Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of intradialytic exercise in haemodialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of intradialytic exercise for haemodialysis patients. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, were screened from inception to March 2017. Eligibility criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety of intradialytic exercise versus no exercise in adult patients on haemodialysis for at least 3 months. A minimum exercise programme period of 8 weeks. Data extraction Study characteristics and study quality domains were reviewed. Studies were selected, and data extracted by two reviewers. Data analysis The pooled risk ratios and mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs for dichotomous data and continuous data were calculated, respectively. Results A total of 27 RCTs involving 1215 subjects were analysed. Compared with no exercise, intradialytic exercise increased dialysis adequacy (Kt/V) (MD 0.07, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.12, p=0.02) and maximum volume of oxygen that the body can use during physical exertion peak oxygen consumption (MD 4.11, 95% CI 2.94 to 5.27, p<0.0001), alleviated depression standardised mean difference (−1.16, 95% CI −1.86 to –0.45, p=0.001) and improved physical component summary-short form-36 (SF-36) level (MD 7.72, 95% CI 1.93 to 13.51, p=0.009). Also, intradialytic exercise could significantly reduce systolic blood pressure (MD −4.87, 95% CI −9.20 to –0.55, p=0.03) as well as diastolic blood pressure (MD −4.11, 95% CI −6.50 to –1.72, p=0.0007). However, intradialytic exercise could not improve mental component summary-SF-36 level (MD 3.05, 95% CI −1.47 to 7.57, p=0.19). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events between the intradialytic exercise and control groups. Conclusions Intradialytic exercise resulted in benefits in terms of improving haemodialysis adequacy, exercise capacity, depression and quality of life for haemodialysis.
Small Dense Low‐Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Predicts Cardiovascular Events in Liver Transplant Recipients

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation (LT). Although LT is associated with dyslipidemia, particularly atherogenic lipoprotein subparticles, the impact of these subparticles on CVD‐related events is unknown. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of small dense (sdLDL‐C) low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL‐C) on CVD events. Prospectively enrolled patients (N = 130) had detailed lipid profile consisting of traditional lipid parameters and sdLDL‐C and were followed for CVD events. The primary endpoint was a CVD composite consisting of myocardial infarction (MI), angina, need for coronary revascularization, and cardiac death. Mean age of the cohort was 58 ± 11 years, and the most common etiology of liver disease (LD) was hepatitis C virus (N = 48) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (N = 23). A total of 20 CVD events were noted after median follow‐up of 45 months. The baseline traditional profile was similar in patients with and without CVD events. A serum LDL‐C cutoff of 100 mg/dL was unable to identify individuals at risk of a CVD event (P = 0.86). In contrast, serum concentration of atherogenic sdLDL‐C >25 mg/dL was predictive of CVD events with a hazard ratio of 6.376 (95% confidence interval, 2.65, 15.34; P < 0.001). This relationship was independent of diabetes, hypertension, sex, ethnicity, LD, obesity, and statin use. Conclusion: sdLDL‐C independently predicted CVD events whereas LDL‐C did not. Thus, sdLDL‐C may provide a useful clinical tool in risk stratifying and managing patients after LT.
Association between fragmented QRS and exercise intolerance in hypertensive patients: the relation with coronary flow

Abstract Objective: We aimed to investigate the relation between the presence of fragmented QRS (FQRS) and exercise intolerance as assessed by 6 minute walking test (6MWT) and its association with coronary flow reserve (CFR). Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with hypertension (age: 47.3 + 6.9) who were never treated and without left ventricular hypertrophy underwent 6MWT. Echocardiographic examination was obtained for all patients. CFR was calculated as the hyperemic to baseline mean velocity ratio (hyperemia was induced by intravenous adenosine 0.14 mg/kg/min). Patients were stratified into one group with FQRS and another group without FQRS. Forty-eight normotensive subjects with a mean age of 45.7 + 5.3 were recruited and served as a control group. Results: The frequency of FQRS was 49% in hypertensive patients versus 2% in control subjects. Patients with FQRS had higher systolic blood pressure (p < .05; <.01), a significant lower 6MWTD (p < .001), increased LAVI (p <.05), increased E/e' ratio (p < .01) and lower CFR (p < .001) compared with those without FQRS and controls. FQRS was inversely correlated with CFR (−0.531; p < .001) and 6 MWTD (−0.415; p < .001) and positively correlated with E/e' (0.352, p < .02) and LAVI (0.296; p < .05). By a multivariate regression analysis, FQRS (OR = 6.13; p < .001) and CFR (OR = 3.28; p < .001) were the only two independent predictors for decreased 6 MWTD in hypertensive patients. Importantly the ≥3 cutoff number of leads was found to be the best predictor of CFR < 2.0 in hypertensive patients. Conclusion: FQRS is frequent and an independent predictor of reduced exercise tolerance in hypertensive patients. More so, it is significantly associated with decreased CFR and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. In light of these findings, fragmented QRS might be considered a simple marker for risk stratification of hypertensive patients.
Unstable Genome and Transcriptome Dynamics during Tumor Metastasis Contribute to Therapeutic Heterogeneity in Colorectal Cancers

Purpose: Genomic and transcriptomic alterations during metastasis are considered to affect clinical outcome of colorectal cancers, but detailed clinical implications of metastatic alterations are not fully uncovered. We aimed to investigate the effect of metastatic evolution on in vivo treatment outcome, and identify genomic and transcriptomic alterations associated with drug responsiveness. Experimental Design: We developed and analyzed patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from 35 patients with colorectal cancer including 5 patients with multiple organ metastases (MOMs). We performed whole-exome, DNA methylation, and RNA sequencing for patient and PDX tumors. With samples from patients with MOMs, we conducted phylogenetic and subclonal analysis and in vivo drug efficacy test on the corresponding PDX models. Results: Phylogenetic analysis using mutation, expression, and DNA methylation data in patients with MOMs showed that mutational alterations were closely connected with transcriptomic and epigenomic changes during the tumor evolution. Subclonal analysis revealed that initial primary tumors with larger number of subclones exhibited more dynamic changes in subclonal architecture according to metastasis, and loco-regional and distant metastases occurred in a parallel or independent fashion. The PDX models from MOMs demonstrated therapeutic heterogeneity for targeted treatment, due to subclonal acquisition of additional mutations or transcriptomic activation of bypass signaling pathway during tumor evolution. Conclusions: This study demonstrated in vivo therapeutic heterogeneity of colorectal cancers using PDX models, and suggests that acquired subclonal alterations in mutations or gene expression profiles during tumor metastatic processes can be associated with the development of drug resistance and therapeutic heterogeneity of colorectal cancers.
Performance of whole genome prediction for growth traits in a crossbred chicken population

ABSTRACT In the past decades, crossbreeding has been widely used to improve productivity in plant and animal husbandry. With the rapid implementation of genomic selection (GS) in these industries and a decrease in the cost of genotyping, genomic prediction (GP) with data from crossbred populations is an emerging research interest. Using a crossbred population derived from a cross between White Recessive Rock (WRR) and Xinghua (XH) chickens (n = 473), the predictive ability and selection differential of conventional best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) and 3 GP methods (GBLUP, RKHS, and BayesB) were compared. All chickens were genotyped by a 60 K SNP chip. Twenty traits containing body weight (BW) at 1 to 90 d of age, breast muscle weight (BMW), leg muscle weight (LMW), wing weight (WW), and average daily gain (ADG) of different periods were analyzed. The accuracy of GP was higher than that of conventional BLUP for 18 out of 20 investigated traits. The average selection differential on BW selected with GP methods was greater than that from conventional BLUP, with a proportion selected varied between 5 and 30%. Overall, the GP methods outperformed conventional BLUP for both predictive ability and selection effect in the tested crossbred chicken population. Using genomic data from crossbred populations could potentially benefit the decision making for the purpose of marketing or breeding within crossbred population.
Epidural Fat-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell: First Report of Epidural Fat-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell

Study Design Experimental study. Purpose To determine whether epidural fat (EF) tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Overview of Literature Spine surgeons are unaware of the contents of EF tissue and the reason for its presence between the ligamentum flavum and the dura mater; therefore, EF tissues are routinely eliminated during surgical procedures. However, EF removal causes certain postoperative problems, such as post-laminectomy syndrome. We hypothesized that the EF tissue may play a significant supportive role for the neural structures and other nearby conditions. Methods EF tissues were obtained from consenting patients (n=3) during posterior decompression surgery of the lumbar spine. The primary cells were isolated and cultured as per previously described methods with some modifications, and the cell morphology and cumulation were examined. Thereafter, reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, and differentiation potency for differentiation into osteoblasts, chondroblasts, and adipocytes were investigated to identify whether the cells derived from EF are MSC. Results The cells from the EF tissue had a fibroblast or neuron-like morphology that persisted until the senescence at p18. MSC-specific genes, such as OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, MYC, and GAPDH were expressed in the RT-PCR study, while MSC-specific surface markers such as CD105, CD90, and CD73 were exhibited in the FACS analysis. The differentiation properties of EF-MSC for differentiation into the three types of cells (osteoblast, chondroblast, and adipocyte) were also confirmed. Conclusions Based on the cell culture, FACS analysis, RT-PCR analysis, and differentiation potent outcomes, all the features of the cells corresponded to MSC. This is the first study to identify EF-MSC derived from the EF tissue.
A double-blind HD-tDCS/EEG study examining right temporoparietal junction involvement in facial emotion processing

ABSTRACT Prior studies have demonstrated that aspects of social cognition can be modulated via temporoparietal junction (TPJ) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). However, this technique lacks focality and electrophysiological effects or correlates are rarely examined. The present study investigated whether anodal and/or cathodal high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) would influence facial emotion processing performance relative to sham stimulation, and whether task performance changes were related to neurophysiological changes. Participants completed a facial emotion attribution tasks before and after rTPJ HD-tDCS, with event-related potentials (ERP) recorded during task performance. Anodal rTPJ HD-tDCS improved facial emotion processing performance for static depictions of fear (but not surprise). Stimulation condition influenced P300 latency, and also influenced the relationship between behavioural and electrophysiological (ERP) outcomes in several circumstances, findings which both support and challenge anodal-excitation/cathodal-inhibition accounts of tDCS effects. Results suggest that rTPJ anodal HD-tDCS can influence facial emotion recognition (i.e., affective mentalizing), and elucidate the nature and distribution of underlying neurophysiological processes. Stimulation effects, however, might depend on the intensity and salience/valence (negativity/threat) of the emotion, and these behavioural effects may not relate directly or simply to the ERPs assessed here.
Root Adaptation to H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress by ARF-GEF BEN1- and Cytoskeleton-Mediated PIN2 Trafficking

Abiotic stress poses constant challenges for plant survival and is a serious problem for global agricultural productivity. On a molecular level, stress conditions result in elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production causing oxidative stress associated with oxidation of proteins and nucleic acids as well as impairment of membrane functions. Adaptation of root growth to ROS accumulation is facilitated through modification of auxin and cytokinin hormone homeostasis. Here, we report that in Arabidopsis root meristem, ROS-induced changes of auxin levels correspond to decreased abundance of PIN auxin efflux carriers at the plasma membrane (PM). Specifically, increase in H2O2 levels affects PIN2 endocytic recycling. We show that the PIN2 intracellular trafficking during adaptation to oxidative stress requires the function of the ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF)-guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) BEN1, an actin-associated regulator of the trafficking from the PM to early endosomes and, presumably, indirectly, trafficking to the vacuoles. We propose that H2O2 levels affect the actin dynamics thus modulating ARF-GEF-dependent trafficking of PIN2. This mechanism provides a way how root growth acclimates to stress and adapts to a changing environment.
A branched arabinoglucan from Angelica sinensis ameliorates diabetic renal damage in rats

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication in long‐standing diabetic patients, and effective therapies are required. In this study, we examined the effects and mechanisms of an arabinoglucan (AG) isolated from Angelica sinensis on DN, which was induced in rats by streptozotocin. The rats were intraperitoneally treated with AG for 8 weeks. Diabetic rats exhibited renal dysfunction, as evidenced by reduced creatinine clearance, increased blood urea nitrogen and proteinuria, along with marked enhanced mesangial expansion. All of these abnormalities were reversed by the AG. Overproliferation of glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) was halted by AG treatment, and inflammation mediators were attenuated. Furthermore, the AG significantly inhibited the expression of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), both in diabetic kidneys and in high glucose‐induced GMCs. Using an NF‐κB inhibitor, RAGE siRNA and RAGE‐overexpressing plasmid, we further demonstrated that the AG inhibited GMC viability mediated by RAGE/NF‐κB signaling pathway. More importantly, we show that the AG can directly interact with RAGE and disrupt RAGE binding to advanced glycation end products using microscale thermophoresis. These findings suggest that this AG, acting as a RAGE antagonist, is a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of DN.
Parents mention sons more often than daughters on social media

Significance Parents’ preference for sons is a well-known phenomenon. This study examines whether the use of social media by parents is gender biased. Due to the large-scale use of social media, even a moderate bias might significantly contribute to gender inequality. We use data from a Russian social networking site on posts made by 635,665 users and find that parents mention sons more often than daughters and that posts featuring sons get more “likes. ” This gender imbalance may send a message that girls are less important than boys or that they deserve less attention. Particularly in a country with an above-average ranking on gender parity, this invisible bias might present an intractable obstacle to gender equality. Gender inequality starts early in life. Parents tend to prefer boys over girls, which is manifested in reproductive behavior, marital life, and parents’ pastimes and investments in their children. While social media and sharing information about children (so-called “sharenting”) have become an integral part of parenthood, whether and how gender preference shapes the online behavior of users are not well known. In this paper we use public posts made by 635,665 users from Saint Petersburg on a popular Russian social networking site, to investigate public mentions of daughters and sons on social media. We find that both men and women mention sons more often than daughters in their posts. We also find that posts featuring sons receive more “likes” on average. Our results indicate that girls are underrepresented in parents’ digital narratives about their children, in a country with an above-average ranking on gender parity. This gender imbalance may send a message that girls are less important than boys or that they deserve less attention, thus reinforcing gender inequality from an early age.
Prognostic value of immune checkpoint molecules in head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis

Immune checkpoint molecules are important targets in cancer immunotherapy, but their association with prognosis in patients with head and neck cancer is controversial. In this meta-analysis, we searched for 12 immune checkpoint molecules in the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases and retrieved 52 studies with 7127 participants. Among the molecules included in the search, indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and programmed death 1 (PD-1) met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. Higher expression of IDO was associated with poorer overall survival in head and neck cancer patients (P = 0.011), but higher expression of PD-L1 correlated with better overall survival specifically in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (P = 0.01). In a sensitivity analysis, higher PD-L1 expression correlated with better progression-free survival (P = 0.043), and was associated with better overall survival in Caucasian subjects (P = 0.02), nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (P = 0.015), and studies with small sample sizes (P = 0.001). PD-1 had no prognostic significance. There was no publication bias affecting the results. Thus, among the immune checkpoint molecules, IDO and PD-L1 are potential prognostic predictors in head and neck cancer.
When Social Networks Meet D2D Communications: A Survey

In the last few years, one of the main characteristics of the current technological development is the constantly increasing need for data exchange among various types of devices, both mobile and fixed. Within this context, the direct communications between devices has the potential to create new, location-based peer-to-peer applications and services, as well as to help offload traffic from the congested traditional cellular networks. The main hurdles for this kind of Device to Device (D2D) communications are throughput, spectral efficiency, latency and fairness. Most of these hurdles can be overcome by the use of the new Social IoT (SIoT) paradigm, of things and people involved together in the network, guided autonomously by social relationships following the rules set by their owners. This paper aims to investigate the state of the art of socially-driven D2D communications. Upon an initial analysis, we perform an in-deep literature investigation of the main directions in which social ties can improve D2D communication, draw conclusions and identify the research topics left open.
Comparison of the anesthetic effects of 2,2,2-tribromoethanol on ICR mice derived from three different sources

This study was conducted to compare the anesthetic effects of 2,2,2-tribromoethanol (TBE, Avertin®) in ICR mice obtained from three different sources. TBE (2.5%) was intraperitoneally injected at three doses: high-dose group (500 mg/kg), intermediate-dose group (250 mg/kg), and low-dose group (125 mg/kg). Anesthesia time, recovery time, end-tidal peak CO2 (ETCO2), mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), body temperature, pH, PCO2, and PO2 of the arterial blood were measured. Stable anesthesia was induced by all doses of TBE and the anesthesia time was maintained exhibited dose dependency. No significant differences in anesthetic duration were found among the three different strains. However, the anesthesia time was longer in female than in male mice, and the duration of anesthesia was significantly longer in female than in male mice in the high-dose group. The recovery time was significantly longer for female than male mice in the intermediate- and high-dose groups. In the ICR strains tested, there were no significant differences in the mean arterial blood pressure, SPO2, arterial blood PCO2, and PO2, which decreased after TBE anesthesia, or in heart rate and ETCO2, which increased after TBE anesthesia. In addition, body temperature, blood biochemical markers, and histopathological changes of the liver, kidney, and lung were not significantly changed by TBE anesthesia. These results suggested that ICR mice from different sources exhibited similar overall responses to a single exposure to TBE anesthesia. In conclusion, TBE is a useful drug that can induce similar anesthetic effects in three different strains of ICR mice.
Functional prediction and characterization of Dip2 gene in mice

Disconnected interacting protein 2 (DIP2) is a highly conserved protein family among invertebrates and vertebrates, but its function remains unclear. In this paper, we summarized the conservation of gene sequences and protein domains of DIP2 family members and predicted that they may have a similar functional role in acetyl‐coenzyme A (acetyl‐CoA) synthesis. We then used the most characterized member, disconnected interacting protein 2 homolog A (DIP2A), for further study. DIP2A is a cytoplasmic protein that is preferentially localized to mitochondria, and its acetyl‐CoA synthetase activity has been demonstrated in vitro. Furthermore, the level of acetyl‐CoA in HEK293 cells overexpressing DIP2A was increased, which is consistent with its metabolically related function. Together, these data enrich the evolutionary and functional characterization of dip2 genes and provide significant insights into the identification and application of other homologs of DIP2.
Combat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Quality of Life: Do Somatic Comorbidities Matter?

Abstract A vast number of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have chronic somatic comorbidities. However, their relationship with quality of life (QoL) has received little attention. We aimed to compare QoL of veterans with similar intensity of PTSD but different number of chronic somatic disorders. Of 129 veterans, 78% had at least one somatic disorder, and they reported lower QoL across all domains than veterans without somatic comorbidities. The greatest effect size was observed on social relationship (d = 0.65), it was notable on environment (d = 0.4) and psychological health (d = 0.38), and it was not relevant on physical health (d = 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the number of somatic disorders and scores on psychological health (rs = −0.217, p = 0.014), social relationships (rs = −0.248, p = 0.005), and environment (rs = −0.279, p = 0.001). The QoL of war veterans decreases significantly with the number of comorbid somatic conditions, particularly on the nonphysical domains of QoL.