Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Barthel Index at hospital admission is associated with mortality in geriatric patients: a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study

Purpose The Barthel Index (BI)-100 is used to measure geriatric patients' activities of daily living (ADL). The aim of this study was to explore whether BI at hospital admission is associated with mortality. Patients and methods In a nationwide population-based cohort study, patients aged ≥65 years admitted during 2005-2014 to Danish geriatric departments were assessed with BI at admission. Data were entered into the Danish National Database of Geriatrics and linked at the individual level to the Danish health registers (Civil Registration System, National Patient Register, and National Database of Reimbursed Prescriptions). The BI was categorized into four predefined standard subcategories according to the national Danish version of the statistical classification of diseases (BI =80-100 [independent ADL], BI =50-79 [moderate reduced ADL], BI =25-49 [low ADL], and BI =0-24 [very low ADL]). Patients were followed until death, emigration, or end of the study (December 31, 2015). Associations with mortality adjusted for age, admission year, marital status, body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, polypharmacy, and hospitalizations during the preceding year were analyzed by multivariable Cox regression analysis. Results Totally, 74,603 patients were included. Women (63%) were older than men (mean [SD] age; 83 [7] vs 81 [7] years) and had higher BI (median [IQR]; 55 [30-77] vs 52 [26-77]). Median survival (years [95% CI]) was lowest in the subcategory "BI =0-24" in both women (1.3 [1.2-1.4]) and men (0.9 [0.8-0.9]). Adjusted mortalities (HR [95% CI]; reference BI =80-100) in women were 2.41 (2.31-2.51) for BI =0-24, 1.66 (1.60-1.73) for BI =25-49, and 1.34 (1.29-1.39) for BI =50-79 and in men were 2.07 (1.97-2.18) for BI =0-24, 1.58 (1.51-1.66) for BI =25-49, and 1.29 (1.23-1.35) for BI =50-79. Conclusion BI at admission is strongly and independently associated with mortality in geriatric patients. BI has the potential to provide useful supplementary information for the planning of treatment and future care of older patients.
Dynamique des réseaux d'actine d'architecture contrôlée.

Mon travail de these fut de developper differents projets en vue de mieux comprendre la dynamique et l'organisation des reseaux d'actine, ainsi que les mecanismes moleculaires a l'origine de la production de force grâce a differents systemes reconstitues biomimetiques. Dans un premier temps, je me suis interessee a l'etude de l'organisation spatiotemporelle des reseaux dynamiques d'actine et de ses proteines associees durant la propulsion de particules recouvertes de promoteurs de nucleation des filaments d'actine (Achard et al, Current Biology, 2010 et Reymann et al, accepte a MBoC). J'ai notamment suivi en temps reel l'incorporation de deux regulateurs de l'actine (Capping protein, proteine de coiffe et ADF/cofilin, proteine de fragmentation) et montre que leurs actions conjuguees assurent un controle biochimique de l'assemblage d'un reseau complexe d'actine, mais gouvernent egalement les proprietes mecaniques de ce reseau. Par ailleurs, afin de mieux caracteriser les proprietes mecaniques de ces reseaux d'actine en expansion, j'ai developpe un systeme biomimetique novateur utilisant la procedure de micropatrons ou "micropatterning" qui permet un controle spatial reproductible des sites de nucleation d'actine. Cela m'a permis de montrer comment des barrieres geometriques, semblables a celles trouvees dans les cellules, peuvent influencer la formation dynamique de reseaux organises d'actine et ainsi controler la localisation de la production de forces. (Reymann et al, Nature Materials, 2010). De plus, l'incorporation de moteurs moleculaires dans ce systeme versatile, nous a permis d'etudier la contraction induite par des myosines. En particulier, j'ai pu montrer que les myosines VI HMM interagissent de maniere selective avec differentes architectures d'actine (organisation parallele ou antiparallele, reseau enchevetre), aboutissant a un processus en trois phases: tension, puis deformation des reseaux d'actine fortement couplee a un desassemblage massif des filaments. Aussi, ce phenomene de desassemblage massif induit par la myosine est intimement dependant de l'architecture du reseau d'actine et pourrait, de ce fait, jouer un role essentiel dans la regulation spatiale des zones d'expansion et de contraction du cytosquelette in vivo.
The influence of environmental factors on breeding system allocation at large spatial scales

Abstract Plant breeding systems can vary widely among populations, yet few studies have investigated abiotic factors contributing to variation across a broad geographic range. Here we investigate variation in reproductive traits of Triodanis perfoliata (Campanulaceae), a species that exhibits dimorphic cleistogamy, a condition in which individual plants have both closed (selfing: cleistogamous: CL) and open (selfing or outcrossing: chasmogamous: CH) flowers. Chasmogamous production is theorized to be more costly because CH flowers have a larger exposed surface area and thus are more likely to lose more water than CL flowers. We examine relationships between abiotic conditions (temperature, precipitation and soil characteristics) and variation in breeding systems across 14 widespread populations using ordinary least squares models. We found that a large proportion of breeding system variation was described by climate and soil variables (R2 = 0.65–0.92). These results support the hypothesis that variation in the environment drives variation in breeding system allocation. Our broad geographic analyses provide a framework for mechanistic studies of cleistogamy, and employ a novel approach for examining reproductive traits and environmental variation at large scales. Given that two major components of our models were temperature and precipitation, our study further emphasizes the potential for ongoing climate change to alter plant breeding systems.
Methodology to develop machine learning algorithms to improve performance in gastrointestinal endoscopy

Assisted diagnosis using artificial intelligence has been a holy grail in medical research for many years, and recent developments in computer hardware have enabled the narrower area of machine learning to equip clinicians with potentially useful tools for computer assisted diagnosis (CAD) systems. However, training and assessing a computer's ability to diagnose like a human are complex tasks, and successful outcomes depend on various factors. We have focused our work on gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy because it is a cornerstone for diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the GI tract. About 2.8 million luminal GI (esophageal, stomach, colorectal) cancers are detected globally every year, and although substantial technical improvements in endoscopes have been made over the last 10-15 years, a major limitation of endoscopic examinations remains operator variation. This translates into a substantial inter-observer variation in the detection and assessment of mucosal lesions, causing among other things an average polyp miss-rate of 20% in the colon and thus the subsequent development of a number of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers. CAD systems might eliminate this variation and lead to more accurate diagnoses. In this editorial, we point out some of the current challenges in the development of efficient computer-based digital assistants. We give examples of proposed tools using various techniques, identify current challenges, and give suggestions for the development and assessment of future CAD systems.
Identification of differentially expressed miRNAs in early-stage cervical cancer with lymph node metastasis across The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets

Background and aim Previous studies have suggested that lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early-stage cervical cancer (CESC) may affect the prognosis of patients and the outcomes of subsequent adjuvant therapy. However, research focused on miRNA expression in early-stage CESC patients with LNM remains limited. Therefore, it is necessary to identify prognostic miRNAs and determine their molecular mechanisms. Methods We evaluated the differentially expressed genes in early-stage CESC patients with LNM compared to patients without LNM and evaluated the prognostic significance of these differentially expressed genes by analyzing a public dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Potential molecular mechanisms were investigated by gene ontology, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein-protein interaction network analyses. Results According to the The Cancer Genome Atlas data, hsa-miR-508, hsa-miR-509-2, and hsa-miR-526b expression levels were significantly lower in early-stage CESC patients with LNM than in patients without LNM. A multivariate analysis suggested that three miRNAs were prognostic factors for CESC (P<0.05). The target genes were identified to be involved in the MAPK, cAMP, PI3K/Akt, mTOR, and estrogen cancer signaling pathways. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that TP53, MMP1, NOTCH1, SMAD4, and NFKB1 were the most significant hub proteins. Conclusion Our results indicate that hsa-miR-508, hsa-miR-509-2, and hsa-miR-526b may be potential diagnostic biomarkers for early-stage CESC with LNM, and serve as prognostic predictors for patients with CESC.
Influence of trait anxiety, child maltreatment, and adulthood life events on depressive symptoms

Background Various personality traits mediate the association between childhood stress and depressive symptoms in adulthood. The aim of this study was to clarify the indirect effects of the experience of child maltreatment on depressive symptoms and appraisal of life events in adulthood through trait anxiety. Subjects and methods A total of 404 participants who were volunteer subjects from the community were studied using the following self-administered questionnaire surveys: Patient Health Questionnaire-9, which measures depressive symptoms; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y, which measures trait anxiety; the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, which measures child maltreatment; and Life Experiences Survey, which measures negative and positive appraisal of adulthood life events. Results Structural equation modeling demonstrated that the experience of child maltreatment increased depressive symptoms in adulthood as well as the negative appraisal of life events in adulthood through an increase in trait anxiety. Furthermore, trait anxiety affected depressive symptoms in adulthood through its influence on the negative appraisal of adulthood life events. The following indirect effect was also significant: the experience of child maltreatment increased the negative appraisal of adulthood life events via trait anxiety and subsequently influenced adult depressive symptoms. Limitations The subjects of this study are volunteer subjects from the community including healthy people, and hence the results may not be generalizable to major depressive patients. Recall bias should be considered when interpreting the results. Because this study is a cross-sectional study, the causality between the experience of child maltreatment and depression is not clear. Conclusion This study suggests that trait anxiety may play a mediating role in the influence of the experience of child maltreatment on depressive symptoms in adulthood and negative appraisal of adulthood life events.
A Novel Classification Method using Effective Neural Network and Quantitative Magnetization Transfer Imaging of Brain White Matter in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Quantitative Magnetization Transfer Imaging (QMTI) is often used to quantify the myelin content in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions and normal appearing brain tissues. Also, automated classifiers such as artificial neural networks (ANNs) can significantly improve the identification and classification processes of MS clinical datasets. Objective: We classified patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) from healthy subjects using QMTI and T1 longitudinal relaxation time data of brain white matter, then the performance of three ANN-based classifiers have been investigated. Materials and Methods: The input features of ANN algorithms, including multilayer perceptron (MLP), radial basis function (RBF) and ensemble neural networks based on Akaike information criterion (ENN-AIC) were extracted in the form of QMTI and T1 mean values from parametric maps. The ANNs quantitative performance is measured by the standard evaluation of confusion matrix criteria. Results: The results indicate that ENN-AIC-based classification method has achieved 90% accuracy, 92% sensitivity and 86% precision compared to other ANN models. NPV, FPR and FDR values were found to be 0.933, 0.125 and 0.133, respectively, according to the proposed ENN-AIC model. A graphical representation of how to track actual data by the predictive values derived from ANN algorithms, was also presented. Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that ENN-AIC as an effective neural network improves the quality of classification results compared to MLP and RBF.In addition, this research provides a new direction to classify a large amount of quantitative MRI data that can help the physician in a correct MS diagnosis.
Novel Formulated Fortified Blended Foods Result in Improved Protein Efficiency and Hepatic Iron Concentrations Compared with Corn-Soy Blend Plus in Broiler Chickens

Abstract Background Corn- and soybean-based fortified blended foods (FBFs) have been the primary food aid product provided by the United States. Sorghum and cowpea have been suggested as alternative FBF commodities because they are drought-tolerant, grown in food aid–receiving areas, and not genetically modified. Extrusion processing has also been suggested to improve the quality of these FBFs. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the protein quality and iron and vitamin A bioavailability of novel FBFs in broiler chickens. Methods Whey protein concentrate (WPC)–containing FBFs corn-soy blend 14, sorghum-soy, and sorghum-cowpea (SC); a soy protein isolate (SPI)–containing SC FBF (SC+SPI); 2 reformulated, overprocessed SC FBFs (O-SC+WPC, O-SC+SPI); and a nonextruded WPC-containing SC FBF were developed. Nonextruded corn-soy blend plus (CSB+), a currently used FBF, and a gamebird starter/grower diet were used as comparison diets. In the prepared FBF study, 9 groups of 8-d-old broiler chicks (n = 10) consumed prepared FBFs for 21 d. In the dry study, 8 groups of 4-d-old broiler chicks (n = 24; control: n = 23) consumed dry FBFs for 14 d. Results were analyzed by 1-factor ANOVA with least-significant-difference test. Results In the prepared study, novel formulated FBFs significantly increased caloric and protein efficiency and nonsignificantly increased body weight gain, despite similar food intake compared with CSB+. In the dry study, novel formulated FBFs, except for O-SC+SPI, significantly increased food intake, caloric efficiency, and protein efficiency and nonsignificantly increased body-weight gain compared with CSB+. Novel formulated FBFs nonsignificantly and significantly increased hepatic iron concentrations compared with all FBFs in the prepared and dry studies, respectively. Conclusion Novel formulated FBFs, apart from O-SC+SPI, resulted in improved protein efficiencies and hepatic iron concentrations compared with CSB+, suggesting that they are of higher nutritional quality.
The usefulness of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products in the identification of COPD frequent exacerbator phenotype

Introduction Exacerbations of COPD (ECOPDs) are important events in the course of COPD, accelerating the rate of decline in lung function and increasing the mortality risk. A growing body of evidence suggests the significance of the "frequent exacerbator" phenotype. This phenotype seems to be associated with a more severe airflow limitation, symptoms, health-related quality of life impairment, and higher mortality. However, there is no described biomarker that would help to identify this group of patients. Patients and methods Patients with COPD in "D" GOLD category were monitored for 3 years according to events of ECOPD. Serum samples were collected from the patients. Circulating level of plasma soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) was measured using commercially available high sensitivity kits. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the usefulness of sRAGE to identify frequent exacerbator phenotype. Log-rank test was used in the analysis of time to the subsequent exacerbation. Pearson (R) or Spearman's rank (R S) correlation coefficients were used for correlation analysis. Results Nineteen patients were enrolled. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) for sRAGE for the identification of frequent exacerbator phenotype was 0.81. Analysis identified the cutoff point as 850.407 pg/mL, characterized by a sensitivity of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.28-1.0) and specificity of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.66-1.0). Additionally, in the group with sRAGE ≤850.407 pg/mL, we observed significantly shorter time to the subsequent exacerbation: median of 32 vs 105.5 days (P=0.03). Correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlation between sRAGE and the number of exacerbations requiring hospitalization during the whole time of follow-up (R S=-0.53; P=0.02) and significant positive correlation with FEV1 expressed as the percentage of reference value (R=0.6; P=0.006). Conclusion sRAGE seems to be useful in the identification of frequent exacerbator phenotype. This parameter may also be used in the prediction of time to ECOPD. Our findings should be confirmed in a sufficiently powered larger sample.
A TEM-traceable physiologically functional gold nanoprobe that permeates non-endocytic cells

Background Nanoparticles' intracellular fate requires proper internalization. Most cells make use of a battery of internalization pathways, but some are practically sealed, as they lack the biochemical machinery for cellular intake. Non-endocytic cells, such as mammals' spermatozoa, challenge standard drug-delivery strategies. Purpose In this article, we present a gold nanoprobe that permeates the external and internal membranes of human sperm. Methods Our design makes use of a gold nanoparticle functionalized with a membrane-permeable cysteine-rich recombinant protein. The chimeric protein contains two units of physiologically active metallothioneins (MT) that also provide binding motifs to gold and a cell-penetrating-peptide sequence (CPP) that confers cell permeability to the nanoparticle. Results Transmission electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence, and functional assays show that the nanoprobe is readily internalized in sperm, without compromising cell integrity, while preserving MT's physiological activity. Our findings highlight the potential of CPP-functionalized nanogold for investigating the physiology of otherwise impermeable non-endocytic cells.
Development of a prediction model for pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes using logistic regression and artificial neural network models

Objectives Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are suggested to have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. We used two models to predict pancreatic cancer risk among patients with T2DM. Methods The original data used for this investigation were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The prediction models included the available possible risk factors for pancreatic cancer. The data were split into training and test sets: 97.5% of the data were used as the training set and 2.5% of the data were used as the test set. Logistic regression (LR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were implemented using Python (Version 3.7.0). The F 1, precision, and recall were compared between the LR and the ANN models. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the prediction models were also compared. Results The metrics used in this study indicated that the LR model more accurately predicted pancreatic cancer than the ANN model. For the LR model, the area under the ROC curve in the prediction of pancreatic cancer was 0.727, indicating a good fit. Conclusion Using this LR model, our results suggested that we could appropriately predict pancreatic cancer risk in patients with T2DM in Taiwan.
Is APC hypermethylation a diagnostic biomarker for bladder cancer? A meta-analysis

Objective Numerous studies have been performed to investigate the association between APC promoter hypermethylation and bladder cancer risk. Nevertheless, the conclusion was uncertain due to small sample size, different ethnicities, and tumor subtype. Hence, to accurately assess the effect of APC promoter hypermethylation on the risk of bladder cancer, we performed the meta-analysis. Materials and methods We retrieved the relevant literatures from electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Wanfang, Vapp, and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure). 95% CI and OR were calculated to evaluate the associations of APC promoter hypermethylation with risk and clinical features of bladder cancer. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed with Q test and I2 statistic. In addition, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) value of APC hypermethylation for bladder cancer were calculated. Results In total, 14 articles with 531 controls and 1,293 cases were included to assess the associations of APC promoter hypermethylation with the risk and clinical characteristics of bladder cancer. The significant association between APC promoter hypermethylation and bladder cancer risk was detected (OR =17.01, CI =7.40–39.07). Furthermore, the results revealed that APC promoter hypermethylation was significantly correlated with the grade of bladder tumor (pTNM stage: OR =1.84, CI =0.87–3.93; grade: OR =4.11, CI =1.62–10.43). According to the results of diagnostic evaluation, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and AUC value of APC hypermethylation for bladder cancer risk were 0.52 (95% CI =0.41–0.63), 0.98 (95% CI =0.90–1.00), and 0.80 (95% CI =0.76–0.83), respectively. Conclusion This meta-analysis revealed that APC promoter hypermethylation was a risk factor for bladder cancer risk. In addition, APC promoter hypermethylation was significantly associated with the grade of bladder cancer. APC hypermethylation might be a useful biomarker for the clinical diagnosis of bladder cancer.