Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Umbilical cord blood cells for the treatment of preterm white matter injury: Potential effects and treatment options

Preterm birth is a global public health problem. A large number of preterm infants survive with preterm white matter injury (PWMI), which leads to neurological deficits, and has multifaceted etiology, clinical course, monitoring, and outcomes. The principal upstream insults leading to PWMI initiation are hypoxia‐ischemia and infection and/or inflammation and the key target cells are late oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Current PWMI treatments are mainly supportive, and thus have little effect in terms of protecting the immature brain or repairing injury to improve long‐term outcomes. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells comprise abundant immunomodulatory and stem cells, which have the potential to reduce brain injury, mainly due to anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms, and also through their release of neurotrophic or growth factors to promote endogenous neurogenesis. In this review, we briefly summarize PWMI pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and the specific properties of different cell types in UCB. We further explore the potential mechanism by which UCB can be used to treat PWMI, and discuss the advantages of and potential issues related to UCB cell therapy. Finally, we suggest potential future studies of UCB cell therapy in preterm infants.
Material and Technology: Back to the Future for the Choice of Interface for Non-Invasive Ventilation – A Concise Review

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has dramatically changed the treatment of both acute and chronic respiratory failure in the last 2 decades. The success of NIV is correlated to the application of the “best ingredients” of a patient’s “tailored recipe,” including the appropriate choice of the selected candidate, the ventilator setting, the interface, the expertise of the team, and the education of the caregiver. The choice of the interface is crucial for the success of NIV. Type (oral, nasal, nasal pillows, oronasal, hybrid mask, helmet), size, design, material and headgears may affect the patient’s comfort with respect to many aspects, such as air leaks, claustrophobia, skin erythema, eye irritation, skin breakdown, and facial deformity in children. Companies are paying great attention to mask development, in terms of shape, materials, comfort, and leak reduction. Although the continuous development of new products has increased the availability of interfaces and the chance to meet different requirements, in patients necessitating several daily hours of NIV, both in acute and in chronic home setting, the rotational use of different interfaces may remain an excellent strategy to decrease the risk of skin breakdown and to improve patient’s tolerance. The aim of the present review was to give the readers a background on mask technology and materials in order to enhance their “knowledge” in making the right choice for the interface to apply during NIV in the different clinical scenarios.
Computational Analysis of Targeting SARS-CoV-2, Viral Entry Proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2, and Interferon Genes by Host MicroRNAs

Rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to a global pandemic, failures of local health care systems, and global economic recession. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as important regulators of viral pathogenesis, particularly among RNA viruses, but the impact of host miRNAs on SARS-CoV-2 infectivity remains unknown. In this study, we utilize the combination of powerful bioinformatic prediction algorithms and miRNA profiling to predict endogenous host miRNAs that may play important roles in regulating SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. We provide a collection of high-probability miRNA binding sites within the SARS-CoV-2 genome as well as within mRNA transcripts of critical viral entry proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2 and their upstream modulators, the interferons (IFN). By utilizing miRNA profiling datasets of SARS-CoV-2-resistant and -susceptible cell lines, we verify the biological plausibility of the predicted miRNA–target RNA interactions. Finally, we utilize miRNA profiling of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells to identify predicted miRNAs that are differentially regulated in infected cells. In particular, we identify predicted miRNA binders to SARS-CoV-2 ORFs (miR-23a (1ab), miR-29a, -29c (1ab, N), miR-151a, -151b (S), miR-4707-3p (S), miR-298 (5′-UTR), miR-7851-3p (5′-UTR), miR-8075 (5′-UTR)), ACE2 3′-UTR (miR-9-5p, miR-218-5p), TMPRSS2 3′-UTR (let-7d-5p, -7e-5p, miR-494-3p, miR-382-3p, miR-181c-5p), and IFN-α 3′-UTR (miR-361-5p, miR-410-3p). Overall, this study provides insight into potential novel regulatory mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 by host miRNAs and lays the foundation for future investigation of these miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers.
Post-traumatic headache due to mild traumatic brain injury: Current knowledge and future directions

Background/objective Post-traumatic headache is one of the most common and persistent symptoms following mild traumatic brain injury. The objective of this narrative review is to provide an update on the diagnostic criteria, clinical presentation, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of post-traumatic headache, and to identify future research priorities. Methods This is a narrative review of the literature regarding post-traumatic headache attributed to mild traumatic brain injury. Results Onset of post-traumatic headache within 7 days of injury is the only evidence for a causal relationship between the injury and the headache included in the diagnostic criteria. Post-traumatic headache often resolves within the first few days of onset, whereas it persists for at least 3 months in 30–50%. The majority of insights into post-traumatic headache pathophysiology come from pre-clinical animal studies and human imaging studies, which implicate structural, functional, metabolic, and neuroinflammatory mechanisms for post-traumatic headache. There is a paucity of quality evidence for how to best treat post-traumatic headache. Conclusions Although meaningful progress has been made in the post-traumatic headache field, priorities for future research are numerous, including the optimization of diagnostic criteria, a greater understanding of post-traumatic headache pathophysiology, identifying mechanisms and predictors for post-traumatic headache persistence, and identifying safe, well-tolerated, effective therapies.
Digital gaming interventions: a novel paradigm in mental health? Perspectives from India

Abstract The mental health gap has been a persistent concern globally, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). In an attempt to mitigate resource limitations, the psychiatric practice has been undergoing a paradigm shift into digitalized mental health interventions. One such innovation involves digital gaming utilizing the principles of ‘gamification’ to incorporate both the playfulness component of online gaming as well as the domain-targeted design of gaming elements. Digital gaming-based interventions have been to deliver psychotherapy, biofeedback, cognitive training and rehabilitation, as well as behavioural modification and social skills training. Research shows their utility in autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorders, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, neurocognitive disorders and also to promote healthy aging. Though promising in scope, these interventions face pragmatic challenges for implementation in developing countries. Even though increased use of technology, internet penetration and growing digital literacy have enhanced their accessibility and feasibility, various factors like socio-cultural diversity, lack of standardization, poor infrastructural support, bandwidth issues and lack of practice can impair their use and acceptability. Keeping this in the background, this commentary critically discusses the scope, applications and challenges of digital gaming in mental healthcare delivery in one of the rapidly globalizing LMIC nations, India.
Estimating Energy Dissipation Rate from Breaking Waves Using Polarimetric SAR Images

The total energy dissipation rate on the ocean surface, ϵt (W m−2), provides a first-order estimation of the kinetic energy input rate at the ocean–atmosphere interface. Studies on the spatial and temporal distribution of the energy dissipation rate are important for the improvement of climate and wave models. Traditional oceanographic research normally uses remote measurements (airborne and platforms sensors) and in situ data acquisition to estimate ϵt; however, those methods cover small areas over time and are difficult to reproduce especially in the open oceans. Satellite remote sensing has proven the potential to estimate some parameters related to breaking waves on a synoptic scale, including the energy dissipation rate. In this paper, we use polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to estimate ϵt under different wind and sea conditions. The used methodology consisted of decomposing the backscatter SAR return in terms of two contributions: a polarized contribution, associated with the fast response of the local wind (Bragg backscattering), and a non-polarized (NP) contribution, associated with wave breaking (Non-Bragg backscattering). Wind and wave parameters were estimated from the NP contribution and used to calculate ϵt from a parametric model dependent of these parameters. The results were analyzed using wave model outputs (WAVEWATCH III) and previous measurements documented in the literature. For the prevailing wind seas conditions, the ϵt estimated from pol-SAR data showed good agreement with dissipation associated with breaking waves when compared to numerical simulations. Under prevailing swell conditions, the total energy dissipation rate was higher than expected. The methodology adopted proved to be satisfactory to estimate the total energy dissipation rate for light to moderate wind conditions (winds below 10 m s−1), an environmental condition for which the current SAR polarimetric methods do not estimate ϵt properly.
Feasibility and Assessment of a Machine Learning-Based Predictive Model of Outcome After Lumbar Decompression Surgery

Study design: Retrospective study at a unique center. Objective: The aim of this study is twofold, to develop a virtual patients model for lumbar decompression surgery and to evaluate the precision of an artificial neural network (ANN) model designed to accurately predict the clinical outcomes of lumbar decompression surgery. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of complete Electronic Health Records (EHR) to identify potential unfavorable criteria for spine surgery (predictors). A cohort of synthetics EHR was created to classify patients by surgical success (green zone) or partial failure (orange zone) using an Artificial Neural Network which screens all the available predictors. Results: In the actual cohort, we included 60 patients, with complete EHR allowing efficient analysis, 26 patients were in the orange zone (43.4%) and 34 were in the green zone (56.6%). The average positive criteria amount for actual patients was 8.62 for the green zone (SD+/- 3.09) and 10.92 for the orange zone (SD 3.38). The classifier (a neural network) was trained using 10,000 virtual patients and 2000 virtual patients were used for test purposes. The 12,000 virtual patients were generated from the 60 EHR, of which half were in the green zone and half in the orange zone. The model showed an accuracy of 72% and a ROC score of 0.78. The sensitivity was 0.885 and the specificity 0.59. Conclusion: Our method can be used to predict a favorable patient to have lumbar decompression surgery. However, there is still a need to further develop its ability to analyze patients in the “failure of treatment” zone to offer precise management of patient health before spinal surgery.
Methionine Supplementation Affects Metabolism and Reduces Tumor Aggressiveness in Liver Cancer Cells

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancer worldwide with a high mortality. Methionine is an essential amino acid required for normal development and cell growth, is mainly metabolized in the liver, and its role as an anti-cancer supplement is still controversial. Here, we evaluate the effects of methionine supplementation in liver cancer cells. An integrative proteomic and metabolomic analysis indicates a rewiring of the central carbon metabolism, with an upregulation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in the presence of high methionine and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibition. Methionine supplementation also reduces growth rate in liver cancer cells and induces the activation of both the AMPK and mTOR pathways. Interestingly, in high methionine concentration, inhibition of AMPK strongly impairs cell growth, cell migration, and colony formation, indicating the main role of AMPK in the control of liver cancer phenotypes. Therefore, regulation of methionine in the diet combined with AMPK inhibition could reduce liver cancer progression.
Tränenwegsstenosen im Erwachsenenalter

Zusammenfassung Zur Aufrechterhaltung der okulären Oberflächenhomöostase und damit den Erhalt der optischen Eigenschaften sind Tränenproduktion, -verteilung und -abtransport essenzielle physiologische Funktionen. Störungen dieser funktionellen Einheit gehen mit starken Beschwerden und einem hohen Leidensdruck bei den Patienten einher. Da etwa 3% unserer Patienten eine Tränenabflussstörung aufweisen, ist die Thematik von hohem klinischem Interesse.
Effect of nitrogen addition on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in temperate forest litter and soil

The results showed that the carbon concentration decreased with soil depth in the control and treatment samples. The nitrogen concentration had a tendency to increase in the decomposed litter layer. Nitrogen addition did not show significant effect on carbon and nitrogen concentration. The carbon stable 13 isotope ( C) was about -27‰ in forest cover layer and organic matter layer, while it was as high as -25.3‰ 13 in mineral soil layer. Nitrogen addition had no significant effect on the value of C. The range of nitrogen 15 15 stable isotope ( N) was -1.6 ~ 5.5‰, which increased with the depth of soil. N value increased significantly (P = 0.039) in the decomposed litter layer under nitrogen addition.
Arterial and end‐tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure difference during prehospital anaesthesia in critically ill patients

Normoventilation is crucial for many critically ill patients. Ventilation is routinely guided by end‐tidal capnography during prehospital anaesthesia, based on the assumption of the gap between arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and end‐tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (PetCO2) of approximately 0.5 kPa (3.8 mmHg).
Simulation of calcium signaling in fine astrocytic processes: Effect of spatial properties on spontaneous activity

Astrocytes, a glial cell type of the central nervous system, have emerged as detectors and regulators of neuronal information processing. Astrocyte excitability resides in transient variations of free cytosolic calcium concentration over a range of temporal and spatial scales, from sub-microdomains to waves propagating throughout the cell. Despite extensive experimental approaches, it is not clear how these signals are transmitted to and integrated within an astrocyte. The localization of the main molecular actors and the geometry of the system, including calcium channels IP3R spatial organization, are deemed essential. However, as most calcium signals occur in astrocytic ramifications that are too fine to be resolved by conventional light microscopy, most of those spatial data are unknown and computational modeling remains the only methodology to study this issue. Here, we propose an IP3R-mediated calcium signaling model for dynamics in such small sub-cellular volumes. To account for the expected stochasticity and low copy numbers, our model is both spatially explicit and particle-based. Extensive simulations show that spontaneous calcium signals arise in the model via the interplay between excitability and stochasticity. The model reproduces the main forms of calcium signals and indicates that their frequency crucially depends on the spatial organization of the IP3R channels. Importantly, we show that two processes expressing exactly the same calcium channels can display different types of calcium signals depending on channels spatial organization. Our model with realistic process volume and calcium concentrations successfully reproduces spontaneous calcium signals that we measured in calcium micro-domains with confocal microscopy. To our knowledge, this model is the first model suited to investigate calcium dynamics in fine astrocytic processes and to propose plausible mechanisms responsible for their variability.
EFFECT OF CAMEL MILK ON ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Back ground: Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease which affects large number of population all over the world. Such disease is associated with many complications which may leads finally to patient's mortality. Camel milk supplementation reduces the insulin requirement in Type I diabetic patients. So this study was planned to evaluate the effect of camel milk as hypoglycemic agent. Material and method: Thirty male adult albino rats were used to investigate the effect of camel milk (CM) treating diabetic rats. Rats were divided into three equal groups, control, diabetic non treated and diabetic CM treated groups. After thirty days of treatment all rats of each group were sacrificed. The body weight of each rat was determined at the beginning and the end of each period. Blood glucose, serum insulin, lipid and protein profiles, liver and kidney functions, blood picture and liver glycogen were determined for each rat at the end of each period. Pancreatic samples were obtained and processed for microscopic and quantitative evaluation after staining the prepared sections with both Heamatoxylin and eosin as well as special stain for demonstration of the different pancreatic cells in the Islet of Langerhans. Results: The obtained results showed that the induced diabetes was diagnosed by laboratory assessment to body weight loss, hyperglycemia, and hypoinsulinemia, significant increase in liver and kidney functions, lipid and protein profiles and decreased liver glycogen content. While, CM treatment led to a significant improvement in all these parameter except liver function. Microscopically there was definite vaculation, degeneration, karyolysis and pyknosis of beta pancreatic cells in diabetic group while the other pancreatic cells were not affected (alpha and delta cells). The use of CM treatment of this study greatly improves such cellular changes. Conclusion: it was recommended that the use of the CM as a hypoglycemic agent may be of good results besides repeating such study with the use of variable doses may be helpful in better evaluation for the required doses.
Body Resistance and Growth Performance of Broiler Fed Glucomannan Extracted from Amorphophallus onchophyllus Tuber

The purpose of the study was to examine the supplementation effects of glucomannan extracted from a porang tuber (GEPT) on body resistance and growth performance of broiler chickens. A total number of 160 one-day-old broiler chickens with the average body weight of 42.39±0.58 g was kept for 35 days. The study was arranged in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 4 replications (8 birds each). The dietary treatments were T0= basal ration, T1= basal ration with the addition of 0.05% GEPT, T2= basal ration with the addition of 0.1% GEPT, T3= basal ration with the addition of 0.15% GEPT, and T4= basal ration with the addition of 0.2% GEPT. Parameters measured were the population of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Coliform count, relative weight of lymphoid organs (bursa fabricius and spleen), heterophils-lymphocytes (H/L) ratio, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, and mortality. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and continued with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% probability. The results showed that supplementation of the diets with GEPT significantly increased (P<0.05) LAB population, decreased (P<0.05) Coliform count in the jejunum and ileum, and H/L ratio, but did not affect the relative weight of lymphoid organs, and growth performance. In conclusion, diet added with 0.1% GEPT improved the balance of intestinal microflora and increased body resistance, without any negative effects on the lymphoid organs and growth performance of broiler chickens.
Establishment of murine in vitro blood-brain barrier models using immortalized cell lines: co-cultures of brain endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a selective barrier formed by the endothelial cells that line cerebral microvessels. It serves as a physical barrier due to the presence of complex tight junctions between adjacent endothelial cells which limits the paracellular movement of most molecules across the BBB. Many in vitro models of the BBB have been established to mimic these in vivo properties with limited success. In this study, we described the properties of a cell-based murine in vitro BBB model in five configurations constructed using immortalized cell lines in a 12-well format Transwell system: murine brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3) grown in a monoculture, or as co-culture in contact with astrocytes, or without contact with astrocytes or neurons, and triple co-culture combining the three cell lines. We found that only contact and triple co-culture model closely mimic the in vivo BBB tightness as evaluated by apparent permeability (Papp) of sucrose and albumin producing the lowest Papp values of 0.56 ± 0.16 × 10−6 cms−1 and 3.30 ± 0.51 × 10−6 cms−1, respectively, obtained in triple co-culture model. Co-culturing of bEnd.3 with astrocytes increased the expression of occludin as shown by western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry showed an increase in peripheral localization of occludin and claudin-5. In addition, we found conditioned media were able to increase in vitro BBB model tightness through the modulation of tight junction proteins localization. We conclude that the presence of astrocytes and neurons in close proximity to brain endothelial cells is essential to produce a tight in vitro BBB model.
The Strategic National Stockpile: identification, support, and acquisition of medical countermeasures for CBRN incidents

Abstract The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) serves as a repository of materiel, including medical countermeasures (MCMs), that would be used to support the national health security response to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) incident, either natural or terrorism-related. To support and advance the SNS, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) manages targeted investigatory research portfolios, such as Countermeasures Against Chemical Terrorism (CounterACT) for chemical agents, that coordinate projects covering basic research, drug discovery, and preclinical studies. Project BioShield, managed by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency (BARDA), guides and supports academia and industry with potential MCMs through the Food & Drug Administration’s approval process and ultimately supports the acquisition of successful products into the SNS. Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ever-increasing number of MCMs in the SNS present logistical and financial challenges to its maintenance. While MCMs for biological agents have been readily adopted, those for chemical agents have required sustained investments. This paper reviews the methods by which MCMs are identified and supported for inclusion in the SNS, the current status of MCMs for CBRN threats, and challenges with SNS maintenance as well as identifies persistent obstacles for MCM development and acquisition, particularly for ones focused on chemical weapons.