcium nutrition of white spruce seedlings in the forest nursery. Three treatments were used to cover the plant cavities (Silica (29 g/cavity; control treatment), Calcite (24 g/cavity) and calcite+ (31 g/cavity)) and were distributed randomly inside each of the five complete blocks of the experimental design. The results show that calcite stimulates natural mycorrhization. Seedlings grown with calcite have significant gains for several growth and physiological variables, and that the periphery of their root plugs are more colonized by the extramatrical phase of ectomycorrhizal fungi, thus improving root-plug cohesion. The authors discuss the operational scope of the results in relation to the tolerance of seedlings to environmental stress and the improvement of their quality, both in the nursery and in reforestation sites.
Phase Transition of Huntingtin: Factors and Pathological Relevance

Formation of intracellular mutant Huntingtin (mHtt) aggregates is a hallmark of Huntington’s disease (HD). The mechanisms underlying mHtt aggregation, however, are still not fully understood. A few recent studies indicated mHtt undergoes phase transition, bringing new clues to understand how mHtt aggregates assemble. Here in this mini review, we will summarize these findings with a focus on the factors that affect mHtt phase transition. We will also discuss the possible pathological roles of mHtt phase separation in HD.