Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase and amplitude electroencephalography correlations change with disease progression in people with idiopathic rapid eye-movement sleep behavior disorder

Abstract Study Objectives Increased phase synchronization in electroencephalography (EEG) bands might reflect the activation of compensatory mechanisms of cognitive decline in people with neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated whether altered large-scale couplings of brain oscillations could be linked to the balancing of cognitive decline in a longitudinal cohort of people with idiopathic rapid eye-movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). Methods We analyzed 18 patients (17 males, 69.7 ± 7.5 years) with iRBD undergoing high-density EEG (HD-EEG), presynaptic dopaminergic imaging, and clinical and neuropsychological (NPS) assessments at two time points (time interval 24.2 ± 5.9 months). We thus quantified the HD-EEG power distribution, orthogonalized amplitude correlation, and weighted phase-lag index at both time points and correlated them with clinical, NPS, and imaging data. Results Four patients phenoconverted at follow-up (three cases of parkinsonism and one of dementia). At the group level, NPS scores decreased over time, without reaching statistical significance. However, alpha phase synchronization increased and delta amplitude correlations decreased significantly at follow-up compared to baseline. Both large-scale network connectivity metrics were significantly correlated with NPS scores but not with sleep quality indices or presynaptic dopaminergic imaging data. Conclusions These results suggest that increased alpha phase synchronization and reduced delta amplitude correlation may be considered electrophysiological signs of an active compensatory mechanism of cognitive impairment in people with iRBD. Large-scale functional modifications may be helpful biomarkers in the characterization of prodromal stages of alpha-synucleinopathies.
Follow-up outcomes of different bypass surgical modalities for adults with ischaemic-type moyamoya disease

Abstract Purpose The preferred surgical method for treating adults with moyamoya disease (MMD) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of different surgical methods in the treatment of adults with ischaemic-type MMD. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with ischaemic-type MMD who underwent indirect bypass (IB), direct bypass (DB), or combined bypass (CB) at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to December 2019. Postoperative complications, improvements in neurological function, haemodynamics, recurrent stroke and neovascularization were compared. Results A total of 310 adults (371 hemispheres) with ischaemic-type MMD were included in our study. Ninety, 127, and 154 hemispheres underwent IB, DB and CB, respectively. A total of 24 (6.5%) ischaemic events and 8 (2.8%) symptomatic hyperperfusion events occurred after the operations. There was no significant difference in postoperative complications among the three types of surgery (p = 0.300). During the follow-up period, there were 21 cases (5.7%) of recurrent ischaemia and 12 cases (3.2%) of recurrent haemorrhage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the ischaemia-free survival of the CB group was significantly longer than that of the IB group (p = 0.047), but there was no significant difference in haemorrhage-free survival among the three groups (p = 0.660). Six months after the operation, DB and CB were superior to IB in improving cerebral blood flow and neovascularization (p = 0.002), but there was no significant difference in the improvement of neurological function among the three groups at the last follow-up (p = 0.784). Conclusion The three surgical methods achieved satisfactory results in the treatment of ischaemic-type MMD. DB and CB can significantly improve haemodynamics and reduce recurrent stroke. In terms of improving neurological function, the curative effect of the three surgical methods remains to be further explored.
Interventions for improving treatment outcomes in adolescents on antiretroviral therapy with unsuppressed viral loads: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Adolescents represent one of the most underserved population groups among people living with HIV. With successes in the elimination of mother to child transmission initiatives and advances in paediatric HIV treatment programmes, a large population of HIV-infected children are surviving into adolescence. Adolescence presents unique challenges that increase the risk of non-suppressed viral loads in adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). There is a need to develop, implement and test interventions to improve viral suppression among ALHIV. Systematic reviews of recent studies present scarce and inconclusive evidence of effectiveness of current interventions, especially for adolescents. This protocol provides a description of a planned review of interventions to improve treatment outcomes among unsuppressed ALHIV. Methods and analysis A comprehensive search string will be used to search six bibliographic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Sabinet, EBSCOhost, CINAHL, Scopus and ScienceDirect, for relevant studies published between 2010 and 2020 globally, and grey literature. Identified articles will be exported into Mendeley Reference Management software and two independent reviewers will screen the titles, abstracts and full texts for eligibility. A third reviewer will resolve any discrepancies between the two initial reviewers. Studies reporting on interventions to improve viral suppression, retention and adherence for adolescents will be considered for inclusion. The systematic review will be performed and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols. Where feasible, a meta-analysis will be conducted using Stata Statistical Software: Release V.16. The quality of the studies and risk of bias will be assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists and Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool, respectively. Ethics and dissemination The systematic review entails abstracting and reviewing already publicly available data rather than any involvement of participants, therefore, no ethical clearance will be required. Results will be shared with relevant policy-makers, programme managers and service providers, and published and share through conferences and webinars. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021232440.
Exploring the metabolomic profile of cerebellum after exposure to acute stress

Abstract Psychological stress and stress-related disorders constitute a major health problem in modern societies. Although the brain circuits involved in emotional processing are intensively studied, little is known about the implication of cerebellum in stress responses whereas the molecular changes induced by stress exposure in cerebellum remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the effects of acute stress exposure on mouse cerebellum. We used a forced swim test (FST) paradigm as an acute stressor. We then analyzed the cerebellar metabolomic profiles of stressed (n = 11) versus control (n = 11) male CD1 mice by a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based, untargeted metabolomics approach. Our results showed altered levels of 19 out of the 47 annotated metabolites, which are implicated in neurotransmission and N-acetylaspartic acid (NAA) turnover, as well as in energy and purine/pyrimidine metabolism. We also correlated individual metabolite levels with FST behavioral parameters, and reported associations between FST readouts and levels of 4 metabolites. This work indicates an altered metabolomic signature after acute stress in the cerebellum and highlights a previously unexplored involvement of cerebellum in stress responses.
Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticle Membranes with Controllable Free Volume

Polymer-based membranes play a key role in several industrially important gas separation technologies, e.g., removing CO2 from natural gas, with enormous economic and environmental impact. Here, we develop a novel hybrid membrane construct comprised entirely of nanoparticles grafted with polymers. These membranes are shown to have broadly tunable separation performance through variations in graft density and chain length. Computer simulations show that the optimal NP packing forces the grafted polymer layer to distort, yielding regions of measurably lower polymer density. Multiple experimental probes confirm that these materials have the predicted increase in “polymer free volume”, which explains their improved separation performance. These polymer-grafted NP materials thus represent a new template for rationally designing membranes with desirable separation abilities coupled with improved aging characteristics in the glassy state and enhanced mechanical behavior.
Exploring the Use of Virtual Funerals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

The COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing limitations have had a profound impact on funeral practices and associated grieving processes. The purpose of the present scoping review is to summarize the existing literature on the emerging use of virtual funerals. Five medical databases, five social science databases, and five grey literature databases were searched, identifying 1,351 titles and abstracts, of which 62 met inclusion criteria. Four themes, each with various subthemes emerged: (a) Impact of virtual funerals on coping with death; (b) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the funeral industry; (c) Benefits and disadvantages of virtual funerals; and (d) Future implications for health and social work practitioners. Virtual funerals are an evolving resource for individuals, families, and communities to mourn in response to the interruptions to traditional grieving practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Low temperature optical constants of some hydrated sulfates relevant to planetary surfaces: LOW TEMPERATURE HYDRATED SULFATE n, k

[1] We derive optical constants (n(λ) and k(λ)) from laboratory reflectance spectra acquired at visible to near-infrared wavelengths for epsomite (MgSO4⋅7H2O), bloedite (Na2Mg(SO4)2⋅4H2O), and hexahydrite (MgSO4⋅6H2O) at both room temperature and 120 K. These hydrated sulfates are candidate surface compounds for outer solar system icy satellites such as Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, as well as Mars. Our results permit quantitative abundance modeling of Galileo, Cassini-Huygens, New Horizons, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Express, and future mission spacecraft observations leading to better interpretation of these objects' surface and interior geological processes and histories.
Individual differences in neurocognitive aging in outbred male and female long-evans rats.

Individual differences in biology as well as experience and exposures throughout life may contribute risk or resilience to neurocognitive decline in aging. To investigate the role of sex as a biological variable in cognitive function due to normal aging, we used substantial cohorts of healthy male and female aged outbred rats maintained under similar conditions throughout life to assess whether both sexes display a similar distribution of individual differences in behavioral performance using a water maze task optimized to assess hippocampal-dependent cognition in aging. We found both aged male and female rats performed poorer than young adults overall, but with no performance differences between sex in either young adults or aged groups in memory probe tests. In addition, aged male and female rats had similar distributions of individual differences such that the same proportion of male and female performed on par with (intact memory) or outside of (impaired memory) the benchmark of young rats of their respective sex. The data support the use of this outbred model with biological diversity to study the neurobiology of aging trajectories for variation in cognitive outcomes in both male and females. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Effects of different calibration schedules on the test-retest differences of nasalance scores obtained with the Nasometer 6450

ABSTRACT Nasometry is used to assess nasality in speech but it is unclear whether overly frequent recalibration of the instrument adds measurement errors. The goal of the present research study was to describe the effect of the Nasometer 6450 calibration on the nasalance scores of repeated recordings. In a first experiment, the Nasometer calibration values stored in the computer’s registry were manipulated to investigate the impact on nasalance scores. In the second experiment, a set of pre-recorded speech samples was re-recorded 40 times with a Nasometer 6450 in 4 different calibration regimens: Short-term repeated recordings without (R1) and with recalibration (R2C), and long-term repeated recordings over 10 days without (R3) and with recalibration (R4C). The first experiment showed that, compared to a calibration value of 1.0, a value of 0.9 resulted in nasalance scores that were on average 3 points lower while a calibration value of 1.1 resulted in scores that were 0.5 points higher. The results of the second experiment showed test-retest differences of less than 2 nasalance points for 91% of the data for a non-nasal stimulus. For a nasal stimulus, 91% of data were within 5 points for R3 and R4C. The results suggested that frequent recalibration of the Nasometer may slightly increase test-retest differences of nasalance scores. An alternative procedure for verifying microphone balance without recalibration is suggested.
Amorphous MOF Introduced N-Doped Graphene: An Efficient and Versatile Electrocatalyst for Zinc–Air Battery and Water Splitting

Recently, developing metal–organic framework (MOF) derived carbon-based electrocatalysts has become more and more popular for large-scale application of renewable energy devices. However, the rational conversion of MOFs into a versatile platform for high-efficiency catalyst is still very challenging. Moreover, the relationship between the crystallinity of MOF precursor and the catalytic activity of resultant carbon-based catalyst is still not well-understood. In this work, a strategy for the synthesis of sheet-like mesoporous nitrogen-doped graphene (MNG) derived from amorphous MOFs is demonstrated. The amorphous MOF derived MNG showed much higher catalytic activity than that of nitrogen-doped carbon (MNC) derived from highly crystallized MOFs. This rationally designed MNG catalyst served as a multifunctional electrode in a zinc–air battery and a water splitting device, both of which showed electrocatalytic performance superior to those of platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts. The characterization analysi.
Feeding Volatiles of Larval Sparganothis pilleriana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Attract Heterospecific Adults of the European Grapevine Moth

Abstract Plants release volatiles in response to caterpillar feeding. These herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) attract natural enemies of the herbivores and repel or attract conspecific adult herbivores in a tri-trophic interaction which has been considered to be an indirect plant defense against herbivores. Recently, we demonstrated the attraction of male and female European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to a blend of phenylacetonitrile and acetic acid, two compounds identified as HIPVs in heterospecific apple-leafroller interactions. The ecological basis of our findings is not clearly understood. Thus, this work was undertaken to investigate HIPVs in the grapevine-leafroller interaction and study the response of heterospecific adults L. botrana, to these volatiles. We collected headspace volatiles emitted from uninfested grapevines and grapevines infested with larvae of a generalist herbivore, the grapevine leafroller moth, Sparganothis pilleriana (Denis & Schiffermüller), and analyzed them using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Infested grape leaves released three compounds (phenylacetonitrile, indole, and 2-phenylethanol) not found from uninfested leaves. Nine different blends, comprising a full factorial set of the three compounds with each blend containing acetic acid, were tested in a field-cagetrial. Only lures containing phenylacetonitrile caused a significant increase in trap catches compared to the other lures and blank traps. Electroantennographic tests show that L. botrana can detect the compounds. The results confirm our hypothesis that phenylacetonitrile is released during grapevines infestation with herbivores, and attracts adult L. botrana. Graphical Abstract
Toward a mechanistic understanding of DNA binding by forkhead transcription factors and its perturbation by pathogenic mutations

Abstract Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are an evolutionarily conserved family of transcription factors that play numerous regulatory roles in eukaryotes during developmental and adult life. Dysfunction of FOX proteins has been implicated in a variety of human diseases, including cancer, neurodevelopment disorders and genetic diseases. The FOX family members share a highly conserved DNA-binding domain (DBD), which is essential for DNA recognition, binding and function. Since the first FOX structure was resolved in 1993, >30 FOX structures have been reported to date. It is clear now that the structure and DNA recognition mechanisms vary among FOX members; however, a systematic review on this aspect is lacking. In this manuscript, we present an overview of the mechanisms by which FOX transcription factors bind DNA, including protein structures, DNA binding properties and disease-causing mutations. This review should enable a better understanding of FOX family transcription factors for basic researchers and clinicians.
Large‐Area Pixelized Optoelectronic Neuromorphic Devices with Multispectral Light‐Modulated Bidirectional Synaptic Circuits

The complete hardware implementation of an optoelectronic neuromorphic computing system is considered as one of the most promising solutions to realize energy‐efficient artificial intelligence. Here, a fully light‐driven and scalable optoelectronic neuromorphic circuit with metal‐chalcogenide/metal‐oxide heterostructure phototransistor and photovoltaic divider is proposed. To achieve wavelength‐selective neural operation and hardware‐based pattern recognition, multispectral light modulated bidirectional synaptic circuits are utilized as an individual pixel for highly accurate and large‐area neuromorphic computing system. The wavelength selective control of photo‐generated charges at the heterostructure interface enables the bidirectional synaptic modulation behaviors including the excitatory and inhibitory modulations. More importantly, a 7 × 7 neuromorphic pixel circuit array is demonstrated to show the viability of implementing highly accurate hardware‐based pattern training. In both the pixel training and pattern recognition simulation, the neuromorphic circuit array with the bidirectional synaptic modulation exhibits lower training errors and higher recognition rates, respectively.
Electronic properties of palladium diselenide by density functional theory

The knowledge of the structural and electronic properties of a material is important in various applications such as optoelectronics and thermoelectric devices. In this study, we are using full potential linearized augmented plane wave method framed within density functional theory provided by WIEN2k to optimize the structure of PdSe 2 in orthorhombic (Pbca) phase and calculate its electronic properties. With the implementation of local density approximation (LDA), Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof parameterization of generalized gradient approximation (PBE-GGA), Wu-Cohen parameterization of GGA (WC-GGA), and PBE correction for solid GGA (PBEsol-GGA), the computed results of lattice constants are found to be within 5% error with the experiment data. Also, our calculated indirect band gap energy was found to be ~0.24 eV by LDA along with modified Becke-Johnson potential functional (mBJ) with experimental lattice constants and ~0.52 eV by using PBE-GGA with optimized lattice constants. However, the effect of spin-orbit coupling is not found too much on the band gap energy. By analyzing the partial density of states, we identify that d-orbital of Pd is demonstrating a slightly more significant contribution to both the valence and conduction band near to Fermi level which is also in agreement with the previous first principles study.
Sleep apnea severity based on estimated tidal volume and snoring features from tracheal signals

Sleep apnea can be characterized by reductions in the respiratory tidal volume. Previous studies showed that the tidal volume can be estimated from tracheal sounds and movements called tracheal signals. Additionally, tracheal sounds include the sounds of snoring, a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. This study investigates the feasibility of estimating the severity of sleep apnea, as quantified by the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), using the estimated tidal volume and snoring sounds extracted from tracheal signals. Tracheal signals were recorded simultaneously with polysomnography (PSG). The tidal volume was estimated from tracheal signals. The reductions in the tidal volume were detected as potential respiratory events. Additionally, features related to snoring sounds, which quantified variability, temporal clusters, and dominant frequency of snores, were extracted. A step‐wise regression model and a greedy search algorithm were used sequentially to select the optimal set of features to estimate the apnea/hypopnea index and classify participants into healthy individuals and patients with sleep apnea. Sixty‐one participants with suspected sleep apnea (age: 51 ± 16, body mass index: 29.5 ± 6.4 kg/m2, apnea/hypopnea index: 20.2 ± 21.2 event/h) who were referred for a sleep test were recruited. The estimated apnea/hypopnea index was strongly correlated with the polysomnography‐based apnea/hypopnea index (R2 = 0.76, p < 0.001). The accuracy of detecting sleep apnea for the apnea/hypopnea index cutoff of 15 events/h was 78.69% and 83.61% with and without using snore‐related features. These findings suggest that acoustic estimation of airflow and snore‐related features can provide a convenient and reliable method for screening of sleep apnea.
Whole-Genome Sequences of SARS-CoV-2 Isolates from Ethiopian Patients

Three complete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from Ethiopian patients were compared with deposited global genomes. Two genomes belonged to genetic group 20A/B.1/GH, and the other belonged to genetic group 20A/B.1. 480/GH. Enhancing genomic capacity is important to investigate the transmission and to monitor the evolution and mutational patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in this country. ABSTRACT Three complete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from Ethiopian patients were compared with deposited global genomes. Two genomes belonged to genetic group 20A/B.1/GH, and the other belonged to genetic group 20A/B.1. 480/GH. Enhancing genomic capacity is important to investigate the transmission and to monitor the evolution and mutational patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in this country.