Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations of Variation in Retinal Thickness With Visual Acuity and Anatomic Outcomes in Eyes With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Lesions Treated With Anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Agents

Key Points Question Are fluctuations in retinal thickness associated with visual and anatomic outcomes in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor drugs? Findings In this study of 1731 participants from 2 randomized clinical trials, increasing variation in retinal thickness was associated with worse outcomes in post hoc analyses of protocol-directed treatment regimens. Meaning These findings suggest that fluctuating activity may be a marker for poor prognosis in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor drugs.
Analysis of the Incompletely Hoisted Vertebrae in the Anterior Controllable Antedisplacement and Fusion Surgery: Causes and Prevention.

PURPOSE Anterior controllable antedisplacement and fusion (ACAF) has been reported to be a safe and effective technique. However, incompletely hoisted vertebrae (IV) were found in the postoperative images. This study aims to analyze the causes and prevention of IV. METHODS The ACAF-treated case series subjects were retrospectively reviewed. The vertebrae were separated into the IV group and completely hoisted vertebrae (CV) group according to the gap between the vertebrae and plate. The radiographic data, degree of cervical lordosis, bone mineral density, number of hoisted vertebrae, operative time, blood loss, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association score were compared between the patients with IV and the patients without IV. RESULTS A total of 248 vertebrae were hoisted in the enrolled patients. Intervertebral disc height in the IV group was 3.7±0.4 mm, which is significantly lower than that in the CV group. The anterior or posterior overhanging lip, osteoporosis, and oblique osteotomy troughs and hinges existing after osteotomy were found to be impingements preventing the hoisting of the vertebrae. There were no differences in the age, sex, degree of cervical lordosis, number of hoisted vertebrae, and neurological improvement rate between the groups of patients with and without IV. CONCLUSIONS Lower intervertebral space height and impingements preventing hoisting were found to be possible causes of IV in ACAF. Measures to prevent the problem should be carried out.
Bacterial community assembly in Atlantic cod larvae (Gadus morhua): contributions of ecological processes and metacommunity structure

ABSTRACT Many studies demonstrate the importance of the commensal microbiomes to animal health and development. However, the initial community assembly process is poorly understood. It is unclear to what extent the hosts select for their commensal microbiota, whether stochastic processes contribute, and how environmental conditions affect the community assembly. We investigated community assembly in Atlantic cod larvae exposed to distinct microbial metacommunities. We aimed to quantify ecological processes influencing community assembly in cod larvae and to elucidate the complex relationship between the bacteria of the environment and the fish. Selection within the fish was the major determinant for community assembly, but drift resulted in inter-individual variation. The environmental bacterial communities were highly dissimilar from those associated with the fish. Still, differences in the environmental bacterial communities strongly influenced the fish communities. The most striking difference was an excessive dominance of a single OTU (Arcobacter) for larvae reared in two of the three systems. These larvae were exposed to environments with higher fractions of opportunistic bacteria, and we hypothesise that detrimental host–microbe interactions might have made the fish susceptible to Arcobacter colonisation. Despite strong selection within the host, this points to a possibility to steer the metacommunity towards mutualistic host–microbe interactions and improved fish health and survival.
Gallic acid-aided cross-linking of myofibrillar protein fabricated soluble aggregate for enhanced thermal stability and tunable colloidal state.

Low colloidal stability of myofibrillar protein (MP) during heating is a technofunctional constraint encountered in its beverage application. The gallic acid (GA), a natural polyphenol, was applied to fabricate MP soluble aggregate for an enhanced thermal stability. Upon pH shifting, GA was grafted into MP with the cysteine and tryptophan residues being the binding sites. As a result, the antioxidant activity of MP was enhanced. Additionally, GA modification decreased the α-helix structure of MP and converted MP into cross-linked aggregates. At low dosages (10 and 25 μmol/g GA), disulfide-dominant covalent bonds were formed to generate myosin and actin aggregates, while MP aggregate was mostly bridged through GA-thiols or GA-tryptophan adduct when the dosages exceeded 50 μmol/g. Such aggregates prevented MP from thermal gelation, leading to a stable and tunable colloidal state. This work can foster technological advances in the tailor manufacture of muscle protein-based beverages for special dietary uses.
Echocardiogram Utilization Patterns and Association With Mortality Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND: Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in left ventricular dysfunction, which can lead to hypotension and secondary brain injuries. Although echocardiography is often used to examine cardiovascular function in multiple clinical settings, its use and association with outcomes following severe TBI are not known. To address this gap, we used the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) to describe utilization patterns of echocardiography and examine its association with mortality following severe TBI. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a large administrative trauma registry maintained by the NTDB from 2007 to 2014. Patients >18 years with isolated severe TBI, and without concurrent severe polytrauma, were included in the study. We examined echocardiogram utilization patterns (including overall utilization, factors associated with utilization, and variation in utilization) and the association of echocardiography utilization with hospital mortality, using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 47,808 patients, echocardiogram was utilized as part of clinical care in 2548 patients (5.3%). Clinical factors including vascular comorbidities and hemodynamic instability were associated with increased use of echocardiograms. Nearly half (46.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 40.3%–51.7%) of the variation in echocardiogram utilization was explained at the individual hospital level, above and beyond patient and injury factors. Exposure to an echocardiogram was associated with decreased odds of in-hospital mortality following severe TBI (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.69–0.87; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Echocardiogram utilization following severe TBI is relatively low, with wide variation in use at the hospital level. The association with decreased in-hospital mortality suggests that the information derived from echocardiography may be relevant to improving patient outcomes but will require confirmation in further prospective studies.
Use of aspirin to intentionally induce gastrointestinal tract barrier dysfunction in feedlot cattle.

Stress negatively affects gastrointestinal tract (GIT) barrier function, resulting in compromised animal health. A deeper understanding of how diet and stress impacts GIT barrier function in feedlot cattle is needed. Aspirin decreases mucus production and mucosal repair in the GIT and could be used as a model for GIT barrier dysfunction research. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aspirin to induce GIT barrier dysfunction in beef cattle. In experiment 1, sixteen crossbred heifers (425.0 ± 8.6 kg) were allotted to 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg BW aspirin doses based on BW. Experiment 1 consisted of 2 periods separated by 4 wks where 4 heifers per treatment received the same aspirin dose during each period. Heifers were fed a 49.4% corn silage, 50.6% concentrate diet. The 200 mg/kg BW aspirin treatment was dosed as a 100 mg/kg BW aspirin oral bolus 36 and 24 h prior to Cr-EDTA dosing (1 L; 180 mM). The 50 and 100 mg/kg BW aspirin treatments were dosed as an oral bolus 24 h prior to Cr-EDTA dosing. Urine was collected every 3 h for 48 h and analyzed for Cr. Serum was collected at 0 and 48 h and analyzed for lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, and aspartate amino transferase (AST). In experiment 2, sixteen crossbred steers (576.0 ± 14.2 kg) fed a similar diet were allotted by BW to the 0 and 200 mg/kg BW aspirin treatments (8 steers/treatment) and were slaughtered 24 h after the last dose. Jejunal tissues were collected and claudin 1, 2 and 3, occludin, and zonula occludens tight junction mRNA expression was determined. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Urinary Cr excretion increased linearly at h 3, 6, 9, and 12 (P ≤0.04) as aspirin dose increased from 0 to 200 mg/kg. Aspirin linearly increased Cr absorption (P = 0.02) and elimination (P = 0.04) rates and linearly decreased mean retention time of Cr (P = 0.02). Aspirin increased SAA (P = 0.04) and tended to increase LBP (P = 0.09) in serum, but did not affect any other serum inflammatory marker (P ≥ 0.19). Aspirin tended to increase jejunal claudin-1 mRNA expression (P = 0.10), but did not affect mRNA expression of other genes regulating tight junction function (P ≥ 0.20). Results from this study indicate that aspirin disrupts GIT barrier function in beef cattle and has potential as a model in GIT permeability research.
'Beyond the Floyd Narrative': Reviewing racism through the lens of social psychiatry.

The recent and unfortunate death of George Floyd in the United States (U.S.) has sparked the age-old debate and discourse on racism. The discrimination, stereotyping and othering based on skin color, ethnicity, caste, etc. have given rise to the 'social evil' of racism throughout the evolution of humankind. Irrespective of the numerous legal petitions, organizational and personal protests, media uproar and globalization, racism has continued to perpetuate in various communities across the world, amplifying the 'we versus they' dichotomy. The racist 'identity', the racist 'constructs', within group favoritism, stigma based on physical attributes, self-stigma and administrative apathy help in maintaining the vicious cycle of racist discrimination. The implications are immense and can be transgenerational, in socioeconomic, biological and psychological dimensions. Public awareness about the presence and effects of racism are still overshadowed by myths and misinformation. Several questions have been theorized in available literature, namely what leads to the perpetuation of racism and how does it affect generations altogether, in spite of the constant proponents of collectivism and humanity that try to fight it. This article attempts to answer some of these questions, by comprehensively evaluating racism from varied angles. It reviews theories in the genesis of racism, its biopsychosocial offshoots, the global problem statement and finally proposes 'minority stress' as a probable common pathway in mediating the vicious effects of discrimination based on race. The multi-pronged strategies possible to mitigate these effects are subsequently discussed.
Predicting the Prognosis of MCI Patients Using Longitudinal MRI Data

The aim of this study is to develop a computer-aided diagnosis system with a deep-learning approach for distinguishing “Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD)” patients among a list of MCI patients. In this system we are using the power of longitudinal data extracted from magnetic resonance (MR). For this work, a total of 294 MCI patients were selected from the ADNI database. Among them, 125 patients developed AD during their follow-up and the rest remained stable. The proposed computer-aided diagnosis system (CAD) attempts to identify brain regions that are significant for the prediction of developing AD. The longitudinal data were constructed using a 3D Jacobian-based method aiming to track the brain differences between two consecutive follow-ups. The proposed CAD system distinguishes MCI patients who developed AD from those who remained stable with an accuracy of 87.2 percent. Moreover, it does not depend on data acquired by invasive methods or cognitive tests. This work demonstrates that the use of data in different time periods contains information that is beneficial for prognosis prediction purposes that outperform similar methods and are slightly inferior only to those systems that use invasive methods or neuropsychological tests.
Romanian clinical guideline for diagnosis and treatment of COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with increasing prevalence and burden for health systems worldwide. Every country collects its own epidemiological data regarding COPD prevalence, morbidity and mortality while taking steps to educate the population and medical community to improve early detection and treatment. The rising COPD prevalence creates a need for comprehensive guidelines. In 2012 and 2017–2018, the Romanian Society of Pneumology (SRP) organised national inquiries for COPD, while lung physicians in Romania began receiving education regarding the correct algorithms for COPD diagnosis and therapy. During 2019, a Romanian clinical guideline for diagnosis and treatment of COPD was published, and a condensed version of key points from this guideline are presented herein. COPD is diagnosed based on the presence of three major components: relevant exposure history, respiratory symptoms, and airway limitation that is not fully reversible. Clinical evaluation of patients diagnosed with COPD should include the level of symptoms, exacerbation rate, the presence of comorbidities and determination of phenotypes. The present abridged guideline is designed to be accessible and practical for assessing and managing patients with COPD. The application of up-to-date COPD guidelines may enhance the optimism of physicians and patients in managing this disease.
Mitochondrial DNA copy number and cytogenetic damage among fuel filling station attendants

Fuel filling attendants are constantly exposed to the complex mixture of gasoline and all refinery environments are probably carcinogenic for humans. These workers are considered as an unorganized group in India and unaware of the risk. The present study was focused to monitor workplace pollutants (particulate matter size 10 [PM10 μm], total volatile organic compound [VOC], and carbon monoxide [CO]), benzene exposure (phenol), and to evaluate their genotoxicity effect with reference to relative mitochondrial DNA copy number (MtDNAcn), 8‐OHdG (8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine), and micronuclei (MN) frequency (%) among fuel filling attendants. This study recorded 318 ± 134 and 1,050 ± 260 μg/m3 time‐weighted average concentration of PM10 and CO, respectively. However, total VOC levels recorded were below the detectable level (BDL) to 290 ± 50 μg/m3. A total of 53 subjects (26 exposed and 27 control) participated in this study with similar sociodemographic information. It was noticed that fuel filling attendants were not using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and are younger generation. The significantly (p = <.001) higher level of phenol, a metabolite of benzene, was detected in the exposed group. The significantly elevated level of urinary 8‐OHdG (p = .01), MN frequency (p = .001), and relative MtDNAcn (p = .001) was observed in exposed group as compared to the control group. The study exemplify that workers were exposed to the benzene, workplace pollutant, and observed genotoxicity suggest malignancy risk. This study highlights the importance of biomonitoring in occupational settings to avoid malignancies. The possible engineering controls, frequent health check‐ups, awareness about the risks, and PPE use can reduce health hazards.
Bacteria but not fungi respond to soil acidification rapidly and consistently in both a spruce and beech forest.

Anthropogenically enhanced atmospheric sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition has acidified and eutrophied forest ecosystems worldwide. However, both S and N mechanisms have an impact on microbial communities, and the consequences for microbially driven soil functioning differ. We conducted a two-forest stand (Norway spruce and European beech) field experiment involving acidification (sulphuric acid addition) and N (ammonium nitrate) loading and their combination. For four years, we monitored separate responses of soil microbial communities to the treatments and investigated the relations to changes in activity of extracellular enzymes. We observed that acidification selected for acidotolerant and oligotrophic taxa of Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria and decreased bacterial community richness and diversity in both stands in parallel disregarding their original dissimilarities in soil chemistry and microbial communities' composition. The shifts in bacterial community influenced the stoichiometry and magnitude of enzymatic activity. Bacterial response to experimental N addition was much weaker likely due to historically enhanced N availability. Fungi were not influenced by any treatment during 4-year manipulation. We suggest that in the onset of acidification when fungi remain irresponsive, bacterial reaction might govern the changes in soil enzymatic activity.
The expression of carbonic anhydrase IX(CAIX/G250)mRNA in patients with renal cell carcinoma

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of CAⅨ mRNA in patients with renal cell carcinoma(RCC). Methods Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect CAⅨ mRNA in carcinoma tissue and peripheral blood from patients with RCC(n=62),normal tissue and peripheral blood sample(n=32)as control.Results CAⅨ mRNA positive rates were 82.3%(51/62)in renal carcinoma tissues and 54.8%(34/62)in peripheral blood from patients with RCC,which were significantly higher than that of the control cases(P0.05). CAⅨ mRNA positive rates were 98%(49/50)in carcinoma tisuues and 66%(33/50)in peripheral blood from patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma,which were significantly higher than that of non-clear cell type of RCC(P0.05). Conclusions CAⅨ mRNA detected by RT-PCR assay is reliable to RCC especially to clear cell RCC.It could be a useful parameter for RCC diagnosis,micrometastasis detection and therapeutic evaluation.
The cryo-EM structure of the human uromodulin filament core reveals a unique assembly mechanism

The glycoprotein uromodulin (UMOD) is the most abundant protein in human urine and forms filamentous homopolymers that encapsulate and aggregate uropathogens, promoting pathogen clearance by urine excretion. Despite its critical role in the innate immune response against urinary tract infections, the structural basis and mechanism of UMOD polymerization remained unknown. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of the UMOD filament core at 3.5 Å resolution, comprised of the bipartite zona pellucida (ZP) module in a helical arrangement with a rise of ~65 Å and a twist of ~180°. The immunoglobulin-like ZPN and ZPC subdomains of each monomer are separated by a long linker that interacts with the preceding ZPC and following ZPN subdomains by β-sheet complementation. The unique filament architecture suggests an assembly mechanism in which subunit incorporation could be synchronized with proteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal pro-peptide that anchors assembly-incompetent UMOD precursors to the membrane.
Neuroprotective effect of resveratrol against radiation after surgically induced brain injury by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis through NRf2/HO‐1/NF‐κB signaling pathway

The impact of resveratrol (RSV) on radiation (RAD)‐induced brain injury in rats' brains was investigated. A total of 40 male Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups (control, RAD, RAD + RSV, and RSV groups, with 10 rats in each group). The results revealed a significant decrease in catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities, as well as glutathione (GSH) content. Further, a significant elevation in malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, interleukin‐1‐beta (IL‐1β), IL‐6, and transforming growth factor‐β1 levels were observed. Furthermore, decreased B‐cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‐2), increased Bcl‐2‐associated X, and tumor necrosis factor‐α genes expression, decreased nuclear factor erythroid‐related factor 2, heme oxygenase‐1, and increased nuclear factor‐κB protein levels were noticed. Also, an apoptosis marker, caspase‐3‐positive cells, was seen in the hippocampus. Those effects were observed in the RAD group of rats. The treatment of RSV displayed a significant amendment of the studied parameters in the brain tissues of the RAD group of animals. This effect is interrelated to the ability of RSV to scavenge the free radicals, enhance the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, increase GSH contents, and downregulate the inflammatory responses and apoptosis markers in the brain tissues of RAD animals. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the potent antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities of RSV can improve the antioxidant status and suppress the inflammatory responses and apoptosis in the brain tissues of RAD animals.
Anticoagulation with warfarin compared to novel oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation in adults with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis: comparison of thromboembolic events and major bleeding

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). The optimal strategy to prevent strokes in patients with ATTR-CA and AF is unknown. Objectives To compare outcomes in patients with ATTR-CA and AF treated with warfarin versus novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Methods This study was a retrospective analysis of patients with ATTR-CA stratified by presence or absence of AF and anticoagulation therapy. The primary outcome included a time to event analysis for the combined outcomes of stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA), major bleed, or death. Results Of 290 patients, 217 patients (74.8%) had AF. Of those with AF (n = 217), 78 (35.9%) patients received warfarin compared with 116 (53.5%) patients who received NOACs. There were 17 thrombotic events, all in those diagnosed with AF compared with none in the patients without AF (p = .01). Over a mean follow-up of 2.4 years (range 0.1–12) there was no difference in primary outcome between those with AF treated with warfarin compared with NOACs (p = .35). Conclusion Patient with ATTR-CA and AF are at increased risk for stroke compared to patients with ATTR-CA and without AF. Thrombotic events and major bleeds did not differ between those who received warfarin and NOACs.