Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validity of serum amyloid A and HMGB1 as biomarkers for early diagnosis of gastric cancer

Background and aim Gastric carcinomais a frequent neoplasm with poor outcome, and its early detection would improve prognosis. This study was designed to evaluate the possible use of new biomarkers, namely SAA and HMGB1, for early diagnosis of gastric cancer. Methods A total of 100 patients presenting with gastric symptoms were included. All patients underwent upper endoscopic evaluation, histopathological diagnosis and serum CEA, SAA, and HMGB1 measurements. Results Patients were classed endoscopically with neoplastic, inflammatory, and normal-appearing gastric mucosa: 50, 25, and 25 patients, respectively. Histologically, half the patients had chronic gastritis and the remaining cases gastric carcinoma of diffuse (n=28) or intestinal (n=22) type. SAA at cutoff of 18.5 mg/L had the best validity to differentiate gastritis from gastric carcinoma, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.99, 98%, 100%, 100%, and 98%, respectively, followed by HMGB1 at cutoff of 14.5 pg/μL, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.91, 70%, 96%, 94.6%, and 76.2%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of serum CEA at cutoff of 2.9 ng/mL to differentiate gastritis from gastric carcinoma were 42%, 72%, 60%, and 55.4%, respectively, with AUC of 0.53. Nonetheless, higher serum levels of both SAA and HMGB1 reflected higher tumor grade (P=0.027 and P=0.016, respectively) and advanced tumor stage (P-OBrk-0.001 for both). Conclusion Serum levels of both SAA and HMGB1 could be of great value for early diagnosis of gastric carcinoma, comparable to the diagnostic role of serum CEA, which is not valid for early diagnosis of gastric cancer.
The Importance of Small Non-Coding RNAs in Human Reproduction: A Review Article

Background MicroRNAs (miRNA) play a key role in the regulation of gene expression through the translational suppression and control of post-transcriptional modifications. Aim Previous studies demonstrated that miRNAs conduct the pathways involved in human reproduction including maintenance of primordial germ cells (PGCs), spermatogenesis, oocyte maturation, folliculogenesis and corpus luteum function. The association of miRNA expression with infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), premature ovarian failure (POF), and repeated implantation failure (RIF) was previously revealed. Furthermore, there are evidences of the importance of miRNAs in embryonic development and implantation. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and miRNAs play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulatory processes of germ cells. Indeed, the investigation of small RNAs including miRNAs and piRNAs increase our understanding of the mechanisms involved in fertility. In this review, the current knowledge of microRNAs in embryogenesis and fertility is discussed. Conclusion Further research is necessary to provide new insights into the application of small RNAs in the diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to infertility.
The Impact of Ramucirumab Treatment on Survival and Quality of Life in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Abstract Gastric cancer is the sixth most common cancer and is known to be the fifth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally in 2018. Systemic therapy remains the only curative option in advanced gastric carcinoma with the primary goal of improving the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) (including palliation of symptoms such as dysphagia) and prolonging overall survival. Recently, ramucirumab is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) as a second-line agent either as monotherapy or in combination with paclitaxel in advanced or metastatic gastric and gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma patients who have progressed on prior treatment with fluoropyrimidine or platinum containing chemotherapy. HRQoL is a subjective term that typically constitutes four components – psychological, social, occupational and physical well being. This has been evaluated as secondary endpoint in the pivotal Phase III trials with ramucirumab. HRQoL measurement can potentially provide additional information for clinical decision making beyond that of traditional medical outcomes. The present work is primarily focused on discussing HRQoL in gastric cancer patients and the impact of ramucirumab on the HRQoL in the patients with advanced gastric cancer. We also summarized the studies that evaluated the benefits of systemic therapies on HRQoL in advanced gastric cancer.
Circular RNA circHUWE1 Is Upregulated and Promotes Cell Proliferation, Migration and Invasion in Colorectal Cancer by Sponging miR-486

Background Emerging studies have revealed that circular RNAs (circRNAs) correlate with diverse diseases including cancers. However, little is known about the functions of circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC). In our previous research, downregulation of hsa_circ_0140388 (circHUEW1) has been detected in CRC tissues through high-throughput sequencing. However, the underlying mechanism by which circHUWE1 regulates the proliferation and apoptosis in CRC has not been investigated. Materials and Methods The levels of circHUWE1 in 58 pairs of CRC tissues and corresponding adjacent healthy tissues were detected by RT-qPCR. In addition, the effects of circHUWE1 on cell proliferation, apoptosis migration and invasion were evaluated by cell proliferation assays, flow cytometry, and transwell assays in HCT116 and SW480 cell lines respectively. Meanwhile, the dual-luciferase reporter system assay was used to explore the interaction between circHUWE1 and miR-486 (hsa-miR-486-5p). Results In this study, we demonstrate that the expression of circHUEW1 is upregulated in CRC tissues. High expression of circHUEW1 was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (P =0.036), lymph node metastasis (P =0.017), distant metastasis (P =0.024), and TNM stage (P =0.009). Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.732, which indicated that circHUWE1 could serve as a potential biomarker in the detection of CRC. Silencing circHUWE1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion capacity of CRC cells in vitro. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circHUWE1 could sponge miR-486 and the downregulation of miR-486 could reverse the cancer suppressive effects caused by silencing circHUWE1. Conclusion In this study, our results revealed that circHUWE1 may be a potential therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker for CRC.
Evaluation Of The Effect Of Different Surface Treatments, Aging And Enzymatic Degradation On Zirconia-Resin Micro-Shear Bond Strength

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface treatments on zirconia-resin bonding and the effect of aging on bond durability for one year. Method Three hundred and twenty zirconia blocks were divided into 4 equal study groups. Group 1 (control): as-sintered, group 2: (GB): grit-blasted, group 3: (LAS): laser-etched, group 4: (SIE): selective infiltration etching. Composite cylinders were bonded to the zirconia with resin cement and ceramic primer. Aging was performed following 3 different aging protocols: thermocycling, storage in distilled water, or storage in an enzymatic esterase solution. Micro-shear bond strength test (μSBS) was recorded using a universal testing machine. μSBS values were analyzed using two-way Analysis of Variance followed by Tukey post-hoc tests. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Results GB, LAS and SIE groups showed significantly higher values when compared to control. Groups GB, LAS and SIE reported a significant decrease up to 50% in μSBS after water storage and enzymatic degradation, while control group reported a 90% decrease. Failure analysis showed mainly adhesive failure for control group, while the percentage of cohesive failure in resin cement was higher in SIE group compared to GB and LAS groups. Conclusion Water aging and esterase solutions played a significant role by increasing bond degradation. A minimum of one-year water and esterase storage medium should be used to evaluate the durability of the bond between resin cement and zirconia.
Characterization of blaNDM-1- and blaSHV-12-Positive IncX3 Plasmid in an Enterobacter Hormaechei New Sequence Type 1000 from China

Purpose Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex has been reported worldwide and becomes a new challenge for clinical management. The present study was to characterize the IncX3 plasmid encoding blaNDM-1 and blaSHV-12 gene in E. hormaechei sequence. Materials and Methods EcHK001 was recovered from the sputum sample of a patient. Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using the VITEK 2 system, while further classification was carried out by hsp60 typing. The presence of NDM-1 was detected by PCR and sequencing. Conjugation experiments and southern blotting were carried out to determine the transferability of the NDM-1-carrying plasmid. Whole-genome sequencing and analysis were conducted to better understand the molecular characteristics of the multi-drug resistant isolate. Results Strain EcHK001 was classified as E. hormaechei of new sequence type 1000. Multiple drug-resistant genes were detected. The blaNDM-1 and blaSHV-12 genes were located on a self-transferable IncX3 plasmid. Synonymous mutations were identified in the genes encoding TEM-1 and ACT-17. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that EcHK001 clustered into a different clade from domestic strains. Conclusion The rapid spread of the recurrent IncX3 plasmid highlights the need for continuous surveillance of the NDM-1 dissemination. The presence of mutations in existing carbapenem-resistant genes may generate potential new variants and raise serious challenges for clinical treatment.
Finite Element Analysis of Air Gun Impact on Post-Keratoplasty Eye

Purpose Due to the mechanical vulnerability of eyes that have undergone penetrating keratoplasty (PKP), it is clinically important to evaluate the possibility of corneal wound dehiscence by blunt impact. We have previously developed a simulation model resembling a human eye based on information obtained from cadaver eyes and applied three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the physical and mechanical response to an air gun impact at various velocities on the post-PKP eye. Methods Simulations in a human eye model were performed with a computer using a FEA program created by Nihon, ESI Group. The air gun pellet was set to impact the eye at three-different velocities in straight or 12° up-gaze positions with the addition of variation in keratoplasty suture strength of 30%, 50% and 100% of normal corneal strength. Results Furthermore to little damage in the case of 100% strength, in cases of lower strength in a straight-gaze position, wound rupture seemed to occur in the early phase (0.04–0.06 ms) of impact at low velocities, while regional break was observed at 0.14 ms after an impact at high velocity (75 m/s). In contrast, wound damage was observed in the lower quadrant of the suture zone and sclera in 12° up-gaze cases. Wound damage was observed 0.08 ms after an impact threatening corneoscleral laceration, and the involved area being larger in middle impact velocity (60 m/s) simulations than in lower impact velocity simulations, and larger damaged area was observed in high impact velocity cases and leading to corneoscleral laceration. Conclusion These results suggest that the eye is most susceptible to corneal damage around the suture area especially with a straight-gaze impact by an air gun, and that special precautionary measures should be considered in patients who undergo PKP. FEA using a human eyeball model might be a useful method to analyze and predict the mechanical features of eyes that undergo keratoplasty.
Exploring The Current Management Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, And Understanding The Role Of Dural Venous Sinus Stenting

Abstract Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a debilitating disorder characterised by raised intracranial pressure (ICP), papilloedema with the potential risk of permanent visual loss, and headaches that are profoundly disabling and reduce the quality of life. The first consensus guidelines have been published on investigation and management of adult IIH and one key area of uncertainty is the utility of dural venous sinus stenting for the management of headache and visual loss. There are an increasing number of series published and to help understand the successes and complications. During a patient physician priority setting, the understanding of the best type of intervention to treat IIH was assigned to the top 10 of most desired research questions for the disease. Ultimately randomised clinical trials (RCTs) in neurovascular stenting for IIH would be instructive, as the literature to date may suffer from publication bias. Due to the increasing incidence of IIH, there is no better time to systematically investigate interventions that may reverse the disease process and achieve remission. In this review we discuss the pathophysiology of IIH in relation to venous sinus stenosis, the role of venous sinus stenting with a review of the relevant literature, the advantages and disadvantages of stenting compared with other surgical interventions, and the future of stenting in the treatment of IIH.
Circular RNA Profiling Reveals That circRNA_104433 Regulates Cell Growth by Targeting miR-497-5p in Gastric Cancer

Background The role and mechanism of hsa_circRNA_104433 in gastric cancer (GC) are further elucidated. Materials and methods CircRNA_104433 was selected by circRNA microarrays and GEO database. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of circRNA_104433 in GC. The role of circRNA_104433 in GC cells was evaluated based on cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, and tumor xenograft experiment assay. To explore the mechanisms of circRNA_104433 in GC TCGA database, STRING version, qRT-PCR and luciferase assay were performed. Furthermore, the prognostic value of CDC25A in GC was determined based on the GEO database. Results The level of circRNA_104433 showed upregulation in GC tissues, and the expression of it showed a positive correlation with the degree of differentiation and the size of the tumor. Knockdown of circRNA_104433 inhibited cell cycle transition, and cell proliferation, while promoted cell apoptosis in GC. CircRNA_104433 directly binds to miR-497-5p, which directly regulates CDC25A. The median survival period of GC patients with high expression levels of CDC25A was 21.3 months, which was shorter than those with low group expression of CDC25A (35.9 months). The cell cycle proteins CDK1, CDK2, CCNB1, PKMYT1, CDC20, CHEK1 and CDC25A were coexpressed with CDC25A. Conclusion These findings suggested that knockdown of circRNA_104433 expression suppressed tumor development in GC.
The Roles of Ubiquitination Factor E4B (UBE4B) in the Postoperative Prognosis of Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma and in Renal Tumor Cells Growth and Metastasis

Object This study aimed at investigating the clinical significance and biological function of ubiquitination factor E4B (UBE4B) in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Methods 19 paired clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tumor samples and the matched neighboring non-tumor samples were used to detect the expression of UBE4B in RCC tumor by Western blotting and RT-qPCR. UBE4B expression was also detected in 151 ccRCC paraffin-embedded tumor samples by using immunohistochemistry. Overall survival (OS) in different UBE4B expression groups were compared with Log rank test. The prognostic value of UBE4B expression in OS was evaluated with the univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. UBE4B was knocked down by small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, and the effect of UBE4B on cell proliferation, colony formation, metastasis, apoptosis and cell cycle of RCC cells were examined in vitro. Results Both protein and mRNA levels of UBE4B were up-regulated in ccRCC tumor tissues in contrast to the corresponding adjacent nontumor ones. UBE4B expression was positively associated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and distant metastasis in ccRCC patients. Survival analyses indicated that low expression of UBE4B was associated with increased OS in ccRCC patients. Functional analyses demonstrated that siRNA silencing of UBE4B expression in SKRC39 and ACHN cells further reduced the growth, motility and invasiveness of RCC cells. Moreover, siRNA silencing of UBE4B in the RCC cell lines did not induce apoptosis, and an increase in the cell population was observed during the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Conclusion UBE4B might act as an oncogene in regulating RCC development. Therefore it could be served as an effective indicator to predict OS and a potential biomarker for targeted therapy of RCC patients.
Alcohol and Dementia – What is the Link? A Systematic Review

Background Dementia is a globally increasing health issue and since no cure is currently available, prevention is crucial. The consumption of alcohol is a controversially discussed risk factor for dementia. While many previously published epidemiological studies reported a risk reduction by light to moderate alcohol consumption, there is no persuasive model of an underlying biochemical mechanism. The purpose of this article is to review current models on alcohol neurotoxicity and dementia and to analyze and compare studies focusing on the epidemiological link between alcohol consumption and the risk of dementia. Methods The electronic database Pubmed was searched for studies published between 1994 and 2019 concerning the topic. Results Available epidemiological studies are not sufficient to verify a protective effect of alcohol on dementia development.
Effects of Estimated Community-Level Health Literacy on Treatment Initiation and Preventive Care Among Older Adults with Newly Diagnosed Diabetes

Purpose Individual measures of health literacy are not feasible for administration on a large scale, yet estimates of community-level health literacy in the US recently became available. We sought to investigate whether community-level health literacy estimates are associated with the initiation of oral antihyperglycemic agents (OHA) and the use of standard preventive care services among older adults with newly diagnosed diabetes. Patients and methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 169,758 patients, ≥65 years old with hypertension and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes using 2007–2011 data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chronic Conditions Warehouse. We examined the relationship between community-level health literacy estimates and initiation of OHA, receipt of flu shots, eye exams, Hemoglobin A1c tests, and lipid tests within 12 months post diabetes diagnosis. Results Patients living in communities with above basic health literacy (vs. basic/below basic) were 15% more likely to initiate OHA (Hazard Ratio=1.15; 95% CI 1.12 to 1.18). After classifying the health literacy distribution as quintiles, the analysis revealed a dose–response relationship with OHA initiation that plateaued at the third and fourth quintiles and declined at the fifth quintile. Individuals residing in communities with higher health literacy were more likely to participate in preventive care services (relative risk ranged from 1.09 for lipid test [95% CI 1.07–1.11] to 1.43 for flu shot [95% CI 1.41–1.46]). Conclusion Community-level health literacy estimates were associated with the initiation of OHA and uptake of standard preventive care services in older adults. Community-level health literacy may help to inform targeted diabetes education and support efforts.
The SPUR Model: A Framework for Considering Patient Behavior

Background Medication nonadherence is a global problem that requires urgent attention. Roughly half of all drugs that are prescribed for chronic treatments are not taken by the patients in question. Initiatives designed to support patients and help them modify their behavior are enhanced by personalization, and a number of profiling tools exist to help customize such interventions. Most of these tools were originally designed as paper-based questionnaires, but the growth of digital adherence technologies (DATs) illuminate the need for the development of digital profiling systems that can interact with fully automated patient interfaces. Objective The objective of this study was to examine existing frameworks from medicine, psychology, sociology, consumer behavior, and economics to elaborate a comprehensive, quantitative profiling approach that can be used to drive the customization of patient support initiatives. Results Building primarily on Icek Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to inform the beliefs about behavior posited in the TPB, while incorporating established factors regarding self-efficacy in the “control” elements of the TPB and selected social and psychological factors in the other constituents of the model. The resulting SPUR (Social, Psychological, Usage, Rational) framework represents a holistic, profiling tool with detailed, quantitative outputs that describe a patient’s behavioral risks and the drivers of that risk. Conclusion An interactive, digital questionnaire built around SPUR represents a potentially useful tool for those desirous of building interactive digital support programs for patients with chronic diseases.
Vector competence of Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Zika virus transmission: an integrative review

Objective To identify studies on the competence of Culex mosquitoes as vectors for the transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) around the globe. Methods We performed an integrative review to identify relevant articles on specific experiments to determine whether Culex mosquitoes are vectors for ZIKV. The sources we used for our research were the Brazilian Periódicos CAPES electronic portal (MEDLINE/PubMed, ScienceDirect Journals, Nature Publishing Group, SciELO, Springer Link, and 250 other databases) and gray literature. Results We identified 344 studies, of which 36 were considered for this review. In 8 studies, infection in salivary glands of Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex restuans, Culex tarsalis, and Culex coronator was detected. Cx. quinquefasciatus was the most studied among those confirmed as potential ZIKV vectors, and only strains of Asian lineages (THA/2014/SV0127-14; SZ01 (2016)) and American lineages (BRPE243 (2015); PRVABC59 (2015)) can infect the salivary glands of Culex mosquitoes. The tested African strains (MR766 and DAK AR 41525) were unable to infect salivary glands. Conclusions There is still a lack of compelling evidence that indicates Culex spp. are a competent ZIKV vector, but they should remain a target for further monitoring studies, especially regarding ZIKV transmission to other species. Furthermore, studies should not be limited to studying whether their salivary glands are infected.