Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NREM Apnea and Hypopnea Duration Varies Across Population Groups and Physiologic Traits.

RATIONALE Symptoms and morbidities associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) vary across individuals and are not predicted by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Respiratory event duration is a heritable trait associated with mortality that may further characterize OSA. OBJECTIVE We evaluated how hypopnea and apnea durations in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep vary across demographic groups and quantified their associations with physiological traits (loop gain, arousal threshold, circulatory delay, pharyngeal collapsibility). METHODS Data were analyzed from 1546 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with an AHI ≥5. Physiological traits were derived using a validated model fit to the polysomnographic airflow signal. Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate associations of event duration with demographic and physiological factors. MAIN RESULTS Participants had a mean age ±SD of 68.9 ±9.2 years, mean NREM hypopnea duration of 21.73 ±5.60 and mean NREM apnea duration of 23.87 ±7.44 seconds. In adjusted analyses, shorter events were associated with younger age, female sex, higher body mass index (p <0.01, all) and Black race (p <0.05). Longer events were associated with Asian race (p<0.01). Shorter event durations were associated with lower circulatory delay (2.53 ±0.13s, p<0.01), lower arousal threshold (1.39 ±0.15s, p<0.01), reduced collapsibility (-0.71 ±0.16s, p<0.01), and higher loop gain (-0.27 ±0.11s, p<0.05) per SD change. Adjustment for physiological traits attenuated age, sex, and obesity associations and eliminated racial differences in event duration. CONCLUSIONS Average event duration varies across population groups and provides information on ventilatory features and airway collapsibility not captured by the AHI.
White matter integrity and structural brain network topology in cerebral small vessel disease: The Hamburg city health study

Cerebral small vessel disease is a common finding in the elderly and associated with various clinical sequelae. Previous studies suggest disturbances in the integration capabilities of structural brain networks as a mediating link between imaging and clinical presentations. To what extent cerebral small vessel disease might interfere with other measures of global network topology is not well understood. Connectomes were reconstructed via diffusion weighted imaging in a sample of 930 participants from a population based epidemiologic study. Linear models were fitted testing for an association of graph‐theoretical measures reflecting integration and segregation with both the Peak width of Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD) and the load of white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin (WMH). The latter were subdivided in periventricular and deep for an analysis of localisation‐dependent correlations of cerebral small vessel disease. The median WMH volume was 0.6 mL (1.4) and the median PSMD 2.18 mm2/s x 10−4 (0.5). The connectomes showed a median density of 0.880 (0.030), the median values for normalised global efficiency, normalised clustering coefficient, modularity Q and small‐world propensity were 0.780 (0.045), 1.182 (0.034), 0.593 (0.026) and 0.876 (0.040) respectively. An increasing burden of cerebral small vessel disease was significantly associated with a decreased integration and increased segregation and thus decreased small‐worldness of structural brain networks. Even in rather healthy subjects increased cerebral small vessel disease burden is accompanied by topological brain network disturbances. Segregation parameters and small‐worldness might as well contribute to the understanding of the known clinical sequelae of cerebral small vessel disease.
Classification of Actigraphy Records from Bipolar Disorder Patients Using Slope Entropy: A Feasibility Study

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is an illness with high prevalence and a huge social and economic impact. It is recurrent, with a long-term evolution in most cases. Early treatment and continuous monitoring have proven to be very effective in mitigating the causes and consequences of BD. However, no tools are currently available for a massive and semi-automatic BD patient monitoring and control. Taking advantage of recent technological developments in the field of wearables, this paper studies the feasibility of a BD episodes classification analysis while using entropy measures, an approach successfully applied in a myriad of other physiological frameworks. This is a very difficult task, since actigraphy records are highly non-stationary and corrupted with artifacts (no activity). The method devised uses a preprocessing stage to extract epochs of activity, and then applies a quantification measure, Slope Entropy, recently proposed, which outperforms the most common entropy measures used in biomedical time series. The results confirm the feasibility of the approach proposed, since the three states that are involved in BD, depression, mania, and remission, can be significantly distinguished.
Absence of Lenacapavir (GS-6207) Phenotypic Resistance in HIV Gag Cleavage Site Mutants and in Isolates with Resistance to Existing Drug Classes

Lenacapavir (LEN; GS-6207) is a potent first-in-class inhibitor of HIV-1 capsid with long-acting properties and the potential for subcutaneous dosing every 3 months or longer. In the clinic, a single subcutaneous LEN injection (20 mg to 750 mg) in people with HIV (PWH) induced a strong antiviral response, with a >2.3 mean log10 decrease in HIV-1 RNA at day 10. ABSTRACT Lenacapavir (LEN; GS-6207) is a potent first-in-class inhibitor of HIV-1 capsid with long-acting properties and the potential for subcutaneous dosing every 3 months or longer. In the clinic, a single subcutaneous LEN injection (20 mg to 750 mg) in people with HIV (PWH) induced a strong antiviral response, with a >2.3 mean log10 decrease in HIV-1 RNA at day 10. HIV-1 Gag mutations near protease (PR) cleavage sites have emerged with the use of protease inhibitors (PIs). Here, we have characterized the activity of LEN in mutants with Gag cleavage site mutations (GCSMs) and mutants resistant to other drug classes. HIV mutations were inserted into the pXXLAI clone, and the resulting mutants (n = 70) were evaluated using a 5-day antiviral assay. LEN EC50 fold change versus the wild type ranged from 0.4 to 1.9 in these mutants, similar to that for the control drug. In contrast, reduced susceptibility to PIs and maturation inhibitors (MIs) was observed. Testing of isolates with resistance against the 4 main classes of drugs (n = 40) indicated wild-type susceptibility to LEN (fold change ranging from 0.3 to 1.1), while reduced susceptibility was observed for control drugs. HIV GCSMs did not impact the activity of LEN, while some conferred resistance to MIs and PIs. Similarly, LEN activity was not affected by naturally occurring variations in HIV Gag, in contrast to the reduced susceptibility observed for MIs. Finally, the activity of LEN was not affected by the presence of resistance mutations to the 4 main antiretroviral (ARV) drug classes. These data support the evaluation of LEN in PWH with multiclass resistance.
Waitlisted Transplant Candidates’ Attitudes and Concerns Toward Transplantation During COVID-19

Background In solid organ transplant (SOT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can contribute to a severe clinical course and an increased risk of death. Thus, patients awaiting a SOT or HSCT face the dilemma of choosing between a life-saving treatment that presents a significant threat of COVID-19 and the risk of waitlist dropout, progression of disease, or mortality. The lack of established literature on COVID-19 complicates the issue as patients, particularly those with inadequate health literacy, may not have the resources needed to navigate these decisions. Material/Methods We conducted a standardized phone survey of patients awaiting SOT or HSCT to assess the prevalence of inadequate health literacy and attitudes toward transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Seventy-one patients completed the survey, with a response rate of 84.5%. Regardless of health literacy, most waitlisted candidates recognized that the current pandemic is a serious situation affecting their care and that COVID-19 poses a significant risk to their health. Despite the increased risks, most patients reported they would choose immediate transplantation if there was no foreseeable end to the pandemic, and especially if the medical urgency did not permit further delay. There were no differences in responses across the patient waitlist groups for heart, kidney, liver, and stem cell transplant. Conclusions These findings can help transplant centers decide how transplantation services should proceed during this pandemic and can be used to educate patients and guide discussions about informed consent for transplant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apolipoprotein E isoform‐dependent microglia migration

Complement component C5a and ATP are potent effectors of microglial movement and are increased in diverse neurodegenerative diseases and at sites of injury. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) influences microglial function, and different human apoE iso‐forms confer variable risk for development of neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that mouse apoE and human apoE isoforms influence microglial migration. Using primary wild‐type and apoE‐deficient microglia, we show that C5a‐ and ATP‐stimulated chemotaxis are largely apoE‐dependent processes with different molecular bases. Although the C5a‐dependent chemotaxis of wild‐type microglia was completely blocked by receptor‐associated protein (RAP), suggesting apoE receptor involvement, ATP‐stimu‐lated migration was unaffected by RAP but was associated with differential ERK phosphorylation. Studies using primary microglia derived from targeted replacement mice “humanized” for the coding exons (protein isoform) of human ε2 (apoE2), ε3 (apoE3), or ε4 (apoE4) allele of APOE revealed that primary mouse microglia expressing apoE4 or apoE2 exhibited significantly reduced C5a‐ and ATP‐stimu‐lated migration compared with microglia expressing human apoE3. This study, for the first time, demonstrates apoE dependence and apoE isoform‐specific modulation of microglial migration in response to distinct chemotactic stimuli commonly associated with neurodegenerative disease. —Cudaback, E. , Li, X. , Montine, K. S. , Montine, T. J., Keene, C. D. Apolipoprotein E isoform‐dependent microglia migration. FASEB J. 25, 2082‐2091 (2011). www.fasebj. org
Parathyroid hormone may play a role in the pathophysiology of primary hypertension.

Parathyroid hormone has been related with the risk of hypertension, but the matter remains controversial. We examined the association of parathyroid hormone with central blood pressure and its determinants in 622 normotensive or never-treated hypertensive subjects aged 19-72 years without diabetes, cardiovascular or renal disease, or cardiovascular medications. The methods were whole-body impedance cardiography and analyses of pulse wave and heart rate variability. Cardiovascular function was examined in sex-specific tertiles of plasma parathyroid hormone (mean concentrations 3.0, 4.3 and 6.5 pmol/l, respectively) during head-up tilt. Explanatory factors for haemodynamics were further investigated using linear regression analyses. Mean age was 45.0 (SD 11.7) years, body mass index 26.8 (4.4) kg/m2, seated office blood pressure 141/90 (21/12) mmHg, and 309 subjects (49.7%) were male. Only five participants had elevated plasma parathyroid hormone and calcium concentrations. Highest tertile of parathyroid hormone presented with higher supine and upright aortic diastolic blood pressure (p<0.01) and augmentation index (p<0.01), and higher upright systemic vascular resistance (p<0.05) than the lowest tertile. The tertiles did not present with differences in pulse wave velocity, cardiac output, or measures of heart rate variability. In linear regression analyses, parathyroid hormone was an independent explanatory factor for aortic systolic (p=0.005) and diastolic (p=0.002) blood pressure, augmentation index (p=0.002), and systemic vascular resistance (p=0.031). To conclude, parathyroid hormone was directly related to central blood pressure, wave reflection, and systemic vascular resistance in subjects without cardiovascular comorbidities and medications. Thus, parathyroid hormone may play a role in the pathophysiology of primary hypertension.
Student Nurses’ Caring With Awareness in a Higher Education Institution in South Africa

In caring with awareness, the student nurse is able to be present in the moment, while being with the patient. Such student nurses treat patients holistically, considering the patient’s mind, body, and spirit. Purpose: To elicit the importance of caring with awareness in order to facilitate student nurses’ caring toward patients. Hypothesis: There is a positive relationship between student nurses acting with awareness and caring. Method: A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and contextual research design with a purposive sampling method was used in the study. Respondents (n = 56) were student nurses in their third- and fourth-year level of study. Data were collected by use of a self-administered questionnaire. Findings: There was a negative correlation between acting with awareness and caring. There was no difference in caring among third- and fourth-year students. Conclusion: Student nurses may be caring for patients, but it does not necessarily mean they act with awareness in caring. Awareness should be cultivated among student nurses for them to be present in caring and provide holistic caring.
Phase 2 study of copanlisib in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin in advanced biliary tract cancers

Biliary tract cancer (BTC) has a poor prognosis despite treatment with first‐line gemcitabine and cisplatin. In BTC, PI3K/AKT pathway activation has been shown to increase resistance to chemotherapy, which may be overcome with PI3K inhibition. This phase 2 study evaluated the safety and efficacy of copanlisib, a PI3K inhibitor, with gemcitabine and cisplatin in advanced BTCs. The role of PTEN expression in outcomes was also explored.
Thermal Interaction of Water Droplet with Molten Tin

Thermal interaction which is caused by explosive boiling of water droplet in contact with hot molten tin was investigated, paying attention on the influences of the tin tempera-ture Ttin and the water temperature Twater together with the impact Weber number We. The results were summarized as follows. (1) Ttin, of lower boundary of thermal interaction zone (TIZ) is almost constant at about 290°C for a larger We than about 70, independent of Twater. (2) The corresponding contact interface temperature is around 275°C and almost agrees with (27/32) Tcrit, or the spontaneous nucleation temperature, where Tcrit=647 K (=374°C). (3) Ttin of upper TIZ boundary increases from around Tcrit to above 500°C as Twater decreases. (4) Twater of upper TIZ boundary is about 80°C. (5) For the woodsmetal-water system, in spite of a very low melting point of 78°C, the woodsmetal temperature of lower TIZ boundary rises up to about 350°C because of a low thermal conductivity of woodsmetal. (6) The Leidenfrost temperature is about 195°C for water droplet on solid tin, which has a melting point of 232°C, and appreciably lower than Ttin of lower TIZ boundary.In conclusion, the present results support the spontaneous nucleation temperature concept by Fauske & Henry, as far as extremely energetic thermal interaction is concerned.
COMPARISON HPLC AND FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY METHODS FOR DETERMINATION OF COUMARIN DERIVATIVES IN PROPOLIS

This paper illustrates the composition of propolis samples obtained from two regions in the Slovak Republic and focuses on the determination of coumarins. The HPLC method with on-line spectrophotometric and fluorescent detection was used for the separation and the determination of coumarins from the subgroup of simple coumarins (esculin, daphnetin, fraxetin, umbelliferone, 4-methylumbelliferone, 4-hydroxycoumarin, scoparone, coumarin, herniarin) and cinnamyl alcohol. The results confirmed that the quantity of umbelliferone, 4-methylumbelliferone, and scoparone in the propolis depends on the area of collection. The HPLC results were compared with those obtained by the spectrofluorimetric method developed for the determination of total coumarins (calculated as scoparone). For the quantification of total coumarins in propolis extracts we found 15% higher values of coumarin content by fluorescence spectrometry than by HPLC, which can be ascribed to the higher matrix effects on fluorescence spectra.
Dental and Medical Students’ Knowledge and Attitude toward COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study from Pakistan

Abstract Objective The aims of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of Pakistani medical and dental undergraduate students toward COVID-19 during the surge of its outbreak. Materials and Methods The multicentered, cross-sectional study was carried out nationwide among undergraduate medical and dental students. A convenience sampling technique was used. A self-developed online questionnaire was pretested to be completed by the participants. It was distributed using social media. The survey was comprised of questions related to demographics, health status, general hygiene perception, understanding, and the learning attitudes of the students. Comparisons of the knowledge scores and the attitude responses with the demographic information were done using the independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Chi-square, as appropriate. Results Of the 937 total respondents, 353 (38%) were males and 582 (62%) were females; two students did not mark their gender. Of these, 680 (73%) were dental students and 257 (27%) were medical students. The mean knowledge score of the female dental students (5.15 ± 1.08) was significantly higher than that of the male students (4.87 ± 1.09). Overall, the mean knowledge score was statistically higher among the medical students in comparison to the dental students (5.21 ± 1.15, 5.05 ± 1.09; p = 0.054), respectively. Conclusion The medical and dental students were both aware of the importance of the use of a mask. The medical students had a greater awareness regarding the mode of transmission, symptoms, and origin of COVID-19. However, the dental students showed better understanding of the use of surgical masks and the correct protocol for hand washing. Social media was considered the main source for COVID-19 related information.
Enhanced SARS-CoV-2 neutralization by dimeric IgA

Human dimeric IgA antibodies are potent neutralizers of SARS-CoV-2. Two is better than one for COVID-19 Most individuals that become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, produce neutralizing antibodies against the virus. However, the relative contribution of individual antibody isotypes remains unclear. In this study, Wang et al. investigated the function of SARS-CoV-2–specific antibodies of the IgA isotype, which exists in both monomeric and dimeric forms. Dimeric IgA antibodies, which are formed by the covalent linkage of two individual IgA monomers, are predominantly found in mucosal tissues, including the upper respiratory tract where SARS-CoV-2 is first encountered. The authors found that dimeric IgA antibodies neutralized SARS-CoV-2 more effectively than their monomeric counterparts. Thus, vaccines that induce dimeric IgA antibodies at mucosal surfaces may be good candidates for protection against SARS-CoV-2. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), primarily infects cells at mucosal surfaces. Serum neutralizing antibody responses are variable and generally low in individuals that suffer mild forms of COVID-19. Although potent immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies can neutralize the virus, less is known about secretory antibodies such as IgA that might affect the initial viral spread and transmissibility from the mucosa. Here, we characterize the IgA response to SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of 149 convalescent individuals after diagnosis with COVID-19. IgA responses in plasma generally correlated with IgG responses. Furthermore, clones of IgM-, IgG-, and IgA-producing B cells were derived from common progenitor cells. Plasma IgA monomers specific to SARS-CoV-2 proteins were demonstrated to be twofold less potent than IgG equivalents. However, IgA dimers, the primary form of antibody in the nasopharynx, were, on average, 15 times more potent than IgA monomers against the same target. Thus, dimeric IgA responses may be particularly valuable for protection against SARS-CoV-2 and for vaccine efficacy.
Neurological consequences of exercise during prenatal Zika virus exposure to mice pups

Abstract Purpose/Aim Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during the pregnancy period is related to microcephaly and neurobehavioral disorders at birth, while prenatal exercise is supposed to provide neuroprotection in newborns pups. The aim of this study was to investigate the neurological consequences of exercise during prenatal ZIKV exposure to mice pups. Material and methods Twelve weeks female mice were randomly assigned into three groups: Control group, intraperitoneally injected with saline (Control); untrained group, intraperitoneally injected with ZIKV (ZIKV); and trained group, intraperitoneally injected with ZIKV (ZIKV/swim). There was one familiarization week prior to the beginning of the swimming training. Dams swam for 60 min/session, 5 days/week, during 4 weeks. Mating occurred between the fifth and seventh day of the first week of the swimming training. ZIKV 106 plaque-forming units/100 µl (106 PFUs/100 µl) or an equal volume of saline was intraperitoneally injected in the pregnant mice at embryonic day 10.5. Pup’s body mass and brain weight were measured at postnatal day 1 (P1). Behavioral tests were performed from P30 to P35. Thereafter, hippocampal levels of syntaxin-1, GFAP, IBA-1, and BDNF were measured. Results Exercise during prenatal ZIKV exposure prevented brain atrophy, development of depression, anxiety, and disruption of social behavior. Exercise during prenatal ZIKV exposure inhibited the overexpression of microglia (IBA-1) and astrocytes (GFAP), with reduction of BDNF levels in the hippocampi of female and male mice pups. No significant changes were seen in syntaxin-1 levels. Conclusion Our findings reveal beneficial effects of exercise during pregnancy exposure to ZIKV in mice pups.
Free Radical Scavenging Activity and HPTLC Finger Print of Pterocarpus santalinus L. - an in vitro study

Methanol extract of Pterocarpus santalinus (leaves) was evaluated for HPTLC finger print, phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity. Preliminary phytochemical screening (HPTLC fingerprint) revealed the presence of terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids and carbohydrates. DPPH assay was used to determine the antioxidant property. The methanol extract of Pterocarpus santalinus showed significant DPPH radical inhibition (83.4% at 25 mg/ml concentration). The study reveals the potency of Pterocarpus santalinus as antioxidant source.