Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of Measurable Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma by Multiparametric Flow Cytometry

Recent interest in high‐sensitivity multiple myeloma (MM) measurable residual disease (MRD) testing is a direct consequence of the high‐quality responses achieved using novel therapeutic agents and better treatment strategies. Traditional diagnostic measures such as immunohistochemistry and morphology have detection sensitivities of only 10−2 to 10−3, which do not reliably predict progression‐free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) after these treatments. Contemporary monitoring of MM MRD has switched to more sensitive platforms such as allele‐specific oligonucleotide quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ASO‐qPCR), next‐generation sequencing (NGS), and multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC). Though both ASO‐qPCR and NGS have excellent detection sensitivities (10−5 to 10−6), both technologies have lower applicability when compared to MFC. Conventional MFC can easily reach a detection sensitivity of 10−4 and when optimized can achieve a sensitivity of 10−5 to 10−6. Current consensus guidelines require a minimum of 2 million and recommend 5 million events be acquired to reach a minimum sensitivity of 10−5. As conventional immunophenotyping protocols are unable to attain these numbers, alternative MFC staining procedures are required. This article describes two high‐sensitivity MFC approaches that can be used for MM MRD testing. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mean Platelet Volume and Mean Platelet Volume/Platelet Count Ratio in Chronic Urticaria

Vol. 31, No. 4, 2019 467 Received January 10, 2018, Revised August 6, 2018, Accepted for publication August 15, 2018 Corresponding author: Min Kyung Shin, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 23 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Korea. Tel: 82-2-958-8300, Fax: 82-2-969-6538, E-mail: haddal@hanmail.net ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9834-7931 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Copyright © The Korean Dermatological Association and The Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology https://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2019. 31.4. 467
Hospital differences in mortality rates after hip fracture surgery in Denmark

Background Thirty-day mortality after hip fracture is widely used when ranking hospital performance, but the reliability of such hospital ranking is seldom calculated. We aimed to quantify the variation in 30-day mortality across hospitals and to determine the hospital general contextual effect for understanding patient differences in 30-day mortality risk. Methods Patients aged ≥65 years with an incident hip fracture registered in the Danish Multidisciplinary Fracture Registry between 2007 and 2016 were identified (n=60,004). We estimated unadjusted and patient-mix adjusted risk of 30-day mortality in 32 hospitals. We performed a multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy with patients nested within hospitals. We expressed the hospital general contextual effect by the median odds ratio (MOR), the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve and the variance partition coefficient (VPC). Results The overall 30-day mortality rate was 10%. Patient characteristics including high sociodemographic risk score, underweight, comorbidity, a subtrochanteric fracture, and living at a nursing home were strong predictors of 30-day mortality (area under the curve=0.728). The adjusted differences between hospital averages in 30-day mortality varied from 5% to 9% across the 32 hospitals, which correspond to a MOR of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.12–1.25). However, the hospital general context effect was low, as the VPC was below 1% and adding the hospital level to a single-level model with adjustment for patient-mix increased the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve by only 0.004 units. Conclusions Only minor hospital differences were found in 30-day mortality after hip fracture. Mortality after hip fracture needs to be lowered in Denmark but possible interventions should be patient oriented and universal rather than focused on specific hospitals.
Regulation of Immunity by Estrogen Through Sympathetic Nervous System in Aging

Women are more prone to autoimmune diseases, hormone-dependent cancers, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases with advancing age. The age-associated increase in the incidence and development of diseases and cancer is the result of a decline in immunocompetence facilitated by dysfunctions of nervous system and endocrine system. Reciprocal interactions between the brain and primary (bone marrow and thymus) and secondary (spleen and lymph nodes) lymphoid organs, via neurotransmitters and immune molecules determine an individual’s health or disease status. One of the major contributing factors for this imbalance in homeostatic functioning of the neuroendocrineimmune system is estradiol (E2) that exerts its effects through alterations in the production of neurochemicals and immune mediators. Estrogen’s reported beneficial effects such as anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective functions and deleterious effects of cancer progression are dependent upon age of women, type of cells and receptors, and the intracellular pathways and signaling molecules involved in mediating its effects. It is imperative that the diverse effects of estrogen on organ systems should be investigated via a longitudinal study beginning with early middle-aged rats to understand the long-term of exposure of estrogen on health and development of diseases. In this review, we present evidence for the biphasic effects of E2 on neural-immune interactions in the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes and brain areas of early middle-aged female rats. These effects were dependent on pro/antioxidant status, and expression of growth factors and intracellular signaling molecules that are crucial to the neuronal plasticity influencing neuroprotection and inflammatory processes causing neurodegeneration.
Determinants of Capital Structure: A Comparative Analysis of Textile, Chemical & Fuel and Energy Sectors of Pakistan (2001-2006)

Using panel data for the period 2001-2006 for the Textile, Fuel and Energy and Chemical sectors from KSE a Fixed Effect model was applied in the study. It has selected six independent variables, which include Size, Profitability, and Growth, Non debt tax shield, Tangibility and earning volatility in order to measure their effect on the leverage ratio. In all the three sectors tangibility variable is highly significant, which favors the Trade-off theory. Size variable does not favor the Trade-off theory. Profitability fails to confirm the pecking order theory and Trade-off theory. Growth variable does not conform to the Agency cost theory in all the three sectors. Earning volatility does not support Bankcurpsy theory and Agency cost theory. Though the capital structure of a firm may change from time to time, but at any given time period the firm has a specific debt equity ratio in mind. The individual decisions should be consistent with this target ratio. If it is below this target level than new funds will have to be raised by issuing debt, whereas, if the actual proportion is above the target ratio than stock will be issued to bring the firm in line with the target debt ratio. The firms have to analyze a number of factors before it can determine their optimal capital structure which is then used to raise funds in the future. Decisions about the capital structure involve a trade off between risk and return. When more debt is utilized fixed obligation of the firm increases which will then increase the risk in the earning stream of a firm, but at the same time it may increase the expected future returns. Moreover, using higher debt shows the confidence of the firm about their future earnings making the stock more attractive for the investors. Thus we can say that an optimal capital structure balance risk and return. To increase its value, the firm can finance its assets issuing bonds, long term loans, and short term loans from banks, other financial institutions and leasing finance to combine with equity. According to Horne and James (2002) the risk and profitability of the investment determine the firm value. There are various theories in corporate finance, which discuss the effect of capital structure decisions on the valuation of the firm.
Nasal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV) versus nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) as an initial therapy for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm and near-term infants

Background Currently, various forms of non-invasive respiratory support have been used in the management of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm neonates. However, nasal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV) has not yet been applied commonly as an initial treatment. Objectives This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of nHFOV compared with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in preterm and near-term infants with RDS. Methods In a randomised clinical trial, a total of 68 neonates (gestational age (GA) between 30 and 36 weeks and 6 days) with a clinical diagnosis of RDS were randomly assigned to either the NCPAP (n=34) or the nHFOV (n=34) group. The primary outcome was the duration of non-invasive respiratory support (duration of using NCPAP or nHFOV). Result The median (IQR) duration of non-invasive respiratory support, was significantly shorter in the nHFOV group than that in the NCPAP group (20 (15–25.3) versus 26.5 (15–37.4) hours, respectively; p=0.02). The need for a ventilator occurred in 4 out of 34 (11.8%) neonates in the NCPAP group and in none of the neonates in the nHFOV group (p=0.03). In addition, intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) occurred in nine cases (6.9%) in the NCPAP group and two cases (3.3%) in the nHFOV group, which showed a significant difference (p=0.04). The incidence of pneumothorax, chronic lung disease, pulmonary haemorrhage and necrotising enterocolitis was similar between the two groups. Conclusion This study showed that nHFOV significantly reduced the duration of non-invasive respiratory support and decreased the need for intubation compared with NCPAP in infants with RDS. Furthermore, nHFOV seems to reduce the incidence of IVH without increasing other complications. Trial registration number IRCT2017062734782N1.
Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease Among Patients Presenting at a Haemodialysis Unit in Dodoma, Tanzania

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide, due to its epidemic proportions and the associated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, data on the burden of CKD among patients attending hospitals in Tanzania are still limited. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with CKD among patients presenting at the University of Dodoma (UDOM) haemodialysis unit in Tanzania. Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed data of 1,395 patients who presented at the UDOM haemodialysis unit from January 2013 to June 2015. Data were descriptively and inferentially analysed using Stata version 11.0. Results: From January 2013 to June 2015, a total of 1,395 patients presented at the UDOM haemodialysis unit with history of kidney disease. Of these patients, 1244 (89.2%) enrolled into this study, 651 (52.3%) of them were female. Almost two-thirds (n=792, 63.7%) of the patients were found to have CKD, 59.1% with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Among those who had CKD, 347 (43.8%) had hypertension, 241 (30.4%) had diabetic mellitus, 79 (10.0%) had chronic glomerulonephritis, 70 (8.8%) had hypertension and diabetes mellitus, 38 (4.8%) had HIV/AIDS, and 17 (2.1%) had hepatitis B. The median serum creatinine level was 222 lmol/L (interquartile range [IQR] 126 to 317), urea level was 14.5 mmol/L (IQR 5 to 24), hemoglobin was 11.0 g/dL (IQR 6.2 to 15.7), and body mass index was 27.1 kg/m2 (IQR 17.3 to 36.8). Obesity, diabetes mellitus, and systolic hypertension were associated with developing CKD (P<.001). A total of 116 patients received haemodialysis during the study period. Conclusion: CKD was common among patients presenting in our hospital and is associated with high cardiovascular risk. To that end, patients should be thoroughly evaluated to identify and correct causes of their kidney disease, and efforts should be put in place for early detection and screening as well as advocacy on risk factors for CKD development in Tanzania.
Importance of Serum Il-8 and Rantes as Markers for Breast Cancer Progression

Breast cancer is one of the most feared human illnesses. RANTES (regulated upon activation normal T cells expressed and secreted), is a chemokine which is produced by several tumor cells including breast cancer cells. IL-8 is a member of the CXC chemokine family. A tumor promoting role of IL-8 has been proposed in a wide variety of human solid tumors including breast cancer. The aim of the present work is to estimate levels of RANTES and IL-8 in breast cancer patients with and without distant metastasis and to correlate their levels in liver and other organs with metastasis to those without metastasis and healthy controls. The study was carried out on 70 subjects, they were divided into 3 groups: group A (25 breast cancer patients without distant metastasis), group B (25 breast cancer patients with distant metastasis) and group C (20 healthy controls). All subjects were submitted to full history taking, clinical, radiological examinations and measurements of serum RANTES and IL-8. Regarding RANTES, the results showed, a significant difference between control group and group A and also between control group and group B (P< 0.001), while there was no significant difference between group A and group B (P>0.05). In group A and B, RANTES showed no significant difference between those with loco regional lymph nodes and liver metastasis when compared with those without loco regional lymph nodes and liver metastasis respectively. On the other hand, IL-8 showed a significant difference between control group and group A, between control group and group B and also between group A and group B (P<0.001). In group B, the mean value of IL-8 among those with liver metastasis was significantly higher than those without liver metastasis. Similarly, in group A, in patients with loco regional lymph nodes metastasis when compared to patients without loco regional lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: IL-8 may be a useful marker in monitoring metastatic breast cancer and with other tumor markers as CEA and CA15-3 it can be a useful indicator of metastatic breast cancer, while RANTES can't be used in monitoring breast cancer progression and degree of metastasis, possibly because of its increase in other malignancies and inflammatory diseases.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Preventive Dentistry Among Private Dental Practitioners in Vadodara, India

1 Reader Department Of Public Health Dentistry K.M. Shah Dental College And Hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat (India) ABSTRACT Background: Private dentists’ knowledge and attitude on preventive dentistry may influence their practice and contribute to oral health of individuals and community. The objective of the study was to investigate the preventive orientation of private dental practitioners in Vadodara (India) through a questionnaire study.
Factors associated with oesophagogastric cancers missed by gastroscopy: a case–control study

Introduction There is increasing demand for gastroscopy in the United Kingdom. In around 10% of patients, gastroscopy is presumed to have missed oesophagogastric (OG) cancer prior to diagnosis. We examine patient, endoscopist and service level factors that may affect rates of missed OG cancers. Methods Gastroscopies presumed to have missed OG cancers performed up to 3 years prior to diagnosis were identified over 6 years in Sheffield, UK. Factors related to the patient, endoscopist and endoscopy lists were examined in a case–control study. Procedures which missed cancer were compared with two procedure controls: the procedures which subsequently diagnosed cancer in the same patient, and second, endoscopist matched procedures diagnostic of small benign focal lesions. Results We identified 48 (7.7%) cases of missed OG cancer. Endoscopy lists on which OG cancer diagnoses were missed contained a greater number of total procedures compared with lists on which diagnoses were subsequently made (OR 1.42 95% CI 1.13 to 1.78) and when compared with lists during which matched endoscopists diagnosed benign small focal lesions (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.52). The use of sedation, endoscopist profession and experience, or time of procedure were not associated with a missed cancer. Conclusion 7.7% of patients diagnosed with OG cancer could have been diagnosed and treated earlier. Our study suggests that endoscopy lists with greater numbers of procedures may be associated with missed OG cancers. The use of sedation, endoscopist background or time of procedure did not increase the risk of missed cancer procedures.
MicroRNAs as regulators of lung homeostasis, abnormal repair and ageing

In this thesis, we hypothesized that microRNAs (miRNAs) with deregulated expression in lung fibroblasts, are crucial players in the impaired lung tissue repair and remodelling as observed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To explore this, we focused on miRNA expression changes in the lung, and in particular in fibroblasts in relation to the effects of TGF-β, and current smoking and associations with COPD and ageing. We identified 106 TGF-β-regulated miRNAs in control and/or in COPD lung fibroblasts. Of these, three miRNAs responded differently to TGF-β in COPD compared to control lung fibroblasts. Only one miRNA was higher expressed in COPD compared to control lung fibroblasts. Furthermore, we identified one miRNA that was lower expressed in lung fibroblasts from current compared to ex-smokers. We identified >960 genes that are actively regulated by miRNAs in lung fibroblasts, which were used to identify fibroblast-specific targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs. Our studies indicate that the identified miRNAs may affect the function of lung fibroblasts through these genes, and affect tissue repair and remodelling, and thus are implicated in COPD pathogenesis. In bronchial biopsies of healthy control subjects, 285 age-related genes and 27 age-related miRNAs were identified. Genes with lower expression with increasing age included several hallmarks of ageing whereas genes with higher expression with increasing age were amongst others involved in synapse-related processes. These studies provide a good stepping stone for further studies aiming to clarify the complex role of these miRNAs in relation to abnormal tissue repair in COPD and ageing.
An Efficient Framework for Compressed Sensing Reconstruction of Highly Accelerated Dynamic Cardiac MRI

The research presented in this work seeks to develop, validate, and deploy practical techniques for improving diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. In the philosophy of biomedical engineering, we seek to identify an existing medical problem having significant societal and economic effects and address this problem using engineering approaches. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States, accounting for more deaths than any other major cause of death in every year since 1900 with the exception of the year 1918. Cardiovascular disease is estimated to account for almost one-third of all deaths in the United States, with more than 2150 deaths each day, or roughly 1 death every 40 seconds. In the past several decades, a growing array of imaging modalities have proven useful in aiding the diagnosis and evaluation of cardiovascular disease, including computed tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, and echocardiography. In particular, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is an excellent diagnostic tool that can provide within a single exam a high quality evaluation of cardiac function, blood flow, perfusion, viability, and edema without the use of ionizing radiation. The scope of this work focuses on the application of engineering techniques for improving imaging using cardiac magnetic resonance with the goal of improving the utility of this powerful imaging modality.
Effect of Age on Swallowing Parameters in an Electroglottographic Study

Aim: To establish age as an essential factor in the assessment of swallowing Materials and methods: Sixty subjects were divided into two age groups (18 to 33 years and 55 to 70 years) and were further divided into males and females. Each subject was made to swallow four times each with different food consistency (dry, water, puree, and solid). The electroglottograph (EGG) was done during the swallowing process, and each swallow was depicted by a peak and a trough in the EGG. The X-axis in the EGG showed time while the Y-axis shows percentage amplitude. With the help of web plot digitizer software, the change in time and the change in percentage amplitude were obtained from the point of onset and offset of the peak and trough in the graph and the highest and lowest point on the peak and trough in the graph respectively. Results: A significant effect of age on dry swallow time and percentage amplitude, water swallow time and percentage amplitude, puree swallow time and percentage amplitude, solid swallow time and percentage amplitude was obtained. Conclusion: The results indicated that as age increased there was a significant increase in the change in time and a significant decrease in the change in percentage amplitude parameter. Clinical significance: Age should be considered as an important factor in the process of assessment of swallowing. The altered physiology with an increase in age should influence the clinician’s perception of normalcy and prognostic predictions.
Immuno-Oncology Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Status and Ongoing Trials

The major histocompatibility complex on antigen-presenting cells recognizes tumorassociated antigens on the surface of cancer cells and presents the antigen to T-cell receptors on immature T cells upon migration of antigen-presenting cells to the lymph nodes. Immature T cells are not activated by antigen stimulation (first signal) alone, but also require an activating costimulatory signal (second signal). The second signal is provided by the binding of Received: June 14, 2019 Accepted: June 14, 2019 Published online: July 9, 2019
Investigating the Effects of Pre‐school Provision: Using Mixed Methods in the EPPE Research

The Effective Provision of Pre‐school Education (EPPE) project is a longitudinal study of young children between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Research began in 1997 and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the effects of pre‐school education on children’s attainment and social/behavioural development at entry to school, and of any continuing effects on such outcomes at the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7). The sample included over 3,000 children and 141 pre‐school centres drawn from six different types of providers. In addition, a home sample of children who had not attended a pre‐school centre was included. In order to identify the processes that might influence centre effectiveness, observational data were collected and centre managers interviewed. In‐depth case studies of 12 more effective centres were used to explore and illuminate the processes, particularly in relation to pedagogy, associated with better child outcomes. A mixed method approach was adopted to simultaneously answer both confirmatory and exploratory questions, to support user engagement and provide triangulation. The paper argues that the mixed method approach supported the development of stronger research inferences.