Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multidisciplinary Team-Based Palliative Care for Heart Failure and Food Intake at the End of Life

Traditionally, patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) have rarely been involved in end-of-life care (EOLC) discussions in Japan. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of HF-specific palliative care team (HF-PCT) activities on EOLC discussions with patients, HF therapy and care, and food intake at the end of life. We retrospectively analyzed 52 consecutive patients with HF (mean age, 70 ± 15 years; 42% female) who died at our hospital between May 2013 and July 2020 and divided them into two groups: before (Era 1, n = 19) and after (Era 2, n = 33) the initiation of HF-PCT activities in June 2015. Compared to Era 1, Era 2 showed a decrease in invasive procedures, an increase in opioid and non-intubating sedative use for symptom relief, improved quality of meals at the end of life, and an increase in participation in EOLC discussions. The administration of artificial nutrition in the final three days was associated with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy etiology, the number of previous hospitalizations for HF, and multidisciplinary EOLC discussion support. HF-PCT activities may provide an opportunity to discuss EOLC with patients, reduce the burden of physical and psychological symptoms, and shift the goals of end-of-life nutritional intake to ensure comfort and quality of life.
Environmental Pb 2+ exposure during early life alters granule cell neurogenesis and morphology in the hippocampus of young adult rats

Exposure to environmentally relevant levels of lead (Pb 2+ ) during early life produces deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the form of long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial learning in young adult rats (Nihei et al., 2000;Guilarte et al., 2003). Other evidence suggests that the performance of rats in the Morris water maze spatial learning tasks is associated with the level of granule cell neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) (Drapeau et al., 2003). In this study, we examined whether continuous exposure to environmentally relevant levels of Pb 2+ during early life altered granule cell neurogenesis and morphology in the rat hippocampus. Control and Pb 2+ -exposed rats received BrdU injections (100 mg/kg; i.p.) for five consecutive days starting at postnatal day 45 and were sacrificed either one day or four weeks after the last injection. The total number of newborn cells in the DG of Pb 2+ -exposed rats was significantly decreased (13%; p<0.001) one day after BrdU injections relative to controls. Further, the survival of newborn cells in Pb 2+ -exposed rats was significantly decreased by 22.7% (p<0.001) relative to control animals. Co-localization of BrdU with neuronal or astrocytic markers did not reveal a significant effect of Pb 2+ exposure on cellular fate. In Pb 2+ -exposed rats, immature granule cells immunolabeled with doublecortin (DCX) displayed aberrant dendritic morphology. That is, the overall length-density of the DCX-positive apical dendrites in the outer portion of the DG molecular layer was significantly reduced up to 36% in the suprapyramidal blade only. We also found that the area of Timm’s-positive staining representative of the mossy fibers terminal fields in the CA3 stratum oriens (SO) was reduced by 26% in Pb 2+ exposed rats. These findings demonstrate that exposure to environmentally relevant levels of Pb 2+ during early life alter granule cell neurogenesis and morphology in the rat hippocampus. They provide a cellular and morphological basis for the deficits in synaptic plasticity and spatial learning documented in Pb 2+ -exposed animals.
Plasma interleukin-1 β (beta) concentration is associated with stroke in sickle cell disease

The pathogenesis of sickle cell disease (HbSS), which has numerous complications including stroke, involves inflammation resulting in alteration of plasma inflammatory protein concentration. We investigated HbSS children with abnormal cerebral blood flow detected by trans-cranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) who participated in multi-center stroke prevention (STOP) study, to determine if plasma inflammatory protein concentration is associated with the outcome of stroke in the STOP study. Thirty-nine plasma samples from HbSS participants with elevated TCD who had no stroke, HbSS-NS (n=13) or had stroke, HbSS-S (n=13), HbSS steady-state controls (n=7) and controls with normal hemoglobin, HbAA (n=6), were analyzed simultaneously for 27 circulating inflammatory proteins. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristics curve analysis of stroke on plasma inflammatory mediator concentration, adjusted for age and gender, demonstrated that interleukin-1 β (IL-1 β ) was protective against stroke development (HbSS-NS = 19, 17–23, HbSS-S = 17, 16 – 19 pg/mL, median and 25th–75th percentile; Odds ratio = 0.59, C.I. = 0.36 – 0.96) and was a good predictor of stroke (area under curve = 0.852). This result demonstrates a strong association of systemic inflammation with stroke development in HbSS via moderately increased plasma IL-1 β concentration, which is furthermore associated with a decreased likelihood of stroke in HbSS.
Resemblance in dietary intakes between urban low-income African American adolescents and their mothers: The HEALTH- KIDS Study

Results—Overall, the association was weak as indicated by correlations and other measures. None of the mother-son correlations for nutrients and food groups were greater than 0.20. Mother-daughter pairs had stronger correlations (0.26 for energy and 0.30 for fat). The association was stronger in normal weightthan overweight or obese mothers. Logistic models showed that mother being a current smoker, giving child more pocket money, and allowing child to eat or purchase snacks without parental permission or presence predicted a higher probability of resemblance in undesirable eating patterns, such as high-energy, high-fat, and high-snack intakes (p<0.05).
Infant Joint Attention, Temperament, and Social Competence in Preschool Children

Infant joint attention has been observed to be related to social-emotional outcomes in at-risk children. To address whether this relation is also evident in typically developing children, 52 children were tested at 12, 15, 24, and 30 months to examine associations between infant joint attention and social outcomes. Twelve-month initiating and responding to joint attention were related to 30-month social competence and externalizing behavior, even when accounting for 15-month temperament ratings, 24-month cognition and language, and demographic variables. These results suggest that, in addition to associations with language and cognition, infant joint attention reflects robust aspects of development that are related to individual differences in the emergence of social and behavioral competence in childhood.
Impact of age, gender and race on circulating gammadelta T cells

A major subset of human peripheral blood γδ T cells expresses the V γ 2V δ 2 T cell receptor (TCR) and responds to malignant or infectious diseases. We noted significant differences in the numbers of V γ 2V δ 2 T cells in blood samples from healthy Caucasian or African American (AA) donors. On average, CA donors had 3.71 ± 4.37% V δ 2 cells (as a percentage of total lymphocytes) compared to 1.18 ± 2.14% V δ 2 cells for AA donors (p < 0.0001). Age and race had the greatest impact on V δ 2 cell levels; the effect of age was similar for both racial groups. The V δ 2+ cell population was dominated, for both donor groups, by cells expressing the V γ 2-J γ 1.2 V δ 2 T cell receptor, an apparent result of strong positive selection and there was substantial overlap in the public V γ 2 clonotypes from both racial groups. Mechanisms for selection and amplification of V δ 2 cells are nearly identical for both groups, despite the significant difference in baseline levels. These data show that appropriate controls, matched for age and race, may be required for clinical studies of V γ 2V δ 2 T cells in infectious disease or cancer and raise important questions about the mechanisms regulating the levels of circulating V δ 2 cells.
Time to rehabilitate the idea of exercise for patients with chronic kidney disease?

growth factor receptor 4 causes left ventricular hypertrophy. Cell Metab 2015; 22: 1020–1032 29. Leifheit-Nestler M, Grabner A, Hermann L et al. Vitamin D treatment attenuates cardiac FGF23/FGFR4 signaling and hypertrophy in uremic rats. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2017; 32: 1493–1503 30. Panizo S, Carrillo-López N, Naves-Dı́az M et al. Regulation of miR-29b and miR-30c by vitamin D receptor activators contributes to attenuate uraemiainduced cardiac fibrosis. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2017; 32: 1831–1840 31. Panizo S, Barrio-Vázquez S, Naves-Dı́az M et al. Vitamin D receptor activation, left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2013; 28: 2735–2744 32. Spoto B, Pizzini P, Tripepi G et al. Circulating adiponectin modifies the FGF23 response to vitamin D receptor activation: a post hoc analysis of a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2018; 33: 1764–1769 33. Saito H, Maeda A, Ohtomo S et al. Circulating FGF-23 is regulated by 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and phosphorus in vivo. J Biol Chem 2005; 280: 2543–2549 34. Thadhani R, Appelbaum E, Pritchett Y et al. Vitamin D therapy and cardiac structure and function in patients with chronic kidney disease: the PRIMO randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2012; 307: 674–684 35. Wang AY-M, Fang F, Chan J et al. Effect of paricalcitol on left ventricular mass and function in CKD–the OPERA trial. J Am Soc Nephrol 2014; 25: 175–186
11 C PiB and Structural MRI Provide Complementary Information in Imaging of AD and Amnestic MCI

Twenty cognitively normal (CN), 17 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 8 subjects with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) were imaged with both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the amyloid labeling ligand 11 C Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB). PiB retention was quantified as the ratio of uptake in cortical regions of interest (ROIs) to the uptake in the cerebellar ROI in images acquired 40-60 minute post injection. A global cortical PiB retention summary measure was derived from six cortical ROIs. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) were used to evaluate PiB retention and grey matter loss on a 3D voxel-wise basis. AD subjects had high global cortical PiB retention and low hippocampal volume; most CN subjects had low PiB retention and high hippocampal volume; and on average aMCI subjects were intermediate on both PiB and hippocampal volume. A target-to-cerebellar ratio of 1.5 was used to designate subjects as high vs. low PiB cortical retention. All AD subjects fell above this ratio as did 6/20 CN subjects and 9/17 MCI subjects, indicating bi-modal PiB retention in CN and aMCI. Interestingly, we found no consistent differences in learning and memory performance between high vs. low PiB CN subjects or high vs. low aMCI subjects. The SPM/VBM voxel-wise comparisons of AD vs. CN subjects provided complementary information in that clear and meaningful similarities and differences in topographic distribution of amyloid deposition and grey matter loss were shown. The frontal lobes had high PiB retention with little grey matter loss. Anteromedial temporal areas had low PiB retention with significant grey matter loss. Lateral temporoparietal association cortex displayed both significant PiB retention and grey matter loss. A voxel-wise SPM conjunction analysis of PiB uptake revealed that subjects with high PiB retention (high CN, high aMCI, and AD) shared a common PiB retention topographic pattern regardless of clinical category, and this PiB topographic pattern matched that of amyloid plaque distribution that has been established in autopsy studies of AD. Both global cortical PiB retention and hippocampal volumes demonstrated significant correlation in the expected direction with cognitive testing performance; however, correlations were stronger with MRI than PiB. Pair-wise inter-group diagnostic separation was significant for all group-wise pairs for both PiB and hippocampal volume with the exception of CN vs. aMCI which was not significant for PiB. PiB and MRI provided complementary information such that clinical diagnostic classification with both, in combination, was superior to either alone.
Improving Verbal Empathetic Communication for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The literature suggests that many individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience challenges with recognizing and describing emotions in others, which may result in difficulties with the verbal expression of empathy during communication. Thus, there is a need for intervention techniques targeting this area. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, this study examined the effectiveness of a video-feedback intervention with a visual framework component to improve verbal empathetic statements and questions during conversation for adults with ASD. Following intervention, all participants improved in verbal expression of empathetic statements and empathetic questions during conversation with generalization and maintenance of gains. Furthermore, supplemental assessments indicated that each participant improved in their general level of empathy and confidence in communication skills.
EARLY SURGICAL ALIGNMENT FOR CONGENITAL ESOTROPIA

Animal on suggest the following guidelines for treatment of human amblyopia: (1) therapy should be instituted as early in life as possible, (2) while procedures which utilize imbalanced visual stimulation can improve performance through the amblyopic eye, they may do so at the expense of binocular vision, and (3) when binocular stimulation techniques are employed, proper eye alignment must be maintained at all times.
Acute Dietary Nitrate Supplementation Increases Maximal Cycling Power in Athletes

Muscle shortening velocity and hence power has been shown to increase in the presence of nitric oxide (NO). NO availability increases after consuming nitrate (NO 3− ). Ingestion of NO 3− -rich beetroot juice (BRJ) has increased muscle power in untrained adults. PURPOSE— This study determined if NO 3− supplementation could acutely enhance maximal power in trained athletes. METHODS— In this double-blind, crossover study, 13 trained athletes performed maximal inertial-load cycling trials (3-4 s) immediately before (PRE) and after (POST) consuming either NO 3− -rich (NO3) or NO 3− -depleted (PLA) BRJ to assess acute changes (i.e., within the same day) in maximal power (P MAX ) and optimal pedaling rate (RPM OPT ). Participants also performed maximal isokinetic cycling (30 s) to assess performance differences after supplementation. RESULTS— 2×2 repeated measures ANOVA indicated a greater increase in P MAX from PRE to POST NO3 (PRE: 1160±301 to POST: 1229±317 W) compared to PLA (PRE: 1191±298 to POST: 1213±300 W) (p=0.009; ή 2 =0.45). A paired t-test verified a greater relative change in P MAX after NO3 (6.0±2.6%) compared to PLA (2.0±3.8%) (p=0.014; d=1.21). RPM OPT remained unchanged from PRE (123±14) to POST PLA (122±14 rpm) but increased from PRE (120±14) to POST
Animal Model Immunopathology and Ehrlichial Propagation Are Regulated by Interferon- g and Interleukin-10 in a Murine Model of Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis

Previous studies of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) suggest a role for host immune response in resolving infection and in causing histopathological lesions. We hypothesize that interferon (IFN)- g allows tissue injury that is suppressed by interleukin (IL)-10 after initiation by ehrlichia infection. Thus, parental C57BL/6, IL-10 2 / 2 , and IFN- g2 / 2 strains of mice were infected and then assayed for hepatic histopathological lesions, ehrlichial burden, and cytokine responses to ehrlichial antigen in primary splenic cultures during the first 21 days after infection. Histopathological severity in C57/BL6 and IL-10 2 / 2 mice rose in parallel through day 7, but then diverged as pathology in IL-10 2 / 2 mice continued to increase and remained high throughout the course of the study. The histopathological rank of C57BL/6 of mice decreased at day 10 and returned to baseline levels at days 14 and 21. In contrast, the IFN- g2 / 2 strain had baseline pathology scores throughout the course of the infection, yet had significantly higher ehrlichial burden both in the blood and tissues than C57BL/6 or IL-10 2 / 2 mice. This suggests that histopathological lesions in the HGE murine model do not result from direct ehrlichia-mediated injury but from immunopathological mechanisms initiated by ehrlichial infection. The similarities with lesions in humans suggest an immunopathological basis for HGE. (Am J Pathol 2001, 158:1881–1888) Murine models have proven useful for studying various
IMPAIRMENT OF PERFORMANCE W7HEN A DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS IS CORRELATED WVITH A REINFORCEMENT CONTINGENCY

Ratio-like behavior can be produced under temporally defined reinforcement schedules (Schoenfeld, Cumming, & Hearst, 1956; Hearst, 1958; Clark, 1959; Millenson, 1959; Schoenfeld & Cumming, 1960). Hearst (1958) describes such schedules as follows: "The terms tD and t' . are respectively . time periods during which (a) reinforcement may be given and (b) reinforcement is never given. The simplest cases arise where tD and tA are held constant and are alternated, and only the first response in tD is reinforced. "' Under this system, failure to respond during tD results in missed reinforcements. When tD exceeds a few seconds in a repeating tD and tA cycle of from 30 seconds to several minutes, pigeons develop fixed-interval performance (Hearst, 1958; Clark, 1959). Reduction of tD to about 0.5 second results in missed reinforcements and ratio-like responding. Therefore, a single temporal parameter, the variation of tD, yields qualitatively differing response patterns. If a discriminable stimulus change is presented concomitant with a lengthy tD, typical fixed-interval behavior is unlikely to oc~ur. ' Instead, a stimulus discrimination, characterized by a very few t' responses, will probably arise. ' Short tD periods may also be paired with a discriminative stimulus (sD). Preliminary studies (Weissman, 1958) show that reduction of the duration of periodically recurring sD's to something less than a second brings about rapid extinction in rats initially well trained on a discrimination. In contrast, animals which discriminate poorly respond with unusually rapid rates during s' when sD is similarly reduced. The present experiment expands on these findings. Changes in the key-pecking behavior of pigeons are investigated when tD is reduced in duration under
ODNA in the Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Phase: An Ultrastructural Study

Aqueous solutions of 146-base pair DNAfragments form a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase in the range of about 160-290 mg/mi. We present a structural analysis of this phase by comparing the data obtained from polarizing and electron microscopy. This phase shows multiple aspects or "textures" which are presented and interpreted. They mainly depend on the orientation of the structure relative to the observation plane and on the nature, distribution, and amount of defects present in the phase. These defects are then analyzed with the two methods, and the molecular orientations can be defined precisely in their core. The biological interest of such structural analyses is discussed in relation with the understanding of chromatin structure and function.
Sex chromosome Aneuploides among Men with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

About 90% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are female. We hypothesize that the number of X chromosomes, not sex, is a determinate of risk of SLE. Number of X chromosomes was determined by single nucleotide typing and then confirmed by karyotype or fluorescent in situ hybridization in a large group of men with SLE. Presence of an sry gene was assessed by rtPCR. We calculated 96% confidence intervals using the Adjusted Wald method, and used Bayes’ theorem to estimate the prevalence of SLE among 47,XXY and 46,XX men. Among 316 men with SLE, 7 had 47,XXY and 1 had 46,XX. The rate of Klinefelter’s syndrome (47,XXY) was statistically different from that found in control men and from the known prevalence in the population. The 46,XX man had an sry gene, which encodes the testes determining factor, on an X chromosome as a result of an abnormal crossover during meiosis. In the case of 46,XX, 1 of 316 was statistically different from the known population prevalence of 1 in 20,000 live male births. A previously reported 46,XX man with SLE had a different molecular mechanism in which there were no common gene copy number abnormalities with our patient. Thus, men with SLE are enriched for conditions with additional X chromosomes. Especially since 46,XX men are generally normal males, except for infertility, these data suggest the number of X chromosomes, not phenotypic sex, is responsible for the sex bias of SLE.
GLP-1 Receptor Stimulation Reduces Amyloid- β Peptide Accumulation and Cytotoxicity in Cellular and Animal Models of Alzheimer’s Disease

Type 2 (T2) diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with an increased incidence of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several pathological features are shared between diabetes and AD, including dysfunctional insulin signaling and a dysregulation of glucose metabolism. It has therefore been suggested that not only may the two conditions share specific molecular mechanisms but also that agents with proven efficacy in one may be useful against the other. Hence, the present study characterized the effects of a clinically approved long-acting analogue, exendin-4 (Ex-4), of the endogenous insulin releasing incretin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), on stress-induced toxicity in neuronal cultures and on amyloid- β protein (A β ) and tau levels in triple transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) mice with and without streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Ex-4 ameliorated the toxicity of A β and oxidative challenge in primary neuronal cultures and human SH-SY5Y cells in a concentration-dependent manner. When 11 to 12.5 month old female 3xTg AD mice were challenged with STZ or saline, and thereafter treated with a continuous subcutaneous infusion of Ex-4 or vehicle, Ex-4 ameliorated the diabetic effects of STZ in 3xTg-AD mice, elevating plasma insulin and lowering both plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Furthermore, brain levels of A β protein precursor and A β , which were elevated in STZ 3xTg-AD mice, were significantly reduced in Ex-4 treated mice. Brain tau levels were unaffected following STZ challenge, but showed a trend toward elevation that was absent following Ex-4 treatment. Together, these results suggest a potential value of Ex-4 in AD, particularly when associated with T2DM or glucose intolerance.