Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fractional erbium:YAG laser (2940 nm) plus topical hydroquinone compared to intradermal tranexamic acid plus topical hydroquinone for the treatment of refractory melasma: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objectives Melasma is a chronic acquired condition characterized by grayish-brown macules and patches with a distinct border on the face. Although various treatments methods have been suggested for treating melasma, none has been completely successful. The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency of erbium: yttrium–aluminum–garnet (Er:YAG) laser and 4% hydroquinone (HQ) with the effects of intradermal tranexamic acid (TA) and 4% HQ for the treatment of refractory melasma. Methods The study included 31 female patients with refractory melasma. The left or right side of the patient’s face was chosen randomly to receive laser therapy with topical HQ on the one side (i.e. the laser side) and intradermal injection of TA plus topical HQ on the other side (i.e. the mesotherapy side). Digital photography was performed at baseline, at the end of the treatment, and three months after the treatment as follow-up. Two independent dermatologists evaluated the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI) score according to the pictures. Overall, 27 patients completed the study and went through the clinical evaluation. Results Treatment using HQ in combination with either Er:YAG laser therapy or intradermal injection of TA significantly improved the hemi-mMASI and resulted in higher patient satisfaction. While the improvement was not significantly different between the two regiments after the treatment and upon follow up and both were equally efficient in the treatment of refractory melasma (p = 1.308), recurrence rate was higher after treatment with Er:YAG laser than TA (12% vs 34%). Conclusion This study confirmed the comparable efficacy of TA plus topical HQ versus Er:YAG laser plus topical HQ for the treatment of refractory melasma. Both groups improved significantly and no subject left the treatment because of adverse effects. Trial registration number IRCT20191011045057N1
Improvements in obsessive–compulsive disorder and schizophrenia after left putaminal hemorrhage

Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung Municipal Kai-Syuan Psychiatric Hospital, and Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Email: yenjuyu@cc.kmu. edu.tw Received 17 March 2021; revised 4 June 2021; accepted 1 August 2021.
Positive correlations between plasma BPI level and MPO-DNA and S100A8/A9 in myocardial infarction

Abstract Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) exhibits a number of important characteristics. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the BPI expression was increased in platelets of (non)ST-elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI/STEMI) patients. Activated platelets can induce NETosis which may be accompanied by the release of myeloperoxidase-DNA (MPO-DNA) and S100A8/A9. This study investigated the plasma BPI levels in myocardial infarction patients and its correlation with MPO-DNA and S100A8/A9. This prospective study recruited 80 control individuals, as well as 63 NSTEMI and 59 STEMI patients who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College for coronary angiography (CAG) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between May 1, 2020 and August 31, 2020. Demographic and clinical characteristics, clinical indicators, hs-CRP, IL-1β, MPO-DNA (a circulated marker of NETs), circulating levels of S100A8/A9 and BPI were measured from each individual. The severity of coronary lesions was evaluated by the Gensini score, based on the results of the CAG. Pearson’s or spearman’s correlation was used to examine the correlation between BPI and the above-mentioned parameters, as well as the severity of coronary artery disease. Linear regression analysis was applied to identify the independent predictive factors of BPI. Received operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of plasma BPI for MI. The plasma BPI levels increased by 8.76 times in the STEMI group and 5.38 times in the NSTEMI group compared to the control group. The plasma level of hs-CRP and IL-1β in both STEMI and NSTEMI groups were also significantly higher than the control group. In addition, the plasma levels of MPO-DNA and S100A8/A9 in the STEMI and NSTEMI groups were significantly higher than the control group. Plasma levels of BPI were positively correlated with IL-1β, hs-CRP, MPO-DNA and S100A8/A9. The correlation between BPI and the severity of coronary artery disease was also significant. The optimal cutoff value of plasma BPI was 35.1705 ng/ml for MI patients from the ROC curve analysis. Plasma BPI levels are increased in myocardial infarction patients and positively correlated with MPO-DNA and S100A8/A9. Plasma BPI level may serve as a potential biomarker of myocardial infarction.
The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Association Between Autonomic Interoceptive Signals and Emotion Regulation Selection

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. ABSTRACT Objective The ability to select the most adaptive regulatory strategy as a function of the emotional context plays a pivotal role in psychological health. Recently, we showed that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can improve the sensitivity of regulatory strategy selection to emotional intensity. However, the mechanisms underlying this improvement are unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that MBIs support adaptive regulatory selection by increasing sensitivity to interoceptive signals associated with the emotional stimuli. Methods Participants (n = 84, mean [standard deviation {SD}] age = 30.9 [8.3] years; 54% women) were randomized to either a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program or a wait-list control condition. Before and after the MBSR program, physiological measures for autonomic nervous system activity were obtained, and participants performed a task examining emotion regulation selections (reappraisal versus distraction) when confronted with low or high negative intensity images. They also completed a battery of mindfulness, interoception, and well-being self-report measures. A cross-classified model was used for the main analyses. Results The participants assigned to the MBSR were overall more likely to choose reappraisal than distraction (b = 0.26, posterior SD = 0.13, 95confidence interval = 0.02–0.52) after the program. Interoceptive signals in response to negative images were associated with subsequent regulatory selections (b = 0.02, posterior SD = 0.01, 95% confidence interval = 0.01–0.03) in the MBSR group. Specifically, lower cardiac reactivity was associated with the choice to reappraise, whereas higher cardiac reactivity was related to the choice to distract. Greater differences in cardiac reactivity between states that prompt reappraisal and states that prompt distraction were associated with higher well-being (Satisfaction With Life Scale, Pearson r (29) = 0.527, p = . 003). Conclusions Mindfulness seems to increase the sensitivity of regulatory selections to interoceptive signals, and this is associated with subjective well-being. This may be a central pathway through which MBIs exert their positive effects on mental health and resilience.
ADHD and Academic Success in University Students: The Important Role of Impaired Attention

Objective To improve on several methodological issues regarding current literature investigating the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and academic success in adults and examine the relative contributions of specific dimensions of ADHD symptomatology (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity) to post-secondary academic success. Method A large sample of 3,688 post-secondary students were examined using a longitudinal design. The Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) was used to assess adult ADHD symptoms and academic success was assessed using students’ official academic records (e.g., final GPAs and degree completion status). Results Students with greater inattention symptomatology at the start of their academic program showed consistently poorer long-term academic success (i.e., lower GPAs, higher dropout rates), regardless of gender. Conclusion Inattention symptoms are the primary driver of the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and academic underachievement in adults. Post-secondary education institutions should target and prioritize educational programming for inattention symptoms of ADHD in at-risk post-secondary students.
Community-based Versus Traditional Research Among Older Minority Women With Urinary Incontinence

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate research retention of older minority women with urinary incontinence (UI) using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) versus a traditional research approach. Methods An ancillary prospective study was conducted within an ongoing pilot randomized clinical trial to treat UI. Participants were recruited using CBPR in collaboration with a local community versus a traditional research approach at an academic center. Inclusion criteria were women 65 years and older and symptomatic UI. The primary outcome was the randomization rate defined as the proportion of women randomized into the randomized clinical trial out of screened participants. Screening and consent rates were also evaluated. Pearson χ2, Fisher exact, and t tests were used. The effect of CBPR on research retention rates was expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results There were 10 and 88 women screened in the CBPR and traditional research groups, respectively. The CBPR participants were Hispanic (n = 10, 100%) and older (78.4 ± 8.3 years; P < 0.01). Most of the traditional research participants were non-Hispanic Black (n = 55, 62.5%) and younger (71.0 ± 4.9 years). The CBPR group had higher rates of screening (76.9% vs 40.6%; P = 0.01), consent (80% vs 44.3%; P = 0.045), and randomization (50.0% vs 14.8%; P < 0.01) compared with the traditional research group. Community-based participatory research increased the odds of research retention during screening (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.3–18.2), consent (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.0–25.0), and randomization (OR, 5.8; 95% CI, 1.5–22.7). Conclusion Compared with traditional research, CBPR yielded higher research retention among older minority women with UI in a clinical study.
Biologically plausible trends suggesting that a low‐protein diet may enhance the effect of flozination caused by the sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor dapagliflozin on albuminuria

We read the paper by van der Aart-van der Beek et al with great interest and understand that a core message of this secondary analysis of three relatively small-sized randomized controlled trials is that high dietary protein intake does not offset the benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibition, also known as “flozination”. However, it may also be true that low protein intake could offer additional synergistic benefits to patients undergoing flozination. We feel that the presented data could have been interpreted differently given that there appear to be clinically relevant and biologically plausible trends in support of combining a low-protein diet with SGLT2 inhibition to improve the salutary effects of this pharmacotherapy approach to reducing albuminuria and protecting kidney health and longevity. In the DELIGHT trial (n = 233), dapagliflozin versus placebo reduced urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) by 21% in the high-proteindiet group versus 28% in the low-protein-diet group, suggesting 39% more effect of the SGLT2 inhibitor if combined with low protein intake. The interaction P value was not significant, probably because of the limited sample size. Interestingly, the IMPROVE trial (n = 30) showed a very similar trend in that there was 38% more effect of restricted protein intake added to the effect of dapagliflozin as compared to the pharmacotherapy alone or in combination with high dietary protein intake (Figure 1), although the P value for interaction was not significant. The third study, the DIAMOND trial (n = 53), significant showed a marginal effect of SGLT2 inhibition on UACR (P = 0.072). Dichotomization of dietary protein intake decreases statistical power. Treating dietary protein intake as a continuous variable could be more useful in this context, as methodologically implemented in other studies. We feel that these consistent trends from two separate trials of dapagliflozin, even though statistically nonsignificant, are consistent with the well-established data in the past, showing that a low-protein diet enhanced the effect of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibition or angiotensin receptor blockade on renal protection. Indeed, a lowprotein diet leads to contraction of the afferent arteriole of the glomeruli, resulting in reduced intraglomerular pressure, hence, opposing the renal hyperfiltration that is invariably harmful to kidneys in the long term; this mechanism is similar to what flozination with such SGLT2 inhibitors as dapagliflozin appears to engender, given the modulation of the tubuloglomerular feedback that abrogates intraglomerular
Dietary Intake of Breastfeeding Mothers in Developed Countries: A Systematic Review and Results of the MEDIDIET Study.

BACKGROUND Lactation is a demanding period for women, and a good nutrition is crucial for optimal health of mothers and infants. OBJECTIVES To provide new data and summarize the overall evidence on maternal nutrient intakes during lactation in developed countries, we present a systematic review (SR) of the literature and concurrently original results of the Italian MEDIDIET study. We compared nutrient intakes with dietary reference values (DRVs) proposed by the European Food Safety Authority. METHODS Studies were identified searching PubMed/Embase databases up to February 2020. Observational studies reporting at least energy and macronutrient intakes of healthy breastfeeding mothers who followed non-restricted and non-specific diets were included. Studies on populations with severe nutritional deficiencies were excluded. The MEDIDIET study enrolled 300 healthy breastfeeding mothers at 6 ± 1 wk postpartum. Usual diet was concomitantly evaluated through a validated and reproducible FFQ. Nutrient intakes were estimated using a food composition database. RESULTS Twenty-eight articles regarding 32 distinct study populations were included. Maternal nutrient intakes were generally in agreement across studies included in the SR and conforming to DRVs. Within micronutrients, vitamin D intake was below the recommendation. In the MEDIDIET study, mean intakes of energy (1950 ± 445 kcal/d), carbohydrates (270 ± 20.1 g/d), proteins (87.8 ± 20.1 g/d), and fats (65.6 ± 18.9 g/d) were similar to those observed in the SR. Moreover, observed intakes seemed to reflect the typical Mediterranean diet, with low intakes of carbohydrates, SFAs, and PUFAs and high intakes of MUFAs and vitamins. Conversely, protein intake was mainly derived from animal sources. CONCLUSIONS This SR showed that nutrient intakes of breastfeeding mothers in developed countries are generally in line with DRVs despite different dietary patterns worldwide. Some nutritional deficiencies emerged, highlighting the need for additional nutritional advice. Mothers participating in the MEDIDIET study showed a nutritional profile in agreement with the Mediterranean diet.
Effects of drying on the production of polyphenol-rich cocoa beans

ABSTRACT The current study emphasizes on the effects of four drying methods, namely, oven drying, adsorption drying, freeze-drying, and vacuum drying on the total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of unfermented cocoa beans. The comparison of drying kinetics analysis showed that adsorption drying method dried faster than other methods. On comparing the results of total polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity, freeze-drying method showed the optimal results and the lowest values were recorded by oven drying. The sensory analysis of cocoa beans after drying showed low cocoa flavor and high astringency scores.
Change in Saliva RT-PCR Sensitivity Over the Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Additional Contributions: We thank all of the physicians (Jonas Martzloff, MD, Laura Braun Parvez, MD, Francoise Heibel, MD, Bruno Moulin, MD, PhD), the clinical research team (Danielle Roy, Annie Menguy, Hugo Servais), nurses (Sandra Ludwiller, Muriel Morvan, Karima Kedjam, Lucile Steinmetz, Christelle Appenzeller), and the secretaries (Amandine Bigot and Agathe Pillon) who work in the Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France, and who were involved in the vaccination program and patient follow-up. We are grateful to Marie Josée Wendling and Aurélie Velay (Department of Virology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France) for their technical support and to Marc Hazzan (Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Lille University Hospital, Lille, France) for statistical assistance. None of these individuals received compensation for their roles in the study.
Could Some Laboratory Parameters Predict Mortality in COVID-19?

BACKGROUND The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to increase worldwide and threatens public health. Our aim in this study is to examine the relationship between some laboratory parameters and hematological ratios with the severity of the disease and hospital mortality. METHODS This study was designed as a retrospective cohort. The clinical data of 743 COVID-19 diagnosed patients who were eligible for hospitalization between March 16, and May 15, 2020 analyzed, retrospectively. The patients were separated into two groups as discharged from hospital (n = 681) and dead in hospital (n = 62). ROC curves and cutoff values of NLR (Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio), PLR (Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio), MLR (Monocyte/ Lymphocyte Ratio), CRP, and ferritin upon admission to hospital were calculated for the two groups. Binary Logistic Regression used to determine independent risk factors for mortality. RESULTS The difference between both groups for age, duration in hospital, WBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte, NLR, PLR, MLR, CRP, and ferritin values were statistically significant. NLR had the highest area under the curve with a cutoff of 5.5 in the ROC curve [(AUC: 0.892, 95% CI: 0.844 - 0.939); Sensitivity = 85%, Specificity = 84%]. NLR, MLR, PLR, CRP and Ferritin groups have significant effects on the survival times of the Covid-19 patients. According to logistic regression analysis, increments of NLR (OR = 18.1, 95% CI: 6.4 - 51.4), CRP (OR = 5.5, 95% CI: 2.5 - 12.2), and age (OR = 2.7 95% CI: 1.3 - 5.5) values proportionally increase the death probability. CONCLUSIONS NLR, CRP, and age are independent risk factors for mortality from COVID-19. We believe that evaluating these parameters together during diagnosis will be important in predicting the prognosis of the disease and in treatment approaches.
Reliability and validity of the Actiwatch and Clouclip for measuring illumination in real‐world conditions

To compare real‐world measures of illumination obtained with the Actiwatch‐2 and Clouclip‐M2 with ‘gold standard’ photometry measures and to evaluate the ability of Actiwatch‐2 to correctly identify photometer‐defined conditions: scotopic (≤0.01 lux), mesopic (0.02–3 lux), indoor photopic (>3–1,000 lux) and outdoor photopic (>1,000 lux); and Clouclip to correctly identify photometer‐defined conditions within its operating range (>1 lux). Inter‐device reliability of Clouclip for illumination and viewing distance measures was also investigated.
Phenotypic effects of changes in the FTVTxK region of an Arabidopsis secondary wall cellulose synthase compared with results from analogous mutations in other isoforms.

Understanding protein structure and function relationships in cellulose synthase (CesA), including divergent isomers, is an important goal. Here, we report results from mutant complementation assays that tested the ability of sequence variants of AtCesA7, a secondary wall CesA of Arabidopsis thaliana, to rescue the collapsed vessels, short stems, and low cellulose content of the irx3-1 AtCesA7 null mutant. We tested a catalytic null mutation and seven missense or small domain changes in and near the AtCesA7 FTVTSK motif, which lies near the catalytic domain and may, analogously to bacterial CesA, exist within a substrate "gating loop. " A low-to-high gradient of rescue occurred, and even inactive AtCesA7 had a small positive effect on stem cellulose content but not stem elongation. Overall, secondary wall cellulose content and stem length were moderately correlated, but the results were consistent with threshold amounts of cellulose supporting particular developmental processes. Vibrational sum frequency generation microscopy allowed tissue-specific analysis of cellulose content in stem xylem and interfascicular fibers, revealing subtle differences between selected genotypes that correlated with the extent of rescue of the collapsing xylem phenotype. Similar tests on PpCesA5 from the moss Physcomitrium (formerly Physcomitrella) patens helped us to synergize the AtCesA7 results with prior results on AtCesA1 and PpCesA5. The cumulative results show that the FTVTxK region is important for the function of an angiosperm secondary wall CesA as well as widely divergent primary wall CesAs, while differences in complementation results between isomers may reflect functional differences that can be explored in further work.
Moving Dirac nodes by chemical substitution

Significance The on-demand control of topological properties with readily modifiable parameters is a fundamental step toward the design of novel electronic and spintronic devices. Here, we show that this goal can be achieved in the correlated system BaCo1−xNixS2, where we succeeded in significantly changing the reciprocal space position and shape of Dirac nodes by chemically substituting Ni with Co. We prove that the tunability of the Dirac states is realized by varying the electron-correlation strength and the charge-transfer gap, both sensitive to the substitution level, x. Based on our finding, a class of late-transition metal compounds can be established as prototypical for engineering highly tunable Dirac materials. Dirac fermions play a central role in the study of topological phases, for they can generate a variety of exotic states, such as Weyl semimetals and topological insulators. The control and manipulation of Dirac fermions constitute a fundamental step toward the realization of novel concepts of electronic devices and quantum computation. By means of Angle-Resolved Photo-Emission Spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments and ab initio simulations, here, we show that Dirac states can be effectively tuned by doping a transition metal sulfide, BaNiS2, through Co/Ni substitution. The symmetry and chemical characteristics of this material, combined with the modification of the charge-transfer gap of BaCo1−xNixS2 across its phase diagram, lead to the formation of Dirac lines, whose position in k-space can be displaced along the Γ−M symmetry direction and their form reshaped. Not only does the doping x tailor the location and shape of the Dirac bands, but it also controls the metal-insulator transition in the same compound, making BaCo1−xNixS2 a model system to functionalize Dirac materials by varying the strength of electron correlations.