Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary resistant starch contained foods and breast cancer risk: a case-control study in northwest of Iran.

BACKGROUND A protective effect of resistant starch (RS) containing foods on carcinogenesis has been shown from several lines of experimental evidence for gastrointestinal cancers. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between RS contained foods and breast cancer (BC) risk in a hospital-based, age- and origin- matched, case-control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS A validated, semi-quantitative, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed by 306 women newly diagnosed with BC aged 25 to 65 years, and 309 healthy women as matched controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS Reduced BC risk was associated with the highest tertile of whole-wheat bread and boiled potato consumption with adjusted ORs at 0.34 (95%CI: 0.19-0.59) and 0.61 (95%CI: 0.37- 0.99), respectively. Among consumers of whole-wheat bread consumers were considered, the protective role of cereals remained relatively apparent at higher intakes level of fiber rich breads at adjusted models (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.28-1.01). Moreover, high intake of legumes was found out to be a significant protective dietary factor against risk of BC development with an OR of 0.01 (95%CI: 0.03-0.13). However, consumption of white bread and biscuits was positively related to BC risk. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that certain RS containing foods, in particular whole wheat bread, legumes and boiled potato may reduce BC risk, whereas higher intake of white bread and biscuits may be related to increased BC risk.
Evolution of Brain Size in the Palaeognath Lineage, with an Emphasis on New Zealand Ratites

Brain size in vertebrates varies principally with body size. Although many studies have examined the variation of brain size in birds, there is little information on Palaeognaths, which include the ratite lineage of kiwi, emu, ostrich and extinct moa, as well as the tinamous. Therefore, we set out to determine to what extent the evolution of brain size in Palaeognaths parallels that of other birds, i.e., Neognaths, by analyzing the variation in the relative sizes of the brain and cerebral hemispheres of several species of ratites and tinamous. Our results indicate that the Palaeognaths possess relatively smaller brains and cerebral hemispheres than the Neognaths, with the exception of the kiwi radiation (Apteryx spp.). The external morphology and relatively large size of the brain of Apteryx, as well as the relatively large size of its telencephalon, contrast with other Palaeognaths, including two species of historically sympatric moa, suggesting that unique selective pressures towards increasing brain size accompanied the evolution of kiwi. Indeed, the size of the cerebral hemispheres with respect to total brain size of kiwi is rivaled only by a handful of parrots and songbirds, despite a lack of evidence of any advanced behavioral/cognitive abilities such as those reported for parrots and crows. In addition, the enlargement in brain and telencephalon size of the kiwi occurs despite the fact that this is a precocial bird. These findings form an exception to, and hence challenge, the current rules that govern changes in relative brain size in birds.
White matter alterations in youth with acute mild traumatic brain injury.

PURPOSE To examine acute alterations in white matter (WM) diffusion based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in youth with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) relative to orthopedic injury (OI) controls. METHODS A prospective cohort study of 23 patients with mTBI and 20 OI controls ages 11-16 years were recruited from the emergency department (ED). DTI was performed within 96 hours. Voxel based analysis quantified group differences for DTI indices: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). The Post Concussion Symptom Scale assessed symptom burden. RESULTS Youth with mTBI had significantly higher symptom burdens in the ED and at scanning than controls. The mTBI group had significantly higher levels of FA and AD in several WM regions including the middle temporal gyrus WM, superior temporal gyrus WM, anterior corona radiata, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. The mTBI group had significantly lower levels of MD and/or RD in a few WM regions including the middle frontal gyrus WM and anterior corona radiata. Diffusion alterations correlated poorly with acute symptom burden. CONCLUSIONS Alterations of diffusivity were detected in spatially heterogeneous WM regions shortly after mTBI in youth. The pattern of alterations may reflect restrictive water diffusion in WM early post-injury.
Prediction of docetaxel monotherapy-induced neutropenia based on the monocyte percentage.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 32 chemonaïve patients with either breast, lung or prostate cancer, who were treated with docetaxel (DOC) monotherapy, and evaluated whether the proportion of peripheral blood monocytes was capable of predicting the occurrence of neutropenia following chemotherapy. In the granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) non‑administration group, the monocyte percentage was inversely correlated with the decrease in neutrophils (P=0.01; corrected correlation coefficient, -0.71). The neutrophil count decreased by ≥30% in 7 of 8 patients with <5% monocytes, whereas it decreased by >30% in 1 of 6 patients with ≥5% monocytes (P=0.01). Three of 8 patients with <5% monocytes experienced grade 4 neutropenia, while in the group with ≥5% monocytes, 1 of 6 patients experienced grade 4 neutropenia. The frequency of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was lower in patients with ≥5% monocytes than in patients with <5% monocytes, but the difference was not significant (P=0.41). Following G-CSF administration, grade 3 or 4 neutropenia had the tendency of lasting longer in patients with <5% monocytes than in those with ≥5% monocytes; however, the monocyte percentage was not correlated with the grade of neutropenia (P=0.34). The monocyte percentage following chemotherapy was inversely correlated with the decrease in neutrophils. The percentage of monocytes that are available in clinical practice may be predictive of neutropenia following chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that patients with <5% monocytes following DOC monotherapy are at risk of severe neutropenia and should be carefully monitored.
Problems managed and medications prescribed during encounters with people with autism spectrum disorder in Australian general practice

Autism spectrum disorder is associated with high rates of co-occurring health conditions. While elevated prescription rates of psychotropic medications have been reported in the United Kingdom and the United States, there is a paucity of research investigating clinical and prescribing practices in Australia. This study describes the problems managed and medications prescribed by general practitioners in Australia during encounters where an autism spectrum disorder was recorded. Information was collected from 2000 to 2014 as part of the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme. Encounters where patients were aged less than 25 years and autism spectrum disorder was recorded as one of the reasons for encounter and/or problems managed (n = 579) were compared to all other Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme encounters with patients aged less than 25 years (n = 281,473). At ‘autism spectrum disorder’ encounters, there was a significantly higher management rate of psychological problems, and significantly lower management rates of skin, respiratory and general/unspecified problems, than at ‘non-autism spectrum disorder’ encounters. The rate of psychological medication prescription was significantly higher at ‘autism spectrum disorder’ encounters than at ‘non-autism spectrum disorder’ encounters. The most common medications prescribed at ‘autism spectrum disorder’ encounters were antipsychotics and antidepressants. Primary healthcare providers need adequate support and training to identify and manage physical and mental health concerns among individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
Low-Voltage pH Sensor Tag Based on All Solution Processed Organic Field-Effect Transistor

By reducing the sub-gap density of states at the channel, an all solution processed low-voltage organic field-effect transistor (OFET) was realized on a micrometer-thick SU8 gate dielectric layer. The device exhibits excellent operational stability under continuous bias stress. An integrated pH sensor tag was fabricated based on this low-voltage OFET, using an extended gate OFET for sensing and the other OFET as the load to convert the current signal to a voltage output for easy design of the subsequent readout circuit. With the low-voltage operation behavior and excellent operational stability of the OFET, the sensor tag was demonstrated to be operated in a 3.3 V battery powered electronic system for reliable pH sensing.
Nuclear Factor 1 and T-Cell Factor/LEF Recognition Elements Regulate Pitx2 Transcription in Pituitary Development

ABSTRACT Pitx2, a paired-related homeobox gene that is mutated in Rieger syndrome I, is the earliest known marker of oral ectoderm. Pitx2 was previously shown to be required for tooth, palate, and pituitary development in mice; however, the mechanisms regulating Pitx2 transcription in the oral ectoderm are poorly understood. Here we used an in vivo transgenic approach to investigate the mechanisms regulating Pitx2 transcription. We identified a 7-kb fragment that directs LacZ expression in oral ectoderm and in many of its derivatives. Deletion analysis of transgenic embryos reduced this fragment to a 520-bp region that directed LacZ activity to Rathke's pouch. A comparison of the mouse and human sequences revealed a conserved nuclear factor 1 (NF-1) recognition element near a consensus T-cell factor (TCF)/LEF binding site. The mutation of either site individually abolished LacZ activity in transgenic embryos, identifying Pitx2 as a direct target of Wnt signaling in pituitary development. These findings uncover a requirement for NF-1 and TCF factors in Pitx2 transcriptional regulation in the pituitary and provide insight into the mechanisms controlling region-specific transcription in the oral ectoderm and its derivatives.
Increased Behavioral Morbidity in School-Aged Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Letters to the Editor reflect the viewpoints of the writers and do not represent the official position of the journal or of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Letters on any topic, including the contents of Pediatrics, are welcome from all members of the profession. For instructions on submitting Letters to the Editor, please see the Instructions for Authors in this issue or visit the journal’s Web site.
CMOS-Integrated Poly-SiGe Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor

An integrated poly-SiGe-based piezoresistive pressure sensor, which is directly fabricated above 0.13 m Cu-back-end CMOS technology, is presented. This represents not only the first integrated poly-SiGe pressure sensor directly fabricated above its readout circuit but also the first time that a poly-SiGe MEMS device is processed on top of Cu-back-end CMOS. Despite the low processing temperature (455°C) to allow for above-CMOS integration, the poly-SiGe piezoresistive sensor alone (250 250 m2 membrane) showed a sensitivity of around 2.5 mV/V/bar. The same sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 159.5 mV/V/bar after on-chip amplification. The CMOS circuit showed no significant deterioration after the MEMS processing, although a resistance increase for the Cu-filled metal-to-metal and the tungsten-filled CMOS-MEMS vias was observed.
Factors influencing uptake of influenza vaccine amongst healthcare workers in a regional center after the A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic: lessons for improving vaccination rates.

BACKGROUND Vaccination of health-care workers (HCWs) against seasonal influenza has been consistently recommended worldwide in order to prevent nosocomial transmission and ensure delivery of health-care services during outbreaks. Overall, immunization rates were low across all nation, including among HCWs. Little is known about the acceptability and compliance with seasonal influenza vaccine among HCWs after the A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Between 1st and 31 January 2011, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey at the Ibn Sina regional center (Rabat, Morocco). Seven hundred twenty one HCWs have answered about their influenza immunization during the 2010/2011 season, as well as the reasons for accepting or declining this vaccine. Finally, we compare our results with previous moroccan survey. RESULTS A total of 122 HCWs (17%) reported having received the 2010/2011 seasonal vaccine; "self-protection" and "protection of the patient" were the most frequently adduced reasons for acceptance of the influenza vaccination, whereas media controversy during the pandemic was the main argument for refusal. DISCUSSION The post pandemic seasonal influenza vaccination coverage among the HCWs in our institution was very low. The role of media, specific attitudinal barriers and misconceptions about immunization in a global pandemic scenario is clear. The nearly constant media coverage of the A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic, reported with varying degrees of accuracy, and sometimes portraying dramatic scenarios caused some to question whether unnecessary alarm and public panic resulted. We suggest that international or national health authorities have a clear speech over looked media and to own these institutions, which will air fair and real time information about the disease.
Micronutrients (including zinc) reduce diarrhoea in children: The Pakistan Sprinkles Diarrhoea Study

Aims: To examine the effect of the daily use of micronutrients (including zinc) or the same micronutrients plus heat inactivated lactic acid bacteria (LAB), on diarrhoea in children compared to placebo. Methods: A triple blind randomised clinical trial in an urban slum of Karachi, Pakistan. Micronutrients (including zinc), micronutrients (including zinc and LAB), or placebo, were provided daily for two months to 75 young children (aged 6–12 months) identified at high risk for diarrhoea related mortality on the basis of history of at least one episode of diarrhoea in the preceding two weeks. The longitudinal prevalence of diarrhoea was defined as the percentage of days a child had diarrhoea out of the days the child was observed. Results: Mean longitudinal prevalence of diarrhoea in the micronutrient–zinc group was 15% (SD = 10%) child-days compared to 26% (SD = 20%) child-days in the placebo group and 26% (SD = 19%) child-days in the micronutrient–zinc–LAB group. The difference between the micronutrient–zinc–LAB and placebo groups was not significant. Conclusion: The daily provision of micronutrients (including zinc) reduces the longitudinal prevalence of diarrhoea and thus may also reduce diarrhoea related mortality in young children; heat inactivated LAB has negative effects in these children.
Comparison of haematological recovery times and supportive care requirements of autologous recovery phase peripheral blood stem cell transplants, autologous bone marrow transplants and allogeneic bone marrow transplants.

The haematological recovery time, infection rate and supportive care requirements of patients receiving recovery phase autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplants (APBSCT) (n = 38), autologous bone marrow transplants (autoBMT) (n = 13) and allogeneic bone marrow transplants (alloBMT) (n = 14) were compared with respect to the time post-transplant to reach 0.1, 0.5 and 2.0 x 10(9) neutrophils/l and 50 and 150 x 10(9) platelets/l, the length of hospitalization, fever and antibiotic use, the incidence of documented infection and the number of red cell and platelet transfusions. The APBSCT group had a significantly more rapid recovery of neutrophils and platelets and their supportive care requirements were significantly less than the autoBMT and the alloBMT groups. There was no difference between the latter two groups. The most significant variables contributing to the differences in haematological recovery times were the granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (CFU-GM) dose infused and, to a lesser extent, patient age. The APBSCT group received a higher CFU-GM dose of 87 +/- 12 x 10(4)/kg BW compared with 12 +/- 5 and 17 +/- 3 x 10(4)/kg BW in the autoBMT and the alloBMT groups, respectively (p = 0.0001). Patient age showed a negative correlation with the rate of recovery because the APBSCT group, which recovered faster was also older (48 +/- 2 years, compared with 33 +/- 3 and 31 +/- 2, respectively, p = 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, CFU-GM dose was the only variable to show a significant correlation with all the haematological recovery endpoints studied in these 65 patients. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fetal signaling through placental structure and endocrine function: Illustrations and implications from a nonhuman primate model

The placenta is a transmitter of fetal need and fetal quality, interfacing directly with maternal physiology and ecology. Plasticity of placental structure and function across the developmental timeframe of gestation may serve as an important tool by which a fetus calibrates its growth to shifting maternal ecology and resource availability, and thereby signals its quality and adaptability to a changing environment. Signals of this quality may be conveyed by the size of the placental interface, an important marker of fetal access to maternal resources, or by production of placental insulin‐like growth factor‐II, a driver of fetoplacental growth. Litter size variation in the common marmoset monkey offers the opportunity to explore intrauterine resource allocation and placental plasticity in an important nonhuman primate model. Triplet marmosets are born at lower birth weights and have poorer postnatal outcomes and survivorship than do twins; triplet placentas differ in placental efficiency, microscopic morphology, and endocrine function. Through placental plasticity, triplet fetuses are able to adjust functional access to maternal resources in a way that allows pregnancy to proceed. However, the costs of such mechanisms may relate to reduced fetal growth and altered postnatal outcomes, with the potential to lead to adverse adult health consequences, suggesting an important link between the placenta itself and the developmental origins of health and disease. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Depth map upsampling by self-guided residual interpolation

In this paper, we propose a simple and effective depth upsampling technique using self-guided residual interpolation. The original residual interpolation requires guidance information such as high-resolution RGB color image. However, self-guided residual interpolation requires only a single depth map. In the proposed algorithm, a tentative estimation of a high-resolution depth map is first generated from an input low-resolution depth map. Then, re-interpolation is applied to the residual domain, which is defined by differences between the input depth map and the tentative estimate. A precise high-resolution depth map is obtainable by interpolating in the residual domain. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm can outperform state-of-the-art depth map upsampling algorithms.
Use of remifentanil as a sedative agent in critically ill adult patients: a meta‐analysis

This meta‐analysis examined the benefits of using remifentanil as a sedative agent in critically ill patients. A total of 11 randomised controlled trials, comparing remifentanil with another opioid or hypnotic agent in 1067 critically ill adult patients, were identified from the Cochrane controlled trials register and EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, and subjected to meta‐analysis. Remifentanil was associated with a reduction in the time to tracheal extubation after cessation of sedation (weighted‐mean‐difference −2.04 h (95% CI −0.39 to −3.69 h); p = 0.02). Remifentanil was, however, not associated with a significant reduction in mortality (relative risk 1.01 (95% CI 0.67–1.52); p = 0.96), duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit stay, and risk of agitation (relative risk 1.08 (95% CI 0.64–1.82); p = 0.77) when compared to an alternative sedative or analgesic agent. The current evidence does not support the routine use of remifentanil as a sedative agent in critically ill adult patients.
Mutations in MEF2C from the 5q14.3q15 microdeletion syndrome region are a frequent cause of severe mental retardation and diminish MECP2 and CDKL5 expression

The etiology of mental retardation remains elusive in the majority of cases. Microdeletions within chromosomal bands 5q14.3q15 were recently identified as a recurrent cause of severe mental retardation, epilepsy, muscular hypotonia, and variable minor anomalies. By molecular karyotyping we identified two novel 2.4‐ and 1.5‐Mb microdeletions of this region in patients with a similar phenotype. Both deletions contained the MEF2C gene, which is located proximally to the previously defined smallest region of overlap. Nevertheless, due to its known role in neurogenesis, we considered MEF2C as a phenocritical candidate gene for the 5q14.3q15 microdeletion phenotype. We therefore performed mutational analysis in 362 patients with severe mental retardation and found two truncating and two missense de novo mutations in MEF2C, establishing defects in this transcription factor as a novel relatively frequent autosomal dominant cause of severe mental retardation accounting for as much as 1.1% of patients. In these patients we found diminished MECP2 and CDKL5 expression in vivo, and transcriptional reporter assays indicated that MEF2C mutations diminish synergistic transactivation of E‐box promoters including that of MECP2 and CDKL5. We therefore conclude that the phenotypic overlap of patients with MEF2C mutations and atypical Rett syndrome is due to the involvement of a common pathway. Hum Mutat 31:1–12, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Parameter estimation of cardiac geometry by ECG-gated PET imaging: validation using magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography.

UNLABELLED The purpose of this study was to apply and validate a previously developed model-based image analysis technique which derives estimates of regional myocardial wall thickness and the left ventricular radius directly from gated cardiac PET images. METHODS In 11 normal volunteers, gated myocardial 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG) images with 16 equal gates spanning the entire cardiac cycle were acquired for 20 min. To improve count statistics and thus image quality, 3 and 5 of 16 gates were summed to obtain systolic and diastolic images. Based on a five-parameter model, radial profiles from systolic and diastolic PET images were fit by nonlinear regression for myocardial wall thickness, left ventricular radius and tracer activities in the blood pool, the myocardial tissue and the extracardiac background. Echocardiography and gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in 11 and 7 volunteers, respectively. RESULTS We observed a significant (p < 0.001) correlation between measurements obtained by gated PET imaging and the correlative imaging modalities for myocardial wall thickness and left ventricular radius. While good agreement was observed between measurements of average radial shortening, estimates of average wall thickening differed significantly. CONCLUSION This model-based analysis offers accurate estimates of regional recovery coefficients directly from gated cardiac PET images and may also prove useful for the assessment of myocardial contractile function. These recovery coefficients are essential for the correction of partial volume effects when quantitative PET studies are performed.