Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of Complex Abdominal Wall Defects

Complex abdominal wall defects refer to situations where simple ventral hernia repair is not feasible because the defect is very large, there is a concomitant infection or failed previous repair attempt, or if there is not enough original skin to cover the repair. Usually a complex abdominal wall repair is preceded by a period of temporary abdominal closure where the short-term aims include closure of the catabolic drain, protection of the viscera and preventing fistula formation, preventing bowel adherence to the abdominal wall, and enabling future fascial and skin closure. Currently the best way to achieve these goals is the vacuum- and mesh-mediated fascial traction method achieving close to 90% fascial closure rates. The long-term aims of an abdominal closure following a planned hernia strategy include intact skin cover, fascial closure at midline (if possible), good functional outcome with innervated abdominal musculature, no pain and good cosmetic result. The main methods of abdominal wall reconstruction include the use of prosthetic (mesh) or autologous material (tissue flaps). In patients with original skin cover over the fascial defect (simple ventral hernia), the most commonly used method is hernia repair with an artificial mesh. For more complex defects, our first choice of reconstruction is the component separation technique, sometimes combined with a mesh. In contaminated fields where component separation alone is not feasible, a combination with a biological mesh can be used. In large defects with grafted skin, a free TFL flap is the best option, sometimes reinforced with a mesh and enhanced with components separation.
Influence of Age on Cardiovascular Effects of Increased Dietary Sodium and Angiotensin‐converting Enzyme Inhibiton in Normotensive Wistar Rats

Recent studies have shown that increased intake of dietary sodium chloride produces blood pressure‐independent increase in cardiac and renal mass even in young normotensive rats. With advancing age the harmful cardiovascular effects of increased dietary sodium are not so well known. In the present study the influence of advancing age on the cardiovascular effects of increased intake of sodium (control diet, 0.3% and high‐sodium diet, 2.6% sodium in the chow) were examined in young and aged (3 and 18 months old, respectively, at the beginning of the experiment) male normotensive Wistar rats in a six‐week study. Moreover, the potential role of renin‐angiotensin system in ageing during normal and a high‐sodium intake was studied using a pharmacological tool, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor ramipril.
Triptan-induced disruption of trigemino-cortical connectivity

Objective: The 5-HT1B/D agonists (triptans) are specific headache medications that have no effect on pain as such. Although they are routinely used in the treatment of acute migraine attacks, the underlying mechanisms of action are still a matter of debate. Methods: Forty-three healthy participants underwent fMRI while receiving trigemino-nociceptive stimulation and control stimuli in a standardized fMRI paradigm. Using a crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 21 participants (10 women, mean age 26.9, range 20–37 years) received sumatriptan and 22 participants (11 women, mean age 25.5, range 22–32 years) received acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Administration of medication and saline was randomized between participants of each group resulting in half of the participants receiving saline and the other half receiving the respective medication during the first fMRI data acquisition. Results: While mean pain intensity ratings did not differ significantly between control and medication nor between medications, we found a significant blood oxygen level–dependent signal increase in the trigeminal nuclei and the thalamus after sumatriptan treatment compared with placebo or ASA. In addition, we specifically looked for the pharmacologic modulation of functional coupling between trigeminal nuclei and higher brain areas, i.e., trigemino-cortical pathways, and found a strong coupling during the saline condition, which was altered by sumatriptan but not after ASA administration. Conclusion: These data suggest that a specific functional inhibition of trigemino-cortical projections is one of the reasons that triptans, unlike pain killers, act highly specifically on headache and migraine but not pain as such.
The Gender Dimensions of Water Poverty: Exploring Water Shortages in Chitungwiza

ABSTRACT Water poverty in Chitungwiza has become the poverty of mainly women. Yet the effects of water poverty on the economic well-being of women remain little understood at least empirically. This article seeks to explore the gender implications of water poverty in Chitungwiza and strategies that can be adopted to sever the gender-water poverty nexus. The study revealed that acute water shortages in Chitungwiza have impoverished mainly women as they are the managers of water at household level. Thus, there is need to balance the gender composition of water managers at all levels so that water-management decisions are gender sensitive.
The neural circuits that generate tics in Tourette's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine neural activity and connectivity within cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits and to reveal circuit-based neural mechanisms that govern tic generation in Tourette's syndrome. METHOD Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 13 individuals with Tourette's syndrome and 21 healthy comparison subjects during spontaneous or simulated tics. Independent component analysis with hierarchical partner matching was used to isolate neural activity within functionally distinct regions of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits. Granger causality was used to investigate causal interactions among these regions. RESULTS The Tourette's syndrome group exhibited stronger neural activity and interregional causality than healthy comparison subjects throughout all portions of the motor pathway, including the sensorimotor cortex, putamen, pallidum, and substantia nigra. Activity in these areas correlated positively with the severity of tic symptoms. Activity within the Tourette's syndrome group was stronger during spontaneous tics than during voluntary tics in the somatosensory and posterior parietal cortices, putamen, and amygdala/hippocampus complex, suggesting that activity in these regions may represent features of the premonitory urges that generate spontaneous tic behaviors. In contrast, activity was weaker in the Tourette's syndrome group than in the healthy comparison group within portions of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits that exert top-down control over motor pathways (the caudate and anterior cingulate cortex), and progressively less activity in these regions accompanied more severe tic symptoms, suggesting that faulty activity in these circuits may result in their failure to control tic behaviors or the premonitory urges that generate them. CONCLUSIONS Our findings, taken together, suggest that tics are caused by the combined effects of excessive activity in motor pathways and reduced activation in control portions of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits.
Multinucleotide mutations cause false inferences of positive selection

Phylogenetic tests of adaptive evolution, which infer positive selection from an excess of nonsynonymous changes, assume that nucleotide substitutions occur singly and independently. But recent research has shown that multiple errors at adjacent sites often occur in single events during DNA replication. These multinucleotide mutations (MNMs) are overwhelmingly likely to be nonsynonymous. We therefore evaluated whether phylogenetic tests of adaptive evolution, such as the widely used branch-site test, might misinterpret sequence patterns produced by MNMs as false support for positive selection. We explored two genome-wide datasets comprising thousands of coding alignments – one from mammals and one from flies – and found that codons with multiple differences (CMDs) account for virtually all the support for positive selection inferred by the branch-site test. Simulations under genome-wide, empirically derived conditions without positive selection show that realistic rates of MNMs cause a strong and systematic bias in the branch-site and related tests; the bias is sufficient to produce false positive inferences approximately as often as the branch-site test infers positive selection from the empirical data. Our findings suggest that widely used methods for detecting adaptive evolution often infer a gene to be under positive selection simply because it stochastically accumulated one or a few MNMs. Many, or even most, published inferences of adaptive evolution using these techniques may therefore be artifacts of model violation caused by unincorporated neutral mutational processes. We develop an alternative model that incorporates MNMs and partially reduces this bias, but at the cost of reduced power.
The Active Sites of the Eukaryotic 20 S Proteasome and Their Involvement in Subunit Precursor Processing*

The 26 S proteasome is the central protease involved in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation and fulfills vital regulatory functions in eukaryotes. The proteolytic core of the complex is the 20 S proteasome, a cylindrical particle with two outer rings each made of 7 different α-type subunits and two inner rings made of 7 different β-type subunits. In the archaebacterial 20 S proteasome ancestor proteolytically active sites reside in the 14 uniform β-subunits. Their N-terminal threonine residues, released by precursor processing, perform the nucleophilic attack for peptide bond hydrolysis. By directed mutational analysis of 20 S proteasomal β-type proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we identified three active site-carrying subunits responsible for different peptidolytic activities as follows: Pre3 for post-glutamyl hydrolyzing, Pup1 for trypsin-like, and Pre2 for chymotrypsin-like activity. Double mutants harboring only trypsin-like or chymotrypsin-like activity were viable. Mutation of two potentially active site threonine residues in the Pre4 subunit excluded its catalytic involvement in any of the three peptidase activities. The generation of different, incompletely processed forms of the Pre4 precursor in active site mutants suggested that maturation of non-active proteasomal β-type subunits is exerted by active subunits and occurs in the fully assembled particle. Thistrans-acting proteolytic activity might also account for processing intermediates of the active site mutated Pre2 subunit, which was unable to undergo autocatalytic maturation.
Antimicrobial Therapy for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization in Residents and Staff of a Veterans Affairs Nursing Home Care Unit

Abstract Objective: TO evaluate the effect of antimicrobial therapy on patients and staff colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a skilled nursing facility and to assess the role of the environment as a potential reservoir for MRSA in the nursing home setting. Design: As part of a comprehensive program to control an MRSA outbreak in a nursing home, patients and staff colonized with MRSA received 1 of 3 antimicrobial decolonization regimens depending upon the site and extent of colonization. Followup cultures were performed during therapy and on days 2, 7, 14, and 30 following the completion of therapy. Cultures of tbe patients' inanimate environment (pajamas, sheet, and floor) were obtained during and after therapy Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on 54 MRSA isolates obtained before and 44 MRSA isolates recovered after therapy Setting: A 120-bed Veterans Affairs nursing home care unit. Participannts: Thirty-six patients and 7 staff nurses colonized with MRSA at 1 or more sites. Intervention: Decolonization therapy with rifampin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and clindamycin used alone or in various combinations for 5 or 10 days in conjunction with other infection control measures employed to combat the MRSA outbreak. Results: Twenty (56%) of the 36 NHCU patients were either persistently colonized or became recolonized with MRSA during tbe 30-day followup period. Positive cultures on day 3 during therapy frequently identified patients who subsequently exhibited persistent or recurrent colonization. Before therapy, 92% of MRSA isolates were susceptible to rifampin, whereas only 43% of the isolates obtained after therapy were susceptible. Sixteen (80%) of 20 patients with persistent or recurrent colonization had rifampin-resistant strains of MRSA isolated after therapy Twenty-three (18%) of 125 environmental cultures obtained during and after therapy from patients who exhibited persistent or recurrent colonization were positive for MRSA, in contrast to 9 (8%) of 107 from patients who were successfully decolonized. Conclusions: The decolonization component of the outbreak control program was judged to be ineffective and potentially hazardous because colonization persisted or recurred in more than half of the patients, and substantial antimicrobial resistance was noted in MRSA strains isolated after therapy Resistance, especially to rifampin, and possibly re-acquisition of MRSA from other human or environmental sources were 2 factors that appeared to impede the decolonization effort.
FOUR G 6 PD Deficiency : Global Distribution , Genetic Variants and Primaquine Therapy

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is a potentially pathogenic inherited enzyme abnormality and, similar to other human red blood cell polymorphisms, is particularly prevalent in historically malaria endemic countries. The spatial extent of Plasmodium vivax malaria overlaps widely with that of G6PD deficiency; unfortunately the only drug licensed for the radical cure and relapse prevention of P. vivax, primaquine, can trigger severe haemolytic anaemia in G6PD deficient individuals. This chapter reviews the past and current data on this unique pharmacogenetic association, which is becoming increasingly important as several nations now consider strategies to eliminate malaria transmission rather than control its clinical burden. G6PD deficiency is a highly variable disorder, in terms of spatial heterogeneity in prevalence and molecular variants, as well as its interactions with P. vivax and primaquine. Consideration of factors including aspects of basic physiology, diagnosis, and clinical triggers of primaquine-induced haemolysis is required to assess the risks and benefits of applying primaquine in various geographic and demographic settings. Given that haemolytically toxic antirelapse drugs will likely be the only therapeutic options for the coming decade, it is clear that we need to understand in depth G6PD deficiency and 7. Evolutionary Drivers of the Distribution of G6PD Deficiency 170 7.1. Evidence of a Selective Advantage 171 7.1. 1. Epidemiological Evidence 171 7.1. 2. In vitro Evidence 171 7.1. 3. Case-Control In vivo Evidence 172 7.2. Neglect of the Selective Role of P. vivax as a Driver of G6PD Deficiency 173 8. Primaquine, P. vivax and G6PD Deficiency 174 8.1. Mechanism of Primaquine-Induced Haemolysis 175 8.1. 1. Primaquine and its Metabolites 175 8.1. 2. A Role for Oxidative Stress 176 8.1. 3. A Role for Methaemoglobin 177 8.1. 4. A Role for Altered Redox Equilibrium 177 8.1. 5. Significance of Primaquine-Induced Haemolysis 178 8.2. Factors Affecting Haemolytic Risk 179 8.2. 1. Dose Dependency 179 8.2. 2. Variant Dependency 180 8.2. 3. Red Blood Cell Age Dependency 183 8.2. 4. Sex Dependency 184 8.3. Predicting Haemolytic Risk 184 9. Towards a Risk Framework for P. vivax Relapse Treatment 185 9.1. Assessing National-Level Haemolytic Risk of Primaquine Therapy 185 9.1. 1. Proposed Framework for Ranking National-Level Risk from G6PD Deficiency 185 9.1. 2. Important Limitations to Predicting National-Level Haemolytic Risk 186 9.2. Assessing Haemolytic Risk at the Level of the Individual 187 10. Conclusions 190 Acknowledgements 191 References 192 G6PD Deficiency: Global Distribution, Genetic Variants and Primaquine Therapy 135 primaquine-induced haemolysis to determine safe and effective therapeutic strategies to overcome this hurdle and achieve malaria elimination.
Mental health assessment of rape offenders

There is an urgent need for development of methods of assessment and management of sex offenders (rapists, child sex offenders, other sexual offenders, and murderers) to mount a society-wide battle against the scourge of sexual offences in India. This paper provides an overview of theories, models, and assessment methods of rapists. It draws upon literature from psychiatry, psychology, criminology, probation, and ethics to provide a framework for understanding reasons behind rape, how mental health issues are implicated, what mental health professionals can do to contribute to crime management, and why this is ethically right and proper.
Poly(ε-caprolactone)/graphene oxide biocomposites: mechanical properties and bioactivity

Biomedical applications of graphene have recently attracted intensive attention, with graphene-based nanomaterials being reported as promising candidates in, for example, drug delivery, biosensing and bioimaging. In this paper, mechanical properties and bioactivity of nanofibrous and porous membranes electrospun from graphene oxide (GO) nanoplatelets reinforced poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were investigated. The results showed that the presence of 0.3 wt% GO increased the tensile strength, modulus and energy at break of the PCL membrane by 95%, 66% and 416%, respectively, while improving its bioactivity during biomineralization and maintaining the high porosity of over 94%. The mechanical enhancements were ascribed to the change in the fiber morphology and the reinforcing effect of GO on PCL nanofibers, whereas the improvements on the bioactivity stemmed from the anionic functional groups present on the GO surface that nucleated the formation of biominerals. Systematic studies on the PCL/GO nanocomposite films with varying GO concentrations revealed that the reinforcing effect of GO on PCL was due to the strong interfacial interactions between the two phases characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the good dispersion of GO in the matrix and the intrinsic properties of GO nanoplatelets. The strong and bioactive PCL/GO nanofibrous membranes with a high porosity have great potential for biomedical applications.
Migration in a turbulent time: perspectives from the global South

We have seen unrest and turmoil in various regions in the world over the past decade. International migration is one of the common elements in all these. In some regions, we see increasing migration as a cause of the unrestful situation like in the Europe and North America. In other regions, we observe migration as an outcome of social and political disturbance such as in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Of all discussions about migration, however, the political consequences drew greater attention, perhaps, because of the recent refugee crisis in Europe. The United Nations, in its International Migration Report 2017 states that more than six out of every 10 international migrants reside in Asia or Europe. While a majority of the world’s international migrants live in high-income countries in the North, this report recognizes that nearly 22 million, or 84%, of all refugees and asylum seekers live in the lowand middle-income countries in Asia and Africa. Besides, other organizations find increasing migration between countries in the global South. For instance, the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that Asian countries including the Middle East received more immigrants than Europe or North America between 2000 and 2015. It also recognizes Saudi Arabia as the second largest destination country of migrants after the United States. That is, a lot has been going on with international migration in the Global South, which can add to available knowledge about migration in the traditional destination countries in the Global North. The international conference on migration that was organized by the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and Qatar University and collaboration with the International Sociological Association (ISA) Research Committee on the Sociology of Migration (RC31) was an effort to contribute to migration literature by inviting migration scholars studying international migration in the Global South. At the center of academic interest in migration is the link between migration and development. International migrants generate a huge flow of what is known as remittancemoney that the migrants end home. The World Bank estimated a total of $601 billion in migrants’ remittance in 2016, $441 billions of which went to developing countries (WB, 2016). This was more than three times the amount of official development aid. In addition, migrants held more than $500 billion in annual savings, which–– together with migrants’ remittance––offered a substantial source of financing for projects that could improve lives and livelihoods in developing countries. Consequently, the United Nations declares June 6 of every year as the International Day of Family
Mussel MAP, a major gonad-duct esterase-like protein, is released into sea water as a dual constituent of the seminal fluid and the spermatozoon

SUMMARY Our interest in the comparative analysis of male reproductive-tract esterases in different animal groups has led us to undertake a detailed study of the Mytilus galloprovincialis male-associated polypeptide (MAP) throughout the mussel gonad-duct tract and at spawning. The results of this work indicate that MAP is a major protein in M. galloprovincialis semen, with dual presence in both sperm cells and cell-free seminal fluid. Shortly after spawning, the released sperm mass is subdivided in diffused cloudy-like and thread-shaped `clots', in which a soluble-phase MAP may persist as long as the clots keep their compact form. Additional experiments involving the incubation of spawned spermatozoa at increasing Triton X-100 concentrations demonstrated that MAP is also strongly associated with sperm cells. These results were further validated by immunofluorescent staining, which revealed that MAP is localized in the mid-piece region of spawned spermatozoa. This unexpected finding raises the possibility that MAP may play a role in sperm fertility in bivalves. Using whole-mount histology and micromanipulation techniques, we studied the structural patterning of the mantle gonad-duct network and assessed the sampling of luminal contents from the ducts. Of particular interest is the observation that MAP content in the luminal fluid increases from the lumen of the spermatogenic tubules to that of the collecting gonad ducts, where MAP is detected at a very high concentration. These high levels may lead to a significant presence of MAP in semen and consequently to a prolonged survival of sperm spawned at sea. In addition, data related to the potential structural similarity between mussel MAP and esterase S of the Drosophila virilis ejaculatory bulb are presented and discussed. Finally, we show that the 64kDa protein of human semen reveals positive cross-reactivity with antibodies directed against Mytilus MAP and Drosophila esterase S. Taken together, the results reveal mussel MAP as the only esterase-like protein described so far whose distribution in the gonad and semen can be specifically associated with maturation, transport, emission and survival of spermatozoa outside.