Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Benefits and Risks of Bariatric Surgery in Adults: A Review.

Importance Severe obesity and its related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea, are very common in the United States, but currently very few patients with these conditions choose to undergo bariatric surgery. Summaries of the expanding evidence for both the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery are needed to better guide shared decision-making conversations. Observations There are approximately 252 000 bariatric procedures (per 2018 numbers) performed each year in the US, of which an estimated 15% are revisions. The 1991 National Institutes of Health guidelines recommended consideration of bariatric surgery in patients with a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 40 or higher or 35 or higher with serious obesity-related comorbidities. These guidelines are still widely used; however, there is increasing evidence that bariatric procedures should also be considered for patients with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index of 30 to 35 if hyperglycemia is inadequately controlled despite optimal medical treatment for type 2 diabetes. Substantial evidence indicates that surgery results in greater improvements in weight loss and type 2 diabetes outcomes, compared with nonsurgical interventions, regardless of the type of procedures used. The 2 most common procedures used currently, the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, have similar effects on weight loss and diabetes outcomes and similar safety through at least 5-year follow-up. However, emerging evidence suggests that the sleeve procedure is associated with fewer reoperations, and the bypass procedure may lead to more durable weight loss and glycemic control. Although safety is a concern, current data indicate that the perioperative mortality rates range from 0.03% to 0.2%, which has substantially improved since early 2000s. More long-term randomized studies are needed to assess the effect of bariatric procedures on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health outcomes and to evaluate emerging newer procedures. Conclusions and Relevance Modern bariatric procedures have strong evidence of efficacy and safety. All patients with severe obesity-and especially those with type 2 diabetes-should be engaged in a shared decision-making conversation about the risks and benefits of surgery compared with continuing usual medical and lifestyle treatment, and the decision about surgery should be driven primarily by informed patient preferences.
Alcohol in Greenland 1950-2018: consumption, drinking patterns, and consequences

ABSTRACT Alcohol is the single most important public health challenge in Greenland. We provide an overview of alcohol consumption, drinking patterns, and consequences of excessive use of alcohol in Greenland since 1950 through a synthesis of published results and analyses of population-based interview surveys. The import of alcohol fluctuated over the last 70 years with a peak in the 1980s at 22 litres 100% alcohol per person per year. In 1950 and 2015, the import of alcohol was similar at 8 litres. Several explanations have been put forward to explain the changes including restrictions, increased tax, demographic changes, treatment of alcohol disorders, and public health interventions. The proportion of abstainers increased from 1993 to 2018 while the proportion of participants with regular consumption decreased. About half of the population reported binge drinking at least monthly. Compared with Denmark, there were more abstainers and binge drinkers in Greenland, and fewer had a regular consumption. Although genetics may play a role for drinking patterns, social and cultural conditions are more important. Exposure to domestic alcohol problems and sexual abuse in childhood parallel the recorded import of alcohol and is a likely cause of transgenerational consequences such as youth suicides and alcohol problems.
A Morphological Study of Upper First and Second Molars in the Genus Callicebus

The intra- and inter-specific variations in dental characters of three forms of Callicebus were studied: C. torquatus, C. moloch and C. personatus. Although the range of variations overlapped extensively in some traits, their frequencies or degree of development were consistently different among them. Thus, the species-level identification among Callicebus may be safely done.Furthermore, an evolutionary trend of Callicebus was suggested based on the dental morphologies. The trend seems to be represented from the torquatus-type molar to the personatus-type one through the moloch-type's as the succession of morphology. This evolutionary trend was also supported with the result of morphological comparisons between the living Callicebus and the fossil Cebidae monkeys from the middle Miocene.
Successful dose escalation of tofacitinib for refractory dermatomyositis and interstitial lung disease with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibodies

Abstract Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA-5) antibodies have widely known to be associated with amyopathic dermatomyositis with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (ILD). Although the triple combination therapy with high-dose glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide, and a calcineurin inhibitor has been used to treat anti-MDA-5 antibody-positive rapidly progressive ILD, the prognosis of these patients remains poor despite this intensive therapy. Recently, several investigators have shown that combination therapy with tofacitinib might be potentially efficacious in those patients. We herein report a case of anti-MDA-5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis and associated ILD who had not responded to the triple therapy and tofacitinib 10 mg/day but markedly responded after increasing the dose of tofacitinib to 20 mg/day.
The Structural Diversity of Marine Microbial Secondary Metabolites Based on Co-Culture Strategy: 2009–2019

Marine microorganisms have drawn great attention as novel bioactive natural product sources, particularly in the drug discovery area. Using different strategies, marine microbes have the ability to produce a wide variety of molecules. One of these strategies is the co-culturing of marine microbes; if two or more microorganisms are aseptically cultured together in a solid or liquid medium in a certain environment, their competition or synergetic relationship can activate the silent biosynthetic genes to produce cryptic natural products which do not exist in monocultures of the partner microbes. In recent years, the co-cultivation strategy of marine microbes has made more novel natural products with various biological activities. This review focuses on the significant and excellent examples covering sources, types, structures and bioactivities of secondary metabolites based on co-cultures of marine-derived microorganisms from 2009 to 2019. A detailed discussion on future prospects and current challenges in the field of co-culture is also provided on behalf of the authors’ own views of development tendencies.
Cuscuta australis (dodder) parasite eavesdrops on the host plants’ FT signals to flower

Significance In many plants, flowering is regulated by environmental cues, such as day length. Under flowering-inductive conditions, leaves synthesize and transmit FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein to the shoot apex, where FT activates flowering. Dodder Cuscuta australis, which is a root- and leafless parasitic plant, however, very likely does not have fully functional FT genes, and it flowers only when the host plants flower. We show that host-synthesized FT protein is able to move into dodder stems, where FT physically interacts with dodder FD transcription factor, activating flowering of dodder. This specific manner of flowering allows dodder to synchronize its flowering time with that of the host plant, and this is likely a trait that is beneficial for dodder’s reproductive success. Many plants use environmental cues, including seasonal changes of day length (photoperiod), to control their flowering time. Under inductive conditions, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein is synthesized in leaves, and FT protein is a mobile signal, which is able to travel to the shoot apex to induce flowering. Dodders (Cuscuta, Convolvulaceae) are root- and leafless plants that parasitize a large number of autotrophic plant species with varying flowering time. Remarkably, some dodder species, e.g., Cuscuta australis, are able to synchronize their flowering with the flowering of their hosts. Detailed sequence inspection and expression analysis indicated that the FT gene in dodder C. australis very likely does not function in activating flowering. Using soybean host plants cultivated under inductive and noninductive photoperiod conditions and soybean and tobacco host plants, in which FT was overexpressed and knocked out, respectively, we show that FT-induced flowering of the host is likely required for both host and parasite flowering. Biochemical analysis revealed that host-synthesized FT signals are able to move into dodder stems, where they physically interact with a dodder FD transcription factor to activate dodder flowering. This study demonstrates that FTs can function as an important interplant flowering signal in host–dodder interactions. The unique means of flowering regulation of dodder illustrates how regressive evolution, commonly found in parasites, may facilitate the physiological synchronization of parasite and host, here allowing the C. australis parasite to time reproduction exactly with that of their hosts, likely optimizing parasite fitness.
The Influence of Structural Characteristics and Street Codes on Violent Female Offenders: A Decade After Anderson’s Initial Observations

A large number of studies have examined predictors of female crime quantities yet considerably less attention has been directed toward exploring patterns in the nature or quality of female violence within and across communities. Although research consistently demonstrates that females engage in less criminal behavior than males, research on the variability across contexts is somewhat sparse. The authors conduct analyses to determine if Anderson’s initial observations of female violence in neighborhoods inundated with the code of the streets persist a decade after his initial ethnographic account. Specifically, we examine incident-level data from the National Incident Based Reporting System with contextual-level data on the cities in which the incidents occurred. We use hierarchical linear and nonlinear modeling techniques to explore variations in predictors of offender gun use and extent of victim injury in violent female encounters. Supporting Anderson’s initial accounts for street females and prior research we find the probability of gun usage and level of victim injury is not significantly influenced by differences in community context, and specifically not exacerbated by the types of conditions that make the code of the street locally salient.
Preoperative Fasting and General Anaesthesia Alter the Plasma Proteome

Background: Blood plasma collected at time of surgery is an excellent source of patient material for investigations into disease aetiology and for the discovery of novel biomarkers. Previous studies on limited sets of proteins and patients have indicated that pre-operative fasting and anaesthesia can affect protein levels, but this has not been investigated on a larger scale. These effects could produce erroneous results in case-control studies if samples are not carefully matched. Methods: The proximity extension assay (PEA) was used to characterize 983 unique proteins in a total of 327 patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 50 age-matched healthy women. The samples were collected either at time of initial diagnosis or before surgery under general anaesthesia. Results: 421 of the investigated proteins (42.8%) showed statistically significant differences in plasma abundance levels comparing samples collected at time of diagnosis or just before surgery under anaesthesia. Conclusions: The abundance levels of the plasma proteome in samples collected before incision, i.e., after short-time fasting and under general anaesthesia differs greatly from levels in samples from awake patients. This emphasizes the need for careful matching of the pre-analytical conditions of samples collected from controls to cases at time of surgery in the discovery as well as clinical use of protein biomarkers.
Factor analysis of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory among a sample of Spanish-speakers

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to examine the factor structure of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) among a large community sample of 729 Spanish-speakers from the Continental United States (n = 174, 23.9%), Latin America (n = 465, 63.8%), and Spain (n = 90, 12.3%) The sample was 62.1% female, had at least 10 years of formal education, and ranged in age from 18 to 65 years (M = 36.7, SD = 12.5). The sample was randomly split into two groups with comparable demographics for a sequential analysis that consisted of an exploratory factor analysis on the first subsample followed by a confirmatory factor analysis within a second validation subsample. Results demonstrated a high internal consistency reliability for the Spanish version of the NSI, and a three-factor solution was supported with somatic, affective, and cognitive factors. Findings were comparable to prior studies with the English version of the NSI providing preliminary support for the construct validity of this measure among a large sample of Spanish-speakers. Further study is needed to determine the criterion-related validity of the individual factors as separate subscales and to examine the appropriateness of this measure for individuals with lower levels of education.
Health‐Related Quality of Life Following Total Laryngectomy: A Systematic Review

Treatment of advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer has shifted from total laryngectomy (TL) toward laryngeal‐preserving therapies due to a general perception that TL has a significantly negative impact on the individual's life. However, whether the physical impairments related to TL translate to a reduced health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) has not yet been determined. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to determine how HRQoL is affected following TL.
Seedling Emergence of Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass, as Affected by Two Seed Coating Techniques

Seed coating has been effectively used in the agricultural and horticultural industries for over 100 years. Recently, several turfgrass seed companies have been applying seed coating technologies to commercial seed lines, but there have been limited studies that have demonstrated a positive benefit of seed coating to turfgrass seed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of two commerciallyavailable seed coating technologies on tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass in three soil types. Coated seeds were obtained from a retail outlet. Non-coated seed samples were developed by removing the coating from the seed just prior to planting. Neither coating technology had an effect on tall fescue germination time or total germination percentage in any soil type. Seed coating did have a positive effect on the germination time of Kentucky bluegrass in a sandy loam soil, but did not improve germination time or percentage emergence in the other soil types. These results support earlier findings that seed coating has minimal effects on establishment of turfgrass species.
Incorporating Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Biomarkers in Active Surveillance Protocols - Results From the Prospective Stockholm3 Active Surveillance Trial (STHLM3AS)

Abstract Background Active surveillance (AS) for men with low-risk prostate cancer (PC) can lead to patient morbidity and healthcare overutilization. The aim of this study was to evaluate an AS protocol using the Stockholm3 test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to reduce biopsy intensity. Methods We conducted a prospective multicenter study of 280 invited men from a contemporary screening study (STHLM3), with Gleason Score (GS) 3 + 3 PC on a current AS protocol. Patients underwent prostate-MRI and blood sampling for analysis of the Stockholm3 test including protein biomarkers, genetic variants, and clinical variables to predict risk of GS ≥3 + 4 PC followed by systematic biopsies and targeted biopsies (for Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 ≥3 lesions) in all men. Primary outcomes were reclassification to GS ≥3 + 4 PC and clinically significant PC (csPCa), including unfavorable intermediate risk PC or higher based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Results Adding MRI-targeted biopsies to systematic biopsies increased sensitivity of GS ≥3 + 4 PC compared with systematic biopsies alone (relative sensitivity [RS] = 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28 to 1.85). Performing biopsies in only MRI positive increased sensitivity of GS ≥3 + 4 PC (RS = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.67) and reduced number of biopsy procedures by 49.3% while missing 7.2% GS ≥3 + 4 PC and 1.4% csPCa. Excluding men with negative Stockholm3 test reduced the number of MRI investigations at follow-up by 22.5% and biopsies by 56.8% while missing 6.9% GS ≥3 + 4 PC and 1.3% csPCa. Conclusion Including MRI and targeted/systematic biopsies in the follow-up for men on AS increased sensitivity of PC reclassification. Incorporation of risk prediction models including biomarkers may reduce the need for MRI use in men with low-risk PC.
COVID-19 and Genetic Variants of Protein Involved in the SARS-CoV-2 Entry into the Host Cells

The recent global COVID-19 public health emergency is caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections and can manifest extremely variable clinical symptoms. Host human genetic variability could influence susceptibility and response to infection. It is known that ACE2 acts as a receptor for this pathogen, but the viral entry into the target cell also depends on other proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the variability of genes coding for these proteins involved in the SARS-CoV-2 entry into the cells. We analyzed 131 COVID-19 patients by exome sequencing and examined the genetic variants of TMPRSS2, PCSK3, DPP4, and BSG genes. In total we identified seventeen variants. In PCSK3 gene, we observed a missense variant (c.893G>A) statistically more frequent compared to the EUR GnomAD reference population and a missense mutation (c.1906A>G) not found in the GnomAD database. In TMPRSS2 gene, we observed a significant difference in the frequency of c.331G>A, c.23G>T, and c.589G>A variant alleles in COVID-19 patients, compared to the corresponding allelic frequency in GnomAD. Genetic variants in these genes could influence the entry of the SARS-CoV-2. These data also support the hypothesis that host genetic variability may contribute to the variability in infection susceptibility and severity.
Evaluation of sample pooling for diagnosis of COVID‐19 by real time‐PCR: A resource‐saving combat strategy

Although about 80% of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) cases are reported to be mild, the remaining 20% of cases often result in severe disease with the potential of crushing already overstrained health care services. There has been sustainable growth of COVID‐19 cases worldwide since mid‐May 2020. To keep tabs on community transmission of COVID‐19 infection screening of the samples from a large population is needed which includes asymptomatic/symptomatic individuals along with the migrant population. This requires extra resources, man power, and time for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). In the current scenario, the pooled sample testing strategy advocated by the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi is a new approach that is very promising in resource‐limited settings. In this study, we have evaluated the pooled strategy in terms of accurate testing results, utilization of consumables, and identification of borderline positive cases.
Gene panel screening for insight towards breast cancer susceptibility in different ethnicities

African American breast cancer genetics is less understood compared to European American breast cancer susceptibility. Despite the many advantages of gene panel screening, studies investigating African American inherited breast cancer risk and comparing variant contributions between ethnicities are infrequent. Thus, 97 breast cancer-affected individuals of African and European descent from the Alabama Hereditary Cancer Cohort were screened using the research-based gene-panel, B.O. P. (Breast, Ovarian, and Prostate cancer). Upon sequencing and bioinformatic processing, rare coding variants in 14 cancer susceptibility genes were categorized according to the American College of Medical Genetics guidelines and compared between ethnicities. Overall, 107 different variants were identified, the majority of which were benign/likely benign. A pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant was detected in 8.6% and 6.5% of African American and European American cases, respectively, which was not statistically significant. However, African Americans were more likely to have at least one variant of uncertain significance (VUS; p-value 0.006); they also had significantly more VUSs in BRCA1/2 compared to European Americans (p-value 0.015). Additionally, 51.4% of African Americans and 32.3% of European Americans harbored multiple rare variants, and African Americans were more likely to have at least one VUS and one benign/likely benign variant (p-value 0.032), as well as multiple benign/likely benign variants (p-value 0.089). Moreover, of the 15 variants detected in multiple breast cancer cases, ATM c.2289T>C (p.F763L), a VUS, along with two likely benign variants, BRCA2 c. 2926_2927delinsAT (p.S976I) and RAD51D c.251T>A (p.L84H), were determined to be associated with African American breast cancer risk when compared to ethnic-specific controls. Ultimately, B.O. P. screening provides essential insight towards the variant contributions in clinically relevant cancer susceptibility genes and differences between ethnicities, stressing the need for future research to elucidate inherited breast cancer risk.
Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy associated with diabetes: a European multicentre comparative reappraisal

Introduction The association between chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and diabetes is uncertain despite important diagnostic and management implications. Methods We retrospectively analysed two European cohorts, totaling 257 patients with ‘definite’ or ‘probable’ CIDP, from Serbia and Birmingham, UK. Results Diabetes was present at CIDP diagnosis in 25/139 (18%) subjects in the Serbian cohort and in 23/118 (19.5%) in the UK cohort. In both cohorts, diabetes prevalence was higher than local general population prevalence rates (RR: 2.09; 95% CI 1.39 to 2.95 and RR: 2.22; 95% CI 1.46 to 3.17, respectively). Considering typical CIDP only, diabetes prevalence was greater than expected in both cohorts (RR: 2.58; 95% CI 1.60 to 3.82 and RR: 2.68; 95% CI 1.71 to 3.87, respectively). CIDP with diabetes occurred later in life than CIDP without diabetes (58.96 years, SD: 11.09 vs 51.71 years, SD: 16.02; p=0.003) and presented more frequently in the typical form than in patients without diabetes (79.2% vs 61.2%; p=0.02). Baseline Inflammatory Neuropathy Cause and Treatment disability scores were similar in patients with and without diabetes (p=0.90). Proportions of treatment responders were similar in both groups (70% vs 74.9%; p=0.65), as were response amplitudes (p=0.87). Discussion Our results, both for all CIDP and typical CIDP presentations, support a twofold increased relative risk of diabetes compared with the general population. CIDP with diabetes appears to present older and more frequently in the typical form, as compared with CIDP without diabetes. CIDP with diabetes appears similar to CIDP without diabetes in disability levels at diagnosis and probability, as well as amplitude of treatment response.