Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Fabrication of a High-Frequency Microconvex Array Transducer for Small Animals Imaging

High-frequency convex array transducer, featuring both high spatial resolution and wide field of view, has been successfully developed for ophthalmic imaging. To further expand its application range to small animals’ imaging, this work develops a high-frequency microconvex array transducer possessing smaller aperture size and wider scanning angle. This transducer featured 128 array elements arranged in a curvilinear 2–2 piezoelectric composite configuration, yielding a maximum view angle of 97.8°. The array was composed of two front matching layers, a nonconductive backing layer, and a customized flexible circuit that electrically connected array elements to coaxial cables. The center frequency and the −6-dB fractional bandwidth were about 18.14 MHz and 69.15%, respectively. The image of a tungsten wire phantom resulted in approximately 62.9- <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ {\mu } \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> axial resolution and 121.3- <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ {\mu }\text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> lateral resolution. The image of the whole kidney of a rat as well as its internal arteries was acquired <italic>in vivo</italic>, demonstrating the imaging capability of the proposed high-frequency microconvex array transducers for small animals’ imaging applications.
Caregiver–child proximity as a dimension of early experience

Abstract Human infancy and early childhood is both a time of heightened brain plasticity and responsivity to the environment as well as a developmental period of dependency on caregivers for survival, nurturance, and stimulation. Across primate species and human evolutionary history, close contact between infants and caregivers is species-expected. As children develop, caregiver–child proximity patterns change as children become more autonomous. In addition to developmental changes, there is variation in caregiver–child proximity across cultures and families, with potential implications for child functioning. We propose that caregiver–child proximity is an important dimension for understanding early environments, given that interactions between children and their caregivers are a primary source of experience-dependent learning. We review approaches for operationalizing this construct (e.g., touch, physical distance) and highlight studies that illustrate how caregiver–child proximity can be measured. Drawing on the concepts proposed in dimensional models of adversity, we consider how caregiver–child proximity may contribute to our understanding of children’s early experiences. Finally, we discuss future directions in caregiver–child proximity research with the goal of understanding the link between early experiences and child adaptive and maladaptive functioning.
Determination of non-freezing water in different nonfouling materials by differential scanning calorimetry

Abstract Nonfouling materials have attracted increasing interest for their excellent biocompatibility and low immunogenicity. Strong hydration is believed to be the key reason for their resisting capability to nonspecific protein adsorption. However, little attention has been paid to quantifying their strong water binding capacity. In this study, we synthesized four zwitterionic polymers, including poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (pSBMA), poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) (pCBMA), poly(carboxybetaine acrylamide) (pCBAA) and poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (pMPC), and compared non-freezing water of these zwitterionic polymers with typical antifouling polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Non-freezing water of their monomers was also investigated. The non-freezing water of the polymers (per unit) is pMPC (10.7 ± 1.4) ≈ pCBAA (10.8 ± 1.5) > pCBMA (9.0 ± 0.6) > pSBMA (6.6 ± 0.4) > PEG20000 (0.60 ± 0.04). Similar trend is observed for their monomers. For all studied zwitterionic materials, they showed higher binding capacity than PEG. We attribute the stronger hydration of zwitterionic polymers to their strong electrostatic interactions. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Muscle quality and spine fractures

The association between sarcopenia or low muscle quality and bone health, such as osteoporosis and fractures has been studied. However, controversial results were reported because of the differences in populations or definition of sarcopenia. We have recently read the interesting article entitled ‘Body composition and osteoporotic fracture using anthropometric prediction equations to assess muscle and fat masses’ which showed the association between predicated lean body mass index (pLBMI), appendicular skeletal muscle index (pASMI), and body fat mass index (pBFMI) and fractures. This prospective study observed 2350 and 6175 fractures in men and women during a 3 year follow-up. They found that pASMI was associated with total osteoporotic fracture risk. Interestingly, they also found that high pASMI was related to a decrease of spine fracture in both men and women. To the best of our knowledge, few studies independently observed the role of muscle quality on vertebral fracture. These data indicated that intervention on muscle quality may be a potential preventive strategy for reducing the risk of vertebral fracture. There may be a couple of critical issues that were not considered in their analysis. In the multivariate cox model, many confounders were adjusted, such as age and physical activity. However, bone mass or bone mineral density or status of osteoporosis at baseline which was one critical determinant for fracture was not included. It is still unknown whether muscle quality, pLBMI, or pASMI is an independent risk factor for total fracture or spine fracture in their study. In addition, fasting serum glucose was considered as a confounder. Diabetes may be a better choice than glucose level because some diabetic subjects may have normal glucose level when they take anti-diabetes drugs. We also performed a prospective study in a Chinese population who underwent computed tomography (CT) scanning for lung cancer screening and had none spine fractures during 2016–2019. They were followed up for 1–5 years (median 2 years). We identified 72 subjects (17 men and 55 women) with new vertebral compression fractures and 212 age and gender matched control subjects. Muscle area and density of erector spinae at intermediate level of thoracic spine 8, 10, and 12 were determined as biomarkers of muscle quality. The muscle density and area of subjects with fractures were significantly lower than those without fracture (Figure 1). Then, the muscle area and density were divided into three groups based on the interquartile range (<Q1, Q1–Q3, >Q3). The cumulative hazard of adjusted hazard ratio (adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, bone mass, diabetes, and renal functions) for muscle area was 0.58 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.34–0.98] for Q1–Q3 (9.2–12.3 cm) and was 0.20 (95%CI: 0.1–0.49) for Q3 (>12.3 cm) compared with the first quartile (<9.2 cm). Similar results were found in women. The cumulative hazard curves in total population
Using Large-scale Social Media Analytics to Understand Patient Perspectives About Urinary Tract Infections: Thematic Analysis

Background Current qualitative literature about the experiences of women dealing with urinary tract infections (UTIs) is limited to patients recruited from tertiary centers and medical clinics. However, traditional focus groups and interviews may limit what patients share. Using digital ethnography, we analyzed free-range conversations of an online community. Objective This study aimed to investigate and characterize the patient perspectives of women dealing with UTIs using digital ethnography. Methods A data-mining service was used to identify online posts. A thematic analysis was conducted on a subset of the identified posts. Additionally, a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) probabilistic topic modeling method was applied to review the entire data set using a semiautomatic approach. Each identified topic was generated as a discrete distribution over the words in the collection, which can be thought of as a word cloud. We also performed a thematic analysis of the word cloud topic model results. Results A total of 83,589 posts by 53,460 users from 859 websites were identified. Our hand-coding inductive analysis yielded the following 7 themes: quality-of-life impact, knowledge acquisition, support of the online community, health care utilization, risk factors and prevention, antibiotic treatment, and alternative therapies. Using the LDA topic model method, 105 themes were identified and consolidated into 9 categories. Of the LDA-derived themes, 25.7% (27/105) were related to online community support, and 22% (23/105) focused on UTI risk factors and prevention strategies. Conclusions Our large-scale social media analysis supports the importance and reproducibility of using online data to comprehend women’s UTI experience. This inductive thematic analysis highlights patient behavior, self-empowerment, and online media utilization by women to address their health concerns in a safe, anonymous way.
Particulate matter 2.5 induced hyperpigmentation in reconstructed human epidermis model (MelaKutis®)

To the Editor: Epidemiological studies have confirmed Biocell Biotechnology), and NHEMs in Medium 254 that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is related to skin hyperpigmentation, but experimental evidence is lacking. Here, we used normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs), melanocytes (NHEMs), and reconstructed human epidermis models (MelaKutis) to investigate the impact of PM2.5 on skin melanogenesis. MelaKutis is a 3D skin model with a stratified structure, which is composed of human keratinocytes and melanocytes. Its structure and metabolic features are highly similar to those of the natural human skin. Moreover, external factors can stimulate the melanocytes located in the basal layer to produce melanin, resulting in hyperpigmentation. In our study, to simulate the effect of PM2.5 on human skin, we utilized PM2.5 collected in Beijing, China. Zhang et al previously analyzed the components of PM2.5 (collected in Beijing) and revealed that benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) was one of the most abundant and toxic components of PM2.5. Thus, we chose BAP as positive control.
Use of Child Care Attenuates the Link Between Decreased Maternal Sleep and Increased Depressive Symptoms

This article has supplementary material on the web site: www.jdbp. org. Abstract: Objective: Sleep disruption is common among postpartum women and is linked with depression. Child care may alleviate parenting stress and protect new mothers against symptoms of depression. Methods: Mothers from the NURTURE study, a birth cohort of 666 women of full-term infants, completed questionnaires during home visits when their infants were 3, 6, 9, and 12 months old. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to measure depressive symptoms and stress, respectively. Mothers reported total nightly sleep duration for themselves and their infants, child care arrangements, marital status, and income. We used mixed-effects models adjusting for income, marital status, and child age to examine the indirect effect of infants' sleep on maternal mental health through mothers' sleep and assessed whether patterns differed depending on child care. Results: Decreased maternal sleep mediated the association between infant sleep and maternal mental health. When infants slept 1 hour less than usual, mothers slept 7 fewer minutes (B = 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01 to 0.27) and reported more depressive symptoms (B = −0.27, 95% CI, −0.43 to −0.11) and stress (B = −0.33, 95% CI −0.58 to −0.09). Child care moderated the indirect effect; decreased maternal sleep was not associated with increased depressive symptoms (and was not a mediator) when mothers had child care (indirect effect = −0.001, 95% CI, −0.03 to 0.03). Conclusion: Use of infant child care reduced the link between maternal sleep and depressive symptoms. Regular access to child care may be a method to mitigate feelings of depression for new mothers.
Prescribing walking training in interstitial lung disease from the 6-minute walk test

ABSTRACT Introduction and Objective Endurance training during PR requires exercise prescription at sufficient intensity to achieve physiological benefits. This analysis sought to investigate whether walking training prescribed from 6-minute walk test (6MWT) average speed provides an appropriate training intensity for people with ILD during PR. Methods Individuals with ILD completed cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and 6MWT in random order. A 10-minute constant speed treadmill walk test (10MTW) was undertaken at 80% of the average 6MWT speed. Oxygen uptake (VO2) was measured during all tests. Percentage VO2peak during 10MTW was main outcome measure. Results Eleven people with ILD (age 71 (8) years; forced vital capacity 73 (18) %predicted, 6-minute walk distance 481 (99) meters, and VO2peak during CPET 1.3 (0.2) L.min−1) undertook testing. Average VO2peak during 10MTW was 91 (18) % of CPET VO2peak [range 67–116%]. Participants who achieved a greater VO2peak during CPET walked at a smaller %VO2peak during 10MTW (r = −0.6; p = .04). Conclusions For people with ILD, walking training prescribed at 80% of 6MWT average speed can provide adequate exercise training intensity for PR.
The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20): psychometrical testing in a Norwegian sample of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Methods Participants were recruited from nine hospitals in the southeastern and western parts of Norway. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected, and participants completed the MFI-20, as well as the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ). In addition to a confirmatory factor analysis, validity, reliability, test-retest and responsiveness were evaluated. Results In total, 410 patients were included. The Norwegian MFI-20 had an acceptable model fit when compared to the original five-dimensional structure. A positive correlation was observed between the dimensions of MFI-20 and the FQ. MFI-20 scores increased according to subjective disease activity, but no differences were observed when using a calprotectin cut-off < or > =250 µg/g mg/kg. All MFI-20 dimensions except ‘reduced motivation’ in both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) patients had alpha Cronbach alpha values ≥70, and test-retest reliability revealed good to excellent values. Merely one dimension (Reduced activity) in UC patients reporting improvement did not reach the threshold for acceptable responsiveness according to Guyatt statistics. Conclusions The Norwegian version of MFI-20 is valid, reliable and responsive. The instrument can safely be used in studies using fatigue as an endpoint.
Antibacterial, anti-biofilm, and anti-adhesive activities of melittin, a honeybee venom-derived peptide, against quinolone-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)

Abstract Here, we demonstrated the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of melittin, a peptide derived from honeybee venom, against uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) resistant to quinolones. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of melittin varied from 0.5 to 8 μM. The bactericidal effect was considered rapid and potent (ranging from 3.0 to 6.0 h after incubation) against a quinolone-resistant and Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing UPEC strain. Prior exposure to melittin did not reduce the MIC of the quinolones tested, but it decreased the MIC of ceftizoxime by 8-fold due to its ability to form pores in the membrane. Furthermore, melittin disrupted mature biofilms (39.58% at 32 μM) and inhibited the adhesion of this uropathogen to the surfaces of urethral catheter. These results show that melittin is a promising molecule that can be incorporated into invasive urethral medical devices to prevent urinary infections caused by multidrug-resistant UPECs. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Contribution of Necroptosis to Myofiber Death in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

Myofiber necrosis is a significant pathologic characteristic of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), and its molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Necroptosis is a recently identified form of regulated necrotic cell death, and its activation might have crucial biologic consequences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of necroptosis in IIM muscle damage.
Design and Fabrication of 15-MHz Ultrasonic Transducers Based on a Textured Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 Ceramic

Ultrasound medical imaging is an entrenched and powerful tool for medical diagnosis. Image quality in ultrasound is mainly dependent on performance of piezoelectric transducer elements, which is further related to the electromechanical performance of the constituent piezoelectric materials. With rising need for piezoelectric materials with better performance and low cost, a highly <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\langle 001\rangle $ </tex-math></inline-formula> textured piezo ceramic, Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr, Ti)O3, has been developed. Recently, textured ceramic materials can be produced at low cost and exhibit high piezoelectric strain constants and large electromechanical coupling coefficients. In this work, 15-MHz ultrasonic transducers with an effective aperture of 2.5 mm in diameter based on these highly <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\langle 001\rangle $ </tex-math></inline-formula> textured ceramics have been successfully fabricated. The fabricated transducers achieved a central frequency of 15 MHz, a fractional bandwidth of 67% (at −6 dB), a high effective electromechanical coupling coefficient <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${k}_{\text {eff}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 0.55, and a low insertion loss (IL) of 21 dB. Ex vivo ultrasonic imaging of a porcine eyeball was used to assess the tomography quality of the transducer. The results show that utilized textured ceramic has a great potential in developing ultrasonic devices for biomedical imaging purposes.
Cryodevices developed for minimum volume cooling vitrification of bovine oocytes

Abstract Unfertilized bovine oocytes can be efficiently cryopreserved only when an extremely rapid cooling rate (>20,000°C/min) is applied to oocytes with a very limited amount of surrounding vitrification solution. This protocol is defined as minimum volume cooling (MVC) vitrification. Various types of cryodevices, such as open pulled straw, Cryoloop, and Cryotop, have been developed to accelerate the cooling efficacy. Furthermore, hollow fibers with nano‐scale pores, triangle nylon mesh sheets, and multilayer silk fibroin sheets have been optimized for the loading of large quantities of oocytes and/or the subsequent removal of excess vitrification solution, without requiring skillful operation to transfer individual oocytes using fine capillaries. This article provides an up‐to‐date review of cryodevices suitable for the MVC vitrification of bovine oocytes at the immature (germinal vesicle‐) and mature (metaphase II‐) stages.
Turnip mosaic virus co-opts the vacuolar sorting receptor VSR4 to promote viral genome replication in plants by targeting viral replication vesicles to the endosome

Accumulated experimental evidence has shown that viruses recruit the host intracellular machinery to establish infection. It has recently been shown that the potyvirus Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) transits through the late endosome (LE) for viral genome replication, but it is still largely unknown how the viral replication vesicles labelled by the TuMV membrane protein 6K2 target LE. To further understand the underlying mechanism, we studied the involvement of the vacuolar sorting receptor (VSR) family proteins from Arabidopsis in this process. We now report the identification of VSR4 as a new host factor required for TuMV infection. VSR4 interacted specifically with TuMV 6K2 and was required for targeting of 6K2 to enlarged LE. Following overexpression of VSR4 or its recycling-defective mutant that accumulates in the early endosome (EE), 6K2 did not employ the conventional VSR-mediated EE to LE pathway, but targeted enlarged LE directly from cis-Golgi and viral replication was enhanced. In addition, VSR4 can be N-glycosylated and this is required for its stability and for monitoring 6K2 trafficking to enlarged LE. A non-glycosylated VSR4 mutant enhanced the dissociation of 6K2 from cis-Golgi, leading to the formation of punctate bodies that targeted enlarged LE and to more robust viral replication than with glycosylated VSR4. Finally, TuMV hijacks N-glycosylated VSR4 and protects VSR4 from degradation via the autophagy pathway to assist infection. Taken together, our results have identified a host factor VSR4 required for viral replication vesicles to target endosomes for optimal viral infection and shed new light on the role of N-glycosylation of a host factor in regulating viral infection.
Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Childhood Maltreatment: Effects on Offspring Mental Health

This study evaluated how continuities and discontinuities in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment affect offspring psychopathology. Data from a multigenerational prospective, longitudinal study were used to compare the severity of offspring psychopathology in families with no history of maltreatment (controls) and those in which parents, offspring, or both experienced childhood maltreatment (cycle breakers, initiators, and maintainers, respectively). Participants included 454 parents (M age = 47.1, SDage = 3.4) and their 697 offspring (M age = 22.3, SDage = 6.3). Offspring of cycle breakers reported less psychopathology than offspring of cycle maintainers and did not report more psychopathology than offspring of controls. Offspring of cycle initiators and maintainers reported comparable levels of psychopathology. Results suggest that breaking the cycle of maltreatment buffers offspring from risk for psychopathology associated with parental maltreatment, with no enduring or additive effects of maltreatment across generations. Our findings highlight the need for maltreatment prevention programs and further research to identify conditions and characteristics that reduce the probability of intergenerational transmission.
Surface conditioning with bacteriophages reduces biofilm formation of Salmonella Heidelberg

Salmonella remains one of the most common foodborne pathogens worldwide, and its resistance to antimicrobials has increased considerably over the years. In this context, was evaluated the action of three bacteriophages isolated or combined in inhibiting the adhesion and removal of Salmonella Heidelberg biofilm on a polystyrene surface. The bacteriophages UPF_BP1, UPF_BP2, UPF_BP3 and a pool of them were used for biocontrol of Salmonella Heidelberg biofilms on polystyrene surface in the action times of 3, 6 and 9 h. Individual and combined phages exhibited reductions in Salmonella Heidelberg adhesion of up to 83.4% and up to 64.0% in removal of preformed biofilm. The use of synergistic combinations between the phages is the most indicated option due to its potential to reduce biofilms. The use of the bacteriophage pool in surface conditioning is an alternative in the control of Salmonella Heidelberg biofilms.