Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Online multidisciplinary interventions for paediatric chronic pain: A content analysis

Many online interventions for paediatric chronic pain have been developed and evaluated. In accordance with the biopsychosocial model, the recommended treatment approach for chronic pain is multidisciplinary. Despite this, multidisciplinary components within existing online interventions have not been examined. The objective of the present review was to summarise and evaluate the content of existing online interventions for paediatric chronic pain by mapping intervention content to evidence‐based guidelines for chronic pain management.
Estrogens in polycystic liver disease: A target for future therapies?

Patients suffering from polycystic liver disease (PLD) can develop large liver volumes, leading to physical and psychological complaints, reducing quality of life. There is an unmet need for new therapies in these patients. Estrogen seems to be a promising target for new therapies. In this review, we summarize the available experimental and epidemiological evidence to unravel the role of estrogens and other female hormones in PLD, to answer clinical questions and identify new targets for therapy.
Identification of a Thiol-Disulfide Oxidoreductase (SdbA) Catalyzing Disulfide Bond Formation in the Superantigen SpeA in Streptococcus pyogenes

Here, we reported the first example of disulfide bond formation in Streptococcus pyogenes. The results showed that a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase, named SdbA, is responsible for introducing the disulfide bond in the superantigen SpeA. ABSTRACT Mechanisms of disulfide bond formation in the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes are currently unknown. To date, no disulfide bond-forming thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase (TDOR) has been described and at least one disulfide bonded protein is known in S. pyogenes. This protein is the superantigen SpeA, which contains 3 cysteine residues (Cys 87, Cys90, and Cys98) and has a disulfide bond formed between Cys87 and Cys98. In this study, candidate TDORs were identified from the genome sequence of S. pyogenes MGAS8232. Using mutational and biochemical approaches, one of the candidate proteins, SpyM18_2037 (named here SdbA), was shown to be the catalyst that introduces the disulfide bond in SpeA. SpeA in the culture supernatant remained reduced when sdbA was inactivated and restored to the oxidized state when a functional copy of sdbA was returned to the sdbA-knockout mutant. SdbA has a typical C46XXC49 active site motif commonly found in TDORs. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments showed that the cysteines in the CXXC motif were required for the disulfide bond in SpeA to form. Interactions between SdbA and SpeA were examined using cysteine variant proteins. The results showed that SdbAC49A formed a mixed disulfide with SpeAC87A, suggesting that the N-terminal Cys46 of SdbA and the C-terminal Cys98 of SpeA participated in the initial reaction. SpeA oxidized by SdbA displayed biological activities suggesting that SpeA was properly folded following oxidation by SdbA. In conclusion, formation of the disulfide bond in SpeA is catalyzed by SdbA and the findings represent the first report of disulfide bond formation in S. pyogenes. IMPORTANCE Here, we reported the first example of disulfide bond formation in Streptococcus pyogenes. The results showed that a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase, named SdbA, is responsible for introducing the disulfide bond in the superantigen SpeA. The cysteine residues in the CXXC motif of SdbA are needed for catalyzing the disulfide bond in SpeA. The disulfide bond in SpeA and neighboring amino acids form a disulfide loop that is conserved among many superantigens, including those from Staphylococcus aureus. SpeA and staphylococcal enterotoxins lacking the disulfide bond are biologically inactive. Thus, the discovery of the enzyme that catalyzes the disulfide bond in SpeA is important for understanding the biochemistry of SpeA production and presents a target for mitigating the virulence of S. pyogenes.
Spontaneous activity competes with externally evoked responses in sensory cortex

Significance Humans and animals recognize light tactile stimulations on some occasions while at others miss even stronger stimuli. The explanation of this apparent paradox lies in the competition between spontaneously and externally evoked responses in the brain. Brief bursts of beta-oscillations have been implicated in reduced detection rates, yet the underlying mechanism remained unknown. Here, we report that neural networks exhibit synchronization during beta-bursts, followed by reduced firing rates, thus explaining the diminished detection rate on the single trial level. Through monitoring the brain’s electrical activity before and during tactile stimulation, we found that the masking influence of burst occupancy on perception can be counterbalanced in real time by adjusting the stimulus intensity, thereby overcoming this active inhibition of sensory cortex. The interaction between spontaneous and externally evoked neuronal activity is fundamental for a functional brain. Increasing evidence suggests that bursts of high-power oscillations in the 15- to 30-Hz beta-band represent activation of internally generated events and mask perception of external cues. Yet demonstration of the effect of beta-power modulation on perception in real time is missing, and little is known about the underlying mechanism. Here, we used a closed-loop stimulus-intensity adjustment system based on online burst-occupancy analyses in rats involved in a forepaw vibrotactile detection task. We found that the masking influence of burst occupancy on perception can be counterbalanced in real time by adjusting the vibration amplitude. Offline analysis of firing rates (FRs) and local field potentials across cortical layers and frequency bands confirmed that beta-power in the somatosensory cortex anticorrelated with sensory evoked responses. Mechanistically, bursts in all bands were accompanied by transient synchronization of cell assemblies, but only beta-bursts were followed by a reduction of FR. Our closed loop approach reveals that spontaneous beta-bursts reflect a dynamic state that competes with external stimuli.
Evaluation Of Proximate Composition And Antinutritional Factors Of Cyperusesculentus(Tigernut) As Influenced By Boiling

Fresh Cyperusesculentus (Tigernut) Nut Were Purchased From Karaworo Market, Lokoja In Kogi State, Nigeria. The Nuts Were Processed And Used For Analysis. Fresh Nut Samples Were Divided Into Two Portions. One Portion Of The Nuts Was Cooked (Boiled) For 40mins After Which They Were Dried In An Oven And Ground Using A Moulinex Blender Into Powder. The Powder Was Packaged In A Labeled Polyethylene Bag And Kept In A Freezer (20 o c) For Analysis. The Remaining Portion (Raw) Was Directly Ground Using The Same Blender And Analyzed. The Result From The Investigation Indicated That Boiling Reduced The Proximate Composition And The Anti-Nutritional Factors In Tigernut. The Fat Content, Protein Content, Crude Content, Ash Content And Carbohydrate Reduced Significantly (P<0.05) From 12.21%, 4.13%, 8.13%, 1.80% And 33.64% To 4.53%, 1.53%, 7.79%, 0.142% And 23.96% Respectively Except Moisture Content Which Increased From 50.66% To 51.41%. Tannin, Oxalate, Alkaloid Hydrogen Cyanide (Cn) And Saponin Reduced Considerably From 0.536mg/G, 2.75mg/G, 1.54%, 4.01x10 -3 mg/Kg And 0.594% To 0.345mg/G, 2.64mg/G, 1.25%, 1.90x10 -5 And Respectively. Energy Decreased As A Result Of Boiling From 1096kj To 599kj.
Ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rh1 prevent liver injury induced by acetaminophen in mice.

With the development of technology, drugs are being developed for different purposes. Thus, the rate of drug injury considerably increased worldwide. Liver is the largest detoxification organ in the human body, but it is also the organ most vulnerable to drug damage. Ginsenoside Rg1 has been reported to have an extensive protective effect on liver injury. However, no evident results showed whether ginsenoside Rh1 could improve the injury caused by drugs. Therefore, this paper aimed to explore the protective effect in a mouse model with liver injury. Mice administered with acetaminophen (APAP) were used as the negative group, while those administered with Rg1 (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg) and Rh1 (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg) were used as the prevention groups. Results indicated that the treatments increased the levels of GSH and SOD remarkably and decreased that of MDA. In addition, the expression levels of GOT and GPT was remarkably reduced compared with the negative group. Inflammatory agents TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were also decreased by the treatments. Meanwhile, Rg1 and Rh1 not only prevented the expression of Bax but also promoted Bcl-2 levels in mice. All results suggested that ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rh1 exerted a preventive effect on APAP-induced liver injury in mice. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: With the increasing number of patients suffering from drug-induced liver injury, it is urgent to find alternative natural plant drugs to treat liver injury. This paper focuses on the protective effects of Ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rh1 on acetaminophen (APAP) induced liver injury. From the previous studies, we found that there is no sufficient evidence to show that ginsenoside Rh1 has protective effect on liver injury. In this paper, the detection of oxidative stress indicators, liver histopathological analysis and immunoprotein analysis show that both ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rh1 have preventive effect on liver injury caused by APAP, which provides a reference for the follow-up experimental research.
Intra-individual Associations of Perceived Stress, Affective Valence, and Affective Arousal with Momentary Cortisol in a Sample of Working Adults.

BACKGROUND Research pairing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology and ambulatory cortisol during daily life is still rare, as is careful testing of the within-person associations between stress, affect, and cortisol. Using a circumplex approach, we considered both valence and arousal components of affect. PURPOSE To examine the within-person covariation of momentary cortisol with momentary perceived stress, affective valence, and affective arousal in everyday life. METHODS 115 working adults (Mage = 41.2; 76% women; 76% white) completed six EMA surveys per day over 3 days. Each assessment included reports of perceived stress and affect (used to construct indicators of affective valence and arousal), followed by a saliva sample (from which cortisol was assessed). Multi-level models were used to examine the momentary associations between perceived stress, affective valence, affective arousal, and cortisol. RESULTS Moments characterized by higher perceived stress were associated with higher cortisol (p = .036). Affective valence covaried with cortisol (p = .003) such that more positive valence was associated with lower cortisol and more negative valence with higher cortisol. Momentary affective arousal was not related to cortisol (p = .131). When all predictors were tested in the same model, only valence remained a significant predictor of cortisol (p = .047). CONCLUSION Momentary perceived stress and affective valence, but not affective arousal, were associated with naturalistic cortisol. Cortisol was more robustly associated with affective valence than perceived stress or affective arousal. These findings extend our understanding of how moments of stress and particular characteristics of affective states (i.e., valence but not arousal) may "get under the skin" in daily life.
Effect of aquatic exercise on mental health, functional autonomy, and oxidative damages in diabetes elderly individuals

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of aquatic exercise on mental health, functional autonomy, and oxidative dysfunction in elderly with DM2. A total of 104 elderly were included in the longitudinal clinical study and were attributed to the diabetes group (n = 30) and the non-diabetic group (n = 29). Both groups were involved in the aquatic exercise (nine exercises; 3 sets x 1-minute duration each; linear intensity and frequency measured twice a week) for 12 weeks. The assessments of mental health, functional autonomy, and oxidative dysfunction were done. All results were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks later. The values of the following variable scores decreased in the DM2 group after participation in the aquatic exercise: depression (−56 ± 2 scores; 57%), anxiety (−8.2 ± 2 scores; 41%), stress (−3.1 ± 0.3 scores; 32%), and sleep (−3. 7 ± 1.3 points; 51%); an improvement in Berg scores was observed (+53.1 ± 2 points; 8%), Tug tests (−6.1 ± 0.7 points; 25%), carbonyl groups (−0.048 ± 0.01 nnmol/mg/protein; 49%), and total thiol (+0.33 ± 0.08 nnmol/mg/protein; 83%). We have concluded that a linear intensity aquatic exercise program improves mental health, functional autonomy, and oxidative dysfunction in elderly with DM2.
Assessing the (anti)-inflammatory potential of diets

Purpose of review It is accepted that several chronic diseases are associated with inflammation. Dietary habits and the consumption of certain nutrients have been shown to influence inflammation, reflected by inflammatory cytokines. In this narrative review, we discuss currently developed tools to assess the inflammatory potential of diets and compare them with established tools. Recent findings Four new indices were recently developed. The Inflammatory Score of the Diet is a modified version of the established Dietary Inflammatory Index. The novel Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Index works without previous dietary intake assessment and the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Index was specifically developed in a northern European population. The Dietary and Lifestyle Inflammation Scores addresses additional confounders. The informative value of dietary indices relies on the accuracy and completeness of dietary intake assessment. Summary Dietary inflammatory indices are important tools to assess, compare and validate the inflammatory potential of diets across populations without the need for biomarker assessments. They allow to investigate associations between an (anti)-inflammatory diet with disease risk and course. Although the Dietary Inflammatory Index remains the most used index worldwide, currently developed indices allow more flexibility, have a different focus or simplify assessment. Additional foods, that were recently shown to modulate inflammation, but are not (fully) considered yet, may deserve more attention in the future.
Tick‐over‐mediated complement activation is sufficient to cause basal deposit formation in cell‐based models of macular degeneration

Despite numerous unsuccessful clinical trials for anti‐complement drugs to treat age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), the complement system has not been fully explored as a target to stop drusen growth in patients with dry AMD. We propose that the resilient autoactivation of C3 by hydrolysis of its internal thioester (tick‐over), which cannot be prevented by existing drugs, plays a critical role in the formation of drusenoid deposits underneath the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We have combined gene editing tools with stem cell technology to generate cell‐based models that allow the role of the tick‐over in sub‐RPE deposit formation to be studied. The results demonstrate that structurally or genetically driven pathological events affecting the RPE and Bruch's membrane can lead to dysregulation of the tick‐over, which is sufficient to stimulate the formation of sub‐RPE deposits. This can be prevented with therapies that downregulate C3 expression. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ethyl Anthranilate, Ethyl Cinnamate, 2,3-Dihydrocinnamate, and Methyl Anthranilate: Four Important Odorants Identified in Pinot noir Wines of Burgundy

Ethyl anthranilate (ethyl 2-aminobenzoate), ethyl cinnamate (ethyl 3-phenyl-2-propenoate), ethyl 2,3-dihydrocinnamate (ethyl 3-phenylpropanoate), and methyl anthranilate (methyl 2-aminobenzoate) were identified, by coupled gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis, as minor constituents in Burgundy Pinot noir wines. The four potent odorants were identified in a volatile fraction obtained by adsorption chromatography on silica gel of the total organic extract of wine. The results of gas-chromatography/ olfactometry analysis revealed that ethyl anthranilate was the most intense flavor compound of the isolated fraction among the four odorants identified. The second most intense flavor compound was ethyl cinnamate, followed by ethyl 2,3-dihydrocinnamate, and finally by methyl anthranilate. Ethyl anthranilate and ethyl 2,3-dihydrocinnamate were identified for the first time in any wine, and methyl anthranilate, was identified for the first time in a wine produced from a Vitis vinifera cultivar. The high olfactometric index found for ethyl cinnamate in the case of Pinot noir wine confirms the importance of this odorant in the wine flavor. The four odorant esters identified can influence the characteristic flavor quality exhibited by Pinot noir wines of Burgundy.
Effect of Different High-Fat and Advanced Glycation End-Products Diets in Obesity and Diabetes-Prone C57BL/6 Mice on Sperm Function

Background: We aimed to compare the effects of using high-fat (HF) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) containing diets to induce obesity and diabetes on sperm function in mice. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, twenty-five 4-week old C57BL/6 mice were divided into 5 groups and were fed with control, 45% HF, 60% HF, 45% AGEs-HF, or 60% AGEs-HF diet. After 28 weeks, fast blood sugar, glucose intolerance, insulin concentration, homeostatic model assessments (HOMA) for insulin resistance (IR) and HOMA for beta cells (HOMA beta) from systematic blood were assessed. In addition, body weight, morphometric characteristics of testes, sperm parameters, DNA damage (AO), protamine deficiency (CMAA3), and sperm membrane (DCFH-DA) and intracellular (BODIPY) lipid peroxidation were measured. Results: Body mass and fasting blood sugar increased significantly in all experimental groups compared to the control group. Insulin concentration, glucose intolerance, HOMA IR, and HOMA beta were also increased significantly with higher levels of fat and AGEs in all four diets (P<0.05). The changes in the 60% HF-AGEs group, however, were more significant (P<0.001). Morphometric characteristics of the testis, sperm concentration, and sperm morphology in the diet groups did not significantly differ from the control group, while sperm motility and DNA damage in the 45%HF were significantly low. Although for protamine deficiency, both 60% HF-AGEs and 45% HF showed a significant increase compared to the control, the mean of sperm lipid in the 45% HF group and intracellular peroxidation in the 60% HF-AGEs group had the highest and the lowest increases, respectively. Conclusion: Our results, interestingly, showed that is the negative effects of a diet containing AGEs on examined parameters are less than those in HF diets. One possible reason is detoxification through the activation of the protective glyoxalase pathway as the result of the chronic AGEs increase in the body.
Patch-Based U-Net Model for Isotropic Quantitative Differential Phase Contrast Imaging

Quantitative differential phase-contrast (qDPC) imaging is a label-free phase retrieval method for weak phase objects using asymmetric illumination. However, qDPC imaging with fewer intensity measurements leads to anisotropic phase distribution in reconstructed images. In order to obtain isotropic phase transfer function, multiple measurements are required; thus, it is a time-consuming process. Here, we propose the feasibility of using deep learning (DL) method for isotropic qDPC microscopy from the least number of measurements. We utilize a commonly used convolutional neural network namely U-net architecture, trained to generate 12-axis isotropic reconstructed cell images (i.e. output) from 1-axis anisotropic cell images (i.e. input). To further extend the number of images for training, the U-net model is trained with a patch-wise approach. In this work, seven different types of living cell images were used for training, validation, and testing datasets. The results obtained from testing datasets show that our proposed DL-based method generates 1-axis qDPC images of similar accuracy to 12-axis measurements. The quantitative phase value in the region of interest is recovered from 66% up to 97%, compared to ground-truth values, providing solid evidence for improved phase uniformity, as well as retrieved missing spatial frequencies in 1-axis reconstructed images. In addition, results from our model are compared with paired and unpaired CycleGANs. Higher PSNR and SSIM values show the advantage of using the U-net model for isotropic qDPC microscopy. The proposed DL-based method may help in performing high-resolution quantitative studies for cell biology.
Status Triphasicus Versus Status Epilepticus?

Summary: Generalized periodic patterns with triphasic wave morphology, long referred to as triphasic waves [TWs], had been associated with metabolic encephalopathies, although other neurologic and systemic causes have since been identified. In a recent classification of periodic patterns, TWs were formally grouped with the generalized periodic discharges, which are often associated with ictal activity. The interpretation of generalized periodic patterns with TWs as nonictal can have significant implications in the management of comatose patients in nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Electrographic characteristics that help distinguish nonictal periodic patterns with TWs from generalized periodic discharge ictal patterns include (1) TWs in long runs of periodic bilaterally synchronous and symmetric discharges, maximal in frontocentral or posterior head regions with and without a frontal-to-occipital lag or posterior-to-anterior lag, respectively; (2) recurrent spontaneous and/or low-dose benzodiazepine-induced attenuation and/or suppression of the periodic pattern and replacement with a diffuse slow wave activity throughout a prolonged EEG recording; and (3) stimulation-induced activation and/or increase in frequency and/or organization of TWs. We coined the term of status triphasicus to describe the electrographic periodic pattern of TWs with these three distinct characteristics. In this article, we discuss the advantages and limitations of keeping the status triphasicus pattern as a distinct electrographic entity different from periodic ictal generalized periodic discharge patterns. We discuss the circumstances in which a status triphasicus pattern can be associated with ictal activity and propose a simple pragmatic classification of status triphasicus that encompasses the different clinical scenarios it can be associated with.
Imaging for Predicting Hemorrhagic Transformation of Acute Ischemic Stroke—A Narrative Review

Hemorrhagic transformation is caused by extravasation of blood products from vessels after acute ischemic stroke. It is an undesirable and potentially devastating complication, which occurs in 10%-40% of clinical cases. Hemorrhagic transformation is classified into four subtypes based on European cooperative acute stroke study II. Predicting hemorrhagic complications at presentation can be useful life saving/altering decisions for the patient. Also, understanding the mechanisms of hemorrhagic transformation can lead to new treatments and intervention measures. We highlighted various imaging techniques that have been used to predict hemorrhagic transformation. Specifically, we looked at the usefulness of perfusion and permeability imaging for hemorrhagic transformation. Use of imaging to predict hemorrhagic transformation could change patient management that may lead to the prevention of hemorrhagic transformation before it occurs. We concluded that the current evidence is not strong enough to rely on these imaging parameters for predicting hemorrhagic transformation and more studies are required.