Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancing patient navigation with contingent financial incentives for substance use abatement in persons with HIV and substance use.

Substance use can interfere with HIV treatment. A previous multisite clinical trial (Metsch et al., 2016) tested 2 behavioral interventions designed to improve treatment engagement in people with comorbid HIV and drug or heavy alcohol use. Clinical trial participants were randomized to treatment as usual (N = 264), patient navigation (PN; N = 266), or PN with contingency management (PN + CM; N = 271) for 6 months. PN + CM patients could earn financial incentives both for entering substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and for submitting urine and breath samples negative for opioids, stimulants, and alcohol. This secondary analysis compared frequencies of treatment entry and sample submission in the PN versus PN + CM groups and examined associations with viral suppression (defined as ≤200 copies/mL). Incentives were associated with a higher percentage of patients entering SUD treatment (PN = 25.5%; PN + CM = 47.6%; p < .001), a higher percentage submitting samples for drug testing (PN median = 2, interquartile range [IQR] = 0.5; PN + CM median = 8, IQR = 5.1; p < .0001) and a higher percentage submitting samples negative for targeted drugs and alcohol (PN median = 1, IQR = 0.3; PN + CM median = 6, IQR = 2.9; p < .0001). Within the PN + CM group, up to 58% of those with high rates of engagement in activities were virally suppressed at 6 months versus 24-29% in subgroups with lowest engagement. In conclusion, CM was feasibly incorporated into PN for persons with HIV and SUD and was associated with higher rates of engagement in targeted substance use abatement activities. CM has the potential to improve health outcomes in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Interobserver Variability and Diagnostic Performance with the Fifth Edition of the ACR BI-RADS Lexicon for Ultrasound; Validation from Multi-institutions

Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Department of Policy Research Affairs, National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital, Department of Radiology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Department of Radiology, Dankook University Hospital, Dankook University, College of Medicine
Plasmalogen loss caused by remodeling deficiency in mitochondria

31P NMR unveils cell type–dependent losses of plasmalogen in the chain remodeling–deficient brain, liver, kidney, and lymphoblast in association with aberrant mitochondrial function and morphology. Lipid homeostasis is crucial in human health. Barth syndrome (BTHS), a life-threatening disease typically diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and neutropenia, is caused by mutations in the mitochondrial transacylase tafazzin. By high-resolution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with cryoprobe technology, recently we found a dramatic loss of choline plasmalogen in the tafazzin-knockdown (TAZ-KD) mouse heart, besides observing characteristic cardiolipin (CL) alterations in BTHS. In inner mitochondrial membrane where tafazzin locates, CL and diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine are known to be essential via lipid–protein interactions reflecting their cone shape for integrity of respiratory chain supercomplexes and cristae ultrastructure. Here, we investigate the TAZ-KD brain, liver, kidney, and lymphoblast from patients compared with controls. We identified common yet markedly cell type–dependent losses of ethanolamine plasmalogen as the dominant plasmalogen class therein. Tafazzin function thus critically relates to homeostasis of plasmalogen, which in the ethanolamine class has conceivably analogous and more potent molecular functions in mitochondria than diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine. The present discussion of a loss of plasmalogen–protein interaction applies to other diseases with mitochondrial plasmalogen loss and aberrant forms of this organelle, including Alzheimer's disease.
The relationship between fear generalization and pain modulation: an investigation in healthy participants

Abstract Background and aims Pain-related fear and its subsequent generalization is key to the development and maintenance of chronic pain disability. Research has shown that pain-related fear acquired through classical conditioning generalizes following a gradient, that is, novel movements that are proprioceptively similar to the original pain-associated movement elicit more fear. Studies suggest that classical conditioning can also modulate pain and conditioned fear seems to mediate this effect. However, it remains uninvestigated whether this is also the case for generalized fear. Methods In a voluntary joystick movement paradigm, one movement (conditioned stimulus; CS+) was followed by pain (pain-US), and another was not (CS−). Generalization to five novel movements (generalization stimuli; GSs) with varying levels of similarity to the CSs was tested when paired with an at-pain-threshold intensity stimulus (threshold-USs). We collected self-reported fear and pain, as well as eyeblink startle responses as an additional index of conditioned fear. Results Results showed a fear generalization gradient in the ratings, but not in the startle measures. The data did not support the idea that fear generalization mediates spreading of pain. Conclusions Despite the lack of effects in the current study, this is a promising novel approach to investigate pain modulation in the context of chronic pain. Implications This study replicates the finding that pain-related fear spreads selectively towards movements that are proprioceptively more similar to the original pain-eliciting movement. Although results did not support the idea that such generalized fear mediates spreading of pain, the study provides a promising approach to investigate pain modulation by pain-associated movements.
A Novel Bilayer Polycaprolactone Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration: Combining Electrospinning and Emulsion Templating

Guided bone regeneration is a common dental implant treatment where a barrier membrane (BM) is used between epithelial tissue and bone or bone graft to prevent the invasion of the fast-proliferating epithelial cells into the defect site to be able to preserve a space for infiltration of slower-growing bone cells into the periodontal defect site. In this study, a bilayer polycaprolactone (PCL) BM was developed by combining electrospinning and emulsion templating techniques. First, a 250 µm thick polymerised high internal phase emulsion (polyHIPE) made of photocurable PCL was manufactured and treated with air plasma, which was shown to enhance the cellular infiltration. Then, four solvent compositions were investigated to find the best composition for electrospinning a nanofibrous PCL barrier layer on PCL polyHIPE. The biocompatibility and the barrier properties of the electrospun layer were demonstrated over four weeks in vitro by histological staining. Following in vitro assessment of cell viability and cell migration, cell infiltration and the potential of PCL polyHIPE for supporting blood vessel ingrowth were further investigated using an ex-ovo chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. Our results demonstrated that the nanofibrous PCL electrospun layer was capable of limiting cell infiltration for at least four weeks, while PCL polyHIPE supported cell infiltration, calcium and mineral deposition of bone cells, and blood vessel ingrowth through pores.
An Exploratory Analysis: A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of The Construct Validity Of The 2016 Mississippi Statewide Accountability System

ii DEDICATION . iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. v LIST OF TABLES . ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE . 11 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY . 20 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS . 41 CHAPTER 5: IMPLICATIONS . 84 REFERENCES . 96 APPENDICES . 104 APPENDIX A: MPSAS 2016 . 105 APPENDIX B: MS Senate Bill 2396. 111 APPENDIX C: A Review of the Accountability Standards of the MS Department of Education . 119 APPENDIX D: MDE Response to PEER Report . 131 APPENDIX E: Mississippi School and District Grading System . 135 APPENDIX F: Important Facts About School and District Accountability . 144 viii APPENDIX G: Family Guide to the MAP Score Reports . 147 APPENDIX H: Development Interview Protocol . 151 APPENDIX I: Stakeholder Interview Protocol . 154 VITA . 158
Morphological diversity of integumentary traits in fowl domestication: Insights from disparity analysis and embryonic development

The domestication of the fowl resulted in a large diversity of integumental structures in chicken breeds. Several integumental traits have been investigated from a developmental genetics perspective. However, their distribution among breeds and their developmental morphology remain unexplored. We constructed a discrete trait‐breed matrix and conducted a disparity analysis to investigate the variation of these structures in chicken breeds; 20 integumental traits of 72 chicken breeds and the red junglefowl were assessed. The analyses resulted in slight groupings of breed types comparable to standard breed classification based on artificial selection and chicken type use. The red junglefowl groups together with bantams and European breeds. We provide new data on the red junglefowl and four chicken breeds, demonstrating where and when variation arises during embryonic development. We document variation in developmental timing of the egg tooth and feather formation, as well as other kinds of developmental patterning as in the anlagen of different type of combs. Changes in epithelial‐mesenchymal signaling interactions may drive the highly diverse integument in chickens. Experimental and comparative work has revealed that the cranial neural crest mesenchyme mediates its interactions with the overlying epithelium and is the likely source of patterning that generates diversity in integumental structures.
Natural Resistance of Leishmania infantum to Miltefosine Contributes to the Low Efficacy in the Treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Brazil

Abstract. In India, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani has been successfully treated with miltefosine with a cure rate of > 90%. To assess the efficacy and safety of oral miltefosine against Brazilian VL, which is caused by Leishmania infantum, a phase II, open-label, dose-escalation study of oral miltefosine was conducted in children (aged 2–12 years) and adolescent-adults (aged 13–60 years). Definitive cure was assessed at a 6-month follow-up visit. The cure rate was only 42% (6 of 14 patients) with a recommended treatment of 28 days and 68% (19 of 28 patients) with an extended treatment of 42 days. The in vitro miltefosine susceptibility profile of intracellular amastigote stages of the pretreatment isolates, from cured and relapsed patients, showed a positive correlation with the clinical outcome. The IC50 mean (SEM) of eventual cures was 5.1 (0.4) µM, whereas that of eventual failures was 12.8 (1.9) µM (P = 0.0002). An IC50 above 8.0 µM predicts failure with 82% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The finding of L. infantum amastigotes resistant to miltefosine in isolates from patients who eventually failed treatment strongly suggests natural resistance to this drug, as miltefosine had never been used in Brazil before this trial was carried out.
Tetrahydrocannabinol Modulates in Vitro Maturation of Oocytes and Improves the Blastocyst Rates after in Vitro Fertilization.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Among the assisted reproductive techniques, the in vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM) is less developed than other techniques, but its implementation would entail a qualitative advance. This technique consists in the extraction of immature oocytes from antral ovarian follicles with the patient under low hormone stimulation or without hormone to mature exogenously in culture media supplemented with different molecules to promote maturation. In this sense, we are interested in the role that cannabinoids could have as IVM promoters because cannabinoid's molecular pathway is similar to the one by which oocyte's meiosis resumption is activated. With the intention of advancing in the possible use of cannabinoids as supplements for the media for in vitro maturation of oocytes, we intend to deepen the study of the function of the phytocannabinoid Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the IVM process. METHODS By immunocytochemistry, we detected the location pattern of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) during oocyte maturation in presence or absence of THC, as well as, the staining pattern of p-AKT and p-ERK. We used a genetic/ pharmacological approach generating knockout oocytes for CB1 and/or CB2 and they were incubated with THC during the oocyte maturation to visualize the physiological effects of THC, observing the rate of blastocyst achieved by oocyte. RESULTS This study confirms that the incubation of oocytes with THC during IVM accelerated some events of that process like the phosphorylation pattern of ERK and AKT and was able to increase the blastocyst rate in response to IVF. Moreover, it seems that both CB1 and CB2 are necessary to maintain a healthy oocyte maturation. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that THC may be useful IVM supplements in clinic as is more feasible and reliable than any synthetic cannabinoid.
Contributions of Stepping Intensity and Variability to Mobility in Individuals Poststroke.

Background and Purpose- The amount of task-specific stepping practice provided during rehabilitation poststroke can influence locomotor recovery and reflects one aspect of exercise dose that can affect the efficacy of specific interventions. Emerging data suggest that markedly increasing the intensity and variability of stepping practice may also be critical, although such strategies are discouraged during traditional rehabilitation. The goal of this study was to determine the individual and combined contributions of intensity and variability of stepping practice to improving walking speed and distance in individuals poststroke. Methods- This phase 2, randomized, blinded assessor clinical trial was performed between May 2015 and November 2018. Individuals between 18 and 85 years old with hemiparesis poststroke of >6 months duration were recruited. Of the 152 individuals screened, 97 were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 training groups, with 90 completing >10 sessions. Interventions consisted of either high-intensity stepping (70%-80% heart rate reserve) of variable, difficult stepping tasks (high variable), high-intensity stepping performing only forward walking (high forward), and low-intensity stepping in variable contexts at 30% to 40% heart rate reserve (low variable). Participants received up to 30 sessions over 2 months, with testing at baseline, post-training, and a 3-month follow-up. Primary outcomes included walking speeds and timed distance, with secondary measures of dynamic balance, transfers, spatiotemporal kinematics, and metabolic measures. Results- All walking gains were significantly greater following either high-intensity group versus low-variable training (all P<0.001) with significant correlations with stepping amount and rate (r=0.48-60; P<0.01). Additional gains in spatiotemporal symmetry were observed with high-intensity training, and balance confidence increased only following high-variable training in individuals with severe impairments. Conclusions- High-intensity stepping training resulted in greater improvements in walking ability and gait symmetry than low-intensity training in individuals with chronic stroke, with potential greater improvements in balance confidence. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT02507466.
Effects of Serelaxin in Patients with Acute Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND Serelaxin is a recombinant form of human relaxin-2, a vasodilator hormone that contributes to cardiovascular and renal adaptations during pregnancy. Previous studies have suggested that treatment with serelaxin may result in relief of symptoms and in better outcomes in patients with acute heart failure. METHODS In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, event-driven trial, we enrolled patients who were hospitalized for acute heart failure and had dyspnea, vascular congestion on chest radiography, increased plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides, mild-to-moderate renal insufficiency, and a systolic blood pressure of at least 125 mm Hg, and we randomly assigned them within 16 hours after presentation to receive either a 48-hour intravenous infusion of serelaxin (30 μg per kilogram of body weight per day) or placebo, in addition to standard care. The two primary end points were death from cardiovascular causes at 180 days and worsening heart failure at 5 days. RESULTS A total of 6545 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At day 180, death from cardiovascular causes had occurred in 285 of the 3274 patients (8.7%) in the serelaxin group and in 290 of the 3271 patients (8.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 1.15; P = 0.77). At day 5, worsening heart failure had occurred in 227 patients (6.9%) in the serelaxin group and in 252 (7.7%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.07; P = 0.19). There were no significant differences between the groups in the incidence of death from any cause at 180 days, the incidence of death from cardiovascular causes or rehospitalization for heart failure or renal failure at 180 days, or the length of the index hospital stay. The incidence of adverse events was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS In this trial involving patients who were hospitalized for acute heart failure, an infusion of serelaxin did not result in a lower incidence of death from cardiovascular causes at 180 days or worsening heart failure at 5 days than placebo. (Funded by Novartis Pharma; RELAX-AHF-2 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01870778.).
An Uncommon Case of Double-Hit Mantle Cell Lymphoma That Demonstrates a Transformation Process.

OBJECTIVES Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a mature B-cell lymphoma characterized by CCND1/IGH rearrangement. We reported a case of MCL harboring both CCND1/IGH and MYC/IGH rearrangements that also presented with an aggressive clinical course. METHODS Biopsy specimens were evaluated by morphological staining, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, conventional cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS Morphological and immunohistochemical staining of gallbladder samples demonstrated blastoid variant MCL. However, in the bone marrow sample, FISH indicated rearrangements in CCND1/IGH and MYC/IGH. Flow cytometry identified two groups of malignant lymphocytes. We sorted these two groups of cells. NGS then revealed that both cell types carried CCND1/IGH rearrangements and TP53 mutations. Furthermore, the CD19+/CD10+ cells carried additional MYC/IGH rearrangement and NOTCH2 mutation. CONCLUSIONS The rearrangement of MYC and a mutation in NOTCH2 probably induced the transformation of MCL cells in this patient. This uncommon double-hit MCL case clearly demonstrates a transformation process.
Trajectory of Improvement in Myelopathic Symptoms From 3 to 12 Months Following Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

BACKGROUND Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive disease resulting from cervical cord compression. The modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) is commonly used to grade myelopathic symptoms, but its persistent postoperative improvement has not been previously explored. OBJECTIVE To utilize the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) to evaluate the trajectory of outcomes in those operatively treated for DCM. METHODS This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. The QOD was queried for patients undergoing elective surgery for DCM. Patients were divided into mild (≥14), moderate (9-13), or severe (<9) categories for their baseline severity of myelopathic symptoms (mJOA scores). A parsimonious multivariable logistic regression model was fitted with 2 points improvement on mJOA from 3- to 12-mo follow-up as the outcome of interest. RESULTS A total of 2156 patients who underwent elective surgery for DCM and had complete 3- and 12-mo follow-up were included in our analysis. Patients improved significantly from baseline to 3-mo on their mJOA scores, regardless of their baseline mJOA severity. After adjusting for the relevant preoperative characteristics, the baseline mJOA categories had significant impact on outcome of whether a patient keeps improving in mJOA score from 3 to 12 mo postsurgery. Patient with severe mJOA score at baseline had a higher likelihood of improvement in their myelopathic symptoms, compared to patients with mild mJOA score in. CONCLUSION Most patients achieve improvement on a shorter follow-up; however, patients with severe symptoms keep on improving until after a longer follow-up. Preoperative identification of such patients helps the clinician settling realistic expectations for each follow-up timepoint.
The effects and safety of PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors on head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Inhibitors of programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) and its ligand (PD‐L1) have been increasingly used in head and neck cancer therapy and reported to improve the outcomes with an acceptable safety profile. This systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to assess the benefit and risk of PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors in patients with head and neck cancer.
Clinical relevance of asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage post thrombectomy depends on angiographic collateral score

Asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (aICH) is a common phenomenon in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with endovascular thrombectomy (ET). However, the impact of aICH on the functional outcome remains widely unclear. In this study, we aimed at identifying predictors for aICH and analyzing its impact on functional outcome. Patients with AIS due to large artery occlusion in the anterior circulation treated with successful ET were enrolled in a tertiary stroke center. Patients with aICH or without intracerebral hemorrhage were included according to post-treatment CT performed within 72 h; 100 consecutive patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 30% classified with aICH. In logistic regression analysis, lower collateral score (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.12–0.46, p < 0.0001) was significantly associated with aICH. Less patients with aICH achieved an independent outcome (mRS 0–2, 16.7% vs. 44.3%, p = 0.007). Poor outcome (mRS 4–6) was significantly higher in patients with aICH (41.4% vs. 70%, p = 0.021). Patients with aICH had a lower ratio of independent outcome (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.05–0.1.05, p = 0.041) than without ICH. There were no differences concerning poor outcome (p = 0.5). Lower collateral status was a strong independent predictor for aICH. aICH after successful ET may decrease the likelihood of an independent functional outcome without influencing poor outcome.