Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Update Morbus Basedow

Was ist neu? Diagnostik Die europäischen Leitlinien von 2018 beurteilen die Messung der TRAK durch die – meistens in der Routine verwendeten – Kompetitionsassays als hochsensitiv und spezifisch. Hierdurch ist es in der Regel möglich, einen Morbus Basedow sicher zu diagnostizieren und von einer Freisetzungshyperthyreose im Rahmen einer Autoimmunthyreoiditis zu unterscheiden. Zur Unterscheidung von blockierenden und stimulierenden Antikörpern kommen unter wissenschaftlichen Aspekten Bioassays zur Anwendung. Therapie Entsprechend der aktuellen Empfehlungen sollte wegen des etwas günstigeren Nebenwirkungsprofils – mit Ausnahme von Schwangeren – der Einsatz von Thiamazol/ Carbimazol gegenüber Propylthiouracil (PTU) vorgezogen werden. Bei einem Rezidiv oder bei fehlender Remission innerhalb von 12 bis 18 Monaten mit adäquater thyreostatischer Therapie ist eine ablative Therapie indiziert. Prognose Zur Einschätzung des Krankheitsverlaufs ist die Bestimmung der TRAK hilfreich. Schwangerschaft Die kürzlich erschienene Leitlinie zur Behandlung von Schwangeren mit Schilddrüsenerkrankungen gibt neue internationale Empfehlungen zur Therapie der manifesten Hyperthyreose bei Morbus Basedow. In den ersten 16 Schwangerschaftswochen (Phase der Organogenese) wird die Therapie mit PTU und im Falle einer vorbestehenden Behandlung mit Thiamazol eine zügige Umstellung auf PTU empfohlen. In der Schwangerschaft nach der 16. Woche wird nun keine klare Empfehlung bzgl. des einzusetzenden Thyreostatikums ausgesprochen. Es wird ein supprimierter TSH-Wert bei gleichzeitig (hoch-) normalem bzw. leichtgradig erhöhtem fT4-Wert angestrebt. Endokrine Orbitopathie Eine aktuelle Studie zeigt eine signifikante Besserung der endokrinen Orbitopathie mit Behandlung durch den in Deutschland noch nicht zugelassenen monoklonalen IGF-1-Rezeptor-Antikörper Teprotumumab.
Variational Inference for 3-D Localization and Tracking of Multiple Targets Using Multiple Cameras

This paper proposes a novel unified framework to solve the 3-D localization and tracking problem that occurs multiple camera settings with overlapping views. The main challenge is to overcome the uncertainty of the back projection arising from the challenges of ground point detection in an environment that includes severe occlusions and the unknown heights of people. To tackle this challenge, we establish a Bayesian learning framework that maximizes a posterior over the trajectory assignments and 3-D positions for given detections from multiple cameras. To solve the Bayesian learning problem in a tractable form, we develop an expectation–maximization scheme based on the variation inference approximation, where the probability distributions are designed to follow Boltzmann distributions of seven terms that are induced from multicamera tracking settings. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on the challenging multicamera data sets.
Patient costs of hypertension care in public health care facilities in Kenya

Summary Background Hypertension in low‐ and middle‐income countries, including Kenya, is of economic importance due to its increasing prevalence and its potential to present an economic burden to households. In this study, we examined the patient costs associated with obtaining care for hypertension in public health care facilities in Kenya. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study among adult respondents above 18 years of age, with at least 6 months of treatment in two counties. A total of 212 patients seeking hypertension care at five public facilities were interviewed, and information on care seeking and the associated costs was obtained. We computed both annual direct and indirect costs borne by these patients. Results Overall, the mean annual direct cost to patients was US$ 304.8 (95% CI, 235.7‐374.0). Medicines (mean annual cost, US$ 168.9; 95% CI, 132.5‐205.4), transport (mean annual cost, US$ 126.7; 95% CI, 77.6‐175.9), and user charges (mean annual cost, US$ 57.7; 95% CI, 43.7‐71.6) were the highest direct cost categories. Overall mean annual indirect cost was US$ 171.7 (95% CI, 152.8‐190.5). The incidence of catastrophic health care costs was 43.3% (95% CI, 36.8‐50.2) and increased to 59.0% (95% CI, 52.2‐65.4) when transport costs were included. Conclusions Hypertensive patients incur substantial direct and indirect costs. High rates of catastrophic costs illustrate the urgency of improving financial risk protection for these patients and strengthening primary care to ensure affordability of hypertension care.
Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome: a joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Epidemiology and Prevention; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation; International Atherosclerosis Society; and International As

A cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which occur together more often than by chance alone, have become known as the metabolic syndrome. The risk factors include raised blood pressure, dyslipidemia (raised triglycerides and lowered high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), raised fasting glucose, and central obesity. Various diagnostic criteria have been proposed by different organizations over the past decade. Most recently, these have come from the International Diabetes Federation and the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The main difference concerns the measure for central obesity, with this being an obligatory component in the International Diabetes Federation definition, lower than in the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criteria, and ethnic specific. The present article represents the outcome of a meeting between several major organizations in an attempt to unify criteria. It was agreed that there should not be an obligatory component, but that waist measurement would continue to be a useful preliminary screening tool. Three abnormal findings out of 5 would qualify a person for the metabolic syndrome. A single set of cut points would be used for all components except waist circumference, for which further work is required. In the interim, national or regional cut points for waist circumference can be used.
The OsJAZ1 degron modulates jasmonate signaling sensitivity during rice development

ABSTRACT Jasmonates (JAs) are crucial to the coordination of plant stress responses and development. JA signaling depends on JASMONATE-ZIM DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins that are destroyed by the SCFCOI1-mediated 26S proteasome when the JAZ co-receptor COI1 binds active JA or the JA-mimicking phytotoxin coronatine (COR). JAZ degradation releases JAZ-interacting transcription factors that can execute stress and growth responses. The JAZ proteins typically contain Jas motifs that undergo conformational changes during JA signal transduction and that are important for the JAZ-COI1 interaction and JAZ protein degradation. However, how alterations in the Jas motif and, in particular, the JAZ degron part of the motif, influence protein stability and plant development have not been well explored. To clarify this issue, we performed bioassays and genetic experiments to uncover the function of the OsJAZ1 degron in rice JA signaling. We found that substitution or deletion of core segments of the degron altered the OsJAZ1-OsCOI1b interaction in a COR-dependent manner. We show that these altered interactions function as a regulator for JA signaling during flower and root development. Our study therefore expands our understanding of how the JAZ degron functions, and provides the means to change the sensitivity and specificity of JA signaling in rice. Summary: Sequence variation in the JAZ degron may influence conformational changes of the OsJAZ1 protein that are needed for efficient signaling, and so confer specificity and sensitivity in JA signaling during rice development.
Microfluidic platforms for advanced risk assessments of nanomaterials

Abstract In the past few years, promising efforts to utilize microfabrication-based technologies have laid the foundation for developing advanced, and importantly more physiologically-realistic, microfluidic methods for risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). In the present review, we discuss the wave of recent developments using microfluidic-based in vitro models and platforms for nanotoxicological assays, such as determination of cell viability, cellular dose, oxidative stress and nuclear damage. Here, we specifically highlight the tangible advantages of microfluidic devices in providing promising tools to tackle many of the current and ongoing challenges faced with traditional toxicology assays. Most importantly, microfluidic technology not only allows to recreate physiologically-relevant in vitro models for nanotoxicity examinations, but also provides platforms that deliver an attractive strategy towards improved control over applied ENM doses. In a final step, we present examples of state-of-the-art microfluidic platforms for in vitro assessment of potential adverse ENM effects.
Halotthiaceae fam. nov. (Pleosporales) accommodates the new genus Phaeoseptum and several other aquatic genera

During survey of freshwater fungi in Haute Garonne in the Pyrenees (southern France), we collected a remarkable species that is most comparable to the maritime fungus Mauritiana rhizophorae. The maritime genera Halotthia, Pontoporeia and Mauritiana as well as our newly collected species form a monophyletic clade in phylograms generated from LSU rDNA sequence analyses. This clade has undetermined familial status, and our new species is not congeneric with Halotthia, Pontoporeia or Mauritiana. A new monotypic genus, Phaeoseptum (represented by Ph. aquaticum sp. nov), therefore is introduced to accommodate the newly collected freshwater taxon. A new family, Halotthiaceae, is introduced to accommodate the four aquatic genera Halotthia, Mauritiana, Phaeoseptum and Pontoporeia.
Cortical Tracking of Speech-in-Noise Develops from Childhood to Adulthood

In multitalker backgrounds, the auditory cortex of adult humans tracks the attended speech stream rather than the global auditory scene. Still, it is unknown whether such preferential tracking also occurs in children whose speech-in-noise (SiN) abilities are typically lower compared with adults. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate the frequency-specific cortical tracking of different elements of a cocktail party auditory scene in 20 children (age range, 6–9 years; 8 females) and 20 adults (age range, 21–40 years; 10 females). During MEG recordings, subjects attended to four different 5 min stories, mixed with different levels of multitalker background at four signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs; noiseless, +5, 0, and −5 dB). Coherence analysis quantified the coupling between the time courses of the MEG activity and attended speech stream, multitalker background, or global auditory scene, respectively. In adults, statistically significant coherence was observed between MEG signals originating from the auditory system and the attended stream at <1, 1–4, and 4–8 Hz in all SNR conditions. Children displayed similar coupling at <1 and 1–4 Hz, but increasing noise impaired the coupling more strongly than in adults. Also, children displayed drastically lower coherence at 4–8 Hz in all SNR conditions. These results suggest that children's difficulties to understand speech in noisy conditions are related to an immature selective cortical tracking of the attended speech streams. Our results also provide unprecedented evidence for an acquired cortical tracking of speech at syllable rate and argue for a progressive development of SiN abilities in humans. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Behaviorally, children are less proficient than adults at understanding speech-in-noise. Here, neuromagnetic signals were recorded while healthy adults and typically developing 6- to 9-year-old children attended to a speech stream embedded in a multitalker background noise with varying intensity. Results demonstrate that auditory cortices of both children and adults selectively track the attended speaker's voice rather than the global acoustic input at phrasal and word rates. However, increments of noise compromised the tracking significantly more in children than in adults. Unexpectedly, children displayed limited tracking of both the attended voice and the global acoustic input at the 4–8 Hz syllable rhythm. Thus, both speech-in-noise abilities and cortical tracking of speech syllable repetition rate seem to mature later in adolescence.
Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT)

Objectives To compare the effects of interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training (MOD) on body adiposity in humans, and to perform subgroup analyses that consider the type and duration of interval training in different groups. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources English-language, Spanish-language and Portuguese-language searches of the electronic databases PubMed and Scopus were conducted from inception to 11 December 2017. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Studies that met the following criteria were included: (1) original articles, (2) human trials, (3) minimum exercise training duration of 4 weeks, and (4) directly or indirectly compared interval training with MOD as the primary or secondary aim. Results Of the 786 studies found, 41 and 36 were included in the qualitative analysis and meta-analysis, respectively. Within-group analyses showed significant reductions in total body fat percentage (%) (interval training: −1.50 [95% CI −2.14 to −0.86, p<0.00001] and MOD: −1.44 [95% CI −2.00 to −0.89, p<0.00001]) and in total absolute fat mass (kg) (interval training: −1.58 [95% CI −2.74 to −0.43, p=0.007] and MOD: −1.13 [95% CI −2.18 to −0.08, p=0.04]), with no significant differences between interval training and MOD for total body fat percentage reduction (−0.23 [95% CI −1.43 to 0.97], p=0.705). However, there was a significant difference between the groups in total absolute fat mass (kg) reduction (−2.28 [95% CI −4.00 to −0.56], p=0.0094). Subgroup analyses comparing sprint interval training (SIT) with MOD protocols favour SIT for loss of total absolute fat mass (kg) (−3.22 [95% CI −5.71 to −0.73], p=0.01). Supervised training, walking/running/jogging, age (<30 years), study quality and intervention duration (<12 weeks) favourably influence the decreases in total absolute fat mass (kg) observed from interval training programmes; however, no significant effect was found on total body fat percentage (%). No effect of sex or body mass index was observed on total absolute fat mass (kg) or total body fat percentage (%). Conclusion Interval training and MOD both reduce body fat percentage (%). Interval training provided 28.5% greater reductions in total absolute fat mass (kg) than MOD. Trial registration number CRD42018089427.
Semantic and affective representations of valence: Prediction of autonomic and facial responses from feelings-focused and knowledge-focused self-reports.

The term valence can refer to either the affective response (e.g., "I feel bad") or the semantic knowledge about a stimulus (e.g., "car accidents are bad"). Accordingly, the content of self-reports can be more "experience-near" and proxy to the mental state of affective feelings, or, alternatively, involve nonexperiential semantic knowledge. In this work we compared three experimental protocol instructions: feelings-focused self-reports that encourage participants to report their feelings (but not knowledge); knowledge-focused self-reports that encourage participants to report about semantic knowledge (and not feelings); and "feelings-naïve", in which participants were asked to report their feelings but are not explicitly presented with the distinction between feelings and knowledge. We compared the ability of the three types of self-report data to predict facial electromyography, heart rate, and electrodermal changes in response to affective stimuli. The relationship between self-reports and both physiological signal intensity and signal discriminability were examined. The results showed a consistent advantage for feelings-focused over knowledge-focused instructions in prediction of physiological response with feelings-naïve instructions falling in between. The results support the theoretical distinction between affective and semantic representations of valence and the validity of feelings-focused and knowledge-focused self-report instructions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Determining the insulin secretion potential for certain specific G-protein coupled receptors in MIN6 pancreatic beta cells

Background/aim The polypeptide hormone insulin is essential for the maintenance of whole-body fuel homeostasis, and defects in insulin secretion and/or action are associated with the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the role of some G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), GPR54, GPR56, and GPR75, and cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R, in the regulation of pancreatic β-cell function. Materials and methods Insulin secretion from mouse insulinoma β-cell line (MIN6) monolayers was assessed via insulin radioimmunoassay (RIA). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to assess the expression of some specific GPCRs and the other receptors by MIN6 pancreatic β-cells. Results The agonists were not found to be toxic for the MIN6 pancreatic β-cells within the range of the doses used in this study, whereas insulin secretion altered depending on the ligands and receptors. In addition, arachidonyl-2’-chloroethylamide (ACEA), carbachol, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand-5 (CCL5), and exendin as well as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) ligands showed significant increases in the insulin secretion of MIN6 pancreatic β-cells. Conclusion Understanding the normal β-cell function and identifying the defects in β-cell function that lead to the development of diabetes will generate new therapeutic targets.
Multiple‐microarray analysis for identification of hub genes involved in tubulointerstial injury in diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a primary cause of renal failure. However, studies providing renal gene expression profiles of diabetic tubulointerstitial injury are scarce and its molecular mechanisms still await clarification. To identify vital genes involved in the diabetic tubulointerstitial injury, three microarray data sets from gene expression omnibus (GEO) were downloaded. A total of 127 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by limma package. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) plots showed that sister chromatid cohesion was the most significant enriched gene set positively correlated with the DN group while retinoid X receptor binding was the most significant enriched gene set positively correlated with the control group. Enriched Gene Ontology (GO) annotations and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways of DEGs mostly included extracellular matrix organization, extracellular space, extracellular matrix structural constituent, and Staphylococcus aureus infection. Twenty hub genes from three significant modules were ascertained by Cytoscape. Correlation analysis and subgroup analysis between hub genes and clinical features of DN showed that ALB, ANXA1, APOH, C3, CCL19, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL4A1, COL6A3, CXCL6, DCN, EGF, HRG, KNG1, LUM, SERPINA3, SPARC, SRGN, and TIMP1 may involve in diabetic tubulointerstitial injury. ConnectivityMap analysis indicated the most significant three compounds are 5182598, thapsigargin and 5224221. In conclusion, this study may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic tubulointerstitial injury as well as potential targets for diagnosis and therapeutics of DN.
Testing Specific Physical Performance in Male Team Handball Players and the Relationship to General Tests in Team Sports

Abstract Wagner, H, Sperl, B, Bell, JW, and von Duvillard, SP. Testing specific physical performance in male team handball players and the relationship to general tests in team sports. J Strength Cond Res 33(4): 1056–1064, 2019—Team handball is exemplified by frequent changes in intensities and different complex movements during games, whereas physical performance has often been tested predominantly using standardized general tests. The study aimed (a) to determine the relationship between specific and general physical performance as well as between specific aerobic capacity and agility, and (b) to ascertain the relevance of these tests for strength and conditioning professionals. Seventy-two male indoor court players performed a game-based performance test (GBPT) including team handball–specific techniques, upper-body and lower-body strength tests, a 30-m sprint test, a countermovement jump Abalakov (CMJA) test (with arm swing), and an incremental treadmill-running test. To assess the specific physical performance using the general test performance, we used linear regression calculations. In addition, a principal component factor analysis was calculated. Linear regression analyses revealed a low correlation (R < 0.5) between specific and general aerobic performance, 30-m sprinting time and specific agility in the GBPT, jump height in the CMJA test and jump height in the jump shot, as well as isokinetic shoulder rotation torque and ball velocity in the jump shot. However, a moderate correlation (R > 0.5) was found between specific aerobic performance and specific agility in the GBPT. Principal component factor analysis yielded separate components for specific and general physical performance with a cumulative variance of 69%. The results of this study clearly indicated that general and team handball–specific performance are separate components. Recommendations to strength and conditioning professionals and coaches in team handball were presented.
Craniofacial Abnormalities in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome

SUMMARY: HGPS is a rare syndrome of segmental premature aging. Our goal was to expand the scope of structural bone and soft-tissue craniofacial abnormalities in HGPS through CT or MR imaging. Using The Progeria Research Foundation Medical and Research Database, 98 imaging studies on 25 patients, birth to 14.1 years of age, were comprehensively reviewed. Eight newly identified abnormalities involving the calvaria, skull base, and soft tissues of the face and orbits were present with prevalences between 43% and 100%. These included J-shaped sellas, a mottled appearance and increased vascular markings of the calvaria, abnormally configured mandibular condyles, hypoplastic articular eminences, small zygomatic arches, prominent parotid glands, and optic nerve kinking. This expanded craniofacial characterization helps link disease features and improves our ability to evaluate how underlying genetic and cellular abnormalities culminate in a disease phenotype.