Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Personality Traits, Media Exposure, and Deterioration of Psychological Wellbeing in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract This study examined the associations among personality traits, media exposure regarding COVID-19, and deterioration of mental wellbeing among the public in Japan. We conducted a cross-sectional Web-based questionnaire survey among 8000 Japanese men and women aged 25 to 64 years. Approximately half of participants reported deterioration of mental wellbeing. Nearly 20% of participants reported “constant/excessive” exposure to media information regarding COVID-19. As compared with those with low “extraversion” and “less frequent” exposure to media information about COVID-19, those with high “extraversion” and “more frequent” media exposure reported significantly less deterioration of mental wellbeing. In addition, as compared with those with low “neuroticism” and media exposure, those with high “neuroticism” and “constant/excessive” exposure to COVID-19–related information significantly more frequently reported deterioration of mental wellbeing. Under the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, measures for the promotion and maintenance of mental wellbeing should be implemented considering the interaction between personality traits and media exposure.
Exploring the role of psychological need fulfilment on stress, job satisfaction and turnover intention in support staff working in inpatient mental health hospitals in the NHS: a self-determination theory perspective

Abstract Background Meeting psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness as described by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) has been associated with increased well-being and job satisfaction in mental health staff and improved care outcomes for patients. Aims The study investigated whether psychological need satisfaction predicted stress, turnover intention and job satisfaction in health care assistants (HCA) working in inpatient mental health hospitals in the United Kingdom including full time (FT) and temporary agency worker (TAW) staff. Methods A cross-sectional survey explored need satisfaction between FT (n = 63) and TAW (n = 39) staff using the Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale. Multiple regression was used to explore whether satisfaction of the needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness predicted scores on measures of stress, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Results Results were comparable between FT and TAW staff. Autonomy was the need least satisfied, a need which predicted self-reported job satisfaction, stress and turnover intention. Relatedness also predicted job satisfaction and turnover intention. Conclusions Recommendations are made to explore experiences of (and barriers to) autonomy and relatedness in inpatient HCA staff to target and improve autonomy and relatedness in this workforce. Implications of doing so are considered at a staffing, organisational and patient level.
Travel in the Physical and Mental Space: A Behavioral Assessment of the Phylogenetic Continuity Hypothesis Between Egocentric Navigation and Episodic Memory

Based on the neuro-functional association between navigation in the physical and the mental space at the level of the hippocampal-entorhinal system, Buzsáki and Moser (2013) have hypothesized a phylogenetic continuity between spatial navigation and declarative memory functions. According to this proposal, mechanisms of episodic and semantic memory would have evolved from mechanisms of self-based and map-based navigation in the physical space, respectively. Using classic versions of path integration and item recognition tasks in human subjects, we have recently described a correlation and a predictive relationship between abilities in egocentric navigation and episodic memory. Here we aim at confirming and extending this association to the dynamic component of sequential updating in the physical (egocentric navigation) and mental (episodic memory) space, and at investigating the relationship of these self-centered abilities with semantic memory. To this aim, we developed three new experimental tasks in which the dynamic component of updating information is particularly emphasized in the spatial, the temporal, and the semantic domain. The contribution of visual short-term memory to the three tasks was also controlled by including an additional task. The results confirmed the existence of a direct and predictive relationship between self-based spatial navigation and episodic memory. We also found a significant association between egocentric navigation and semantic memory, but this relationship was explained by short-term memory abilities and was mediated by episodic memory functions. Our results support the hypothesis of an evolutionary link between mechanisms that allow spatial navigation in the physical space and time travel in the mental space.
Superelasticity of Plasma‐ and Synthetic Membranes Resulting from Coupling of Membrane Asymmetry, Curvature, and Lipid Sorting

Biological cells are contained by a fluid lipid bilayer (plasma membrane, PM) that allows for large deformations, often exceeding 50% of the apparent initial PM area. Isolated lipids self‐organize into membranes, but are prone to rupture at small (<2–4%) area strains, which limits progress for synthetic reconstitution of cellular features. Here, it is shown that by preserving PM structure and composition during isolation from cells, vesicles with cell‐like elasticity can be obtained. It is found that these plasma membrane vesicles store significant area in the form of nanotubes in their lumen. These act as lipid reservoirs and are recruited by mechanical tension applied to the outer vesicle membrane. Both in experiment and theory, it is shown that a “superelastic” response emerges from the interplay of lipid domains and membrane curvature. This finding allows for bottom‐up engineering of synthetic biomaterials that appear one magnitude softer and with threefold larger deformability than conventional lipid vesicles. These results open a path toward designing superelastic synthetic cells possessing the inherent mechanics of biological cells.
Using Optical Coherence Tomography to Screen for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.

BACKGROUND Screening for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could increase case identification, enhance clinical trial enrollment, and enable early intervention. MCI and ADRD screening would be most beneficial if detection measures reflect neurodegenerative changes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) could be a marker of neurodegeneration (part of the amyloid-tau-neurodegeneration (ATN) framework). OBJECTIVE To determine whether OCT measurements can be used as a screening measure to detect individuals with MCI and ADRD. METHODS A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 136 participants with comprehensive clinical, cognitive, functional, and behavioral evaluations including OCT with a subset (n = 76) completing volumetric MRI. Pearson correlation coefficients tested strength of association between OCT and outcome measures. Receiver operator characteristic curves assessed the ability of OCT, patient-reported outcomes, and cognitive performance measures to discriminate between individuals with and without cognitive impairment. RESULTS After controlling for age, of the 6 OCT measurements collected, granular cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GCL + IPL) thickness best correlated with memory, global cognitive performance, Clinical Dementia Rating, and hippocampal atrophy. GCL + IPL thickness provided good discrimination in cognitive status with a cut-off score of 75μm. Combining GCL + IPL thickness as a proxy marker for hippocampal atrophy with a brief patient-reported outcome and performance measure correctly classified 87%of MCI and ADRD participants. CONCLUSION Multimodal approaches may improve recognition of MCI and ADRD. OCT has the potential to be a practical, non-invasive biomarker for ADRD providing a screening platform to quickly identify at-risk individuals for further clinical evaluation or research enrollment.
A homozygous ROR2 variant in a family with atypical Robinow syndrome and tetramelic transverse deficiency of autopods

We present five members of a consanguineous Pakistani kinship with the most severe familial tetramelic transverse autopod deficiency reported to date and additionally having some of the common autosomal recessive Robinow syndrome‐1 (RRS1) features including short stature, short neck, severe vertebral anomalies of kyphoscoliosis, hemivertebrae, fusion of thoracic vertebrae, broad forehead, and dental crowding. We mapped the locus of this atypical RRS and detected homozygous 8‐nucleotide deletion c. 1353_1360del (p.(Met452Alafs*4)) in ROR2, the gene responsible for RRS1. We did not find any other variant shared by all affected individuals that could possibly act as a modifier of limb defect. Autopods are affected in RRS1, but severe autopod deficiency is not a characteristic feature. Over 30 biallelic variants dispersed throughout the gene are known in ROR2‐related RS, with no genotype–phenotype correlation for specific RRS1 features. Considering together with the sporadic case homozygous for variant p.(Arg442*) and the case homozygous for p.(Arg441Thrfs*16) in a family where heterozygous members have brachydactyly type B1, we propose that homozygous truncating variants that originate at residues 441–452 can cause severe autopod reduction anomalies, suggesting some genotype–phenotype correlation for this particular phenotype.
Economic Evaluation of the SOS Training to Reduce Victimization in Dual Diagnosis Patients

Abstract Objective Economic evaluations of interventions for dual diagnosis patients are scarce. A recent randomized controlled trial has supported the effectiveness of the Self-wise, Otherwise, Streetwise (SOS) training to reduce victimization in dual diagnosis patients. The purpose of the current study was to analyze the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of the SOS training as an add-on to care as usual (CAU). Methods We performed an economic evaluation from a societal perspective alongside the SOS trial. Participants were 250 dual diagnosis patients recruited at three locations from a large urban psychiatric service in the Netherlands. The main outcomes were treatment response for victimization and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Both costs and effects were measured across a 14-month follow-up. Results There was no significant difference between CAU + SOS and CAU in total costs (mean difference €4,859; 95% CI [−€4,795 to €14,513]) and QALY gains (mean difference 0.0012; 95% CI [−0.05 to 0.05]). Significantly more participants in CAU + SOS achieved treatment response for victimization compared to CAU (68% vs. 54%; mean difference 0.14; 95% CI [0.02 to 0.26]). The cost-effectiveness analysis indicated an 83% likelihood that CAU + SOS resulted in a higher treatment response rate for victimization at higher costs compared to CAU. The cost-utility analysis indicated that adding SOS-training to CAU is probably not cost-effective at conventional willingness-to-pay levels for QALYs. Conclusions At a societal willingness-to-pay of €38,000 or more per extra treatment responder, adding SOS-training to usual care is probably more attractive than usual care alone with regard to cost-effectiveness. This is a considerable willingness to pay. However, the direct costs of offering the SOS training are expected to be minor. Our findings should be interpreted with caution due to the short follow-up period and absence of data on potential reductions in police and judicial costs other than prison costs.
Is Toxin-Producing Planktothrix sp. an Emerging Species in Lake Constance?

Recurring blooms of filamentous, red-pigmented and toxin-producing cyanobacteria Planktothrix rubescens have been reported in numerous deep and stratified prealpine lakes, with the exception of Lake Constance. In a 2019 and 2020 Lake Constance field campaign, we collected samples from a distinct red-pigmented biomass maximum below the chlorophyll-a maximum, which was determined using fluorescence probe measurements at depths between 18 and 20 m. Here, we report the characterization of these deep water red pigment maxima (DRM) as cyanobacterial blooms. Using 16S rRNA gene-amplicon sequencing, we found evidence that the blooms were, indeed, contributed by Planktothrix spp. , although phycoerythrin-rich Synechococcus taxa constituted most of the biomass (>96% relative read abundance) of the cyanobacterial DRM community. Through UPLC–MS/MS, we also detected toxic microcystins (MCs) in the DRM in the individual sampling days at concentrations of ≤1.5 ng/L. Subsequently, we reevaluated the fluorescence probe measurements collected over the past decade and found that, in the summer, DRM have been present in Lake Constance, at least since 2009. Our study highlights the need for a continuous monitoring program also targeting the cyanobacterial DRM in Lake Constance, and for future studies on the competition of the different cyanobacterial taxa. Future studies will address the potential community composition changes in response to the climate change driven physiochemical and biological parameters of the lake.
Quantifying impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through life-expectancy losses: a population-level study of 29 countries

Abstract Background Variations in the age patterns and magnitudes of excess deaths, as well as differences in population sizes and age structures, make cross-national comparisons of the cumulative mortality impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic challenging. Life expectancy is a widely used indicator that provides a clear and cross-nationally comparable picture of the population-level impacts of the pandemic on mortality. Methods Life tables by sex were calculated for 29 countries, including most European countries, Chile and the USA, for 2015–2020. Life expectancy at birth and at age 60 years for 2020 were contextualized against recent trends between 2015 and 2019. Using decomposition techniques, we examined which specific age groups contributed to reductions in life expectancy in 2020 and to what extent reductions were attributable to official COVID-19 deaths. Results Life expectancy at birth declined from 2019 to 2020 in 27 out of 29 countries. Males in the USA and Lithuania experienced the largest losses in life expectancy at birth during 2020 (2.2 and 1.7 years, respectively), but reductions of more than an entire year were documented in 11 countries for males and 8 among females. Reductions were mostly attributable to increased mortality above age 60 years and to official COVID-19 deaths. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic triggered significant mortality increases in 2020 of a magnitude not witnessed since World War II in Western Europe or the breakup of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. Females from 15 countries and males from 10 ended up with lower life expectancy at birth in 2020 than in 2015.
Clinicians as a critical link: Understanding health professionals' beliefs and attitudes toward anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

Understanding the perspectives of health professionals remains an understudied issue, yet may help bridge research-practice gaps and pinpoint important areas for education, training, and research. This study investigated attitudes toward anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) among Nordic health professionals specialized within the eating disorder (ED) field. Participants (n = 144) completed a modified ED-version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire which assessed attitudes and beliefs toward perceived symptom controllability, severity, treatment effectiveness, and views on the prognosis of AN, BN, and BED. Personal enjoyment and level of comfort working with AN, BN, and BED were also assessed. The majority agreed or strongly agreed that patients with AN, BN, and BED were not responsible for their illness, and viewed the illnesses as psychological rather than medical in etiology. AN was viewed as the most severe and enduring, followed by BN, then BED. Treatment for BN was viewed as being more highly effective than treatments for either AN or BED. Professionals rated significantly less enjoyment and less confidence working with BED. To conclude, both commonalities and differences in attitudes toward AN, BN and BED were found in terms of perceived symptom controllability, views on severity, treatment effectiveness, and anticipated prognosis. In particular, findings emphasized the need for additional training in the management of BED among Nordic healthcare professionals.
Branch Pulmonary Artery Regurgitation in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: Correlation with Pulmonary Artery Morphology, Distensibility, and Right Ventricular Function

Background: The aim was to determine the effect of pulmonary artery (PA) morphology on the branch pulmonary artery-regurgitation fraction (BPA-RF), the relationship of pulmonary insufficiency (PI) to BPA-RF and PA-distensibility, and factors (BPA-RF and PA-distensibility) associated with right ventricular function (RVF) in repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Methods: A total of 182 rTOF patients (median age 17.1 years) were analyzed for length, angle of PA, BPA-RF, PI, and PA-distensibility, using magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The left PA had a significant greater RF than the right PA (median (interquartile range)): LPA 43.1% (32.6–51.5) and RPA 35.2% (24.7–44.7), p < 0.001. The LPA was shorter with a narrower angle than the RPA (p < 0.001). The anatomy of the branch-PA was not a factor for the greater LPA-RF (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: CI, p-value): length 0.44 (0.95–2.00), p = 0.28; angle 0.63 (0.13–2.99), p = 0.56. There was a strong positive correlation between PI and BPA-RF-coefficients (95% CI), p-value: LPA 0.78% (0.70–0.86), p < 0.001; RPA 0.78% (0.71–0.84), p < 0.001 and between BPA-RF and distensibility-coefficients (95%CI), p-value: LPA 0.73% (0.37–1.09), p < 0.001; RPA 1.63% (1.22–2.03), p < 0.001, respectively. The adjusted BPA-RF did not predict RVF, RPA (p = 0.434), LPA (p = 0.268). Conclusions: PA morphology is not a significant factor for the differential BPA-RF. The vascular wall in rTOF patients responds to chronic increased intravascular volume by increasing distensibility. BPA-RF is not a determinant of RVF.
Occurrence of neonicotinoids in waste water from the Bucharest treatment plant

A sensitive and selective method SPE-LC-MS/MS for the detection of widely used neonicotinoids (nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, acetamiprid, dinotefuran, and imidacloprid) in waste water was developed. The chromatographic method provided good separation of the six most common neonicotinoid compounds, with limits of quantitation in the range of 0.3–0.9 ng l−1. The developed method was validated, obtaining the corresponding results for all parameters. Recoveries after SPE ranged from 72% to 108.2% meanwhile intra-day and inter-day precision (RSD%) was between 4.6 and 7.7 and 5.2 and 11.3%, respectively. The occurrence and removal of these neonicotinoids in the Bucharest WWTP were investigated. The presence of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran and acetamiprid was observed at ng l−1 in the influent (60.8–80.2 ng l−1, 16.4–23.6 ng l−1, 4.4–6 ng l−1, and 0.97–2.4 ng l−1, respectively) and effluent (average concentrations 53.3 ng l−1, 14.6 ng l−1, 3.7 ng l−1, and 1.95 ng l−1, respectively). Neonicotinoids from influents were removed in low and similar proportions to the effluent. Thus, dinotefuran and acetamiprid were eliminated in the proportion of 23.2% of the waste water evacuated in the emissary, imidacloprid was eliminated with an average yield of 22.4% and thiamethoxam was removed with an average of 20.3%
An Exploration of Factors that Mediate the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sexual Assault Victimization Among LGBTQ+ College Students

Despite alarming rates of sexual assault on college campuses, little research has examined risk factors for sexual victimization among LGBTQ+ college students. This exploratory study aims to examine adolescent sexual assault, internalized homonegativity, and problematic alcohol use as mediators linking several types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; i.e., childhood sexual abuse, parental abuse, and household disorder) to collegiate sexual assault. Utilizing data from 241 LGBTQ+ college students, path analysis findings demonstrated that these proposed mediators increased risk for sexual assault and that various types of ACEs exerted differential impacts on sexual re-victimization, internalized homonegativity, and problematic alcohol use. Practice-based implications are offered, including the need for affirming programming that includes problem drinking prevention components and considers the role of ACEs and internalized homonegativity in increasing risk for sexual assault during college as well as the need for LGBTQ+ resource centers on campus.
Molecular Mechanisms of Environmental Metal Neurotoxicity: A Focus on the Interactions of Metals with Synapse Structure and Function

Environmental exposure to neurotoxic metals and metalloids such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, or manganese is a global health concern affecting millions of people worldwide. Depending on the period of exposure over a lifetime, environmental metals can alter neurodevelopment, neurobehavior, and cognition and cause neurodegeneration. There is increasing evidence linking environmental exposure to metal contaminants to the etiology of neurological diseases in early life (e.g., autism spectrum disorder) or late life (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). The known main molecular mechanisms of metal-induced toxicity in cells are the generation of reactive oxygen species, the interaction with sulfhydryl chemical groups in proteins (e.g., cysteine), and the competition of toxic metals with binding sites of essential metals (e.g., Fe, Cu, Zn). In neurons, these molecular interactions can alter the functions of neurotransmitter receptors, the cytoskeleton and scaffolding synaptic proteins, thereby disrupting synaptic structure and function. Loss of synaptic connectivity may precede more drastic alterations such as neurodegeneration. In this article, we will review the molecular mechanisms of metal-induced synaptic neurotoxicity.
Impact of a Grant Program to Spur Advances in Sickle Cell Disease Research.

Over twenty years ago, clinical trials and federal grant support for sickle cell disease (SCD) research were not on par with other genetic diseases. Faced with the opportunity to spur research and advance treatments for SCD, and at the recommendation of advisors, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) offered a SCD research funding opportunity starting in 2009 through its Innovations in Clinical Research Awards (ICRA) program. Twenty-eight new grants of $450,000 direct costs over three years and seven renewals were awarded, for a total investment of $17 million dollars. Only about half of the research teams garnered follow-on funding directly related to their ICRA projects, but the financial return on the research investment was substantial (approximately four times the original $17 million or 303 percent). All but one of the ICRA investigative teams published original research reports that acknowledged DDCF as a source of funding; the median number of publications per team was three. Major innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of SCD resulted, including but not limited to demonstration that genetic modification of BCL11A enhancer is a potentially important treatment modality, establishment that plerixafor mobilization is safe and effective for those with SCD, development and validation of a new diagnostic called SCD BioChip, and evidence that hydroxyurea treatment is safe and efficacious in African children. These outcomes show that relatively small research grants can have a substantial return on investment and result in significant advances for a disease such as SCD.