Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of a mitral regurgitation severity index to predict long‐term outcome in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

Abstract Background Predicting progression of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs can be challenging. Hypothesis/Objectives The mitral regurgitation severity index (MRSI) will predict time to congestive heart failure (CHF) and all‐cause death in dogs with MMVD. Animals Eight hundred sixty‐nine client‐owned dogs. Methods Retrospective study pooling data from 4 previous samples including dogs with MMVD stage B2 or C. MRSI was calculated as: (heart rate [HR]/120) × left atrium‐to‐aorta ratio (LA:Ao) × (age in years/10) × 100. Alternative MRSI formulas substituting radiographic measures of left atrial size were also calculated. Cox proportional hazard modeling and time‐dependent receiver‐operator characteristic curves quantified prognostic performance. Results For Stage B2 pooled samples, MRSI > 156 was predictive of time to CHF (median 407 vs 1404 days; area under the curve [AUC] 0.68; hazard ratio 3.02 [95% CI 1.9‐4.9]; P < .001). MRSI > 173 was predictive of all‐cause death (median survival 868 vs 1843 days; AUC 0.64; hazard ratio 4.26 [95% CI 2.4‐7.5]; P < .001). MRSI showed superior predictive value compared to the individual variables of HR, LA:Ao, and age. Variations of the MRSI equation substituting radiographic vertebral left atrial size for LA:Ao were also significantly predictive of outcome in stage B2. MRSI was not consistently predictive of outcome in Stage C. Conclusions and Clinical Importance MRSI was predictive of outcome (onset of CHF and all‐cause death) in MMVD Stage B2, demonstrating utility as a useful prognostic tool. Echocardiographic LA:Ao can be effectively replaced by radiographically determined LA size in the MRSI formula.
Subclinical macular vessel density alterations in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective The aim is to evaluate subclinical alterations of macular microvasculature in patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). Methods This is a cross-sectional study of 29 eyes of 29 patients diagnosed with JSLE and 29 eyes of 29 healthy controls. The vessel density (VD) of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), intermediate capillary plexus (ICP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), choriocapillaris (CC), and area of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) was measured using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of disease duration and activity on OCTA parameters. Results The VD of total (p = .007) and the superior (p = .014) and inferior (p = .004) quadrants in SCP was significantly lower in children with JSLE. The VD of total and all quadrants in ICP decreased (p = .015, p = .0045, p = .015, p = .033), except that of the temporal quadrant (p = .366). The total (p = .011) and superior quadrant (p<.01) DCP-VD showed a significant decrease in children with JSLE. The decrease in VD in the total (p = .003) and nasal quadrant (p = .017) of CC was also remarkable. No significant difference in the FAZ area was found between the two groups (p = .774). Multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for age, spherical equivalent, and intraocular pressure were conducted. No contributing factor to OCTA parameters was found. Conclusions We demonstrated decreased VD in all layers of the retina and CC in patients with JSLE without ocular involvement. Early screening and close follow-up were recommended.
Rethinking the First Episode of Schizophrenia: Identifying Convergent Mechanisms During Development and Moving Toward Prediction.

The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia has long suggested that the cardinal psychotic symptoms that have traditionally defined the disorder, and which most commonly appear in late adolescence or early adulthood, are a late-stage manifestation of early disruptions in brain developmental processes (1–3). Over the past two decades, findings from two major bodies of research have lent increasing support to this hypothesis and begun to define more specific pathogenic processes underlying schizophrenia, as well as early markers of future psychosis. In particular, large-scale genetic studies have increasingly implicated genes involved in synaptic signaling and plasticity in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and studies of individuals at high risk for psychosis have shown that those who later develop schizophrenia have alterations in cognitive, social, motor, and neurobiological processes long before the emergence of full-blown psychotic symptoms (reviewed in 4, 5). On average, impairments in cognitive and broader psychosocial functioning increase in magnitude across development among individuals who later develop psychosis, and generally persist despite successful treatment of positive symptoms, contributing to the chronic disability associated with the illness (6, 7). This body of research has also high-lighted the heterogeneity and undifferentiated nature of clinical symptoms that are present among individuals in the years leading up to a first psychotic episode. Together, these findings are paving the way for a focus on earlier interventions that can reduce the likelihood of full-blown psychosis among high-risk individuals. However, with growing recognition that the specific genetic and environmental factors that contribute to psychosis risk often vary from one person to the next and overlap with risk for other disorders, a key goal of future research is to clarify what interventions will work best for whom and how to optimize illness prediction models. Here, we first briefly review the normal brain developmental processes that provide the background context on which schizophrenia-associated signs and symptoms emerge and genetic and environmental risk factors act. We then review
A new Devonian palaeomagnetic pole for the Russian platform and Baltica, and related apparent polar wander

SUMMARY of published palaeomagnetic data from the Russian platform and Britain for Mid-Palaeozoic times places an ocean between the two of the order of 2000 km latitudinal width. This contradicts geological evidence, which favours contiguity between the two continental units by Devonian times. We propose that this discrepancy can be attributed to the incorrect dating of palaeomagnetic remanence. We strove to remedy this situation by conducting a new palaeomagnetic investigation of Silurian and Devonian sediments in west Ukraine, USSR (latitude 48.7"N, longitude 26"E). That investigation uncovered a pervasive Upper Palaeozoic remagnetization corresponding to a palaeomagnetic pole at lat. 45.8"S, long. 348.2"E, dpldm 1.6"/3.1", N = 25 sites (reversed polarity). A second primary or near-primary Devonian remanence was identified with pole at lat. 3.7"N, long. 325.5"E, dpldm 5.2"/8.7", N = 25 samples (mixed polarity). The age determination for this Devonian result is based on its dual polarity, evidence for a detrital remanent mode, and early host mineral phase (haematite). The new Devonian result for the Russian platform is conformable with the Devonian parts of the British apparent polar wander paths and therefore eliminates the aforementioned discrepancy between palaeomagnetic and geological evidence for the timing of assembly of the 'Old Red Continent'.
Microdiverse bacterial clades prevail across Antarctic wetlands

Antarctica's extreme environmental conditions impose selection pressures on microbial communities. Indeed, a previous study revealed that bacterial assemblages at the Cierva Point Wetland Complex (CPWC) are shaped by strong homogeneous selection. Yet which bacterial phylogenetic clades are shaped by selection processes and their ecological strategies to thrive in such extreme conditions remain unknown. Here, we applied the phyloscore and feature‐level βNTI indexes coupled with phylofactorization to successfully detect bacterial monophyletic clades subjected to homogeneous (HoS) and heterogenous (HeS) selection. Remarkably, only the HoS clades showed high relative abundance across all samples and signs of putative microdiversity. The majority of the amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) within each HoS clade clustered into a unique 97% sequence similarity operational taxonomic unit (OTU) and inhabited a specific environment (lotic, lentic or terrestrial). Our findings suggest the existence of microdiversification leading to sub‐taxa niche differentiation, with putative distinct ecotypes (consisting of groups of ASVs) adapted to a specific environment. We hypothesize that HoS clades thriving in the CPWC have phylogenetically conserved traits that accelerate their rate of evolution, enabling them to adapt to strong spatio‐temporally variable selection pressures. Variable selection appears to operate within clades to cause very rapid microdiversification without losing key traits that lead to high abundance. Variable and homogeneous selection, therefore, operate simultaneously but on different aspects of organismal ecology. The result is an overall signal of homogeneous selection due to rapid within‐clade microdiversification caused by variable selection. It is unknown whether other systems experience this dynamic, and we encourage future work evaluating the transferability of our results.
Butorphanol-Azaperone-Medetomidine Is as Safe and Effective as Nalbuphine-Azaperone-Medetomidine for Immobilization of Juvenile American Black Bears (Ursus americanus)

Abstract: Immobilization kits including butorphanol-azaperone-medetomidine (BAM) and nalbuphine-azaperone-medetomidine can provide effective, safe, and easy-to-use protocols in bears. Nalbuphine-azaperone-medetomidine is not commercially available but may be useful for wildlife agencies because it does not contain controlled substances. This study directly compared BAM to nalbuphine-azaperone-medetomidine immobilization in 10 juvenile healthy black bears (10 mo old; four females, six males) undergoing prerelease examinations after rehabilitation. Bears were immobilized via remote delivery of 1 mL of BAM (n=5) or nalbuphine-azaperone-medetomidine (n=5) intramuscularly in the shoulder during December (randomized, blinded trial). Bears were intubated, monitored with an electrocardiogram, pulse oximeter, capnograph, noninvasive blood pressure cuff, and rectal thermometer, and underwent physical examination, sample collection, morphometrics, and ear-tag placement. Induction, physiologic, and recovery parameters were recorded, including arterial blood gas analysis. The anesthetic agents were antagonized with atipamezole and naltrexone. There were no differences between protocols in induction or recovery times. There were no differences between protocols in heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, end-tidal CO2, mean arterial pressure, or blood gas analysis or any differences between male and female bears in any parameters. Bears were hypertensive and normoxemic with low oxygen saturation via pulse oximeter, but all recovered smoothly and were released within 2 h of recovery. This study supports that nalbuphine-azaperone-medetomidine is clini-cally as safe and effective as BAM in American black bears.
Variation in essential oil composition and anti-microbial activity of Indian Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) population from Indian Himalayan Region (IHR)

Essential oils comprised complex mixture of biologically active ingredients that have multifarious uses. The demand of scent-based essential oils is presently increased in foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Under different exploration trips during 2008 to 2012, an attempt was made to collect a few population samples of Origanum vulgare L. from the various agro-ecological zones of Uttarakhand Himalaya in order to analyse chemical constituents, that is, thymol and carvacrol. Results revealed that great diversity was observed in the percentage of essential oil ranging from 0.17 to 2.07, content of thymol 0.42 to 85.87% and carvacrol 0.02 to 81.01%. Besides, the population with high percentage of thymol and carvacrol depicts high biological and antimicrobial activity against seven microorganisms (namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila subspp. hydrophila, Klebsiella pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis, Streptomyces candidus subspp. azaticus or Kitasatospora azatica and Candida albicans). Tested six bacteria and one fungi were significantly inhibited (P<0.005 and P<0.001) by all tested essential oils of each accession. The maximum zone of inhibition (ZI) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for bacterial strains, which were sensitive to the essential oil, were in the gross mean (GM) range of 2.66 ± 0.08 to 4.27 ± 0.11 mm, and 9.8 ± 8.2 to 22.2 ± 10.7 µl/ml and fungal strains sensitive to the essential oil, were 4.69 ± 0.30 mm and 23.2 ± 13.5 µl/ml, respectively. Key words: Origanum vulgare, essential oil, anti-microbial activity, Indian Himalayan Region.
Temporal relations between meander deformation, water discharge and sediment fluxes in the floodplain of the Rio Beni (Bolivian Amazonia)

The Andean Cordillera and piedmont significantly influence river system and dynamics, being the source of many of the important rivers of the Amazon basin. The Beni River, whose upper sub‐catchments drain the Andean and sub‐Andean ranges, is a major tributary of the Madeira River. This study examines the river in the south‐western Amazonian lowlands of Bolivia, where it develops mobile meanders. Channel migration, meander‐bend morphology and ox‐bow lakes are analysed at different temporal and spatial scales. The first part of this study was undertaken with the aim to link the erosion–deposition processes in the active channel with hydrological events. The quantification of annual erosion and deposition areas shows high inter‐annual and spatial variability. In this study, we investigate the conditions of sediment exportation in the river in relation to three hydrological parameters (flood intensity, date of discharge peak and duration of the bank‐full stage level). The second part of this study, focusing on the abandoned meanders, analyses the cutoff processes and the post‐abandonment evolution during 1967–2001. This approach shows the influence of the active channel behaviour on the sediment diffusion and sequestration of the abandoned meanders and allows us to build a first model of the contemporary floodplain evolution. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cx43 can form functional channels at the nuclear envelope and modulate gene expression in cardiac cells

Classically associated with gap junction-mediated intercellular communication, connexin43 (Cx43) is increasingly recognized to possess non-canonical biological functions, including gene expression regulation. However, the mechanisms governing the localization and role played by Cx43 in the nucleus, namely in transcription modulation, remain unknown. Using comprehensive and complementary approaches encompassing biochemical assays, super-resolution and immunogold transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate that Cx43 localizes to the nuclear envelope of different cell types and in cardiac tissue. We show that translocation of Cx43 to the nucleus relies on Importin-β, and that Cx43 significantly impacts the cellular transcriptome, likely by interacting with transcriptional regulators. In vitro patch-clamp recordings from HEK293 and adult primary cardiomyocytes demonstrate that Cx43 forms active channels at the nuclear envelope, providing evidence that Cx43 can participate in nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of small molecules. The accumulation of nuclear Cx43 during myogenic differentiation of cardiomyoblasts is suggested to modulate expression of genes implicated in this process. Altogether, our study provides new evidence for further defining the biological roles of nuclear Cx43, namely in cardiac pathophysiology.
T‐cell receptor repertoire analysis of CD4‐positive T cells from blood and an affected organ in an autoimmune mouse model

One hallmark of some autoimmune diseases is the variability of symptoms among individuals. Organs affected by the disease differ between patients, posing a challenge in diagnosing the affected organs. Although numerous studies have investigated the correlation between T cell antigen receptor (TCR) repertoires and the development of infectious and immune diseases, the correlation between TCR repertoires and variations in disease symptoms among individuals remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of TCRα and β repertoires in blood T cells with the extent of autoimmune signs that varies among individuals. We sequenced TCRα and β of CD4+CD44highCD62Llow T cells in the blood and stomachs of mice deficient in autoimmune regulator (Aire) (AIRE KO), a mouse model of human autoimmune polyendocrinopathy‐candidiasis‐ectodermal dystrophy. Data analysis revealed that the degree of similarity in TCR sequences between the blood and stomach varied among individual AIRE KO mice and reflected the extent of T cell infiltration in the stomach. We identified a set of TCR sequences whose frequencies in blood might correlate with extent of the stomach manifestations. Our results propose a potential of using TCR repertoires not only for diagnosing disease development but also for diagnosing affected organs in autoimmune diseases.
Balance and Muscle Synergies During a Single-Limb Stance Task in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability

The aim of this study was to investigate balance performance and muscle synergies during a Single-Limb Stance (SLS) task in individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) and a group of healthy controls. Twenty individuals with CAI and twenty healthy controls were asked to perform a 30-second SLS task in Open-Eyes (OE) and Closed-Eyes (CE) conditions while standing on a force platform with the injured or the dominant limb, respectively. The activation of 13 muscles of the lower limb, hip, and back was recorded by means of surface electromyography. Balance performance was assessed by identifying the number and the duration of SLS epochs, and the Root-Mean-Square (RMS) in Antero-Posterior (AP) and Medio-Lateral (ML) directions of the body-weight normalized ground reaction forces. The optimal number of synergies, weight vectors, and activation coefficients were also analyzed. CAI group showed a higher number and a shorter duration of SLS epochs and augmented ground reaction force RMS in both AP and ML directions compared to controls. Both groups showed an increase in the RMS in AP and ML forces in CE compared to OE. Both groups showed 4 optimal synergies in CE, while controls showed 5 synergies in OE. CAI showed a significantly higher weight of knee flexor muscles in both OE and CE. In conclusion, muscle synergies analysis provided an in-depth knowledge of motor control mechanisms in CAI individuals. They showed worse balance performance, a lower number of muscle synergies in a CE condition and abnormal knee flexor muscle activation compared to healthy controls.
cell count pattern in dairy herds

Online somatic cell count (SCC) measurement is widely used in dairy herds milked with automatic milking systems (AMS) and gives the opportunity to closely monitor individual cow udder health. Using automated SCC data, we observed cows displaying a remarkably regularly fluctuating SCC (rfSCC) pattern, which is described in this study. We aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of rfSCC in cows milked by AMS, (2) characterize the rfSCC pattern, and (3) identify factors potentially associated with the rfSCC pattern. We analyzed 30-d episodes of composite SCC recordings of 1,000 cows from 55 dairy herds from 6 countries using an AMS with automated SCC measurement, and we identified the rfSCC pattern in 4.7% (95% CI: 3.5–6.2%) of these episodes. The rfSCC episodes had a median SCC of 701 × 1,000 cells/mL (2.5–97.5% quantile: 539–1,162), a median amplitude of 552 × 1,000 cells/mL (2.5–97.5% quantile: 409–886), and a median cycle length of 4.1 d (2.5–97.5% quantile: 3.7–4.9). Bacteriological culture data from quarter-milk samples collected every 2 wk in 1 Dutch AMS herd were analyzed, yielding no clear association between pathogen species and the rfSCC pattern found in that herd. Altogether, we described an intriguing phenomenon, present in almost 5% of the cows during a 1-mo study period. Further work is needed to quantify its importance in terms of udder health, but also to elucidate the mechanism behind this remarkable SCC pattern.
Sleep disorders and risk of infertility: A meta-analysis of observational studies

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between sleep disorders and risk of infertility. Method Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched form their inception to April 30, 2023. Information of study design, control group and experimental group, number of participants, and study outcomes was extracted. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS scale) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ scale). Narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were used to analyze these studies. Result Eight cohort, cross-sectional, and case-control studies were considered. The reviewed studies were high-quality. Pooled analysis showed that the risk of infertility was 1.43-fold higher in patients with sleep disturbance (HR = 1.43, 95% CI, 0.97–2.11, z = 1.79), but this was not statistically different; the risk was 1.58-fold higher in patients with OSA compared to those without OSA (HR = 1.58, 95%, CI, 0.99–2.52, z = 1.91), but this was not statistically significant. Wake-up time is also associated with infertility (OR = 1.14; 95%CI = 1.01–1.28; P = 0.037). For every hour they stay awake beyond 8:00 AM, participants had a 41% higher risk of infertility (P = 0.004). The early-to-bed/late-to-rise (EL), LE, and LL groups had a higher risk of infertility than the EE group. Conclusion The present study did not find an association between sleep disorders and the risk of infertility. Therefore, more observational studies are warranted to explore the association between sleep disorders and the risk of infertility.