Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LncRNA SNHG5 promotes growth and invasion in melanoma by regulating the miR-26a-5p/TRPC3 pathway

Introduction Melanoma has been reported as the most common malignancy in skin cancer. The small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (SNHG5), an lncRNA, has been proven as a vital regulator in several types of carcinoma. This study was designed to investigate the detailed roles and possible mechanisms of SNHG5 in melanoma progression. Methods Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was conducted to detect the expression levels of SNHG5, miR-26a-5p and transient receptor potential, canonical 3 (TRPC3) mRNA in melanoma tissues and cells. CCK-8 assay was used to measure the cell viability. Flow cytometry assays were performed to determine the cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. The invasive ability was assessed by a 24-well Transwell insert. Western blot analysis was employed to evaluate the protein expression of TRPC3. Dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, and RNA pull-down assay were applied to identify the interactions among SNHG5, miR-26a-5p and TRPC3. Results The results showed that SNHG5 expression was increased in melanoma tumor tissues and cell lines. Higher SNHG5 expression was correlated with advanced pathogenic status. Moreover, SNHG5 could serve as a molecular sponge of miR-26a-5p. SNHG5 downregulation repressed proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and decreased invasion in melanoma cells, while these effects were greatly counteracted by miR-26a-5p inhibitor. Furthermore, miR-26a-5p directly targeted TRPC3 to suppress its expression, and this effect was aggravated following SNHG5 downregulation. Also, TRPC3 depletion exerted similar tumor-suppressive functions as SNHG5 knockdown. Conclusion SNHG5 promoted melanoma development by inhibiting miR-26a-5p and facilitating TRPC3 expression, highlighting the potential of SNHG5 as a novel target therapy for melanoma.
Genomic Insights into the Rice Blast Fungus through Estimation of Gene Emergence Time in Phylogenetic Context

Abstract The rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, is an important pathogen of rice plants. It is well known that genes encoded in the genome have different evolutionary histories that are related to their functions. Phylostratigraphy is a method that correlates the evolutionary origin of genes with evolutionary transitions. Here we applied phylostratigraphy to partition total gene content of M. oryzae into distinct classes (phylostrata), which we designated PS1 to PS7, based on estimation of their emergence time. Genes in individual phylostrata did not show significant biases in their global distribution among seven chromosomes, but at the local level, clustering of genes belonging to the same phylostratum was observed. Our phylostrata-wide analysis of genes revealed that genes in the same phylostratum tend to be similar in many physical and functional characteristics such as gene length and structure, GC contents, codon adaptation index, and level of transcription, which correlates with biological functions in evolutionary context. We also found that a significant proportion of genes in the genome are orphans, for which no orthologs can be detected in the database. Among them, we narrowed down to seven orphan genes having transcriptional and translational evidences, and showed that one of them is implicated in asexual reproduction and virulence, suggesting ongoing evolution in this fungus through lineage-specific genes. Our results provide genomic basis for linking functions of pathogenicity factors and gene emergence time.
Effect of atorvastatin on iron metabolism regulation in patients with chronic kidney disease – a randomized double blind crossover study

Abstract Introduction: To determine the effect of 6-month administration of atorvastatin on hepcidin and hemojuvelin levels, inflammatory parameters and iron metabolism in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 and 4. Methods: Thirty six statin- and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent-naive patients with CKD stages 3 and 4 and LDL cholesterol ≥100 mg/dl received atorvastatin or placebo for two 6-month periods in a double blind, randomized crossover study. Hepcidin, hemojuvelin, hsCRP, IL-6, hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width, iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) were measured before and after each treatment period. Results: Hepcidin decreased (from 102 [307] to 63 [170] pg/ml (p > .001)) in the course of statin therapy but remained unchanged after placebo administration (173 [256] to 153 [204] pg/ml, respectively). Hemojuvelin did not change after either part of the study. Both IL-6 and hsCRP decreased following statin therapy (from 8.7 [12.0] to 8.1 [13.9] pg/ml; p = .04 and from 4.7 [4.0] to 4.0 [3.6] mg/l; p = .4, respectively), but did not change after placebo administration. Blood hemoglobin increased slightly but significantly after 6-month statin therapy (from 11.6 ± 1.6 to 11.9 ± 1.5 g/dl, p = .002), and was unchanged after placebo treatment. TIBC and UIBC increased significantly after 6-month statin therapy, and serum iron also tended to increase. The change of eGFR during the study did not differ between the two treatment periods. Conclusions: Statin may have a small but potentially beneficial effect on serum hepcidin, which may lead to improvement of anemia control in CKD patients.
Balance assessment in people with COPD: An evidence-based guide

Balance problems and an increased rate and risk of falls are common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although a balance assessment is now recommended by clinical practice guidelines for pulmonary rehabilitation, specific tests have yet to be suggested. The purpose of this review is to provide an evidence-based synthesis of balance measurement in older adults and in people with COPD, to guide practice in this area. An overview of best practices for assessing balance and fall risk in older adults is provided along with a practical synthesis of evidence to date on common balance measures used in people with COPD such as the Timed Up and Go, Single Leg Stance, Berg Balance, and Mini and Full Balance Evaluation Systems Tests. Finally, two clinical scenarios are described to illustrate the process of evidence-based clinical decision-making with respect to balance assessment in people with COPD. Ultimately, the selection of balance test and its interpretation will depend on the purpose of the assessment, available data on psychometric properties, the patient’s individual characteristics, and the resources available to the clinician.
Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio on Pathologic Findings of Transrectal Ultrasonography Guided Biopsy of Prostate

Background and Objective: Prostate cancer is considered as one of the most common malignancies in males. Despite the decreasing trend during the past decade, the incidence continues to rise in adolescents worldwide. Recently, new emerging technologies beside TRUS-guided prostate biopsy were introduced and showed high potential in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The current study aimed at investigating the role of blood cell count and its prognostic value on pathologic findings. Methods: The current prospective analysis was conducted on patients with abnormality from January 2013 to January 2016. A total of 168 CBC tests including absolute Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were performed on males at the Department of Urology, Razi University Hospital (Guilan, Iran). Of these, all males had both CBCs and free:total (F/T) prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ratio. Results: Average age of patients was 63.5±7. It was observed that Neutrophil count and Neutrophil percentage was not significantly different among the groups with different pathologies. In comparison to biopsy findings none of the cell count had suitable specificity and sensitivity. In the multivariate analysis to predict malignancy, only age (B=0.1, S.E=0.04, EXP [B]) =1.1 and sig=0.00) and PSA level (B=0.1, S.E=0.04, EXP [B]) =1.1 and sig=0.00) were significant. Conclusions: In comparison to biopsy findings, none of the cell counts (absolute or percent) had suitable specificity and sensitivity, and the cell count and percentage before biopsy were not different among the groups with different pathologies. Powerful and long-term studies are required to evaluate prognostic values of cell count on adenocarcinoma.
Safety and efficacy of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients aged 65 years or older

Finding safe and effective treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the elderly is of clinical interest given the comorbidities and associated polypharmacy in this population. However, the number of patients older than age 65 years enrolled into clinical trials of anti-HCV medications generally have been limited and thus reaching meaningful conclusions for this demographic has been difficult. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is a once-daily, all-oral, ribavirin-free, pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral (DAA) combination therapy that has demonstrated high sustained virologic response rates at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12) and a favorable safety profile in patients with chronic HCV infection. This analysis evaluated the safety and efficacy of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir in patients aged ≥65 years. Data were pooled for treatment-naïve and -experienced patients with chronic HCV genotype (GT) 1–6 infections who received glecaprevir/pibrentasvir for 8, 12, or 16 weeks in 9 Phase 2 and 3 trials. SVR12 and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated for patients aged ≥65 versus <65 years. Of the 2369 patients enrolled, 328 (14%) were aged ≥65 years. Among patients aged ≥65 years, 42% and 34% had GT1 and GT2, respectively; 40% were treatment-experienced and 20% had compensated cirrhosis. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment resulted in SVR12 rates of 97.9% (95% CI, 96.3–99.4; n/N = 321/328) for patients aged ≥65 years and 97.3% (95% CI, 96.6–98.0; n/N = 1986/2041) for patients aged <65 years. The rates were not significantly different between the two age groups (P = 0.555). DAA-related AEs leading to treatment discontinuation, or serious AEs were similarly rare (<0.5%) for patients ≥65 and <65 years old. Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option for patients aged ≥65 years with chronic HCV infection.
Hydrocortisone, Vitamin C and thiamine for the treatment of sepsis and septic shock following cardiac surgery

Background and Aims: The effect of vitamin C on vasopressor requirement in critically ill patients have been evaluated previously. We aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin C, hydrocortisone and thiamine on vasopressor requirement and mortality in post-operative adult cardiac surgical patients with septic shock. Methods: About 24 patients with septic shock were randomised into Group 1 (receiving matching placebo per day for 4 days) and Group 2 (receiving 6 g vitamin C, 400 mg thiamine and 200 mg hydrocortisone per day for 4 days). Vasopressor dose over 4 days of therapy was the primary endpoint, whereas in-hospital mortality was the secondary endpoint. Results: APACHE IV and EUROSCORE II scores were similar between both the groups. Significant reductions in the requirement of vasopressin (difference from day 1 – 0.0008 ± 0.00289 vs 0.0033 ± 0.00492 units/kg/min; P = 0.019) and noradrenaline (difference from day 1 – 0.0283 ± 0.040 vs 0.023 ± 0.035 μg/kg/min; P = 0.006) were observed with vitamin C treatment as compared to control group. PCT levels on Day 3 (68.11 ± 33.64 vs 33.2 ± 27.55 ng/mL; P = 0.0161) and Day 4 (70.03 ± 29.74 vs 26.3 ± 23.08 ng/mL; P = 0.0009) were significantly lower in treatment group as compared to control. However, there was no difference in the Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and mortality between the studied groups. Conclusion: Combination of vitamin C, thiamine and hydrocortisone reduces vasopressor requirement in adult cardiac surgical patients with septic shock.
Propagation Characteristics of Fasting Duodeno-Jejunal Contractions in Healthy Controls Measured by Clustered Closely-spaced Manometric Sensors

Background/Aims High-resolution methods have advanced esophageal and anorectal manometry interpretation but are incompletely established for intestinal manometry. We characterized normal fasting duodeno-jejunal manometry parameters not measurable by standard techniques using clustered closely-spaced recordings. Methods Ten fasting recordings were performed in 8 healthy controls using catheters with 3–4 gastrointestinal manometry clusters with 1–2 cm channel spacing. Migrating motor complex phase III characteristics were quantified. Spatial-temporal contour plots measured propagation direction and velocity of individual contractions. Coupling was defined by pressure peak continuity within clusters. Results Twenty-three phase III complexes (11 antral, 12 intestinal origin) with 157 (95% CI, 104–211) minute periodicities, 6.99 (6.25–7.74) minute durations, 10.92 (10.68–11.16) cycle/minute frequencies, 73.6 (67.7–79.5) mmHg maximal amplitudes, and 4.20 (3.18–5.22) cm/minute propagation velocities were recorded. Coupling of individual contractions was 39.1% (32.1–46.1); 63.0% (54.4–71.6) of contractions were antegrade and 32.8% (24.1–41.5) were retrograde. Individual phase III contractions propagated > 35 fold faster (2.48 cm/sec; 95% CI, 2.25–2.71) than complexes themselves. Phase III complexes beyond the proximal jejunum were longer in duration (P = 0.025) and had poorer contractile coupling (P = 0.025) than proximal complexes. Coupling was greater with 1 cm channel spacing vs 2 cm (P < 0.001). Conclusions Intestinal manometry using clustered closely-spaced pressure ports characterizes novel antegrade and retrograde propagation and coupling properties which degrade in more distal jejunal segments. Coupling is greater with more closely-spaced recordings. Applying similar methods to dysmotility syndromes will define the relevance of these methods.
Factors associated with hospitalization and death among TB/HIV co-infected persons in Porto Alegre, Brazil

In locations with a high rate of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV infection, there are a number of strategies to prevent negative outcomes such as opportunistic infections, hospitalizations and death, and this article investigates risk factors for the occurrence of hospitalization and death in cases of TB/HIV co-infection in the south of Brazil. The data are taken from a population-based retrospective cohort study on cases of TB/HIV co-infection from 2009 to 2013 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Sociodemographic, epidemiological and clinical variables were analyzed. Relative risk (RR) estimates for hospitalization and death were determined by regression models. There were 2,419 co-infection cases, of which 1,527 (63.1%) corresponded to hospitalizations, and 662 (27.4%) to death. The occurrence of hospitalization was associated with ≤ 7 years of schooling (RR = 3.47, 95%CI: 1.97–6.29), 8–11 years of schooling (RR = 2.56, 95%CI: 1.44–4.69), place of origin—district health authorities Northwest/Humaitá/Navegantes/Ilhas (RR = 2.01, 95%CI: 1.44–2.82), type of entry into the surveillance system as in cases of reentry after withdrawal (RR = 1,35, 95%CI: 1.07–1.70), closure in surveillance as in withdrawal of treatment (RR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.18–1.83) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (RR = 3.94, 95%CI: 1.97–8.81). The occurrence of death was associated with age (RR = 1.07, 95%CI: 1,01–1,14), ≤ 7 years of schooling (RR = 3.94, 95%CI: 2.26–7.09), 8–11 years of schooling (RR = 2.84, 95%CI: 1.61–5.16), place of origin—district health authorities Baltazar (RR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.48–2.86), type of entry in the surveillance system as cases of re-entry after withdrawal (RR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.22–1.91), relapse (RR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.03–1.73). The occurrence of hospitalizations and deaths is high among co-infected patients. Our estimation approach is important in order to identify, from the surveillance data, the risk factors for hospitalization and death in co-infected patients, so that they may receive more attention from the Brazilian national healthcare system.
Current status of acute myocardial infarction in Korea

Coronary artery disease, especially acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is a leading cause of death in the Asia-Pacific region. The Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry (KAMIR) is the first nationwide, prospective, multicenter registry of Korean patients with AMI. Since the KAMIR first began in November 2005, more than 70,000 patients have been enrolled, and 230 papers have been published (as of October 2018). Moreover, published data from the KAMIR have revealed different characteristics from those of Western AMI registries regarding risk factors, interventional strategies, and clinical outcomes. As a result, the KAMIR study has improved the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention and reduced mortality. We propose the use of the KAMIR score in the prediction of 1-year mortality. Using data from the KAMIR, we provide an overview of the current status of AMI in Korea, including trends in demographic characteristics, risk factors, medications, treatment strategies, and clinical outcomes.
Highly prevalent at-risk sexual behaviours among out-of-school youths in urban Cameroon

Introduction Cameroon has a high prevalence of out-of-school youths. Therefore, research relating to out-of-school youths and HIV/AIDS is imperative, since they might engage in high risk sexual behaviours. The current study investigated the highly prevalent at-risk sexual behaviours among out-of-school youths in urban Cameroon. Methods A cross-sectional design was adopted using a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from a cluster sample of 405 out-of-school youths, aged 15-24 years. Statistics was calculated using SPSS version 20 at the level 0.05. Results By age less than 16 years, more females, 90.2% than males, 71.8% had experienced sex (p < 0.001); more females, 40.4% than males, 23.2% used condoms during first sex (p < 0.01); more males, 70.8% than females, 46.0% had multiple sequential sexual partners during the last one year prior to this study (p < 0.001); more males, 42.6% than females, 18.0% had multiple concurrent sexual partners during the study period (p < 0.01); more youths who did not belong to a well-defined social network, 80.8% had experienced sex than those who belonged, 55.8% (p < 0.001); more youths who did not belong to a well-defined social network had multiple sequential sexual partners, 46.7% than those who belonged, 32.3% (p < 0.01); more youths who belonged to a well-defined social network, 24.3% used condoms consistently than those who did not belong, 15.4% (p < 0.01). Conclusion Sexual risk behaviours exist among out-of-school youths in urban Cameroon. There is need for campaigns and interventions to bring about sexual behaviour change especially among those with low socioeconomic status. Youths should be encouraged to join well-defined social networks.
Comparison of anxiety and pain perceived with conventional and computerized local anesthesia delivery systems for different stages of anesthesia delivery in maxillary and mandibular nerve blocks

Background Fear of local anesthesia (LA) is a significant impediment to dental care as many patients delay or avoid treatment to avert pain. Computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system (CCLAD), with constant and controlled rate of flow, present a painless alternative. The present study aimed to compare anxiety and pain perceived with conventional and computerized systems, for different stages of anesthesia delivery when administering various nerve blocks. Methods One hundred patients requiring bilateral LA participated in the study. One side was anesthetized using one system and the contralateral side was anesthetized using the other, in two separate appointments. Patients assigned anxiety scores on a 5-point scale and used the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain determination at needle insertion, during delivery of anesthetic solution, immediately after injection, and at the end of the periodontal procedure. Each patient's preference for the delivery system of future injections was also recorded. Results Patients reported significantly lower anxiety levels with CCLAD compared to the syringe. Significantly lower mean VAS scores for anesthesia deposition, pain immediately after, and at the end of the periodontal procedure were also noted. However, pain at needle insertion was comparable between the two systems, with no statistical significance. Overall, 64.4% patients preferred CCLAD for future anesthesia. Conclusion Lower pain perceived with CCLAD and higher preference for the system suggest that CCLAD should replace conventional syringes to allow pain-free dental treatment.
Complex spike synchrony dependent modulation of rat deep cerebellar nuclear activity

The rules governing cerebellar output are not fully understood, but must involve Purkinje cell (PC) activity, as PCs are the major input to deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) cells (which form the majority of cerebellar output). Here, the influence of PC complex spikes (CSs) was investigated by simultaneously recording DCN activity with CSs from PC arrays in anesthetized rats. Crosscorrelograms were used to identify PCs that were presynaptic to recorded DCN cells (presynaptic PCs). Such PCs were located within rostrocaudal cortical strips and displayed synchronous CS activity. CS-associated modulation of DCN activity included a short-latency post-CS inhibition and long-latency excitations before and after the CS. The amplitudes of the post-CS responses correlated with the level of synchronization among presynaptic PCs. A temporal precision of ≤10 ms was generally required for CSs to be maximally effective. The results suggest that CS synchrony is a key control parameter of cerebellar output. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
Impact of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency on dengue infection in Myanmar children

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency may affect the clinical presentation of dengue due to the altered redox state in immune cells. We aimed to determine the association between G6PD deficiency and severity of dengue infection in paediatric patients in Myanmar. A cross-sectional study was conducted among paediatric patients aged 2–13 years with dengue in Yankin Children Hospital, Myanmar. One hundred and ninety-six patients positive for dengue infection, as determined via PCR or ELISA, were enrolled. Dengue severity was determined according to the 2009 WHO classification guidelines. Spectrophotometric assays determined G6PD levels. The adjusted median G6PD value of males in the study population was used to define various cut-off points according to the WHO classification guidelines. G6PD genotyping for Mahidol, Kaiping and Mediterranean mutations was performed for 128 out of 196 samples by real-time multiplex PCR. 51 of 196 (26.0%) patients had severe dengue. The prevalence of G6PD phenotype deficiency (< 60% activity) in paediatric patients was 14.8% (29/196), specifically, 13.6% (14/103) in males and 16.2% (15/93) in females. Severe deficiency (< 10% activity) accounted for 7.1% (14/196) of our cohort, occurring 11.7% (12/103) in males and 2.2% (2/93) in females. Among 128 samples genotyped, the G6PD gene mutations were detected in 19.5% (25/128) of patients, with 20.3% (13/ 64) in males and 18.8% (12/64) in females. The G6PD Mahidol mutation was 96.0% (24/25) while the G6PD Kaiping mutation was 4.0% (1/25). Severe dengue was not associated with G6PD enzyme deficiency or presence of the G6PD gene mutation. Thus, no association between G6PD deficiency and dengue severity could be detected. Trial registration: The study was registered following the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO-ICTRP) on Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR) website, registration number # TCTR20180720001