Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma Helicobacter pylori Antibody Titers and Helicobacter pylori Infection Positivity Rates in Patients with Gallbladder Cancer or Cholelithiasis: a Hospital-Based Case-Control Study

Objective Gallbladder cancer is the commonest gastrointestinal cancer in northern Indian women. Some studies have examined the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gallbladder cancer risk, but findings have been inconsistent. We aimed to examine the association between H. pylori infection and gallbladder cancer in Indian people. Materials and Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study including 100 gallbladder cancer patients with gallstones who were 32 to 79 years old (cases; 72 women and 28 men), and 100 cholelithiasis patients aged 14 to 75 years (controls; 65 women and 35 men). All patients had a diagnosis of gallbladder cancer or cholelithiasis at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow having a high gallbladder cancer incidence in northern India, from May 2014 through July 2017. Plasma samples were collected from all patients before surgical treatment. Plasma H. pylori antibody titer was measured by the latex agglutination method and an autoanalyzer. H. pylori infection was defined as antibody titer ≥10 U/mL. Plasma antibody titers and H. pylori infection positivity rates were compared between cases and controls. Results Mean plasma antibody titers (standard deviation, range) were 11.1 U/mL (11.6, 0–78) in cases and 13.6 U/mL (23.0, 1–164) in controls. H. pylori infection positivity rates were 41% and 42% in cases and controls, respectively. No significant differences in antibody titers or H. pylori infection positivity rates were found between cases and controls. Conclusions We found no evidence of H. pylori infection as an important risk factor for gallbladder cancer in Indian people.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Different Machine Learning Algorithms for Breast Cancer Risk Calculation: a Meta-Analysis

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of different machine learning algorithms for breast cancer risk calculation. Methods A meta-analysis was conducted of published research articles on diagnostic test accuracy of different machine learning algorithms for breast cancer risk calculation published between January 2000 and May 2018 in the online article databases of PubMed, ProQuest and EBSCO. Paired forest plots were employed for the analysis. Numerical values for sensitivity and specificity were obtained from false negative (FN), false positive (FP), true negative (TN) and true positive (TP) rates, presented alongside graphical representations with boxes marking the values and horizontal lines showing the confidence intervals (CIs). Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were applied to assess the performance of diagnostic tests. Data were processed using Review Manager 5.3 (RevMan 5.3). Results A total of 1,879 articles were reviewed, of which 11 were selected for systematic review and meta-analysis. Fve algorithms for machine learning able to predict breast cancer risk were identified: Super Vector Machine (SVM); Artificial Neural Networks (ANN); Decision Tree (DT); Naive Bayes (NB); and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN). With the SVM, the Area Under Curve (AUC) from the SROC was > 90%, therefore classified into the excellent category. Conclusion The meta-analysis confirmed that the SVM algorithm is able to calculate breast cancer risk with better accuracy value than other machine learning algorithms.
Prehospital Plasma during Air Medical Transport in Trauma Patients at Risk for Hemorrhagic Shock

Background After a person has been injured, prehospital administration of plasma in addition to the initiation of standard resuscitation procedures in the prehospital environment may reduce the risk of downstream complications from hemorrhage and shock. Data from large clinical trials are lacking to show either the efficacy or the risks associated with plasma transfusion in the prehospital setting. Methods To determine the efficacy and safety of prehospital administration of thawed plasma in injured patients who are at risk for hemorrhagic shock, we conducted a pragmatic, multicenter, cluster‐randomized, phase 3 superiority trial that compared the administration of thawed plasma with standard‐care resuscitation during air medical transport. The primary outcome was mortality at 30 days. Results A total of 501 patients were evaluated: 230 patients received plasma (plasma group) and 271 received standard‐care resuscitation (standard‐care group). Mortality at 30 days was significantly lower in the plasma group than in the standard‐care group (23.2% vs. 33.0%; difference, ‐9.8 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, ‐18.6 to ‐1.0%; P=0.03). A similar treatment effect was observed across nine prespecified subgroups (heterogeneity chi‐square test, 12.21; P=0.79). Kaplan–Meier curves showed an early separation of the two treatment groups that began 3 hours after randomization and persisted until 30 days after randomization (log‐rank chi‐square test, 5.70; P=0.02). The median prothrombin‐time ratio was lower in the plasma group than in the standard‐care group (1.2 [interquartile range, 1.1 to 1.4] vs. 1.3 [interquartile range, 1.1 to 1.6], P<0.001) after the patients’ arrival at the trauma center. No significant differences between the two groups were noted with respect to multiorgan failure, acute lung injury–acute respiratory distress syndrome, nosocomial infections, or allergic or transfusion‐related reactions. Conclusions In injured patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock, the prehospital administration of thawed plasma was safe and resulted in lower 30‐day mortality and a lower median prothrombin‐time ratio than standard‐care resuscitation. (Funded by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command; PAMPer ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01818427.)
User profile and preferences in fertility apps for preventing pregnancy: an exploratory pilot study.

Background The rapid proliferation of fertility apps has created a market that has the potential to address the needs of women and couples worldwide. Some women who seek to prevent pregnancy are making behavioral decisions based on information they receive from fertility apps, yet fertility apps may not always be accurate and reliance on them could lead to unintended pregnancies. Little research has been done to understand who uses fertility apps for pregnancy prevention, how those who use them perceive their efficacy, and their preferences for how apps should be designed and presented to accurately assist them in preventing pregnancy. Methods A web-based pilot survey was launched through Facebook recruiting women who either currently use a fertility app for pregnancy prevention or intend to use one in the future. Data collected from 1,000 women surveyed user preferences around fertility app characteristics, including aesthetics, features, functionality, and reputation. User knowledge about fertility and reproduction was assessed, and knowledge categories were created. Chi-square tests assessed differences in app characteristic preferences according to knowledge category. Additional qualitative analyses on free-text answers explored which features of apps are important to users when they search for one to use. Results Approximately one quarter (23.1%) of survey respondents reported currently using a fertility app or had used one in the recent past, and 76.9% reported intention to use one in the future. A majority of both current and intended users (65.4%) had some knowledge of fertility and reproduction, while 16.5% had very little knowledge. 18.1% reported receiving prior provider counseling on using a fertility-awareness based method. Users across all knowledge groups said it was very important for apps to be science-based and that they identify fertile days during the menstrual cycle. Conclusions Women who use or wish to use apps to prevent pregnancy are seeking apps that are scientifically sound and provide them personalized information around their potential fertility. However, most fertility apps women reported using lack the capability for true fertility-awareness based method application for accurate, reliable pregnancy prevention. More research is needed to evaluate apps for efficacy and accuracy preventing pregnancy. Collaborations between app developers and women's health experts are encouraged, as well as informed consumerism campaigns.
Defective mucin-type glycosylation on α-dystroglycan in COG-deficient cells increases its susceptibility to bacterial proteases

Deficiency in subunits of the conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex results in pleiotropic defects in glycosylation and causes congenital disorders in humans. Insight regarding the functional consequences of this defective glycosylation and the identity of specific glycoproteins affected is lacking. A chemical glycobiology strategy was adopted to identify the surface glycoproteins most sensitive to altered glycosylation in COG-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Following metabolic labeling, an unexpected increase in GalNAz incorporation into several glycoproteins, including α-dystroglycan (α-DG), was noted in cog1-deficient ldlB cells. Western blotting analysis showed a significantly lower molecular weight for α-DG in ldlB cells compared with WT CHO cells. The underglycosylated α-DG molecules on ldlB cells are highly vulnerable to bacterial proteases that co-purify with V. cholerae neuraminidase, leading to rapid removal of the protein from the cell surface. The purified bacterial mucinase StcE can cleave both WT and ldlB α-DG but did not cause rapid degradation of the fragments, implicating other V. cholerae proteases in the final proteolysis of the fragments. Extending terminal glycosylation on the existing mucin-type glycans of ldlB α-DG stabilized the resulting fragments, indicating that fragment stability, but not the initial fragmentation of the protein, is influenced by the glycosylation status of the cell. This discovery highlights a functional importance for mucin-type O-glycans found on α-DG and reinforces a growing role for these glycans as regulators of extracellular proteolysis and protein stability.
An update on the role of gut microbiota in chronic inflammatory diseases, and potential therapeutic targets

ABSTRACT Introduction: The human microbiome plays a critical role in human health, having metabolic, protective, and trophic functions, depending upon its’ exact composition. This composition is affected by a number of factors, including the genetic background of the individual, early life factors (including method of birth, length of breastfeeding) and nature of the diet and other environmental exposures (including cigarette smoking) and general life habits. It plays a key role in the control of inflammation, and in turn, its’ composition is significantly influenced by inflammation. Areas covered: We consider metabolic, protective, and trophic functions of the microbiome and influences through the lifespan from post-partum effects, to diet later in life in healthy older adults, the effects of aging on both its’ composition, and influence on health and potential therapeutic targets that may have anti-inflammatory effects. Expert commentary: The future will see the growth of more effective therapies targeting the microbiome particularly with respect to the use of specific nutrients and diets personalized to the individual.
Unmet long‐term care needs and depression: The double disadvantage of community‐dwelling older people in rural China

This study investigates the relationship between unmet long-term care needs and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older people in China. The data come from a nationally representative sample of 1,324 disabled older people from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) collected between 2013 and 2014. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with unmet needs and the impacts of unmet needs on people's depressive symptoms. We found that disabled older people living in rural communities have a higher level of unmet needs than those in urban communities. Unmet needs cause more severe depressive symptoms among rural older people, but they do not have a significant impact among urban older people. Depressive symptoms are also affected by people's health conditions in rural China and by household income in urban China. We argue that older people living in rural communities face a double disadvantage. The first disadvantage relating to unmet needs reinforces the second one relating to mental health. These findings highlight the urgent need for more investment by the Chinese central government in formal social care services and support for carers in rural areas.
Access to Health Care, Beliefs, and Behaviors about Colorectal Cancer Screening among Korean Americans

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers among Korean Americans (KAs) and their CRC screening rates are low. To raise the rates of CRC screening among KAs, it is necessary to improve our understanding of factors that influence their CRC screening behaviors. This study examined socio-demographics, access to health care, health and cultural beliefs, and behaviors about the fecal occult blood test (FOBT) for CRC screening among KAs aged 50 and older. Methods Based on the health belief model, the cultural assessment model for health, and the Powe fatalism model, this study measured socio-demographics (age, gender, years in the U.S., marital status, education, employment, income, and acculturation), health care access (health insurance, having a regular doctor, physician recommendation, and trust in doctor), health beliefs (susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy), and cultural beliefs (physical space, health temporal orientation, personal control, and fatalism) and FOBT. A cross-sectional survey (n=202) was conducted. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, and multivariate logistic regression. Results This study found that physician recommendation was the strongest factor in lifetime FOBT utilization in KAs. The results also revealed a positive association among health temporal orientation, health fatalism, and lifetime FOBT among KAs, while previous research found a negative association between fatalism and cancer screening. Years in the U.S., employment, and having a regular doctor were significantly associated with having had a FOBT in the previous year. Conclusion Study results suggested the need for public education programs to increase physician recommendation among KAs. Furthermore, the positive relationships among health temporal orientation, health fatalism, and FOBT utilization in KAs suggests that KAs have a desire to maintain health and find cancer early despite their fatalistic view on health.
Higher use of techniques studied and performance in melee combat produce a higher psychophysiological stress response

We aimed to analyse the effectiveness of an operative training in soldiers' psychophysiological and melee combat performance. Nineteen soldiers performed a 50-hr training for 10 weeks. After training, they were divided into two groups: higher performance group (HPG) and lower performance group (LPG), then they conducted a realistic melee simulation where psychophysiological response, task performance, and the utilization of techniques learned were measured. HPG presented a significantly (p < 0.05) higher heart rate, blood lactate, and jump height; a lower blood oxygen saturation, task performance mark, use of studied techniques than LPG after the simulation; and a higher low frequency/high frequency ratio of heart rate variability previous the simulation than LPG. Independent of performance and the use of studied techniques by the participants, the melee simulation produced an increase in fight or flight response, increasing rated of stress and perceived exertion, sympathetic modulation, and physiological response. A specific melee combat training program induced different modifications in psychophysiological and task performance depending on the level of studied technique used. HPG presented a significantly higher cardiovascular response than LPG and time perception, and memory presented no differences between groups; also HPG presented a significantly higher use of studied techniques.
Mechanistic insights into the cellular effects of a novel FN1 variant associated with a spondylometaphyseal dysplasia

Spondylometaphyseal dysplasia (SMD) is characterized by developmental changes in long bones and vertebrae. It has large phenotypic diversity and multiple genetic causes, including a recent link to novel variants in the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin (FN), a regulator of ECM assembly and key link between the ECM and proper cell function. We identified a patient with a unique SMD, similar to SMD with corner fractures. The patient has been followed over 19 years and presents with short stature, genu varum, kyphoscoliosis, and pectus carinatum. Radiography shows metaphyseal changes that resolved over time, vertebral changes, and capitular avascular necrosis. Whole exome sequencing identified a novel heterozygous FN1 variant (p.Cys97Trp). Using mass spectroscopy, mutant FN was detected in plasma and in culture medium of primary dermal fibroblasts isolated from the patient, but mutant protein was much less abundant than wild‐type FN. Immunofluorescence and immunoblotting analyses show that mutant fibroblasts assemble significantly lower amounts of FN matrix than wild‐type cells, and mutant FN was preferentially retained within the endoplasmic reticulum. This work highlights the importance of FN in skeletal development, and its potential role in the pathogenesis of a subtype of SMD.
"Vive Sin Tabaco… ¡Decídete!" Feasibility and Acceptability of an e-Health Smoking Cessation Informed Decision-Making Tool Integrated in Primary Healthcare in Mexico.

Introduction: While smoking remains one of the leading causes of death in Mexico, uptake of evidence-based cessation therapy remains low. Widespread use of mobile devices and internet in Mexico has created new avenues for providing access to cessation treatment. Methods: We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of "Vive Sin Tabaco… ¡Decídete! " (English: Live without Tobacco…. Decide! ), a web-based, informed decision-making tool designed to help Mexican smokers develop a quit plan and take advantage of cessation resources. We invited 164 smokers in two primary care clinics. Measures included physical, situational, and psychological nicotine dependence, interest in using pharmacotherapy and counseling, smoking status at 3 months, and satisfaction with the program. Results: Most participants were light smokers and reported low-to-moderate nicotine dependence. Immediately after using ¡Vive Sin Tabaco… ¡Decídete! , the majority were interested in quitting, set a quit date, and reported interest in using pharmacotherapy and cessation counseling. Follow-up rate at 3 months was 81.5%; seven-day point prevalence abstinence was 19.1% using intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusion: Integration of e-Health tools in primary healthcare settings has the potential to improve knowledge about cessation treatments among smokers and integrate smoking cessation into routine of care.
Kinetics of trans-10, cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid transfer to plasma and milk following an abomasal bolus in lactating dairy cows

Abstract Trans-10, cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a potent bioactive fatty acids (FA) that causes milk fat depression in lactating animals. FA are transferred to milk directly through chylomicrons and indirectly by recycling through other tissues. The objective of this study was to characterise the kinetics of trans-10, cis-12 CLA transfer to plasma and milk after a single bolus infusion. Five multiparous mid-lactation cows received a single abomasal bolus infusion of an enriched CLA mixture providing 15 g of trans-10, cis-12 CLA and 15 g of cis-9, trans-11 CLA over a 30-min period. Plasma concentration of trans-10, cis-12 and cis-9, trans-11 CLA peaked 2 h post-bolus, reaching 0·29 and 0·38 % of total plasma FA, respectively, and returned to pre-bolus values at 72 h post-infusion. Milk trans-10, cis-12 CLA yield and concentration peaked 14 h post-bolus (0·25 g/h) and was not detectable in milk after 86 h. Total apparent transfer of trans-10, cis-12 CLA to milk was 41 %, with 73 % transferred to milk through the direct pool (chylomicrons) and the remaining 27 % transferred through the indirect pool (tissue recycling). Compartmental modelling revealed the existence of a transient unavailable pool of trans-10, cis-12 CLA in extravascular tissues represented primarily by the mammary gland, which slowly exchanges with an available pool for secretion in milk fat and transfer to milk. In conclusion, trans-10, cis-12 CLA is predominantly transferred to milk through the direct pathway; however, how this CLA isomer is processed within the mammary gland requires further investigation.
Enthalpic stabilization of an SH3 domain by D2O

The stability of a protein is vital for its biological function, and proper folding is partially driven by intermolecular interactions between protein and water. In many studies, H2O is replaced by D2O because H2O interferes with the protein signal. Even this small perturbation, however, affects protein stability. Studies in isotopic waters also might provide insight into the role of solvation and hydrogen bonding in protein folding. Here, we report a complete thermodynamic analysis of the reversible, two‐state, thermal unfolding of the metastable, 7‐kDa N‐terminal src‐homology 3 domain of the Drosophila signal transduction protein drk in H2O and D2O using one‐dimensional 19F NMR spectroscopy. The stabilizing effect of D2O compared with H2O is enthalpic and has a small to insignificant effect on the temperature of maximum stability, the entropy, and the heat capacity of unfolding. We also provide a concise summary of the literature about the effects of D2O on protein stability and integrate our results into this body of data.
Comparison of heritability estimates on resting state fMRI connectivity phenotypes using the ENIGMA analysis pipeline

We measured and compared heritability estimates for measures of functional brain connectivity extracted using the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta‐Analysis (ENIGMA) rsfMRI analysis pipeline in two cohorts: the genetics of brain structure (GOBS) cohort and the HCP (the Human Connectome Project) cohort. These two cohorts were assessed using conventional (GOBS) and advanced (HCP) rsfMRI protocols, offering a test case for harmonization of rsfMRI phenotypes, and to determine measures that show consistent heritability for in‐depth genome‐wide analysis. The GOBS cohort consisted of 334 Mexican‐American individuals (124M/210F, average age = 47.9 ± 13.2 years) from 29 extended pedigrees (average family size = 9 people; range 5–32). The GOBS rsfMRI data was collected using a 7.5‐min acquisition sequence (spatial resolution = 1.72 × 1.72 × 3 mm3). The HCP cohort consisted of 518 twins and family members (240M/278F; average age = 28.7 ± 3.7 years). rsfMRI data was collected using 28.8‐min sequence (spatial resolution = 2 × 2 × 2 mm3). We used the single‐modality ENIGMA rsfMRI preprocessing pipeline to estimate heritability values for measures from eight major functional networks, using (1) seed‐based connectivity and (2) dual regression approaches. We observed significant heritability (h2 = 0.2–0.4, p < .05) for functional connections from seven networks across both cohorts, with a significant positive correlation between heritability estimates across two cohorts. The similarity in heritability estimates for resting state connectivity measurements suggests that the additive genetic contribution to functional connectivity is robustly detectable across populations and imaging acquisition parameters. The overarching genetic influence, and means to consistently detect it, provides an opportunity to define a common genetic search space for future gene discovery studies.