Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of pelvic tilt and rotation on cup orientation in standing anteroposterior radiographs

Background: Individual pelvic tilt and rotation have wide variability that can affect the measurement of cup orientation in anteroposterior (AP) radiographs. The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of pelvic tilt and rotation on radiographic measurements of cup orientation. Methods: A total of 53 patients (63 hips) were included in this study. The patients underwent a computed tomography study with standing AP pelvis radiographs taken both preoperatively and approximately 3 months postoperatively. We used 2-dimensional/3-dimensional matching to measure the pelvic tilt and rotation, and the non-standardised and standardised cup orientation. Results: There was no difference in the pelvic tilt and rotation between the preoperative and postoperative radiographs. The distribution of the differences between the non-standardised and standardised cup anteversion exhibited a change within 5° in only 34/63 (54%) hips. The pelvic tilt correlated with the difference between the non-standardised and standardised cup anteversion, but the pelvic rotation did not. When all 63 hips were separated into the right and left sides, the pelvic rotation inversely correlated with the pelvic tilt-adjusted difference between the non-standardised and standardised cup anteversion of the right side but directly correlated with that of the left side. Conclusions: The current study demonstrated that the measurement of cup anteversion in standing AP radiographs is significantly affected by both the pelvic tilt and pelvic rotation. An improved understanding of the pelvic orientation may eventually allow for desired cup positioning on a patient-specific basis to potentially reduce complications associated with the malposition of the cup.
The global prevalence of primary ovarian insufficiency and early menopause: a meta-analysis

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the global prevalence of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and early menopause (EM). Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in several databases to retrieve relevant English articles published between 1980 and 2017. To assess the methodological quality of the studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used. The heterogeneity of results across the studies was assessed using Cochran’s Q test and quantified by the I2 statistic. Prevalence estimates of all studies were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis model at a confidence level of 95%. Results: A total of 8937 potentially relevant articles were identified from the initial searches. Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of POI and EM was calculated as 3.7% (95% confidence interval: 3.1, 4.3) and 12.2% (95% confidence interval: 10.5, 14), respectively. The prevalence of POI was higher in medium and low Human Development Index countries. The prevalence trend did not change over time. Conclusion: The prevalence of POI and EM in women is considerable. The results of this study could contribute to consciousness-raising of health policy-makers toward the necessity of prioritizing, planning, and allocating health resources as preventive and treatment interventions for these women.
NiFe Alloy Nanoparticles with hcp Crystal Structure Stimulate Superior Oxygen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalytic Activity.

Tuning the crystal phase of metal alloy nanomaterials has been proved a significant way to alter their catalytic properties based on crystal structure and electronic property. Herein, we successfully developed a simple strategy to controllably synthesize a rare crystal structure of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) NiFe nanoparticle (NP) encapsulated in a N-doped carbon (NC) shell (hcp-NiFe@NC). Then, we systemically investigated the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of the samples under alkaline conditions, in which the hcp-NiFe@NC exhibits superior OER activity compared to the conventional face-centered cubic (fcc) NiFe encapsulated in a N-doped carbon shell (fcc-NiFe@NC). At the current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2 , the hcp-NiFe@NC with Fe/Ni ratio of ≈5.4 % only needs ultralow overpotentials of 226 mV and 263 mV versus reversible hydrogen electrode in 1.0 m KOH electrolyte, respectively, which were extremely lower than those of fcc-NiFe@NC and most of other reported NiFe-based electrocatalysts. We proposed that hcp-NiFe possesses favorable electronic property to expedite the reaction on the NC surface, resulting higher catalytic activity for OER. This research provides a new insight to design more efficient electrocatalysts by considering the crystal phase correlated electronic property.
Clinical Features and Functioning of Patients with Minor Depression

Background: The two essential features of minor depression are that it has fewer symptoms than major depression and that it is less chronic than dysthymia. This study describes the clinical features and functioning of outpatients with minor depression. Methods: Subjects with minor depression (with and without a prior history of major depression) were recruited through clinical referrals and community advertising. Assessments included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (IDS-SR) and Clinician Rated (IDS-C) scales, the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form scale (MOS), and the Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale (CGI). Data from previously published studies of major depression, minor depression, and normal controls were compared to our data set. Results: Minor depression is characterized primarily by mood and cognitive symptoms rather than vegetative symptoms; the functional impairment associated with minor depression is as severe as for major depression in several areas; minor depression occurs either independently of major depression or as a stage of illness during the long-term course of major depression, and minor depression patients with and without a history of major depression have similar levels of depressive severity and functional impairment. Conclusions: These findings support the notion that minor depression is an important clinical entity that fits within the larger spectrum of depressive disorders.
Revealing the Role of Sidewall Orientation in Wet Chemical Etching of GaN-Based Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes

We demonstrated that the tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution possesses different etching abilities to the chip sidewalls with different orientations because the orientation of chip sidewall determines the exposed crystallographic plane of gallium nitride (GaN) and these crystallographic planes are with different chemical stability to the TMAH solution. After TMAH etching treatment, trigonal prisms were observed on sidewalls where m-plane GaN was exposed. For the investigated two types of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with orthogonal arrangements, the LEDs with their larger sidewalls orientated along the [11–20] direction exhibited an additional 10% improvement in light output power after TMAH etching treatment compared to the LEDs with larger sidewalls orientated along the [1–100] direction.
MERTK tyrosine kinase receptor together with TIM4 phosphatidylserine receptor mediates distinct signal transduction pathways for efferocytosis and cell proliferation

Apoptotic cells expose phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) on their surface, leading to efferocytosis, i.e. their engulfment by resident macrophages that express the PtdSer receptor T cell immunoglobulin mucin receptor 4 (TIM4) and TAM family receptor tyrosine kinase receptors (MERTK, AXL, and TYRO3). TAM family receptors stimulate cell proliferation, and the many aspects of the growth signaling pathway downstream of TAM family receptors have been elucidated previously. However, the signaling cascade for TAM receptor–mediated efferocytosis has been elusive. Here we observed that efferocytosis by mouse-resident peritoneal macrophages was blocked by inhibitors against the MERTK, mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK), AKT Ser/Thr kinase (AKT), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), or STAT6 pathway. Accordingly, apoptotic cells stimulated the phosphorylation of MERTK, ERK, AKT, FAK, and STAT6, but not of IκB or STAT5. A reconstituted efferocytosis system using MERTK- and TIM4-expressing NIH3T3-derived cells revealed that the juxtamembrane and C-terminal regions of MERTK have redundant roles in efferocytosis. The transformation of murine IL-3–dependent Ba/F3 cells (a pro-B cell line) with MERTK and TIM4 enabled them to proliferate in response to apoptotic cells in a PtdSer-dependent manner. This apoptotic cell–induced MERTK-mediated proliferation required both MERTK's juxtamembrane and C-terminal regions and was blocked by inhibitors of not only ERK, AKT, FAK, and STAT6 but also of NF-κB and STAT5 signaling. These results suggest that apoptotic cells stimulate distinct sets of signal transduction pathways via MERTK to induce either efferocytosis or proliferation.
Composition, in vitro Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of the Leaf Essential Oil of Machilus konishii from Taiwan

The chemical composition and in vitro anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the leaf essential oil of Machilus konishii has been investigated. The essential oil was isolated using hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus, and characterized by GC–FID and GC–MS. Sixty-six compounds were identified, representing 100% of the oil. The main components identified were α-pinene (33.9%), β-pinene (13.9%), and thymol (12.0%). The leaf oil was able to reduce nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide-activated murine macrophages RAW 264.7 without reducing the cell viability. In addition, the leaf oil showed strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The major ingredient of the oil that was responsible for the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities was thymol.
Eph signaling controls mitotic spindle orientation and cell proliferation in neuroepithelial cells

Mitotic spindle orientation must be tightly regulated during development and adult tissue homeostasis. It determines cell-fate specification and tissue architecture during asymmetric and symmetric cell division, respectively. Here, we uncover a novel role for Ephrin–Eph intercellular signaling in controlling mitotic spindle alignment in Drosophila optic lobe neuroepithelial cells through aPKC activity–dependent myosin II regulation. We show that conserved core components of the mitotic spindle orientation machinery, including Discs Large1, Mud/NuMA, and Canoe/Afadin, mislocalize in dividing Eph mutant neuroepithelial cells and produce spindle alignment defects in these cells when they are down-regulated. In addition, the loss of Eph leads to a Rho signaling–dependent activation of the PI3K–Akt1 pathway, enhancing cell proliferation within this neuroepithelium. Hence, Eph signaling is a novel extrinsic mechanism that regulates both spindle orientation and cell proliferation in the Drosophila optic lobe neuroepithelium. Similar mechanisms could operate in other Drosophila and vertebrate epithelia.
Title Prognosis Significance of ZEB2 and TGF-β1 as well as Other Clinical Characteristics in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis significance of zinc-finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) as well as other clinical characteristics in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods This retrospective study examined the expressions of ZEB2 and TGF-β1 in 64 EOC specimens, 36 benign ovarian tumor specimens, and 28 normal ovarian specimens by immunohistochemistry. The correlation of the expressions of ZEB2 and TGF-β1 was analyzed by the Spearman rank correlation analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to construct crude survival curves, and the prognostic roles of ZEB2 and TGF-β1 as well as clinical characteristics were evaluated by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results The positive expression rates of ZEB2 and TGF-β1 were increased in EOC specimens compared with benign ovarian tumor and normal ovary specimens (P < 0.05), and ZEB2 expression was positively correlated with TGF-β1 expression (r = 0.538, P = 0.000). In addition, the overall survival rate of EOC patients was associated with the expressions of ZEB2 and TGF-β1, age, differentiated grade, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, preoperative serum CA125 level, postoperative start time of chemotherapy, and treatment course (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression demonstrated that FIGO stage (P = 0.033), TGF-β1 expression (P = 0.043), postoperative start time of chemotherapy (P = 0.009), and treatment course (P = 0.000) were prognostic factors for EOC. Conclusions ZEB2 and TGF-β1 may promote EOC progression, and FIGO stage, TGF-β1 expression, postoperative start time of chemotherapy, and treatment course may be associated with the prognosis of EOC.
Panax ginseng Extract Improves Follicular Development after Mouse Preantral Follicle 3D Culture

Objective Panax ginseng is a popular traditional herb that has been used in complementary and alternative medicine in eastern Asia, and it possesses pharmacologically active compounds like ginsenosides (GSs). This study aimed to investigate the impact of Panax ginseng extract (PGE) at different concentrations on in vitro follicular function and development in a three-dimensional (3D) culture system fabricated using sodium alginate after 12 days of culture. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, preantral follicles (n=661) were mechanically isolated from the ovaries of 14-day-old female NMRI mice using 29-gauge insulin syringes. Follicles were individually capsulated within sodium alginate, and divided into four groups including control and experimental groups 1, 2, and 3. Then, they were cultured for 12 days in the medium supplemented with different concentrations of PGE (0, 50, 100, and 500 µg/ mL, for control groups and groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively). At the end of the culture period, the mean diameter and maturation of follicles, follicular steroid production, mRNA expression level of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSH-R), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in collected metaphase-II (MII) oocytes were determined. Results The mean diameter of follicles in group 2 was significantly increased as compared to other groups (P<0.001). The percentages of the survival and maturation rate and levels of secreted hormones were higher in group 2 than the other groups (P<0.05). Follicles cultured in the presence of PGE 100 µg/mL had higher levels of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSH-R) mRNA expression in comparison to other groups (P<0.05). Moreover, oocytes collected from groups 2 and 3 had lower levels of ROS as compared to other groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Our results suggest that PGE at the concentration of 100 µg/mL induces higher follicular function and development in the 3D culture system.
Design and Calibration of a Force/Tactile Sensor for Dexterous Manipulation

This paper presents the design and calibration of a new force/tactile sensor for robotic applications. The sensor is suitably designed to provide the robotic grasping device with a sensory system mimicking the human sense of touch, namely, a device sensitive to contact forces, object slip and object geometry. This type of perception information is of paramount importance not only in dexterous manipulation but even in simple grasping tasks, especially when objects are fragile, such that only a minimum amount of grasping force can be applied to hold the object without damaging it. Moreover, sensing only forces and not moments can be very limiting to securely grasp an object when it is grasped far from its center of gravity. Therefore, the perception of torsional moments is a key requirement of the designed sensor. Furthermore, the sensor is also the mechanical interface between the gripper and the manipulated object, therefore its design should consider also the requirements for a correct holding of the object. The most relevant of such requirements is the necessity to hold a torsional moment, therefore a soft distributed contact is necessary. The presence of a soft contact poses a number of challenges in the calibration of the sensor, and that is another contribution of this work. Experimental validation is provided in real grasping tasks with two sensors mounted on an industrial gripper.
First Report of Phoma exigua on Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae) in Russia.

Phoma exigua Desm. (teleomorph Didymella exigua (Niessl) Sacc. ) was isolated from wilted Centaurea solstitialis L. (yellow starthistle) plants displaying necrosis of the crown that were found near Krasnodar, Russia. The fungus was identified using morphological and cultural characteristics (1,2) and confirmed by sequencing the complete internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear rDNA (GenBank Accession No. AY089978). P. exigua is a relatively common soilborne fungus that is weakly pathogenic on a diverse range of primarily dicotyledonous plants throughout the world (1). To our knowledge, it has never been reported previously on members of the genus Centaurea. Yellow starthistle is native to eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Region, and is now a noxious weed in North America for which P. exigua is being investigated as a potential biological control agent. Repeated pathogenicity studies (N = 30) resulted in a mortality of 80 and 93% within 7 days when 1-week-old seedlings were transplanted in soil infested with P. exigua-colonized wheat seed at rates of 6.7 and 10% (vol/vol), respectively. Symptoms of the seedlings included necrosis of the stem and wilting of the seedling. Pycnidia were observed in the roots of dead seedlings. The isolate of P. exigua has been deposited as a dried specimen at the U.S. National Fungus Collections, Beltsville, MD (BPI 841766) and as a living culture at the CBS collection in Utrecht, Netherlands (CBS 110211). References: (1) G. Morgan-Jones and K. B. Burch. Mycotaxon 32:477, 1988. (2) H. A. Van Der Aa et al. Persoonia 17:435, 2000.
Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: the GOLD science committee report 2019

Precision medicine is a patient-specific approach that integrates all relevant clinical, genetic and biological information in order to optimise the therapeutic benefit relative to the possibility of side-effects for each individual. Recent clinical trials have shown that higher blood eosinophil counts are associated with a greater efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Blood eosinophil counts are a biomarker with potential to be used in clinical practice, to help target ICS treatment with more precision in COPD patients with a history of exacerbations despite appropriate bronchodilator treatment. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2017 pharmacological treatment algorithms, based on the ABCD assessment, can be applied relatively easily to treatment-naive individuals at initial presentation. However, their use is more problematic during follow-up in patients who are already on maintenance treatment. There is a need for a different system to guide COPD pharmacological management during follow-up. Recent large randomised controlled trials have provided important new information concerning the therapeutic effects of ICSs and long-acting bronchodilators on exacerbations. The new evidence regarding blood eosinophils and inhaled treatments, and the need to distinguish between initial and follow-up pharmacological management, led to changes in the GOLD pharmacological treatment recommendations. This article explains the evidence and rationale for the GOLD 2019 pharmacological treatment recommendations. The GOLD 2019 report has new pharmacological treatment recommendations, based on recent evidence from clinical trials. Blood eosinophils are recommended as a biomarker to support clinical decisions regarding the use of inhaled corticosteroids. http://ow.ly/oerU30nSKUX
Physical Properties and In Vitro Biocompatible Evaluation of Silicone-Modified Polyurethane Nanofibers and Films

In this study, the physical properties and the biocompatibility of electrospun silicone-modified polyurethane (PUSX) nanofibers were discussed and compared with PUSX films. To investigate the effects of different structures on the physical properties, tensile strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus, water retention, water contact angle (WCA) and thermal conductivity measurements were performed. To prove the in vitro biocompatibility of the materials, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and cytotoxicity were studied by NIH3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells following by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) analysis. As a conclusion, the mechanical properties, water retention, and WCA were proven to be able to be controlled and improved by adjusting the structure of PUSX. A higher hydrophobicity and lower thermal conductivity were found in PUSX nanofibers compared with polyurethane (PU) nanofibers and films. An in vitro biocompatibility evaluation shows that the cell proliferation can be performed on both PUSX nanofibers and films. However, within a short period, cells prefer to attach and entangle on PUSX nanofibers rather than PUSX films. PUSX nanofibers were proven to be a nontoxic alternative for PU nano-membranes or films in the biomedical field, because of the controllable physical properties and the biocompatibility.
Silencing of XRCC4 increases radiosensitivity of triple-negative breast cancer cells

Background: Radiotherapy is an important locoregional treatment, and its effect on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) needs to be enhanced. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effects of XRCC4 on radiosensitivity of TNBC. Methods: The RNAi technique was implemented to establish the TNBC stable cell line with XRCC4 knockdown. MTT assay was used to detect the effect of XRCC4 knockdown on cell proliferation. Western blot and immunohistochemistry assays were employed to identify protein expression. Colony assay was performed to detect the effect of XRCC4 knockdown on the colony formation ability of TNBC cells with radiation treatment. Comet assay was conducted to evaluate the influence of XRCC4 silencing on DNA repair activity in ionizing radiation. In addition, we performed a survival analysis based on data in TCGA database. Results: XRCC4 knockdown by lentivirus-mediated shRNA had no significant effect on proliferation of TNBC cells. Knockdown of XRCC4 could substantially increase the sensitivity of TNBC cells to ionizing radiation. The DNA damage level was detected to be increased in the XRCC4 knockdown group, indicating there was a significant repair delay in the XRCC4-deleted cells. Clinical sample analysis exhibited that there were various XRCC4 expression in different patients with TNBC. Moreover, survival analysis showed that high expression of XRCC4 was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival after radiotherapy in TNBC patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that XRCC4 knockdown sensitizes TNBC cells to ionizing radiation, and could be considered as a novel predictor of radiosensitivity and a promising target for TNBC.