Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Volumetric and Morphological Analysis of Recurrent Odontogenic Keratocysts by Semiautomatic Segmentation

Purpose: The authors conducted this study to provide morphological and volumetric data of recurrent odontogenic keratocysts of the upper and lower jaw to emphasize risk factors in accordance with their radiological appearance and guide clinical decisions for jeopardized patients. Methods: By applying the open-source software “ITK-Snap” on cone-beam computed tomography images, volumetric measurements of histopathologically diagnosed recurrent odontogenic keratocysts could be performed. For statistical investigations, descriptive statistics and independent Student t test were performed. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to assess intra- and inter-rater reliabilities. P values P < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Forty patients (24 male and 16 female) were included in this study. Recurrent odontogenic keratocysts had a mean maximum diameter of 28.91 mm ± 12.00 mm and a mean volume of 4.48 cm3 ± 4.29 cm3. According to morphology, irregular shape (P = 0.001; P = 0.005), unclear margin (P = 0.001; P = 0.001), multilocular morphology (P = 0.001; P = 0.001), and cortical bone exceedance (P = 0.001; P = 0.007) are statistically significantly associated with a larger cyst diameter and volume. Furthermore, significant differences by diameter and volume could be shown between patients with and without iliac crest graft reconstruction (P = 0.001; P = 0.001). Conclusions: Volumetric analysis reveals that recurrent odontogenic keratocysts show large diametric and volumetric extension that leads to complex reconstruction by iliac crest grafts, adding an argument that special attention should be paid to this entity and its recurrence. in case of difficult histopathological examination, lesions with irregular shape and margin, multilocular morphology, cortical bone exceedance, and clinically visible symptoms should be considered for close morphological and volumetric clinico- radiological follow-up.
A mechanistic insight into the biological activities of urolithins as gut microbial metabolites of ellagitannins

Urolithins are the gut metabolites produced from ellagitannin‐rich foods such as pomegranates, tea, walnuts, as well as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cloudberries. Urolithins are of growing interest due to their various biological activities including cardiovascular protection, anti‐inflammatory activity, anticancer properties, antidiabetic activity, and antiaging properties. Several studies mostly based on in vitro and in vivo experiments have investigated the potential mechanisms of urolithins which support the beneficial effects of urolithins in the treatment of several diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers. It is now obvious that urolithins can involve several cellular mechanisms including inhibition of MDM2‐p53 interaction, modulation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway, and suppressing nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB) activity. Antiaging activity is the most appealing and probably the most important property of urolithin A that has been investigated in depth in recent studies, owing to its unique effects on activation of mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. A recent clinical trial showed that urolithin A is safe up to 2,500 mg/day and can improve mitochondrial biomarkers in elderly patients. Regarding the importance of mitochondria in the pathophysiology of many diseases, urolithins merit further research especially in clinical trials to unravel more aspects of their clinical significance. Besides the nutritional value of urolithins, recent studies proved that urolithins can be used as pharmacological agents to prevent or cure several diseases. Here, we comprehensively review the potential role of urolithins as new therapeutic agents with a special focus on the molecular pathways that have been involved in their biological effects. The pharmacokinetics of urolithins is also included.
Socio-economic determinants of prenatal anaemia in rural communities of South-West Nigeria: a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND Anaemia is common worldwide and pregnant women are one of the most vulnerable group. Although, anaemia in the general population including pregnant women is multi-factorial in aetiology, the most frequent cause in pregnancy worldwide is iron deficiency. In Nigeria, an estimated prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women ranges from 35-75%. Anaemia in pregnancy (AIP) is associated with significant perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality including premature birth and low birth weight. AIM The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, demographic and socio-economic determinants of anaemia in pregnancy in a rural community of South-West Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS One-hundred and fifty consenting pregnant women aged 18-42 years in the three trimesters were recruited from four primary health centres of Ikene Local Government of Ogun State of Nigeria after ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Unit of the Medical officer of Health of the Local Government. Pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic information and 24-hour dietary recall. Using a finger prick, the haemoglobin concentration of each respondent was determined with a haemoglobinometer (DG-300HB manufactured by DouBle, China). Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. RESULTS All the respondents belonged to low socio-economic class. The mean haemoglobin (Hb) concentration obtained in this study was 10.22±1.60 g/dL with a range of 6-14.8 g/dL. Using WHO cut-off Hb concentration of 11 g/dL, the prevalence of anaemia in this study was 67.3%. The frequency of anaemia increased with increase in age group. P=0.010. About 21.4% of those with adequate dietary iron intake were anaemic when compared with 72.1% (98 of 136) of those with inadequate dietary iron intake who were anaemic. AOR-0.090; 95% CI- 0.018-0.457; P=0.004. CONCLUSION Increasing age, low socio-economic status, poor health education and low dietary iron intake were the predominant socio-economic determinants of prenatal anaemia in the population studied. Efforts must be intensified to alleviate poverty in rural areas and give health education on iron-rich foods to girls and women of children-bearing age in the rural communities.
Visualizing veins from color images under varying illuminations for medical applications

Abstract. Significance: Effective vein visualization is critically important for several clinical procedures, such as venous blood sampling and intravenous injection. Existing technologies using infrared device or ultrasound rely on professional equipment and are not suitable for daily medical care. A regression-based vein visualization method is proposed. Aim: We visualize veins from conventional RGB images to provide assistance in venipuncture procedures as well as clinical diagnosis of some venous insufficiency. Approach: The RGB images taken by digital cameras are first transformed to spectral reflectance images using Wiener estimation. Multiple regression analysis is then applied to derive the relationship between spectral reflectance and the concentrations of pigments. Monte Carlo simulation is adopted to get prior information. Finally, vein patterns are visualized from the spatial distribution of pigments. To minimize the effect of illumination on skin color, light correction and shading removal operations are performed in advance. Results: Experimental results from inner forearms of 60 subjects show the effectiveness of the regression-based method. Subjective and objective evaluations demonstrate that the clarity and completeness of vein patterns can be improved by light correction and shading removal. Conclusions: Vein patterns can be successfully visualized from RGB images without any professional equipment. The proposed method can assist in venipuncture procedures. It also shows promising potential to be used in clinical diagnosis and treatment of some venous insufficiency.
Trisomy 21 and Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A review

Trisomy 21 is the most common genetic disorder seen among infants, and it causes spontaneous abortions, abnormal neural development and other pathologies associated with newborn development. In newborns with this trisomy, 90-95% have full trisomy, 1.4-1.9% have mosaicism, and 1-4.7% have translocations. The principal cause of trisomy 21 is advanced maternal age, in which recombination errors may occur during fetal development, age-related accumulation of damaged DNA, cohesin degradation producing the premature loss of chromosomes or sister chromatids, and alterations during the spindle formation process. The paternal age has also an effect on trisomy 21, specifically during male aging, when there is higher risk of chromosomal breaking in spermatozoa. Epigenetics is also an important risk factor of trisomy 21 through changes in the DNA methylation process, histone modification and non-coding RNAs. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have emerged in recent years as a safe alternative for couples with fertility problems. These techniques, which include controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and vitrification, decrease the incidence of aneuploidy in human preimplantation embryos, and are widely used. The following study aims to review and discuss the available literature on trisomy 21 in the field of assisted human reproduction.
Soft magnetic nanocomposites based on adaptive matrix of wormlike surfactant micelles

The paper describes a new type of soft magnetic nanocomposite (SMN) based on a transient network of wormlike surfactant micelles with embedded oppositely charged submicron particles of magnetite acting as cross-linking agents. We study the change of the rheological properties of the SMNs with different contents of particles in response to magnetic field. We show that even at low field strengths the system acquires solid-like behavior, which can be attributed to the aggregation of particles into chain-like/column structures. A solid-like behavior appears at a rather small volume fraction of particles (0.002–0.04) indicating weak restrictions imposed by the matrix to the reorganization of particles under magnetic field, which can be due to the self-assembled structure of the micellar network. In the oscillatory rheological measurements, SMNs show a linear viscoelastic response in an unusually wide region of values of strain, magnetic field strength and content of particles, which is caused by the viscoelastic contribution of the micellar network. Upon gradual increase of magnetic field strength H, the dynamic moduli G′ and G′′ demonstrate slow growth followed by a sharp rise with a scaling law H3.0 and reach a plateau at 0.15 T. The highest values of the storage modulus G′ in SMNs are close to those in magnetorheological fluids with liquid Newtonian carrier, where particles move freely and the G′ value is defined by the interactions of magnetized particles and chain-like/columns structures. SMNs have a yield stress, which grows with the increase of magnetic field strength and finally levels off just at the same magnetic field strength at which the G′ and G′′ values reach a plateau indicating the saturation of the particles magnetization. The concentration dependencies of the elastic modulus and yield stress suggest the transition from chain-like to columnar structures of the particles. The new SMNs possessing the features of both magnetic fluids and magnetic gels have promising potential in a wide range of applications requiring responsiveness to magnetic field.
Which "Me" am I Going to be Today? Exploring Genetic Counselors' Attitudes on Expressing their "Authentic Self" in the Workplace

While professional organizations expect their employees to adhere to a cohesive image based on the social contract of professionalism, the modern workplace is growing increasingly diverse and freedom of self-expression is challenged by these traditionally defined norms. This study seeks to define these societal expectations and their implications in the context of a rapidly changing professional landscape. Individuals portray their true identities, or “authentic selves,” through their internal beliefs and external appearance, so naturally, these expressions may contradict the expectations for their professional appearance. Previous research has investigated professionalism, authentic selfhood, and the genetic counseling profession on separate levels, but a study encompassing the expression of genetic counselors’ “authentic selves” in the context of a professional setting has yet to be conducted. As genetic counselors are uniquely-trained healthcare providers at the intersection of a quickly growing profession, their perspectives on expressing their true identities may provide insight into the expectations and challenges to professional appearances of a rapidly growing profession. The study utilized an online, anonymous survey distributed to a genetic counselor listserv. Of the 197 total respondents, most felt supported by their employers in expressing their “authentic self” regardless of demography while multilingual respondents reported discrimination from clients. The strongest predictors of feeling supported by employers and job satisfaction was respondents’ comfort wearing culturally or religiously-identifying clothing, suggesting that the freedom to express cultural and religious identities are quite central to many respondents’ sense of true selfhood. These results may be useful to the genetic counseling profession, employers, and in the context of rapidly changing Running Head: Genetic Counselors on Expressing their “Authentic Self” v professional environments, in understanding the implications of the “authentic self” and its challenges to traditional defined customs of professionalism. Running Head: Genetic Counselors on Expressing their “Authentic Self” vi
Task-driven nonlocal uncertainty analysis for hyperspectral image classification using a context-based Bayesian framework

ABSTRACT Spatial contextual information could help to further improve hyperspectral image classification performance. However, most spatial-spectral hyperspectral image classification methods introduce spatial information primarily by combining pixels in a small neighbourhood. These strategies consider only limited spatial structures during classification, which reduces classification accuracy. To this end, a novel, context-based Bayesian framework with a task-driven nonlocal uncertainty analysis model is proposed to combine spectral-spatial features for hyperspectral image classification. Task-dependent measures are often needed to formulate similarity, which is used to express various relationships. Based on this observation, in this paper, we introduce a task-driven similarity measure based on nonlocal uncertainty analysis for hyperspectral classification. Nonlocal-local spatial a priori is constructed using the Dempster-Shafer theory after analysing the spatial uncertainty to a nonlocal extent, which further expands the sample capacity and spatial extent. Furthermore, an improved iterated conditional mode is proposed to acquire the energy function’s local minimum in the context-based Bayesian framework. The experimental results, using both simulated data and two popular hyperspectral data sets, indicate that the proposed methods can significantly improve classification accuracy when compared with other state-of-the-art methods.
Discovering tourist preference for electing destinations: a pattern mining based approach

ABSTRACT Awareness and access to information on travel benefits may bear importance for tourist preference in selecting popular destination. Tourism businesses are continuously exploring to improve their competitive advantage and offering an effective method for assisting tourist in electing their preferred destinations. However, current studies are still at an emergent stage. This paper presents a tourists preferences dataset and introduces preference pattern mining (PPM) method as a solution framework for discovering tourist spots. Our PPM method finds and validates the most active tourist hot spots from tourist preferences dataset. The proposed framework facilitates an unbiased approach for optimal tourism destination management in tourism-friendly countries.
Global Analysis of the Specificities and Targets of Endoribonucleases from Escherichia coli Toxin-Antitoxin Systems

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread genetic modules found in almost all bacteria that can regulate their growth and may play prominent roles in phage defense. Escherichia coli encodes 11 TA systems in which the toxin is a known or predicted endoribonuclease. The targets and cleavage specificities of these endoribonucleases have remained largely uncharacterized, precluding an understanding of how each impacts cell growth and an assessment of whether they have distinct or overlapping targets. ABSTRACT Toxin-antitoxin systems are widely distributed genetic modules typically featuring toxins that can inhibit bacterial growth and antitoxins that can reverse inhibition. Although Escherichia coli encodes 11 toxins with known or putative endoribonuclease activity, the targets of most of these toxins remain poorly characterized. Using a new RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) pipeline that enables the mapping and quantification of RNA cleavage with single-nucleotide resolution, we characterized the targets and specificities of 9 endoribonuclease toxins from E. coli. We found that these toxins use low-information cleavage motifs to cut a significant proportion of mRNAs in E. coli, but not tRNAs or the rRNAs from mature ribosomes. However, all the toxins, including those that are ribosome dependent and cleave only translated RNA, inhibit ribosome biogenesis. This inhibition likely results from the cleavage of ribosomal protein transcripts, which disrupts the stoichiometry and biogenesis of new ribosomes and causes the accumulation of aberrant ribosome precursors. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive, global analysis of endoribonuclease-based toxin-antitoxin systems in E. coli and support the conclusion that, despite their diversity, each disrupts translation and ribosome biogenesis. IMPORTANCE Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread genetic modules found in almost all bacteria that can regulate their growth and may play prominent roles in phage defense. Escherichia coli encodes 11 TA systems in which the toxin is a known or predicted endoribonuclease. The targets and cleavage specificities of these endoribonucleases have remained largely uncharacterized, precluding an understanding of how each impacts cell growth and an assessment of whether they have distinct or overlapping targets. Using a new and broadly applicable RNA-seq pipeline, we carried out a global analysis of 9 endoribonuclease toxins from E. coli. We found that each uses a relatively low-information cleavage motif to cut a large proportion of mRNAs in E. coli, but not tRNAs or mature rRNAs. Notably, although the precise set of targets varies, each toxin efficiently disrupts ribosome biogenesis, primarily by cleaving the mRNAs of ribosomal proteins. In sum, the analyses presented provide new, comprehensive insights into the cleavage specificities and targets of almost all endoribonuclease toxins in E. coli. Despite different specificities, our work reveals a striking commonality in function, as each toxin disrupts ribosome biogenesis and translation.
Endothelial Heparan Sulfate Mediates Hepatic Neutrophil Trafficking and Injury during Staphylococcus aureus Sepsis

Vascular glycocalyx remodeling is critical to sepsis pathology, but the glycocalyx components that contribute to this process remain poorly characterized. This article shows that during Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, the liver vascular glycocalyx undergoes dramatic compositional changes in proteins associated with neutrophilic activity and heparin/heparan sulfate binding, all before organ damage is detectable by standard circulating liver damage markers or histology. ABSTRACT Hepatic failure is an important risk factor for poor outcome in septic patients. Using a chemical tagging workflow and high-resolution mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that rapid proteome remodeling of the vascular surfaces precedes hepatic damage in a murine model of Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. These early changes include vascular deposition of neutrophil-derived proteins, shedding of vascular receptors, and altered levels of heparin/heparan sulfate-binding factors. Modification of endothelial heparan sulfate, a major component of the vascular glycocalyx, diminishes neutrophil trafficking to the liver and reduces hepatic coagulopathy and organ damage during the systemic inflammatory response to infection. Modifying endothelial heparan sulfate likewise reduces neutrophil trafficking in sterile hepatic injury, reflecting a more general role of heparan sulfate contribution to the modulation of leukocyte behavior during inflammation. IMPORTANCE Vascular glycocalyx remodeling is critical to sepsis pathology, but the glycocalyx components that contribute to this process remain poorly characterized. This article shows that during Staphylococcus aureus sepsis, the liver vascular glycocalyx undergoes dramatic changes in protein composition associated with neutrophilic activity and heparin/heparan sulfate binding, all before organ damage is detectable by standard circulating liver damage markers or histology. Targeted manipulation of endothelial heparan sulfate modulates S. aureus sepsis-induced hepatotoxicity by controlling the magnitude of neutrophilic infiltration into the liver in both nonsterile and sterile injury. These data identify an important vascular glycocalyx component that impacts hepatic failure during nonsterile and sterile injury.