Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rationale and design of a smartphone‐enabled, home‐based exercise program in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease: The smart step randomized trial

Supervised exercise therapy (SET) is recommended in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as first‐line therapy, although patient adoption remains low. Home‐based exercise therapy (HBET) delivered through smartphones may expand access. The feasibility of such programs, especially in low‐resource settings, remains unknown.
Neural correlates of cognitive bias modification for interpretation

Abstract The effectiveness of cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I), a treatment method employed to reduce social anxiety (SA), has been examined. However, the neural correlates of CBM-I remain unclear, and we aimed to elucidate brain activities during intervention and activity changes associated with CBM-I effectiveness in a pre–post intervention comparison. Healthy participants divided into two groups (CBM, control) were scanned before, during and after intervention using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Ambiguous social situations followed by positive outcomes were repeatedly imagined by the CBM group during intervention, while half of the outcomes in the control group were negative. Whole-brain analysis revealed that activation of the somatomotor and somatosensory areas, occipital lobe, fusiform gyrus and thalamus during intervention was significantly greater in the CBM than in the control group. Furthermore, altered activities in the somatomotor and somatosensory areas, occipital lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus during interpreting ambiguous social situations showed a significant group × change in SA interaction. Our result suggests that when facing ambiguous social situations, positive imagery instilled by CBM-I is recalled, and interpretations are modified to contain social reward. These findings may help to suggest an alternative manner of enhancing CBM-I effectiveness from a cognitive-neuroscience perspective.
Expression profiling of precuneus layer III cathepsin D‐immunopositive pyramidal neurons in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: Evidence for neuronal signaling vulnerability

The precuneus (PreC; Brodmann area 7), a key hub within the default mode network (DMN) displays amyloid and tau‐containing neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology during the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). PreC layer III projection neurons contain lysosomal hydrolase cathepsin D (CatD), a marker of neurons vulnerable to NFT pathology. Here we applied single population laser capture microdissection coupled with custom‐designed microarray profiling to determine the genetic signature of PreC CatD‐positive‐layer III neurons accrued from postmortem tissue obtained from the Rush Religious Orders Study (RROS) cases with a premortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. Expression profiling revealed significant differential expression of key transcripts in MCI and AD compared to NCI that underlie signaling defects, including dysregulation of genes within the endosomal‐lysosomal and autophagy pathways, cytoskeletal elements, AD‐related genes, ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, cholinergic enzymes and receptors, markers of monoamine neurotransmission as well as steroid‐related transcripts. Pervasive defects in both MCI and AD were found in select transcripts within these key gene ontology categories, underscoring the vulnerability of these corticocortical projection neurons during the onset and progression of dementia. Select PreC dysregulated genes detected via custom‐designed microarray analysis were validated using qPCR. In summary, expression profiling of PreC CatD ‐positive layer III neurons revealed significant dysregulation of a mosaic of genes in MCI and AD that were not previously appreciated in terms of their indication of systems‐wide signaling defects in a key hub of the DMN.
Nursing education: mapping in the perspective of transformation.

OBJECTIVE to construct a theoretical, field and analysis mapping of nursing education in the context of public education policies in Brazil. METHOD a descriptive study with a mixed approach of investigation, having as theoretical-analytical instruments the studies on maps construction (theoretical, field and analytical), which allowed the distribution, imbalances, tendencies and contradictions verification of the phenomenon studied. RESULTS the disordered expansion of vacancies in nursing has been occurring in a disorganized, asymmetric way and directed to the distancing of the State in the assistance to the educational sector, as well as the consequent privatization of education and reaffirmation of social imbalance of regions with the lowest economic power. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS the study made technological, scientific and academic contributions possible and showed that public policies directed intense and disorderly expansion of courses/vacancies, indicating the need to establish strategies that can promote actions to strengthen the quality of nursing education.
GNRI as a Prognostic Factor for Outcomes in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract Oncologic patients often suffer from malnutrition which in turn, might have negative impact on treatment outcomes. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), as an index of impaired nutritional status, has emerged as a significant prognostic factor for short-and long-term outcomes in cancer patients. The aim of the current systematic review is to determine whether the GNRI is an independent prognostic factor of postoperative complications and survival in cancer patients. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies, published from 2005 to 2019, which assessed associations between GNRI and short- and long-term outcomes in cancer patients. Eighteen studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. Low scores of GNRI were associated with increased risk for developing postoperative complications and impaired survival of cancer patients in most studies. Our findings support the use of the GNRI in the clinical practice, since it is a simple and reliable tool for assessing nutritional status in oncologic patients. More prospective, multi-centered studies are warranted to confirm the current results, as well as the role of nutritional support in improving the prognosis of cancer patients.
Estimating a normal reference range for serum B‐cell maturation antigen levels for multiple myeloma patients

The serum B‐cell maturation antigen (sBCMA) has been identified as a novel serum biomarker for patients with multiple myeloma. However, no study has yet established a reference range for sBCMA levels. Its levels were determined in 196 healthy subjects and showed a right‐tailed distribution with a median value of 37·51 ng/ml with a standard deviation of 22·54 ng/ml (range 18·78–180·39 ng/ml). Partitioning of subgroup reference ranges was considered but determined to be irrelevant. A non‐parametric method using the median ± 2 standard deviations suggests using a universal reference interval of <82·59 ng/ml.
Role of Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer and Magnetization Transfer MRI in Detecting Metabolic and Structural Changes of Renal Fibrosis in an Animal Model at 3T

Objective To investigate the value of combined chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and conventional magnetization transfer imaging (MT) in detecting metabolic and structural changes of renal fibrosis in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) at 3T MRI. Materials and Methods Thirty-five Sprague-Dawley rats underwent UUO surgery (n = 25) or sham surgery (n = 10). The obstructed and contralateral kidneys were evaluated on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after surgery. After CEST and MT examinations, 18F-labeled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography was performed to quantify glucose metabolism. Fibrosis was measured by histology and western blots. Correlations were compared between asymmetrical magnetization transfer ratio at 1.2 ppm (MTRasym(1.2ppm)) derived from CEST and maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) and between magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) derived from MT and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Results On days 3 and 7, MTRasym(1.2ppm) and MTR of UUO renal cortex and medulla were significantly different from those of contralateral kidneys (p < 0.05). On day 7, MTRasym(1.2ppm) and MTR of UUO renal cortex and medulla were significantly different from those of sham-operated kidneys (p < 0.05). The MTRasym(1.2ppm) of UUO renal medulla was fairly negatively correlated with SUVmax (r = −0.350, p = 0.021), whereas MTR of UUO renal medulla was strongly negatively correlated with α-SMA (r = −0.744, p < 0.001). Conclusion CEST and MT could provide metabolic and structural information for comprehensive assessment of renal fibrosis in UUO rats in 3T MRI and may aid in clinical monitoring of renal fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease.
A Soft Material Flow Sensor for Micro Air Vehicles

To control and navigate micro air vehicles (MAVs) efficiently, there is a need for small, lightweight, durable, sensitive, fast, and low-power airspeed sensors. When designing sensors to meet these requirements, soft materials are promising alternatives to more traditional materials due to the large deformations they can withstand. In this article, a new concept of a soft material flow sensor is presented based on elastic filament velocimetry, which fulfills all necessary criteria. This technique measures flow velocity by relating it to the strain of a soft ribbon suspended between two static supports and subjected to a flow of interest. The ribbon is manufactured from polydimethylsiloxane and can be made piezoresistive by the addition of silver nanowires. With the described manufacturing method, the sensor can be made using common laboratory tools, outside of a clean room, significantly reducing its complexity. Furthermore, it can be operated using a simple and lightweight circuit, making it a convenient alternative for MAVs. Using a piezoresistive material allows for the flow velocity to be calibrated to the resistance change of the strained ribbon. Although certain challenges remain unsolved, such as polymer creep, the sensor has demonstrated its ability to measure flow velocities down to 4 m/s in air through experiments. A time-dependent analytical model is also provided. The model shows that the current sensor has a bandwidth of 480 Hz. Most importantly, the sensitivity and the bandwidth of the sensor can be varied strictly by modifying the geometry and the material properties of the ribbon.
Using distance sampling to estimate seasonal densities of desert mule deer in a semidesert grassland

t Wildlife managers need to be able to assess density, distribution, and status of wildlife populations with reliable techniques. We used distance sampling from 971 point transects to estimate density and examine herd composition of desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Arizona during 4 seasons in 1996. We first conducted a pilot study to refine survey design and train observers. We also evaluated our ability to meet 4 major assumptions of distance sampling (random placement of points, objects on points always detected, objects detected at initial location, distances measured accurately). Densities varied from 0.9 (SE=0.3) deer/km 2 in summer to 2.5 (1.3) in winter. Herd size varied from 1.5 (0.1) deer/group in summer to 9.7 (2.0) in winter. Density of females was greater than males (0.9 [0.3] and 0.03 [0.04], respectively) for all seasons combined. We found that placement of points, detecting deer at points, and not forcing deer to move from their initial location were interrelated and a function of mule deer behavior and how we approached points. Our ability to measure distances accurately was improved greatly by using distance test courses and calibration points throughout the refuge. Important considerations in using distance sampling include: 1 ) careful evaluation of study design; 2) establishment of permanent survey points to be used throughout time, which aids in field operations and analysis; 3) development and use of a distance test course and calibration points to train observers, practice measuring distances, and calibrate equipment; 4) development of standardized protocol to maintain consistent data collection among observers and over time; and 5) incorporation of a thorough understanding of the target species' behavior and ecology into the survey design.
How one-year of systematic training changes the shooting performance in a group of young biathletes?

Performance of biathletes depends on many factors (for example wind speed, lighting conditions, air temperature, athlete’s concentration, shooting accuracy and time and many others). The previous findings of our research proved a relationship between exercise intensity and athlete´s postural stability (centre of pressure area and anterior-posterior movement of the centre of pressure) during shooting at a standing position. Moreover, it is important to mention that not only postural balance plays a role in shooting accuracy. The objective of this paper is to evaluate a one-year progress in shooting skills of young biathletes during a systematic training. The training process of participants was mostly focused on their shooting skills, balance abilities and the development of strength-endurance abilities. Twelve healthy, well-trained biathletes (5 girls, 7 boys) volunteered to participate in the study (Girls: age 15.8 ± 0.74 years, body weight 55.20 ± 5.70 kg,body height 1.65 ± 0.03 m, VO2max 54.62 ± 3.29 ml.kg 1.min-1, Wmax/kg 4.8 ± 0.39;Boys: age 15.0 ± 0.75 years, body weight 57.42 ± 6.47 kg, body height 1.71 ± 0.07 m, VO2max 65.3 ± 2.85 ml.kg-1.min-1, Wmax/kg 4.9 ± 0.22). The centre of pressure area and anterior-posterior sway were measured by a foot pressure scan (FootWork Pro). Shooting performance and rifle stability were measured by SCATT Shooter Training System. All of these parameters were measured in rest and after a physical load (skating on roller skis) expressed by the percentage of maximum heart rate (HRmax) (5 minutes, 65-75% of HRmax; 5 minutes, 75-85% of HRmax; 5 minutes, 85-95% of HRmax). This paper presents the changes over a period of one year. The stability of the rifle (the length trajectory of motion of the barrel in the last second before a shot) during the testing in rest and after a physical load was improved for all the participants. The rifle stability in the standing shooting position improved: in rest – boys (24.3%), girls (6.2%); Intensity 1 65-75% of HRmax–boys(19.5%), girls (13.9%); Intensity 2 75-85% of HRmax–boys (1.8%), girls (13.0%);Intensity 3 85-95% of HRmax – boys (16.1%), girls (17.1%). The improvement of anterior-posterior sway was found after the systematic one-year training for all biathletes. The results of our study showed improvement of young novice biathletes in their shooting skills. It can be assumed that the athletes’ progress should continue during the next year if the same training concept is continued. To conclude,these results suggest not only progress of the biathletes but also the importance of evidence for predicting the performance in a future sport career.
Evaluation of a Model of Long-Term Middle Ear Catheterization for Repeat Infusion Administration and Cochlear Hair Cell Injury in Guinea Pigs

Middle ear administration has numerous applications, including antibiotherapy and gene therapy, and is increasingly used to target the auditory and vestibular systems. In animal studies, investigating repeated exposure that mimics clinical dosing regimens has remained a challenge due to the lack of suitable models. Intratympanic injections are not suitable for long-term studies due to the increased risk related to tympanic membrane rupture or scarring and repeat anesthesia events. Surgical models of middle ear catheterization previously used have not been reliable for longer than 4 weeks, resulted in elevated stress levels, and have been associated with significant changes related to the surgery and/or the presence of the catheter such as local trauma and inflammatory and degenerative processes. These complications cause decreased hearing/deafness and greatly diminish the value and accuracy of ototoxicity studies. We describe here a procedure that permits repeat dosing into the middle ear of guinea pigs and can be used to produce a model of aminoglycoside-induced hair cell injury. The innocuity of the procedures and the efficacy of the ototoxicity model were confirmed using auditory brain stem response assessment, histopathological evaluation, and cytocochleograms. Procedure-related changes were limited to minimal inflammation in the middle ear.
An investigation of the epigenetic and transcriptional changes which follow Epstein-Barr virus infection of germinal centre B cells

Although Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) usually establishes a harmless infection in human memory B cells, it is implicated in the development of germinal centre (GC) B-cell-derived malignancies, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL). I have shown using gene expression profiling that lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from GC B cells are a useful model for studying early EBV-associated changes contributing to the pathogenesis of HL. EBV infection of GC B cells is followed by the up-regulation of the DNA methyltransferases, DNMT3A, and the down-regulation of DNMT1 and DNMT3B, a pattern of expression which is re-capitulated in HL cell lines. I have also shown that the major EBV oncogene, LMP1, is responsible for the down-regulation in GC B cells of DNMT1, and that DNMT3A binds to the EBV promoter, Wp which is silenced by DNA methylation. Genome-wide promoter arrays revealed that EBV infection of GC B cells is followed by methylation changes in a substantial number of cellular genes. These changes were not randomly distributed across the genome but clustered at certain chromosomal locations and were strongly associated with the CpG content of gene promoters. Finally, I have shown that EBV also modulates the expression of another set of epigenetic regulators which control arginine methylation.
Proliferation, Differentiation and Immunoregulatory Capacities of Brown and White Adipose-Derived Stem Cells from Young and Aged Mice

Background and Objectives Adipose tissue is a source of mesenchymal stem cells, which have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are now recognized as an accessible, abundant, and reliable stem cells suitable for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. However, few literatures gave a comprehensive report on the capacities of ADSCs harvested from different sites. Especially, the capacities of ADSCs from aged mice remained unclear. In this study, we investigated several main capacities of brown adipose derived stem cells (B-ADSCs) and white adipose derived stem cells (W-ADSCs) from both young and aged mice. Methods and Results When isolated from young mice, B-ADSCs showed a stronger proliferation rate and higher osteogenic, adipogenic and myocardial differentiation ability than W-ADSCs. Carboxy fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeling test suggested no significant difference in immunosuppression capacity between B-ADSCs and W-ADSCs. Similarly, no difference between these two were found in several immune related molecules, such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 10 (IL10), and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (socs1). When isolated from aged mice, B-ADSCs also showed a stronger proliferation rate and higher osteogenic, adipogenic and myocardial differentiation ability than W-ADSCs; however, it demonstrated an attenuated immunosuppression capacity compared to W-ADSCs. Conclusions In summary, our data showed that ADSCs’ characteristics were tissue source dependent and changed with age. It provided evidence for choosing the right tissue-specific ADSCs for clinical application and fundamental research.
Poor disgust suppression is associated with increased anxiety in caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative disease.

OBJECTIVES Caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative disease have high rates of mental health problems compared to non-caregiving adults. Emotion regulation may play an important role in preserving caregivers' mental health. We examined the associations between caregivers' emotion regulation measured in several ways (ability, habitual use, and self-ratings) and their mental health symptoms. METHOD Ninety-one caregivers of persons with neurodegenerative disease participated in a laboratory-based assessment of emotion regulation. In two series of tasks, caregivers were given different instructions (no instruction, suppress) regarding altering their emotional behavioral responses to disgusting films and acoustic startle stimuli. Caregivers' emotional behavior was measured via behavioral coding and caregivers rated "how much emotion" they showed during each task. Anxiety, depression, and habitual use of expressive suppression were measured via questionnaires. RESULTS Poor emotion regulation in the disgust suppression condition (i.e., greater emotional behavior) was associated with greater anxiety. Associations were not found for the startle suppression condition, depression, or self-report measures of emotion regulation. DISCUSSION Findings suggest that caregivers who are unable to suppress emotional behavior in response to disgusting stimuli may be at greater risk for anxiety. Given high levels of anxiety in caregivers, it may be useful to evaluate interventions that improve ability to downregulate emotional behavior.
Mechanochemical Patternable ECM‐Mimetic Hydrogels for Programmed Cell Orientation

Native human tissues are supported by a viscoelastic extracellular matrix (ECM) that can adapt its intricate network to dynamic mechanical stimuli. To recapitulate the unique ECM biofunctionality, hydrogel design is shifting from typical covalent crosslinks toward covalently adaptable networks. To pursue such properties, herein hybrid polysaccharide‐polypeptide networks are designed based on dynamic covalent assembly inspired by natural ECM crosslinking processes. This is achieved through the synthesis of an amine‐reactive oxidized‐laminarin biopolymer that can readily crosslink with gelatin (oxLAM‐Gelatin) and simultaneously allow cell encapsulation. Interestingly, the rational design of oxLAM‐Gelatin hydrogels with varying aldehyde‐to‐amine ratios enables a refined control over crosslinking kinetics, viscoelastic properties, and degradability profile. The mechanochemical features of these hydrogels post‐crosslinking offer an alternative route for imprinting any intended nano‐ or microtopography in ECM‐mimetic matrices bearing inherent cell‐adhesive motifs. Different patterns are easily paved in oxLAM‐Gelatin under physiological conditions and complex topographical configurations are retained along time. Human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells contacting mechanically sculpted oxLAM‐Gelatin hydrogels sense the underlying surface nanotopography and align parallel to the anisotropic nanoridge/nanogroove intercalating array. These findings demonstrate that covalently adaptable features in ECM‐mimetic networks can be leveraged to combine surface topography and cell‐adhesive motifs as they appear in natural matrices.