Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical manifestation of pediatric mediastinal tumors, a single center experience

Abstract Medical decisions should be well-planned to improve prognosis and reduce complications of mediastinal tumors. In this study, we analyzed the clinical presentations of pediatric mediastinal tumors and their correlation with long-term clinical outcome. Forty patients under 18 years of age diagnosed with mediastinal tumors at China Medical University Children's Hospital between 2001 and 2016 were enrolled. The patients’ sex, age of onset, initial clinical symptoms, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. 75% of the patients with mediastinal tumors in this study were men, and the median age of onset was 13 years old (age range: 0–17 years). The overall mortality rate was 40%. The most common tumors were lymphoma (47.5%), followed by germ cell tumors (12.5%), neuroblastoma (12.5%), and thymoma (7.5%). Neuroblastoma was more prevalent in girls younger than 5 years old. The initial presentations of these patients included breathing difficulty (65%), productive cough (47.5%), pleural effusion (54.5%), superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome (35%), neck mass (35%), airway compression (32.5%), fever (30%), chest pain (27.5%), and pericardial effusion (25%). Lymphomas were more likely to be accompanied by neck mass (52.6% vs19.0%, P = .04) and SVC syndrome (52.6% vs 19.0%, P = .026), yet also had a better 1-year-survival rate (68.4% vs 52.4%, P = .02). Overall, lymphoma should be suspected when children present with neck mass and SVC syndrome. Neuroblastoma with a posterior mediastinal origin should be suspected among children younger than 5 years old. Tumor-related airway obstruction, pleural effusion, and pericardial effusion were leading cause of cardiopulmonary instability during sedation for invasive procedures, which should be managed cautiously.
Increasing the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in combination with a statin in reducing liver fibrosis

It has been shown that both nilotinib as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and atorvastatin as a rho‐kinase inhibitor, have antifibrotic effects. Therefore, considering the relationship between these two pathways, this study aimed to investigate the effects of their co‐treatment against hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and liver fibrosis. For this purpose, the activation of HSCs coincided with these therapies. Also, liver fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was induced in male Wistar rats and treated simultaneously with these compounds. The expression of alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), Ras homolog gene family, and member A (RhoA)/Rho‐associated protein kinase (ROCK) in HSCs were measured. The expression of transforming growth factor beta‐1 (TGF‐β1), its receptor (TβRII), CTGF, and platelets derived growth factor (PDGF), in the livers, were also investigated, all by real‐time PCR and western blot analysis. Also, histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluations were performed to evaluate changes in liver fibrosis during treatment. The results indicated the down‐regulation of RhoA/ROCK, CTGF, and α‐SMA, and inhibition of the HSCs activation toward myofibroblasts. The results also showed that the combined use of atorvastatin and nilotinib has significantly higher inhibitory effects. The antifibrotic effects of atorvastatin and nilotinib co‐administration were also observed by histopathologic and immunohistochemical observations, and inhibiting the expression of TGF‐β1, TβRII, CTGF, and PDGF. Taken together, this study revealed that co‐administration of nilotinib–atorvastatin has novel antifibrotic effects, by inhibiting RhoA/ROCK, and CTGF pathway. Therefore, the importance of the common pathway of RhoA/ROCK and CTGF, in reducing fibrosis may almost be concluded.
Bioactivity evaluation of calcium silicate-based endodontic materials used for apexification.

This study aims to compare the bioactivity of Biodentine, ProRoot MTA and NeoMTA Plus with regard to their element uptake (Ca, Si and Ca/P) by root canal dentine in a simulated apex (n = 30 each) and evaluate the correlation between the dentine fracture resistance (n = 30 each) and interfacial layer thickness. Specimens immersed in a corrected simulated body solution (c-SBF) for 1, 30 and 90 days were used. In all test materials, the Ca and Si concentrations in the root dentine were found to be significantly higher, whereas the Ca/P and Si concentrations increased over time (P < 0.05). The dentine fracture resistance showed a difference at only day 30. The dentine fracture resistance of Biodentine and ProRoot MTA was positively correlated with the Si and Ca/P values, and the mean interfacial layer thickness of all specimens. A high biomineralisation capacity of ProRoot MTA and Biodentine, and their positive effects on the dentine fracture resistance during the first 30 days suggest that they may present more advantages than NeoMTA Plus in apexification treatment.
Gambling Problems and Alexithymia: A Systematic Review

Among the factors that are thought to underlie gambling problems, alexithymia has been recognized to contribute to their development. For the first time, we reviewed the literature on the relationship between alexithymia and gambling. A systematic search of literature was run in the major reference databases including PubMed, Cochrane Database for Systematic Review, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus until April 2019. The search produced 182 articles that produced 20 papers included in the review. Fourteen studies were conducted with community samples of pathological gamblers while six studies with clinical samples of disordered gamblers. All studies assessed alexithymia with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale while gambling problems were assessed mostly with the South Oaks Gambling Screen. Alexithymic features were significantly more prevalent in pathological gamblers both at the community and clinical levels, increased symptom severity, and showed interactive mechanisms with personality, psychiatric, and cognitive factors. Alexithymia is likely to associate with gambling as a coping behavior to increase emotional arousal and avoid negative emotions, according to the affect dysregulation model. Further studies are needed to widen the knowledge on this association.
Centrally-mediated regulation of peripheral fatigue during knee extensor exercise and consequences on the force-duration relationship in older men

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the existence of a critical threshold beyond which peripheral fatigue would not further decrease during knee extensor (KE) exercise in older men, and the consequences of this mechanism on the force-duration relationship. Twelve old men (59 ± 2 years) randomly performed two different sessions, in which they performed 60 maximum voluntary contractions (MVC; 3s contraction, 2s relaxation). One trial was performed in the unfatigued state (CTRL) and one other following fatiguing neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the KE (FNMES). Peripheral and central fatigue were quantified via pre/post-exercise decreases in quadriceps twitch-force (Δ Ptw) and voluntary activation (ΔVA). Critical torque (CT) was determined as the mean force of the last 12 contractions while W′ was calculated as the area above CT. Compared with CTRL, pre-fatigue (Δ Ptw = −10.3 ± 6.2%) resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in W’ (−18.2 ± 1.6%) in FNMES. However, CT (∼964 N), ΔVA (∼15%) and Δ Ptw (∼25%) post-MVCs were similar between both conditions. In CTRL, W’ was correlated with Δ Ptw (r 2 = 0.78). Moreover, the difference in W’ between CTRL and FNMES was correlated with the level of pre-fatigue induced in FNMES (r 2 = 0.76). These findings document that peripheral fatigue is confined to an individual threshold during KE exercise in older men. Furthermore, correlative results suggest that mechanisms regulating peripheral fatigue to a critical threshold also restrict W’, and therefore play a role in exercise capacity in older men.
The Effect of Ocular Demodex Colonization on Schirmer test and OSDI Scores in Newly Diagnosed Dry Eye Patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether ocular Demodex colonization results in differences in Schirmer test scores and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire values in individuals with dry eye disease (DED) diagnosed for the first time. METHOD Eighty-eight adults aged 40 to 68 years who were admitted to Ophthalmology outpatient clinic for routine ophthalmological examination or presbyopia examination and diagnosed with DED for the first time and who do not have any chronic disease were included in the study. All the patients were asked to complete the OSDI, which is widely used for assessing dry eye symptom severity and vision-related functioning. The Schirmer test was performed, and then two eyelashes were taken from the inferior eyelids of each eyes. After saline (0.09% NaCl) was added to the sample, it was quickly taken to the microbiology laboratory, which is located next to the Ophthalmology policlinic. The sample was evaluated by a parasitologist experienced in Demodex. RESULTS One hundred sixty-eight eyes of 84 patients were included in the study. Average Schirmer test score was 2.1±0.5, the OSDI questionnaire score was 61.82±10.95, and the mean age was 55.36±8.74 years in patients who had Demodex colonization (n=30), whereas the average Schirmer test score was 6.6±0.9 score, OSDI questionnaire score was 40.96±12.73, and the mean age was 49.12±6.87 years in patients without Demodex colonization (n=58). It has been observed that dry eye patients with Demodex colonization had a higher mean age (P: 0.001), higher mean OSDI score (P: 0.001), and lower average Schirmer test score (P: 0.001) compared with those without Demodex. The significant relationship between lower Schirmer test score and higher OSDI rates and occurrence of Demodex infestation continued after adjusting for mean age values (P=0.012; P=0.035). CONCLUSION It was determined that the presence of ocular Demodex colonization was associated with the average Schirmer test scores, OSDI scores, and age values in patients with newly diagnosed DED. Demodex quantity was found increased in older aged patients, but the significant relationship between lower Schirmer test score and higher OSDI rates and Demodex infestation persisted even after controlling the mean age values. Supporting these findings with large-numbered and randomized-controlled studies will help in clarifying the association of the Demodex infestation with etiopathogenesis of dry eye.
Specific prime movers’ excitation during free-weight bench press variations and chest press machine in competitive bodybuilders

Abstract The current study compared the muscle excitation in free-weight bench press variations and chest press machine. Ten competitive bodybuilders were recruited. The EMG-RMS amplitude of clavicular and sternocostal head of pectoralis major, long head of triceps brachii and anterior and lateral deltoid was recorded while performing horizontal (BP), inclined (45°) (IBP) or declined (−15°) bench press (DBP) and chest press machine (CP). Four non-exhaustive repetitions were performed using 80% of 1-repetition maximum of each exercise. Both concentric and eccentric phases were recorded. During the concentric phase, [d effect size: 2.78/7.80] clavicular head was more excited in IBP and less excited in CP (d: −9.69/−4.39) compared to all other exercises. The sternocostal head was similarly excited in DBP vs. BP and BP vs. CP and more excited (d: 2.42/9.92) compared to IBP. Triceps brachii excitation was overall greater (d: 2.01/6.75) in BP and DBP compared to all other exercises. Anterior deltoid was less excited (d: 3.84/19.77) in DBP compared to all other exercises. Lateral deltoid excitation was greater (d: 0.96/3.10) in BP, IBP and DBP compared to CP. Muscle excitation during the eccentric phase followed a similar pattern, with the exception of the greater (d: 3.89/11.32) excitation in the clavicular head in BP compared to all other exercises. The present outcomes showed that the excitation of the clavicular and sternocostal head of pectoralis major depends on the bench inclination angle. The use of BP variations vs. CP allows overall greater triceps brachii and lateral deltoid excitation, due to the greater instability.
Association of basal metabolic rate and fuel oxidation in basal conditions and during exercise, with plasma S-klotho: the FIT-AGEING study

S-klotho, the shed form of α-klotho, is thought to be an ageing suppressor with functions related to the physiology of energy metabolism. However, it remains unknown whether ageing biomarkers such as S-klotho and/or chronological ageing are associated in any way with basal metabolic rate (BMR) and fuel oxidation in basal conditions and during exercise. The present work investigates the association of BMR and fuel oxidation in basal conditions and during exercise, with plasma S-klotho in middle-aged, sedentary adults. BMR was measured by indirect calorimetry in 74 such subjects (53% women; age 53.7±5.1 years) following standard procedures, and their fuel oxidation estimated via stoichiometric equations. The maximal fat oxidation during exercise (MFO) and the intensity of exercise that elicits MFO (Fatmax) were determined using a walking graded exercise test. No relationship was seen between BMR and plasma S-klotho (P>0.1), although both basal fat oxidation and MFO showed positive associations with this protein (both P<0.001); these relationships persisted after controlling for age, sex and fat mass. However, no significant associations were seen between BMR, basal fat oxidation or MFO and chronological age (all P>0.1). The present findings suggest that basal fat oxidation and MFO are strongly associated with plasma S-klotho in middle-aged sedentary adults. These results support the idea that metabolic flexibility is a powerful predictor of biological ageing.
Evolution of Escherichia coli in different carbon environments for 2,000 generations

Cellular energetics is thought to have played a key role in dictating all major evolutionary transitions in the history of life on Earth. However, how exactly cellular energetics and metabolism come together to shape evolutionary paths is not well understood. In particular, when an organism is evolved in different energy environments, what are the phenomenological differences in the chosen evolutionary trajectories, is a question that is not well understood. In this context, starting from an Escherichia coli K‐12 strain, we evolve the bacterium in five different carbon environments—glucose, arabinose, xylose, rhamnose and a mixture of these four sugars (in a predefined ratio) for approximately 2,000 generations. At the end of the adaptation period, we quantify and compare the growth dynamics of the strains in a variety of environments. The evolved strains show no specialized adaptation towards growth in the carbon medium in which they were evolved. Rather, in all environments, the evolved strains exhibited a reduced lag phase and an increased growth rate. Sequencing results reveal that these dynamical properties are not introduced via mutations in the precise loci associated with utilization of the sugar in which the bacterium evolved. These phenotypic changes are rather likely introduced via mutations elsewhere on the genome. Data from our experiments indicate that evolution in a defined environment does not alter hierarchy in mixed‐sugar utilization in bacteria.
C-reactive protein promotes inflammation through TLR4/NF-κB/TGF-β pathway in HL-1 cells

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of heart arrhythmia. Currently, the pathogenesis of AF is not fully understood yet. A growing body of evidence highlighted the strong association between inflammation and the pathogenesis of AF. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammation marker with increased expression in AF. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if CRP promotes inflammation, which may sequentially mediate the onset of AF and the concurrent atrial fibrosis, through TLR4/NF-κB/TGF-β pathway. HL-1 cells were treated with either 25 or 50 μg/ml recombinant human CRP. TGF-β1 and NF-κB inhibitors were given either solely or together to the 50 μg/ml CRP-treated cells. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, the expression of apoptotic factors and TLR4, IL-6, TGF-β1, Smad2, and the phosphorylation of Smad2 were determined. Data showed that CRP induced dose-dependent inhibition on cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis, which was induced through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Such effects were reversed by inhibiting TGF-β1 and/or NF-κB. Inhibition of TGF-β1 and/or NF-κB also reduced the expression of TLR4 and IL-6. Inhibition of NF-κB alone weakened the expression of TGF-β1 and phosphorylation of Smad2. Our study demonstrated that CRP is not only a marker, but also an important mediator in the induction of inflammation and likely the pathogenesis of AF. We for the first time reported CRP-induced activation and cross-talk between TLR4 and NF-κB/TGF-β1 signaling pathway in a cardiomyocyte model. Reducing CRP and targeting TLR4/NF-κB/TGF-β1 pathway may provide new insights in the therapeutic interventions to inflammation-induced AF.
A meta-analysis of the relationship between empathy and executive function.

The current meta-analysis was designed to determine the relationship between executive function (EF) and empathy, as well as to identify any moderators. A search of Chinese and English databases yielded 18 studies and 67 effect sizes involving a total of 6006 participants. Results with the random effects model showed that EF was significantly positively correlated with empathy (r = .14, p < .001). Subgroup analysis showed that EF was more strongly related to cognitive empathy (r = .20, p < .001) than to affective empathy (r = .09, p = .03). Looking at the two dimensions of empathy, we further found that cognitive empathy is closely related to subcomponents of EF, including inhibitory control (r = .23, p < .001), working memory (r = .20, p < .001), and cognitive flexibility (r = .15, p = .036), while only affective empathy was closely related to inhibitory control (r = .12, p < .001). Results suggested that future research should consider that the relationship between empathy and EF varies depending on the division of specific subcomponents. This finding may help in explaining possible mechanisms of how EF affects empathy.
Energy-Aware Mobile Robot Exploration with Adaptive Decision Thresholds

This paper presents an approach for energy efficient path planning during autonomous mobile robot exploration. The idea is for a robot to efficiently explore the environment and periodically return to the starting point of the exploration for recharging the battery. The focus is to reduce the overall travel path as locomotion is the largest energy consumer. Simulations show that the path can be reduced by more than 25 %. A proof of concept is developed to demonstrate the feasibility on hardware.
Impact of an Extreme Winter Storm Event on the Coagulation/Flocculation Processes in a Prototype Surface Water Treatment Plant: Causes and Mitigating Measures

Climate change has often caused failure in water treatment operations. In this study, we report a real case study at a major surface water treatment plant in Alabama, USA. Following a severe winter storm, the effluent water turbidity surged to >15.00 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), far exceeding the 0.30 NTU standard. As a result, the plant operation had to be shut down for three days, causing millions of dollars of losses and affecting tens of thousands of people. Systematic jar tests were carried out with sediment samples from 22 upstream locations. The coagulation and settleability of sediment particles were tested under simulated storm weather conditions, i.e., low temperature (7 °C) and in the presence of various types and concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM) that was extracted from the local sediments. Experimental results proved that elevated NOM (6.14 mg·L−1 as Total Organic Carbon, TOC) in raw water was the root cause for the failure of the plant while the low temperature played a minor but significant role. Pre-oxidation with permanganate and/or elevated coagulant dosage were found effective to remove TOC in raw water and to prevent similar treatment failure. Moreover, we recommend that chemical dosages should be adjusted based on the TOC level in raw water, and a reference dosage of 0.29 kg-NaMnO4/kg-TOC and 19 kg- polyaluminum chloride (PACl) /kg-TOC would be appropriate to cope with future storm water impacts. To facilitate timely adjustment of the chemical dosages, the real time key water quality parameters should be monitored, such as turbidity, TOC, Ultraviolet (UV) absorbance, pH, and color. The findings can guide other treatment operators to deal with shock changes in the raw water quality resulting from severe weather or other operating conditions.
The effect of stimulation type, head modeling, and combined EEG and MEG on the source reconstruction of the somatosensory P20/N20 component

Modeling and experimental parameters influence the Electro‐ (EEG) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) source analysis of the somatosensory P20/N20 component. In a sensitivity group study, we compare P20/N20 source analysis due to different stimulation type (Electric‐Wrist [EW], Braille‐Tactile [BT], or Pneumato‐Tactile [PT]), measurement modality (combined EEG/MEG – EMEG, EEG, or MEG) and head model (standard or individually skull‐conductivity calibrated including brain anisotropic conductivity). Considerable differences between pairs of stimulation types occurred (EW‐BT: 8.7 ± 3.3 mm/27.1° ± 16.4°, BT‐PT: 9 ± 5 mm/29.9° ± 17.3°, and EW‐PT: 9.8 ± 7.4 mm/15.9° ± 16.5° and 75% strength reduction of BT or PT when compared to EW) regardless of the head model used. EMEG has nearly no localization differences to MEG, but large ones to EEG (16.1 ± 4.9 mm), while source orientation differences are non‐negligible to both EEG (14° ± 3.7°) and MEG (12.5° ± 10.9°). Our calibration results show a considerable inter‐subject variability (3.1–14 mS/m) for skull conductivity. The comparison due to different head model show localization differences smaller for EMEG (EW: 3.4 ± 2.4 mm, BT: 3.7 ± 3.4 mm, and PT: 5.9 ± 6.8 mm) than for EEG (EW: 8.6 ± 8.3 mm, BT: 11.8 ± 6.2 mm, and PT: 10.5 ± 5.3 mm), while source orientation differences for EMEG (EW: 15.4° ± 6.3°, BT: 25.7° ± 15.2° and PT: 14° ± 11.5°) and EEG (EW: 14.6° ± 9.5°, BT: 16.3° ± 11.1° and PT: 12.9° ± 8.9°) are in the same range. Our results show that stimulation type, modality and head modeling all have a non‐negligible influence on the source reconstruction of the P20/N20 component. The complementary information of both modalities in EMEG can be exploited on the basis of detailed and individualized head models.