Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Treatment and T2 Whole Brain Relaxation Times in Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVE: The authors hypothesized that changes in brain membrane composition resulting from omega-3 fatty acid administration in patients with bipolar disorder would result in greater membrane fluidity, as detected by reductions in T2 values. METHOD: Women with bipolar disorder (N=12) received omega-3 fatty acids for 4 weeks. A cohort of bipolar subjects (N=9) and a group without bipolar disorder (N=12) did not receive omega-3 fatty acids. T2 values were acquired at baseline and after 4 weeks. RESULTS: Bipolar subjects who received omega-3 fatty acids had significant decreases in T2. There was a dose-dependent effect when the bipolar omega-3 fatty acid group was subdivided into high- and low-dose cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Omega-3 fatty acids lowered T2 values, consistent with the hypothesis that the fluidity of cell membranes was altered. Further studies are needed to clarify the significance of alterations in brain physiology induced by omega-3 fatty acids, as reflected in T2 values.
Security Enhanced Location-aided Level-based Disjoint Multipath Routing Algorithm for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In mobile ad hoc networks (MANET), the location-based multipath routing protocols involves less routing overhead compared to non-location-based protocols. This paper proposes two location-based algorithms, Enhanced Location-aided Level-based node Disjoint Multipath routing (ELLDMR) and Secure Location-aided Level-based node Disjoint Multipath routing (SLLDMR), to enhance the link lifetime and the security of the MANET. The objective of ELLDMR is to build multiple paths with non-critical nodes so that the lifetime of the routing path is significantly increased. It also hides the source, destination and path identity in intermediate nodes to avoid intrusion of routing attacks in the routing path. The SLLDMR is an enhancement over ELLDMR where it aims to overcome rushing attack and exhibit secure data transmission using two-level cryptographic processes. The performances of ELLDMR and SLLDMR are simulated using NS2 where it shows a minimum routing overhead, less end to end delay and high packet delivery compared to existing Location-aided Level-based node Disjoint Multipath routing (LLDMR) algorithm and Topology Hiding multipath protocol (TOHIP).
The influence of glycemic status on the performance of cystatin C for acute kidney injury detection in the critically ill

Abstract Objective: Serum cystatin C (sCysC) used clinically for detecting early acute kidney injury (AKI) was reported to be independently associated with hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, diabetes, and prediabetes. We aimed to assess the influence of HbA1c levels, diabetes, or prediabetes on the performance of sCysC for AKI detection in critically ill adults. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU). Patients were divided into four quartiles based on levels of HbA1c or serum glucose at ICU admission, respectively. Additionally, patients were stratified into four subgroups according to HbA1c levels and history of diabetes, namely recognized diabetes (previous diagnosis of diabetes), unrecognized diabetes, prediabetes, and normal glycemic status. Comparisons were made using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) for AKI detection, and reassessed after patient stratification by above-mentioned glycemic status. Results: Multivariable linear regression revealed that HbA1c levels and history of diabetes were positively related with sCysC (all p < .05). Although stratification for above-mentioned glycemic status displayed no significant difference between AUC of sCysC (all p > .05), sCysC yielded the highest AUCs for detecting AKI in diabetic patients. Moreover, higher optimal cutoff values of sCysC to detect AKI were observed in patients with versus without diabetes. Conclusion: Glycemic status has no significant impact on the accuracy of sCysC for AKI detection in critically ill adults and a higher optimal cutoff value of sCysC for AKI detection should be considered in diabetic patients.
A pilot study on the effectiveness of a 2-year school-based oral health educational programme using experiential learning among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of a school-based experiential education programme on oral health status, knowledge and behaviour among a group of schoolchildren in Bucharest. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was part of an Erasmus+ project that focused on oral health promotion in schools and covered a 2-year period. Data were collected from 120 teenagers from three schools in Bucharest, Romania. At baseline, all subjects were clinically examined and received a questionnaire. They were split into two groups at baseline: a test group with 76 schoolchildren and a control group with 44 schoolchildren. The schoolchildren included in the test group received three experiential lessons. After every lesson, they filled in the same questionnaire. At the end, all subjects were clinically examined again. RESULTS The prevalence of dental caries was increased in the control group by 8.58% (N = 3, P = 0.31) and decreased in the test group by 1.64% (N = 1, P = 0.8). Regarding incipient carious lesions, a higher decrease was observed in the test group (D1-2 S: 0.78 vs 0.63, P = 0.867). There was a statistically significant plaque index decrease in the test group (1.32 vs 1.12; P = 0.01) and an increase in the control group (1.15 vs 1.79; P = 0.0001). More children from the test group (N = 5, 7.9%, P = 0.225) adopted twice-daily tooth brushing compared to the control group (N = 1, 2.9%, P = 0.52). CONCLUSIONS In the group studied, the oral health programme had positive effects on oral health status, oral health knowledge and behaviour among adolescents.
The Impact of HLA-G 3′UTR Polymorphisms in Breast Cancer in a Tunisian Population

ABSTRACT Human leukocyte antigens G and E (HLA-G and HLA-E) are nonclassical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. These molecules play an important role in immune surveillance by inhibiting natural killer and cytotoxic T cells responsible for immune escape. The expression of HLA-G and HLA-E has been associated with several diseases including tumor. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the impact of three HLA-G 3ʹUTR potential polymorphisms: +3187 A > G (rs9380142), +3142 G > C (rs1063320), +2960 14-base pair (bp) Insertion/Deletion (Ins/Del) (rs66554220), and the HLA-E*01:01/01:03 A > G (rs1264457) polymorphism in Tunisian breast cancer population. A total of 355 patients and 381 controls were genotyping for HLA-G and HLA-E polymorphisms using a Taq Man assay. +3142 C allele and +3142 C/C genotype were significantly associated with increased risk of breast cancer (p = 0.00002; OR = 1.58; 95% CI = 27–1.97) (49% versus 35%; p = 0.0001; OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.32–2.44). In addition, Del allele and the homozygous state for Del/Del genotype confer a risk for breast cancer (52% versus 45%, p = 0.006; OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.08–1.64) (28% versus 22%, p = 0.039; OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 0.90–2.25). However, no statistical significant differences were reported for HLA-G + 3187 A > G and HLA-E variations and breast cancer in a Tunisian population. The found results indicate that HLA-G may play an important role in the breast cancer.
Procedural Volume and Outcomes for Transcatheter Aortic-Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND During the introduction of transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States, requirements regarding procedural volume were mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a condition of reimbursement. A better understanding of the relationship between hospital volume of TAVR procedures and patient outcomes could inform policy decisions. METHODS We analyzed data from the Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry regarding procedural volumes and outcomes from 2015 through 2017. The primary analyses examined the association between hospital procedural volume as a continuous variable and risk-adjusted mortality at 30 days after transfemoral TAVR. Secondary analysis included risk-adjusted mortality according to quartile of hospital procedural volume. A sensitivity analysis was performed after exclusion of the first 12 months of transfemoral TAVR procedures at each hospital. RESULTS Of 113,662 TAVR procedures performed at 555 hospitals by 2960 operators, 96,256 (84.7%) involved a transfemoral approach. There was a significant inverse association between annualized volume of transfemoral TAVR procedures and mortality. Adjusted 30-day mortality was higher and more variable at hospitals in the lowest-volume quartile (3.19%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.78 to 3.67) than at hospitals in the highest-volume quartile (2.66%; 95% CI, 2.48 to 2.85) (odds ratio, 1.21; P = 0.02). The difference in adjusted mortality between a mean annualized volume of 27 procedures in the lowest-volume quartile and 143 procedures in the highest-volume quartile was a relative reduction of 19.45% (95% CI, 8.63 to 30.26). After the exclusion of the first 12 months of TAVR procedures at each hospital, 30-day mortality remained higher in the lowest-volume quartile than in the highest-volume quartile (3.10% vs. 2.61%; odds ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.40). CONCLUSIONS An inverse volume-mortality association was observed for transfemoral TAVR procedures from 2015 through 2017. Mortality at 30 days was higher and more variable at hospitals with a low procedural volume than at hospitals with a high procedural volume. (Funded by the American College of Cardiology Foundation National Cardiovascular Data Registry and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.).
Adiposity in relation to readmission and all‐cause mortality following coronary artery bypass grafting: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

This study systemically reviewed evidence linking adiposity to readmission and all‐cause mortality in post‐coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients. Keyword/reference search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library for articles published before June, 2018. Eligibility criteria included study designs: experimental/observational studies; subjects: adult patients undergoing CABG; and outcomes: hospital/clinic readmissions, and short‐term (≤30 days) and mid‐to‐long‐term (>30 days) all‐cause mortality. Seventy‐two studies were identified. Meta‐analysis showed that the odds of post‐CABG readmission among patients with overweight was 30% lower than their normal‐weight counterparts and the odds of mid‐to‐long‐term post‐CABG mortality among patients with overweight were 20% lower than their normal‐weight counterparts. In contrast, no difference in post‐CABG readmission rate was found between patients with obesity and their nonobese counterparts; no difference in short‐term or in‐hospital post‐CABG mortality rate was found between patients with overweight or obesity and their normal‐weight counterparts; and no difference in mid‐to‐long‐term post‐CABG mortality rate was found between patients with obesity and their normal‐weight counterparts. In conclusion, patients with overweight but not obesity had a lower readmission and mid‐to‐long‐term mortality rate following CABG relative to their normal‐weight counterparts. Preoperative weight loss may not be advised to patients with overweight undergoing CABG.
A Korean Postmarketing Study Assessing the Effectiveness of OnabotulinumtoxinA for the Treatment of Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity or Idiopathic Overactive Bladder Using a Validated Patient-Reported Outcome Measure

Purpose OnabotulinumtoxinA has demonstrated efficacy and safety in the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) associated with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB); however, real-world evidence is limited. This postmarketing surveillance study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA in Korean patients with UI associated with NDO or OAB with an inadequate response or intolerance to anticholinergics. Methods Patients received 200 U (NDO) or 100 U (OAB) of onabotulinumtoxinA. Effectiveness (assessed using the validated International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form [ICIQ-SF]) and safety were assessed for 1–4 months after onabotulinumtoxinA administration. Results Overall, 686 patients (NDO, 161; OAB, 525) comprised the safety population; of these, 612 patients were analyzed for effectiveness. There was a significant decrease (P<0.0001) in the mean (standard deviation) ICIQ-SF scores in the NDO (–6.8±5.5) and OAB (–6.0±6.4) groups after onabotulinumtoxinA administration. A decrease of >5 points from baseline in the ICIQ-SF score was observed in 64.9% and 47.3% of patients in the NDO and OAB groups, respectively. Following treatment, 59.9% in the NDO group and 43.0% in the OAB group were dry. There was no effect of age on effectiveness in either group. Only 10 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported in 5.6% of NDO patients and 20 ADRs in 3.2% of OAB patients. Most ADRs in both groups were related to the lower urinary tract such as dysuria (NDO, 1.2%; OAB, 0.6%) and urinary retention (NDO, 0.6%; OAB, 1.5%). Conclusions Effectiveness and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA in Korea in a real-world setting was demonstrated.
Elfn1-Induced Constitutive Activation of mGluR7 Determines Frequency-Dependent Recruitment of Somatostatin Interneurons

Excitatory synapses onto somatostatin (SOM) interneurons show robust short-term facilitation. This hallmark feature of SOM interneurons arises from a low initial release probability that regulates the recruitment of interneurons in response to trains of action potentials. Previous work has shown that Elfn1 (extracellular leucine rich repeat and fibronectin Type III domain containing 1) is necessary to generate facilitating synapses onto SOM neurons by recruitment of two separate presynaptic components: mGluR7 (metabotropic glutamate receptor 7) and GluK2-KARs (kainate receptors containing glutamate receptor, ionotropic, kainate 2). Here, we identify how a transsynaptic interaction between Elfn1 and mGluR7 constitutively reduces initial release probability onto mouse cortical SOM neurons. Elfn1 produces glutamate-independent activation of mGluR7 via presynaptic clustering, resulting in a divergence from the canonical “autoreceptor” role of Type III mGluRs, and substantially altering synaptic pharmacology. This structurally induced determination of initial release probability is present at both layer 2/3 and layer 5 synapses. In layer 2/3 SOM neurons, synaptic facilitation in response to spike trains is also dependent on presynaptic GluK2-KARs. In contrast, layer 5 SOM neurons do not exhibit presynaptic GluK2-KAR activity at baseline and show reduced facilitation. GluK2-KAR engagement at synapses onto layer 5 SOM neurons can be induced by calmodulin activation, suggesting that synaptic function can be dynamically regulated. Thus, synaptic facilitation onto SOM interneurons is mediated both by constitutive mGluR7 recruitment by Elfn1 and regulated GluK2-KAR recruitment, which determines the extent of interneuron recruitment in different cortical layers. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study identifies a novel mechanism for generating constitutive GPCR activity through a transsynaptic Elfn1/mGluR7 structural interaction. The resulting tonic suppression of synaptic release probability deviates from canonical autoreceptor function. Constitutive suppression delays the activation of somatostatin interneurons in circuits, necessitating high-frequency activity for somatostatin interneuron recruitment. Furthermore, variations in the synaptic proteome generate layer-specific differences in facilitation at pyr → SOM synapses. The presence of GluK2 kainate receptors in L2/3 enhances synaptic transmission during prolonged activity. Thus, layer-specific synaptic properties onto somatostatin interneurons are mediated by both constitutive mGluR7 recruitment and regulated GluK2 kainate receptor recruitment, revealing a mechanism that generates diversity in physiological responses of interneurons.
Recurrent residual U-Net for medical image segmentation

Abstract. Deep learning (DL)-based semantic segmentation methods have been providing state-of-the-art performance in the past few years. More specifically, these techniques have been successfully applied in medical image classification, segmentation, and detection tasks. One DL technique, U-Net, has become one of the most popular for these applications. We propose a recurrent U-Net model and a recurrent residual U-Net model, which are named RU-Net and R2U-Net, respectively. The proposed models utilize the power of U-Net, residual networks, and recurrent convolutional neural networks. There are several advantages to using these proposed architectures for segmentation tasks. First, a residual unit helps when training deep architectures. Second, feature accumulation with recurrent residual convolutional layers ensures better feature representation for segmentation tasks. Third, it allows us to design better U-Net architectures with the same number of network parameters with better performance for medical image segmentation. The proposed models are tested on three benchmark datasets, such as blood vessel segmentation in retinal images, skin cancer segmentation, and lung lesion segmentation. The experimental results show superior performance on segmentation tasks compared to equivalent models, including a variant of a fully connected convolutional neural network called SegNet, U-Net, and residual U-Net.
The Relationship Between Youth Subjective Social Status (SSS) and Weight Loss

TO THE EDITOR: Socioeconomic status (SES) is known to have an inverse relationship with childhood obesity; lower SES has been linked to higher prevalence of obesity and poorer weight loss after obesity interventions among children (1,2). However, evidence suggests that the effect of SES on childhood obesity is modified by other factors (i.e., race and gender), indicating a more complicated relationship between the two (2). Cardel et al. (1) took a step further and hypothesized that higher youth subjective social status (SSS) would be associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) loss among low-income Hispanic youth after a familyand community-based obesity intervention.
Hepatoblastoma presenting with lung metastases: Treatment results of the first cooperative, prospective study of the International Society of paediatric Oncology on childhood liver tumors

BACKGROUND. The prognosis of children who are affected by hepatoblastoma (HB) that presents with lung metastases has always been considered very poor. In light of the overall improvement in the survival of HB patients since the introduction of cisplatin (CDDP) in the therapeutic armament of this tumor, the question has been raised whether patients with metastatic HB also would benefit from this drug. The purpose of the current study was to address this issue by analyzing the treatment outcome of those patients presenting with metastases who entered into the first HB study on childhood liver tumors conducted by the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOPEL 1). METHODS. SIOPEL 1 was a prospective, international, multicentric, single-arm study based on preoperative chemotherapy that was open to patient registration from January 1990 to February 1994. After undergoing a biopsy, patients received four courses of CDDP (80 mg/m 2 in a 24-hour, continuous infusion) on Day 1 followed by doxorubicin (60 mg/m 2 in a 48-hour, continuous infusion) on Days 2 and 3 (PLADO). Surgery was performed after four courses of PLADO and was followed by two more courses. Untreated children age < 16 years with biopsy-proven HB were eligible for the study. Metastatic spread was assessed by chest X-ray and, where available, lung computed tomography scan. RESULTS. Thirty-one of 154 children that entered into the trial presented with metastases. Eight children presently are alive with no evidence of disease (NED) after being treated with protocol therapy only (median follow-up, 60 months); nine children are alive with NED after having failed PLADO and having been rescued with alternative therapies (median follow-up, 80 months). The 5-year overall and event free survival rates for these children were 57% (95% confidence interval, 39-75%) and 28% (95% confidence interval, 12-44%), respectively. Persistent lung disease was the main reason for PLADO failure (17 of 23 patients; 74%). CONCLUSIONS. The SIOPEL 1 therapeutic strategy seems to cure 25% of the HB patients who present with metastases. However, further chemotherapy and the use of thoracotomies still can save significant numbers of these children.
Contamination of fresh and dried tomato by Alternaria toxins in southern Italy

ABSTRACT In the present investigation, fresh and dried tomato samples from markets and packinghouses located in Apulia region (southern Italy) were analysed for Alternaria toxins. All samples proved to be contaminated by tenuazonic acid (TeA); in particular, dried tomatoes were contaminated in the range 425–81,592 µg/kg, while fresh tomatoes were in the range 11–4560 µg/kg. The second most abundant toxin was alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), followed by tentoxin (TEN) and alternariol (AOH). Overall dried tomatoes were more contaminated than fresh ones, although this seemed not directly related to the presence of sodium chloride, utilized in the drying process. Five representative Alternaria isolates within those collected from samples proved to be one Alternaria arborescens (A215) and four Alternaria alternata. Within the latter species, one strain belonged to morphotype tenuissima (A216), and three to alternata (A214, A217 and A218). They were confirmed to produce TeA, AOH, and AME in vitro. This study demonstrates the possible risk for consumers’ health related to the consumption of contaminated fresh and dried tomatoes, and thus the need for suitable control strategies. Graphical abstract
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Population among Cystic Fibrosis Patients in Quebec, Canada: a Disease Hot Spot without Known Epidemic Isolates

The Canadian province of Quebec has among the highest prevalence rates of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in the world, with an average of 1 in 2,500 newborns (cysticfibrosis.ca, 1), and up to 1 in 902 in the region of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (2-4). ….