Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Levodopa-Induced Changes in Electromyographic Patterns in Patients with Advanced Parkinson’s Disease

Levodopa medication is the most efficient treatment for motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Levodopa significantly alleviates rigidity, rest tremor, and bradykinesia in PD. The severity of motor symptoms can be graded with UPDRS-III scale. Levodopa challenge test is routinely used to assess patients’ eligibility to deep-brain stimulation (DBS) in PD. Feasible and objective measurements to assess motor symptoms of PD during levodopa challenge test would be helpful in unifying the treatment. Twelve patients with advanced PD who were candidates for DBS treatment were recruited to the study. Measurements were done in four phases before and after levodopa challenge test. Rest tremor and rigidity were evaluated using UPDRS-III score. Electromyographic (EMG) signals from biceps brachii and kinematic signals from forearm were recorded with wireless measurement setup. The patients performed two different tasks: arm isometric tension and arm passive flexion–extension. The electromyographic and the kinematic signals were analyzed with parametric, principal component, and spectrum-based approaches. The principal component approach for isometric tension EMG signals showed significant decline in characteristics related to PD during levodopa challenge test. The spectral approach on passive flexion–extension EMG signals showed a significant decrease on involuntary muscle activity during the levodopa challenge test. Both effects were stronger during the levodopa challenge test compared to that of patients’ personal medication. There were no significant changes in the parametric approach for EMG and kinematic signals during the measurement. The results show that a wireless and wearable measurement and analysis can be used to study the effect of levodopa medication in advanced Parkinson’s disease.
Usability of car dashboard displays for elder drivers

The elder population is rising worldwide; in the US, no longer being able to drive is a significant marker of loss of independence. One of the approaches to helping elders drive more safely is to investigate the use of automotive user interface technology, and specifically, to explore the instrument panel (IP) display design to help attract and manage attention and make information easier to interpret. In this paper, we explore the premise that dashboard displays can be better designed to support elder drivers, their information needs, and their cognitive capabilities. We conducted a study to understand which display design features are critically linked to issues of divided attention and driving performance. We found that contrast of size and reduced clutter are instrumental in enhancing driving performance, particularly for the elder population. Surprisingly, our results showed that color elements have a negative effect on driving performance for elders, while color elements and fills slightly improve performance. We conclude with design implications generated from this work.
Vibration of nonlocal Timoshenko beams

This paper is concerned with the free vibration problem for micro/nanobeams modelled after Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory and Timoshenko beam theory. The small scale effect is taken into consideration in the former theory while the effects of transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia are accounted for in the latter theory. The governing equations and the boundary conditions are derived using Hamilton’s principle. These equations are solved analytically for the vibration frequencies of beams with various end conditions. The vibration solutions obtained provide a better representation of the vibration behaviour of short, stubby, micro/nanobeams where the effects of small scale, transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia are significant. The exact vibration solutions should serve as benchmark results for verifying numerically obtained solutions based on other beam models and solution techniques.
Review of Assessment Scales for Diagnosing and Monitoring Sports-related Concussion

Sports-related concussion has emerged as a public health crisis due to increased diagnosis of the condition and increased participation in organized and recreational athletics worldwide. Under-recognition of concussions can lead to premature clearance for athletic participation, leaving athletes vulnerable to repeat injury and subsequent short- and long-term complications. There is overwhelming evidence that assessment and management of sports-related concussions should involve a multifaceted approach. A number of assessment criteria have been developed for this purpose. It is important to understand the available and emerging diagnostic testing modalities for sports-related concussions. The most commonly used tools for evaluating individuals with concussion are the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), Standard Assessment of Concussion (SAC), Standard Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT3), and the most recognized computerized neurocognitive test, the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The strengths and limitations of each of these tools, and the Concussion Resolution Index (CRI), CogSport, and King-Devick tests were evaluated. Based on the data, it appears that the most sensitive and specific of these is the ImPACT test. Additionally, the King-Devick test is an effective adjunct due to its ability to test eye movements and brainstem function.
Mechanism of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity evaluated by integrating multiple molecular effects into a biophysical model

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective cancer therapeutic agent but causes therapy‐limiting cardiotoxicity. The effects of DOX and its metabolite doxorubicinol (DOXL) on individual channels have been well characterized in isolation. However, it is unknown how the action and interaction of affected channels combine to generate the phenotypic cardiotoxic outcome. We sought to develop an in silico model that links drug effects on channels to action potential duration (APD) and intracellular Ca2+ concentration in order to address this gap in knowledge.
Quality Assurance in Cervical Smears

OBJECTIVE To compare 100% rapid rescreening of cervical smears with 10% random rescreening as a method of quality assurance. STUDY DESIGN A total of 5215 smears, randomly selected from smears reported as negative by cytotechnologists during routine screening, underwent 100% rapid rescreening by senior cytotechnologists. Ten percent of these smears, selected at random, were rescreened by other senior cytotechnologists. The gold standard was defined by cytopathologists, who rescreened all 5215 smears. After excluding unsatisfactory smears detected by cytopathologists, 4271 were included in the analysis. RESULTS The 100% rapid rescreening method identified 69.9%, 95.7% and 100%, respectively, of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases reported by the cytopathologists. The 100% rapid rescreening method showed a sensitivity of 73.5% and specificity of 98.6%. The 10% rescreening method showed sensitivity of 40.9% and specificity of 98.8%. CONCLUSION One hundred percent rapid rescreening is an efficient method of internal quality assurance in cervical smear diagnosis. It can reduce the false negative rate and therefore can provide greater certainty to women who have received negative results. Well-trained cytotechnologists are able to identify abnormal smears in 1-minute rapid rescreening.
Reconsideration of Amyloid Hypothesis and Tau Hypothesis in Alzheimer's Disease

The so-called amyloid hypothesis, that the accumulation and deposition of oligomeric or fibrillar amyloid β (Aβ) peptide is the primary cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been the mainstream concept underlying AD research for over 20 years. However, all attempts to develop Aβ-targeting drugs to treat AD have ended in failure. Here, we review recent findings indicating that the main factor underlying the development and progression of AD is tau, not Aβ, and we describe the deficiencies of the amyloid hypothesis that have supported the emergence of this idea.
Electrical behavior of PET-matrix composites

The electrical properties of composites prepared by injection or compression molding of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) with different amounts of filters were studied. The resistivity of composites with low filler concentrations was found to depend on the microstructure imposed by the preparation process. The resistivity of filler materials dominates at higher concentrations. Interfacial polarization and/or hopping conductivity in mica due to impurities may contribute to the conductivity of PET/mica composites. The dielectric response in the 10/sup 3/-10/sup 7/ Hz region was found to be qualitatively dominated by the PET matrix, exhibiting a beta -relaxation centered around 5.4*10/sup 5/ Hz. However, absolute values for in /sub 1/ and in /sub 2/ are influenced by the properties of corresponding fillers. Measurements of in (f) over a wider frequency range should help clarify the correlation of composite microstructure and dielectric response. <<ETX>>
Inihibition of Glycolysis by Using a Micro/Nano-Lipid Bromopyruvic Chitosan Carrier as a Promising Tool to Improve Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Glucose consumption in many types of cancer cells, in particular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was followed completely by over-expression of type II hexokinase (HKII). This evidence has been used in modern pharmacotherapy to discover therapeutic target against glycolysis in cancer cells. Bromopyruvate (BrPA) exhibits antagonist property against HKII and can be used to inhibit glycolysis. However, the clinical application of BrPA is mostly combined with inhibition effect for healthy cells particularly erythrocytes. Our strategy is to encapsulate BrPA in a selected vehicle, without any leakage of BrPA out of vehicle in blood stream. This structure has been constructed from chitosan embedded into oleic acid layer and then coated by dual combination of folic acid (FA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). With FA as specific ligand for cancer folate receptor and BSA that can be an easy binding for hepatocytes, they can raise the potential selection of carrier system.
Cytologic features of solid and cystic tumor of the pancreas.

OBJECTIVE To describe the cytologic features of solid and cystic tumor of the pancreas. STUDY DESIGN Cytologic features of four cases of solid and cystic tumor of the pancreas (SCT) were reported and compared with those of three cases of islet cell tumor of the pancreas. RESULTS Aspiration and imprint cytology of the tumor cells obtained from three cases of SCT showed papillary structures or rosette formations in part and demonstrated uniformly round to oval nuclei that contained finely granular chromatin, a fairly distinct nucleolus and a scant to moderate amount of granular or vesicular cytoplasm. Another case of SCT consisted of multinucleated giant cells with coherent chromatin as well as mononuclear cells with nuclear grooves. Islet cell tumor consisted mainly of clustered or isolated uniform mononuclear cells with rosette formations but without a papillary structure and occasional multinucleated giant cells in all cases. The nuclei of islet cell tumors had peculiar, fine chromatin aggregates with a "salt-and-pepper" appearance and slightly enlarged nucleoli. CONCLUSION SCT is cytologically distinguishable from islet cell tumor in spite of having many cytologic features in common with it.
Sertoli Cell Tumor of the Testis

BACKGROUND Sertoli cell tumor of the testis is a relatively rare neoplasm, and few reports concerning its cytologic findings have been previously documented. CASE A 41-year-old male had Sertoli cell tumor in the left testis. An imprint smear revealed tumor cells showing a less cohesive or singly dispersed cell pattern. The cytoplasm was faintly stained, and most tumor cells were naked. The nuclei were oval or short and spindle in shape, and some of them showed coffee bean nuclei or nuclear indentation. CONCLUSION Coffee bean nuclei can be observed in Sertoli cell tumor.
Patient reported outcomes in GNE myopathy: incorporating a valid assessment of physical function in a rare disease

Abstract Background: The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the psychometric properties of three patient reported outcome (PRO) measures characterizing physical function in GNE myopathy: the Human Activity Profile, the Inclusion Body Myositis Functional Rating Scale, and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale. Methods: This analysis used data from 35 GNE myopathy subjects participating in a natural history study. For construct validity, correlational and known-group analyses were between the PROs and physical assessments. Reliability of the PROs between baseline and 6 months was evaluated using the intra-class correlation coefficient model; internal consistency was tested with Cronbach’s alpha. Results: The hypothesized moderate positive correlations for construct validity were supported; the strongest correlation was between the human activity profile adjusted activity score and the adult myopathy assessment endurance subscale score (r = 0.81; p < 0.0001). The PROs were able to discriminate between known high and low functioning groups for the adult myopathy assessment tool. Internal consistency of the PROs was high (α > 0.8) and there was strong reliability (ICC >0.62). Conclusion: The PROs are valid and reliable measures of physical function in GNE myopathy and should be incorporated in investigations to better understand the impact of progressive muscle weakness on physical function in this rare disease population. Implications for Rehabilitation GNE myopathy is a rare muscle disease that results in slow progressive muscle atrophy and weakness, ultimately leading to wheelchair use and dependence on a caregiver. There is limited knowledge on the impact of this disease on the health-related quality of life, specifically physical function, of this rare disease population. Three patient reported outcomes have been shown to be valid and reliable in GNE myopathy subjects and should be incorporated in future investigations to better understand how progressive muscle weakness impacts physical functions in this rare disease population. The patient reported outcome scores of GNE myopathy patients indicate a high risk for falls and impaired physical functioning, so it is important clinicians assess and provide interventions for these subjects to maintain their functional capacity.
Pet ownership and survival in the elderly hypertensive population

Objectives: To assess the association of pet ownership and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality over a long-term follow-up among elderly treated hypertensive participants. Methods: Pet-ownership data from a subcohort of the Second Australian National Blood Pressure study were used. Participants were aged 65–84 years at enrolment (1995–1997) and responded to a pet-ownership questionnaire during year 2000. Participants’ survival information was determined over a median of 10.9 years that includes Second Australian National Blood Pressure in-trial period (median 4.2 years) together with posttrial follow-up period (median 6.9 years). For the current study, end points were any fatal cardiovascular event and all-cause fatal events. Results: Of those who responded to a pet-ownership questionnaire (4039/6018 – 67%), 86% (3490/4039) owned at least one pet at any-time during their life (current or previous pet owner), with 36% (1456/4039) owning at least one pet at the time of the survey. During the follow-up period, 958 participants died including 499 deaths of cardiovascular origin. Using a Cox proportional hazard regression model adjusting for possible confounders, there was a 22 and 26% reduction in cardiovascular mortality observed among previous and current pet owners, respectively, compared with those who had never owned one. A similar nonsignificant trend was observed for all-cause mortality once adjusted for potential confounders. Conclusion: Pet ownership was associated with an improved cardiovascular disease survival in a treated elderly hypertensive population.
Assessment of DNA Methylation Patterns in the Bone and Cartilage of a Nonhuman Primate Model of Osteoarthritis

Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) affects humans and several other animals. Thus, the mechanisms underlying this disorder, such as specific skeletal tissue DNA methylation patterns, may be evolutionary conserved. However, associations between methylation and OA have not been readily studied in nonhuman animals. Baboons serve as important models of disease and develop OA at rates similar to those in humans. Therefore, this study investigated the associations between methylation and OA in baboons to advance the evolutionary understanding of OA. Design Trabecular bone and cartilage was collected from the medial condyles of adult female baboon femora, 5 with and 5 without knee OA. The Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (450K array) was used to identify DNA methylation patterns in these tissues. Results Approximately 44% of the 450K array probes reliably align to the baboon genome, contain a CpG site of interest, and maintain a wide distribution throughout the genome. Of the 2 filtering methods tested, both identified significantly differentially methylated positions (DMPs) between healthy and OA individuals in cartilage tissues, and some of these patterns overlap with those previously identified in humans. Conversely, no DMPs were found between tissue types or between disease states in bone tissues. Conclusions Overall, the 450K array can be used to measure genome-wide DNA methylation in baboon tissues and identify significant associations with complex traits. The results of this study indicate that some DNA methylation patterns associated with OA are evolutionarily conserved, while others are not. This warrants further investigation in a larger and more phylogenetically diverse sample set.
Three-Dimensional Ground Glass Opacity Ratio in CT Images Can Predict Tumor Invasiveness of Stage IA Lung Cancer

Purpose We investigated the relationship between various parameters, including volumetric parameters, and tumor invasiveness according to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)/American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) classification. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed 99 patients with completely resected stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. The correlation between several parameters [one-dimensional ground glass opacity (1D GGO) ratio, two-dimensional (2D) GGO ratio, three-dimensional (3D) GGO ratio, 1D solid size, 2D solid size, and 3D solid size] and tumor invasiveness according to IASLC/ATS/ERS classification was investigated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma were referred to as noninvasive adenocarcinoma. Results The areas under the curve (AUC) to predict invasive adenocarcinoma for the 1D, 2D, and 3D GGO ratios were 0.962, 0.967, and 0.971, respectively. The optimal cut-off values for the 1D, 2D, and 3D GGO ratios were 38%, 62%, and 74%, respectively. The AUC values for 1D, 2D, and 3D solid sizes to predict invasive adenocarcinoma were 0.933, 0.944, and 0.903, respectively. The optimal cut-off values for 1D, 2D, and 3D solid sizes were 1.2 cm, 1.5 cm2, and 0.7 cm3, respectively. The difference in the ROC curves for 3D GGO ratio and 3D solid size was significant (p=0.01). Conclusion Computed tomography image-related parameters based on GGO were well correlated with and predictive of invasiveness according to IASLC/ATS/ERS classification. 3D GGO ratio was more strongly correlated with pathologic invasiveness than 3D solid size.
Cerebral magnetic resonance angiographic findings in severe preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to investigate the cerebral pathophysiology of severe preeclampsia using the noninvasive method of magnetic resonance angiography. STUDY DESIGN We studied cerebral magnetic resonance angiography findings in 9 severely preeclamptic patients. RESULTS Magnetic resonance angiographies were abnormal on first scanning within 48 h postpartum, followed by normal findings on repeat scanning during the 1st postpartum month in 6 patients. The most common abnormality was vascular narrowing of anterior cerebral artery and basilar artery. Three of these 6 patients complained of headaches and/or visual disturbances. CONCLUSION This study shows that cerebral artery vasospasm is seen in some severe preeclamptic patients.
Efficacy of cysteamine cream in the treatment of epidermal melasma, evaluating by Dermacatch as a new measurement method: a randomized double blind placebo controlled study

Abstract Background: Melasma is a difficult-to-treat hyperpigmentary disorder. Very few studies have been performed regarding the efficacy of cysteamine in the treatment of melasma. Objective: To determine the efficacy of cysteamine cream in the treatment of patients with epidermal melasma using Dermacatch® as a more accurate skin colorimetric measurement tool. Methods: Participating patients (n = 40) received either placebo (n = 20) or cysteamine cream (n = 20) in a double-blind placebo controlled study. Cysteamine cream or placebo was applied on the lesions once a day at bedtime throughout the four-month study period. Treatment efficacy was determined through Dermacatch® and Mexameter® skin colorimetry, MASI scores, Investigator Global Assessments (IGAs), and patient questionnaires, all performed at baseline, 2-month, and 4-month examinations. Results: Prior to the start of the protocol, the mean difference between pigmented and normal skin was calculated for cysteamine and placebo groups using both Dermacatch® (72.3 ± 27.8 and 52.9 ± 16.4, respectively) and Mexameter® (93.6 ± 42.6 and 65.4 ± 22.6, respectively). At 2 months, the mean differences were 38.1 ± 15.3 (Dermacatch®) and 49.9 ± 19 (Mexameter®) in the cysteamine group and 64.9 ± 25.3 (Dermacatch®) and 68 ± 26.2 (Mexameter®) in the placebo group. At 4 months, the mean differences were 23.8 ± 12.9 (Dermacatch®) and 35.5 ± 16.1 (Mexameter®) in the cysteamine group, and 50 ± 18 (Dermacatch®) and 51.2 ± 16.8 (Mexameter®) in the placebo group. Statistically significant differences were found between the cysteamine and placebo group outcomes at both time points (p = .01, p = .02). At the end of the treatment period, MASI scores were significantly lower in the cysteamine group versus placebo (8.03 ± 5.2 vs. 12.2 ± 7.4, p = .04). IGA scores and patient viewpoints indicated significant efficacy of cysteamine cream versus placebo. Conclusion: Cysteamine cream showed significant efficacy in decreasing melanin content of the lesions, as established by Dermacatch® as a new measuring method.
Influences on individuals’ decisions to take up the offer of a health check: a qualitative study

Health checks are promoted to evaluate individuals’ risk of developing disease and to initiate health promotion and disease prevention interventions. The NHS Health Check is a cardiovascular risk assessment programme introduced in the UK aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Uptake of health checks is lower than anticipated. This study aimed to explore influences on people's decisions to take up the offer of a health check.