Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Hyperhomocysteinemia on Clinical Outcome and Hemorrhagic Transformation After Thrombolysis in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose: Hyperhomocysteinemia (Hhcy) is a well-known risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, the role of Hhcy in the clinical outcome of ischemic stroke has not been fully elucidated. In addition, previous studies have found that Hhcy was implicated in the disruption of the blood-brain barrier, which may increase the risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after thrombolysis. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Hhcy on the clinical outcome and HT after thrombolysis in ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with ischemic stroke and received intravenous thrombolytic therapy between January 2016 and September 2018 were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between Hhcy, clinical outcome, and HT after thrombolysis. Furthermore, the potential interaction between Hhcy and hypertension on the clinical outcome and HT after thrombolysis was also assessed. Results: Of 568 patients, 455 (80.1%) had Hhcy, 66 (11.6%) had HT, and 219 (38.6%) had poor outcome. Patients with Hhcy had a higher incidence of poor outcome than the patients with non-Hhcy (40.9 vs. 29.2%, p = 0.022). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of HT (11.9 vs. 10.6%, p = 0.711) between patients with Hhcy and non-Hhcy. After adjustment for major covariates, multivariate logistic regression analysis disclosed that Hhcy was independently associated with increased risk of poor outcome (OR = 1.760; 95% CI: 1.069–2.896) but was not associated with the risk of HT (OR = 1.017; 95% CI: 0.495–2.087). In addition, we found no significant interaction between Hhcy and hypertension on the clinical outcome (p = 0.513) or HT (p = 0.170) after thrombolysis. Conclusion: We found that Hhcy was an independent risk factor for poor outcome, but not an independent risk factor for HT after thrombolysis in ischemic stroke patients. In addition, there was no significant interaction of Hhcy and hypertension on the clinical outcome or HT after thrombolysis.
The Intra-nuclear SphK2-S1P Axis Facilitates M1-to-M2 Shift of Microglia via Suppressing HDAC1-Mediated KLF4 Deacetylation

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is involved in a variety of cellular responses including microglial activation and polarization. However, the impacts of S1P on ischemia-induced microglial activation and polarization remain unclear. In the present study, Sprague-Dawley rats were selected for middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) establishment and treated with S1P analog FTY720 (0.5, 1, 2 mg/kg) for 24 h. The impacts of FTY720 on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced microglial polarization were examined in the primary cultured microglia. FTY720 treatment could prevent ischemia-induced brain injury and neurological dysfunction, also decrease the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α and promote M2 microglial polarization in rats. Further, we found that FTY720 inhibited the expressions of M1 markers, but increased the expressions of M2 markers in the OGD-insulted microglia. And FTY720 could enhance the phagocytic function of microglia. The sphingosine kinase 1/2 (SphK1/2) or the Sphk2 inhibitor could prevent the M1 to M2 phenotype shift improved by FTY720, but the Sphk1 inhibitor failed to affect the roles of FTY720. Furthermore, the Sphk1/2 or Sphk2 inhibitor promoted the activities of histone deacetylase (HDAC1) and inhibited the histone acetylation of the Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) promoter regions, indicating that intra-nuclear pFTY720 inhibited HDAC1 activations and prevented KLF4 to interact with HDAC1, and thereby suppresses KLF4 deacetylation. Therefore, our data reveals that intra-nuclear SphK2-S1P axis might facilitate the transformation of microglial polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype, which might be intra-nuclear regulatory mechanisms of FTY720-prevented neuroinflammation.
Type I Interferon Receptor on NK Cells Negatively Regulates Interferon-γ Production

NK cells are a key antiviral component of the innate immune response to HSV-2, particularly through their production of IFN-γ. It is still commonly thought that type I IFN activates NK cell function; however, rather than requiring the type I IFN receptor themselves, we have previously found that type I IFN activates NK cells through an indirect mechanism involving inflammatory monocytes and IL-18. Here, we further show that direct action of type I IFN on NK cells, rather than inducing IFN-γ, negatively regulates its production during HSV-2 infection and cytokine stimulation. During infection, IFN-γ is rapidly induced from NK cells at day 2 post-infection and then immediately downregulated at day 3 post-infection. We found that this downregulation of IFN-γ release was not due to a loss of NK cells at day 3 post-infection, but negatively regulated through IFN signaling on NK cells. Absence of IFNAR on NK cells led to a significantly increased level of IFN-γ compared to WT NK cells after HSV-2 infection in vitro. Further, priming of NK cells with type I IFN was able to suppress cytokine-induced IFN-γ production from both human and mouse NK cells. We found that this immunosuppression was not mediated by IL-10. Rather, we found that type I IFN induced a significant increase in Axl expression on human NK cells. Overall, our data suggests that type I IFN negatively regulates NK cell IFN-γ production through a direct mechanism in vitro and during HSV-2 infection.
Effects on meat quality and black bone incidence of elevated dietary vitamin levels in broiler diets challenged with aflatoxin

Vitamins play an essential role in broiler nutrition. They are fundamental for normal metabolic and physiological process, and their requirements for poultry are not fixed and can be affected by multiple factors. In contrast, mycotoxins are a challenging issue because they hinder performance and the immune system. Vitamin supplementation above minimum requirements would permit improvement in productive potential, health, bone and meat quality in a situation of mycotoxin challenge. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of optimum vitamin nutrition in diets contaminated with aflatoxin in broilers from 1 to 44 days of age. A total of 1800 Cobb 500 male chicks were randomized to 15 sets of eight treatment groups, each containing 15 birds using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design (commercial vitamin levels and high vitamin levels, two levels of aflatoxin – 0 and 0.5 ppm with binder levels of 0 and 10 000 mg/kg). The mash diets were corn and soybean meal based, formulated according to commercial practices. Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion were analyzed for birds from 1 to 44 days of age. To determine carcass characteristics (carcass yield, breast yield and leg yield) and black bone syndrome, two birds were slaughtered from each group at 45 days. Other analyses included breast tenderness, water loss by dripping and malonaldehyde concentrations. The results demonstrated that broilers that were fed high levels of vitamins showed better weight gain, feed conversion, carcass yield and breast yield than broilers that were fed diets with commercial vitamin levels (P < 0.05); also, broilers that were fed diets containing 0.5 ppm aflatoxin had lower weight gain, carcass yield and breast yield (P < 0.05). The use of 10 000 mg/kg of binder improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion throughout the rearing period. We conclude that aflatoxin negatively affects performance and carcass yield; however, feeding optimum vitamin nutrition improved these performance traits.
Disclosing medical mistakes: a communication management plan for physicians.

INTRODUCTION There is a growing consensus that disclosure of medical mistakes is ethically and legally appropriate, but such disclosures are made difficult by medical traditions of concern about medical malpractice suits and by physicians' own emotional reactions. Because the physician may have compelling reasons both to keep the information private and to disclose it to the patient or family, these situations can be conceptualized as privacy dilemmas. These dilemmas may create barriers to effectively addressing the mistake and its consequences. Although a number of interventions exist to address privacy dilemmas that physicians face, current evidence suggests that physicians tend to be slow to adopt the practice of disclosing medical mistakes. METHODS This discussion proposes a theoretically based, streamlined, two-step plan that physicians can use as an initial guide for conversations with patients about medical mistakes. The mistake disclosure management plan uses the communication privacy management theory. RESULTS The steps are 1) physician preparation, such as talking about the physician's emotions and seeking information about the mistake, and 2) use of mistake disclosure strategies that protect the physician-patient relationship. These include the optimal timing, context of disclosure delivery, content of mistake messages, sequencing, and apology. A case study highlighted the disclosure process. CONCLUSION This Mistake Disclosure Management Plan may help physicians in the early stages after mistake discovery to prepare for the initial disclosure of a medical mistakes. The next step is testing implementation of the procedures suggested.
Immunomodulation by Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): Mechanisms of Action of Living, Apoptotic, and Dead MSCs

Expectations on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment are high, especially in the fields of sepsis, transplant medicine, and autoimmune diseases. Various pre-clinical studies have been conducted with encouraging results, although the mechanisms of action behind the observed immunomodulatory capacity of mesenchymal stem cells have not been fully understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that the immunomodulatory effect of MSCs is communicated via MSC-secreted cytokines and has been proven to rely on the local microenvironment as some of the observed effects depend on a pre-treatment of MSCs with inflammatory cytokines. Nonetheless, recent findings indicate that the cytokine-mediated effects are only one part of the equation as apoptotic, metabolically inactivated, or even fragmented MSCs have been shown to possess an immunomodulatory potential as well. Both cytokine-dependent and cytokine-independent mechanisms suggest a key role for regulatory T cells and monocytes in the overall pattern, but the principle as to why viable and non-viable MSCs have similar immunomodulatory capacities remains elusive. Here we review the current knowledge on cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in MSC-mediated immunomodulation and focus on the viability of MSCs, as there is still uncertainty concerning the tumorigenic potential of living MSCs.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda Associated With Acute Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a condition of dysregulated heme synthesis that leads to accumulation of photosensitizing precursors with resultant fragility and blistering of the skin. It can be hereditary or acquired and has been known to be associated with hepatic C virus, alcohol, HIV, and estrogen. In this article, we report an unusual presentation of PCT associated with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis in a 57-year-old man. He presented initially to a community hospital with acute onset of epigastric abdominal pain and new-onset ascites. Lipase was elevated. Diagnostic paracentesis was grossly bloody. He was then transferred to our institution for concern for acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. On arrival, physical examination demonstrated vesicles and bullae with erythematous bases, in different stages of healing seen over the dorsal aspects of both hands with scaling, scarring, and hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation of the skin. Laboratory evaluation and skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of PCT. Search for an underlying etiology failed to reveal typical predisposing factors. This report illustrates that acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis may be an underlying etiology for PCT.
New Era in Plant Alternative Splicing Analysis Enabled by Advances in High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) Technologies

1 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M University, Weslaco, TX, United States, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Buenos Aires, Argentina, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
The Serotonin Hypothesis of Schizophrenia: A Historical Case Study on the Heuristic Value of Theory in Clinical Neuroscience

Critical examination of the reliability and coherence of the evidence concerning modern neurochemical theories of mental disorders has led some scholars to conclude that support for many of these theories is weak. Nevertheless, these theories continue to be widely promoted. One explanation that has been offered for continued adherence to questionable theory is that it stimulates and gives direction to research. The heuristic value of theory is examined in the present paper by tracing the discoveries that followed from an old theory of schizophrenia, which is – by current consensus – false. It is shown that the original serotonin hypothesis of schizophrenia did, in fact, lead to significant advances in neuropharmacology, neurology and psychiatry.
SVM-Based Classification of sEMG Signals for Upper-Limb Self-Rehabilitation Training

Robot-assisted rehabilitation is a growing field that can provide an intensity, quality, and quantity of treatment that exceed therapist-mediated rehabilitation. Several control algorithms have been implemented in rehabilitation robots to develop a patient-cooperative strategy with the capacity to understand the intention of the user and provide suitable rehabilitation training. In this paper, we present an upper-limb motion pattern recognition method using surface electromyography (sEMG) signals with a support vector machine (SVM) to control a rehabilitation robot, ReRobot, which was built to conduct upper-limb rehabilitation training for post-stroke patients. For poststroke rehabilitation training using the ReRobot, the upper-limb motion of the patient's healthy side is first recognized by detecting and processing the sEMG signals; then, the ReRobot assists the impaired arm in conducting mirror rehabilitation therapy. To train and test the SVM model, five healthy subjects participated in the experiments and performed five standard upper-limb motions, including shoulder flexion, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation, and elbow joint flexion. Good accuracy was demonstrated in experimental results from the five healthy subjects. By recognizing the model motion of the healthy side, the rehabilitation robot can provide mirror therapy to the affected side. This method can be used as a control strategy of upper-limb rehabilitation robots for self-rehabilitation training with stroke patients.
The Herschel Exploitation of Local Galaxy Andromeda (HELGA). VII. A SKIRT radiative transfer model and insights on dust heating

The radiation of stars heats dust grains in the diffuse interstellar medium and in star-forming regions in galaxies. Modelling this interaction provides information on dust in galaxies, a vital ingredient for their evolution. It is not straightforward to identify the stellar populations heating the dust, and to link attenuation to emission on a sub-galactic scale. Radiative transfer models are able to simulate this dust-starlight interaction in a realistic, three-dimensional setting. We investigate the dust heating mechanisms on a local and global galactic scale, using the Andromeda galaxy (M31) as our laboratory. We perform a series of panchromatic radiative transfer simulations of Andromeda with our code SKIRT. The high inclination angle of M31 complicates the 3D modelling and causes projection effects. However, the observed morphology and flux density are reproduced fairly well from UV to sub-millimeter wavelengths. Our model reveals a realistic attenuation curve, compatible with previous, observational estimates. We find that the dust in M31 is mainly (91 % of the absorbed luminosity) heated by the evolved stellar populations. The bright bulge produces a strong radiation field and induces non-local heating up to the main star-forming ring at 10 kpc. The relative contribution of unevolved stellar populations to the dust heating varies strongly with wavelength and with galactocentric distance.The dust heating fraction of unevolved stellar populations correlates strongly with NUV-r colour and specific star formation rate. These two related parameters are promising probes for the dust heating sources at a local scale.
An Adaptive Iterative Learning Based Impedance Control for Robot-Aided Upper-Limb Passive Rehabilitation

In this paper, an anthropomorphic arm is introduced and used to the upper-limb passive rehabilitation therapy. The anthropomorphic arm is constructed via pneumatic artificial muscles so that it may assist patients suffering upper-limb diseases to achieve mild therapeutic exercises. Due to the uncertain dynamic environment, external disturbances and model uncertainties, a combined control is proposed to stabilize and to enhance the adaptivity of the system. In the combined control, an iterative learning control is used to realize accurate position tracking. Meanwhile, an adaptive iterative learning based impedance control is proposed to execute the appropriate contact force during the therapy of the upper-limb. The advantage of the combined control is that it doesn't depend on the accurate model of systems and it may deal with highly nonlinear system which has strong coupling and redundancies. The convergence of the proposed control is analyzed in detail. Numerical simulations are performed to verify the proposed control method. In addition, real experiments are executed on the Southwest anthropomorphic arm.
Tibial Fixation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Bone–Patellar Tendon–Bone and Semitendinosus-Gracilis Autografts

Background Knee instability after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction rarely manifests with activities of daily living, but it may occur in high-level sports performance, resulting in secondary injuries. Faced with these circumstances, sports orthopaedists have continued to improve on the results obtained with surgical techniques for treating knee joint injuries. Hypothesis Transverse tibial fixation with bioabsorbable cross pins is a valid technique for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with both the patellar tendon (bone—patellar tendon—bone) and semitendinosus and gracilis tendon. Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods The study population was 120 patients operated on by the same surgeon and subdivided into 4 subgroups of 30 subjects each. Patients were chosen and assigned to each group consecutively. Patients in group 1 (bone—patellar tendon—bone) were implanted with bioabsorbable interference screws, group 2 (bone—patellar tendon—bone) received 2 bioabsorbable cross pins, group 3 (semitendinosus and gracilis tendon) received a bioabsorbable interference screw, and group 4 (semitendinosus and gracilis tendon) received 2 bioabsorbable cross pins. Patients were assessed at 5-year follow-up for International Knee Documentation Committee Knee Ligament Standard Evaluation Form, Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale, Lysholm-Tegner Activity Scale, and KT-1000 arthrometer testing. Results The results at 5 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were similar across all 4 groups. No significant differences have been observed between groups. Conclusion The results suggest that transverse tibial fixation with bioabsorbable cross pins is a safe and reliable procedure, yielding clinical results that are comparable with those of the more widely used bioabsorbable interference screws.
Commentary: Assessing Cognitive Abilities in High-Performing Cochlear Implant Users

The interesting research of Hillyer et al. (2019) pointed out the burden of hearing loss and inadequate performance of cognitive tasks. Our research group focused on alleviating this burden (Claes et al., 2016, 2018a,b). Recent studies established an improvement of cognitive abilities after cochlear implantation in older adults (Jayakody et al., 2017; Claes et al., 2018a,b; Völter et al., 2018). The modality of presentation of cognitive test batteries is important when evaluating cognition in Cochlear Implant (CI) users. Their severe to profound hearing loss could possibly have a negative impact on the results of common, often auditory-only cognitive assessments (Zekveld et al., 2007; Dupuis et al., 2014; Jayakody et al., 2018; Hillyer et al., 2019). Hearing impairment can induce problems in hearing and understanding auditory presented instructions and stimuli. Therefore, there is a need for a cognitive test battery for CI recipients adjusted for hearing loss, for example by means of visual support.
Parental body mass index is associated with adolescent overweight and obesity in Mashhad, Iran.

OBJECTIVE This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among secondary school children aged 12 to 14 years in the city of Mashhad, Iran and its association with parental body mass index. METHODS A total of 1189 secondary school children (579 males and 610 females) aged 12- 14 years old were selected through a stratified multistage random sampling. All adolescents were measured for weight and height. Household socio-demographic information and parental weight and height were self-reported by parents. Adolescents were classified as overweight or obese based on BMI-for age Z-score. Multivariable logistic Regression (MLR) determined the relationship between parental BMI and adolescent overweight and obesity. RESULTS The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among secondary school children in Mashhad was 17.2% and 11.9%, respectively. A higher proportion of male (30.7%) than female (27.4%) children were overweight or obese. BMI of the children was significantly related to parental BMI (p<0.001), gender (p= 0.02), birth order (p<0.01), parents' education level (p<0.001), father's employment status (p<0.001), and family income (p<0.001). MLR showed that the father's BMI was significantly associated with male BMI (OR: 2.02) and female BMI (OR: 1.59), whereas the mother's BMI was significantly associated with female BMI only (OR: 0.514). CONCLUSION The high prevalence of overweight/obesity among the research population compared with previous studies in Iran could be related to the changing lifestyle of the population. The strong relationship with parental BMI was probably related to a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. Strategies to address childhood obesity should consider the interaction of these factors.