Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Myocardial fibrosis in athletes: Additional considerations

Dear Editor, We would like to thank Martin et al for their interest with our recent review on the current perspective in myocardial fibrosis in athletes and the provided comments. In their letter, the authors suggest that hypertrabeculation should be included as another expression of the athlete's heart after careful differentiation from left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC). Furthermore, they point out on isolated arrhythmogenic left ventricular dysplasia, which, as they postulate, should be included separately in the differentiation between normal and abnormal imaging findings in athletes. Our review was mainly focused on the summary and discussion of most common patterns of fibrosis observed in asymptomatic athletes described in the observational studies, including nonischemic insertion-point fibrosis or small mid-wall/subepicardial fibrosis and small ischemic-type fibrosis (mostly in veteran athletes). Those patterns are usually found in athletes with otherwise normal hearts or presenting features of an athlete's heart defined as a physiological adaptation to physical exercise including balanced enlargement of heart chambers with or without mild left ventricular hypertrophy. Enlarged ventricles lead to the extension of existing trabeculae, which may appear as hypertrabeculation, but as there is not true structural change to the heart, these feature is not typically considered as a part of an athlete's heart. Apart from lack of symptoms, athletes with incidentally found small fibrosis usually have normal electrocardiogram (ECG), lack of significant arrhythmia and normal physical capacity. In the last part of our review, we present how fibrosis detection and other cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) markers can be used to distinguish between athlete's heart and pathology including arrhythmogenic right ventricular hypertrophy (ARVC). ARVC may include the cases of isolated arrhythmogenic left ventricular dysplasia and for this reason, it is recently referred to as simply arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. These athletes may also have nonischemic patterns of fibrosis in the left ventricle as pointed out in the review. However, they are usually accompanied by other CMR features atypical for the athlete's heart. Athletes suspected of cardiomyopathy are also more likely to present symptoms, to have changes on resting ECG, accompanying arrhythmia and/or decreased physical performance. All this information should be taken into account in the assessment of athletes suspected of pathology, with CMR being only one of the supporting imaging methods in that process.
Anisakid Parasites, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in Sushi and Sashimi from Seattle Area Restaurants.

Samples of salmon, tuna, mackerel, and rockfish sushi were analyzed for parasites from 32 of the approximately 50 restaurants in the Seattle area that prepare sushi. The restaurants were sampled up to three times over a 19-month period. Some specialty grocery stores providing restaurants and consumers with sashimi were also sampled. Salmon sushi was most commonly affected with almost 10% of pieces infected with a maximum of 3 nematodes per piece. Only single infections were present in mackerel sushi with frequency of 5%; and tuna and rockfish sushi were free of nematodes. All nematodes were third-stage juveniles of the genus Atiisakis . Except for two moribund nematodes, all juveniles from sushi were dead, most likely the result of the practice of using fish that have been previously frozen. The two moribund nematodes were present in one salmon sushi sample, indicating that incompletely frozen product had been used. For the sashimi, no parasites were found in tuna; however, a live anisakid was found in one collection of rockfish sashimi. Efforts to detect anisakid nematodes with nondestructive methods were generally unsuccessful. Neither inspection per ultraviolet light nor by candling was effective for salmon sushi. Candling was also ineffective for mackerel but was useful for rockfish and appears to be appropriate for the analysis of tuna sushi. Results of analyses of rice from sushi samples from 19 of the restaurants indicated that the pH levels were at 4.6 or below, and no fecal coliforms were detected. Most of the aerobic plate counts were below log 6, with only 2 between log 6 and log 7. Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in rice from six restaurants each, but in no samples were these two organisms found together, and levels were well below those of public health importance.
Home blood pressure monitoring in France: Device possession rate and associated determinants, the Esteban study

Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is increasingly being promoted in hypertension guidelines to improve hypertension management. Possessing a HBPM device could improve blood pressure (BP) control and prognostic impact. The aims of this study were to estimate the possession rate of HBPM devices in the French population and in hypertensive adults, and to investigate the determinants of possessing such devices at home. Cross‐sectional analyses were performed using data from the Esteban survey, which comprised a representative sample of the French population. Among the 2,054 study participants, 673 had hypertension. Of these, 385 were aware they had it. Weighted logistic regressions were performed to investigate the factors (socioeconomic, clinical, drug treatment, and healthcare visits) associated with possessing a HBPM device. 20.9% of the study sample, 42.1% of those with hypertension, and 54% of those aware of their hypertension, possessed a HBPM device. Female gender (OR = 2.03, 95%CI [1.46; 2.60]), smoking (OR = 2.33, 95%CI [1.51; 3.15]), antihypertensive drugs (OR = 1.75, 95%CI [1.06; 2.44]), general practitioner (GP) visits (OR = 3.28, 95%CI [1.84; 4.68]), and diabetes (OR = 0.41 95% CI [0.14; 0.68]) were associated with possessing a HBPM device among those aware of their hypertension. Over 20% of the study population possessed a HBPM device at home. This proportion rose to one in two in those aware or their hypertension. Among the latter, possessing a device was positively associated with female gender, GP visits, and antihypertensive drug use. Increasing possession of HBPM devices in the hypertensive population could foster better management of the condition.
Postoperative Chylothorax after Modified Radical Neck Dissection for Thyroid Carcinoma: A Missable Rare Complication of Thyroid Surgery

Background and objectives: Currently, few studies have been conducted on postoperative chylothorax, specifically in total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection (MRND) in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients. This study provides the actual incidence, etiology, and clinical features of postoperative chylothorax and reports the clinical outcomes after treatment, which were dependent upon the severity of the complications. Materials and Methods: The medical charts of 111 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection from January 2016 to December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. The results were compared in three groups: the no chylothorax group, the subclinical (asymptomatic) group, and the clinical (symptomatic) group. Results: Chylothorax occurred in 23 patients (20.7%, 23/111). Nineteen (82.6%, 19/23) were subclinical chylothorax cases, which implies a small amount of chyle leakage with no respiratory symptoms. Four (17.4%, 4/23) were clinical, meaning they had either respiratory symptoms, such as dyspnea, desaturation, or a large amount of chylothorax in the images. The incidence was significantly higher in patients who underwent left modified radical neck dissection, and this corresponds to the side in which chylothorax occurred. There were also statistical differences in the drainage color, peak amount, or drain removal time. Conclusions: Postoperative chylothorax is a rare complication following neck dissection. However, it can be fatal if the condition progresses. Therefore, patients who undergo total thyroidectomy with modified radical neck dissection, especially on the left side, should be monitored for respiratory symptoms, and serial chest x-ray images obtained.
Health Information Seeking as a Coping Strategy to Reduce Alzheimer’s Caregivers’ Stress

ABSTRACT Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia (referred to as AD) deteriorate over time, and there will likely be a corresponding increase in levels of burden and stress for caregivers. Despite the significant contributions made by informal caregivers, there are no widely available mechanisms that meet the information needs of informal caregivers. Using a qualitative approach, the current study focuses on AD caregiver information seeking. The study involved conducting interviews to answer the following research questions: (1) What motivating factors lead informal caregivers of people with AD to seek out information? ; (2) Is there a relationship between information seeking and resulting perceived stress levels? ; and (3) Why do informal caregivers choose to utilize certain resources more than others during their information seeking process? Findings revealed that caregivers’ largest motivation for seeking information is to learn how to better care for their loved one. Caregivers tend to rely on mediated resources that they find credible, and interpersonal resources such as people with similar experiences to their own. Many participants were satisfied with information available, but others felt that their interactions with healthcare professionals created more stress and emotional anguish than anticipated. This study offers an initial step in finding ways to meet the needs of those who seek to mitigate their stress through information seeking. By studying the information needs of the caregiving population, healthcare workers and communicators will be more knowledgeable about the relationship between information seeking and stress and coping.
Relationship between environmental factors and diurnal variation of bio- electric potentials of an intact jute plant

The effect of environmental factors like photosynthetic photon flux density, air and soil temperature on the inherent bioelectric potential of intact jute plants measured at two points 100 cm apart was found to vary between - 18 mV at night and 40 mV during midday. The bioelectric potential of the plant was more closely related to soil temperature than air temperature or light intensity.
Characteristics of Soccer Players Undergoing Primary Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Sex- and Competitive Level–Specific Analysis

Background: Radiographic features of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) are prevalent in kicking athletes, especially soccer players. However, there remains a paucity of data on the characteristics of symptomatic soccer players with an established diagnosis of FAI. Purpose: To report on patient demographics, injury, and clinical and radiographic characteristics in a large cohort of soccer players who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAI and to perform a sex- and competition level–specific analysis of these data. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: An institutional hip preservation registry containing 3318 consecutive primary hip arthroscopies for FAI performed between March 2010 and January 2016 was retrospectively reviewed for patients identified as soccer players. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, and clinical and radiographic findings were recorded, and sex- and competition level–specific differences were analyzed. Results: A total of 421 hips (336 soccer players) were identified, including 257 (61.0%) men and 164 (39.0%) women. Of these, 105 (24.9%) were reported as highly competitive, 194 (46.1%) as competitive, 75 (17.8%) as recreational, and 47 (11.2%) did not report a level. The majority of the 336 soccer players (231 hips; 55%) reported chronic hip pain lasting >6 months with no acute injury at the initial visit. Alpha angle, coronal center-edge angle, and femoral version on computed tomography scan measured 64.5°± 12°, 32.3°± 9°, and 13.7°± 10° (mean ± SD), respectively. There were 230 (55%) hips with a type 2 anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS), 78 (18.5%) with a type 1 AIIS, and 19 (4.5%) with a type 3 AIIS. When compared with male athletes, female athletes had more hip internal rotation on physical examination (14.9° vs 8°; P < .001), lower alpha angles (57.5° vs 68.5°; P < .001), and lower-grade AIIS morphology (P = .003). Acute injury as the reason for hip symptoms was most likely in the highly competitive group (P < .001). Conclusion: Female soccer players were more likely to have less severe clinical and radiographic findings than were male soccer players. Acute injury as the cause of hip symptoms was more common in highly competitive players. Clinical Relevance: Focusing on soccer players with an established FAI diagnosis, the findings of this study suggest that there are sex- and competition level–based differences in the presentation, physical examination, and imaging characteristics among the players. These findings can better guide clinicians in the diagnostic evaluation of symptomatic soccer players with FAI and in tailoring treatment recommendations to specific cohorts.
mSphere of Influence: 3-D Culture Models Influence Studies on Epstein-Barr Virus Molecular Pathogenesis in the Epithelium

Kathy Shair works in the field of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated cancers, with emphasis on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Efficient replication of Epstein-Barr virus in stratified epithelium in vitro” by Temple et al. (R. M. Temple, J. Zhu, L. Budgeon, N. D. Christensen, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:16544–16549, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1400818111) has influenced her work on EBV molecular pathogenesis in the nasopharynx by highlighting the importance of using three-dimensional (3-D) culture models to study epithelial infection. ABSTRACT Kathy Shair works in the field of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated cancers, with emphasis on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper “Efficient replication of Epstein-Barr virus in stratified epithelium in vitro” by Temple et al. (R. M. Temple, J. Zhu, L. Budgeon, N. D. Christensen, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:16544–16549, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1400818111) has influenced her work on EBV molecular pathogenesis in the nasopharynx by highlighting the importance of using three-dimensional (3-D) culture models to study epithelial infection.
Zooxanthellae that open calcium channels: implications for reef corals

Toxins that open cell membrane calcium channels have been found in the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium, and likely occur in most zooxanthellae. I used published observations to examine some potentially far-reaching consequences to reef corals. Algal toxins may stimulate coral calcification by opening Ca2+ channels on the calcifying ectoderm. The coral discharges the resulting protons (Ca2+ + HCO3 → CaCO3 + H+) into its coelenteron cavity, where they improve algal bicarbonate and nutrient assimilation. Coupling calcification with autotrophic physiologies contributes to the success of highly calcareous zooxanthellar symbioses, and to their associations with nutrient-poor tropical waters. Nutrient shortages freeze zooxanthellae in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Dinoflagellates are often most toxic at such times, perhaps because toxins modulate their nuclear mix of cations, to control DNA conformation and activity. Increased Ca2+ influx into host cells disrupts cell adhesion and induces apoptosis. Zooxanthellae assimilate host nutrients, complete G1, divide, and disperse to new hosts. Nutrient shortages associate with high sea surface temperatures (SST), producing correlations between SST, calcification, and algal exit. Zooxanthellae proliferate when nutrients are abundant, but when nutrients later disappear, usually as SST warms, toxins and the departure of over-abundant zooxanthellae potentially overwhelm the coral and cause coral bleaching.
A survey of dairy calf management practices in some producing regions in Brazil

This study aimed to characterize the Brazilian dairy calves raising systems through a survey of major aspects of animal husbandry. One hundred seventy-nine producers and/or technicians were interviewed. The questionnaire addressed issues related to the management of the dry cow and the newborn, nutritional management of the liquid-feeding phase, housing, and health management. A third of newborn calves stay with their mothers for more than 24 h after delivery, and only 56% of the calves receive colostrum within the first 8 h of life. Four out of ten producers allow the calf to suckle colostrum directly from the mother. Regarding the liquid diet, 44 and 35% of the farms provide marketable milk and discard milk for the calves, respectively. It was possible to identify several areas of improvement in the raising system; for instance, greater attention could be given to dry cows and the monitoring of births and to the establishment of adequate protocols to evaluate colostrum quality and feeding management.
Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as an effective carrier of curcumin – piperine nutraceutical system with improved enzyme inhibition properties

Abstract The nutraceutical system of curcumin-piperine in 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was prepared by using the kneading technique. Interactions between the components of the system were defined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Application of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as a carrier-solubiliser improved solubility of the curcumin–piperine system, its permeability through biological membranes (gastrointestinal tract, blood–brain barrier) as well as the antioxidant, antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Graphical Abstract
An Agenda for Addressing Multimorbidity and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia

Advancements in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research on the U.S. population acknowledge the importance of the high burden of ADRD on segments of the population and yet-to-be characterized risks attributable to the burden of multiple chronic diseases (multimorbidity). These realizations suggest successful strategies in caring for people with ADRD and their caregivers will rely not only on clinical treatments but also on more refined and comprehensive models of ADRD that take its broad effects on the whole-person and the whole of society into consideration. To this end, it is critical to characterize and address the relationship between ADRD and multimorbidity combinations that complicate care and lead to poor outcomes, particularly with regard to racial and ethnic disparities in the occurrence, course, and effects of ADRD. Several research and policy recommendations are presented to address the intersection of ADRD, multimorbidity, and underrepresented populations most at risk for adverse outcomes.
Naxos disease – a narrative review

ABSTRACT Introduction Naxos disease is a rare entity that manifests with woolly hair, keratosis of extremities, and cardiac manifestations that resemble arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern and mutations affecting plakoglobin and desmoplakin have been identified. There is an increased risk of arrhythmias, including sudden cardiac death at a young age. Right ventricular systolic dysfunction often progresses and left ventricular involvement may also occur. Areas covered This article reviews historic background, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, genetics, and pathogenesis as well as therapeutic management and future perspectives. Expert opinion The principles of evaluation and treatment are based on arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and general heart failure guidelines, because specific data on Naxos disease are limited. Therefore, larger registries on Naxos disease are welcome in order to gain more knowledge about clinical course and risk stratification. Translational research on pathophysiological mechanisms has evolved, including promising approaches using stem cells for novel targets.
Effectiveness of the field selection parameters on potato yield in Atlantic Canada

Abstract: Cultivated potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are the 4th most important crop feeding the world. Therefore, yield is a crucial trait for potato breeding and germplasm enhancement. The analysis of phenotype data of potato plants enables the extraction of crucial phenotypic characters for potato yield breeding. Using data collected from 179 advanced breeding clones that were planted in evaluation trials over three years at the Benton Ridge breeding substation in Atlantic Canada, we deciphered the dynamic properties of trait expression over the growth period based on nine parameters used in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's potato breeding program. The analysis of breeding data provided valuable information to understand the factors that contribute to the phenotypic performance of potato and potato tuber yield. Linear mixed model fit by maximum likelihood and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed as complementary analysis tools to analyze these characters to try to uncover the relationship of complex agronomic traits. Our results showed that the majority of the selection parameters effectively contributed to the improvement of potato tuber yield. The first five principal components (PCs) accounted for 74.9% of the phenotypic variation observed from 2012 to 2014. The maturity, early vigor, eye depth, and top vigor are the most important phenotypic parameters affecting potato tuber yield selection. Based on the results, these selection parameters are yet highly independent variables which also displayed some degree of interrelationship.