Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Effects of Beta-2 Agonists on Skeletal Muscle Differentiation, Hypertrophy, and Atrophy

BackgroundBeta-2 agonists are widely used in the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for their effect on airway smooth muscle relaxation. They also act on skeletal muscle, although their reported ergogenic effect is controversial.AimTo evaluate the in vitro effects of short-acting and long-acting beta-2 agonists on adrenergic receptor (ADR) expression, hypertrophy, and atrophy markers, in a skeletal muscle cell line.MethodsThe C2C12 cell line was used as a model of skeletal muscle differentiation. ADR messenger RNA expression was evaluated in proliferating myoblasts, committed cells, and differentiated myotubes, in basal conditions and after treatment with 10-6 M clenbuterol, salbutamol, salmeterol, and formoterol. Effect of beta-2 agonists on gene and protein expression of hypertrophy and atrophy markers was assessed in differentiated myotubes.ResultsOur study shows that beta-2 ADR messenger RNA was expressed and progressively increased during cell differentiation. Beta-2 agonist treatment did not affect its expression. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy markers (fast and slow myosin, myogenin) were not modulated by any of the beta-2 agonists evaluated. However, clenbuterol induced a significant, dose-dependent downregulation of skeletal muscle atrophy genes (atrogin-1, MuRF-1, and cathepsin L). ConclusionsThe reported ergogenic effect of beta-2 agonists, if any, should be considered as drug-specific and not class-specific and that of clenbuterol is mediated by the inhibition of the atrophic pathway.
Aperiodic-Tiling-Based Mushroom-Type High-Impedance Surfaces

This letter deals with a study of aperiodically ordered textured (mushroom-type) high-impedance surfaces (HISs), and their possible application as artificial-magnetic-conductor ground-planes for low-profile directive antennas. In this framework, results from full-wave simulations are presented in order to characterize the electromagnetic response (in terms of impedance matching, directivity, and surface-wave suppression) of selected configurations based on representative categories of aperiodic tilings, and compare them with those of standard periodic HISs.
Chapter 8 Cardiovascular Diseases from Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

The 2001 Surgeon General’s Report 509 Evaluating the Epidemiologic Evidence 512 Misclassifying Exposures 513 Controlling for Confounding 517 Workplace Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease 519 Biologic Plausibility of the Magnitude of the Association 519 Publication Bias 520 Previous Reviews of the Evidence 521 Updated Meta-Analysis of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke and Cardiovascular Disease 523 Dose-Response Analysis 523 Methods 523 Results 524
Hyperbolic Location Fingerprinting: A Calibration-Free Solution for Handling Differences in Signal Strength (concise contribution)

Differences in signal strength among wireless network cards, phones and tags are a fundamental problem for location fingerprinting. Current solutions require manual and error-prone calibration for each new client to address this problem. This paper proposes hyperbolic location fingerprinting, which records fingerprints as signal- strength ratios between pairs of base stations instead of absolute signal-strength values. The proposed solution has been evaluated by extending two well-known location fingerprinting techniques to hyperbolic location fingerprinting. The extended techniques have been tested on ten- hour-long signal-strength traces collected with five different IEEE 802.11 network cards. The evaluation shows that the proposed solution solves the signal-strength difference problem without requiring extra manual calibration and provides a performance equal to that of existing manual solutions.
A nomogram for predicting survival in patients with breast cancer brain metastasis

Brain metastasis (BM) is common in patients with breast cancer. Predicting patient survival is critical for the clinical management of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM). The present study was designed to develop and evaluate a prognostic model for patients with newly diagnosed BCBM. Based on the clinical data of patients with BCBM treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medical Sciences (Beijing, China) between 2002 and 2014, a nomogram was developed to predict survival using proportional hazards regression analysis. The model was validated internally by bootstrapping, and the concordance index (c-index) was calculated. A calibration curve and c-index were used to evaluate discriminatory and predictive ability, in order to compare the nomogram with widely used models, including recursive partitioning analysis (RPA), graded prognostic assessment (GPA) and breast-graded prognostic assessment (Breast-GPA). A total of 411 patients with BCBM were included in the development of this predictive model. The median overall survival time was 14.1 months. Statistically significant predictors for patient survival included biological subtype, Karnofsky performance score, leptomeningeal metastasis, extracranial metastasis, the number of brain metastases and disease-free survival. A nomogram for predicting 1- and 2-year overall survival rates was constructed, which exhibited good accuracy in predicting overall survival with a concordance index of 0.735. This model outperformed RPA, GPA and Breast-GPA, based on the comparisons of the c-indexes. The nomogram constructed based on a multiple factor analysis was able to more accurately predict the individual survival probability of patients with BCBM, compared with existing models.
Monocanalicular Versus Bicanalicular Silicone Intubation for Nasolacrimal Duct Stenosis in Adults

Purpose: To compare the success rate of monocanalicular versus bicanalicular silicone intubation of incomplete nasolacrimal duct obstruction (nasolacrimal duct stenosis) in adults. Methods: In a retrospective, nonrandomized comparative case series, 48 eyes of 44 adult patients with nasolacrimal duct stenosis underwent endoscopic probing and either bicanalicular (BCI; n = 22 eyes) or monocanalicular (MCI; n = 26 eyes) nasolacrimal duct intubation under general anesthesia. “Complete success” was defined as complete disappearance of the symptoms, “partial success” as improvement with some residual symptoms, and “failure” as absence of improvement or worsening of symptoms at last follow-up. The last follow-up examination included diagnostic probing and irrigation if there was not complete success. Results: Patient ages ranged from 31 to 90 years (mean, 69; SD, 11.5). Forty-five tubes were removed 6 to 17 weeks (mean, 9.1; SD, 3) after surgery. Premature tube dislocation and removal occurred in one eye with BCI and in two eyes with MCI. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 52 months (mean, 14.9; SD, 8.4). The complete success rate was nearly the same in eyes with MCI (16/26, 61.53%) and BCI (13/22, 59.09%). Partial success (MCI: 8/26, 30.76%; BCI: 1/22, 4.54%) and failure (MCI: 2/26, 7.69%; BCI: 8/22, 36.36%) were, however, significantly different (p = 0.010). Complications included 3 slit puncta with BCI and 4 temporary superficial punctuate keratopathy after MCI. Conclusions: MCI had virtually the same complete success rate as BCI, a higher partial success rate than BCI, and a lower failure rate than BCI in treatment of nasolacrimal duct stenosis in adults.
Can the Pirani Score Predict the Number of Casts and the Need for Tenotomy in the Management of Clubfoot by the Ponseti Method?

Introduction: We assessed the role of the Pirani score in determining the number of casts and its ability to suggest requirement for tenotomy in the management of clubfoot by the Ponseti method. Materials and Methods: Prospective analysis of 66 (110 feet) cases of idiopathic clubfoot up to one year of age was done. Exclusion criteria included children more than one year of age at the start of treatment, non-idiopathic cases and previously treated or operated cases. Results: The initial Pirani score was (5.5±0.7) for the tenotomy group and the initial Pirani score was (3.3±1.6) for the non-tenotomy group. There was a significant difference between the initial Pirani score for the tenotomy and the non-tenotomy group with t= -7.9, df= 64 p<0.0001. The tenotomy group had a significantly higher number of casts (four to seven) compared to non-tenotomy group (two to five) t=-10.4, df=64, p<0.0001. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was significant and confirmed positive correlation between the initial Pirani score and the number of casts required to correct the deformity (r = 0.931, p<0.0001). Conclusion: Initial high Pirani score suggests the need for greater number of casts to achieve correction and probable need for tenotomy. The number of casts required in achieving complete correction increases with increase in the initial Pirani score. The initial high hindfoot score (2.5-3) signifies the probable need of a minor surgical intervention of percutaneous tendoachilles tenotomy. Based on the initial Pirani score, parents can be informed about the probable duration of treatment and the need for tenotomy.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children and Adolescents: Lifestyle Change - a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM This manuscript seeks to analyze the impact of lifestyle changes on body mass index (BMI), aminotransferases and steatosis in children and adolescents with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MATERIALS AND METHODS A review of PubMed, BIREME, Scopus, EMBASE, Medline and Web of Science databases 2015 was performed seeking studies addressing the impact of lifestyle interventions on children and/or adolescents with NAFLD. Inclusion were manuscripts written in Portuguese, English and Spanish, as well as age less than 18 years. Two reviewers performed the data extraction independently and differences were resolved by consensus. Outcome measures were BMI, serum aminotransferase levels and the presence of hepatic steatosis. RESULTS The literature search identified 71,012 articles. After excluding 46,397 duplicates and other clearly irrelevant studies, 89 publications were reviewed in detail. Another 55 studies were excluded at this stage. Subsequently, 18 were excluded due to lack of data and three new articles were found in the review of the references of previously identified manuscripts. Therefore, 19 studies that had evaluated 923 subjects (477 boys and 446 girls) aged 6-18 years were included in the review. In most studies, the intervention included aerobic exercise and diet. In nine studies, BMI improved significantly following the intervention. The vast majority of studies reported a benefit from the intervention on aminotransferase levels. Lifestyle changes also had a significant impact on steatosis, reducing the risk by 61%. CONCLUSIONS Lifestyle changes lead to significant improvements in BMI, aminotransferase levels and hepatic steatosis in children and adolescents with NAFLD.
Host species, and not environment, predicts variation in blood parasite prevalence, distribution, and diversity along a humidity gradient in northern South America

Abstract Environmental factors strongly influence the ecology and evolution of vector‐borne infectious diseases. However, our understanding of the influence of climatic variation on host–parasite interactions in tropical systems is rudimentary. We studied five species of birds and their haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) at 16 sampling sites to understand how environmental heterogeneity influences patterns of parasite prevalence, distribution, and diversity across a marked gradient in water availability in northern South America. We used molecular methods to screen for parasite infections and to identify parasite lineages. To characterize spatial heterogeneity in water availability, we used weather‐station and remotely sensed climate data. We estimated parasite prevalence while accounting for spatial autocorrelation, and used a model selection approach to determine the effect of variables related to water availability and host species on prevalence. The prevalence, distribution, and lineage diversity of haemosporidian parasites varied among localities and host species, but we found no support for the hypothesis that the prevalence and diversity of parasites increase with increasing water availability. Host species and host × climate interactions had stronger effects on infection prevalence, and parasite lineages were strongly associated with particular host species. Because climatic variables had little effect on the overall prevalence and lineage diversity of haemosporidian parasites across study sites, our results suggest that independent host–parasite dynamics may influence patterns in parasitism in environmentally heterogeneous landscapes.
Predicting the long-term use of overlays in children: the Pattern Glare Test

Aim: To determine whether the Institute of Optome- try Pattern Glare Test (PGT) could be used as a sensitive tool to predict the continued use of coloured overlays for reading in schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years and to compare its sensitivity with that of the Wilkins Rate of Reading Test (WRRT) and the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test. Methods : Twenty-six children referred for a coloured overlay assessment in relation to difficulties with literacy skills were recruited to the study. An assessment took place which included orthoptic examination, coloured overlay assessment, PGT, WRRT and DEM test. The overlay chosen was provided for use at home and at school and follow- up took place 13–15 weeks later. Overlay usage was then analysed in relation to the scores recorded at the initial visit for PGT, WRRT and DEM test. Results: Nineteen children were still consistently using their overlays at the follow-up visit. No statistically significant difference was found in the PGT score of those children who consistently used overlays (group 1) compared with those who did not (group 2) (unpaired t -test, p = 0.62). The PGT was found to have 53% sensitivity in predicting those children who would consistently use overlays, com- pared with 79% for the WRRT and 77% for the DEM test. Conclusion : This study did not find the PGT to be a sensitive tool for predicting those children who would consistently use overlays in comparison with the WRRT and the DEM test.
Targeted overexpression of prostacyclin synthase inhibits lung tumor progression by recruiting CD4+ T lymphocytes in tumors that express MHC class II

ABSTRACT Lung-specific overexpression of prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) decreases tumor initiation in murine lung cancer models. Prostacyclin analogs prevent lung tumor formation in mice and reverse bronchial dysplasia in former smokers. However, the effect of prostacyclin on lung cancer progression has not been well studied. We investigated the effects of pulmonary PGIS overexpression in an orthotopic immunocompetent mouse model of lung cancer using two murine lung cancer cell lines. Pulmonary PGIS overexpression significantly inhibited CMT167 lung tumor growth, increased CXCL9 expression, and increased CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Immunodepletion of CD4+ T cells abolished the inhibitory effect of pulmonary PGIS overexpression on CMT167 lung tumor growth. In contrast, pulmonary PGIS overexpression failed to inhibit growth of a second murine lung cancer cell line, Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) cells, and failed to increase CXCL9 expression or CD4+ T lymphocytes in LLC lung tumors. Transcriptome profiling of CMT167 cells and LLC cells recovered from tumor-bearing mice demonstrated that in vivo, CMT167 cells but not LLC cells express MHC class II genes and cofactors necessary for MHC class II processing and presentation. These data demonstrate that prostacyclin can inhibit lung cancer progression and suggest that prostacyclin analogs may serve as novel immunomodulatory agents in a subset of lung cancer patients. Moreover, expression of MHC Class II by lung cancer cells may represent a biomarker for response to prostacyclin.
Stellate ganglion blockade and bilateral cardiac sympathetic denervation in patients with life‐threatening ventricular arrhythmias

Autonomic modulation is being increasingly employed as a strategy to treat ventricular arrhythmias refractory to beta‐blockers, antiarrhythmic drugs, and catheter‐based ablation procedures. We report 6 patients with refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) treated with stellate ganglion blockade (SGB) and/or bilateral cardiac sympathetic denervation (CSD). Our case series emphasizes the concept that the cardiac sympathetic nerves are important targets in the management of ventricular arrhythmias. SGB and CSD can be effective in suppressing VT/VF and can be offered to patients with refractory ventricular arrhythmias as an adjunct to conventional therapy.
Lysyl oxidase family members in urological tumorigenesis and fibrosis

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is an extracellular copper-dependent monoamine oxidase that catalyzes crosslinking of soluble collagen and elastin into insoluble, mature fibers. Lysyl oxidase-like proteins (LOXL), LOX isozymes with partial structural homology, exhibit similar catalytic activities. This review summarizes recent findings describing the roles of LOX family members in urological cancers and fibrosis. LOX/LOXL play key roles in extracellular matrix stability and integrity, which is essential for normal female pelvic floor function. LOX/LOXL inhibition may reverse kidney fibrosis and ischemic priapism. LOX and LOXL2 reportedly promote kidney carcinoma tumorigenesis, while LOX, LOXL1 and LOXL4 suppress bladder cancer growth. Multiple studies agree that the LOX propeptide may suppress tumor growth, but the role of LOX in prostate cancer remains controversial. Further studies are needed to clarify the exact effects and mechanism of LOX/LOXL on urological malignancies.
Sequential change detection and monitoring of temporal trends in random‐effects meta‐analysis

Temporal changes in magnitude of effect sizes reported in many areas of research are a threat to the credibility of the results and conclusions of meta‐analysis. Numerous sequential methods for meta‐analysis have been proposed to detect changes and monitor trends in effect sizes so that meta‐analysis can be updated when necessary and interpreted based on the time it was conducted. The difficulties of sequential meta‐analysis under the random‐effects model are caused by dependencies in increments introduced by the estimation of the heterogeneity parameter τ2. In this paper, we propose the use of a retrospective cumulative sum (CUSUM)‐type test with bootstrap critical values. This method allows retrospective analysis of the past trajectory of cumulative effects in random‐effects meta‐analysis and its visualization on a chart similar to CUSUM chart. Simulation results show that the new method demonstrates good control of Type I error regardless of the number or size of the studies and the amount of heterogeneity. Application of the new method is illustrated on two examples of medical meta‐analyses. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Global burden of neuroendocrine tumors and changing incidence in Kentucky

Background Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) have a low incidence but relatively high prevalence. Over the last three decades, the incidence of NETs has risen 6-fold in the United States. We conducted an observational study to compare the incidence of NETs reported to the Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) versus that reported to Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER). We also provide a systematic review of the state of neuroendocrine tumors worldwide, and compare the available global and local published data. Methods KCR and SEER databases were queried for NET cases between 1995 and 2015. A detailed literature review of epidemiological data for various nations worldwide summarize epidemiological data from various countries. Results KCR recorded 6179 individuals with newly diagnosed NETs between 1995 and 2015. Between 1995-2012, the incidence of NETs in KCR increased from 3.1 to 7.1 per 100,000 cases, while it increased from 3.96 to 6.61 in the SEER database. The incidence rates in both KCR and SEER databases were linear. 90.57% were Caucasians with 54.74% females. 27.67% of the Kentucky population was from the Appalachian region. Patients aged 50-64 years had the highest prevalence (38%). Lung NET (30.60%) formed the bulk of cases, followed by small intestine (16.82%), rectum/anus (11.35%) and colon (9.71%). Conclusions NETs incidence between 1995 and 2015 show a linear increase in both KCR and SEER databases. Because of this increased incidence it is imperative for community oncologists to familiarize themselves with this entity, which until recently was under-studied and with few viable treatment options.
ApoER 2 and Reelin are expressed in regenerating peripheral nerve and regulate Schwann cell migration by activating the Rac 1 GEF protein , Tiam 1

a Laboratorio de Tráfico Intracelular y Señalización, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile b Millennium Nucleus for Regenerative Biology, Santiago, Chile c Departmento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile d Laboratory of Neurobiology, Instituto Mercedes y Martin Ferreyra (INIMEC) CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
Plaque characterization in ex vivo MRI evaluated by dense 3D correspondence with histology

Automatic quantification of carotid artery plaque composition is important in the development of methods that distinguish vulnerable from stable plaques. MRI has shown to be capable of imaging different components noninvasively. We present a new plaque classification method which uses 3D registration of histology data with ex vivo MRI data, using non-rigid registration, both for training and evaluation. This is more objective than previously presented methods, as it eliminates selection bias that is introduced when 2D MRI slices are manually matched to histological slices before evaluation. Histological slices of human atherosclerotic plaques were manually segmented into necrotic core, fibrous tissue and calcification. Classification of these three components was voxelwise evaluated. As features the intensity, gradient magnitude and Laplacian in four MRI sequences after different degrees of Gaussian smoothing, and the distances to the lumen and the outer vessel wall, were used. Performance of linear and quadratic discriminant classifiers for different combinations of features was evaluated. Best accuracy (72.5 ± 7.7%) was reached with the linear classifier when all features were used. Although this was only a minor improvement to the accuracy of a classifier that only included the intensities and distance features (71.6 ± 7.9%), the difference was statistically significant (paired t-test, p<0.05). Good sensitivity and specificity for calcification was reached (83% and 95% respectively), however, differentiation between fibrous (sensitivity 85%, specificity 60%) and necrotic tissue (sensitivity 49%, specificity 89%) was more difficult.