Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of breast cancer after false‐positive results in mammographic screening

Women with false‐positive results are commonly referred back to routine screening. Questions remain regarding their long‐term outcome of breast cancer. We assessed the risk of screen‐detected breast cancer in women with false‐positive results. We conducted a joint analysis using individual level data from the population‐based screening programs in Copenhagen and Funen in Denmark, Norway, and Spain. Overall, 150,383 screened women from Denmark (1991–2008), 612,138 from Norway (1996–2010), and 1,172,572 from Spain (1990–2006) were included. Poisson regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) of screen‐detected cancer for women with false‐positive versus negative results. We analyzed information from 1,935,093 women 50–69 years who underwent 6,094,515 screening exams. During an average 5.8 years of follow‐up, 230,609 (11.9%) women received a false‐positive result and 27,849 (1.4%) were diagnosed with screen‐detected cancer. The adjusted RR of screen‐detected cancer after a false‐positive result was 2.01 (95% CI: 1.93–2.09). Women who tested false‐positive at first screen had a RR of 1.86 (95% CI: 1.77–1.96), whereas those who tested false‐positive at third screening had a RR of 2.42 (95% CI: 2.21–2.64). The RR of breast cancer at the screening test after the false‐positive result was 3.95 (95% CI: 3.71–4.21), whereas it decreased to 1.25 (95% CI: 1.17–1.34) three or more screens after the false‐positive result. Women with false‐positive results had a twofold risk of screen‐detected breast cancer compared to women with negative tests. The risk remained significantly higher three or more screens after the false‐positive result. The increased risk should be considered when discussing stratified screening strategies.
Tanzanian Couples' Perspectives on Gender Equity, Relationship Power, and Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the RESPECT Study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is widely prevalent in Tanzania. Inequitable gender norms manifest in men's and women's attitudes about power and decision making in intimate relationships and are likely to play an important role in determining the prevalence of IPV. We used data from the RESPECT study, a randomized controlled trial that evaluated an intervention to prevent sexually transmitted infections in a cohort of young Tanzanian men and women, to examine the relationship between couples' attitudes about IPV, relationship power, and sexual decision making, concordance on these issues, and women's reports of IPV over 12 months. Women expressed less equitable attitudes than men at baseline. Over time, participants' attitudes tended to become more equitable and women's reports of IPV declined substantially. Multivariable logistic regression analyses suggested that inequitable attitudes and couple discordance were associated with higher risk of IPV. Our findings point to the need for a better understanding of the role that perceived or actual imbalances in relationship power have in heightening IPV risk. The decline in women's reports of IPV and the trend towards gender-equitable attitudes indicate that concerted efforts to reduce IPV and promote gender equity have the potential to make a positive difference in the relatively short term.
Contractual Holdup and Legal Intervention

This article develops the point that incentive and risk‐bearing problems associated with contractual holdup may justify legal intervention. Contractual holdup is considered both for fresh contracts and for modifications of contracts. One type of legal intervention is flat voiding of contracts. Such intervention tends to be advantageous when holdup situations are engineered. Another type of intervention is price‐conditioned voiding of contracts—voiding only if the price is excessive. This policy tends to be advantageous when contracts are socially desirable (bad weather puts a ship in jeopardy and it needs rescue). Price‐conditioned voiding prevents the imposition of holdup prices but still allows contracts (to tow ships in distress) to be made. Both types of legal intervention in contracts and their modifications are employed by courts to counter problems of pronounced holdup. In addition, various price control regulations appear partly to serve the same objective.
Hemagglutination properties of Streptococcus suis

A total of 49 strains (23 reference strains and 26 field isolates) of Streptococcus suis were tested for their ability to agglutinate erythrocytes from different animal species. Ten different hemagglutination patterns were established. Thirty-three strains (67%) did not agglutinate any of the erythrocytes tested; sixteen strains (33%) agglutinated erythrocytes from one or more animal species. Different strains belonging to the same capsular type presented different hemagglutination patterns. No correlation was found between the tissue origin and/or the virulence (evaluated in 4-week-old mice) of different field isolates and their hemagglutination activity. Hydrophobic surface properties were also evaluated. All S. suis strains studied appeared to possess a hydrophilic cell surface. Morphologically similar fimbriae were observed on hemagglutinating as well as on nonhemagglutinating strains of S. suis. This study provides evidence that certain strains of S. suis possess hemagglutinating properties which do not appear to involve hydrophobic interactions. The possible role of fimbriae in hemagglutination remains unclear.
The Genetics of Obesity in Mexican Americans: The Evidence from Genome Scanning Efforts in the San Antonio Family Heart Study

Recent estimates indicate that approximately 18% of the population in the United States can be considered obese (defined as a body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30), and this rate is even higher among ethnic populations such as Mexican Americans. This figure becomes very significant given the strong evidence for obesity as a major risk factor for a variety of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. The search for genes involved in the expression of obesity has been one of the focal points of the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS), a large, family-based study to examine the genetics of risk for atherosclerosis in Mexican Americans. To date, our genome scanning effort has reported two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with pronounced effects on the expression of a variety of obesity—related phenotypes (e.g., leptin levels, fat mass, and BMI) located on chromosomes 2 and 8. We are currently working to further refine these signals and to identify the genes and allelic variants involved. Here, we summarize the latest results from our ongoing efforts to identify obesity genes in the San Antonio Family Heart Study.
Strength and Crystalline Structure of Developing Acala Cotton

Single fiber strengths and crystalline structures of greenhouse-grown Maxxa Acala cotton fibers at varying stages of development and at maturity are reported and compared with those of SJ-2 cotton fibers. Single fiber breaking forces of the Maxxa variety increase most significantly during the fourth week of fiber development; these increases correlate to the 60 to 90 mg seed fiber weight range. The forces required to break single fibers are similar for the SJ-2 and Maxxa varieties through the end of the fourth week of development. Beyond 30 dpa, both single fiber breaking forces and tenacities of the Maxxa cotton fibers are higher than those of the SJ-2 cotton fibers. Four waxd peaks located near 2θ angles of 14.7, 16.6, 22.7, and 34.4° are characteristic of the 101, 101, 002, and 040 reflections of cellulose I, respectively. The 002 peak intensity increases greatly during cellulose biosynthesis, indicating improved alignment of the glucosidic rings and improved order of atoms located within the glucosidic rings as the secondary cell wall thickens. The overall crystallinity and apparent crystallite sizes normal to the 101, 101, and 002 planes increase with fiber development for both varieties. Within each variety, the single fiber breaking forces are positively related to both the overall crystallinity and crystallite sizes. Between these two varieties, increasing breaking forces and tenacities appear to be related more to crystallite size than to crystallinity.
The circumstellar envelope of the C-rich post-AGB star HD 56126

We present a detailed study of the circumstellar envelope of the post-asymptotic giant branch "21 µm object" HD 56126. We build a detailed dust radiative transfer model of the circumstellar envelope in order to derive the dust composi- tion and mass, and the mass-loss history of the star. To model the emission of the dust we use amorphous carbon, hydrogenated amorphous carbon, magnesium sulfide and titanium carbide. We present a detailed parametrisation of the optical properties of hydrogenated amorphous carbon as a function of H/C content. The mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy is best reproduced by a single dust shell from 1.2 to 2.6 �� radius around the central star. This shell originates from a short period during which the mass-loss rate exceeded 10 −4 M� /yr. We find that the strength of the "21" µm feature poses a problem for the TiC identification. The low abundance of Ti requires very high absorption cross-sections in the ultraviolet and visible wavelength range to explain the strength of the feature. Other nano-crystalline metal carbides should be considered as well. We find that hydrogenated amor- phous carbon in radiative equilibrium with the local radiation field does not reach a high enough temperature to explain the strength of the 3.3-3.4 and 6-9 µm hydrocarbon features relative to the 11-17 µm hydrocarbon features. We propose that the carriers of these hydrocarbon features are not in radiative equilibrium but are transiently heated to high temperature. We find that 2 per cent of the dust mass is required to explain the strength of the "30" µm feature, which fits well within the measured atmospheric abundance of Mg and S. This further strengthens the MgS identification of the "30" µm feature.
Selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons by MPP+ and its rescue by D2 autoreceptors in Drosophila primary culture

Drosophila melanogaster is widely used to study genetic factors causing Parkinson's disease (PD) largely because of the use of sophisticated genetic approaches and the presence of a high conservation of gene sequence/function between Drosophila and mammals. However, in Drosophila, little has been done to study the environmental factors which cause over 90% of PD cases. We used Drosophila primary neuronal culture to study degenerative effects of a well‐known PD toxin MPP+. Dopaminergic (DA) neurons were selectively degenerated by MPP+, whereas cholinergic and GABAergic neurons were not affected. This DA neuronal loss was because of post‐mitotic degeneration, not by inhibition of DA neuronal differentiation. We also found that MPP+‐mediated neurodegeneration was rescued by D2 agonists quinpirole and bromocriptine. This rescue was through activation of Drosophila D2 receptor DD2R, as D2 agonists failed to rescue MPP+‐toxicity in neuronal cultures prepared from both a DD2R deficiency line and a transgenic line pan‐neuronally expressing DD2R RNAi. Furthermore, DD2R autoreceptors in DA neurons played a critical role in the rescue. When DD2R RNAi was expressed only in DA neurons, MPP+ toxicity was not rescued by D2 agonists. Our study also showed that rescue of DA neurodegeneration by Drosophila DD2R activation was mediated through suppression of action potentials in DA neurons.
Clustering algorithms for identifying core atom sets and for assessing the precision of protein structure ensembles

An important open question in the field of NMR‐based biomolecular structure determination is how best to characterize the precision of the resulting ensemble of structures. Typically, the RMSD, as minimized in superimposing the ensemble of structures, is the preferred measure of precision. However, the presence of poorly determined atomic coordinates and multiple “RMSD‐stable domains”—locally well‐defined regions that are not aligned in global superimpositions—complicate RMSD calculations. In this paper, we present a method, based on a novel, structurally defined order parameter, for identifying a set of core atoms to use in determining superimpositions for RMSD calculations. In addition we present a method for deciding whether to partition that core atom set into “RMSD‐stable domains” and, if so, how to determine partitioning of the core atom set. We demonstrate our algorithm and its application in calculating statistically sound RMSD values by applying it to a set of NMR‐derived structural ensembles, superimposing each RMSD‐stable domain (or the entire core atom set, where appropriate) found in each protein structure under consideration. A parameter calculated by our algorithm using a novel, kurtosis‐based criterion, the ϵ‐value, is a measure of precision of the superimposition that complements the RMSD. In addition, we compare our algorithm with previously described algorithms for determining core atom sets. The methods presented in this paper for biomolecular structure superimposition are quite general, and have application in many areas of structural bioinformatics and structural biology. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Model-based performance risk analysis

Performance is a nonfunctional software attribute that plays a crucial role in wide application domains spreading from safety-critical systems to e-commerce applications. Software risk can be quantified as a combination of the probability that a software system may fail and the severity of the damages caused by the failure. In this paper, we devise a methodology for estimation of performance-based risk factor, which originates from violations, of performance requirements, (namely, performance failures). The methodology elaborates annotated UML diagrams to estimate the performance failure probability and combines it with the failure severity estimate which is obtained using the functional failure analysis. We are thus able to determine risky scenarios as well as risky software components, and the analysis feedback can be used to improve the software design. We illustrate the methodology on an e-commerce case study using step-by step approach, and then provide a brief description of a case study based on large real system.
Trypanosoma cruzi Immune Response Modulation Decreases Microbiota in Rhodnius prolixus Gut and Is Crucial for Parasite Survival and Development

Trypanosoma cruzi in order to complete its development in the digestive tract of Rhodnius prolixus needs to overcome the immune reactions and microbiota trypanolytic activity of the gut. We demonstrate that in R. prolixus following infection with epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi clone Dm28c and, in comparison with uninfected control insects, the midgut contained (i) fewer bacteria, (ii) higher parasite numbers, and (iii) reduced nitrite and nitrate production and increased phenoloxidase and antibacterial activities. In addition, in insects pre-treated with antibiotic and then infected with Dm28c, there were also reduced bacteria numbers and a higher parasite load compared with insects solely infected with parasites. Furthermore, and in contrast to insects infected with Dm28c, infection with T. cruzi Y strain resulted in a slight decreased numbers of gut bacteria but not sufficient to mediate a successful parasite infection. We conclude that infection of R. prolixus with the T. cruzi Dm28c clone modifies the host gut immune responses to decrease the microbiota population and these changes are crucial for the parasite development in the insect gut.
Biomechanical Comparison of 3 Current Ankle Syndesmosis Repair Techniques

Background: Significant debate exists regarding optimal repair for unstable syndesmosis injuries. Techniques range from screw fixation, suture-button fixation, or a combination of the two. In this study, 3 common repairs were compared using a simulated weightbearing protocol with internal and external rotation of the foot. Methods: Twenty-four lower leg specimens with mean age 54 years (range, 38-68 years) were used for testing. Following creation of a complete syndesmotic injury (AITFL, ITFL, PITFL, interosseous membrane), specimens were repaired using 1 of 3 randomly assigned techniques: (1) one 3.5-mm syndesmotic screw, (2) 1 suture-button construct, and (3) 2 divergent suture-button constructs. Repairs were cycled for 500 cycles between 7.5 Nm of internal/external rotation torque under a constant 750 N axial compressive load in a neutral dorsiflexion position. At 0, 10, 100, and 500 cycles, torsional cyclic loading was interrupted to assess torsional resistance to rotation within a physiologic range of motion (15 degrees external rotation to 10 degrees internal rotation). Torque (Nm), rotational position (degrees), and 3-dimensional data were collected throughout the testing to characterize relative spatial relationships of the tibiofibular articulation. Results: There were no significant differences between repair techniques in resistance to internal and external rotation with respect to the intact syndesmosis. Three-dimensional analysis revealed significant differences between repair techniques for sagittal fibular translation with external rotation of the foot. Screw fixation had the smallest magnitude of posterior sagittal translation (2.5 mm), and a single suture-button construct demonstrated the largest magnitude of posterior sagittal translation (4.6 mm). Screw fixation also allowed for significantly less anterior sagittal translation with internal rotation of the foot (0.1 mm) when compared to both 1 (2.7 mm) and 2 (2.9 mm) suture-button constructs. Conclusion: All repairs provided comparable rotational stability to the syndesmosis; however, no repair technique completely restored rotational stability and tibiofibular anatomic relationships of the preinjury state. Clinical Relevance: Constructs were comparable across most conditions; however, when repairing injuries with a suture-button construct, a single suture-button construct may not provide sufficient resistance to sagittal translation of the fibula.
Characterizing chronic disease and polymedication prescription patterns from electronic health records

Population aging in developed countries brings an increased prevalence of chronic disease and of polymedication-patients with several prescribed types of medication. Attention to chronic, polymedicated patients is a priority for its high cost and the associated risks, and tools for analyzing, understanding, and managing this reality are becoming necessary. We describe a prototype of a system for discovering, analyzing, and visualizing the co-occurrence of diagnostics, interventions, and medication prescriptions in a large patient database. The final tool is intended to be used both by health managers and planners and for primary care clinicians in direct contact with patients (for example for detecting unusual disease patterns and incorrect or missing medication). At the core of the analysis module there is a representation of diagnostics and medications as a hypergraph, and the most crucial functionalities rely on hypergraph transversal/variants of association rule discovery methods, with particular emphasis on discovering surprising or alarming combinations. The test database comes from the primary care system in the area of Barcelona for 2013, with over 1.6 million potential patients and almost 20 million diagnostics and prescriptions.
Interpreting the significance of drinking by alcohol‐dependent liver transplant patients: Fostering candor is the key to recovery

Few studies have examined the value of treating alcohol addiction either before or after liver transplantation. Nevertheless, most liver transplant programs and many insurance companies require 6 months to 1 year of abstinence from alcohol as a condition of eligibility for liver transplantation (the 6‐month rule). We believe there are potentially harsh clinical consequences to the implementation of this rule. For example, the natural history of alcohol use disorders often involves brief fallbacks to drinking (“slips”), but when alcoholic liver transplant candidates slip, most are removed from consideration for transplantation or are required to accrue another 6 months of sobriety. Because there is no alternative treatment to liver transplantation for most patients with end‐stage liver disease, the 6‐month rule could be lethal in some circumstances. In this review, we survey the literature concerning the ability of the 6‐month rule to predict drinking by alcoholic patients who undergo liver transplantation and examine its impact on the health consequences of drinking before and after liver transplantation. We believe that fostering candor between the alcoholic patient and the transplant team is the key to recovery from alcoholism. We conclude that it is unethical to force alcoholic liver patients who have resumed alcohol use while waiting for or after transplantation to choose between hiding their drinking to remain suitable candidates for transplantation or risk death by asking for treatment of alcoholism. Consequently, we advocate a flexible approach to clinical decision making for the transplant professional caring for an alcoholic patient who has resumed drinking and provide specific guidelines for patient management.
Association of Imaging Markers of Myocardial Fibrosis With Metabolic and Functional Disturbances in Early Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Background— Metabolic and vascular disturbances contribute to diabetic cardiomyopathy, but the role of interstitial fibrosis in early disease is unproven. We sought to assess the relationship between imaging markers of diffuse fibrosis and myocardial dysfunction and to link this to possible causes of early diabetic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results— Hemodynamic and metabolic data were measured in 67 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (age 60±10 years) with no cardiac symptoms. Myocardial function was evaluated with standard echocardiography and myocardial deformation; ischemia was excluded by exercise echocardiography. Calibrated integrated backscatter was calculated from parasternal long-axis views. T1 mapping was performed after contrast with a modified Look-Locker technique using saturation recovery images. Amino-terminal propeptides of procollagens type I and III, as well as the carboxy-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I, were assayed to determine collagen turnover. Subjects with abnormal early diastolic tissue velocity (Em) had shorter postcontrast T1 values (P=0.042) and higher calibrated integrated backscatter (P=0.007). They were heavier (P=0.003) and had worse exercise capacity (P<0.001), lower insulin sensitivity (P=0.003), and blunted systolic tissue velocity (P=0.05). Postcontrast T1 was associated with diastolic dysfunction (Em r=0.28, P=0.020; E/Em r=−0.24, P=0.049), impaired exercise capacity (r=0.30, P=0.016), central adiposity (r=−0.26, P=0.046), blood pressure (systolic r=−0.30, P=0.012; diastolic r=−0.49, P<0.001), and insulin sensitivity (r=0.30, P=0.037). The association of T1 with E/Em (&bgr;=−0.31, P=0.017) was independent of blood pressure and metabolic disturbance. Amino-terminal propeptide of procollagens type III was linked to diastolic dysfunction (Em r=−0.32, P=0.008) and calibrated integrated backscatter (r=0.30, P=0.015) but not T1 values. Conclusions— The association between myocardial diastolic dysfunction, postcontrast T1 values, and metabolic disturbance supports that diffuse myocardial fibrosis is an underlying contributor to early diabetic cardiomyopathy.