Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of mHealth-Based Gamification Interventions on Participation in Physical Activity: Systematic Review

Background It is well known that regular physical exercise has associated benefits; yet, participation remains suboptimal. Mobile health (mHealth) has become an indispensable medium to deliver behavior change interventions, and there is a growing interest in the gamification apps in mHealth to promote physical activity (PA) participation. Gamification could use game design elements (such as points, leaderboards, and progress bars), and it has the potential to increase motivation for PA and engagement. However, mHealth-based gamification interventions are still emerging, and little is known about the application status and efficacy of such interventions. Objective This systematic review aims to investigate gamification apps in mHealth for improving PA levels and simultaneously summarize the impact of gamification interventions on PA participation. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL (EBSCO host), and IEEE Xplore from inception to December 20, 2020. Original empirical research exploring the effects of gamification interventions on PA participation was included. The papers described at least one outcome regarding exercise or PA participation, which could be subjective self-report or objective indicator measurement. Of note, we excluded studies about serious games or full-fledged games. Results Of 2944 studies identified from the database search, 50 (1.69%) were included, and the information was synthesized. The review revealed that gamification of PA had been applied to various population groups and broadly distributed among young people but less distributed among older adults and patients with a disease. Most of the studies (30/50, 60%) combined gamification with wearable devices to improve PA behavior change, and 50% (25/50) of the studies used theories or principles for designing gamified PA interventions. The most frequently used game elements were goal-setting, followed by progress bars, rewards, points, and feedback. This review demonstrated that gamification interventions could increase PA participation; however, the results were mixed, and modest changes were attained, which could be attributed to the heterogeneity across studies. Conclusions Overall, this study provides an overview of the existing empirical research in PA gamification interventions and provides evidence for the efficacy of gamification in enhancing PA participation. High-quality empirical studies are needed in the future to assess the efficacy of a combination of gamification and wearable activity devices to promote PA, and further exploration is needed to investigate the optimal implementation of these features of game elements and theories to enhance PA participation.
Prevalence of positive urine culture in the presence of inactive urine sediment in 1049 urine samples from dogs

Abstract Background Urinalysis (UA) is often used to screen for bacterial cystitis, regardless of sediment results, and followed up by quantitative urine culture (UC) for definitive diagnosis. Objectives Determine prevalence of positive UCs in dogs with inactive urine sediments on routine UA. Animals A total of 1049 urine samples with inactive urine sediments and UCs collected from dogs presented to a veterinary specialty hospital between January 2018 and February 2020. Methods Retrospective study of dogs with an inactive urine sediment on routine UA and follow‐up UCs. Signalment, UA findings, proteinuria, and UC results were recorded. Associations among these findings were assessed using multivariate logistic regression carried out using a backward stepwise method. Results Overall prevalence of positive UC was 3.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4‐4.8). Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated bacteria. Only naturally voided samples were associated with increased prevalence of positive culture when compared to collection by cystocentesis or a non‐specified method. No statistically significant association with culture positivity was found for urine protein‐to‐creatinine ratio, urine specific gravity, urine pH, breed, age, or sex. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Based on the low prevalence (3.4%) of positive culture in urine samples from dogs with inactive sediment on routine UA and the relatively high cost of UC and sensitivity, cost‐benefit analysis including clinical suspicion of lower urinary tract disease should inform testing decisions, rather than routinely performing cultures on urine samples without active sediments.
The LONELY GUY gene family: from mosses to wheat, the key to the formation of active cytokinins in plants

Summary LONELY GUY (LOG) was first identified in a screen of rice mutants with defects in meristem maintenance. In plants, LOG codes for cytokinin riboside 5′‐monophosphate phosphoribohydrolase, which converts inactive cytokinin nucleotides directly to the active free bases. Many enzymes with the PGGxGTxxE motif have been misannotated as lysine decarboxylases; conversely not all enzymes containing this motif are cytokinin‐specific LOGs. As LOG mutants clearly impact yield in rice, we investigated the LOG gene family in bread wheat. By interrogating the wheat (Triticum aestivum) genome database, we show that wheat has multiple LOGs. The close alignment of TaLOG1, TaLOG2 and TaLOG6 with the X‐ray structures of two functional Arabidopsis thaliana LOGs allows us to infer that the wheat LOGs 1‐11 are functional LOGs. Using RNA‐seq data sets, we assessed TaLOG expression across 70 tissue types, their responses to various stressors, the pattern of cis‐regulatory elements (CREs) and intron/exon patterns. TaLOG gene family members are expressed variously across tissue types. When the TaLOG CREs are compared with those of the cytokinin dehydrogenases (CKX) and glucosyltransferases (CGT), there is close alignment of CREs between TaLOGs and TaCKXs reflecting the key role of CKX in maintaining cytokinin homeostasis. However, we suggest that the main homeostatic mechanism controlling cytokinin levels in response to biotic and abiotic challenge resides in the CGTs, rather than LOG or CKX. However, LOG transgenics and identified mutants in rice variously impact yield, providing interesting avenues for investigation in wheat.
The additive impact of cardio‐metabolic disorders and psychiatric illnesses on accelerated brain aging

Severe mental illnesses (SMI) including major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) elevate accelerated brain aging risks. Cardio‐metabolic disorders (CMD) are common comorbidities in SMI and negatively impact brain health. We validated a linear quantile regression index (QRI) approach against the machine learning “BrainAge” index in an independent SSD cohort (N = 206). We tested the direct and additive effects of SMI and CMD effects on accelerated brain aging in the N = 1,618 (604 M/1,014 F, average age = 63.53 ± 7.38) subjects with SMI and N = 11,849 (5,719 M/6,130 F; 64.42 ± 7.38) controls from the UK Biobank. Subjects were subdivided based on diagnostic status: SMI+/CMD+ (N = 665), SMI+/CMD− (N = 964), SMI−/CMD+ (N = 3,765), SMI−/CMD− (N = 8,083). SMI (F = 40.47, p = 2.06 × 10−10) and CMD (F = 24.69, p = 6.82 × 10−7) significantly, independently impacted whole‐brain QRI in SMI+. SSD had the largest effect (Cohen’s d = 1.42) then BD (d = 0.55), and MDD (d = 0.15). Hypertension had a significant effect on SMI+ (d = 0.19) and SMI− (d = 0.14). SMI effects were direct, independent of MD, and remained significant after correcting for effects of antipsychotic medications. Whole‐brain QRI was significantly (p < 10−16) associated with the volume of white matter hyperintensities (WMH). However, WMH did not show significant association with SMI and was driven by CMD, chiefly hypertension (p < 10−16). We used a simple and robust index, QRI, the demonstrate additive effect of SMI and CMD on accelerated brain aging. We showed a greater effect of psychiatric illnesses on QRI compared to cardio‐metabolic illness. Our findings suggest that subjects with SMI should be among the targets for interventions to protect against age‐related cognitive decline.
Complex decay dynamics of HIV virions, intact and defective proviruses, and 2LTR circles following initiation of antiretroviral therapy

Significance In persons living with HIV-1 who start antiretroviral therapy, virus in the blood decreases rapidly to below the detection limit. The decrease occurs in two phases: a rapid initial decrease in the first weeks, followed by a second, slower phase occurring over the next few months. These decay processes are important because infected cells that remain may become part of the stable latent reservoir that prevents cure. The decay in virus levels in blood presumably reflects the loss of infected cells, but the relationship between the decay of free virus and of infected cells has been unclear. Here, we have analyzed this question using an assay that distinguishes between cells with intact and defective forms of the viral genome. In persons living with HIV-1 (PLWH) who start antiretroviral therapy (ART), plasma virus decays in a biphasic fashion to below the detection limit. The first phase reflects the short half-life (<1 d) of cells that produce most of the plasma virus. The second phase represents the slower turnover (t1/2 = 14 d) of another infected cell population, whose identity is unclear. Using the intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA) to distinguish intact and defective proviruses, we analyzed viral decay in 17 PLWH initiating ART. Circulating CD4+ T cells with intact proviruses include few of the rapidly decaying first-phase cells. Instead, this population initially decays more slowly (t1/2 = 12.9 d) in a process that largely represents death or exit from the circulation rather than transition to latency. This more protracted decay potentially allows for immune selection. After ∼3 mo, the decay slope changes, and CD4+ T cells with intact proviruses decay with a half-life of 19 mo, which is still shorter than that of the latently infected cells that persist on long-term ART. Two-long-terminal repeat (2LTR) circles decay with fast and slow phases paralleling intact proviruses, a finding that precludes their use as a simple marker of ongoing viral replication. Proviruses with defects at the 5′ or 3′ end of the genome show equivalent monophasic decay at rates that vary among individuals. Understanding these complex early decay processes is important for correct use of reservoir assays and may provide insights into properties of surviving cells that can constitute the stable latent reservoir.
Interactions Between Atrial Fibrillation and Natriuretic Peptide in Predicting Heart Failure Hospitalization or Cardiovascular Death

Background Natriuretic peptides are routinely quantified to diagnose heart failure (HF). Their concentrations are also elevated in atrial fibrillation (AF). To clarify their value in predicting future cardiovascular events, we measured natriuretic peptides in unselected patients with cardiovascular conditions and related their concentrations to AF and HF status and outcomes. Methods and Results Consecutive patients with cardiovascular conditions presenting to a large teaching hospital underwent clinical assessment, 7‐day ECG monitoring, and echocardiography to diagnose AF and HF. NT‐proBNP (N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide) was centrally quantified. Based on a literature review, four NT‐proBNP groups were defined (<300, 300–999, 1000–1999, and ≥2000 pg/mL). Clinical characteristics and NT‐proBNP concentrations were related to HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death. Follow‐up data were available in 1616 of 1621 patients (99.7%) and analysis performed at 2.5 years (median age, 70 [interquartile range, 60–78] years; 40% women). HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death increased from 36 of 488 (3.2/100 person‐years) in patients with neither AF nor HF, to 55 of 354 (7.1/100 person‐years) in patients with AF only, 92 of 369 (12.1/100 person‐years) in patients with HF only, and 128 of 405 (17.7/100 person‐years) in patients with AF plus HF (P<0.001). Higher NT‐proBNP concentrations predicted the outcome in patients with AF only (C‐statistic, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77–0.86; P <0.001) and in other phenotype groups (C‐statistic in AF plus HF, 0.66; [95% CI, 0.61–0.70]; P <0.001). Conclusions Elevated NT‐proBNP concentrations predict future HF events in patients with AF irrespective of the presence of HF, encouraging routine quantification of NT‐proBNP in the assessment of patients with AF.
Association between atopic diseases and neurodevelopmental disabilities in a longitudinal birth cohort

Reports on the association between the prevalence of atopic diseases and neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDs) have been inconsistent in the literature. We investigated whether autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit‐hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), and other NDs are more prevalent in children with asthma, atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic rhinitis (AR) compared to those without specific atopic conditions. A total of 2580 children enrolled at birth were followed prospectively, of which 119 have ASD, 423 have ADHD, 765 have other NDs, and 1273 have no NDs. Atopic diseases and NDs were defined based on physician diagnoses in electronic medical records. Logistic regressions adjusting for maternal and child characteristics estimated the associations between NDs (i.e., ASD, ADHD, and other NDs) and asthma, AD and AR, respectively. Children with asthma, AD or AR had a greater likelihood of having ADHD or other NDs compared with children without specific atopic conditions. The association between ASD and asthma diminished after adjusting for maternal and child factors. Either mothers or children having atopic conditions and both mothers and children with atopic conditions were associated with a higher prevalence of ADHD in children, compared with neither mothers nor children having atopic conditions. Children diagnosed with multiple atopic diseases were more likely to have NDs compared with those without or with only one type of atopic disease. In conclusion, in this U.S. urban birth cohort, children with atopic diseases had a higher co‐morbidity of NDs. The findings have implications for etiologic research that searches for common early life antecedents of NDs and atopic conditions. Findings from this study also should raise awareness among health care providers and parents about the possible co‐occurrence of both NDs and atopic conditions, which calls for coordinated efforts to screen, prevent and manage NDs and atopic conditions.
Using cadaver temperatures to estimate time of death: A case‐specific numerical approach

A new approach is taken to estimating the time of death based on cadaver temperatures. The predictions are obtained by using numerical simulation that can be performed in a case‐by‐case scenario. Such a method enables time‐of‐death predictions for persons of any size and weight and in any thermal environment. An added advantage of the method is that it is not dependent upon an identification of the individual tissue layers and regions. Rather, a homogeneous tissue model is used, and the results that are obtained agree closely with the results of prior estimation methods and also with a prior published case study. Among the results presented in this study are various convective environments in both air and water (or a combination for a partially submerged body). The orientation of the body (face down vs face up) is investigated. It is found that when a body is face up, its body core temperature is more responsive to the ambient conditions, compared with a face‐down orientation, at least for some partial‐submergence depths. The method disclosed here can also be used to handle situations, where the environmental conditions are changing (such as diurnal temperature variations, variation in cloudy or sunny skies, etc.). Current nomogram methods are not able to handle such timewise variations.
The impact of anti-CD20-based therapy on hypogammaglobulinemia in patients with follicular lymphoma

Abstract Although treatment with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) has improved outcomes in B-cell malignancies, it’s associated with increased risk of hypogammaglobulinemia (HG). Our study aimed to determine the effects of anti-CD20 mAb on serum immunoglobulins (Ig) in follicular lymphoma (FL). Ig concentrations, infectious complications, and need for intravenous Ig were evaluated by level of exposure to anti-CD20 mAb in 380 patients. Prevalence of HG significantly differed by level of treatment exposure (p < 0.001). Single course anti-CD20 mAb was associated with rising IgG (+10.3 mg/dL/year), whereas the addition of maintenance therapy (−7.4 mg/dL/year) or multiple courses of treatment (−10.3 mg/dL/year) was associated with declining IgG. Among patients treated with anti-CD20 mAb, 45.2% developed IgG-HG and 10.3% developed symptomatic IgG-HG. Pretreatment IgG levels gradually declined in all patients, suggesting tumor burden may contribute to HG. Baseline and periodic monitoring of serum Ig is appropriate in patients with FL, including those managed with active surveillance.
Biomolecules‐releasing click chemistry‐based bioadhesives for repairing acetabular labrum tears

Currently, there are no effective clinical or experimental treatments to fully restore the function of the torn acetabular labrum. To fill the gap, here, we report the finding of progenitor cells in labral tissue, which can be recruited and stimulated to repair torn acetabular labral tissue. This study aimed to develop a biomolecule releasing bioadhesive which can speed up labral tissue healing by eliciting autologous labral progenitor cellular responses. A click chemistry‐based bioadhesive, capable of releasing biomolecules, was synthesized to exert ~3× adhesion strength compared with fibrin glue. Via the release of platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF), the adhesive was shown to actively recruit and stimulate the proliferation of labral progenitor cells to the tear sites and within the adhesive. Finally, the ability of this biomolecules‐releasing adhesive designed to promote labral tissue regeneration was evaluated using discarded human acetabular labrum tissue compared with surgical suture ex vivo. Histological analysis shows that PDGF‐releasing bioadhesive yielded significantly more labrum cell responses and extracellular matrix protein (proteoglycan and collagen) production at the tear tissue site than surgical suture controls. The results confirm that the new PDGF‐releasing bioadhesive can activate the responses of autologous labral progenitor cells to significantly improve labral tissue regeneration. Clinical significance: These PDGF‐releasing bioadhesives may serve as a new and effective tool for repairing and regenerating acetabular labrum tears.
The Transcription Factor CpcR Determines Cell Fate by Modulating the Initiation of Sporulation in Bacillus thuringiensis

Formation of spores is a paradigm for study of cell differentiation in prokaryotes. Sporulation initiation is governed by a gradual increase in the level and activity of the master regulator Spo0A. ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium capable of differentiating into a spore, a dormant and highly resistant cellular form. During the sporulation process, this bacterium produces insecticidal toxins in the form of a crystal inclusion, usually in the sporulating cell. We previously reported that the B. thuringiensis LM1212 strain can differentiate into two distinct subpopulations of sporeformers and crystal producers and that this division-of-labor phenotype provides the bacterium with a fitness advantage in competition with a typical B. thuringiensis strain. The transcription factor CpcR was characterized as the regulator responsible for this phenotype. Here, we examined how CpcR interacts with the sporulation network to control the cell differentiation. We found that the sporulation process was inhibited prior to polar septum formation and that Spo0A activity was impaired in the presence of cpcR in strain LM1212. Using bioinformatics and genetic tools, we identified a gene positively controlled by CpcR encoding a putative phosphatase of the Spo0E family known to specifically dephosphorylate phosphorylated Spo0A (Spo0A-P). We showed that this protein (called Spo0E1) is a negative regulator of sporulation and that variations in spo0E1 expression can modulate the production of spores. Using fluorescent reporters to follow gene expression at the single-cell level, we correlated expression of cpcR and sporulation genes to the formation of the two differentiated subpopulations. IMPORTANCE Formation of spores is a paradigm for study of cell differentiation in prokaryotes. Sporulation initiation is governed by a gradual increase in the level and activity of the master regulator Spo0A. Spo0A is usually indirectly phosphorylated by a multicomponent phosphorelay, and modulation of this phosphorelay system is a critical aspect of Bacillus physiology. Though we know that this phosphorelay system is usually affected by two negative regulatory mechanisms, i.e., rap genes and spo0E family genes, the regulatory mechanisms controlling the transcription of these genes are poorly understood. Here, we report that the transcription factor CpcR positively regulates a spo0E family gene and that variations in spo0E expression can modulate the production of spores in B. thuringiensis. This work emphasizes the diversity in modes of sporulation and illustrates the diversity in the strategies employed by bacteria to control this differentiation pathway and ensure their survival.
Phenotypic investigation of 4-nitrophenylacetyl- and 4-nitro-1H-imidazoyl-based compounds as antileishmanial agents

Abstract Abstract Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a spectrum of clinical manifestations characterized by severe skin ulcerations that leads to social stigma. There are limited treatment options for CL, and the available drugs are becoming less efficacious due to drug resistance. More efficacious and safer antileishmanial drugs are needed. In this study, the biological effect of seven synthetically accessible nitroaromatic compounds was evaluated in vitro against amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, followed by in vivo evaluation using mouse models of CL. Two compounds (6 and 7) were active against amastigotes in vitro [half-maximal effective concentration (EC50): 4.57 ± 0.08 and 9.19 ± 0.68 μm, respectively], with selectivity indexes >50, and the other compounds were not selective. In vivo, compounds 6 and 7 (10 mg kg−1, twice a day for 14 days) failed to reduce skin lesion sizes and parasite loads determined by light microscopy of lesion imprints and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Nevertheless, the in vitro leishmanicidal efficacy sustained their use as templates for nitroimidazole-based antileishmanial drug discovery programmes focusing on analogues with more suitable properties.