Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep brain stimulation in essential tremor: targets, technology, and a comprehensive review of clinical outcomes

ABSTRACT Introduction: Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder with an estimated prevalence of 0.9% worldwide. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for medication refractory and debilitating tremor. With the arrival of next generation technology, the implementation and delivery of DBS has been rapidly evolving. This review will highlight the current applications and constraints for DBS in ET. Areas covered: The mechanism of action, targets for neuromodulation, next generation guidance techniques, symptom-specific applications, and long-term efficacy will be reviewed. Expert opinion: The posterior subthalamic area and zona incerta are alternative targets to thalamic DBS in ET. However, they may be associated with additional stimulation-induced side effects. Novel stimulation paradigms and segmented electrodes provide innovative approaches to DBS programming and stimulation-induced side effects.
Neurophysiological and emotional influences on team communication and metacognitive cyber situational awareness during a cyber engineering exercise

Background: Cyber operations unfold at superhuman speeds where cyber defense decisions are based on human-to-human communication aiming to achieve a shared cyber situational awareness. The recently proposed Orient, Locate, Bridge (OLB) model suggests a three-phase metacognitive approach for successful communication of cyber situational awareness for good cyber defense decision-making. Successful OLB execution implies applying cognitive control to coordinate self-referential and externally directed cognitive processes. In the brain, this is dependent on the frontoparietal control network and its connectivity to the default mode network. Emotional reactions may increase default mode network activity and reduce attention allocation to analytical processes resulting in sub-optimal decision-making. Vagal tone is an indicator of activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal node of the frontoparietal control network and is associated with functional connectivity between the frontoparietal control network and the default mode network. Aim: The aim of the present study was to assess whether indicators of neural activity relevant to the processes outlined by the OLB model were related to outcomes hypothesized by the model. Methods: Cyber cadets (N = 36) enrolled in a 3-day cyber engineering exercise organized by the Norwegian Defense Cyber Academy participated in the study. Differences in prospective metacognitive judgments of cyber situational awareness, communication demands, and mood were compared between cyber cadets with high and low vagal tone. Vagal tone was measured at rest prior to the exercise. Affective states, communication demands, cyber situational awareness, and metacognitive accuracy were measured on each day of the exercise. Results: We found that cyber cadets with higher vagal tone had better metacognitive judgments of cyber situational awareness, imposed fewer communication demands on their teams, and had more neutral moods compared to cyber cadets with lower vagal tone. Conclusion: These findings provide neuroergonomic support for the OLB model and suggest that it may be useful in education and training. Future studies should assess the effect of OLB-ing as an intervention on communication and performance.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Long noncoding RNA LINC00657 enhances the malignancy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by acting as a competing endogenous RNA on microRNA-433 to increase PAK4 expression

Statement of Retraction We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Cell Cycle, have retracted the following article: Shasha Bi, Yan Wang, Hu Feng & Qingchang Li (2020) Long noncoding RNA LINC00657 enhances the malignancy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by acting as a competing endogenous RNA on microRNA-433 to increase PAK4 expression, Cell Cycle, 19:7, 801-816, DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2020. 1731645 Since publication, the authors informed us that ethical approval for the tumor xenograft experiments in mice reported in this article, had not been obtained from their institutional ethics committee. As this is a breach of research ethics requirements, the authors, Editor and Publisher have all agreed to retract the article to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.
Effects of thiamine treatment on oxidative stress in experimental diabetes.

AIM Hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and hyperlipidemia are features of diabetes mellitus. Thiamine has beneficial effects on carbohydrate metabolism and it was proposed that this vitamin has antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects. Our aim was to investigate the effects of thiamine on oxidative stress and metabolic changes in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. METHOD Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ. Thiamine (6 mg/kg) was added to drinking water for five weeks. The rats were divided into four groups: control rats; thiamine treated control rats; diabetic rats; thiamine treated diabetic rats. Plasma and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry, respectively. Paraoxonase (PON) and arylesterase (AE) activities were measured with spectrophotometric methods, and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined using commercial kits. RESULTS Thiamine treatment reduced plasma and tissue MDA levels, serum glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and increased serum high density lipoprotein- cholesterol and insulin levels, serum PON and AE, erythrocyte SOD and blood GSH-Px activities. CONCLUSION Thiamine significantly improves oxidative stress and has hyperinsulinemic and antihyperlipidemic effects so we suggest that thiamine might be used as a supportive therapeutic agent in diabetes (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 53).
Fetal ovine skeletal and cardiac muscle transcriptomics are differentially altered by increased maternal cortisol during gestation.

We have previously found that in utero exposure to excess maternal cortisol (1mg/kg/day) in late gestation, increases the incidence of stillbirth during labor and produces fetal bradycardia at birth. In the interventricular septum, mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) was decreased, and transcriptomics and metabolomics were consistent with altered mitochondrial metabolism. The present study uses transcriptomics to model effects of increased maternal cortisol on fetal biceps femoris. Transcriptomic modelling revealed that pathways related to mitochondrial metabolism were downregulated, whereas pathways for regulation of reactive oxygen species and activation of the apoptotic cascade were upregulated. Mt-DNA and the protein levels of cytochrome C were significantly decreased in the biceps femoris. RT- PCR validation of the pathways confirmed a significant decrease in SLC2A4 mRNA levels, and a significant increase in PDK4, TXNIP, ANGPTL4 mRNA levels, suggesting that insulin sensitivity of the biceps femoris muscle may be reduced in CORT offspring. We also tested for changes in gene expression in diaphragm by rt-PCR. PDK4, TXNIP and ANGPTL4 mRNA were also increased in the diaphragm, but SLC2A4, cytochrome C protein and mt-DNA were unchanged. Comparison of the change in gene expression in biceps femoris to that in cardiac interventricular septum and left ventricle showed few common genes, and little overlap in specific metabolic or signaling pathways, despite reduction in mt-DNA in both heart and biceps femoris. Our results suggest that glucocorticoid exposure alters expression of nuclear genes important to mitochondrial activity and oxidative stress in both cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues, but that these effects are tissue-specific.
Exogenous follistatin administration ameliorates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury through anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis effects.

OBJECTIVES This study was aimed to explore the effects of follistatin on cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction, histopathological changes, apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative damage in rats. BACKGROUND Follistatin plays an important role in the developmental and regeneration processes of kidney by blocking the actions of activin, which is a member of transforming growth factor-β superfamily. METHODS Twenty seven rats were separated into 4 equal groups: Control, Cp (cisplatin, 6 mg/kg, intrapertoneally (ip)), F1 (cisplatin + 1 µg/day follistatin ip for 4 consecutive days) and F4 (cisplatin + 4 µg/day follistatin ip single dose) groups. Renal health was monitored by blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and histological analysis. Apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress was investigated in kidney tissue. Activin A levels in serum and kidney were evaluated as well. RESULTS Follistatin administration showed a considerable nephroprotective effect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by preventing renal functional and structural abnormalities, apoptosis and inflammation. The activin A levels in both serum and kidney were also suppressed by follistatin administration. CONCLUSION Exogenous follistatin ameliorates acute kidney injury, by blocking activin A. The renoprotective effect of follistatin against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity appears to be associated with its anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and direct nephroprotective actions (Tab. 1, Fig. 7, Ref. 23).
Metabolic regulation of stress erythropoiesis, outstanding questions, and possible paradigms

Steady state erythropoiesis produces new erythrocytes at a constant rate to replace the senescent cells that are removed by macrophages in the liver and spleen. However, infection and tissue damage disrupt the production of erythrocytes by steady state erythropoiesis. During these times, stress erythropoiesis is induced to compensate for the loss of erythroid output. The strategy of stress erythropoiesis is different than steady state erythropoiesis. Stress erythropoiesis generates a wave of new erythrocytes to maintain homeostasis until steady state conditions are resumed. Stress erythropoiesis relies on the rapid proliferation of immature progenitor cells that do not differentiate until the increase in serum Erythropoietin (Epo) promotes the transition to committed progenitors that enables their synchronous differentiation. Emerging evidence has revealed a central role for cell metabolism in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of stress erythroid progenitors. During the initial expansion stage, the immature progenitors are supported by extensive metabolic changes which are designed to direct the use of glucose and glutamine to increase the biosynthesis of macromolecules necessary for cell growth and division. At the same time, these metabolic changes act to suppress the expression of genes involved in erythroid differentiation. In the subsequent transition stage, changes in niche signals alter progenitor metabolism which in turn removes the inhibition of erythroid differentiation generating a bolus of new erythrocytes to alleviate anemia. This review summarizes what is known about the metabolic regulation of stress erythropoiesis and discusses potential mechanisms for metabolic regulation of proliferation and differentiation.
Three-dimensional vs two-dimensional laparoscopic gastric bypass for manual gastrojejunal anastomosis: A prospective and randomized trial.

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the total procedure time and task-specific execution time in gastric bypass using a three-dimensional (3D) versus two-dimensional (2D) imaging system. Materials and methods This study was a prospective and randomized clinical trial. Forty obese patients were randomized into two groups: gastric bypass with 3D imaging system or with conventional 2D system. The primary endpoint was operative time during manual gastrojejunal anastomosis. Data collection was carried out on demographics, comorbidities, operative time in three stages, and complications. The same surgeon performed all surgeries. Two patients were excluded because technical issues were encountered for viewing their videos during the trial. Results A total of 20 patients in the Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass (LGB) 3D group and 18 in the LGB 2D group were analyzed. There were no significant differences in the pre-operative data. The average procedure time was 16.5 min lower in the 3D group versus the 2D group. Execution time for specific tasks was not statistically significant, except for the gastrojejunal anastomosis, which is routinely performed as a manual anastomosis in our surgery group. There was no complication intra- or post-operative. Conclusions The use of a 3D imaging system for laparoscopic gastric bypass was associated with a shorter total operative time, especially for the hand-sewn gastrojejunal anastomosis, compared with the 2D imaging system. Objetivo Comparar el tiempo total del procedimiento y de tareas específicas en bypass gástrico laparoscópico (BGL) utilizando sistemas de imagen 3D y 2D.
Non-convex Phase Retrieval of Low-Rank Matrix Columns

We study the problem of recovering a low-rank matrix, X , from phaseless measurements of random linear projections of its columns. In earlier work, we introduced a novel solution approach, called AltMinTrunc, that consisted of a two-step truncated spectral initialization step, followed by a three-step alternating minimization algorithm. In this work, we obtain high probability sample complexity bounds for the AltMinTrunc initialization to provide a good approximation of the true X for a specific class of random matrices X . When the rank of X is low enough, these are significantly smaller than what existing single vector phase retrieval algorithms need.
Procedural Learning Improves Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered a neurodegenerative disease and an inflammatory demyelinating neuropathology in young population. Procedural memory has been poorly investigated in MS. Objective: We assessed whether the MS group was able to develop a motor-cognitive skill, using a procedural task (PLSC) developed in our laboratory, applying a manual and serial reaction time (RT) paradigm to semantic categorization. Methods: We evaluated 26 MS patients and 26 socio-demographic matched control participants using the PLSC task. Results: Using non-parametric statistical analyses, we observed a significant improvement of semantic categorization RTs with practice (p = 0.002), even with new verbal material to categorize in MS patients (p = 0.006), despite their motor and executive moderate deficits. This same profile of semantic procedural learning in MS was observed in previous studies carried out with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Moreover, the visual-motor RTs remained stable or slightly improved over the five blocks in both groups, as well as in the AD groups of previous studies. The MS group showed longer visual-motor reaction times than those of the control group (p < 0.042), except in motor initiation aspect (p = 0.064). Both groups showed no significant differences for any type of error. Additionally, disability level and cognitive performances were not associated with the ratio of semantic procedural learning. Conclusion: The present results support the notion that MS patients may be capable of acquiring semantic skill, despite their motor disabilities and executive troubles. This work also addresses the possibilities to improve motor-cognitive skill RTs in neurodegenerative diseases.
Benefits of hypothermia in neonatal arterial ischemic strokes: A preclinical study

There is currently no targeted treatment available for neonatal arterial ischemic strokes (NAIS). Epidemiological studies demonstrated that perinatal infection/inflammation, peripartum hypoxia, and occlusion of the internal carotid tree are the main determinants of NAIS. The well‐established benefit of therapeutic hypothermia (HT) in neonatal encephalopathy due to diffuse hypoxia‐ischemia provides a rationale for the potential use of HT as a neuroprotective strategy in NAIS.
Association of Hospital Readmissions and Survivability With Frailty and Palliative Performance Scores Among Long-Term Care Residents

Background: Frailty and palliative performance scores are 2 markers used in the measurement of functional decline in oncology and hospice care. Objective: To evaluate the frailty and palliative performance scores of a long-term care resident community and determine whether frailty and palliative performance scores can predict hospital readmissions (HR) and survivability of the long-term care resident. Methods: One hundred seventy-one long-term care residents from 2 urban facilities were evaluated for functional decline using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). Sociodemographic, HR, and survival data for 1 year from study initiation were recorded. Results: The 171 long-term care residents, of lower socioeconomic status, primarily Medicare/Medicaid or dual-eligible, evaluated for functional decline using the CFS and PPS, had mean age of 73.1 years, 52.6% female, 94.7% African American, with 18.1% having HR and 87.1% surviving more than a year. There was a negative association between age and HR (P = .384). Among functional evaluation scales, CFS was positively associated with age (P = .013) but not PPS (P = .673). The residents scored 6.0 ± 1.2 on CFS and 52.8 ± 13.2 on PPS (%) with those residents readmitted to hospital having poorer outcomes. Readmission to hospital and survivability of the long-term care resident were both strongly associated with CFS (P = .001) and PPS (P = .001). Conclusion: There is a strong association between the 2 markers used in the measurement of functional decline—Frailty measured by CFS and Palliative Performance Score measured by PPS. Frailty and palliative performance scores can strongly predict HR and survivability of the long-term care resident.
Effect of reference region size on strain measurements using geometrical phase analysis

Geometrical phase analysis (GPA) is typically a powerful tool to investigate the deformation in high resolution transmission electron microscopy images and has been used in various fields. During GPA, strain components are calculated relative to an undistorted reference region. In the present work, the effect of reference region size on strain measurements has been investigated. Experimental measurements on a locally distorted gold nanoparticle exhibited that a small reference region below the GPA spatial resolution can introduce an inaccuracy in the measured displacement field, which appears as a significant increase in measured strains and severe fluctuation in phase images. The inaccuracy may be ascribed to an error of insufficient sampling. Our results suggest that a small reference region below the GPA spatial resolution should be avoided during GPA. This prerequisite should be paid more attention to during strain measurement on nanoparticles.
Racial discrimination, ethnic-racial socialization, and cultural identities among Asian American youths.

OBJECTIVES This study investigates whether and how racial discrimination is associated with ethnic-racial socialization in the family and how distinct aspects of ethnic-racial socialization influence children's ethnic and American identity among Filipino American and Korean American families. METHOD The data are obtained from the Midwest Longitudinal Study of Asian American Families Project (N = 1,580; 379 Filipino American youths and 377 parents, and 410 Korean American youths and 414 parents; Mage of youths = 15.01). Using the bootstrapping and maximum likelihood with missing values approaches, we conducted path analyses to test the hypothesized associations concurrently and longitudinally for each ethnic group. RESULTS Youth-reported racial discrimination was directly associated with weaker American identity, both concurrently and longitudinally. In concurrent models, racial discrimination experienced by both youth and parents was positively associated with youth-reported preparation for bias, which in turn was linked with stronger ethnic identity among Filipinos, whereas no indirect pathways reached statistical significance among Koreans. In longitudinal models, parent-reported discrimination was linked with higher levels of promotion of mistrust among both groups, which predicted weaker ethnic identity among Filipino youth but stronger American identity among Korean youth. CONCLUSIONS The present study highlights how exposure to racial discrimination may have a lasting influence in cultural identity development among Asian Americans and possibly through ethnic-racial socialization in the family, which might have been shaped by such experiences. Our results also underscore the importance of considering the experiences of both children and parents in studies of discrimination and ethnic-racial socialization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Transgenic mouse model exhibiting weak red fluorescence before and strong green fluorescence after Cre/loxP-mediated recombination

The Cre/loxP system is an indispensable tool for temporal and spatial control of gene function in mice. Many mice that express Cre and carry loxP sites in their genomes have been bred for functional analysis of various genes in vivo. Also, several reporter mice have been generated for monitoring of recombination by the Cre/loxP system. We have developed a Cre reporter gene with DsRed1 and Venus that exhibits a strong red fluorescence before and a strong green fluorescence after Cre/loxP-mediated recombination in experiments using NIH3T3 cells. However, a transgenic mouse introduced with the same reporter gene exhibits a weak red fluorescence before and a strong green fluorescence after Cre/loxP-mediated recombination. This property manifested ubiquitously in this mouse model and was maintained stably in mouse-derived fibroblasts. Use of the mouse model exhibiting the stronger red fluorescence might result in confusion of the Cre-dependent signal with false signals, because the Venus signal includes some fluorescence in the red region of the spectrum and the DsRed1 signal includes some fluorescence in the green region. However, we fortuitously obtained reporter mice that exhibit a weaker red fluorescence before Cre/loxP-mediated recombination. The use of this mouse model would decrease concern regarding errors in the identification of signals and should increase certainty in the detection of Cre activity in vivo.
Predicting Obstructive Sleep Apnea Status With the Reflux Symptom Index in a Sleep Study Population

Otolaryngologic symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and their diagnostic utility are not well studied. We aimed to elucidate the prevalence of otolaryngologic symptoms among patients being evaluated for OSA. Given findings that the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI) was strongly associated with OSA status, we evaluated the diagnostic utility of the RSI for predicting OSA status.