Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of Screening Breast MRI After Negative Full-Field Digital Mammography Versus After Negative Digital Breast Tomosynthesis in Women at Higher Than Average Risk for Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to compare the supplemental cancer yield and performance of breast MRI in women at higher-than-average risk for breast cancer after negative 2D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) or negative digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective review identified 4418 screening breast MRI examinations: 2291 were performed from January 2010 through January 2012 of patients with a negative FFDM examination in the 12 months before MRI (FFDM group), and 2127 were performed from January 2013 through January 2015 of patients with a negative DBT examination in the 12 months before MRI (DBT group). Screening indications included genetic predisposition, personal history of breast cancer or high-risk lesion, prior chest irradiation, family history, or other risk factors conferring a lifetime risk of greater than 20%. Supplemental cancer detection rate (CDR), abnormal interpretation rate (AIR), and positive predictive values (PPVs) were estimated with 95% exact CIs. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for differences in patient demographics, was used to compare metrics. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the CDR of MRI in the FFDM group versus the DBT group (11 vs 16 cancers per 1000 examinations, respectively; odds ratio, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.4-1.2; p = 0.23). The AIR, PPV1, PPV2, and PPV3 were 7.4%, 15%, 23%, and 28% for the FFDM group and 7.3%, 22%, 33%, and 35% for the DBT group, with no statistical differences. Of the cancers detected in both groups, the majority were invasive, less than 1 cm, and node-negative. CONCLUSION In women at higher-than-average risk of breast cancer screened with DBT, the supplemental CDR of MRI is similar to that of MRI after FFDM screening, with most cancers being invasive, subcentimeter, and node-negative.
Impaired Glucocorticoid Suppression of TGFβ Signaling in Human Omental Adipose Tissues Limits Adipogenesis and May Promote Fibrosis

Visceral obesity is associated with insulin resistance and higher risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic diseases. A limited ability of adipose tissues to remodel through the recruitment and differentiation of adipose stem cells (ASCs) is associated with adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis and the metabolic syndrome. We show that the lower adipogenesis of omental (Om) compared with abdominal subcutaneous (Abdsc) ASCs was associated with greater secretion of TGFβ ligands that acted in an autocrine/paracrine loop to activate SMAD2 and suppress adipogenesis. Inhibition of TGFβ signaling rescued Om ASC differentiation. In Abdsc ASCs, low concentrations of dexamethasone suppressed TGFβ signaling and enhanced adipogenesis, at least in part by increasing TGFBR3 protein that can sequester TGFβ ligands. Om ASCs were resistant to these dexamethasone effects; recombinant TGFBR3 increased their differentiation. Pericellular fibrosis, a hallmark of dysfunctional adipose tissue, was greater in Om and correlated with higher level of tissue TGFβ signaling activity and lower ASC differentiation. We conclude that glucocorticoids restrain cell-autonomous TGFβ signaling in ASCs to facilitate adipogenesis and healthy remodeling in Abdsc and these processes are impaired in Om. Therapies directed at overcoming glucocorticoid resistance in visceral adipose tissue may improve remodeling and help prevent metabolic complications of visceral obesity.
Trends in Colon and Rectal Cancer Incidence in Australia from 1982 to 2014: Analysis of Data on Over 375,000 Cases

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. Emerging evidence from several countries suggests increasing incidence in people aged <50 years. Methods: We assessed colon and rectal cancer incidence trends in people aged 20+ in Australia from 1982 to 2014. We used data on 375,008 incident cases (248,162 colon and 126,846 rectal). We quantified the annual percentage change (APC) in rates by age group using Joinpoint regression. Results: For people aged <50 years, colon cancer rates increased from the mid-2000s, with the increase in APCs ranging from 1.7% to 9.3% per annum (depending on specific age group); rectal cancer rates increased from the early 1990s, with APCs ranging from 0.9% to 7.1% per annum. For people aged 50 to 69 years, colon and rectal cancer rates decreased from the mid-1990s, with the decrease in APCs in specific age groups ranging from 0.8% to 4.8% per annum (except for colon cancer in those ages 65 to 69 years, where similar rate decreases were observed from 2007). An overall reduction in older persons (>70 years) was estimated at 1.9% to 4.9% per annum for colon cancer from 2010 onward and 1.1% to 1.8% per annum in rectal cancer from the early 2000s onward. Conclusions: Colon and rectal cancer incidence has increased in people aged <50 years in Australia over the last two decades. However, colon and rectal cancer rates decreased in people aged 50+, likely due to de facto and organized bowel cancer screening. Impact: Further research is needed to examine the cause of the increase and to quantify the impact of future trends on the cost-effectiveness of population-based screening for those <50 years.
Ribonuclease MCPiP1 contributes to the loss of micro-RNA-200 family members in pancreatic cancer cells

The microRNA-200 (miR-200) family is frequently down-regulated in tumors, including pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PDACs). In this study we have examined the mechanisms involved in the loss of miR-200s in tumoral pancreatic cells. Whereas miR-200 gene promoters appear methylated in mature miR-200 deficient cell lines, miR-200 precursors are detected in nuclear but not cytoplasmic compartment of these cells, indicating that promoter hypermethylation is not sufficient to explain the deficit of mature miR-200s. The ribonuclease Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-induced Protein-1 (MCPiP1) may counteract Dicer1 in miRNA maturation process. MCPiP1/Dicer1 mRNA and protein ratios appear higher in miR-200 deficient compared to miR-200 proficient cells, suggesting that MCPiP1 may compete with Dicer1 in mature miR-200 deficient cells. Inhibition of MCPiP1 allows the detection of miR-200 precursors in cytoplasm of miR-200 deficient cells, confirming its involvement in the loss of miR-200s. Also, reversion of MCPiP1/Dicer1 ratio by over-expression of Dicer1 in miR-200 deficient cells leads to the recovery of mature miR-200s. Finally, whereas human malignant pancreatic tissues (PDACs) express lower miR-200 levels than non malignant tissues (non-MPDs), MCPiP1/Dicer1 ratio appears higher in PDACs, when compared to non-MPDs, supporting the hypothesis that MCPiP1/Dicer1 ratio is determinant in regulating miR-200 maturation process in a subset of tumoral pancreatic cells.
TVT versus TOT in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background To evaluate the evidence available on the effects and safety of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) versus transobturator tape (TOT) for female stress urinary incontinence therapy based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Weipu database were searched up to July 2017 to identify relevant studies, including qualified RCT and quite-RCT and literature sources. Relative risks (RRs), mean difference (MD), and 95% CI were calculated in our review. Result Twenty-eight RCTs were involved in the meta-analysis with 2,505 patients in the TVT group and 2,477 patients in the TOT group. The aggregated results indicated that TOT significantly decreased the operative time (MD, −1.27; 95% CI: −1.77 to −0.76) and hospital stay (MD, −0.62; 95% CI: −1.08 to −0.17) when compared with TVT. Besides, the complications (RR, 0.86; 95% CI: 0.64–1.16) and blood loss (MD, −0.29; 95% CI: −0.71 to 0.14) were decreased in TOT but with no statistical significance; the change of VAS score (MD, 0.07; 95% CI: −0.05 to 0.19), IIQ-7 score (MD, 0.06; 95% CI: −0.03 to 0.15), and UDI-6 score (MD, 0.15; 95% CI: −0.19 to 0.48) were larger in TOT group than in TVT group, but still, with no statistical significance. However, there was no significant difference of cure rate (RR, 1.00; 95% CI: 0.96–1.04) and satisfied rate (RR, 1.00; 95% CI: 0.96–1.04) between the 2 groups. Conclusion TOT may have more valid effects than TVT in operative time and hospital stay. Besides, TOT method showed fewer complications and blood loss than TVT, but there was no significant difference between them. The scores of VAS, incontinence impact questionnaire short form-7 (IIQ-7), and urogenital distress inventory short form-6 (UDI-6) were higher in TOT than TVT, but still no significant difference was observed. However, more studies with higher quality and larger sample size that are multicentric and have longer follow-up in the form of RCTs are warranted to confirm the current findings.
Serum human endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (endocan) and vascular endothelial growth factor in cirrhotic HCV patients with hepatocellular carcinoma as predictors of mortality

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of endocan & VEGF in patients with hepatitis C virus-related HCC and their diagnostic and predictive value of mortality. Methods A total of 195 patients with CHC were subdivided into the following two groups: 105 HCV cirrhotic patients with HCC and 90 HCV cirrhotic patients without HCC. Sixty apparently healthy subjects served as the control group. The serum VEGF and endocan were assessed by ELISA. Results The mean serum endocan level was 4257.6± 847.6 pg/mL in HCC patients, compared to 2099.2± 459.6 pg/mL in liver cirrhosis patients without HCC. VEGF levels in the HCC group were non-significantly higher than those of the non-HCC group, and control group. Endocan at cut-off value 2967 pg/ml had higher sensitivity and higher specificity in diagnosis of HCC than AFP and VEGF. The median follow up period was 9 months, survival curve analysis was done in HCC group and showed that probability of survival among HCC group with higher levels of VEGF and endocan were significantly lower than that patients with low levels. In HCC patients, elevated serum endocan levels were significantly associated with poor hepatic functions and a greater number and size of tumours. Multivariate analysis showed that serum endocan levels (≥4000 pg/ml), as well as elevated serum fetoprotein (>100 ng/dl), were independent prognostic biomarkers for mortality. Conclusion Endocan may be a useful diagnostic marker for HCC and a good predictor of mortality, especially when combined with AFP and VEGF.
Positive predictive value of first-time rheumatoid arthritis diagnoses and their serological subtypes in the Danish National Patient Registry

Purposes To assess whether the positive predictive value (PPV) of first-time rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis registration in the Danish National Patient Registry increases when data are linked to the RA treatment codes and to assess the PPV of first-time RA diagnoses according to RA serological subtypes. Methods Participants from the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort with at least one RA diagnosis, registered at one of the Central Denmark Region hospitals in the Danish National Patient Registry during the period 1977–2016, were identified. Register-based RA diagnoses were verified by scrutinizing medical records against RA classification criteria or clinical case RA. PPVs for overall RA, seropositive RA, and other RA were calculated for two models: first-time RA diagnosis registration ever in the Danish National Patient Registry and first-time RA diagnosis registration ever where subsequently a prescription had been redeemed for a synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. Results Overall, 205 of 311 first-time register-based RA diagnoses were verified (PPV: 61.9%; 95% CI: 56.9–67.0). Regarding RA serological subtypes, 93 of 150 register-based seropositive RA (PPV: 62.0; 95% CI: 53.9–69.5) and 36 of 144 other RA (PPV: 25.0; 95% CI: 18.5–32.8) were confirmed. When register-based RA diagnosis codes were linked to RA treatment codes, the PPVs increased substantially: the PPV for overall RA was 87.7% (95% CI: 82.5–91.5), the PPV for seropositive RA was 80.2% (95% CI: 71.6–86.7), and the PPV for other RA was 41.1% (95% CI: 30.2–52.9). Conclusion The first-time RA diagnoses in the Danish National Patient Registry should be used with caution in epidemiology research. However, linking registry-based RA diagnoses to the subsequent RA treatment codes increases the probability of identifying true RA diagnoses, especially overall RA and seropositive RA.
Initiation and interruption in intravenous bisphosphonate therapy among patients with multiple myeloma in the United States

Prior to 2018, intravenous bisphosphonates (IV BPs) were the only therapies recommended to prevent skeletal‐related events for patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM). We examined patterns of IV BP initiation and interruption among patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) in the United States.
Remote working in research

EMBO Reports (2019) 20: e47435[OpenUrl][1][FREE Full Text][2] Remote working—or flexible working arrangements—is becoming increasingly popular in scientific research, driven by both social trends and advances in technology. The major benefits—the ability to continue careers while starting families or avoiding the upheaval of moving for a temporary position—often outweigh disadvantages, such as the lack of face‐to‐face encounters around a laboratory or meetings. There are also unanticipated advantages, such as increased creativity resulting from an improved work–life balance, which has spurred not just scientific research, but also other professions to adopt flexible working. According to a survey by telecoms group Vodafone, 75% of companies worldwide have now introduced such policies, and of those 83% reported improved productivity (https://www.vodafone.com/content/index/media/vodafone-group-releases/2016/flexible-working-survey.html). > The trend for flexible work arrangements is being driven not just by technical advances, but also cultural changes as workers themselves demand greater flexibility. The trend for flexible work arrangements is being driven not just by technical advances, but also cultural changes as workers themselves demand greater flexibility. A recent survey of nearly 10,000 people working in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Spain, the UK and USA by Fuze, a provider of communications services in Boston, USA, found that 89% think that flexible working should become normal, and 54% would move jobs to obtain a better work/life balance (https://www.fuze.com/future-of-work). Research from the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) spanning five leading European countries corroborated anecdotal reports of improved productivity through flexible working and also indicated longer‐term health benefits through reduced stress. Specific data for the life sciences are sparse, but it is hard to find a laboratory, biotech or pharma company nowadays without at least some remote working arrangements. Although bench work is harder to perform remotely, a growing amount of observation and analysis can be performed at a distance. Moreover, … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DEMBO%2BReports%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.15252%252Fembr.201847435%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F30530631%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink? linkType=FULL&journalCode=embor&resid=20/1/e47435&atom=%2Fembor%2F20%2F1%2Fe47435.atom
Effectiveness of self‐management programme in people with chronic kidney disease: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

AIMS To examine the effectiveness of a self-management intervention compared with usual care in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on self-management, knowledge, self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, and blood pressure. DESIGN A parallel group randomized controlled trial. METHODS Patients aged ≥ 18 years with CKD stages 3-5 were recruited between November 2015 and June 2016. Participants were randomly allocated into either the intervention (N = 68) or control group (N = 67). The control group received usual care, while the intervention group received usual care plus a self-management programme from a nurse. The intervention was guided by social cognitive theory (SCT) and included a face-to-face educational session followed by telephone support. Both groups were followed for 16 weeks. RESULTS There were no significant differences in self-management, knowledge, self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, and blood pressure between the two groups at baseline. At week 16, compared with the control group, large effect sizes for improved self-management, knowledge, and self-efficacy were detected. For health-related quality of life, the physical and mental health components significantly improved. However, no significant differences in either systolic or diastolic blood pressures were found. CONCLUSION In earlier stages of CKD, a simple self-management education benefits patients. IMPACT Effective self-management in the earlier stages of CKD contributes to slowing its progression, improving health outcomes and lowering the burden on healthcare systems. This study demonstrated that SCT increases CKD self-management by strengthening knowledge and self-efficacy. Nurses can give this education. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000038493.
Temporal Analysis of Entity Relatedness and its Evolution using Wikipedia and DBpedia

Many researchers have made use of the Wikipedia network for relatedness and similarity tasks. However, most approaches use only the most recent information and not historical changes in the network. We provide an analysis of entity relatedness using temporal graph-based approaches over different versions of the Wikipedia article link network and DBpedia, which is an open-source knowledge base extracted from Wikipedia. We consider creating the Wikipedia article link network as both a union and intersection of edges over multiple time points and present a novel variation of the Jaccard index to weight edges based on their transience. We evaluate our results against the KORE dataset, which was created in 2010, and show that using the 2010 Wikipedia article link network produces the strongest result, suggesting that semantic similarity is time sensitive. We then show that integrating multiple time frames in our methods can give a better overall similarity demonstrating that temporal evolution can have an important effect on entity relatedness.
Klebsiella pneumoniae causing urinary tract infections in companion animals and humans: population structure, antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes

OBJECTIVES To characterize the population structure, antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes of Klebsiella spp. isolated from dogs, cats and humans with urinary tract infections (UTIs). METHODS Klebsiella spp. from companion animals (n = 27) and humans (n = 77) with UTI were tested by the disc diffusion method against 29 antimicrobials. Resistant/intermediate isolates were tested by PCR for 16 resistance genes. Seven virulence genes were screened for by PCR. All Klebsiella pneumoniae from companion animals and third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant isolates from humans were typed by MLST. All Klebsiella spp. were compared after PFGE XbaI macro-restriction using Dice/UPGMA with 1.5% tolerance. RESULTS bla CTX-M-15 was detected in >80% of 3GC-resistant strains. K. pneumoniae high-risk clonal lineage ST15 predominated in companion animal isolates (60%, n = 15/25). Most companion animal ST15 K. pneumoniae belonged to two PFGE clusters (C4, C5) that also included human strains. Companion animal and human ST15-CTX-M-15 K. pneumoniae shared a fimH-1/mrkD/entB/ycfM/kfu virulence profile, with a few (n = 4) also harbouring the yersiniabactin siderophore-encoding genes. The hospital-adapted ST11 K. pneumoniae clonal lineage was detected in a cat (n = 1) and a human (n = 1); both were MDR, had 81.1% Dice/UPGMA similarity and shared several virulence and resistance genes. Two 3GC-resistant ST348 strains with 86.7% Dice/UPGMA similarity were isolated from a cat and a human. CONCLUSIONS Companion animals with UTI become infected with high-risk K. pneumoniae clonal lineages harbouring resistance and virulence genes similar to those detected in strains from humans. The ST15-CTX-M-15 K. pneumoniae clonal lineage was disseminated in companion animals with UTI. Caution must be applied by companion animal caretakers to avoid the spread of K. pneumoniae high-risk clonal lineages.
Ethnic Concordance in Patient–Physician Communication: Experimental Evidence from Germany

Minority group members tend to have more negative health outcomes compared to majority group members. As reducing health inequalities is a global imperative, research testing strategies to improve minority patient health outcomes are important. Evidence exists that ethnic concordance in patient–physician communication is statistically associated with positive outcomes for minority patients. Previous research has exclusively relied on non-experimental observational methods. The present study adds to this literature by presenting supplementary experimental evidence, thus increasing confidence in the causal interpretation of the relationships observed in previous studies. Individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds living in Germany (N = 256) were randomly assigned to a hypothetical medical consultation in which a physician, Dr. Thomas Kirsch (“German majority physician”; ethnic-discordance condition) or Dr. Çağdaş Kılıç (“Turkish minority physician”; ethnic-concordance condition) talked about lifestyle factors associated with chronic non-communicable diseases (tobacco smoking, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity). The analysis indicates that ethnic concordance improved belief in the physician, reduced reactance-related outcomes, and improved prevention-related knowledge transfer. Notably, the effect of ethnic concordance on knowledge was especially pronounced in low health-literacy participants. We discuss the implications related to the ongoing calls for a more diverse physician workforce.