Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ghrelin as a prominent endocrine factor in stress-induced obesity

ABSTRACT Objectives: Ghrelin acts on a variety of central- and peripheral organs causing an orexigenic effect, conclusively followed by increased caloric intake. Recent studies have indicated that ghrelin's function as an orexigenic agent does not entirely reflect the full functional properties of the peptide. Specifically, ghrelin regulates stress-hormone synthesis and secretion therewith affecting the stress-axis. The role of stress in the development of obesity has been extensively studied. However, the orexigenic and underlying stress-regulatory effect of ghrelin has not yet been further considered in the development of stress-induced obesity. Methods: Therefore, this review aims to accentuate the potential of ghrelin as a factor in the pathological development of stress-induced obesity. Results: In this review we discuss (1) the ghrelin-mediated intracellular cascades and elucidate the overall bioactivation of the peptide, and (2) the mechanisms of ghrelin signalling and regulation within the central nervous system and the gastro-intestinal system. Discussion: These biological processes will be ultimately discussed in relation to the pathogenesis of stress-induced obesity.
Monocyte Recruitment, Specification, and Function in Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerotic lesions progress through the continued recruitment of circulating blood monocytes that differentiate into macrophages within plaque. Lesion-associated macrophages are the primary immune cells present in plaque, where they take up cholesterol and store lipids in the form of small droplets resulting in a unique morphology termed foam cell. Recent scientific advances have used single-cell gene expression profiling, live-cell imaging, and fate mapping approaches to describe macrophage and monocyte contributions to pro- or anti-inflammatory mechanisms, in addition to functions of motility and proliferation within lesions. Yet, many questions regarding tissue-specific regulation of monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and the contribution of recruited monocytes at stages of atherosclerotic disease progression remain unknown. In this review, we highlight recent advances regarding the role of monocyte and macrophage dynamics in atherosclerotic disease and identify gaps in knowledge that we hope will allow for advancing therapeutic treatment or prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease.
Intracorneal Ring Segment Implantation for the Management of Keratoconus in Children

The short-term safety and efficacy of intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation in keratoconus eyes of children are investigated in this study. A retrospective interventional case series study including a total of 33 keratoconus eyes (age 8 to 17 years) that had undergone ICRS (Keraring segments, Mediphacos) implantation was conducted. Information about visual, refractive, pachymetric, corneal topographic and aberrometric, and corneal endothelial changes during a 3-month follow-up were extracted and analysed. A significant improvement was observed in logMAR corrected distance visual acuity (p = 0.005), combined with a statistically significant reduction in keratometric readings (p < 0.001). A reduction in the magnitude of corneal astigmatism of ≥1 D was observed in 52.8% of eyes. No significant changes were observed in corneal endothelial density (p = 0.317). Significant changes were found in the anterior vertical coma component (p = 0.002) as well as in the spherical aberration of the posterior corneal surface (p = 0.004). Only two relevant complications were described: one corneal microperforation with penetration of the ring segment into the anterior chamber (1 eye, 2.8%), and a case of ring extrusion (1 eye, 2.8%). ICRS implantation in children keratoconus eyes allows a reduction of corneal astigmatism, irregularity, and aberrations, leading to a significant visual improvement.
Metallorganic CVD of High-Quality PZT Thin Films at Low Temperature with New Zr and Ti Precursors Having MMP Ligands

Thin (70-80 nm) Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) films were deposited on Ir/TaO 3 /SiO 2 /Si substrates by metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at temperatures ranging from 450 to 525°C using a dome-type CVD chamber with a double-cocktail precursor solution liquid delivery system. The precursors used were bis-tetramethylheptanedionato-Pb [Pb(THD) 2 ], tetrakisl-methoxy-2-methyl-2-propoxy-Ti [Ti(MMP) 4 ] and tetrakis1-methoxy-2-methyl-2-propoxy-Zr [Zr(MMP) 4 ], for the Pb, Ti, and Zr, respectively. These new Zr and Ti precursors showed stable vaporization characteristics at 230°C and allowed film deposition in the low-temperature range. A self-regulation mechanism in cation composition control, where the Pb/(Zr + Ti) ratio of the deposited film is independent of the input Pb/(Zr + Ti) ratio of the precursor solutions, was observed at temperatures as low as 475°C. The self-regulation behavior became more evident with increasing temperature. However, the films grown at higher temperatures (>500°C) showed a larger leakage current and degraded ferroelectric performance because of the increased interfacial reaction. A 70 nm thick PZT film grown at 475°C on an Ir electrode exhibited good ferroelectric performance, such as high remanent polarization (P r > 30 μC/cm 2 at 4 V), small coercive voltage (∼0.6 V at 4.5 V), and low voltage (∼4 V), P r saturation behavior after postannealing at 650°C. The remaining P r value after the fatigue test of 10'° cycles was >90% of the initial value even with a simple Pt top electrode.
Blinded study: prospectively defined high-frequency oscillations predict seizure outcome in individual patients

Background: Interictal high frequency oscillations (HFO) are discussed as biomarkers for epileptogenic brain tissue that should be resected in epilepsy surgery to achieve seizure freedom. The prospective classification of tissue sampled by individual electrode contacts remains a challenge. We have developed an automated, prospective definition of clinically relevant HFO in intracranial EEG (iEEG) from MNI Montreal and tested it in iEEG from Zurich. We here validate the algorithm on iEEG recorded in an independent epilepsy center so that HFO analysis was blinded to seizure outcome. Methods: We selected consecutive patients from Geneva University Hospitals who underwent resective epilepsy surgery with postsurgical follow-up > 12 months. We analyzed long-term iEEG recordings during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep that we segmented into intervals of 5 min. HFOs were defined in the ripple (80-250 Hz) and the fast ripple (FR, 250-500 Hz) frequency band. Contacts with the highest rate of ripples co-occurring with FR (FRandR) designated the HFO area. If the HFO area was not fully resected and the patient suffered from recurrent seizures (ILAE 2-6), this was classified as a true positive (TP) prediction. Results: We included iEEG recordings from 16 patients (median age 32 y, range [18-53]) with stereotactic depth electrodes and/or with subdural electrode grids (median follow-up 27 mo, range [12-55]). The HFO area had high test-retest reliability across intervals (median dwell time 95%). We excluded two patients with dwell time < 50% from further analysis. The HFO area was fully included in the resected volume in 2/4 patients who achieved postoperative seizure freedom (ILAE 1, specificity 50%) and was not fully included in 9/10 patients with recurrent seizures (ILAE > 1, sensitivity 90%), leading to an accuracy of 79%. Conclusions: We validated the automated procedure to delineate the clinical relevant HFO area in individual patients of an independently recorded dataset and achieved the same good accuracy as in our previous studies. Significance: The reproducibility of our results across datasets is promising for a multicienter study testing the clinical application of HFO detection to guide epilepsy surgery.
Is There Justification to Treat Neurodegenerative Disorders by Repurposing Drugs? The Case of Alzheimer’s Disease, Lithium, and Autophagy

Lithium is the prototype mood-stabilizer used for acute and long-term treatment of bipolar disorder. Cumulated translational research of lithium indicated the drug’s neuroprotective characteristics and, thereby, has raised the option of repurposing it as a drug for neurodegenerative diseases. Lithium’s neuroprotective properties rely on its modulation of homeostatic mechanisms such as inflammation, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, autophagy, and apoptosis. This myriad of intracellular responses are, possibly, consequences of the drug’s inhibition of the enzymes inositol-monophosphatase (IMPase) and glycogen-synthase-kinase (GSK)-3. Here we review lithium’s neurobiological properties as evidenced by its neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties, as well as translational studies in cells in culture, in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in patients, discussing the rationale for the drug’s use in the treatment of AD.
Hybrid Full-Wave Analysis of Surface Acoustic Wave Devices for Accuracy and Fast Performance Prediction

In this paper, a hybrid full-wave analysis of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices is proposed to achieve accurate and fast simulation. The partial differential equation (PDE) models of the physical system in question and graphics processing unit (GPU)-assisted hierarchical cascading technology (HCT) are used to calculate acoustic-electric characteristics of a SAW filter. The practical solid model of the radio frequency (RF) filter package is constructed in High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) software and the parasitic electromagnetics of the entire package is considered in the design process. The PDE-based models of the two-dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM) are derived in detail and solved by the PDE module embedded in COMSOL Multiphysics. Due to the advantages of PDE-based 2D-FEM, it is universal, efficient and not restricted to handling arbitrary materials and crystal cuts, electrode shapes, and multi-layered substrate. Combining COMSOL Multiphysics with a user-friendly interface, a flexible way of modeling and mesh generation, it can greatly reduce the complicated process of modeling and physical properties definition. Based on a hybrid full-wave analysis, we present an example application of this approach on a TC-SAW ladder filter with 5° YX-cut LiNbO3 substrate. Numerical results and measurements were calculated for comparison, and the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method were verified.
The new classification of urinary cytology – is it an improvement?

The use of urinary cytology to detect cancer cells was first described by Lamb 1856 but it was not until Papanicolau and Marshall 1945 described the criteria for a malignant diagnosis it came into general use [1]. Its value in routine use has been reported extensively and in this journal by one of the world experts in the field Hans Wijkstr€ om [2]. The sensitivity of cytology has been reported to be very good especially in high grade disease but more recent reports have found that a significant number of high-risk disease was missed [3]. A new classification for criteria of malignant diagnosis was constructed with the objective to have more stringent criteria for the diagnosis [4]. It is now recommended in all major guidelines but the efficiency in the real world is yet not well described. The aim of this report is to present the results of this classification based on data from a Swedish multicentre trial. There is a need for an easy and accurate non-invasive diagnostic method for measuring easy assessable body fluids. It is of general acceptance that urine might be a good source for bladder cancer specific tumor markers. UBC Rapid is an immunochromatographic point-of-care (POC) test that detects soluble fragments of cytokeratin 8/18 in urine, which play an active role in tumor invasion. Various studies have demonstrated that UBC Rapid could be a useful adjunctive tool in the evaluation of patients at risk of bladder cancer. The sensitivity reported for UBC Rapid in the studies was 48–65% compared to 32–52% for cytology [5,6]. The higher sensitivity came at cost of lower specificity, 71–82% compared to 78–100% for cytology. One of these studies found that the combination of UBC Rapid and cytology resulted in detection of additional bladder cancer tumors. In a Swedish multicentre study of UBC Rapid, published in this journal, a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 61% was found [7]. A limitation of that study was the lack of cytology as a comparator to the biomarker. Consequently, a new study compared UBC Rapid to cytology and looked at patients in the follow-up schedule where cytology is mainly used as an adjunct to cystoscopy. Due to the declining recurrence rate as recently pointed out in this journal and the pandemic the study was prematurely stopped before the power of the study was sufficient for drawing solid conclusions [8]. Still we think this study contains valuable information on the accuracy of cytology in the follow-up scenario especially with the advent of new promising urinary biomarkers. Our trial included 182 patients from two hospitals with cytology evaluable and of these 28 patients had pathology verified cancers. All specimens were analysed in one pathology department. The accuracy of urinary cytology for the diagnosis of bladder cancer was sensitivity 32%, specificity 96%, positive predictive value (PPV) 60% and negative predictive value (NPV) 87%. These data do not indicate that the introduction of the new classification has had a major impact on improving the quality of urinary cytology in the follow-up of patients with bladder cancer.
A New Approach for the Microencapsulation of Clitoria Ternatea Petal Extracts by a High-Pressure Processing Method

Toxic organic solvent residues and the active substances of thermal degradation (such as anthocyanin and polyphenols) are always a concern with the liposomes produced by traditional techniques. The present study focuses on a new approach for the microencapsulation of Clitoria ternatea petal (CTP) extracts, which contain anthocyanins, by high-pressure processing (HPP) at room temperature. Thus, a series of CTP liposomes were prepared and their physicochemical properties were analyzed by laser granulometry and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the average particle size of the liposomes after HPP treatment increased gradually from 300 MPa to 600 MPa, possibly due to the aggregation of liposomes and damage to the phospholipid bilayers. For the preparation of liposomes by the HPP method at 300 MPa, the mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and encapsulation efficiency were 240.7 nm, 0.37, and 77.8%, respectively. The HPP method provided a number of advantages over conventional methods (magnet stirring and ultrasonication) as it could allow liposome preparation with higher encapsulation efficiency, smaller size, and narrower, more reproducible particle size distribution. Conclusively, microencapsulation in the liposomes was successfully achieved with the fast-adiabatic expansion of HPP.
Pharmacological and Parenteral Nutrition-Based Interventions in Microvillus Inclusion Disease

Microvillus inclusion disease (MVID) is a rare inherited and invariably fatal enteropathy, characterized by severe intractable secretory diarrhea and nutrient malabsorption. No cure exists, and patients typically die during infancy because of treatment-related complications. The need for alternative treatment strategies is evident. Several pharmacological interventions with variable successes have been tried and reported for individual patients as part of their clinical care. Unfortunately, these interventions and their outcomes have remained hidden in case reports and have not been reviewed. Further, recent advances regarding MVID pathogenesis have shed new light on the outcomes of these pharmacological interventions and offer suggestions for future clinical research and trials. Hence, an inventory of reported pharmacological interventions in MVID, their rationales and outcomes, and a discussion of these in the light of current knowledge is opportune. Together with a discussion on MVID-specific pharmacokinetic, -dynamic, and -genetic concerns that pose unique challenges regarding pharmacological strategies, we envision that this paper will aid researchers and clinicians in their efforts to develop pharmacological interventions to combat this devastating disease.
Hypoxic stress visualized in the cervical spinal cord of ALS patients

ABSTRACT Objective: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal motor neuron disease. Hypoxic stress is suspected as the pathogenesis of ALS, however, no positron emission tomography (PET) study for hypoxic stress has been conducted in the spinal cord of ALS patients. Methods: In the present study, we examined cervical spinal hypoxic stress of nineALS patients with upper extremity (U/E) atrophy by18F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) PET. Results: On the ipsilateral side of C1 and C5 levels, 18F-FMISO uptake increased significantly compared with the contralateral side (*p < 0.05) and the control subject (**p < 0.01). In addition, a strong correlation was found between 18F-FMISO uptake of the C5 level and the rate of progression of the ALS FRS-R score (R = 0.781, *p = 0.013). Conclusion: These results indicate that hypoxic stress increased in the spinal cord of ALS patients with a close link to ALS progression. Both hypoxic stress and a compromised response to hypoxia, which may lead to subsequent motor neuron death, could be a potential therapeutic target for ALS.
Self-Regulation of Driving Behaviors in Persons With Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease.

The purpose of the current study was to determine if persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD reported awareness of driving ability and made self-regulatory changes to the same degree as older adults without AD. Driving awareness and behaviors were collected using a self-report survey. Results of the AD/MCI group were compared to a similarly aged control group. Results showed that persons with AD/MCI reported less confidence in their driving ability and worried about getting lost more often than the control group. In addition, they were more likely to have stopped driving. The AD/MCI group reported that they avoided driving in unfamiliar situations, drove less often, and drove with another person significantly more than the control group. The results give evidence that persons within the early stage of AD may have self-awareness of their driving ability and self-regulate their driving to enhance safety. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(1), 21-27. ].
Beneficial Effects of a Mixture of Algae and Extra Virgin Olive Oils on the Age-Induced Alterations of Rodent Skeletal Muscle: Role of HDAC-4

Aging is associated with a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength and function (sarcopenia). We have investigated whether a mixture of algae oil (25%) and extra virgin olive oil (75%) could exert beneficial effects on sarcopenia. Young (3 months) and old (24 months) male Wistar rats were treated with vehicle or with the oil mixture (OM) (2.5 mL/kg) for 21 days. Aging decreased gastrocnemius weight, total protein, and myosin heavy chain mRNA. Treatment with the OM prevented these effects. Concomitantly, OM administration decreased the inflammatory state in muscle; it prevented the increase of pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the decrease in anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) in aged rats. The OM was not able to prevent aging-induced alterations in either the insulin-like growth factor I/protein kinase B (IGF-I/Akt) pathway or in the increased expression of atrogenes in the gastrocnemius. However, the OM prevented decreased autophagy activity (ratio protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3b) II/I) induced by aging and increased expression of factors related with muscle senescence such as histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC-4), myogenin, and IGF-I binding protein 5 (IGFBP-5). These data suggest that the beneficial effects of the OM on muscle can be secondary to its anti-inflammatory effect and to the normalization of HDAC-4 and myogenin levels, making this treatment an alternative therapeutic tool for sarcopenia.
Enteral Nutrition Safety With Advanced Treatments (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Prone Positioning, and Infusion of Neuromuscular Blockers).

This review aims at assessing the safety and efficacy of enteral nutrition in critically ill patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, prone positioning, and infusion of neuromuscular blockers. Existing data from randomized controlled trials demonstrate the survival benefit of early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients. Observational data have demonstrated that enteral nutrition in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, prone positioning, and infusion of neuromuscular blockers is generally safe. However, these patients are at increased risk for gastrointestinal complications from enteral nutrition because of critical illness-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction; associated shock; the concomitant use of vasopressor agents, sedatives, and narcotics; possibly mesenteric circulatory compromise; and regurgitation associated with prone positioning. Therefore, early enteral nutrition is generally recommended in these patients in the absence of severe gastrointestinal dysfunction or shock. To reduce the complications, early nutrition should be advanced gradually (trophic feeding or permissive underfeeding), the bed should be tilted to a maximum of 30°, and concentrated nutritional formulae and the use of prokinetics may be considered to treat enteral feeding intolerance. Physicians should be vigilant about monitoring for early signs of acute mesenteric ischemia, which should lead to holding enteral feeding. Parenteral nutrition may be utilized in patients who cannot receive enteral nutrition or are unable to reach their nutrition goals by the end of the first week.
Intraoperative Bacterial Contamination and Activity of Different Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Regimens in Primary Knee and Hip Replacement

Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) is important for the prevention of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and must be effective against the microorganisms most likely to contaminate the surgical site. Our aim was to compare different SAP regimens (cefazolin, cefuroxime, or vancomycin, alone or combined with gentamicin) in patients undergoing total knee (TKA) and hip (THA) arthroplasty. In this preclinical exploratory analysis, we analyzed the results of intraoperative sample cultures, the ratio of plasma antibiotic levels to the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for bacteria isolated at the surgical wound and ATCC strains, and serum bactericidal titers (SBT) against the same microorganisms. A total of 132 surgical procedures (68 TKA, 64 THA) in 128 patients were included. Cultures were positive in 57 (43.2%) procedures (mostly for coagulase-negative staphylococci and Cutibacterium spp.); the rate was lower in the group of patients receiving combination SAP (adjusted OR 0.475, CI95% 0.229–0.987). The SAP regimens evaluated achieved plasma levels above the MICs in almost all of intraoperative isolates (93/94, 98.9%) and showed bactericidal activity against all of them (SBT range 1:8–1:1024), although SBTs were higher in patients receiving cefazolin and gentamicin-containing regimens. The potential clinical relevance of these findings in the prevention of PJIs remains to be determined.