Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal Race/Ethnicity and Postpartum Diabetes Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Fifty percent of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may progress to type 2 diabetes with highest risk among black women. This study aims to characterize postpartum diabetes screening rates among U.S. women with GDM by racial and ethnic group to characterize potential disparities. Materials and Methods: A standardized search of Ovid-Medline, Embase, Scopus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, ProQuest, and Clinicaltrials.gov was conducted through October 12, 2018. Of 1,555 titles reviewed, 27 studies met inclusion criteria. Meta-proportion routines with random-effects models estimated pooled postpartum screening proportion effect size (ES) with 95% confidence interval (CI) by racial and ethnic group. Heterogeneity was measured using Cochrane's Q and Higgins I2 tests. Data were stratified by intervention and data source. Results: There were 96,439 women, of whom 81,930 had race/ethnicity recorded. Heterogeneity was high (I2 = 99.7%). Postpartum screening rates were low (pooled ES 42% [95% CI 35%-48%]). Point estimates for pooled screening proportions were lower among white (pooled ES 35% [95% CI 28%-42%]) and black (pooled ES 33% [95% CI 24%-42%]) women than among Hispanic (pooled ES 45% [95% CI 37%-53%]) and Asian (pooled ES 50% [95% CI 41%-58%]) women. Interventions to improve screening were most common and effective among Hispanic women. Discussion: Postpartum screening for diabetes after GDM remains low, and black women have among the lowest postpartum screening rates despite highest risk for type 2 diabetes progression. Reporting of race/ethnicity, screening methods, and screening time frames varied across studies. Conclusion: Future studies must standardize racial/ethnic data reporting and examine interventions that address postpartum diabetes screening and prevention.
Photochemical Internalization for Intracellular Drug Delivery. From Basic Mechanisms to Clinical Research

Photochemical internalisation (PCI) is a unique intervention which involves the release of endocytosed macromolecules into the cytoplasmic matrix. PCI is based on the use of photosensitizers placed in endocytic vesicles that, following light activation, lead to rupture of the endocytic vesicles and the release of the macromolecules into the cytoplasmic matrix. This technology has been shown to improve the biological activity of a number of macromolecules that do not readily penetrate the plasma membrane, including type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), gene-encoding plasmids, adenovirus and oligonucleotides and certain chemotherapeutics, such as bleomycin. This new intervention has also been found appealing for intracellular delivery of drugs incorporated into nanocarriers and for cancer vaccination. PCI is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Data from the first-in-human phase I clinical trial as well as an update on the development of the PCI technology towards clinical practice is presented here.
Microsatellite Instability and MMR Genes Abnormalities in Canine Mammary Gland Tumors

Early diagnosis of mammary gland tumors is a challenging task in animals, especially in unspayed dogs. Hence, this study investigated the role of microsatellite instability (MSI), MMR gene mRNA transcript levels and SNPs of MMR genes in canine mammary gland tumors (CMT). A total of 77 microsatellite (MS) markers in 23 primary CMT were selected from four breeds of dogs. The results revealed that 11 out of 77 MS markers were unstable and showed MSI in all the tumors (at least at one locus), while the other markers were stable. Compared to the other markers, the ABC9TETRA, MEPIA, 9A5, SCNA11 and FJL25 markers showed higher frequencies of instability. All CMT demonstrated MSI, with eight tumors presenting MSI-H. The RT-qPCR results revealed significant upregulation of the mRNA levels of cMSH3, cMLH1, and cPMSI, but downregulation of cMSH2 compared to the levels in the control group. Moreover, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were observed in the cMSH2 gene in four exons, i.e., 2, 6, 15, and 16. In conclusion, MSI, overexpression of MMR genes and SNPs in the MMR gene are associated with CMT and could be served as diagnostic biomarkers for CMT in the future.
Endogenous Retrovirus Activation as a Key Mechanism of Anti-Tumor Immune Response in Radiotherapy

The generation of DNA double-strand breaks has historically been taught as the mechanism through which radiotherapy kills cancer cells. Recently, radiation-induced cytosolic DNA release and activation of the cGAS/STING pathway, with ensuing induction of interferon secretion and immune activation, have been recognized as important mechanisms for radiation-mediated anti-tumor efficacy. Here we demonstrate that radiation-induced activation of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) also plays a major role in regulating the anti-tumor immune response during irradiation. Radiation-induced ERV-associated dsRNA transcription and subsequent activation of the innate antiviral MDA5/MAVS/TBK1 pathway led to downstream transcription of interferon-stimulated genes. Additionally, genetic knockout of KAP1, a chromatin modulator responsible for suppressing ERV transcription sites within the genome, enhanced the effect of radiation-induced anti-tumor response in vivo in two different tumor models. This anti-tumor response was immune-mediated and required an intact host immune system. Our findings indicate that radiation-induced ERV-dsRNA expression and subsequent immune response play critical roles in clinical radiotherapy, and manipulation of epigenetic regulators and the dsRNA-sensing innate immunity pathway could be promising targets to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy and cancer immunotherapy.
Preparing for the Most Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19: The Potential Role of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

The novel coronavirus has now infected tens of thousands of people in China and has spread rapidly around the globe.1 The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and released interim guidelines on patient management.2 Early reports that emerged from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, demonstrated that the clinical manifestations of infection were fever, cough, and dyspnea, with radiological evidence of viral pneumonia.3,4 Approximately 15% to 30% of these patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The WHO interim guidelines made general recommendations for treatment of ARDS in this setting, including that consideration be given to referring patients with refractory hypoxemia to expert centers capable of providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). 2 ECMO is a form of modified cardiopulmonary bypass in which venous blood is removed from the body and pumped through an artificial membrane lung in patients who have refractory respiratory or cardiac failure.5 Oxygen is added, carbon dioxide is removed, and blood is returned to the patient, either via another vein to provide respiratory support or a major artery to provide circulatory support. ECMO is a resource-intensive, highly specialized, and expensive form of life support with the
Florida's Opioid Crackdown and Drug, Motor Vehicle Crash, and Suicide Mortality: A Bayesian Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.

In 2011, Florida established a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and adopted new regulations for independent pain-management clinics. This paper examines the association of those reforms with drug overdose deaths and other injury fatalities. Florida's post-reform monthly mortality rates - for drug-involved deaths, motor vehicle crashes, and suicides by means other than poisoning - were compared to a counterfactual estimate of what those rates would have been absent reform. The counterfactual was estimated using a Bayesian structural time-series model based on mortality trends in similar states. By December 2013, drug overdose deaths were down -17% (95% CI, -21% to -12%), motor vehicle crash deaths were down -9% (-14%, to -4%), and suicide deaths were unchanged compared to what would be expected in the absence of reform. Florida's opioid psrescribing reform substantially reduced drug overdose deaths. Reforms may also have reduced motor vehicle crash deaths but were not associated with a change in suicides; more research is needed to understand these patterns. Bayesian structural time-series modeling is a promising new approach to interrupted time-series studies.
High incidence rate of asthma among elite endurance athletes: a prospective 4-year survey

Abstract Objective: The prevalence of asthma among elite endurance athletes is high, but less is known about the incidence of asthma among athletes. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence rate of physician-diagnosed asthma among elite endurance athletes. Method: An annual postal questionnaire was sent to an open prospective cohort of elite endurance athletes between 2011 and 2015. Athletes from Swedish National teams, students at universities with elite sport partnership, and pupils at Swedish National elite sport schools, competing in cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski orienteering, or orienteering were invited (n = 666). Incidence rate of physician-diagnosed asthma was calculated among those without asthma at baseline (n = 449). Risk factors for incident physician-diagnosed asthma were identified using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Response rate was 88.7% (n = 591) at baseline. The median age of participants was 17 (range 15–36) years at inclusion. The study population included 407 (69%) skiers and 184 (31%) orienteers. The prevalence of asthma at baseline was 23.9% (n = 141). Incidence rate (95% confidence interval [CI]) of physician-diagnosed asthma was 61.2 (45.7–80.3) per 1,000 person-years. Risk factors (odds ratio [OR (95% CI)]) for incident physician-diagnosed asthma were family history of asthma (1.97 [1.04–3.68]), being a skier (3.01 [1.42–7.21]), and wheezing without having a cold (4.15 [1.81–9.26]). Conclusion: The incidence rate of physician-diagnosed asthma is high among Swedish elite endurance athletes.
Monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients: a single center experience

Abstract This study aimed to analyze the frequency of peripheral Mo-myeloid-derived suppressor cells (Mo-MDSCs) in newly diagnosed CLL patients and to correlate their level with other prognostic factors such as frequency of CD38 cells and ZAP-70 cells and with the clinical response and survival outcomes in these patients. Fifty CLL patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Flow cytometric detection of ZAP 70, CD38, and Mo-MDSCs was done. Mo-MDSC levels wer significantly higher in CLL patients (27.51 ± 1.70) than healthy controls (16.79 ± 0.66; p < .0001). Higher levels of Mo-MDSCs were detected in advanced Rai clinical staging than Stage I. Mo-MDSCs level was significantly correlated with the frequency of CD38 (r = 0.505; p < .0001) and ZAP-70 cells (r = 0.421; p < .0001). Higher levels of Mo-MDSCs predict poor survival in CLL patients with Mo-MDSCs levels <25% (n = 21) versus >25% (n = 29; log - Rank test, p < .0001). In conclusion, Mo-MDSCs are correlated with tumor progression and a poor prognosis in CLL.
Comparing Gaussian graphical models with the posterior predictive distribution and Bayesian model selection.

Gaussian graphical models are commonly used to characterize conditional (in)dependence structures (i.e., partial correlation networks) of psychological constructs. Recently attention has shifted from estimating single networks to those from various subpopulations. The focus is primarily to detect differences or demonstrate replicability. We introduce two novel Bayesian methods for comparing networks that explicitly address these aims. The first is based on the posterior predictive distribution, with a symmetric version of Kullback-Leibler divergence as the discrepancy measure, that tests differences between two (or more) multivariate normal distributions. The second approach makes use of Bayesian model comparison, with the Bayes factor, and allows for gaining evidence for invariant network structures. This overcomes limitations of current approaches in the literature that use classical hypothesis testing, where it is only possible to determine whether groups are significantly different from each other. With simulation we show the posterior predictive method is approximately calibrated under the null hypothesis (α = .05) and has more power to detect differences than alternative approaches. We then examine the necessary sample sizes for detecting invariant network structures with Bayesian hypothesis testing, in addition to how this is influenced by the choice of prior distribution. The methods are applied to posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms that were measured in 4 groups. We end by summarizing our major contribution, that is proposing 2 novel methods for comparing Gaussian graphical models (GGMs), which extends beyond the social-behavioral sciences. The methods have been implemented in the R package BGGM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Mediterranean diet intervention in overweight and obese subjects lowers plasma cholesterol and causes changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome independently of energy intake

Objectives This study aimed to explore the effects of an isocaloric Mediterranean diet (MD) intervention on metabolic health, gut microbiome and systemic metabolome in subjects with lifestyle risk factors for metabolic disease. Design Eighty-two healthy overweight and obese subjects with a habitually low intake of fruit and vegetables and a sedentary lifestyle participated in a parallel 8-week randomised controlled trial. Forty-three participants consumed an MD tailored to their habitual energy intakes (MedD), and 39 maintained their regular diets (ConD). Dietary adherence, metabolic parameters, gut microbiome and systemic metabolome were monitored over the study period. Results Increased MD adherence in the MedD group successfully reprogrammed subjects’ intake of fibre and animal proteins. Compliance was confirmed by lowered levels of carnitine in plasma and urine. Significant reductions in plasma cholesterol (primary outcome) and faecal bile acids occurred in the MedD compared with the ConD group. Shotgun metagenomics showed gut microbiome changes that reflected individual MD adherence and increase in gene richness in participants who reduced systemic inflammation over the intervention. The MD intervention led to increased levels of the fibre-degrading Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and of genes for microbial carbohydrate degradation linked to butyrate metabolism. The dietary changes in the MedD group led to increased urinary urolithins, faecal bile acid degradation and insulin sensitivity that co-varied with specific microbial taxa. Conclusion Switching subjects to an MD while maintaining their energy intake reduced their blood cholesterol and caused multiple changes in their microbiome and metabolome that are relevant in future strategies for the improvement of metabolic health.
Knowledge about the intrauterine device and interest in using it among women users of primary care services*

Objective: to analyze the level of knowledge about the intrauterine device, the interest in using it and the relationship between these events among women in reproductive age. Method: cross-sectional study conducted with 1858 women between 18 and 49 years old, attending Primary Health Care Facilities. Data were obtained in face-to-face interviews. The level of knowledge was evaluated by items with answers options “agree”, “disagree” and “I don’t know”. Knowledge was categorized as below/equal and above the median. Chi-square and multiple logistic regression were used in Stata 14.2 (95% confidence level). Results: intrauterine device current use was not frequent (1.7%; n=32) and the level of knowledge was higher among women between 25 and 34 years old, white, living in Aracaju (Sergipe), who were more educated, and who were currently using or had already used the intrauterine device. Interest in using the intrauterine device (38.0%; n=634) was higher among younger women, single, more educated, had health insurance, no children and with higher level of knowledge about the intrauterine device. Conclusion: the level of knowledge about the intrauterine device was associated with the interest in using it.
Adult Urology Oncology: Adrenal/Renal/Upper Tract/Bladder Compensatory Changes in Parenchymal Mass and Function after Radical Nephrectomy

From the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute (JL)-Cleveland Clinic Foundation (DAP, ERC, HT, YW, CS-O, YY, LL, RA, SCC), and Department of Quantitative Health Sciences (JL), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, Department of Urology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan (HT), Department of Urology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun (YW), Department of Urology Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou (YY), China, and Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand (CS-O)
Impact of maternal overweight and obesity on milk composition and infant growth

Abstract Overweight and obesity (OW/OB) impact half of the pregnancies in the United States and can have negative consequences for offspring health. Studies are limited on human milk alterations in the context of maternal obesity. Alterations in milk are hypothesized to impact offspring development during the critical period of lactation. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between mothers with OW/OB (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m2), infant growth, and selected milk nutrients. We recruited mother–infant dyads with pre‐pregnancy OW/OB and normal weight status. The primary study included 52 dyads with infant growth measures through 6 months. Thirty‐two dyads provided milk at 2 weeks, which was analysed for macronutrients, long‐chain fatty acids, and insulin. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the association of maternal weight status with infant growth, maternal weight status with milk components, and milk components with infant growth. Mothers with OW/OB had infants with higher weight‐for‐length (WFL) and BMI Z‐scores at birth. Mothers with OW/OB had higher milk insulin and dihomo‐gamma‐linolenic, adrenic, and palmitic acids and reduced conjugated linoleic and oleic acids. N6 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC‐PUFA)‐driven factor 1 was associated with higher WFL, lower length‐for‐age (LFA), and lower head circumference‐for‐age Z‐scores change from 2 weeks to 2 months in human milk‐fed infants, whereas N6 LC‐PUFA‐driven factor 5 was associated with lower LFA Z‐score change. Human milk composition is associated with maternal pre‐pregnancy weight status and composition may be a contributing factor to early infant growth trajectory.
Effects of a kindergarten intervention on vegetables served and staff’s food-related practices: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial – the BRA study

Abstract Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect on frequency, variety and amount of vegetables served and staff’s food-related practices in the multicomponent BRA intervention. Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial, conducted between Spring 2015 and Spring 2016. For allocation of the kindergartens, a stratified block randomisation was used. Data were collected in three ways: (i) a questionnaire for pedagogical leaders assessing the variety and frequency of vegetables served, including staff’s food-related practices assumed to be related to vegetable intake; (ii) a questionnaire for kindergarten assistants assessing staff’s food-related practices; (iii) a 5-d weighted vegetable diary assessing amount of vegetables served in a department. Setting: The target group for this study was public and private kindergartens in the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, Norway. Participants: A total of seventy-three kindergartens participated. Results: At follow-up I, the amount of vegetables served increased by approximately 20 g per person per day (P = 0·002), and the variety in served vegetables increased by one-and-a-half kind per month (P = 0·014) in the intervention group compared to the control group. No effects on the frequency of vegetables served or on staff’s food-related practices were found. Conclusions: The BRA intervention was successful in increasing the amount and variety of vegetables served within intervention kindergartens. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms that can affect the staff’s food-related practices.
Simultaneous multielement analysis by ICP-MS with simple whole blood sample dilution and its application to uremic patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis

Abstract Few studies were reported on trace elements’ alterations in uremic patients undergoing long-term (>24 months) hemodialysis (HD), especially by using the whole blood as the biological fluid for the measuring purpose. Our objective was to develop an improved micro-sampling inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method to determine the levels of Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Se and Pb in uremic patients receiving long-term HD. A ICP-MS method with a modified whole blood sample preparation procedure with small volumes was established and applied for the simultaneous quantification of the various elements in uremic patients undergoing long-term HD. 124 eligible uremic patients receiving long-term HD (75 males and 49 females) and 77 healthy subjects (54 males and 23 females) were recruited and Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Se and Pb levels were further determined. Our results revealed that uremic patients with HD had significantly higher blood levels of Ca, Mg, Zn and Pb and lower Cu, Fe, Se and Mn concentrations than healthy controls. In conclusion, a reproducible and reliable ICP-MS method using minimal whole blood sample volume (50 μL) with a simple dilution-based preparation procedure was successfully improved, validated and applied. Uremic patients undergoing long-term HD might be at increased risk of some essential trace elements deficiency (especially for Cu, Fe and Se) or toxic trace element excess (Pb) in respect to healthy subjects. Monitoring of blood levels and supplementation of some trace elements may be indicated in uremic patients undergoing long-term HD.
Vehicle Make and Model Recognition Using Bag of Expressions

Vehicle make and model recognition (VMMR) is a key task for automated vehicular surveillance (AVS) and various intelligent transport system (ITS) applications. In this paper, we propose and study the suitability of the bag of expressions (BoE) approach for VMMR-based applications. The method includes neighborhood information in addition to visual words. BoE improves the existing power of a bag of words (BOW) approach, including occlusion handling, scale invariance and view independence. The proposed approach extracts features using a combination of different keypoint detectors and a Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) descriptor. An optimized dictionary of expressions is formed using visual words acquired through k-means clustering. The histogram of expressions is created by computing the occurrences of each expression in the image. For classification, multiclass linear support vector machines (SVM) are trained over the BoE-based features representation. The approach has been evaluated by applying cross-validation tests on the publicly available National Taiwan Ocean University-Make and Model Recognition (NTOU-MMR) dataset, and experimental results show that it outperforms recent approaches for VMMR. With multiclass linear SVM classification, promising average accuracy and processing speed are obtained using a combination of keypoint detectors with HOG-based BoE description, making it applicable to real-time VMMR systems.