Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combined exercise reduces arterial stiffness, blood pressure, and blood markers for cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women with hypertension

Objective: Postmenopausal women exhibit elevated brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of combined resistance and aerobic exercise training on baPWV, blood pressure (BP), and cardiovascular fitness in postmenopausal women with stage 1 hypertension. Methods: Twenty postmenopausal women (age, 75 ± 2 y; systolic BP, 152 ± 2 mm Hg, diastolic BP, 95 ± 3 mm Hg) were randomly assigned to a “no-exercise” (CON, n = 10) or combined exercise (EX, n = 10) group. The EX group performed resistance and aerobic exercise for 12 weeks, 3 times per week. Exercise intensity was increased gradually, from 40% to 70% of heart rate reserve, every 4 weeks. BaPWV, BP, blood nitrite/nitrate, endothelin-1 (ET-1), cardiovascular fitness, and body composition were measured before and after the 12-week intervention. Results: BP, baPWV (−1.2 ± 0.4 m/s), ET-1 (−2.7 ± 0.3 &mgr;mol/mL), nitrite/nitrate (+4.5 ± 0.5 &mgr;M), functional capacity, and body composition were significantly improved (P < 0.05) in the EX group after 12 weeks of training, but no changes were observed in the CON group. Conclusions: These findings indicate that 12 weeks of combined exercise training improves arterial stiffness, BP, ET-1, blood nitrite/nitrate, functional capacity, and body composition in postmenopausal women with stage 1 hypertension. Thus, this study provides evidence that combined exercise training is a useful therapeutic method to improve cardiovascular health which can reduce cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women with hypertension.
Clinical presentation, management, and postnatal outcomes of fetal tachyarrhythmias: A 10-year single-center experience

Background : Limited information is available regarding the prevalence and outcomes of fetal tachyarrhythmias from the developing countries. Aims : This study aims to report referral patterns, management protocols, and pregnancy outcomes of fetuses with tachyarrhythmias reporting to a single center in South India. Methods : All fetuses with documented sustained fetal tachyarrhythmia during the study period (2008–2017) were included. Arrhythmia characterization and hemodynamic evaluation were done using fetal echocardiography. Patients were grouped into supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial flutter (AF) groups. Patient characteristics, transplacental therapy (TPT), pregnancy, and postnatal outcomes were analyzed. Results : Total of 19 fetuses included; 11 had SVT and 8 AF. Mean gestational age at referral was higher for AF (32.5 ± 3.2 vs. 29.6 ± 3.3 weeks; P = 0.05). Hydrops fetalis was present 8 (42%) fetuses; 4 in each group. TPT was instituted in 18 fetuses; 12 (66.7%) received combination therapy; 4 (21%) received direct fetal therapy. Eighteen fetuses (91%) were born alive with one intrauterine death in a fetus with SVT and severe hydrops. Seven (87.5%) fetuses with hydrops survived. Twelve patients (66.7%) were delivered in sinus rhythm. Six babies (33.3%) had tachycardia at birth requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy. All patients survived the neonatal period. Duration of trans-placental therapy (3.8 + 3.3 vs. 7.3 + 3.4 weeks) was shorter in the AF group. Conclusions : Aggressive TPT using combination of drugs achieves excellent pregnancy and postnatal outcomes in fetuses with tachyarrhythmia. Early diagnosis and prompt referral before hemodynamic decompensation is critical for ensuring optimal outcomes.
Enhanced predictive signalling in schizophrenia

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia such as delusions and hallucinations are thought to arise from an alteration in predictive mechanisms of the brain. Here, we empirically tested the hypothesis that schizophrenia is associated with an enhanced signalling of higher‐level predictions that shape perception into conformity with acquired beliefs. Twenty‐one patients with schizophrenia and twenty‐eight healthy controls matched for age and gender took part in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment that assessed the effect of an experimental manipulation of cognitive beliefs on the perception of an ambiguous visual motion stimulus. At the behavioural level, there was a generally weaker effect of experimentally induced beliefs on perception in schizophrenia patients compared with controls, but a positive correlation between the effect of beliefs on perception and the severity of positive symptoms. At the neural level, belief‐related connectivity between a region encoding beliefs in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and a region encoding visual motion in the visual cortex (V5) was higher in patients compared with controls, indicating a stronger impact of cognitive beliefs on visual processing in schizophrenia. We suggest that schizophrenia might be associated with a generally weaker acquisition of externally generated beliefs and a compensatory increase in the effect of beliefs on sensory processing. Our current results are in line with the notion that enhanced signalling of higher‐level predictions that shape perception into conformity with acquired beliefs might underlie positive symptoms in schizophrenia. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1767–1779, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Role of Superior Temporal Cortex in Auditory Timing

Recently, there has been upsurge of interest in the neural mechanisms of time perception. A central question is whether the representation of time is distributed over brain regions as a function of stimulus modality, task and length of the duration used or whether it is centralized in a single specific and supramodal network. The answers seem to be converging on the former, and many areas not primarily considered as temporal processing areas remain to be investigated in the temporal domain. Here we asked whether the superior temporal gyrus, an auditory modality specific area, is involved in processing of auditory timing. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over left and right superior temporal gyri while participants performed either a temporal or a frequency discrimination task of single tones. A significant decrease in performance accuracy was observed after stimulation of the right superior temporal gyrus, in addition to an increase in response uncertainty as measured by the Just Noticeable Difference. The results are specific to auditory temporal processing and performance on the frequency task was not affected. Our results further support the idea of distributed temporal processing and speak in favor of the existence of modality specific temporal regions in the human brain.
Determination of Rayleigh wave ellipticity across the Earthscope Transportable Array using single-station and array-based processing of ambient seismic noise

S U M M A R Y We present a single station method for the determination of Rayleigh wave ellipticity, or Rayleigh wave horizontal to vertical amplitude ratio (H/V) using Frequency Dependent Polarization Analysis (FDPA). This procedure uses singular value decomposition of 3-by-3 spectral covariance matrices over 1-hr time windows to determine properties of the ambient seismic noise field such as particle motion and dominant wave-type. In FPDA, if the noise is mostly dominated by a primary singular value and the phase difference is roughly 90◦ between the major horizontal axis and the vertical axis of the corresponding singular vector, we infer that Rayleigh waves are dominant and measure an H/V ratio for that hour and frequency bin. We perform this analysis for all available data from the Earthscope Transportable Array between 2004 and 2014. We compare the observed Rayleigh wave H/V ratios with those previously measured by multicomponent, multistation noise cross-correlation (NCC), as well as classical noise spectrum H/V ratio analysis (NSHV). At 8 s the results from all three methods agree, suggesting that the ambient seismic noise field is Rayleigh wave dominated. Between 10 and 30 s, while the general pattern agrees well, the results from FDPA and NSHV are persistently slightly higher (∼2 per cent) and significantly higher (>20 per cent), respectively, than results from the array-based NCC. This is likely caused by contamination from other wave types (i.e. Love waves, body waves, and tilt noise) in the single station methods, but it could also reflect a small, persistent error in NCC. Additionally, we find that the single station method has difficulty retrieving robust Rayleigh wave H/V ratios within major sedimentary basins, such as the Williston Basin and Mississippi Embayment, where the noise field is likely dominated by reverberating Love waves and tilt noise.
Prorocentrum rivalis sp. nov. (Dinophyceae) and its phylogenetic affinities inferred from analysis of a mixed morphological and LSU rRNA data set

A new freshwater epiphytic Prorocentrum species, Prorocentrum rivalis, from the temperate region of the Haute-Vienne, France, is described. This species is the third freshwater species identified among approximately 60 marine Prorocentrum species. This new species is described using scanning electron microscope and phylogenetic analyses by a polyphasic approach (LSU rRNA sequences combined with 9 morphological characters). The phylogenetic analysis attests that P. rivalis is close to other planktonic freshwater species and the freshwater Prorocentrum clade is evolutionarily derived from an epiphytic freshwater prorocentroid ancestor. The unique marine species in the freshwater clade results from an ecophysiological reversion. P. rivalis differs from other epiphytic taxa by its rarity, its temperate distribution and its ecophysiological needs. The phylogeny confirms also that all planktonic Prorocentrum species are evolutionarily derived from epiphytic/benthic ancestors.
Gender Differences in Nonprescribed Psychostimulant Use in Young Adults

ABSTRACT Background: In order to better understand the recent rise in nonprescribed use of psychostimulants on college campuses, motives, outcomes, and acceptability of nonprescribed psychostimulants have been evaluated. Despite knowledge that students use nonprescribed medical stimulants for improved academic performance and recreational use, gender differences in these motives have not been examined, despite the fact that the social construction of gender may well affect motives for use. Objectives: The goal of the present study was to examine gender differences in motives, outcomes, and acceptability of nonprescribed psychostimulant use. Methods: 2716 undergraduates (1448 male) between the ages of 17 and 57 years (M = 19.43 years, SD = 1.7 years) completed an online survey examining subjective motives of nonprescribed psychostimulant use, as well as behaviors after use and moral views of nonprescribed use. Results: Consistent with hypotheses and known gender differences in social motivation, results suggested that while females are more likely to use nonprescribed psychostimulants for reasons related to schoolwork, males are typically more likely to use psychostimulants for reasons related to partying and socializing. Additional gender differences were that males are more likely to take part in other risky behaviors after use of psychostimulants, as well as view nonprescribed use as more moral and less physically dangerous than females. Conclusions/Importance: This work suggests that there are striking gender differences in motivation and outcomes of use of nonprescribed psychostimulants, which may have implications for personalized approaches for prevention of nonprescribed psychostimulant use on campuses based on gender.
Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Block Remifentanil-Induced Hyperalgesia: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Background: Remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (r-IH) involves an imbalance in the inhibitory and excitatory systems. As the transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) modulates the thalamocortical synapses in a top-down manner, we hypothesized that the active (a)-t-DCS would be more effective than sham(s)-tDCS to prevent r-IH. We used an experimental paradigm to induce temporal summation of pain utilizing a repetitive cold test (rCOLDT) assessed by the Numerical Pain Score (NPS 0-10) and we evaluated the function of the descending pain modulatory system (DPMS) by the change on the NPS (0–10) during the conditioned pain modulation (CPM)-task (primary outcomes). We tested whether a-tDCS would be more effective than s-tDCS to improve pain perception assessed by the heat pain threshold (HPT) and the reaction time during the ice-water pain test (IPT) (secondary outcomes). Methods: This double-blinded, factorial randomized trial included 48 healthy males, ages ranging 19–40 years. They were randomized into four equal groups: a-tDCS/saline, s-tDCS/saline, a-tDCS/remifentanil and s-tDCS/remifentanil. tDCS was applied over the primary motor cortex, during 20 min at 2 mA, which was introduced 10 min after starting remifentanil infusion at 0.06 μg⋅kg-1⋅min-1 or saline. Results: An ANCOVA mixed model revealed that during the rCOLDT, there was a significant main effect on the NPS scores (F = 3.81; P = 0.01). The s-tDCS/remifentanil group presented larger pain scores during rCOLDT, [mean (SD) 5.49 (1.04)] and a-tDCS/remifentanil group had relative lower pain scores [4.15 (1.62)]; showing its blocking effect on r-IH. a-tDCS/saline and s-tDCS/saline groups showed lowest pain scores during rCOLDT, [3.11 (1.2)] and [3.15 (1.62)], respectively. The effect of sedation induced by remifentanil during the rCOLDT was not significant (F = 0.76; P = 0.38). Remifentanil groups showed positive scores in the NPS (0–10) during the CPM-task, that is, it produced a disengagement of the DPMS. Also, s-tDCS/Remifentanil compared to a-tDCS showed lower HPT and larger reaction-time during the IPT. Conclusion: These findings suggest that effects of a-tDCS prevent the summation response induced by r-IH during rCOLDT and the a-tDCS blocked the disengagement of DPMS. Thereby, tDCS could be considered as a new approach to contra-regulate paradoxical mechanisms involved in the r-IH. Clinical trials identification: NCT02432677. URL:https://clinicaltrials.gov/.
Low cost‐effectiveness of routine use of optical coherence tomography in pre‐cataract surgery

We read the letter by Enright et al. with an interest and would like to congratulate them for highlighting this significant issue. The authors present their study on pre-cataract surgery optical coherence tomography (OCT) in finding clinically undetected macular pathology. The article concludes that because of the relatively high yield of macular OCT, ease of use and accessibility in most ophthalmology clinics, it should be considered in pre-cataract surgery assessment. However we do not agree with this conclusion. In this study, discovering an epiretinal membrane (ERM) in OCT led to cancelling cataract surgery only in one eye. In all other cases, the surgeries were performed and the retinal diseases would definitely be discovered in postoperative follow-up examinations. Furthermore, in none of the presented cases did the surgery influence the retinal disease. The authors state that the mean delay between preoperative examination and the OCTwas 31.8 days (SD 38.2). Did the necessity to perform OCT delay the cataract surgery? And did this OCT examination require an additional visit at the practice? We believe that if the authors desired to perform OCT, the most convenient time-point is the preoperative examination or alternatively shortly before the surgery. In idiopathic ERM, the time point when irreversible damage to the macula would have occurred is presently unknown. Therefore, it is not known whether surgery should be aimed for at an early stage with minimal symptoms or whether it can safely be delayed until metamorphopsia and loss of visual acuity are present. In several cases, the decision to operate the ERM is based on the patient’s macular symptoms, especially on his visual acuity. In a study by Sandali et al., ERM surgery was proposed for patients who exhibited a visual acuity of 0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (20/40) or worse. Of note, in this study, the OCT aspect of ERM did not contribute to the decision to operate. Thus, we believe that this diagnosis should not lead to cataract surgery cancellation or delay. Moreover, some retinal diseases diagnosed preoperatively, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, might justify additional perioperative therapy, including anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or/and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs treatment. Thus, it seems reasonable to ask if the authors used any additional therapy in perioperative period in patients with OCT-diagnosed retinal diseases. In conclusion, in order to disqualify one eye, 140 patients (280 eyes) were examined with OCT. The cost-effectiveness of this preventive intervention is highly doubtful. We do believe that OCT plays a significant role in modern practice. However, the results of this study do not give reasons for its routine use before cataract surgery.
Comparison of the Production and Chemical Constituents of Five Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. Accessions

An open field experiment was carried out with five purple Perilla frutescens accessions (588P, GB, J3, JTD3, PS3) in 2014 and 2015. Morphological traits, production, total phenolic content (TPC), essential oil content (EOC) and composition as well as the antioxidant capacity (AOC) were investigated. Highest biomass was produced by JTD3 in both years. The antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content in the stems was lower than in the leaves in all accessions. Leaves of accession GB produced the highest AOC values (215.594 ± 1.437 in 2014 and 86.609 ± 3.602 mg AAE g^−1 in 2015, respectively) while the strain 588P showed the lowest values (139.544 ± 1.934 in 2014 and 38.966 ± 4.569 mg AAE g^−1 in 2015, respectively). The highest TPC values were measured by PS3 in 2014 (204.320 ± 1.822 mg GAE g^−1) and GB in 2015 (136.450 ± mg GAE g^−1). The 588P produced the highest essential oil content (1.432 ml 100 g^−1 DM) while J3 had the lowest (0.144 ml 100 g^−1 DM) in both years. Strong positive correlation was found between the density of glandular hairs and the essential oil content. Three accessions (588P, J3, JTD3) belong to the perillaldehyde chemotype while GB and PS3 to the dehydro elsholtzia ketone chemotype. All studied accessions can be cultivated in Hungary. For the biomass production the JTD3, while for the essential oil production the 588P can be recommended.
Quorum Sensing-Regulated Phenol-Soluble Modulins Limit Persister Cell Populations in Staphylococcus aureus

Incomplete killing of bacterial pathogens by antibiotics is an underlying cause of treatment failure and accompanying complications. Among those avoiding chemotherapy are persisters being individual cells in a population that for extended periods of time survive high antibiotic concentrations proposedly by being in a quiescent state refractory to antibiotic killing. While investigating the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and the influence of growth phase on persister formation, we noted that spent supernatants of stationary phase cultures of S. aureus or S. epidermidis, but not of distantly related bacteria, significantly reduced the persister cell frequency upon ciprofloxacin challenge when added to exponentially growing and stationary phase S. aureus cells. Curiously, the persister reducing activity of S. aureus supernatants was also effective against persisters formed by either S. carnosus or Listeria monocytogenes. The persister reducing component, which resisted heat but not proteases and was produced in the late growth phase in an agr quorum-sensing dependent manner, was identified to be the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) toxins. S. aureus express several PSMs, each with distinct cytolytic and antimicrobial properties; however, the persister reducing activity was specifically linked to synthesis of the PSMα family. Correspondingly, a high-persister phenotype of a PSMα mutant was observed upon fluoroquinolone or aminoglycoside challenge, demonstrating that the persister reducing activity of PSMs can be endogenously synthesized or extrinsically added. Given that PSMs have been associated with lytic activity against bacterial membranes we propose that PSM toxins increase the susceptibility of persister cells to killing by intracellularly acting antibiotics and that chronic and re-occurring infections with quorum sensing, agr negative mutants may be difficult to treat with antibiotics because of persister cells formed in the absence of PSM toxins.
Should frail older adults be in long-term care facilities?

Aim Home-based nursing care is relatively easy to access in Norway compared to the rest of Europe, and the threshold for applying for assistance is relatively low. The aim of the present study was to analyze factors that enable frail older adults to live in their own homes, with a low level of care burden stress. Methodology In 2015 and 2016, eight municipalities from different parts of Norway participated in a cross-sectional study. The quantitative part of the project consisted of assessing care of 71 older adults, aged ≥80 years, using a geriatric comprehensive assessment. The qualitative part consisted of semistructured telephone interviews with 14 leaders of nursing homes and home-based nursing care and interviews with 26 close relatives. Results In this sample, 60% of the older adults were living alone, and 79% were at risk of permanent nursing home admission; 31% stated that they would be better-off at a higher caring level, mainly due to living alone. The relatives, their resources, and motivation to provide care seemed to be crucial for how long older adults with heavy care burden could stay at home. The municipalities offered a combination of comprehensive home care, day centers, and revolving short-term stays to enable them to live at home. Conclusion The results reveal that the need for home care services is steadily increasing. The relatives are coping with the physical care, far better than the uncertainties and worries about what could happen when the older adults stay alone. The number of beds in institutional care in each municipality depends on various factors, such as the inhabitants’ life expectancy, social aspects, geography, well-functioning eldercare pathways, competence of the health professionals, and a well-planned housing policy.