Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender, depression, and one-year prognosis after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess gender differences in the impact of depression on 1-year cardiac mortality in patients hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS Secondary analysis was performed on data from two studies that used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to assess depression symptoms during hospitalization: a prospective study of post-MI risk and a randomized trial of psychosocial intervention (control group only). The sample included 896 patients (283 women) who survived to discharge and received usual posthospital care. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk of 1-year cardiac mortality associated with baseline BDI scores. RESULTS There were 290 patients (133 women) with BDI scores > or =10 (at least mild to moderate symptoms of depression); 8.3% of the depressed women died of cardiac causes in contrast to 2.7% of the nondepressed. For depressed men, the rate of cardiac death was 7.0% in contrast to 2.4% of the nondepressed. Increased BDI scores were significantly related to cardiac mortality for both genders [the odds ratio for women was 3.29 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-10.59); for men, the odds ratio was 3.05 (95% CI = 1.29-7.17)]. Control for other multivariate predictors of mortality in the data set (age, Killip class, the interactions of gender by non-Q wave MI, gender by left ventricular ejection fraction, and gender by smoking) did not change the impact of the BDI for either gender. CONCLUSIONS Depression in hospital after MI is a significant predictor of 1-year cardiac mortality for women as well as for men, and its impact is largely independent of other post-MI risks.
Cesarean Delivery and Peripartum Hysterectomy

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the national incidence of peripartum hysterectomy and quantify the risk associated with cesarean deliveries and other factors. METHODS: A population-based, matched case-control study using the United Kingdom Obstetric Surveillance System, including 318 women in the United Kingdom who underwent peripartum hysterectomy between February 2005 and February 2006 and 614 matched control women. RESULTS: The incidence of peripartum hysterectomy was 4.1 cases per 10,000 births (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.6–4.5). Maternal mortality was 0.6% (95% CI 0–1.5%). Previous cesarean delivery (odds ratio [OR] 3.52, 95% CI 2.35–5.26), maternal age over 35 years (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.66–3.58), parity of three or greater (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.26–4.18), previous manual placental removal (OR 12.5, 95% CI 1.17–133.0), previous myomectomy (OR 14.0, 95% CI 1.31–149.3), and twin pregnancy (OR 6.30, 95% CI 1.73–23.0) were all risk factors for peripartum hysterectomy. The risk associated with previous cesarean delivery was higher with increasing numbers of previous cesarean deliveries (OR 2.14 with one previous delivery [95% CI 1.37–3.33], 18.6 with two or more [95% CI 7.67–45.4]). Women undergoing a first cesarean delivery in the current pregnancy were also at increased risk (OR 7.13, 95% CI 3.71–13.7). CONCLUSION: Peripartum hysterectomy is strongly associated with previous cesarean delivery, and the risk rises with increasing number of previous cesarean deliveries, maternal age over 35 years, and parity greater than 3. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, by degrading L-tryptophan, enhances carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activity and fatty acid oxidation, and exerts fatty acid-dependent effects in human alloreactive CD4+ T-cells.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is expressed in antigen-presenting cells and by degrading L-tryptophan along the kynurenine pathway suppresses CD4+ T-cell proliferation, induces apoptosis and promotes differentiation towards a regulatory as opposed to an effector phenotype. Recent findings revealed that the above effects may be mediated through alterations in T-cell metabolism. In this study, the effect of IDO on fatty acid β-oxidation in CD4+ T-cells was evaluated in human mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLRs) using the IDO inhibitor, 1-DL-methyl-tryptophan. Protein analysis of CD4+ T-cells isolated from the MLR showed that L-tryptophan degradation acts by activating the general control non‑derepressible 2 kinase and aryl-hydrocarbon receptor in T-cells. In the absence of IDO inhibition, fatty acid oxidation increased along with increased activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), the latter due to the increased expression of CPT1 isoenzymes and alterations in acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2, the enzyme that controls CPT1 activity. Increased fatty acid oxidation due to the action of IDO was accompanied by an increased expression of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) and a decreased expression of related orphan receptor γt (RORγt), the signature transcription factors of regulatory T-cells and T helper 17 cells, respectively. However, in MLR and in the presence of fatty acid in the culture medium, IDO did not inhibit proliferation. Additionally, fatty acid protected the CD4+ T-cells against apoptosis. Thus, IDO, by degrading L-tryptophan, enhances CPT1 activity and fatty acid oxidation, and exerts fatty acid-dependent effects in human alloreactive CD4+ T-cells.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) stimulate fibronectin synthesis and the transdifferentiation of fat-storing cells in the rat liver into myofibroblasts.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta 1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) stimulate the transdifferentiation of fat-storing cells (FSC) in the rat liver into highly active and "synthetic" myofibroblast-like cells (MFBIC). This activation has been documented by differential-interference contrast and light microscopy using morphologic criteria (a reduction in the number and size of fat droplets, cell flattening and the development of long cytoplasmic extensions), by the loss of retinyl-palmitate (measured by HPLC) and by the enhanced expression of iso-alpha smooth muscle actin (demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy). Furthermore, while cell growth measured by the cell count and DNA content is slightly inhibited by TGF beta 1 (0.81 of the control), the combination of TGF beta 1 with TNF alpha stimulates cell proliferation to 1.44 times of the control. In addition the combination of TGF beta and TNF alpha potentiated the stimulatory effect on fibronectin synthesis (TGF beta alone: 1.4 times control; TNF alpha alone: 2.2 times control; TGF beta plus TNF alpha: 4.7 times control). The total protein synthesis was not altered by TGF beta or TNF alpha. In summary the results obtained identify TGF beta and TNF alpha as mediators stimulating key events in liver fibrogenesis (i.e. FSC proliferation, FSC transdifferentiation into MFBIC, and fibronectin synthesis).
Estimation of risk of developing bladder cancer among workers exposed to coal tar pitch volatiles in the primary aluminum industry.

To confirm the relationship between exposure to coal tar pitch volatiles and bladder cancer among primary aluminum production workers, we carried out a case-control study among blue-collar workers who had worked more than 1 year between 1950-1979 in a major plant using mostly the Soderberg process in the Province of Québec. Cases of bladder cancer (ICD code 188) diagnosed between 1970-1979 (n = 69) were mostly included in a previously reported study. To these were added cases diagnosed between 1980-1988 (n = 69). Each case was matched to three controls on date of birth, date of hiring, and length of service at the company. Smoking habits were assessed from the medical records at the company. Benzene-soluble matter (BSM) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were used as indicators of environmental exposure to coal tar pitch volatiles in the workplace. The estimated risk for current smokers was 2.63 (95% C.I. 1.29-5.37). Estimates of risk by occupational exposure were adjusted for smoking. Men who had worked in the Soderberg potrooms were at higher risk of developing the disease, the risk increasing with the time spent in these departments. Similarly, a strong association between risk and cumulative exposure to BSM or to BaP was observed. The risks associated with cumulative exposure to BSM (mg/m3-years) and to BaP (microgram/m3-years) were described with mathematical models. Using a linear model (1 + bx) and lagging 10 years before the diagnosis, BaP cumulative exposure was a better indicator of risk than BSM cumulative exposure. The risk for each year of exposure to BaP at a concentration of 1 microgram/m3 increased by 1.7% (0.8%-3.2%). Using the same model for BSM, a worker exposed to the current threshold limit value of 0.2 mg/m3 for 40 years will sustain a risk of 2.22 (1.56-3.48). Comparison of risks according to different periods of diagnosis (1970-1979 vs. 1980-1988) did not reveal any significant temporal changes on risk estimates.
Antitumor activity of Fab' and IgG-anti-CD22 immunotoxins in disseminated human B lymphoma grown in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease: effect on tumor cells in extranodal sites.

The antitumor effects of two anti-CD22 ricin A chain-containing immunotoxin (IT) constructs were compared in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency disease with human Daudi cell tumors (SCID-Daudi mice). SCID-Daudi mice develop disseminated lymphoma that clinically resembles African Burkitt's lymphoma, i.e., extranodal disease including infiltration of the vertebral column and spinal canal. In the absence of treatment, the mean survival time of SCID-Daudi mice was 45.9 +/- 4.3 days. The mice was given injections of a dose of IT equal to 40% of the 50% lethal dose. The ITs consisted of either IgG or Fab' fragments of mouse anti-CD22 antibody coupled to deglycosylated ricin A chain (dgA). Both ITs were potent and specific and inhibited protein synthesis in Daudi cells in vitro by 50% at concentrations of 1.2 x 10(-12) (IgG-dgA) and 1.3 x 10(-11) M (Fab'-dgA). When administered to mice beginning 1 day after inoculation with tumor cells, both ITs extended the mean survival time, to 87.2 +/- 18.9 days (IgG-dgA) or 57.9 +/- 3.8 days (Fab'-dgA). The latter represented the killing of 2 logs of Daudi cells, and the former 4 logs. IgG antibody alone killed 1 log of tumor cells. The IgG-dgA had an antitumor effect even when administered 20-23 days after tumor inoculation. Gross and histological examinations of IT-treated tumor-bearing mice showed a marked decrease in the number and size of neoplastic foci in both lymphoid organs and extranodal sites.
CHILDHOOD CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE IN QATAR

Thirty children below the age of 12 with chronic renal failure (CRF) were studied. In 21 patients (70%) the renal failure was secondary to congenital or familial aetiology. Obstructive uropathy (53.3%), mostly due to posterior urethral valves (40%), comprised the majority of cases. Four cases (13.3%) were secondary to reflux nephropathy.
Modulation of thrombospondin 1 and pigment epithelium-derived factor levels in vitreous fluid of patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To determine the levels of 2 endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis, thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), in the vitreous fluid from patients with and without diabetes. METHODS The levels of TSP-1 and PEDF in vitreous samples from diabetic and age-matched nondiabetic patients were determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS We observed significant amounts of TSP-1 and PEDF in the vitreous samples of control eyes. The TSP-1 levels varied in samples from patients with diabetes. In contrast, PEDF levels showed little or no change in vitreous samples from patients with or without diabetes. However, the PEDF protein exhibited variation in its molecular weight among the samples. We consistently observed lower levels of TSP-1 in diabetic patients who expressed the higher-molecular-weight PEDF isoform. CONCLUSIONS In diabetes, changes in the TSP-1 level may play a role in shifting the angiogenic balance and contributing to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Although the PEDF level did not change, the diabetic samples with the higher-molecular-weight PEDF isoform consistently showed lower levels of TSP-1. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The presence of the higher-molecular-weight PEDF isoform may be associated with greater risk of severe diabetic retinopathy.
Increased Mean Platelet Volume and C-Reactive Protein Levels in Patients With Chronic Urticaria With a Positive Autologous Serum Skin Test

Introduction:Activation of the coagulation cascade resulting in thrombin production is a prominent feature of exacerbations in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CU). Autologous serum skin test (ASST) causes wheal-and-flare reactions in 30% to 50% of CU cases. Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory data in patients with CU with positive and negative ASST. To understand the role of platelets in CU, we investigated the relation between CU clinical severity, platelet count and their mean platelet volume (MPV). Methods:Clinical and laboratory data were prospectively collected from 373 patients with CU who attended our Allergy and Clinical immunology Clinic during the period 2003 to 2007. The laboratory data were compared with 46 healthy subjects. Results:There were no significant differences in platelet counts between the groups, nevertheless the platelets in ASST-positive CU patients were characterized by a higher MPV (9.12 ± 1.25 fl), than that in ASST-negative patients (7.95 ± 1.08 fl; P = 0.039) and control group (7.72 ± 1.04 fl; P = 0.007). There was a significant positive correlation between CU severity score and MPV in ASST-positive patients (r = 0.44; P < 0.001) but not in ASST-negative patients. Higher levels of C-reactive protein (5.31 ± 2.74 mg/L) were measured in the ASST-positive CU group compared with the ASST-negative CU group (2.53 ± 1.27; P = 0.029) and the control group (2.34 ± 1.38; P = 0.003). Conclusion:CU with positive ASST is characterized with higher clinical severity, increased MPV and C-reactive protein.
Postmastectomy Reconstruction is Associated with Improved Survival in Patients with Invasive Breast Cancer: A Single-institution Study

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy positively affects psychosocial well-being; however, the influence of reconstruction on cancer outcomes is unknown. The objective of our study was to compare survival in reconstructed versus nonreconstructed patients after mastectomy. All consecutive female patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and treated with mastectomy between 2002 and 2011 were identified from our single-institution database. All cancer operations were performed by two surgeons. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. To identify the effect of reconstruction on survival, a multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed. Of 474 patients treated, 340 (71.7%) underwent breast reconstruction. At a mean follow-up 3.3 years, reconstructed patients had a longer 5-year survival (91 vs 74%, P < 0.001). After controlling for age, race, payer source, cancer stage, triple negative status, and receipt of radiation or chemotherapy, reconstructed patients maintained a survival advantage over nonreconstructed patients (hazard ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.25 to 0.88; P = 0.02). Patients with breast cancer who undergo reconstruction have longer survival than nonreconstructed patients. The explanation for this finding may be related to improved psychosocial qualities of life versus possible antitumorigenic effects of implants.
A global assessment of endemism and species richness across island and mainland regions

Endemism and species richness are highly relevant to the global prioritization of conservation efforts in which oceanic islands have remained relatively neglected. When compared to mainland areas, oceanic islands in general are known for their high percentage of endemic species but only moderate levels of species richness, prompting the question of their relative conservation value. Here we quantify geographic patterns of endemism-scaled richness (“endemism richness”) of vascular plants across 90 terrestrial biogeographic regions, including islands, worldwide and evaluate their congruence with terrestrial vertebrates. Endemism richness of plants and vertebrates is strongly related, and values on islands exceed those of mainland regions by a factor of 9.5 and 8.1 for plants and vertebrates, respectively. Comparisons of different measures of past and future human impact and land cover change further reveal marked differences between mainland and island regions. While island and mainland regions suffered equally from past habitat loss, we find the human impact index, a measure of current threat, to be significantly higher on islands. Projected land-cover changes for the year 2100 indicate that land-use-driven changes on islands might strongly increase in the future. Given their conservation risks, smaller land areas, and high levels of endemism richness, islands may offer particularly high returns for species conservation efforts and therefore warrant a high priority in global biodiversity conservation in this century.
Efficient Multijunction Solar Cell Design for Maximum Annual Energy Yield by Representative Spectrum Selection

We describe a systematic approach to multijunction solar cell (MJSC) design that unambiguously identifies the spectrum to be used in cell optimization such that local annual energy yield is maximized. A set of candidate spectra is generated from air mass (AM) values ranging from AM1d to AM5d. Each candidate spectrum is used to find the bandgap combination that maximizes cell efficiency and its energy yield is then calculated using an efficient data reduction approach. The bandgap combination that maximizes annual energy yield identifies the representative spectrum. We do this for cells with up to eight junctions across all clear-sky latitudes and compare our results to other cell optimization approaches. Our representative spectrum selection (RSS) approach is robust and highly tolerant of variations in latitude, particularly when compared to the standard AM1.5d approach which, at midlatitudes, cannot be used without suffering an increasingly severe yield penalty. Comparison against the 50% cumulative energy AM (50% AM) design approach is enabled by using the same design conditions (sea level and ASTM standard atmosphere) in order to unambiguously associate each 50% AM value with a cell design spectrum. We find that our RSS approach always produces cells with slightly higher annual energy yields than are achieved by the corresponding 50% AM designs. While both approaches show similar yields for devices with few junctions, we find yield enhancements approaching 1% for cell designs with many junctions, emphasizing the need to consider the spectral variability of the local solar resource. This consideration is systematically enabled by our RSS approach, addressing a deficiency in the previous design approaches.
Immunohistochemical assessment of tumor proliferation and volume of embryonal carcinoma identify patients with clinical stage a nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumor at low risk for occult metastasis

Background. Thirty percent of patients with clinical Stage A nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumor (NSGCT) are incorrectly clinically staged. In a previous retrospective study at Indiana University, the combination of tumor proliferation rates by flow cytometry and histopathologic evaluation defined risk groups for occult metastatic disease in these patients with clinical Stage A NSGCT. A new immunohistochemical proliferation marker (MIB‐1) was therefore used to assess growth fraction in combination with histopathology in an effort to predict pathologic stage in patients with clinical Stage A NSGCT.
Interferon-α adjuvant therapy decreases the recurrence of early clear cell renal cell carcinoma and improves the prognosis of Chinese patients

The survival time of patients with early clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is fairly long, but 20% to 30% of patients with localized tumors experience relapse, and the effect of IFN-α on survival has not been well studied in patients with early ccRCC. In this study, 208 patients with early ccRCC were treated with surgery, and 54 of the patients received IFN-α as adjuvant therapy. The remaining 115 patients were treated with surgery but not with IFN-α therapy. The primary endpoint was the recurrence rate, 20.37% (11/54) and 33.04% (38/115) in the IFN-α and surgery-only group, respectively. The secondary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), which was 123.70 (95% CI: 107.18–140.22) months for the IFN-α group, and 95.80 (95% CI: 82.18–109.42) months for the non-IFN-α group; this difference was significant (P < 0.05). The main side effects were pyrexia (61.11%), muscle pain (24.07%), malaise (9.26%), anorexia (5.56%), hepatic dysfunction (3.70%) and renal dysfunction (1.85%). Moreover, a multivariate regression identified older age, higher BMI index and smoking as significant and independent predictors of decreased PFS (P < 0.05). Overall, IFN-α therapy significantly improved PFS in Chinese patients with early ccRCC and was an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study showed that adjuvant IFN-α therapy decreased the recurrence rate and prolonged PFS in patients with ccRCC. Thus, this treatment may help clinicians to select a better treatment modality and better predict survival in these patients.
Plasmid‐encoded biosynthetic genes alleviate metabolic disadvantages while increasing glucose conversion to shikimate in an engineered Escherichia coli strain

Metabolic engineering strategies applied over the last two decades to produce shikimate (SA) in Escherichia coli have resulted in a battery of strains bearing many expression systems. However, the effects that these systems have on the host physiology and how they impact the production of SA are still not well understood. In this work we utilized an engineered E. coli strain to determine the consequences of carrying a vector that promotes SA production from glucose with a high‐yield but that is also expected to impose a significant cellular burden. Kinetic comparisons in fermentors showed that instead of exerting a negative effect, the sole presence of the plasmid increased glucose consumption without diminishing the growth rate. By constitutively expressing a biosynthetic operon from this vector, the more active glycolytic metabolism was exploited to redirect intermediates toward the production of SA, which further increased the glucose consumption rate and avoided excess acetate production. Fluxomics and metabolomics experiments revealed a global remodeling of the carbon and energy metabolism in the production strain, where the increased SA production reduced the carbon available for oxidative and fermentative pathways. Moreover, the results showed that the production of SA relies on a specific setup of the pentose phosphate pathway, where both its oxidative and non‐oxidative branches are strongly activated to supply erythrose‐4‐phosphate and balance the NADPH requirements. This work improves our understanding of the metabolic reorganization observed in E. coli in response to the plasmid‐based expression of the SA biosynthetic pathway. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1319–1330. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.