Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrical impedance myography for the detection of muscle inflammation induced by λ-carrageenan

Electrical impedance myography (EIM) is a technique for the assessment of muscle health and composition and has been shown to be sensitive to a variety of muscle pathologies including neurogenic atrophy and connective tissue deposition. However, it has been minimally studied in pure inflammation. In this study, we sought to assess EIM sensitivity to experimental inflammation induced by the localized intramuscular injection of λ-carrageenan. A total of 91 mice underwent 1–1000 kHz EIM measurements of gastrocnemius using a needle array, followed by injection of either 0.3% λ-carrageenan in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or PBS alone. Animals were then remeasured with EIM at 4, 24, 48, or 72 hours and euthanized and quantitative assessment of muscle histology was performed. Parallel alterations in both 5 and 50 kHz EIM values were identified at 4 and 24 hours, including reductions in phase, reactance, and resistance. In PBS-treated animals these values normalized by 48 hours, whereas substantial reductions in phase and reactance in 5 kHz EIM values persisted at 48 and 72 hours (i.e., values of phase 72 hours post-injection were 6.51 ± 0.40 degrees for λ-carrageenan versus 8.44 ± 0.35 degrees for PBS p<0.001, n = 11 per group). The degree of basophilic area observed in muscle sections by histology correlated to the degree of phase change at these two time points (Rspearman = -0.51, p = 0.0029). Changes in low frequency EIM parameters are sensitive to the presence of inflammatory infiltrates, and have the potential of serving as a simple means of quantifying the presence and extent of muscle inflammation without the need for biopsy.
The Discrimination Against, Health Status and Wellness of People Who Use Drugs in Italian Services: A Survey

Background and Objectives: The aims of this study are to: describe the sociodemographic characteristics and typology of drug addiction among people who use drugs that attend the Servizio per le Dipendenze (SerD), and evaluate the competence and ability of these rehabilitation services to improve their health status and wellness. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July 2017. Patients attending two selected SerD facilities in the city of Naples, Italy were interviewed with a questionnaire gathering information on sociodemographic data, characteristics of drug addiction, characteristics of enrolment at the SerD, self-reported health status and wellness, and reports of the discrimination suffered. Results: Among the 451 people interviewed, 72.3% had started taking drugs by the age of 20, and half of them have used drugs within the last year. 54.5% of responders attended SerD for more than 10 years, and the two main reasons for attendance were to get help and to get methadone. 79.4% were declared to have a good/very good/excellent health status at the time of interviewing. 53.7% reported suffering from discrimination. Conclusions: Based on our study, discrimination is higher in participants who attended SerD for more than one year, who were formerly in prison, or who were current drug users.
Fifteen-minute consultation: Vaccine-hesitant parents

Vaccination is a proven, highly effective intervention to protect against potentially serious infectious diseases. UK vaccine uptake rates are high overall, but considerable variation exists within and between districts. The main reason for under vaccination is difficulty accessing vaccination services for practical or logistical reasons. While some parents decline specific vaccines, only a small minority decline them all. It is unsurprising that many parents have questions about vaccination, but most are easily addressed. This article provides practical guidance on how to engage effectively with parents with the ultimate aim of supporting informed vaccination decisions. The focus will be on conversations with parents whose concerns make them unsure whether to accept vaccination or who have previously delayed or declined vaccines. In view of recent outbreaks of measles, the example question concerns MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. Although conversations with some parents, especially those who are determinedly anti-vaccine, can be uncomfortable, even challenging, it is important to offer all parents the opportunity to discuss their concerns. Even though advice may go unheeded or even be unwelcome, parents can change their minds about previous decisions. Health professionals and the National Health Service are trusted sources of advice about vaccinations and have a responsibility to ensure parents are appropriately informed.
ARID5B Influences Antimetabolite Drug Sensitivity and Prognosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Purpose: Treatment outcomes for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved steadily, but a significant proportion of patients still experience relapse due to drug resistance, which is partly explained by inherited and/or somatic genetic alternations. Recently, we and others have identified genetic variants in the ARID5B gene associated with susceptibility to ALL and also with relapse. In this study, we sought to characterize the molecular pathway by which ARID5B affects antileukemic drug response in patients with ALL. Experimental Design: We analyzed association of ARID5B expression in primary human ALL blasts with molecular subtypes and treatment outcome. Subsequent mechanistic studies were performed in ALL cell lines by manipulating ARID5B expression isogenically, in which we evaluated drug sensitivity, metabolism, and molecular signaling events. Results: ARID5B expression varied substantially by ALL subtype, with the highest level being observed in hyperdiploid ALL. Lower ARID5B expression at diagnosis was associated with the risk of ALL relapse, and further reduction was noted at ALL relapse. In isogenic ALL cell models in vitro, ARID5B knockdown led to resistance specific to antimetabolite drugs (i.e., 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate), without significantly affecting sensitivity to other antileukemic agents. ARID5B downregulation significantly inhibited ALL cell proliferation and caused partial cell-cycle arrest. At the molecular level, the cell-cycle checkpoint regulator p21 (encoded by CDKN1A) was most consistently modulated by ARID5B, plausibly as its direct transcription regulation target. Conclusions: Our data indicate that ARID5B is an important molecular determinant of antimetabolite drug sensitivity in ALL, in part, through p21-mediated effects on cell-cycle progression.
Characterization of four novel HLA‐DPA1*01:03:01 variants, identified in Brazilian individuals

Characterization of four novel HLA‐DPA1*01:03:01 variants, HLA‐DPA1*01:03:01:24, ‐DPA1*01:03:01:25, ‐DPA1*01:03:01:26, and ‐DPA1*01:03:01:27.
Syndromic infertility

Infertility due to genetic mutations that cause other defects, besides infertility, is defined as syndromic. Here we describe three of these disorders for which we perform genetic tests. 1) Hypopituitarism is an endocrine syndrome characterized by reduced or absent secretion of one or more anterior pituitary hormones with consequent dysfunction of the corresponding peripheral glands. Deficiencies in all the hormones is defined as pan-hypopituitarism, lack of two or more hormones is called partial hypopituitarism, whereas absence of a single hormone is defined as selective hypopituitarism. Pan-hypopituitarism is the rarest condition, whereas the other two are more frequent. Several forms exist: congenital, acquired, organic and functional. 2) The correct functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is fundamental for sexual differentiation and development during fetal life and puberty and for normal gonad function. Alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary system can determine a condition called hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, characterized by normal/low serum levels of the hormones FSH and LH. 3) Primary ciliary dyskinesia is frequently associated with infertility in males because it impairs sperm motility (asthenozoospermia). Primary ciliary dyskinesia is a group of genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorders that show morpho-structural alterations of the cilia. Adult women with primary ciliary dyskinesia can be subfertile and have an increased probability of extra-uterine pregnancies. This is due to delayed transport of the oocyte through the uterine tubes. (www.actabiomedica.it)
3D Bio-Printing of CS/Gel/HA/Gr Hybrid Osteochondral Scaffolds

Cartilage is an important tissue contributing to the structure and function of support and protection in the human body. There are many challenges for tissue cartilage repair. However, 3D bio-printing of osteochondral scaffolds provides a promising solution. This study involved preparing bio-inks with different proportions of chitosan (Cs), Gelatin (Gel), and Hyaluronic acid (HA). The rheological properties of each bio-ink was used to identify the optimal bio-ink for printing. To improve the mechanical properties of the bio-scaffold, Graphene (GR) with a mass ratio of 0.024, 0.06, and 0.1% was doped in the bio-ink. Bio-scaffolds were prepared using 3D printing technology. The mechanical strength, water absorption rate, porosity, and degradation rate of the bio-scaffolds were compared to select the most suitable scaffold to support the proliferation and differentiation of cells. P3 Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were inoculated onto the bio-scaffolds to study the biocompatibility of the scaffolds. The results of SEM showed that the Cs/Gel/HA scaffolds with a GR content of 0, 0.024, 0.06, and 0.1% had a good three-dimensional porous structure and interpenetrating pores, and a porosity of more than 80%. GR was evenly distributed on the scaffold as observed by energy spectrum analyzer and polarizing microscope. With increasing GR content, the mechanical strength of the scaffold was enhanced, and pore walls became thicker and smoother. BMSCs were inoculated on the different scaffolds. The cells distributed and extended well on Cs/Gel/HA/GR scaffolds. Compared to traditional methods in tissue-engineering, this technique displays important advantages in simulating natural cartilage with the ability to finely control the mechanical and chemical properties of the scaffold to support cell distribution and proliferation for tissue repair.
Palliative Care and Moral Distress: An Institutional Survey of Critical Care Nurses.

BACKGROUND The need for palliative care in the intensive care unit is increasing. Whether gaps and variations in palliative care education and use are associated with moral distress among critical care nurses is unknown. OBJECTIVES To examine critical care nurses' perceived knowledge of palliative care, their recent experiences of moral distress, and possible relationships between these variables. METHODS In this quantitative, descriptive study, survey questionnaires were distributed to 517 critical care nurses across 7 intensive care units at an academic health center in Virginia. Validated instruments were used to measure participants' perceptions of palliative care in their practice setting and their recent experiences of moral distress. RESULTS A total of 167 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Fewer than 40% of respondents reported being highly competent in any palliative care domain. Most respondents had little palliative care education, with 38% reporting none in the past 2 years. Most respondents reported moral distress during the study period, and moral distress levels differed significantly on the basis of perceived use of palliative care (P = .03). Respondents who perceived less frequent use of palliative care tended to experience higher levels of moral distress. CONCLUSIONS Many critical care nurses do not feel prepared to provide palliative care. When palliative care access is perceived as inadequate, nurses may be more apt to experience moral distress. Health system leaders should prioritize palliative care training for critical care nurses and their colleagues and empower them to reduce barriers to palliative care.
Widespread intersex differentiation across the stickleback genome – The signature of sexually antagonistic selection?

Females and males within a species commonly have distinct reproductive roles, and the associated traits may be under perpetual divergent natural selection between the sexes if their sex‐specific control has not yet evolved. Here, we explore whether such sexually antagonistic selection can be detected based on the magnitude of differentiation between the sexes across genome‐wide genetic polymorphisms by whole‐genome sequencing of large pools of female and male threespine stickleback fish. We find numerous autosomal genome regions exhibiting intersex allele frequency differences beyond the range plausible under pure sampling stochasticity. Alternative sequence alignment strategies rule out that these high‐differentiation regions represent sex chromosome segments misassembled into the autosomes. Instead, comparing allele frequencies and sequence read depth between the sexes reveals that regions of high intersex differentiation arise because autosomal chromosome segments got copied into the male‐specific sex chromosome (Y), where they acquired new mutations. Because the Y chromosome is missing in the stickleback reference genome, sequence reads derived from DNA copies on the Y chromosome still align to the original homologous regions on the autosomes. We argue that this phenomenon hampers the identification of sexually antagonistic selection within a genome, and can lead to spurious conclusions from population genomic analyses when the underlying samples differ in sex ratios. Because the hemizygous sex chromosome sequence (Y or W) is not represented in most reference genomes, these problems may apply broadly.
The expression level of SOX2 at the blastocyst stage regulates the developmental capacity of bovine embryos up to day-13 of in vitro culture

Summary Quality of in vitro-produced embryos is influenced by changes in gene expression in response to adverse conditions. Gene markers for predicting ‘good embryos’ do not exist at present. We propose that the expression of pluripotency markers OCT4–SOX2–NANOG in D9 (day 9) bovine demi-embryos correlated with development at D13 (day 13). Day 8 in vitro-produced blastocysts were split in two cloned halves, one half (D9) was subjected to analysis of pluripotency markers and the other was kept in culture until D13 of development. Embryo development was scored and correlated with its own status at D9 and assigned to one of two categories: G1, arrested/dead; or G2, development up to D13. SOX2 and NANOG expression levels were significantly higher in embryos from G1 and there was also negative correlation between SOX2 and embryo survival to D13 (G3; r = −0.37; P = 0.03). We observed a significant reduction in the expression of the three studied genes from D9 to D13. Furthermore, there was a correlation between the expression of pluripotency markers at D9 and embryo diameter and the expression of trophoblastic markers at D13 (TP1–EOMES–FGF4–CDX2–TKDP1). Finally, the quotient between the relative expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in the D9 blastocysts from G1 and G2 showed that embryos that were considered as competent (G2) had a quotient close to one, while the other group had a quotient of 2.3 due to a higher expression of SOX2. These results might indicate that overexpression of SOX2 at the blastocyst stage had a negative effect on the control of embryonic developmental potential.
Breast cancer statistics, 2019

This article is the American Cancer Society’s biennial update on female breast cancer statistics in the United States, including data on incidence, mortality, survival, and screening. Over the most recent 5‐year period (2012‐2016), the breast cancer incidence rate increased slightly by 0.3% per year, largely because of rising rates of local stage and hormone receptor‐positive disease. In contrast, the breast cancer death rate continues to decline, dropping 40% from 1989 to 2017 and translating to 375,900 breast cancer deaths averted. Notably, the pace of the decline has slowed from an annual decrease of 1.9% during 1998 through 2011 to 1.3% during 2011 through 2017, largely driven by the trend in white women. Consequently, the black–white disparity in breast cancer mortality has remained stable since 2011 after widening over the past 3 decades. Nevertheless, the death rate remains 40% higher in blacks (28.4 vs 20.3 deaths per 100,000) despite a lower incidence rate (126.7 vs 130.8); this disparity is magnified among black women aged <50 years, who have a death rate double that of whites. In the most recent 5‐year period (2013‐2017), the death rate declined in Hispanics (2.1% per year), blacks (1.5%), whites (1.0%), and Asians/Pacific Islanders (0.8%) but was stable in American Indians/Alaska Natives. However, by state, breast cancer mortality rates are no longer declining in Nebraska overall; in Colorado and Wisconsin in black women; and in Nebraska, Texas, and Virginia in white women. Breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in women (surpassing lung cancer) in four Southern and two Midwestern states among blacks and in Utah among whites during 2016‐2017. Declines in breast cancer mortality could be accelerated by expanding access to high‐quality prevention, early detection, and treatment services to all women.
Prevalence and phenotypic pattern of antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from different types of raw meat samples in Isfahan, Iran

Abstract Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates are not only known as opportunistic nosocomial bacteria but may also be regarded as emerging bacterial contaminants in foods of animal origins. The present investigation was done to assess the prevalence and antibiotic resistance pattern of A. baumannii isolated from different types of raw meat samples. One hundred and ninety‐four raw meat samples were collected and cultured for A. baumannii isolates. Culture‐positive bacteria were also approved using the loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique. The disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic susceptibility testing. Out of 194 raw meat samples, 39 (20.10%) were positive for A. baumannii isolates. Ovine raw meat was the most commonly contaminated samples (32.14%). All of the culture‐positive A. baumannii isolates were also approved using the LAMP assay. A. baumannii isolates harboured the highest prevalence of resistance against gentamicin (87.17%), tetracycline (79.48%), erythromycin (74.35%), azithromycin (66.66%), ciprofloxacin (58.97%), trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (56.41%) and rifampin (51.28%). The lowest prevalence of resistance was found against imipenem (17.94%) and chloramphenicol (28.20%). Raw bovine, ovine, caprine, camel and poultry meat samples were considered as the important sources of isolates resistant to some of the categories of antimicrobials used to treat infections caused by A. baumannii. Further studies are required to find the exact role of resistant A. baumannii isolates in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance to human population.
Changes in Membrane Ceramide Pools in Rat Soleus Muscle in Response to Short-Term Disuse

Lipid raft disruption is an early event during skeletal muscle unloading. Ceramide (Cer) serves as a signaling lipid that can contribute to lipid raft disturbance and muscle atrophy. Using biochemical and fluorescent approaches, the distribution of Cer and related molecules in the rat soleus muscle subjected to 12 h of hindlimb suspension (HS) was studied. HS led to upregulation of TNFα receptor 1 (TNFR1), Cer-producing enzymes, and acid and neutral sphingomyelinase (SMase) in detergent-resistant membranes (lipid rafts), which was accompanied by an increase in Cer and a decrease in sphingomyelin in this membrane fraction. Fluorescent labeling indicated increased Cer in the sarcoplasm as well as the junctional (synaptic) and extrajunctional compartments of the suspended muscles. Also, a loss of membrane asymmetry (a hallmark of membrane disturbance) was induced by HS. Pretreatment with clomipramine, a functional inhibitor of acid SMase, counteracted HS-mediated changes in the Cer/sphingomyelin ratio and acid SMase abundance as well as suppressed Cer accumulation in the intracellular membranes of junctional and extrajunctional regions. However, the elevation of plasma membrane Cer and disturbance of the membrane asymmetry were suppressed only in the junctional compartment. We suggest that acute HS leads to TNFR1 and SMase upregulation in the lipid raft fraction and deposition of Cer throughout the sarcolemma and intracellularly. Clomipramine-mediated downregulation of acid SMase can suppress Cer accumulation in all compartments, excluding the extrajunctional plasma membrane.
Effect of a Novel Transition Program on Disability After Stroke

Key Points Question Is a novel enhanced rehabilitation transition program, Community Participation Transition After Stroke (COMPASS), more effective at improving community participation and daily activity performance and reducing environmental barriers among stroke survivors than an equivalent dose of attentional control? Findings In this phase 2b, single-blind, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial, 180 adults who have had ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes will be studied as they transition home from inpatient rehabilitation. Meaning Removing environmental barriers faced by stroke survivors as they transition home may improve daily activity performance as well as home and community participation.
Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline Worry About the Emotional Impact of Cognitive Test Results

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Introduction: Older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) would benefit from routine cognitive testing as they are twice as likely to develop dementia. Worries about concerning test results may diminish participation. The current study aimed to characterize the pattern of worries among older adults with and without SCD. Methods: Adults 50 years or above completed the Attitudes Around Cognitive Testing questionnaire on Mechanical Turk.com or in a primary care setting. Mechanical Turk.com is an online crowdsourcing site where requesters (eg, researchers) post jobs (eg, surveys or tasks) and workers (eg, respondents) choose which jobs to do for pay. Respondents were asked about perceived cognitive decline and about different types of worries they anticipated having if they received concerning test results. Results: We report data for 393 respondents (online: n=296, primary care: n=97), mean age of 63 years, age range of 50 to 91 years, and 60% endorsing SCD. Compared with No SCD, those with SCD anticipated a higher number of worries centered disproportionately on worries of becoming depressed, ashamed or embarrassed, feeling “stupid” and unable to do things, and being put in a nursing home. We observed this SCD pattern of worries in both samples. Discussion: Individuals with SCD worry about the emotional consequences of cognitive testing. This at-risk group would benefit from interventions focused on these concerns to increase patient engagement with cognitive tests.