Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Principles of DNA-Based Gut Microbiota Assessment and Therapeutic Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Gastrointestinal Diseases

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a process by which the normal gastrointestinal microbiota is restored, has demonstrated extraordinary cure rates for Clostridium difficile infection and low recurrence. The community of microorganisms within the human gut (or microbiota) is critical to health status and functions; therefore, together with the rise of FMT, the gastrointestinal microbiota has emerged as a ‘virtual' organ with a level of complexity comparable to that of any other organ system and capable to compete with powerful known antibiotics for the treatment of several disorders. Although treatment protocols, donor selection, stool preparation and delivery methods varied widely, with a few reports following an identical protocol, FMT has diffused to other areas where the alterations of the gut microbiota ecology (or dysbiosis) have been theorized to play a causative role, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), among several other extra-intestinal disorders (i.e. metabolic syndrome and obesity, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular diseases). FMT can be relatively simple to perform, but a number of challenges need to be overcome before this procedure is widely accepted in clinical practice, and currently, there is no consensus between the various gastrointestinal organizations and societies regarding the FMT procedure. In this article, we describe the modern high-throughput sequencing techniques to characterize the composition of gut microbiota and the potential for therapeutics by manipulating microbiota with FMT in several gastrointestinal disorders (C. difficile-associated diarrhea, IBD and IBS), with a look on the potential future directions of FMT.
The Association Between Cardiac Rehabilitation Attendance and Hospital Readmission

Purpose: Cardiac rehabilitation is associated with improved clinical outcomes, but the impact of individual cardiac rehabilitation sessions on readmission rates is less studied. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of the relationship between the number of cardiac rehabilitation sessions completed and all-cause and cardiac readmission rates at 1 year was conducted. The 1-year cardiac readmission counts were modeled via Poisson regression. Results: Of the 347 patients included in the primary analysis, 227 (65%) completed all assigned cardiac rehabilitation sessions. At 1 year, 135 patients (39%) had at least 1 cardiac readmission, and 155 patients (45%) had at least 1 all-cause readmission. The primary result was that every additional cardiac rehabilitation session completed was associated with a 1.75% lower incidence rate of 1-year cardiac readmission (P = .01) and a 2% lower incidence rate of all-cause hospital readmission (P = .001). Conclusion: Regardless of the number of cardiac rehabilitation sessions assigned, each additional session attended was associated with reduced cardiac readmission by 1.75% and all-cause readmission by 2%.
Atopic dog skin shows decrease of claudin-1 but increase of atopic signature cytokines

Canine atopic dermatitis is a common allergic skin disease in dogs caused by defects in immunological and epidermal barriers. Claudin-1, a protein present in tight junctions, is associated with many skin conditions. Our aim was to investigate expression levels of claudin-1 and atopic signature cytokines in atopic and normal dog skins. The affected skin showed significantly decreased intensity and epidermal distribution of claudin-1 compared to the normal control skin (P < 0.05). The CD3+/CD4+ and CD3+/CD8+ T cell subsets, eosinophils, and neutrophils infiltrated the affected epidermis and dermis. The CD3+/CD4+ T cell subsets in lesional skin were significantly higher than CD3+/CD8+ T cell subsets. CLDN-1 mRNA expression was markedly downregulated in the lesional skin, while IL-17A was upregulated in both lesional and nonlesional skin. IL-4 and IL-31 mRNA was upregulated in the lesional skin, and TNF-α mRNA was significantly upregulated in the nonlesional skin (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Correlation-based hierarchical clustering showed that CLDN-1 expression was closely clustered with IL-31 but loosely clustered with L-4, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-17A. We suggest that the alteration of claudin-1 in atopic dogs may disrupt the skin barrier and allow an influx of allergens, inciting inflammatory cytokine responses.
Implantable Multi-Modality Probe for Subdural Simultaneous Measurement of Electrophysiology, Hemodynamics, and Temperature Distribution

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the integration of the multi-channel measurement capabilities of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), electrocorticography (ECoG), and negative temperature coefficient thermistor sensors into a single device compact enough for subdural implantation can provide beneficial information on various aspects of brain cortical activity and prove a powerful medical modality for pre-, intra-, and post-operative diagnoses in neurosurgery. Methods: The development of a flexible multi-modal multi-channel probe for the simultaneous measurement of the NIRS, ECoG, and surficial temperature obtained from the cerebral cortex was carried out. Photoelectric bare chips for NIRS channels, miniature temperature-coefficient thermistors for measuring localized temperature variation, and 3-mm-diameter platinum plates for ECoG recording were assembled on a polyimide-based flexible printed circuit to create six channels for each modality. A conformal coating of Parylene-C was applied on all the channels except the ECoG to make the probe surface biocompatible. Results: As a first-in-human study, the simultaneous measurement capability of the multi-modality probe, with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio and accuracy, to observe pathological neural activities in subjects during surgery and post-operative monitoring, with no complications two weeks since the implantation, was confirmed. Conclusion: The feasibility of using a single device to assess the dynamic pathological activity from three different aspects was determined for human patients. Significance: The simultaneous and accurate multi-channel recording of electrical, hemodynamic, and thermographic cortical activities in a single device small enough for subdural implantation is likely to have major implications in neurosurgery and neuroscience.
The Dichotomy of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology: Amyloid-β and Tau

In this issue, an article by Tiepolt et al. shows that PET scanning using [11C]PiB can demonstrate both cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes and amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in patients with mild cognitive dysfunction or mild dementia of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The CBF changes can be determined because the early scan counts (1–9 minutes) reflect the flow of the radiotracer in the blood passing through the brain, while the Aβ levels are measured by later scan counts (40–70 minutes) after the radiotracer has been cleared from regions to which the radiotracer did not bind. Thus, two different diagnostic measures are obtained with a single injection. Unexpectedly, the mild patients with Aβ positivity had scan data with only a weak relationship to memory, while the relationships to executive function and language function were relatively strong. This divergence of findings from studies of severely impaired patients highlights the importance of determining how AD pathology affects the brain. A possibility suggested in this commentary is that Aβ deposits occur early in AD and specifically in critical areas of the neocortex affected only later by the neurofibrillary pathology indicating a different role of the amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) in the development of those neocortical regions, and a separate component of AD pathology may selectively impact functions of these neocortical regions. The effects of adverse AβPP metabolism in the medial temporal and brainstem regions occur later possibly because of different developmental issues, and the later, different pathology is clearly more cognitively and socially devastating.
Association of Maternity Care Practices and Policies with In-Hospital Exclusive Breastfeeding in the United States.

Background: Experiences during the birth hospitalization affect breastfeeding outcomes. In the United States, hospital policies and practices supportive of breastfeeding are routinely assessed through the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey; however, mPINC does not capture data on breastfeeding outcomes. Materials and Methods: Data from the 2015 mPINC survey were linked to 2015 data from the Joint Commission (TJC), a major accreditor of health care systems in the United States (n = 1,305 hospitals). Each hospital participating in mPINC is given a total score, which is the average of seven subscores; all ranging from 0 to 100. TJC has hospital-specific data on the percentage of infants exclusively breastfeeding at hospital discharge. We used linear regression to estimate differences between quartiles of (1) total mPINC score and (2) each mPINC subscore with rates of exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge, adjusting for hospital type, teaching status, and number of annual births. We additionally used linear models to test for trend across quartiles of mPINC score. Results: The mean percentage of in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding increased from 39.0% for hospitals in the lowest mPINC total score quartile (<75) to 60.4% for hospitals in the highest mPINC total score quartile (≥89), an adjusted difference of 21.1 percentage points (95% confidence interval 18.6-23.6). The mean percentage of in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding significantly increased (p < 0.0001) as mPINC scores increased for total mPINC score and for each mPINC subscore. Conclusions: Higher mPINC scores were associated with higher rates of in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding. Hospitals can make improvements to their maternity care practices and policies to support breastfeeding.
NF1 Alterations are Linked to Increased HER2 Expression in Breast Cancer–Letter

We read with great interest the research of Wang and colleagues who found a high prevalence ( n = 9/13, 69%) of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)2-enriched tumors in neurofibromin ( NF )1-altered breast cancers ([1][1]). The notion that NF1 mutations and HER2 copy number (CN) gain/
An Integrated Pest Management System in Germany for the Control of Fungal Leaf Diseases in Sugar Beet: The IPM Sugar Beet Model.

Only two crops are available for the production of sugar. Sugar cane is the most common in tropical areas, while sugar beet is the source in the more moderate climate conditions of central and western Europe. Currently, approximately 37% of world sugar is produced from sugar beet (3). In Germany, sugar beet cultivation still offers a high monetary return while profits for many other crops are decreasing. The market structure for sugar beet cultivation is based on European sugar beet market quotas, which have the goal of avoiding overproduction by limiting cropping areas and keeping prices stable for European Union (EU)-produced sugar. In Germany, sugar beet is grown on 504,000 ha (24.7% of the European Union sugar beet area). The average German sugar yield in 1997–98 was 7.96 t/ha, rising to 11.1 t/ha in southern Bavaria. The production in Europe, as in Germany, is highly intensive and directed at achieving high yields and quality. Sugar beet diseases pose serious threats to high production standards (Fig. 1). Cercospora beticola is the primary leaf pathogen of sugar beets in Germany, especially in regions with frequent rainfall and average daily temperatures of 20 to 25°C (5,6). Yield losses of 10 to 30% and recoverable sugar yield reductions of up to 50% have been observed for this disease (4,7,13– 17,25,26). Economic losses may reach US$1,500/ha. Powdery mildew, caused by Erysiphe betae, is also common during hot, dry summers (2,8,10). However, sugar losses (about 5 to 15%) tend to be lower than for Cercospora leaf spot (1). Less important are leaf diseases caused by Ramularia beticola, Uromyces betae, and Phoma betae. These diseases normally appear late in the growing season or are slow to develop. Therefore, no control measures are required (7). In the past, sugar beet leaf diseases were often controlled by applying fungicides on fixed-calendar schedules or growth stages. In many cases, these treatments were applied without regard to cultivar resistance or weather conditions. Additionally, management decisions were often adversely affected by poor disease diagnosis. A new approach was needed to provide adequate disease control while effectively reducing the chemical load on the environment (Table 1). Sugar beet processors, as well as farmers, were interested in achieving highquality crops because disease incidence increased impurities in molasses that influenced sugar solubility and reduced crystallization of sugar during the production process. After the scientific issues had been established, the sugar beet companies supported the introduction of the integrated pest management (IPM) model in farming (Fig. 2).
Current strategies toward safer mu opioid receptor drugs for pain management

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pain relief remains a major public health challenge. The most efficient available painkillers are opioids targeting the mu opioid receptor (MOR). MORs are expressed in the areas of the brain [including pain and respiratory centers] that are important for processing reward and aversion. Thus, MOR activation efficiently alleviates severe pain, but the concomitant reward and respiratory depressant effects pose a threat; patients taking opioids potentially develop opioid addiction and high risk for overdose. Areas covered: Ongoing efforts to generate safer opioid analgesics are reviewed here. The design of biased compounds that trigger MOR induced G protein over β-arrestin signaling, peripheral opioids, drugs targeting MORs in heteromers and drugs enhancing endogenous opioid activity are discussed. Expert opinion: There is evidence that throttling MOR signaling may lead to an era of opioids that are truly efficient painkillers with lower side effects and risk of overdose. However, few of the drugs derived from the advanced approaches outlined here, are getting approval by regulatory committees for use in clinical settings. Thus, there is an urgent need to (i) better clarify mechanisms underlying the hazardous physiological effects of MOR activation, and (ii) fully validate the safety of these new MOR-based therapies.
Bicuspid Aortic Cusp Fusion Morphology Alters Aortic Three-Dimensional Outflow Patterns, Wall Shear Stress, and Expression of Aortopathy

Background— Aortic 3-dimensional blood flow was analyzed to investigate altered ascending aorta (AAo) hemodynamics in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients and its association with differences in cusp fusion patterns (right-left, RL versus right-noncoronary, RN) and expression of aortopathy. Methods and Results— Four-dimensional flow MRI measured in vivo 3-dimensional blood flow in the aorta of 75 subjects: BAV patients with aortic dilatation stratified by leaflet fusion pattern (n=15 RL-BAV, mid AAo diameter=39.9±4.4 mm; n=15 RN-BAV, 39.6±7.2 mm); aorta size controls with tricuspid aortic valves (n=30, 41.0±4.4 mm); healthy volunteers (n=15, 24.9±3.0 mm). Aortopathy type (0–3), systolic flow angle, flow displacement, and regional wall shear stress were determined for all subjects. Eccentric outflow jet patterns in BAV patients resulted in elevated regional wall shear stress (P<0.0125) at the right-anterior walls for RL-BAV and right-posterior walls for RN-BAV in comparison with aorta size controls. Dilatation of the aortic root only (type 1) or involving the entire AAo and arch (type 3) was found in the majority of RN-BAV patients (87%) but was mostly absent for RL-BAV patients (87% type 2). Differences in aortopathy type between RL-BAV and RN-BAV patients were associated with altered flow displacement in the proximal and mid AAo for type 1 (42%–81% decrease versus type 2) and distal AAo for type 3 (33%–39% increase versus type 2). Conclusions— The presence and type of BAV fusion was associated with changes in regional wall shear stress distribution, systolic flow eccentricity, and expression of BAV aortopathy. Hemodynamic markers suggest a physiological mechanism by which the valve morphology phenotype can influence phenotypes of BAV aortopathy.
Hydrolysis of phytate to its lower esters can influence the growth performance and nutrient utilization of broilers with regular or super doses of phytase

&NA; The aim of the study was to observe the effects of dietary available phosphorus (aP) and calcium (Ca), with regular or super doses of phytase, on phytate hydrolysis and subsequent influences on broiler growth performance and nutrient utilization. In a 2 × 3 factorial design, 384 Ross‐308 broilers were allocated to one of 6 dietary treatments with 8 replicates in a randomized complete block design for 21 days. Diets were nutritionally adequate (positive control, PC) or marginally deficient in aP and Ca (negative control, NC), with 0, 500 or 1,500 FTU/kg phytase. Bird and feed weights were recorded on d 0 and 21, excreta were collected on d 19 and 20, and gizzard and ileal contents were collected on d 21. Body weight gain (P < 0.01) increased linearly with phytase in the PC and quadratically in the NC. There was an interactive effect on ileal DM, N, and P utilization, increasing quadratically with phytase supplementation in the NC, but there was no phytase influence in the PC (P < 0.05). Phytase linearly increased copper (P < 0.001) and linearly decreased Ca (P < 0.05) utilization in the ileum. Phytase decreased ileal (IPx, inositol x‐phosphate) IP6 and IP5 and increased inositol (quadratic, P < 0.001) but had no effect on IP4 or IP3. The influence of the dietary aP was more apparent on the hydrolysis of phytate and phytate esters after the ileum, with increasing (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05) IP4 and IP3 content in the excreta of birds fed the NC or PC when phytase was added. Phytate hydrolysis improves the growth potential of birds fed NC diets, allowing them to match the growth performance of birds fed PC diets and improve nutrient utilization. These results indicate that dietary Ca and aP concentrations can be reduced when phytase is supplemented. It also may be beneficial to apply the enzyme nutrient matrix to other nutrients in the diet to maintain an optimal balance of nutrients in the digesta.
French guidelines on the use of systemic treatments for moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis in adults

These guidelines were developed by the psoriasis research group of the French Society of Dermatology with the aim of providing updated decision‐making algorithms for the systemic treatment of adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. Our algorithms were generated after rigorous evaluation of existing guidelines on the treatment of psoriasis and of publications concerning new systemic treatments, not yet incorporated into existing guidelines. A total of nine existing guidelines and 53 publications related to new systemic treatments were found to meet our criteria for use in the generation of the algorithms. We have proposed two new algorithms to assess therapeutic responses, both of which incorporate emerging criteria for evaluating treatment goals. Updated therapeutic strategy algorithms, incorporating both established and new systemic therapies, were also generated for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, together with recommendations for the treatment of particular forms of psoriasis and treatment of patients with comorbidities.
Recent US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Activities to Reduce HIV Stigma

HIV stigma affects many persons living with HIV in the United States, and reducing stigma is central to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) mission to promote health and prevent HIV transmission. To this end, CDC funds and implements programmatic activities, research, communication campaigns, and monitoring through data collection and public health surveillance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded programs have developed promising interventions and educational materials for reducing HIV stigma. Research conducted by CDC staff and their collaborators have made important contributions to the scientific literature on stigma, which have informed current CDC programmatic efforts, including public education activities and social marketing campaigns. By monitoring HIV stigma in multiple populations, CDC can evaluate the population-level effectiveness of stigma-reduction efforts and identify key populations in need of support and intervention. This article describes these and other recent CDC efforts to address HIV stigma, and discusses new strategies with the potential to further reduce stigma.
Prediction of lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma based on protein profile

ABSTRACT Objective: Lymph node metastasis leads to high mortality rates of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, it is still controversial to define clinically negative neck (cN0) and positive neck (cN1-3). Methods: We retrieved candidate biomarkers identified by proteomic analysis in OSCC from published works of literature. In training stage, immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was used to determine the expression of proteins and logistic regression models with stepwise variable selection were used to identify potential factors that might affect lymph node metastasis and life status. Furthermore, the prediction model was validated in validating stage. Results: We screened eight highly expressed proteins related to lymph node metastasis in OSCC and found that the expression levels of SOD2, BST2, CAD, ITGB6, and PRDX4 were significantly elevated in patients with lymph node metastasis compared to the patients without lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, in training and validating stages, the prediction model base on the combination of CAD, SOD2 expression levels, and histopathologic grade was developed and validated in patients with OSCC. Conclusions: Our findings showed that the developed model well predicts the lymph node metastasis and life status in patients with OSCC, independent of TNM stage.
Job interview training targeting nonverbal communication using an android robot for individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Job interviews are significant barriers for individuals with autism spectrum disorder because these individuals lack good nonverbal communication skills. We developed a job interview training program using an android robot. The job interview training program using an android robot consists the following three stages: (1) tele-operating an android robot and conversing with others through the android robot, (2) a face-to-face mock job interview with the android robot, and (3) feedback based on the mock job interview and nonverbal communication exercises using the android robot. The participants were randomly assigned to the following two groups: one group received a combined intervention with “interview guidance by teachers and job interview training program using an android robot” (n = 13), and the other group received an intervention with interview guidance by teachers alone (n = 16). Before and after the intervention, the participants in both groups underwent a mock job interview with a human interviewer, who provided outcome measurements of nonverbal communication, self-confidence, and salivary cortisol. After the training sessions, the participants who received the combined interview guidance by teachers and the job interview training program using an android robot intervention displayed improved nonverbal communication skills and self-confidence and had significantly lower levels of salivary cortisol than the participants who only received interview guidance by teachers. The job interview training program using an android robot improved various measures of job interview skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.