Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stressful Life Events and Obesity in the United States: The Role of Nativity and Length of Residence

Purpose: Obesity is a public health issue in the United States (US), that disproportionately affects marginalized group members. Stressful life events (SLE) have been implicated as an obesogenic risk factor. However, there is scant research examining of the role of nativity status and length of residence in the relationship between SLE and obesity. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Sample: A total of 34,653 participants were included in these analyses, of whom 10,169 (29.39%) had obesity. Measures: Obesity (measured using body mass index), stressful life events, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, family income, marital status, current smoking status, and alcohol abuse. Analysis: Weighted logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 10,169 (29.39%) had obesity. There was a significant interaction between SLE and nativity status/length of residence [F (3, 34,642) = 60.50, p < 0.01]. Based on stratified analyses, SLE were associated with greater odds of obesity for US-born individuals (OR = 1.07; 95% CI [1.05, 1.08]) and foreign-born individuals living in the US for ≥ 20 years (OR = 1.17; 95% CI [1.10, 1.25]). There was no evidence that SLE were associated with greater odds of obesity for foreign-born individuals living in the US <10 years (OR = 1.06; 95% CI [0.94, 1.21]) and 11-19 years (OR = 1.00; 95% CI [0.91, 1.09]). Conclusions: Number of SLE may be a risk factor for obesity, particularly for US-born adults and foreign-born adults living the US >20 years. Further research is needed to understand the pathways that may link SLE to obesity among these groups.
[SHOX2 promotes migration, invasion and stemness of bladder cancer cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE To explore the role of human short stature homeobox 2 (SHOX2) in regulating the migration, invasion and stemness of human bladder cancer cells. METHODS We analyzed SHOX2 gene expression in bladder cancer and adjacent tissues based on TCGA database. Univariate survival analysis of SHOX2 gene expression in TCGA-BLCA data was performed using GEPIA. The probable function of SHOX2 was predicted using GSEA. Human bladder cancer T24 cell models of SHOX2 knockdown or overexpression were assessed for changes in migration and invasion abilities using wound healing assay and Transwell assay, and their cancer stem cell-like characteristics were evaluated using tumorsphere formation assay and colony formation assay. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers Ecadherin and vimentin and the TGF-β signaling network component TβR-I in the cells. RESULTS SHOX2 expression was significantly higher in bladder cancer tissues than in the adjacent tissues (P < 0.05), especially in paired tissue specimens (P < 0.01), and was negatively correlated with the overall survival of the patients (P < 0.05). SHOX2 gene expression was correlated positively with EMT-related (P < 0.05) and stemness-related gene signatures (P < 0.01). In T24 cells, SHOX2 knockdown significantly suppressed cell migration and invasion, which was significantly enhanced by SHOX2 overexpression (P < 0.01). The cancer stem cell-like characteristics of T24 cells was repressed by SHOX2 knockdown but significantly enhanced by SHOX2 overexpression (P < 0.01). SHOX2 knockdown induced morphological changes of the cells into epithelioid cells, whereas SHOX2 overexpression induced a mesenchymal morphology of the cells. SHOX2 knockdown increased E-cadherin expression and decreased vimentin and TβR-I expression, while SHOX2 overexpression increased the expressions of vimentin and TβR-I in the cells. CONCLUSION SHOX2 promotes the migration, invasion and stemness of human bladder cancer cells possibly by regulating EMT via the TGF-β signaling pathway.
Slowly progressive behavioral frontotemporal dementia syndrome in a family co‐segregating the C9orf72 expansion and a Synaptophysin mutation

Synaptophysin, already related to X‐linked intellectual disability, is expressed mainly in the central nervous system. Studies in humans indicate that the downregulation of synaptophysin could be involved in the development of dementia. Our study presents the first familial case of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia associated with the co‐occurrence of the repeat expansion in C9orf72 and a pathogenic variant in the SYP gene.
The clinical effect of a bronchofiberscope in treating severe ventilator-associated pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical effect of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in treating severe ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). METHODS From September 2018 to October 2019, 100 patients with severe VAP were recruited as the study cohort and randomly divided into two groups, with 50 patients in each group. The control group underwent routine treatment, such as lavage, and the experimental group underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The effectiveness rates, recovery times, and respiratory mechanics indexes of the two groups were compared. RESULT The total effective rate of the clinical treatment in the experimental group was significantly higher than it was in the control group (P < 0.05), and the recovery time in the experimental group was significantly shorter than it was in the control group (P < 0.05). After the treatment, the experimental group was significantly better than the control group (P < 0.05). After the treatment, the IL-8, CRP, and PCT levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than they were in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Fiberoptic bronchoscopy can significantly improve the therapeutic effect of VAP, significantly shorten patients' recovery times, significantly improve the respiratory mechanics-related indicators, and improve the therapeutic effect, so it is worthy of promotion.
Comparative First-Line Effectiveness and Safety of ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are equally guideline-recommended first-line treatments for hypertension, yet few head-to-head studies exist. We compared the real-world effectiveness and safety of ACE inhibitors versus ARBs in the first-line treatment of hypertension. We implemented a retrospective, new-user comparative cohort design to estimate hazard ratios using techniques to minimize residual confounding and bias, specifically large-scale propensity score adjustment, empirical calibration, and full transparency. We included all patients with hypertension initiating monotherapy with an ACE inhibitor or ARB between 1996 and 2018 across 8 databases from the United States, Germany, and South Korea. The primary outcomes were acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and composite cardiovascular events. We also studied 51 secondary and safety outcomes including angioedema, cough, syncope, and electrolyte abnormalities. Across 8 databases, we identified 2 297 881 patients initiating treatment with ACE inhibitors and 673 938 patients with ARBs. We found no statistically significant difference in the primary outcomes of acute myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 1.11 for ACE versus ARB [95% CI, 0.95–1.32]), heart failure (hazard ratio, 1.03 [0.87–1.24]), stroke (hazard ratio, 1.07 [0.91–1.27]), or composite cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.06 [0.90–1.25]). Across secondary and safety outcomes, patients on ARBs had significantly lower risk of angioedema, cough, pancreatitis, and GI bleeding. In our large-scale, observational network study, ARBs do not differ statistically significantly in effectiveness at the class level compared with ACE inhibitors as first-line treatment for hypertension but present a better safety profile. These findings support preferentially prescribing ARBs over ACE inhibitors when initiating treatment for hypertension.
Benchmarking of structure refinement methods for protein complex models

Protein structure docking is the process in which the quaternary structure of a protein complex is predicted from individual tertiary structures of the protein subunits. Protein docking is typically performed in two main steps. The subunits are first docked while keeping them rigid to form the complex, which is then followed by structure refinement. Structure refinement is crucial for a practical use of computational protein docking models, as it is aimed for correcting conformations of interacting residues and atoms at the interface. Here, we benchmarked the performance of eight existing protein structure refinement methods in refinement of protein complex models. We show that the fraction of native contacts between subunits is by far the most straightforward metric to improve. However, backbone dependent metrics, based on the Root Mean Square Deviation proved more difficult to improve via refinement.
Diabetes mellitus contributes to higher cerebrospinal fluid tau levels selectively in Alzheimer's disease patients with the APOE4 genotype

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and shares some pathological pathways, such as activation of amyloid cascade and tau phosphorylation. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent DM could impact on neurodegeneration within the AD continuum, using β amyloid (A: Aβ1‐42) and phosphorylated tau (T: p‐tau) biomarkers to discriminate patients by Alzheimer's pathological change (A+/T–) and AD (A+/T+), according to the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association classification. In addition, we aimed to evaluate whether APOE genotype interacts with tau protein and glucose metabolism dysfunction to affect the pathological process.
A random forest model predicts responses to infliximab in Crohn’s disease based on clinical and serological parameters

Abstract Background Infliximab (IFX) has revolutionised the treatment for Crohn’s disease (CD) recently, while a part of patients show no response to it at the end of the induction period. We developed a random forest-based prediction tool to predict the response to IFX in CD patients. Methods This observational study retrospectively enrolled the patients diagnosed with active CD and received IFX treatment at the Gastroenterology Department in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between January 2017 and December 2019. The baseline data were recorded in the beginning and were used as predictor variables to construct models to forecast the outcome of the response to IFX. Results Our cohort identified a total of 174 patients finally with a response rate of 29.3% (51/174). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the model, based on the random forest was 0.90 (95%CI: 0.82–0.98), compared to the logistic regression model with AUC of 0.68 (95%CI: 0.52–0.85). The optimal cut-off value of the random forest model was 0.34 with the specificity of 0.94, the sensitivity of 0.81 and the accuracy of 0.85. We demonstrated a strong association of IFX response with the levels of complement C3 (C3), high density lipoprotein, serum albumin, Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and visceral fat area/subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR). Conclusion A novel random forest model using the clinical and serological parameters of baseline data was established to identify CD patients with baseline inflammation to achieve IFX response. This model could be valuable for physicians, patients and insurers, which allows individualised therapy.
Premature ovarian insufficiency – the need for a genomic map

Abstract Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a life-long disorder of heterogeneous etiology, presenting as adolescent primary amenorrhea in its most severe form, with an overall incidence of 1%. Idiopathic POI accounts for up to 70% of women with POI; and genomic, genetic, epidemiological, familial and cohort studies demonstrate a genetic component to this condition. Currently, the only genetic tests routinely performed in non-syndromic POI are FMR1 premutation and cytogenetics, the latter specifically for X-chromosome abnormalities. However, a myriad of genetic aberrations has been identified and implicated, some of which act in a monogenic Mendelian fashion. The presence of multiple genetic aberrations and the complexity of POI genomics are hardly surprising since the embryological formation of the primordial oocyte pool, postnatal oogenesis and folliculogenesis are all highly complex pathways. With this review, the aim is to discuss the current genetic etiologies in the emerging field of POI genomics. Promising candidate genes include STAG3, SYCE1, FIGLA, NOBOX, FSHR, BMP15 and INHA. This area has the potential to progress rapidly in light of advances in genomic technologies. The development of a POI genomic map not only will assist in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms affecting ovarian function but will also be essential in designing predictive and diagnostic gene panels as well as future novel therapeutic strategies.
Relationship between BsmI polymorphism and VDR gene methylation profile, gender, metabolic profile, oxidative stress, and inflammation in adolescents.

BACKGROUND the biological activity of vitamin D depends on the activity of its receptor or VDR. On the other hand, the activity of this receptor is influenced by its state of methylation. The objective of this study was to verify if the BsmI polymorphism of the VDR gene influences its methylation profile in adolescents. Secondly, it was to verify if the status of some metabolic factors (oxidative stress, inflammation, lipid profile, and glycemia) in the serum, and gender-adjusted vitamin D levels are independent factors with an influence on the VDR methylation profile. METHODS AND RESULTS the study included 198 adolescents of both sexes, aged 15-19 years, who underwent testing for VDR gene methylation polymorphisms, serum vitamin D levels, and metabolic, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation markers. It was observed that the BB genotype was less methylated than the other groups (26.1 % versus 30.3 %, and 29.3 % for Bb and bb, respectively), although without statistical differences between them. The odds ratio indicated a protection of 13 % (partially methylated) for vitamin D status, while alpha glycols increased the risk ratio (of being partially methylated) by 3 %. MDA was protective at a 28 % chance of risk that adolescents with higher levels of lipid peroxidation would be hypomethylated. CONCLUSION we conclude that the methylation profile of the VDR gene is not influenced by the different BsmI polymorphism genotypes, and that serum vitamin D and serum markers of oxidative stress and inflammation can modulate this profile.
Bioinformatics study on genes related to a high-risk postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma

In this study, we aimed to screen out genes associated with a high risk of postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma and investigate the possible mechanisms of the involvement of these genes in the recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma. We identify Hub genes and verify the expression levels and prognostic roles of these genes. Datasets of GSE40791, GSE31210, and GSE30219 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Enrichment analysis of gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were performed for the screened candidate genes using the DAVID database. Then, we performed protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis through the database STRING. Hub genes were screened out using Cytoscape software, and their expression levels were determined by the GEPIA database. Finally, we assessed the relationships of Hub genes expression levels and the time of survival. Forty-five candidate genes related to a high-risk of lung adenocarcinoma recurrence were screened out. Gene ontology analysis showed that these genes were enriched in the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint, mitotic sister chromosome segregation, G2/M-phase transition of the mitotic cell cycle, and ATP binding, etc. KEGG analysis showed that these genes were involved predominantly in the cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, and oocyte meiosis. We screened out the top ten Hub genes related to high expression of lung adenocarcinoma from the PPI network. The high expression levels of eight genes (TOP2A, HMMR, MELK, MAD2L1, BUB1B, BUB1, RRM2, and CCNA2) were related to short recurrence-free survival and they can be used as biomarkers for high risk of lung adenocarcinoma recurrence. This study screened out eight genes associated with a high risk of lung adenocarcinoma recurrence, which might provide novel insights into researching the recurrence mechanisms of lung adenocarcinoma as well as into the selection of targets in the treatment of the disease.
Comparison of central corneal thickness using non-contact tono-pachymeter (Tonopachy) with ultrasound pachymetry in normal children and in children with refractive error

Purpose: To compare the central corneal thickness (CCT) measured by non-contact tono-pachymeter [Tonopachy (TP)] with the gold standard ultrasound pachymetry (UP) in normal children and in children with refractive error. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 95 normal children (190 eyes) and 123 children with refractive error (246 eyes), a total of 218 children (436 eyes) aged 7-15 years. After refraction and complete ophthalmic evaluation, axial length was measured with IOLMaster 700, CCT was measured with TP followed by UP. The correlation between the CCT measurements obtained with the two methods was analysed by Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the limits of agreement were assessed with Bland-Altman analysis plot. Results: Mean CCT measured with TP was 537.46 ± 36.41 μm and by UP was 537.17 ± 39.80 μm in normal children (P = 0.79) and in refractive error group, the mean CCT was 533.50 ± 34.91 μm by TP and 531.60 ± 36.30 μm by UP (P = 0.04). The 95% limits of agreement between TP and UP ranged from -19.2 to + 21.6 μm (mean = 1.20) for total children, -20.8 to + 21.4 μm (mean = 0.29) for normal group and -18.0 to + 21.8 μm (mean = 1.90) for refractive error group. ICC for CCT measurement between TP and UP was 0.980 for total children and refractive error group and 0.981 for normal group. Conclusion: The CCT measurement obtained by TP showed an excellent agreement with UP. Hence non-contact TP can be used to assess CCT in children above seven years of age.
A genome‐wide association study identifying SVEP1 variant as a predictor of response to tolvaptan for cirrhotic ascites

Tolvaptan, vasopressin V2‐receptor antagonist, has been used for patients with difficult‐to‐treat ascites in Japan. In this study, we conducted a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) in the Japanese population to identify genetic variants associated with tolvaptan's efficacy for patients with hepatic ascites.
When Media Health Stories Conflict: Test of the Contradictory Health Information Processing (CHIP) Model

Guided by Uncertainty Management Theory, UMT, we tested a model that explicates how uncertainty arising from contradictory health information is managed through information seeking. In an online experiment, 763 U.S. adults were randomly assigned to one of three message conditions: contradictory, non-contradictory, or control. Participants in the contradictory and non-contradictory conditions answered questions about their perceptions of contradiction, issue and decision uncertainty, negative appraisals and emotions, and information-seeking intentions. They also completed measures of several moderator variables, including information overload, intolerance for uncertainty, and health self-efficacy. Baseline levels of issue and decision uncertainty were measured in the control condition. Model tenets were confirmed: perceptions of contradiction led to issue uncertainty which, in turn, prompted cognitive appraisals directly, and indirectly through increased decision uncertainty. The effects of issue and decision uncertainty on information-seeking intentions were mediated by negative appraisals and threat emotions. Individuals with high health self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations of information search were more likely to manage uncertainty through information seeking. These results support the use of the CHIP model when perceptions of contradiction and decision uncertainty need to be accounted for, while also validating UMT for its original purposes. Model refinements and implications are discussed.
The effect of Bailing capsules combined with losartan to treat diabetic glomerulosclerosis and the combination's effect on blood and urine biochemistry.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the efficacy of Bailing capsules combined with losartan to treat diabetic glomerulosclerosis (DG) and the combination's effect on blood and urine biochemistry. METHODS 160 DG patients admitted to our hospital were recruited as the study cohort and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group (n=80 in each group). The control group was treated with losartan, and the observation group was treated with losartan and Bailing capsules. The efficacy, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), blood creatinine (Scr), 24 h urine protein (24 h UP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urine microalbumin (mALB), urine β2 microglobulin (β2-MG), glomerular filtration rates (GFR), TCM scores, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanine (8-OHdG), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), and the serum amyloid A (SAA) levels were compared between the two groups. RESULTS The overall effective rate was higher in the observation group (91.25%) than it was in the control group (78.75%) (P<0.05). After the treatment, the DBP, SBP, Scr, 24 h UP, BUN, mALB, and β2-MG levels were lower, and the GFR was higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.01). The TCM points were lower in the observation group than they were in the control group (P<0.01). The observation group also showed higher serum SOD and lower ROS, 8-OHdG, hs-CRP, TGF-β1, and SAA levels than the control group (P<0.01). The differences in the incidences of adverse reactions between the two groups were not significantly different (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Bailing capsules combined with losartan in the treatment of diabetic glomerulosclerosis can improve the therapeutic efficacy, improve the blood and urine biochemical indexes, the renal function, and the clinical symptoms, reduce the oxidative stress, improve the microinflammatory state, and delay the progression of the disease without increasing the adverse reactions.