Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Severe desaturations increase PVT-based median reaction time and number of lapses in OSA patients

Current diagnostic parameters estimating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity have a poor connection to the psychomotor vigilance of OSA patients. Thus, we aimed to investigate how the severity of apneas, hypopneas, and intermittent hypoxemia is associated with impaired vigilance. We retrospectively examined Type I polysomnography data and corresponding PVTs of 743 consecutive OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥5). Conventional diagnostic parameters ( e.g. AHI and oxygen desaturation index, ODI) and novel parameters ( e.g. Desaturation Severity and Obstruction Severity) incorporating duration of apneas and hypopneas as well as depth and duration of desaturations were assessed. Patients were grouped into quartiles based on PVT outcome variables. The odds of belonging to the worst-performing quartile were assessed. Analyses were performed for all PVT outcome variables utilizing binomial logistic regression. A relative 10% increase in median depth of desaturations elevated the odds (OR range =1.20-1.37, p <0.05) of prolonged mean and median reaction times as well as increased lapse count. Similarly, an increase in Desaturation Severity (OR range =1.26-1.52, p <0.05) associated with prolonged median reaction time. Female sex (OR range =2.21-6.02, p <0.01), ESS score (OR range =1.05-1.07, p <0.01) and older age (OR range =1.01-1.05, p <0.05) were significant risk factors in all analyses. In contrast, increases in conventional AHI, ODI and arousal index were not associated with deteriorated PVT performance. These results show that our novel parameters describing the severity of intermittent hypoxemia are significantly associated with increased risk of impaired PVT performance, whereas conventional OSA severity and sleep fragmentation metrics are not. These results underline the importance of developing the assessment of OSA severity beyond the AHI.
Sensitive Photodynamic Detection of Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma and Specific Leukemic Cell Death Induced by Photodynamic Therapy: Current Status in Hematopoietic Malignancies

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), an aggressive type of T-cell malignancy, is caused by the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) infections. The outcomes, following therapeutic interventions for ATL, have not been satisfactory. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) exerts selective cytotoxic activity against malignant cells, as it is considered a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure. In PDT, photosensitizing agent administration is followed by irradiation at an absorbance wavelength of the sensitizer in the presence of oxygen, with ultimate direct tumor cell death, microvasculature injury, and induced local inflammatory reaction. This review provides an overview of the present status and state-of-the-art ATL treatments. It also focuses on the photodynamic detection (PDD) of hematopoietic malignancies and the recent progress of 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-PDT/PDD, which can efficiently induce ATL leukemic cell-specific death with minor influence on normal lymphocytes. Further consideration of the ALA-PDT/PDD system along with the circulatory system regarding the clinical application in ATL and others will be discussed. ALA-PDT/PDD can be promising as a novel treatment modality that overcomes unmet medical needs with the optimization of PDT parameters to increase the effectiveness of the tumor-killing activity and enhance the innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses by the optimized immunogenic cell death.
Predicting Real-Life Self-Control From Brain Activity Encoding the Value of Anticipated Future Outcomes

Deficient self-control leads to shortsighted decisions and incurs severe personal and societal costs. Although neuroimaging has advanced our understanding of neural mechanisms underlying self-control, the ecological validity of laboratory tasks used to assess self-control remains largely unknown. To increase ecological validity and to test a specific hypothesis about the mechanisms underlying real-life self-control, we combined functional MRI during value-based decision-making with smartphone-based assessment of real-life self-control in a large community sample (N = 194). Results showed that an increased propensity to make shortsighted decisions and commit self-control failures, both in the laboratory task as well as during real-life conflicts, was associated with a reduced modulation of neural value signals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in response to anticipated long-term consequences. These results constitute the first evidence that neural mechanisms mediating anticipations of future consequences not only account for self-control in laboratory tasks but also predict real-life self-control, thereby bridging the gap between laboratory research and real-life behavior.
Association between symptoms of sleep apnea and problem behaviors in young adult twins and siblings

Abstract Background Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders and it is related to multiple negative health consequences. Previous studies have shown that sleep apnea is influenced by genetic factors. However, studies have not investigated the genetic and environmental influences of symptoms of sleep apnea in young adults. Furthermore, the underpinnings of the relationship between apnea symptoms and internalizing/externalizing problems are unknown. The objectives of this study were to estimate the magnitude of: (1) genetic and environmental influences on self-reported apnea symptoms; (2) the relationship between self-reported apnea symptoms and internalizing/externalizing traits; (3) genetic and environmental influences on the associations between self-reported apnea symptoms, internalizing behaviors and externalizing behaviors. Methods In a twin/sibling study, univariate and multivariate models were fitted to estimate both individual variance and sources of covariance between symptoms of sleep apnea and internalizing/externalizing behaviors. Results Our results show that genetic influences account for 40% of the variance in sleep apnea symptoms. Moreover, there are modest associations between depression, anxiety and externalizing behaviors with apnea symptoms (ranging from r = 0.22–0.29). However, the origins of these associations differ. For example, whereas most of the covariation between symptoms of depression and sleep apnea can be explained by genes (95%), there was a larger role for the environment (53%) in the association between symptoms of anxiety and sleep apnea. Conclusions Genetic factors explain a significant proportion of variance in symptoms of apnea and most of the covariance with depression.
Growth Factors Delivery System for Skin Regeneration: An Advanced Wound Dressing

Standard treatments of chronic skin ulcers based on the direct application of dressings still present several limits with regard to a complete tissue regeneration. Innovative strategies in tissue engineering offer materials that can tune cell behavior and promote growth tissue favoring cell recruitment in the early stages of wound healing. A combination of Alginate (Alg), Sericin (SS) with Platelet Lysate (PL), as a freeze-dried sponge, is proposed to generate a bioactive wound dressing to care skin lesions. Biomembranes at different composition were tested for the release of platelet growth factors, cytotoxicity, protective effects against oxidative stress and cell proliferation induction. The highest level of the growth factors release occurred within 48 h, an optimized time to burst a healing process in vivo; the presence of SS differently modulated the release of the factors by interaction with the proteins composing the biomembranes. Any cytotoxicity was registered, whereas a capability to protect cells against oxidative stress and induce proliferation was observed when PL was included in the biomembrane. In a mouse skin lesion model, the biomembranes with PL promoted the healing process, inducing an accelerated and more pronounced burst of inflammation, formation of granulation tissue and new collagen deposition, leading to a more rapid skin regeneration.
Rewiring the Lesioned Brain: Electrical Stimulation for Post-Stroke Motor Restoration

Electrical stimulation has been extensively applied in post-stroke motor restoration, but its treatment mechanisms are not fully understood. Stimulation of neuromotor control system at multiple levels manipulates the corresponding neuronal circuits and results in neuroplasticity changes of stroke survivors. This rewires the lesioned brain and advances functional improvement. This review addresses the therapeutic mechanisms of different stimulation modalities, such as noninvasive brain stimulation, peripheral electrical stimulation, and other emerging techniques. The existing applications, the latest progress, and future directions are discussed. The use of electrical stimulation to facilitate post-stroke motor recovery presents great opportunities in terms of targeted intervention and easy applicability. Further technical improvements and clinical studies are required to reveal the neuromodulatory mechanisms and to enhance rehabilitation therapy efficiency in stroke survivors and people with other movement disorders.
Contributions of Myosin Light Chain Kinase to Regulation of Epithelial Paracellular Permeability and Mucosal Homeostasis

Intestinal barrier function is required for the maintenance of mucosal homeostasis. Barrier dysfunction is thought to promote progression of both intestinal and systemic diseases. In many cases, this barrier loss reflects increased permeability of the paracellular tight junction as a consequence of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) activation and myosin II regulatory light chain (MLC) phosphorylation. Although some details about MLCK activation remain to be defined, it is clear that this triggers perijunctional actomyosin ring (PAMR) contraction that leads to molecular reorganization of tight junction structure and composition, including occludin endocytosis. In disease states, this process can be triggered by pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and several related molecules. Of these, TNF has been studied in the greatest detail and is known to activate long MLCK transcription, expression, enzymatic activity, and recruitment to the PAMR. Unfortunately, toxicities associated with inhibition of MLCK expression or enzymatic activity make these unsuitable as therapeutic targets. Recent work has, however, identified a small molecule that prevents MLCK1 recruitment to the PAMR without inhibiting enzymatic function. This small molecule, termed Divertin, restores barrier function after TNF-induced barrier loss and prevents disease progression in experimental chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
Long-term functional outcomes of hearing and speech rehabilitation efficacy among paediatric cochlear implant recipients in Shandong, China

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the auditory performance and speech intelligibility of 100 children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss up to 3 years after cochlear implantation. Methods A cohort study was established consisting of 100 children who received cochlear implantation at Shandong Ear Nose and Throat Hospital from 2012 to 2015. Children were examined after 1 month, 1, 2, and 3 years of implantation to assess auditory performance and speech intelligibility using standard tools. The paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess whether the scores obtained at different testing points differed significantly. The Mann–Whitney test was utilized to examine the between-group differences (e.g., age at implantation). Results Three years after implantation, 60% out of 100 children reached the maximal category (7) of categorical auditory performance and 37% achieved the highest category (5) of speech intelligibility rating. Significant improvements were found over time in categorical auditory performance category and speech intelligibility rating (from month 1 to year 1, p < 0.001; from year 1 to year 2, p < 0.001; and from year 2 to year 3, p < 0.001). Larger improvements in auditory outcomes and speech intelligibility were observed in children with a younger age at implantation and those who received speech therapy. Conclusions Cochlear implantation appears to make a significant, positive contribution to the development of communication skills of young congenital and prelingually deaf children in China. These improvements continue for up to 3 years after implantation. Positive outcomes appear to be associated with earlier age at implantation and receipt of speech therapy. Implications for rehabilitation Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in children can cause delay in speech development, poor language skills and potentially disorders in psychological behaviour and social isolation. Cochlear implantation (CI) is an effective strategy that helps children with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss gain the ability to hear and continue to develop language. This study shows that the auditory performance and speech intelligibility of deaf children who speak Mandarin continued to improve up to 3 years of implantation, when follow-up ceased.
Plasma Glutamine Levels in Relation to Intensive Care Unit Patient Outcome

Low and high plasma glutamine levels are associated with increased mortality. This study aimed to measure glutamine levels in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), correlate the glutamine values with clinical outcomes, and identify proxy indicators of abnormal glutamine levels. Patients were enrolled from three ICUs in South Africa, provided they met the inclusion criteria. Clinical and biochemical data were collected. Plasma glutamine was categorized as low (<420 µmol/L), normal (420–700 µmol/L), or high (>700 µmol/L). Three hundred and thirty patients (median age 46.8 years, 56.4% male) were enrolled (median APACHE II score) 18.0 and SOFA) score 7.0). On admission, 58.5% had low (median 299.5 µmol/L) and 14.2% high (median 898.9 µmol/L) plasma glutamine levels. Patients with a diagnosis of polytrauma and sepsis on ICU admission presented with the lowest, and those with liver failure had the highest glutamine levels. Admission low plasma glutamine was associated with higher APACHE II scores (p = 0.003), SOFA scores (p = 0.003), C-reactive protein (CRP) values (p < 0.001), serum urea (p = 0.008), and serum creatinine (p = 0.023) and lower serum albumin (p < 0.001). Low plasma glutamine was also associated with requiring mechanical ventilation and receiving nutritional support. However, it was not significantly associated with length of stay or mortality. ROC curve analysis revealed a CRP threshold value of 87.9 mg/L to be indicative of low plasma glutamine levels (area under the curve (AUC) 0.7, p < 0.001). Fifty-nine percent of ICU patients had low plasma glutamine on admission, with significant differences found between diagnostic groupings. Markers of infection and disease severity were significant indicators of low plasma glutamine.
初诊多发性骨髓瘤患者中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞比值与免疫表型、细胞遗传学的相关性及其对预后的影响

The correlations and prognostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, immunophenotype and cytogenetic abnormalities in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma Hu Juanjuan, Nie Shumin, Gao Yan, Yan Xueshen, Huang Junxia, Li Tianlan, Liu Shanshan, Mao Chunxia, Zhou Jingjing, Xu Yujie, Wang Wei, Meng Fanjun, Feng Xianqi Department of Hematology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China; Department of Neurology, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qindao 266000, China Corresponding author: Feng Xianqi, Email:qdfxq2005@163.com
Epidemiology of Antiphospholipid Syndrome in Korea: a Nationwide Population-based Study

Background Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis or pregnancy morbidity in patients with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies. However, nationwide population-based epidemiology studies regarding APS are still unavailable. Methods We analyzed claims data extracted from the Korean Health Insurance and Review Agency (HIRA) covering more than 52 million Koreans, between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017. Patients diagnosed with APS, as determined by the Korean Classification of Disease, 7th edition (D68.6), and a rare intractable disease program (V253), were identified in HIRA. Results A total of 3,088 newly diagnosed incident cases of 1,215 men and 1,873 women were identified during 2009–2016. The mean age was 44.6 ± 16.6 (men, 47.4 ± 16.3; women, 42.8 ± 16.6) years. The incidence was 0.75 per 105 person-year (95% confidence interval, 0.73–0.78). The prevalence in 2016 was 6.19 per 105 people. For incident cases, women showed incidence peak at ages of 30–39 years and 70–79 years, whereas for men, it was highest at ages of 70–79 years only. Of all patients, 1,766 (57%, 810 men and 956 women) had primary APS, 1,322 (43%, 405 men and 917 women) had secondary APS, and 845 (27%, 216 men and 629 women) were associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Conclusion The incidence of APS differs according to age groups and gender. The incidence of primary APS was higher than that of secondary APS in both gender. Furthermore, as already reported, secondary APS is highly associated with SLE; however, we observed that rheumatoid arthritis is also highly related.
Free and Added Sugar Consumption and Adherence to Guidelines: The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014/15–2015/16)

Monitoring dietary intake of sugars in the population’s diet has great importance in evaluating the efficiency of national sugar reduction programmes. The study objective was to provide a comprehensive assessment of dietary sources of added and free sugars to assess adherence to public health recommendations in the UK population and to consider the impact of different sugar definitions on monitoring. The terms “added sugar” and “free sugar” are different sugar definitions which include different sugar components and may result in different sugar intakes depending on the definition. Dietary intake of added sugars, free sugars and seven individual sugar components (sugar from table sugar; other sugars; honey; fruit juice; fruit puree; dried fruit; and stewed fruit) of 2138 males and females (1.5–64 years) from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) 2014–2016, collected using a 4 day estimated food diary, were studied. Added and free sugar intake accounted for 7% to 13% of total energy intake respectively. Major sources of free sugar intake were “cereals and cereal products”, “non-alcoholic beverages”, and “sugars, preserves, confectionery”. Differences between added and free sugar intake were significantly large, and thus use of free sugar versus added sugar definitions need careful consideration for standardised monitoring of sugar intake in relation to public health.
Zeolites in Phenol Removal in the Presence of Cu(II) Ions—Comparison of Sorption Properties after Chitosan Modification

Nowadays, the contamination of water with phenol is a serious environmental problem. This compound occurs very often with heavy metal ions which makes purification of water even more difficult. This article presents the problem of the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions in the presence of Cu(II) ions on synthetic zeolite NaP1 and zeolite NaP1 modified with chitosan. The adsorbents were determined with the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The studies on isotherms and batch kinetics under diversified experimental conditions with respect to initial concentration, contact time, and pH were discussed. Both Cu(II) and phenol adsorption increases with the initial concentration. Different isotherm models correspond well with the data acquired through experiments. The kinetics of adsorption follows the pseudo-second order rate equation. The studies indicate that the obtained sorbents can be employed for efficient removal of phenol from wastewater in the presence of Cu(II) ions.
Improvement of SiC Crystal Growth Rate and Uniformity via Top-Seeded Solution Growth under External Static Magnetic Field: A Numerical Investigation

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an ideal material for high-power and high-performance electronic applications. Top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) is considered as a potential method for bulk growth of high-quality SiC single crystals from the liquid phase source material. The crystal growth performance, such as growth rate and uniformity, is driven by the fluid flow and constitutional flux in the solution. In this study, we numerically investigate the contribution of the external static magnetic field generated by Helmholtz coils to the fluid flow in the silicon melt. Depending on the setup of the Helmholtz coils, four static magnetic field distributions are available, namely, uniform vertical upward/downward and vertical/horizontal cusp. Based on the calculated carbon flux coming to the crystal surface, the vertical downward magnetic field proved its ability to enhance the growth rate as well as the uniformity of the grown crystal.
The role of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein in activation and function of human T cells.

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is a X-linked genetic disease caused by mutation in the gene encoding for the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP). WASP is specifically expressed in hematopoietic cells, where it regulates the reorganization of actin cytoskeleton in response to extracellular stimuli. WAS is characterized by micro-throm bocytopenia, eczema, immunodeficiency and high susceptibility to autoimmune disorders and haematological malignancies. Although WASP deficiency affects the function of several haematopoietic cells, T cell dysfunction plays a predominant role in WAS pathogenesis. Our study focused on the functional and molecular analysis of different effector T cell subsets from WAS patients and on a possible defect in peripheral tolerance. We found that WASP lowers the threshold for T cell proliferation, induced by TCR/CD28 triggering. Restoration of WASP expression mediated by lentiviral vectors gene transfer fully reconstitutes TCR-driven proliferation. Furthermore, we showed that WASP regulates the levels of the ganglioside GM1 upon TCR/CD28 triggering. In addition, WASP deficiency selectively impairs the production of Th1 cytokines, after TCR/CD28 triggering in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from WAS patients, as a consequence of reduced Th1 cytokine gene transcription. Reduced expression of IL-2 and IFN-ɣ mRNA in WAS T cells is associated with reduced nuclear levels of NFAT, and in WAS CD4+ T cells also with defective induction of T-bet transcription factor. The function of natural regulatory T cells (nTreg) from WAS patients was also investigated, showing that WASP deficiency impairs the suppressive activity of nTreg cells. This study clarifies the role of WASP in T cell activation and effector functions, and suggests that dysfunctions in regulatory T cells can be involved in the pathogenesis of WAS.