Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seborrheic Area Erythema as a Common Skin Manifestation in Japanese Patients with Dermatomyositis

Background: Although dermatomyositis (DM)-associated facial erythema was noted in the nasolabial folds of Japanese patients, DM-associated facial erythema other than heliotrope rash has drawn little attention in previous studies. Objectives: To characterize phenotypical features and frequencies of erythema, especially those in the seborrheic area of the head, in DM patients. Methods: A retrospective study on skin manifestations in 33 DM patients followed up at our department during the past 15 years was conducted. Results: Macular violaceous erythema (MVE) in the seborrheic area of the face was most frequent (67%). Patients with facial MVE had also MVE in the scalp significantly more frequently than those without facial MVE. The pathology of the facial MVE was dominated by DM-associated changes with slight changes compatible with seborrheic dermatitis (SD). Conclusions: Japanese DM patients had MVE frequently in the seborrheic area of the head. Its phenotypical features suggested that it might be triggered by SD.
Personality change: Longitudinal self-other agreement and convergence with retrospective-reports.

The research literature on personality development is based mostly on self-report studies and on samples in younger adulthood. The present multimethod study examines self-other agreement on longitudinal personality change and convergence between self- and informant-reports of longitudinal and retrospective personality change in older adulthood. It provides a rare validation test of longitudinal measurements of personality change. A representative community sample of 1,630 older adults (Mage = 62.5) and their informants completed self- and informant-personality assessments across three waves that were on average 6.5 years apart. Self- and informant-reports of retrospective personality change were collected at the third wave. Latent growth modeling was used to examine longitudinal personality change, longitudinal self-other agreement on personality change, and convergence between longitudinal and retrospective personality change in each five-factor model domain. Older adults in the present study reported less change than has been found in younger samples; however, both self- and informant-reports indicated declines in extraversion. Results showed strong self-other agreement on longitudinal personality change in all 5-factor model domains, moderate correspondence between longitudinal and retrospective-reports of change within-method (i.e., within self- or informant-report), modest self-other agreement on retrospective-reports, and little association between longitudinal and retrospective change across-method (i.e., between self- and informant-reports). Findings provide validation evidence for both longitudinal and retrospective assessments of personality change, indicate that informants provide unique perspectives on personality change, and could have potentially important implications for research, assessment, and clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Deficiency of D‐alanyl‐D‐alanine ligase A attenuated cell division and greatly altered the proteome of Mycobacterium smegmatis

D‐Alanyl‐D‐alanine ligase A (DdlA) catalyses the dimerization of two D‐alanines yielding D‐alanyl‐D‐alanine required for mycobacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and is a promising antimycobacterial drug target. To better understand the roles of DdlA in mycobacteria in vivo, we established a cell model in which DdlA expression was specifically downregulated by ddlA antisense RNA by introducing a 380 bp ddlA fragment into pMind followed by transforming the construct into nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. The M. smegmatis cell model was verified by plotting the growth inhibition curves and quantifying endogenous DdlA expression using a polyclonal anti‐DdlA antibody produced from the expressed DdlA. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate mycobacterial morphology. Bidimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry were used to analyze differentially expressed proteins. Consequently, the successful construction of the M. smegmatis cell model was verified. The morphological investigation of the model indicated that DdlA deficiency led to an increased number of Z rings and a rearrangement of intracellular content, including a clear nucleoid and visible filamentous DNA. Proteomic techniques identified six upregulated and 14 downregulated proteins that interacted with each other to permit cell survival by forming a regulatory network under DdlA deficiency. Finally, our data revealed that DdlA deficiency inhibited cell division in mycobacteria and attenuated the process of carbohydrate catabolism and the pathway of fatty acid anabolism, while maintaining active protein degradation and synthesis. N‐Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)‐dependent methanol dehydrogenase (MSMEG_6242) and fumonisin (MSMEG_1419) were identified as potential antimycobacterial drug targets.
Preparedness and attitudes towards medical emergencies in the dental office among Polish dentists.

BACKGROUND Medical emergencies in dental offices are considered a problem in most countries owing to dentists' concerns about emergency preparedness, practical skills, lifesaving equipment and staff availability. The prevalence of medical emergencies in dental offices and dentists' preparedness have been analysed in several countries but have never been studied in Poland. AIM To assess the prevalence of medical emergencies in dental offices in Poland, as well as dentists' preparedness and attitudes towards medical emergencies. METHODS An 18-item questionnaire was completed by 419 dentists. It asked for information on their cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, availability of emergency medical equipment in the dental office, prevalence of medical emergencies and self-assessed competence in various dental office emergencies. Data were analysed using the Statistica 13.3 software package. Variability was measured with standard deviation. Pearson's linear correlation coefficient was used to determine correlation strength. RESULTS The most common medical emergencies in Polish dental offices were vasovagal syncope (46.30% of study participants experienced at least one case in the preceding 12 months), orthostatic hypotension (18.85%), hyperventilation crisis (18.61%), mild allergic reactions (16.23%), hypoglycaemia (15.99%) and seizures (11.81%). The prevalence of medical emergency situations requiring an emergency medical service call or medical assistance within the preceding 12 months was 0 for 80.66% of dentists, one for 12.65%, two for 4.53%, three for 1.20%, four for 0.48%, 5-10 for 0.48% and more than 10 for 0%. As many as 41.29% of the participants did not feel competent in managing sudden cardiac arrest, 74.47% in managing hypertensive crisis, 55.61% in managing asthma, 55.13% in managing anaphylactic shock and 52.99% in managing seizures. CONCLUSION The prevalence of medical emergencies in dental offices in Poland is comparable with that in other countries. A large number of dentists do not feel competent enough to manage medical emergencies. Better undergraduate and postgraduate training in medical emergencies is recommended, as well as broader availability of emergency medical equipment in the dental office.
Role of Structure and Composition on the Performances of P-Type Tin Oxide Thin-Film Transistors Processed at Low-Temperatures

This work reports on the role of structure and composition on the determination of the performances of p-type SnOx TFTs with a bottom gate configuration deposited by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature, followed by a post-annealed step up to 200 °C at different oxygen partial pressures (Opp) between 0% and 20% but where the p-type conduction was only observed between in a narrow window, from 2.8% to 3.8%. The role of structure and composition were evaluated by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies that allows to identify the best phases/compositions and thicknesses (around 12 nm) to be used to produce p-type TFTs with saturation mobility of 4.6 cm2 V−1 s−1 and on-off ratio above 7 × 104, operating at the enhancement mode with a saturation voltage of −10 V. Moreover, a brief overview is also presented concerning the present state of the existing developments in processing SnOx TFTs with different methods and using different device configurations.
Resistance to Benzimidazole and Dicarboximide Fungicides in Greenhouse Isolates of Botrytis cinerea.

In 1996 and 1997, 325 isolates of Botrytis cinerea were collected from 35 commercial greenhouses growing ornamental crops in South Carolina to determine the incidence of resistance to benzimidazole and dicarboximide fungicides. Conidium germination was assessed on a defined agar medium amended with either thiophanate-methyl (a benzimidazole) or vinclozolin (a di-carboximide). A total of 53 representative isolates were evaluated further for conidium germination and mycelium growth on fungicide-amended medium and for infection of geranium seedlings treated with thiophanate-methyl or vinclozolin at label rates. Isolates were considered sensitive to thiophanate-methyl or vinclozolin when the effective concentration of the fungicide active ingredient resulting in 50% inhibition of germination (EC50-germ) was ≤5 μg/ml or when the effective concentration of fungicide active ingredient resulting in 50% inhibition of mycelium growth (EC50-growth) was ≤1 μg/ml. Of all isolates, 81% (262/325) were resistant to thiophanate-methyl and 69% (223/325) were resistant to vinclozolin. Four phenotypes were observed: sensitive to both fungicides (17%), resistant to both fungicides (67%), resistant only to thiophanate-methyl (14%), and resistant only to vinclozolin (2%). Isolates resistant to at least one fungicide were found in 33 of the 35 locations from which samples were taken. Disease incidences on geranium seedlings treated with 600 μg/ml of thiophanate-methyl and then inoculated with isolates sensitive and resistant to this fungicide were 1.4 and 96.1%, respectively. Disease incidences on geranium seedlings treated with 600 μg/ml of vinclozolin and then inoculated with isolates sensitive and resistant to this fungicide were 0.3 and 91.9%, respectively. With thiophanate-methyl, correlation coefficients (r) between disease incidence and log EC50-germ or log EC50-growth were 0.987 and 0.992, respectively. With vinclozolin, correlation coefficients between disease incidence and log EC50-germ and log EC50-growth were 0.975 and 0.893, respectively. Correlation coefficients between the two EC50 values for thiophanate-methyl were 0.989 and for vinclozolin were 0.900. Isolates sensitive to thiophanate-methyl had a mean EC50-germ value of 0.93 μg/ml and a EC50-growth value of 0.11 μg/ml. For isolates sensitive to vinclozolin the mean EC50-germ value was 1.63 μg/ml and the mean EC50-growth value was 0.26 μg/ml. Thiophanate-methyl-resistant isolates had mean EC50-germ and EC50-growth values greater than 500 μg/ml while vinclozolin-resistant isolates had a mean EC50-germ value greater than 500 μg/ml and a mean EC50-growth value of 3.18 μg/ml.
Adaptive multi-degree of freedom Brain Computer Interface using online feedback: Towards novel methods and metrics of mutual adaptation between humans and machines for BCI

This paper proposes a novel adaptive online-feedback methodology for Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI). The method uses ElectroEncephaloGraphic (EEG) signals and combines motor with speech imagery to allow for tasks that involve multiple degrees of freedom (DoF). The main approach utilizes the covariance matrix descriptor as feature, and the Relevance Vector Machines (RVM) classifier. The novel contributions include, (1) a new method to select representative data to update the RVM model, and (2) an online classifier which is an adaptively-weighted mixture of RVM models to account for the users’ exploration and exploitation processes during the learning phase. Instead of evaluating the subjects’ performance solely based on the conventional metric of accuracy, we analyze their skill’s improvement based on 3 other criteria, namely the confusion matrix’s quality, the separability of the data, and their instability. After collecting calibration data for 8 minutes in the first run, 8 participants were able to control the system while receiving visual feedback in the subsequent runs. We observed significant improvement in all subjects, including two of them who fell into the BCI illiteracy category. Our proposed BCI system complements the existing approaches in several aspects. First, the co-adaptation paradigm not only adapts the classifiers, but also allows the users to actively discover their own way to use the BCI through their exploration and exploitation processes. Furthermore, the auto-calibrating system can be used immediately with a minimal calibration time. Finally, this is the first work to combine motor and speech imagery in an online feedback experiment to provide multiple DoF for BCI control applications.
Metabolic profiling of a chronic kidney disease cohort reveals metabolic phenotype more likely to benefit from a probiotic.

Scope Persistent reduction in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is a hallmark of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and is associated with an elevation of Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN). This metabolomics pilot study sought to identify metabolites that differentiated patients with CKD whose BUN decreased on a probiotic and possible mechanisms. Methods and Results Metabolomics was used to analyze baseline plasma samples previously diagnosed with CKD Stage III-IV. Patients had participated in a dose escalation study of the probiotic Renadyl™. A total of 24 samples were categorized depending on whether BUN increased or decreased from baseline after 4 months of probiotic use. Multivariate analysis was used to analyze the data and determine the metabolites that best differentiated the phenotypic groups. The sixteen patients who had a decrease in BUN were not significantly different based on demographic and clinical measures from those whose BUN increased or did not change with the exception of age. Eleven of the fourteen metabolites that differentiated the groups were known to be modulated by gut microflora, which may eventually provide a mechanistic link between probiotic and outcomes. Conclusions Metabolomics revealed metabolites at baseline that may predict individuals with CKD that would most benefit from a probiotics.
Enlightened PD

Depression and other nonmotor manifestations such as sleep disturbances are common and disabling features of Parkinson disease (PD). 1 These symptoms contribute to poor quality of life and impaired cognitive performance and lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the PD population. Current nonpharmacologic treatment options for depression and other nonmotor symptoms of PD are limited. Pharmacotherapy may be associated with undesirable adverse effects. There is therefore a great need to develop novel treatment modalities.
Methodology for the establishment of primary porcine vocal fold epithelial cell cultures

A current lack of methods for epithelial cell culture significantly hinders our understanding of the role of the epithelial and mucus barriers in vocal fold health and disease. Our first objective was to establish reproducible techniques for the isolation and culture of primary porcine vocal fold epithelial cells. Our second objective was to evaluate the functional significance of cell cultures using an in vitro exposure to an inflammatory cytokine.
[Psychometric characteristics of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)].

BACKGROUND Simple and brief questionnaires with adequate psychometric properties are useful for the early detection of depressive disorders. AIM To analyze the psychometric behavior of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data were collected from 1,738 adult patients, consulting in primary health care centers. The values obtained in the PHQ-9 were compared with those of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). RESULTS The mean score of PHQ-9 was 4.85 ± 5.57. Internal consistency indices were high. McDonald's ω coefficient of was 0.90 and Cronbach alpha 0.89. A confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the one-dimensional model. Using a cutoff score of seven determined with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the sensitivity and specificity of the instrument were 0.8 and 0.7, when compared with CIDI diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS PHQ-9 is a useful instrument for the screening of depressive disorders in primary health care centers in Chile.
CyanoGate: A Modular Cloning Suite for Engineering Cyanobacteria Based on the Plant MoClo Syntax1[OPEN]

A Golden Gate-based assembly standard developed for cloning and transformation in cyanobacteria is compatible with, and builds on, the broadly established plant modular cloning syntax. Recent advances in synthetic biology research have been underpinned by an exponential increase in available genomic information and a proliferation of advanced DNA assembly tools. The adoption of plasmid vector assembly standards and parts libraries has greatly enhanced the reproducibility of research and the exchange of parts between different labs and biological systems. However, a standardized modular cloning (MoClo) system is not yet available for cyanobacteria, which lag behind other prokaryotes in synthetic biology despite their huge potential regarding biotechnological applications. By building on the assembly library and syntax of the Plant Golden Gate MoClo kit, we have developed a versatile system called CyanoGate that unites cyanobacteria with plant and algal systems. Here, we describe the generation of a suite of parts and acceptor vectors for making (1) marked/unmarked knock-outs or integrations using an integrative acceptor vector, and (2) transient multigene expression and repression systems using known and previously undescribed replicative vectors. We tested and compared the CyanoGate system in the established model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and the more recently described fast-growing strain Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973. The UTEX 2973 fast-growth phenotype was only evident under specific growth conditions; however, UTEX 2973 accumulated high levels of proteins with strong native or synthetic promoters. The system is publicly available and can be readily expanded to accommodate other standardized MoClo parts to accelerate the development of reliable synthetic biology tools for the cyanobacterial community.
Long-term follow-up of biomarkers of vascular calcification after switch from traditional hemodialysis to online hemodiafiltration

Abstract Rapid progression of vascular calcification (VC) in hemodialysis (HD) patients is caused by several factors including inflammation and an imbalance between active inducers and inhibitors of VC. Growing evidence shows that online hemodiafiltration (ol-HDF), a combination of diffusive and convective solute transport, has positive effects on the uremic environment that affects patients on dialysis. However, we recently reported that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) decreased after a switch from HD to ol-HDF. As a consequence of this finding, the present study was undertaken to investigate if inducers and inhibitors of VC (i.e. the inactive matrix Gla protein fractions dp-ucMGP and t-ucMGP, fetuin-A, Gla-rich protein (GRP), osteopontin (OPN), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and osteoprotegerin (OPG)) also are affected by ol-HDF. This non-comparative prospective study comprised 35 prevalent patients who were investigated 6, 12, and 24 months after their switch from HD to ol-HDF. Most patients had increased levels of the calcification inhibitors OPN and OPG; and of the inactive calcification inhibitor dp-ucMGP during the study period irrespective of the dialysis modality. BALP and t-ucMGP were mostly within the reference interval, but fetuin-A was mostly below the reference interval during the study period. OPN was significantly associated with BALP and parathyroid hormone, r = 0.62 and r = 0.65 (p < .001), respectively. In conclusion, in contrast to decreased 25(OH)D levels, no differences were found for any of the measured biomarkers of VC following the switch from HD to ol-HDF. Further studies are needed to elucidate how these biomarkers can contribute to calcification risk assessment.
Variation in language mixing in multilingual aphasia

ABSTRACT Mixing languages within a sentence or a conversation is a common practice among many speakers of multiple languages. Language mixing found in multilingual speakers with aphasia has been suggested to reflect deficits associated with the brain lesion. In this paper, we examine language mixing behaviour in multilingual people with aphasia to test the hypothesis that the use of language mixing reflects a communicative strategy. We analysed connected language production elicited from 11 individuals with aphasia. Words produced were coded as mixed or not. Frequencies of mixing were tabulated for each individual in each of her or his languages in each of two elicitation tasks (Picture sequence description, Narrative production). We tested the predictions that there would be more word mixing: for participants with greater aphasia severity; while speaking in a language of lower post-stroke proficiency; during a task that requires more restricted word retrieval; for people with non-fluent aphasia, while attempting to produce function words (compared to content words); and that there would be little use of a language not known to the interlocutors. The results supported three of the five predictions. We interpret our data to suggest that multilingual speakers with aphasia mix words in connected language production primarily to bypass instances of word-retrieval difficulties, and typically avoid pragmatically inappropriate language mixing.
Effect of Microsphaeropsis sp. on the Production of Perithecia and Ascospores of Gibberella zeae.

The potential of Microsphaeropsis sp. (isolate P130A) as an antagonist of Gibberella zeae was tested under in vitro and field conditions. Firstly, an in vitro method of ascospore production was developed on wheat and corn residues. The plant type (corn or wheat), residue type (straw/stalk or grain), and incubation conditions (closed or open) had a significant effect on ascospore production. Perithecia were more abundant on wheat and corn grain incubated under open conditions. On these two substrates, the application of Microsphaeropsis sp. significantly reduced ascospore production. On wheat, the antagonist had a significant effect when applied 2 weeks before (-2), at the same time (0), and 4 weeks after (+4) inoculation with G. zeae, with 1.73, 0.31, 1.11, and 1.36 log ascospores per cm2 for the control, -2, 0, and +4 weeks treatments, respectively. On corn, Microsphaeropsis sp. had a significant effect when applied 2 weeks before, at the same time, 4 weeks after, and 6 weeks after inoculation with G. zeae with 3.02, 0.23, 1.29, 2.35, and 2.22 log ascospores per cm2 for the control, -2, 0, +4, and +6 weeks treatments, respectively. When applied to crop residues in the field as postharvest or preplanting applications, Microsphaeropsis sp. had no effect on the pattern of perithecia maturation, but significantly reduced the number of perithecia produced on two sampling dates, May 1998 and July 1999. There is a potential to biologically reduce the initial inoculum of G. zeae; however, more work is needed to optimize the efficacy of the biocontrol agent.