Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sonographic features of lymphoma of the major salivary glands diagnosed with ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy in Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVES To identify ultrasound (US) features of lymphomas (L) of major salivary glands (SGs) in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients and to differentiate US pattern of L and non-L. METHODS prospectively, from September 2019 to March 2021, 27 pSS-patients with clinical findings suspicious for L of the SGs underwent US evaluation followed by US-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB). For each patient, we assessed the OMERACT score, dichotomised (0/1 "lower", 2/3 "higher"), and we compared it between L-pSS and nonL-pSS groups. For focal lesions, echogenicity, inner appearance, shape, margins, presence of septa, vascularisation and posterior acoustic features were also assessed and compared between the two groups; we planned to consider as "suspicious" features more frequently associated with L. We expected to compare frequencies at which two or more "suspicious" features were simultaneously present between L-pSS and nonL-pSS. P<0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS L-pSS showed more inhomogeneous glandular pattern (100% vs. 69.2% higher OMERACT; p=0.0407). For focal lesions, the "suspicious" features identified were: OMERACT grade 3, very hypoechoic, homogenous, oval shape, well-defined margins, presence of septa, colour-Doppler vascularization, posterior acoustic enhancement. 6/8 and 7/8 simultaneous suspicious features were significantly higher among L-pSS patients, compared to nonL-pSS (88.9% vs. 28.6%, p=0.034 for 6/8 features; 77.8% vs. 14.3%, p=0.040 for 7/8 features). CONCLUSIONS L of the major SGs in pSS was always associated with OMERACT scores 2 or 3 and presented with diffuse or focal patterns. For focal lesions, the association of more "suspicious" features made the diagnosis of L increasingly more likely. This information can help to improve planning of US-guided CNB.
Product review on MAbs (alemtuzumab and ocrelizumab) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Traditionally, the management of active relapsing remitting MS was based on the, so-called, maintenance therapy, which is characterized by continuous treatment with particular disease modifying therapy (DMT), and a return of disease activity when the drug is discontinued. Another approach is characterized by a short treatment course of a DMT, which is hypothesized to act as an immune reconstitution therapy (IRT), with the potential to protect against relapses for years after a short course of treatment. Introduction of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of MS has revolutionized MS treatment in the last decade. However, given the increasingly complex landscape of DMTs approved for MS, people with MS and neurologists are constantly faced with the question which DMT is the most appropriate for the given patient, a question we still do not have an answer to. In this product review, we will discuss the first DMT that acts as IRT, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody alemtuzumab and an anti CD20 monoclonal antibody, ocrelizumab that has the potential to act as an IRT, but is administered continuously. Special emphasis will be given on safety in the context of COVID-19 pandemics and vaccination strategies.
Epidemiology and Survival of Colorectal Cancer in Lebanon: A Sub-National Retrospective Analysis

Background Scarce data exist about colorectal cancer (CRC) presentation and outcomes in Lebanon. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of Lebanese patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, particularly the method of detection, age of onset, stage at presentation, treatment modalities, and survival. Methods This is a retrospective study of a cohort of patients with CRC, diagnosed between 2005 and 2010, admitted to 6 major university-affiliated medical centers in Lebanon. Results The total sample consisted of 586 patients (median age: 64 years; M:F ratio: 1.25). The most common presenting symptoms were changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, and blood per rectum. Only 3% had been diagnosed by screening colonoscopy. Of the patients diagnosed with CRC younger than 50 years of age, 72.5% had a positive family history (P = .07). More than two-thirds of patients had an advanced stage of the disease III and IV at presentation. The Kaplan–Meier–estimated survival rate was 0%, 44.5%, 70.2%, and 78.5% for those with stage IV, III, II, and I, respectively (P = .0001), and did not vary by age nor gender of the patient. There was no differential in survival estimate for patients with stage II and III by number of chemotherapy cycles received. However, there was a significant difference in median survivorship for patients with metastatic stage IV disease; those who received less than or equal to 9 cycles had a median survivorship of 2 years (CI: 1.31–2.68) compared to 4 years (CI: 2.36–5.63) for those who received more than 9 cycles (P = .047). The cox regression showed while controlling for age and gender that patients diagnosed at stage IV had a hazard ratio of 8.81 (3.20–24.22) compared to those who were diagnosed at stage I (P = .047). Conclusions Lebanese patients affected by colorectal cancer tend to present with advanced disease stages, leading to poor prognosis and survival.
Cell trafficking and regulation of osteoblastogenesis by extracellular vesicle associated bone morphogenetic protein 2

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are characterized by complex cargo composition and carry a wide array of signalling cargo, including growth factors (GFs). Beyond surface‐associated GFs, it is unclear if EV intralumenal growth factors are biologically active. Here, bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP2), loaded directly into the lumen of EVs designated engineered BMP2‐EVs (eBMP2‐EVs), was comprehensively characterized including its regulation of osteoblastogenesis. eBMP2‐EVs and non‐EV ‘free’ BMP2 were observed to similarly regulate osteoblastogenesis. Furthermore, cell trafficking experiments suggest rapid BMP2 recycling and its extracellular release as ‘free’ BMP2 and natural occurring BMP2‐EVs (nBMP2‐EVs), with both being osteogenic. Interestingly, BMP2 occurs on the EV surface of nBMP2‐EVs and is susceptible to proteolysis, inhibition by noggin and complete dissociation from nBMP2‐EVs over 3 days. Whereas, within the eBMP2‐EVs, BMP2 is protected from proteolysis, inhibition by noggin and is retained in EV lumen at 100% for the first 24 h and ∼80% after 10 days. Similar to ‘free’ BMP2, bioprinted eBMP2‐EV microenvironments induced osteogenesis in vitro and in vivo in spatial registration to the printed patterns. Taken together, BMP2 signalling involves dynamic BMP2 cell trafficking in and out of the cell involving EVs, with distinct differences between these nBMP2‐EVs and eBMP2‐EVs attributable to the BMP2 cargo location with EVs. Lastly, eBMP2‐EVs appear to deliver BMP2 directly into the cytoplasm, initiating BMP2 signalling within the cell, bypassing its cell surface receptors.
Dreaming of effective diet change? Motivation, emotions, and dietician presence can all matter

The objective of this study is to verify the relevance of motivational and emotional factors, as well as dietician presence in relation to the optimization of the dietary pattern-change process. This study was carried out with an on-line survey, including 341 respondents, almost half of whom were consulted by a dietician. Two measures were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the dietary pattern-change among participants. The first of these measures refers to subjective evaluations of diet improvement, while the second refers to weight loss. The results show that autonomous motivation and dietician presence are associated with positive anticipatory emotions, and diet improvements. Extrinsic regulation, dietician presence, and lack of negative emotional experiences are related to greater weight loss.
Diagnostic algorithm for classification and characterization of direct antiglobulin test‐negative autoimmune hemolytic anemia with 1‐year clinical follow‐up

Approximately 5%–10% of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) cases are negative for direct antiglobulin test (DAT). We previously reported a classification system for untreated patients with DAT‐negative AIHA by quantifying levels of red blood cell (RBC)‐bound IgG. This study investigated the clinical utility of a novel diagnostic algorithm with a comprehensive classification system and characterized each subgroup in DAT‐negative AIHA.
Short-term high-fat feeding exacerbates degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa by promoting retinal oxidative stress and inflammation

Significance The retina is considered a window to the brain, and retinal degenerative diseases involve the same mechanisms as those of other neurodegenerative disorders. Neuronal degeneration is a complex process involving environmental stress, which can affect vulnerable neurons. High-fat diet–induced metabolic alterations may influence retinal homeostasis and exacerbate retinal degenerative diseases. This study provides evidence that short-term high-fat feeding promotes glucose intolerance, gut microbiome dysbiosis, retinal oxidative stress, and inflammation and accelerates the pathologic processes in retinal disease. A high-fat diet (HFD) can induce hyperglycemia and metabolic syndromes that, in turn, can trigger visual impairment. To evaluate the acute effects of HFD feeding on retinal degeneration, we assessed retinal function and morphology, inflammatory state, oxidative stress, and gut microbiome in dystrophic retinal degeneration 10 (rd10) mice, a model of retinitis pigmentosa, fed an HFD for 2 to 3 wk. Short-term HFD feeding impaired retinal responsiveness and visual acuity and enhanced photoreceptor degeneration, microglial cell activation, and Müller cell gliosis. HFD consumption also triggered the expression of inflammatory and oxidative markers in rd10 retinas. Finally, an HFD caused gut microbiome dysbiosis, increasing the abundance of potentially proinflammatory bacteria. Thus, HFD feeding drives the pathological processes of retinal degeneration by promoting oxidative stress and activating inflammatory-related pathways. Our findings suggest that consumption of an HFD could accelerate the progression of the disease in patients with retinal degenerative disorders.
Decision-Making in Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair: Insights into Atrial Functional Mitral Regurgitation

The 2020 American College of Cardiology focused update on the mitral regurgitation (MR) pathway provides an excellent summary of the decision-making trees in the treatment of severe MR, in which 2 main branches of the flowchart are suggested depending on whether MR is primary or secondary. Surgery is suggested as preferable over transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) in primary MR that needs intervention. The decision-making for secondary MR generally prioritizes TEER over surgery according to the guidelines, but further stratification is necessary based on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of MR. TEER is probably the more suitable option in secondary MR caused by left ventricular dysfunction or dilatation, given the high perceived surgical risks, despite the lack of sufficient evidence in support of overt clinical benefits from surgical therapy in these patients. In atrial functional MR associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), however, concomitant ablation of AF seems to be a desirable option, as it has been demonstrated to be a key factor leading to improved survival, reduced stroke risk, and more durable mitral and tricuspid function in patients undergoing mitral surgery. Therefore, atrial functional MR requiring intervention may be best treated by surgical therapy that combines mitral repair and AF ablation in the majority of patients. This particular issue, however, needs further research to obtain scientific evidence to guide optimal management strategies.
Do executive functions explain older adults’ health-related quality of life beyond event-based prospective memory?

ABSTRACT Previous work has shown that event-based prospective memory (EBPM) predicted health-related quality of life (HrQoL). In the present study, we aimed to examine whether the relationship between EBPM and HrQoL extended to life satisfaction, and whether it persisted after controlling for other cognitive functions related to EBPM, namely executive functions and retrospective memory. We tested two models using structural equation modeling with latent variables in a sample of older adults. In the first model, we assessed whether EBPM predicted life satisfaction and HrQoL; in the second model, we controlled for retrospective memory and executive functions. The first model indicated that EBPM was related to HrQoL. However, in the second model, this relationship was eliminated by executive functions; life satisfaction was not related to any of the cognitive variables. Findings corroborated the link between HrQoL and EBPM, suggesting that such relationship stems from executive functions rather than retrospective memory.
The plant endosphere-hidden treasures: a review of fungal endophytes

ABSTRACT The endosphere represents intracellular regions within plant tissues colonize by microbial endophytes without causing disease symptoms to host plants. Plants harbor one or two endophytic microbes capable of synthesizing metabolite compounds. Environmental factors determine the plant growth and survival as well as the kind of microorganisms associated with them. Some fungal endophytes that symbiotically colonize the endosphere of medicinal plants with the potential of producing biological products have been employed in traditional and modern medicine. The bioactive resources from endophytic fungi are promising; biotechnologically to produce cheap and affordable commercial bioactive products as alternatives to chemical drugs and other compounds. The exploration of bioactive metabolites from fungal endophytes has been found applicable in agriculture, pharmaceutical, and industries. Thus, fungal endophytes can be engineered to produce a substantive quantity of pharmacological drugs through the biotransformation process. Hence, this review shall provide an overview of fungal endophytes, ecology, their bioactive compounds, and exploration with the biosystematics approach.
Genome‐wide association study reveals that the cupin domain protein OsCDP3.10 regulates seed vigour in rice

Summary Seed vigour is an imperative trait for the direct seeding of rice. In this study, we examined the genetic regulation of seedling percentage at the early germination using a genome‐wide association study in rice. One major quantitative trait loci qSP3 for seedling percentage was identified, and the candidate gene was validated as qSP3, encoding a cupin domain protein OsCDP3.10 for the synthesis of 52 kDa globulin. Disruption of this gene in Oscdp3.10 mutants reduced the seed vigour, including the germination potential and seedling percentage, at the early germination in rice. The lacking accumulation of 52 kDa globulin was observed in the mature grains of the Oscdp3.10 mutants. The significantly lower amino acid contents were observed in the mature grains and the early germinating seeds of the Oscdp3.10 mutants compared with those of wild‐type. Rice OsCDP3.10 regulated seed vigour mainly via modulating the amino acids e.g. Met, Glu, His, and Tyr that contribute to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation in the germinating seeds. These results provide important insights into the application of seed priming with the amino acids and the selection of OsCDP3.10 to improve seed vigour in rice.
Effects of shoulder abduction on the stiffness of supraspinatus muscle regions in rotator cuff tear

This study aimed to compare the effect of the load of the upper limb on the stiffness of supraspinatus muscle regions during isometric shoulder abduction in the scapular plane in healthy individuals and patients with a rotator cuff tear. Thirteen male patients were scheduled for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and 13 healthy male individuals were recruited. The movement task involved 30° isometric shoulder abduction in the scapular plane. The tasks included passive abduction, abduction with half‐weight of the upper limb (1/2‐weight), and full weight of the upper limb (full‐weight). The stiffness of the supraspinatus muscle (anterior superficial, anterior deep, posterior superficial, and posterior deep regions) was recorded using ultrasound shear‐wave elastography. The stiffness of the anterior superficial region on the affected side was significantly lower than that on the control side for the 1/2‐weight and full‐weight tasks. The stiffness of the anterior deep, posterior superficial, and posterior deep regions was not affected. This is the first study that investigated the mechanical effects of different loads on different supraspinatus muscle regions in rotator cuff tear patients. Our results indicate that the anterior superficial region in rotator cuff tear patients was mainly responsible for reduced active stiffness. This might be because this region contributes to force exertion and exhibits atrophy in rotator cuff tears. Hence, the anterior superficial region could be a focal point of quantitative dysfunction evaluation of the supraspinatus muscle in the case of a rotator cuff tear.
Laparoscopic vs Open Distal Gastrectomy for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: Five-Year Outcomes From the CLASS-01 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance It is not clear whether laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy produce similar outcomes among patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Data from a multicenter, randomized clinical trial (Chinese Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgical Study [CLASS]-01) showed that laparoscopic distal gastrectomy did not result in inferior disease-free survival at 3 years compared with open distal gastrectomy. Objective To report 5-year overall survival data from the CLASS-01 trial of laparoscopic vs open distal gastrectomy among patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Design, Setting, and Patients This was a noninferiority, open-label, randomized clinical trial conducted at 14 centers in China. A total of 1056 eligible patients with clinical stage T2, T3, or T4a gastric cancer without bulky nodes or distant metastases were enrolled from September 12, 2012, to December 3, 2014. Final follow-up was on December 31, 2019. Interventions Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio after stratification by site, age, cancer stage, and histologic features to undergo either laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (n = 528) or open distal gastrectomy (n = 528) with D2 lymphadenectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures The 5-year overall survival rates were updated to compare laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with open distal gastrectomy. All analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis. In addition, per-protocol and as-treated analyses were performed for overall survival. Results Data from 1039 patients (726 men [69.9%]; mean [SD] age, 56.2 [10.7] years) who received curative therapy were analyzed. At 5 years, the overall survival rates were 72.6% in the laparoscopic distal gastrectomy group and 76.3% in the open distal gastrectomy group (log-rank P = .19; hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.93-1.48; P = .19). After comparison for competing risk events, gastric cancer-related deaths (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.87-1.49; P = .34) and deaths from other causes (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.74-2.05; P = .42) did not differ significantly between groups. Overall rates of survival did not differ significantly between groups with each tumor stage. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy performed by experienced surgeons in high-volume specialized institutions resulted in similar 5-year overall survival compared with open distal gastrectomy among patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01609309.
Targeting Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling Enhances Type I Interferon-Independent Resistance to Herpes Simplex Virus

This study describes how a virus might utilize host aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling to promote its replication, even in the presence of type I interferons. ABSTRACT The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcript factor that plays an important role in regulating immunity and cell differentiation. However, its role in cell-autonomous antiviral resistance has not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that interruption of AHR signaling in human cells by a chemical antagonist or genetic targeting led to significant reductions in the replication of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), revealing an unexpected proviral function of AHR. Interestingly, the enhanced viral control in the absence of AHR is independent of type I interferon (IFN) signaling. Together, these results reveal a previously unknown function of AHR in promoting viral replication in vitro and suggest a potential intervention point for treating viral disease. IMPORTANCE This study describes how a virus might utilize host aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling to promote its replication, even in the presence of type I interferons.
Confounds in the Data—Comments on “Decoding Brain Representations by Multimodal Learning of Neural Activity and Visual Features”

Neuroimaging experiments in general, and EEG experiments in particular, must take care to avoid confounds. A recent TPAMI paper uses data that suffers from a serious previously reported confound. We demonstrate that their new model and analysis methods do not remedy this confound, and therefore that their claims of high accuracy and neuroscience relevance are invalid.
Investigating Unhealthy Alcohol Use As an Independent Risk Factor for Increased COVID-19 Disease Severity: Observational Cross-sectional Study

Background Unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) is known to disrupt pulmonary immune mechanisms and increase the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with pneumonia; however, little is known about the effects of UAU on outcomes in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. To our knowledge, this is the first observational cross-sectional study that aims to understand the effect of UAU on the severity of COVID-19. Objective We aim to determine if UAU is associated with more severe clinical presentation and worse health outcomes related to COVID-19 and if socioeconomic status, smoking, age, BMI, race/ethnicity, and pattern of alcohol use modify the risk. Methods In this observational cross-sectional study that took place between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, we ran a digital machine learning classifier on the electronic health record of patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 via nasopharyngeal swab or had two COVID-19 International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes to identify patients with UAU. After controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, smoking status, insurance status, and presence of ICD-10 codes for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, we then performed a multivariable regression to examine the relationship between UAU and COVID-19 severity as measured by hospital care level (ie, emergency department admission, emergency department admission with ventilator, or death). We used a predefined cutoff with optimal sensitivity and specificity on the digital classifier to compare disease severity in patients with and without UAU. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, BMI, smoking status, and insurance status. Results Each incremental increase in the predicted probability from the digital alcohol classifier was associated with a greater odds risk for more severe COVID-19 disease (odds ratio 1.15, 95% CI 1.10-1.20). We found that patients in the unhealthy alcohol group had a greater odds risk to develop more severe disease (odds ratio 1.89, 95% CI 1.17-3.06), suggesting that UAU was associated with an 89% increase in the odds of being in a higher severity category. Conclusions In patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, UAU is an independent risk factor associated with greater disease severity and/or death.