Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructure of the Corpus Callosum Long after Pediatric Concussion

Abstract Objective: The long-term effects of pediatric concussion on white matter microstructure are poorly understood. This study investigated long-term changes in white matter diffusion properties of the corpus callosum in youth several years after concussion. Methods: Participants were 8–19 years old with a history of concussion (n = 36) or orthopedic injury (OI) (n = 21). Mean time since injury for the sample was 2.6 years (SD = 1.6). Participants underwent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging, completed cognitive testing, and rated their post-concussion symptoms. Measures of diffusivity (fractional anisotropy, mean, axial, and radial diffusivity) were extracted from white matter tracts in the genu, body, and splenium regions of the corpus callosum. The genu and splenium tracts were further subdivided into 21 equally spaced regions along the tract and diffusion values were extracted from each of these smaller regions. Results: White matter tracts in the genu, body, and splenium did not differ in diffusivity properties between youth with a history of concussion and those with a history of OI. No significant group differences were found in subdivisions of the genu and splenium after correcting for multiple comparisons. Diffusion metrics did not significantly correlate with symptom reports or cognitive performance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that at approximately 2.5 years post-injury, youth with prior concussion do not have differences in their corpus callosum microstructure compared to youth with OI. Although these results are promising from the perspective of long-term recovery, further research utilizing longitudinal study designs is needed to confirm the long-term effects of pediatric concussion on white matter microstructure.
Test-Retest Reliability of Vibration Perception Threshold Test in People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by fasting hyperglycemia. It affects approximately 415 million people worldwide and involves a variety of complications. One of them is the loss of sensitivity to peripheral vibration. Objective: Our study aims to discover the test-retest reliability of a procedure for assessing vibration sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methodology: 90 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (56 men and 34 women) performed the vibration perception threshold (VPT) test using the Vibratron II device. A re-test was completed seven days after the first reading. Results: The relative reliability of the VPT test result is excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.96). The same applies to gender and obesity subgroups. Regarding absolute reliability, the standard error of measurement is 8.99%, and the small real difference is 24.94%. Conclusions: The relative and absolute reliability results of the vibration perception threshold in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus offer excellent results.
On-Treatment Decrease of Serum Interleukin-6 as a Predictor of Clinical Response to Biologic Therapy in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

In patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) undergoing biologic therapy, biomarkers of treatment response are still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate whether serum zonulin, a biomarker of intestinal permeability; soluble CD163 (sCD163), a macrophage activation marker; and a panel of serum cytokines could predict the response to biologic treatment in patients with IBD. For this purpose, we prospectively enrolled 101 patients with IBD and 19 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a control group; 60 out of 101 patients underwent treatment with biologics. Zonulin, sCD163, and cytokines were measured at the baseline in all patients and after 10 weeks of treatment in the 60 patients who underwent biologic therapy. We observed that zonulin levels were higher in IBD patients with active disease compared to those in remission (p = 0.035), and that sCD163 values were higher in patients with IBD compared to those with IBS (p = 0.042), but no association with therapy response was observed for either biomarker. Conversely, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha showed a significant reduction from baseline to week 10 of treatment, particularly in responder patients. By multivariate logistic regression analysis corrected for disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), type of biologic drug (Infliximab, Adalimumab, Vedolizumab, or Ustekinumab) and disease activity, the reduction in IL-6 values was associated with a clinical response at 12 months of biological therapy (odds ratio (OR) = 4.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25–18.02, p = 0.022). In conclusion, the measurement of serum IL-6 in biologics-treated IBD patients may allow for the prediction of response to treatment at 12 months of therapy and thus may help with tailoring personalized treatment strategies.
Communication neglect, caregiver anger and hostility, and perceptions of older care receivers’ cognitive status and problem behaviors in explaining elder abuse

ABSTRACT The goal of the current study was to examine the roles of communication neglect and caregiver traits (i.e., anger and hostility) in explaining caregivers’ tendency to engage in abusive behaviors – specifically, whether such tendency is likely to occur in situations where caregivers perceive older care receivers displaying cognitive impairment or problem behaviors. Two hundred fifty-five informal caregivers completed an online questionnaire via Qualtrics. Treating communication neglect as the mediator, and caregiver anger and hostility as moderators, the results suggested that caregivers who perceived their older care receivers displaying problem behaviors were more likely to engage in communication neglect, which then led to psychological abuse. Moreover, the joint effects of communication neglect and caregiver anger and hostility intensified caregivers’ likelihood to commit psychological abuse. These findings provide initial evidence to further investigate the importance of communication neglect and dysfunctional behaviors such as anger and hostility in explaining psychological abuse in informal caregiving for older adults.
Knowledge and Practice of Contraception Use Among Females of Child-Bearing Age in Mosul, Iraq

Purpose For thousands of years, fertility control has been used in different forms. This study was carried out to evaluate the knowledge and practice of participants regarding birth control methods with the prevalence of each method. Patients and Methods A cross-sectional study design was employed to evaluate knowledge and practice among females. Three family-planning centers were included in addition to 2 general hospitals. A total of 440 married women between the ages of 18 and 40 years were interviewed by the first author. Self-administered version of a previously translated questionnaire was used to evaluate practice and knowledge concerning contraception use. Results A total sample of 388 women of child-bearing age was interviewed. The mean age ± SD was 29.76 ± 6.67, while the mean number of their offspring was 4.06 ± 2.08. The intrauterine contraceptive device was the most frequently used method followed by oral contraceptive pills, while the safe-period method was the least frequently used. More than 50% of the females obtained their contraceptives from public health centers and/or hospitals. The mean number of contraception methods known by the females was 2.15 ± 1.07. Safety was the most indicated criterion for choosing the preferred method. Out of all the respondents, 86.9% indicated that they experience adverse effects from using contraceptive methods, in which a higher rate was for oral pills (31.1%), intrauterine contraceptive device (21.3%), or from both methods (18.4%). Conclusion This study disclosed an acceptable level of knowledge and positive practices among Iraqi women seeking health-care facilities with respect to birth control methods. Females with lower levels of education require continued education and regular communication about the importance of birth control to promote the use of modern contraceptive methods. The findings from this study will help to develop programs that can improve knowledge of females and services provided by the health-care system and can reduce adverse effects from contraception and the incidence of unplanned pregnancies.
Systematics, Ecology, and Host Switching: Attributes Affecting Emergence of the Lassa Virus in Rodents across Western Africa

Ever since it was established that rodents serve as reservoirs of the zoonotic Lassa virus (LASV), scientists have sought to answer the questions: which populations of rodents carry the virus? How do fluctuations in LASV prevalence and rodent abundance influence Lassa fever outbreaks in humans? What does it take for the virus to adopt additional rodent hosts, proliferating what already are devastating cycles of rodent-to-human transmission? In this review, we examine key aspects of research involving the biology of rodents that affect their role as LASV reservoirs, including phylogeography, demography, virus evolution, and host switching. We discuss how this knowledge can help control Lassa fever and suggest further areas for investigation.
Long noncoding RNA CRNDE promotes proliferation, migration and invasion in prostate cancer through miR-101/Rap1A.

Prostate cancer (Pca) is the second frequent malignancy in men. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play essential roles in the progression of cancers, including Pca. LncRNA colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE) has been found to affect tumorigenesis in many cancers. However, the exact role and mechanism of CRNDE in Pca remain poorly understood. 64 Pca patients were recruited in this study. PC3 and 22RV1 cells were used in vitro experiments. The expressions of CRNDE, microRNA-101 (miR-101) and Ras-related protein 1A (Rap1A) were detected in vivo and in vitro by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were investigated through cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry and Trans-well assays, respectively. The interaction between miR-101 and CRNDE or Rap1A was explored by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay. High expression of CRNDE was shown in Pca tissues and cells and predicted poor outcomes of patients. Overexpression of CRNDE promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion but decreased apoptosis in Pca cells, while its knockdown showed an opposite effect. CRNDE was a decoy of miR-101 and its effect on Pca progression was reversed by miR-101. Rap1A was identified as a target of miR-101 and it attenuated the effect of miR-101 on Pca development. Moreover, the Rap1A protein level was positively regulated by CRNDE, which was weakened by miR-101. CRNDE contributed to cell proliferation, migration and invasion by regulating the miR-101/Rap1A axis in Pca, providing a novel strategy for Pca treatment.
Gravitational sedimentation-based approach for ultra-simple and flexible cell patterning coculture on microfluidic device

Combining patterning coculture technique with microfluidics enables the reconstruction of complex in-vivo system to facilitate in-vitro studies on cell-cell and cell-environment interactions. However, simple and versatile approaches for patterning coculture of cells on microfluidic platforms remain lacking. In this study, a novel gravitational sedimentation-based approach is presented to achieve ultra-simple and flexible cell patterning coculture on a microfluidic platform, where multiple cell types can be patterned simultaneously to form a well-organized cell coculture. In contrast to other approaches, the proposed approach allows the rapid patterning of multiple cell types in microfluidic channels without the use of sheath flow and a prepatterned functional surface. This feature greatly simplifies the experimental setup, operation, and chip fabrication. Moreover, cell patterning can be adjusted by simply modifying the cell-loading tubing direction, thereby enabling great flexibility for the construction of different cell patterns without complicating the chip design and flow control. A series of physical and biological experiments are conducted to validate the proposed approach. This research paves a new way for building physiologically realistic in-vitro coculture models on microfluidic platforms for various applications, such as cell-cell interaction and drug screening.
Ten-year results of 55 dysplasia hips of hip offset and leg length reconstruction in total hip arthroplasty with cementless tapered stems having a high offset option designed for dysplastic femur

Purpose: In developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), the centers of hip rotation move in the superior and lateral direction. In total hip arthroplasty for such cases, movement of the center of hip rotation is in the inferior and medial direction. It causes an increase in leg length and a decrease in acetabular offset. We therefore evaluated the change of hip offset and leg length before and after surgery with two stems having a high offset option. Patients and Methods: The preoperative diagnosis was secondary osteoarthritis due to DDH excluded Crowe IV. A stem selection was decided based on preoperative two-dimensional templating. Total 55 hips in 50 patients were followed up for minimum 10 years. Pre- and postoperative clinical evaluations were performed using a hip joint function scoring system. Radiographic evaluations were used for offset and leg length measurements and other associated factors. Results: Both stems showed excellent clinical results. A high offset option was used in 60% of all cases. No postoperative dislocations were observed. The biological fixation was stable in all cases. The hip offset was restored without excessive leg lengthening in most cases. Conclusion: Anatomical consistency could be maintained by using a stem which matched geometry of the proximal part and had offset option. These cementless tapered stems having a high offset option are suitable for Crowe I to III hip dysplasia if two-dimensional X-ray templates fit the shape of the proximal femurs. They were associated with excellent clinical results and biological fixation. The offset option may be useful to adjust leg length and offset in DDH patients.
Motion Artifact Reduction in Wearable Photoplethysmography Based on Multi-Channel Sensors with Multiple Wavelengths

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an easy and convenient method by which to measure heart rate (HR). However, PPG signals that optically measure volumetric changes in blood are not robust to motion artifacts. In this paper, we develop a PPG measuring system based on multi-channel sensors with multiple wavelengths and propose a motion artifact reduction algorithm using independent component analysis (ICA). We also propose a truncated singular value decomposition for 12-channel PPG signals, which contain direction and depth information measured using the developed multi-channel PPG measurement system. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated against the R-peaks of an electrocardiogram in terms of sensitivity (Se), positive predictive value (PPV), and failed detection rate (FDR). The experimental results show that Se, PPV, and FDR were 99%, 99.55%, and 0.45% for walking, 96.28%, 99.24%, and 0.77% for fast walking, and 82.49%, 99.83%, and 0.17% for running, respectively. The evaluation shows that the proposed method is effective in reducing errors in HR estimation from PPG signals with motion artifacts in intensive motion situations such as fast walking and running.
Prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium infection, antimicrobial resistance mutations and symptom resolution following treatment of urethritis.

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance in Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), a cause of urethritis, is a growing concern. Yet little is known about the geographic distribution of MG resistance in the U.S. or associated clinical outcomes. We evaluated the frequency of MG among men with urethritis, resistance mutations, and post-treatment symptom persistence. METHODS We enrolled men presenting with urethritis symptoms to 6 U.S. sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics during June 2017-July 2018; men with urethritis were eligible for follow-up contact and (if persistent symptoms or MG) chart review. Urethral specimens were tested for MG and other bacterial STDs. Mutations in 23S rRNA loci (macrolide-associated mutations [MRMs]) and parC and gyrA (quinolone-associated mutations [QRMs]) were detected by targeted amplification/Sanger sequencing. RESULTS Among 914 evaluable participants, 28.7% (95% CI 23.8-33.6) had MG. Men with MG were more often black (79.8% vs 66%), <30 years (72.9% vs 56.1%), and reported only female partners (83.7% vs 74.2%) than men without MG. Among MG-positive participants, 64.4% (95% CI 58.2%-70.3%) had MRM, 11.5% (95% CI 7.9-16.0%) had parC mutations, and 0% had gyrA mutations. Among participants treated with azithromycin-based therapy at enrollment and who completed the follow-up survey, persistent symptoms were reported by 25.8% of MG-positive/MRM-positive men, 13% of MG-positive/MRM-negative men, and 17.2% of MG-negative men. CONCLUSIONS MG infection was common among men with urethritis; MRM prevalence was high among men with MG. Persistent symptoms following treatment were frequent among men with and without MG.
State resident volunteering and health are unrelated when neuroticism is controlled: Nomothetic evidence using the 50 states of the USA as analytical units

ABSTRACT This research challenges the claim that engaging in formal volunteering improves health. Using data for the 50 American states pertaining to 2015–2016, multiple regression equations with differing control and entry order demonstrated the capacity of state resident neuroticism to eliminate relations between state volunteering rates and state health outcomes. In Study 1, with state SES, White population percent, urban population percent, and health environment considered and controlled, volunteering accounted for 11.5% of state health variance. However, with neuroticism entered between the demographic controls and volunteering, neuroticism accounted for 18.0% but additional variance accounted for by volunteering was reduced to 0.7%. Similarly, in Study 2, with data for those 65 and older, the results were replicated. It is speculated that higher neuroticism produces social anxiety that discourages volunteering and fosters poorer health at both the individual and the state level for the general population and for those 65 and over.
Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission regulates calcium and F-actin dynamics during wound healing

ABSTRACT Mitochondria adapt to cellular needs by changes in morphology through fusion and fission events, referred to as mitochondrial dynamics. Mitochondrial function and morphology are intimately connected and the dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics is linked to several human diseases. In this work, we investigated the role of mitochondrial dynamics in wound healing in the Drosophila embryonic epidermis. Mutants for mitochondrial fusion and fission proteins fail to close their wounds, indicating that the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics is required for wound healing. By live-imaging, we found that loss of function of the mitochondrial fission protein Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) compromises the increase of cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium upon wounding and leads to reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and F-actin defects at the wound edge, culminating in wound healing impairment. Our results highlight a new role for mitochondrial dynamics in the regulation of calcium, ROS and F-actin during epithelial repair. Summary: We show that mitochondrial dynamics proteins are required for epithelial repair. Drp1 loss-of-function leads to defects in the dynamics of cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium, ROS production and F-actin upon wounding.
Quantitation of capmatinib, a mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor inhibitor by UPLC-MS/MS in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study.

Aim: Capmatinib is an orally bioavailable mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor inhibitor with anticancer activity, which has proved preclinical activity in multiple cancer trials. The present study aimed to develop a fast and reliable assay approach to quantify capmatinib in rat plasma. Methodology & results: After protein precipitation with acetonitrile, the chromatographic separation was achieved with an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column, and subsequently detected with positive electrospray ionization via a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer. The target quantitative ion pairs m/z 412.99 → 381.84 for capmatinib and 387.00 → 355.81 for the internal standard, respectively. The calibration curve for the assay was linear over the range of 1.0-4000 ng/ml. Conclusion: The method shows an excellent performance in linearity, accuracy, precision, stability, and has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of capmatinib at three doses (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) in rats.
Hypoxia-induced acetylation of PAK1 enhances autophagy and promotes brain tumorigenesis via phosphorylating ATG5

ABSTRACT Although the treatment of brain tumors by targeting kinase-regulated macroautophagy/autophagy, is under investigation, the precise mechanism underlying autophagy initiation and its significance in glioblastoma (GBM) remains to be defined. Here, we report that PAK1 (p21 [RAC1] activated kinase 1) is significantly upregulated and promotes GBM development. The Cancer Genome Atlas analysis suggests that the oncogenic role of PAK1 in GBM is mainly associated with autophagy. Subsequent experiments demonstrate that PAK1 indeed serves as a positive modulator for hypoxia-induced autophagy in GBM. Mechanistically, hypoxia induces ELP3-mediated PAK1 acetylation at K420, which suppresses the dimerization of PAK1 and enhances its activity, thereby leading to subsequent PAK1-mediated ATG5 (autophagy related 5) phosphorylation at the T101 residue. This event not only protects ATG5 from ubiquitination-dependent degradation but also increases the affinity between the ATG12–ATG5 complex and ATG16L1 (autophagy related 16 like 1). Consequently, ELP3-dependent PAK1 (K420) acetylation and PAK1-mediated ATG5 (T101) phosphorylation are required for hypoxia-induced autophagy and brain tumorigenesis by promoting autophagosome formation. Silencing PAK1 with shRNA or small molecule inhibitor FRAX597 potentially blocks autophagy and GBM growth. Furthermore, SIRT1-mediated PAK1-deacetylation at K420 hinders autophagy and GBM growth. Clinically, the levels of PAK1 (K420) acetylation significantly correlate with the expression of ATG5 (T101) phosphorylation in GBM patients. Together, this report uncovers that the acetylation modification and kinase activity of PAK1 plays an instrumental role in hypoxia-induced autophagy initiation and maintaining GBM growth. Therefore, PAK1 and its regulator in the autophagy pathway might represent potential therapeutic targets for GBM treatment. Abbreviations: 3-MA: 3-methyladenine; Ac-CoA: acetyl coenzyme A; ATG5: autophagy related 5; ATG16L1, autophagy related 16 like 1; BafA1: bafilomycin A1; CDC42: cell division cycle 42; CGGA: Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas; CHX, cycloheximide; ELP3: elongator acetyltransferase complex subunit 3; GBM, glioblastoma; HBSS: Hanks balanced salts solution; MAP1LC3B/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MAP2K1: mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1; MAPK14, mitogen-activated protein kinase 14; PAK1: p21 (RAC1) activated kinase 1; PDK1: pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1; PGK1, phosphoglycerate kinase 1; PTMs: post-translational modifications; RAC1: Rac family small GTPase 1; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TCGA, The Cancer Genome Atlas.