Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
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Martin and colleagues reported a case study of a child with “developmental delay,” studied with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). According to the authors, shortecho MRS data acquired using 6ml voxels in occipital gray matter, parieto-occipital white matter, and basal ganglia demonstrated “complete absence of NAA (Nacetylaspartate),” which was “even more obvious in the longecho spectrum. ” From these remarkable data, the authors conclude “the concentration of NAA, as determined by in vivo 1H-MRS, can no longer be taken as an indicator of viable neuronal tissue, and that the functional role of NAA in the brain must be reevaluated in order to correctly interpret neurospectroscopic results in a clinical setting. ” This conclusion would perhaps be warranted if two critical statements had truly reflected the data presented. First, the claim “no neurologic deficits were noted” discounts the severe cognitive and motor deficits described, specifically, that a 3.5-year-old boy is able only to sit unaided, walk a few broad-based steps, and express meaningless sounds. Characterization of the child as having “developmental delay” suggests that he might ultimately achieve full development, an assumption that currently cannot be substantiated. Second, the claim “all spectra obtained on both occasions demonstrate absence of NAA in all examined brain regions” is not supported by examination of the four spectra presented, all of which reveal measurable peaks at 2.02ppm. These strikingly low NAA levels are actually consistent with the severe functional deficits observed clinically, deficits that would likely be stratified as profound if subjected to quantitative neuropsychological assessment. Even if the child truly had no NAA in his brain, this does not mean that NAA is not necessary for normal brain function. By analogy, individuals can be born without a corpus callosum and still have interhemisphere communication. Does this mean that the corpus callosum is not the major pathway for connecting the cerebral hemispheres? If “viable” means “capable of living,” the perhaps glib characterization of NAA as “a marker of neuronal viability” may indeed be an overstatement of which we and others are guilty. However, given the two mischaracterizations of the data, a conclusion opposite that of the authors could be reached—this child has very low levels of brain NAA and profound neuropsychological deficits. Perhaps a better term than “viable” would be “integrity,” meaning “an unimpaired condition,” with the amount of spectroscopically visible NAA considered “a reflection of neuronal integrity. ” Certainly the report of Martin and colleagues would support this nomenclature.
Preparation, Characterization, and Application of Cross-linked Enzyme Aggregates of β-glycosidases from Bovine Liver

β-glycosidase from bovine liver is a biocatalyst that can catalyze the synthesis of disaccharide nucleosides via regioselective glycosylation of nucleosides. In previous reports, the used biocatalysts were free enzymes, which limit the large-scale applications. As novel carrier-free immobilized enzymes, cross-linked enzyme aggregates(CLEAs) have many advantages, such as easy preparation, low cost, and high enzyme volumetric activities. CLEAs of β-glycosidase from bovine liver were prepared, their enzymatic properties and structures were studied, and their application for the synthesis of disaccharide nucleoside was explored. The optimal precipitant, cross-linking agent and cross-linking time were 70% saturated ammonium sulfate, 50%(V/V) dextran polyaldehyde, and 8 h, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the activity recovery of CLEAs reached 58%. The optimal p H, temperature, Vmax and Km of the CLEAs were 8.5, 60 ℃, 0.13 μmol/(min·mg), and 1.43 m M, respectively. Additionally, the CLEAs showed good operational stability. After they were reused for six batches, the relative yield in the CLEA-catalyzed synthesis of 5′-O-β-glucosyl-2′-deoxyuridine had decreased only by 20%. The CLEAs had an amorphous structure.
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The study presented by Whone and colleagues is methodologically and ethically flawed and should not have been published in a journal upholding CONSORT guidelines. [F]dopa PET scans were carried out at six different centres and the data analysed locally before central analysis. Prior to central analysis, the study result did not reach significance. Central analysis included the removal of 11% of the results because the first PET scan was normal. The result then reached significance. The timing of the decision to remove these results is not clear. We read that “ a decision was taken, prospectively, to include only patients with PET evidence of PD” but the published study design fails to mention this. The ethics of treating and rescanning 11% of patients, yet prospectively excluding their data from the trial, is questionable. There is, furthermore, no scientific validity in the decision. [F]dopa PET does not completely discriminate PD from normality at symptom onset . Figures for symptomatic threshold (75% of normal) and distribution in normal range (SD 14%) from work with 2D PET 6 give the positive and negative predictive value of PET scans. If the study population has 90% PD and 10% normal subjects, the negative predictive value (the chance of being disease free after a normal scan) is only 16%. 3D PET might be different but the information needed to make that calculation has not been provided. I question the decision to publish the paper in this form. Schulz, in his introduction to CONSORT, stated that analysis should include “all properly randomised participants in the originally assigned groups”. The data could have been published with and without the removal of the cohort of PD patients so that its effect could clearly be seen.
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Funayama and colleagues have reported linkage of a large family with autosomal dominant parkinsonism to the centromeric region of chromosome 12 between markers D12S1631 (50.9cM) and D12S339 (64.45cM). We find this report interesting not only because it identifies a novel locus for familial Parkinsonism, but also because this same region of chromosome 12, between markers D12S1688 (42cM) and D12S1701 (62cM), previously has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease in families containing at least one affected individual with Lewy bodies. These individuals met neuropathological criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies, a phenotype containing elements of both dementia and parkinsonism. Taken together, these results raise the exciting possibility that a gene in the centromeric region of chromosome 12 may cause both dominant parkinsonism and dementia with Lewy bodies. Follow-up studies of this region would benefit from consideration of the data of both studies to find the gene responsible for dementia and parkinsonism on chromosome 12.
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We thank Dr Jellinger for his comments on our work as well as his extensive contributions to the study of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Differences between samples drawn from autopsy series of demented individuals and from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of clinical subjects are perhaps not surprising. A radiological–pathological correlation study has suggested that gradient-echo MRI and histopathological examination may each detect microbleeds missed by the other. Although histopathology remains the “gold standard,” we note several advantages to MRI-based analysis, including the ability to study subjects during life and the ready capacity for correlating anatomic location of hemorrhages across multiple subjects. We also note that in analyzing the spatial clustering of hemorrhages, it is important to account for relative differences in the volume of cerebral cortex in each of the cerebral lobes. Further advances in the in vivo imaging of -amyloid promise still greater insight into the distribution of cerebrovascular amyloid and its consequences.
Association of Insomnia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease on Maintenance Hemodialysis

Objective To determine the frequency of insomnia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) Study design Cross-sectional (descriptive) Study duration From July 20, 2019, to January 20, 2020 Study settings Department of Nephrology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar Materials and methods A total of 148 patients diagnosed with CKD and on maintenance HD were selected for the study in a consecutive sampling manner and checked for insomnia. Results Out of 148 patients included in the study, there were 64.9% male and 35.1% female patients. The mean duration of CKD (months) was 13.9 ± 6.3. The mean number of sessions for hemodialysis done in all patients was 16.8 ± 5.3. On careful interviewing of the patient, difficulty in falling asleep was recorded in 28.4%, difficulty in staying asleep in 41.9%, problems in waking up early in 34.5%, and insomnia interfering in routine life activities in 28.4%. Overall, insomnia was recorded in 36.5% of patients and was found to have a significant correlation with the number of dialysis sessions (p-value 0.000). Conclusion Insomnia is a frequent disorder associated with CKD patients on maintenance HD. There are very few studies establishing its pathogenesis and risk factors. We recommend further multicenter studies to detect the course of insomnia in association with CKD on HD and its potential impact on the overall quality of life of patients with CKD.
Government Communications, Political Trust and Compliant Social Behaviour: The Politics of Covid‐19 in Britain

Abstract It is commonly said that the lockdowns and social distancing necessary to control coronavirus pandemics will only work if the general population trusts its government, believes the information it provides, and has confidence in its policies. This article traces the British government’s record in providing information about its policies and performance, and compares this with the public’s use of the mainstream news media. It then considers how these two sources of information affected trust in government and public compliance with social distancing and lockdown rules. Lastly, it compares Covid‐19 with Brexit and draws conclusions about how beliefs and behaviour are formed when individuals are personally faced with a serious threat.
Investigation of Lipid Profile and Clinical Manifestations in SCA Children

Introduction Clinical complications in sickle cell anemia (SCA) are heterogeneous and involve several molecules. It has been suggested that SCA individuals present a dyslipidemic phenotype and that lipid parameters are associated with severe clinical complications, such as pulmonary hypertension. We sought to investigate associations between lipid parameters and clinical manifestations, as well as other laboratory parameters in a population of pediatric SCA patients. Methods Our cross-sectional evaluation included 126 SCA patients in steady state and who were not undergoing lipid-lowering therapy. Hematological and biochemical parameters were characterized, and previous clinical manifestations were investigated. Results Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were increased in patients with a previous history of pneumonia, which also positively correlated with HbS levels. Decreased LDL-C levels were also associated with leg ulcers and anemia. Elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were associated with pain crises, increased viscosity, and decreased hemolysis. Several studies have determined that lipids play a role in the vascular impairment seen in SCA, which was corroborated by our findings. Conclusions In sum, our results suggest that total cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels are associated with hemolysis and anemia markers and, most importantly, with clinical complications related to vasculopathy in SCA.
Long‐term and interactive effects of different mammalian consumers on growth, survival, and recruitment of dominant tree species

Abstract Throughout the world, numerous tree species are reported to be in decline, either due to increased mortality of established trees or reduced recruitment. The situation appears especially acute for oaks, which are dominant features of many landscapes in the northern hemisphere. Although numerous factors have been hypothesized to explain reductions in tree performance, vertebrate herbivores and granivores may serve as important drivers of these changes. Here, using data from 8‐ and 14‐year‐old exclosure experiments, we evaluated the individual and interactive effects of large and small mammalian herbivores on the performance of three widespread oak species in California—coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), California black oak (Q. kelloggii), and Oregon white oak (Q. garryana). Although impacts varied somewhat by species and experiment, herbivory by black‐tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) reduced the height and survival of juvenile coast live oaks and altered their architecture, as well as reduced the abundance of black oak seedlings, the richness of woody species and the cover of nonoak woody species. Small mammals (Microtus californicus and Peromyscus maniculatus) had even more widespread effects, reducing the abundance of black oak seedlings and the height and cover of all three oak species. We also detected numerous interactions between small mammals and deer, with one herbivore having positive or negative effects on oak abundance and cover when the other herbivore was either present or absent. For example, deer often had negative effects on seedling abundance only when, or even more so when, small mammals were present. In summary, mammalian consumers play crucial roles in limiting oak recruitment by reducing seedling abundance, maintaining trees in stunted states, and preventing them from reaching sapling stages and becoming reproductive. Interactions between large and small mammals can also alter the intensity and direction of their effects on trees.
Alpha-Synuclein FRET Biosensors Reveal Early Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction is important for alpha-synuclein (αS) acquired toxicity. When targeted to the ER in SH-SY5Y cells, transient or stable expression of αS resulted in the formation of compact αS-positive structures in a small subpopulation of cells, resembling αS inclusions. Thus, because of the limitations of immunofluorescence, we developed a set of αS FRET biosensors (AFBs) able to track αS conformation in cells. In native conditions, expression in i36, a stable cell line for ER αS, of intermolecular AFBs, reporters in which CFP or YFP has been fused with the C-terminal of αS (αS-CFP/αS-YFP), resulted in no Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), whereas expression of the intramolecular AFB, a probe obtained by fusing YFP and CFP with αS N- or C- termini (YFP-αS-CFP), showed a positive FRET signal. These data confirmed that αS has a predominantly globular, monomeric conformation in native conditions. Differently, under pro-aggregating conditions, the intermolecular AFB was able to sense significantly formation of αS oligomers, when AFB was expressed in the ER rather than ubiquitously, suggesting that the ER can favor changes in αS conformation when aggregation is stimulated. These results show the potential of AFBs as a new, valuable tool to track αS conformational changes in vivo.
Patterns of exotic plant species in the Netherlands: a macroecological perspective

In dit proefschrift heb is onderzocht wat mogelijkheden zijn om het invasief potentieel van geintroduceerde plantensoorten en de invasibiliteit van plantengemeenschappen in Nederland te voorspellen. Soorten zijn gebruikt die hier al geintroduceerd zijn, omdat van deze hun invasief succes bekend is. Om hun invasiviteit te kwantificeren is informatie gebruikt over de regionale en lokale verspreiding. De unieke beschikbaarheid van deze datasets voor plantensoorten in Nederland bieden nieuwe kansen, die mogelijk helpen de voorspelbaarheid van invasiviteit te verhogen, uit te leggen hoe invasiviteit van een soort kan veranderen in de tijd en hoe de samenstelling van de plantengemeenschap kan bepalen welke geintroduceerde soorten zich kunnen vestigen.
Effect of power ultrasound on the extraction of black caraway (Carum carvi L.) and evaluation of their qualitative properties using response surface methodology

Abstract In this research, ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) with two types of continuous and pulsed sonication extraction was compared with the Soxhlet method in the evaluation of qualitative traits of caraway seeds as a medicinal plant. Treatment conditions were performed at three levels of treatment (continuous and on–off levels), ultrasound power (100, 200, and 300 W), and sonication duration (10, 15, and 20min) using the response surface methodology (RSM) to compare them. Results indicated that yield of the dry extract weight and amount of ascorbic acid increased by the intensity and sonication duration directly but about DPPH radical scavenging capacity there is no direct relation, actually comparing DPPH radical scavenging capacity yields showed that it increased initially from 100W to 200 W, then from 200 to 300W, the result was reversed. It is due to the occurrence of power peaks during extraction , degradation of more and better plant matrices, and better released of the extract in low powers. Results also showed that pulsed sonication method was more effective than continuous to extraction of sensitive components.
Plasma exchange for treating anti-Yo-associated paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration

Abstract Rationale: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rare neurodegenerative syndrome associated with antibodies targeting the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Most cases of anti-Yo-associated PCD occur in females, with <20 cases reported in males. Herein, we report a male patient with anti-Yo-associated PCD who was treated with plasma exchange and achieved a favorable outcome. Patient concerns: A 64-year-old man presented with progressive ataxia, gait instability, and dysuria. Electroencephalography, electromyography, brain and spinal neuroimaging, and routine laboratory examinations were all normal. The anti-neuronal antibody Anti-Yo was detected in the serum but not in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with definite anti-Yo-associated PCD based on the clinical manifestations, anti-Yo was detected in the serum and response to treatment. Interventions: At beginning, the patient was treated with dexamethasone (10 mg/day for 10 days). Then, plasma exchange was performed. Outcomes: After treated with dexamethasone, no clinical improvement was noted in this patient. In the following month, his condition deteriorated. However, after two courses of plasma exchange, neurological examination showed marked improvement in gait. After four courses of plasma exchange, the patient could walk independently, the Romberg test was negative, and anti-Yo antibodies were undetectable. At the 6-month follow-up, the patients’ symptoms were relieved, and tests for anti-Yo antibodies remained negative. Lessons subsections: Treatment with plasma exchange for anti-Yo-associated male PCD patients without a concomitant tumor are recommend and need more studies.
The Impact of Modern Therapeutic Methods on the Oxidant-Antioxidant Equilibrium and Activities of Selected Lysosomal Enzymes and Serine Protease Inhibitor in Amateur Athletes

Deep electromagnetic stimulation (DEMS) and low-frequency ultrasound (US) are new physical therapy methods used in the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system and wound healing. They are applied locally to treat the injured tissues. The beneficial effects of these methods in supportive care have been documented, but accurate biochemical effects are not known. The goal was to assess the effect of single DEMS and US sessions on the oxidant-antioxidant equilibrium, as well as the activities of lysosomal hydrolases and α1-antitrypsin (AAT) in peripheral blood of juvenile injured amateur athletes. In the athletes with low back pain (DEMS treated, N = 16) and pain in the shoulder or ankle joint (US treated, N = 14), as well as in healthy control amateur athletes (DEMS treated, N = 14; US treated, N = 17), before the sessions and 30 minutes and 24 hours after them, the levels of the following parameters were determined: thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in erythrocytes and plasma, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) in erythrocytes, as well as acid phosphatase (AcP), arylsulfatase (ASA), cathepsin D (CTS D), and α1-antitrypsin (AAT) in serum. After both procedures, the levels of parameters changed in a negligible manner, excluding the cathepsin D activity, which was statistically significantly lower 30 min and 24 h after US in the control athletes compared to the baseline activity determined directly before the procedure (47.5% and 55.7% differences, respectively). Similar tendency was observed after DEMS (p > 0.05). The procedures, especially low-frequency US, decrease lysosomal proteolytic activity and do not significantly disrupt the oxidant-antioxidant and lysosomal equilibriums in the peripheral blood both of healthy and injured athletes. No systemic acute-phase response of AAT was also detected in the athletes after both procedures. This trial is registered with CTRI/2018/01/011344.
Mexican oregano essential oils as alternatives to butylated hydroxytoluene to improve the shelf life of ground beef

Abstract Oregano essential oils from Lippia berlandieri Schauer (Lb) and Poliomintha longiflora Gray (Pl) were tested against the antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (Bht) to evaluate effects on the shelf life of ground beef (GB) over 7 days of storage at 4°C. The treatments were GB1 = GB control, GB2 = GB +100 mg/kg of Bht, GB3 = GB +100 mg/kg of Lb, and GB4 = GB +100 mg/kg of Pl. Lightness, redness, hardness, and springiness showed differences (p < .05) between treatments and days interaction, which serve as indicators of ground beef preserved quality and consumer acceptance. Mesophilic, psychrophilic, and lactic acid bacteria numbers and antioxidant activity showed differences (p < .05) for treatments and days. Sensory attributes showed no differences between treatments. The oregano oils may provide extended shelf life for packaged meat products treated with these natural additives and hence may be used for ground beef preservation.