Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
From manual to artificial intelligence fitting: Two cochlear implant case studies

Objective: To assess whether CI programming by means of a software application using artificial intelligence (AI), FOX®, may improve cochlear implant (CI) performance. Patients: Two adult CI recipients who had mixed auditory results with their manual fitting were selected for an AI-assisted fitting. Even after 17 months CI experience and 19 manual fitting sessions, the first subject hadn’t developed open set word recognition. The second subject, after 9 months of manual fitting, had developed good open set word recognition, but his scores remained poor at soft and loud presentation levels. Main outcome measure(s): Cochlear implant fitting parameters, pure tone thresholds, bisyllabic word recognition, phonemic discrimination scores and loudness scaling curves. Results: For subject 1, a first approach trying to optimize the home maps by means of AI-proposed adaptations was not successful whereas a second approach based on the use of Automaps (an AI approach based on universal, i.e. population based group statistics) during 3 months allowed the development of open set word recognition. For subject 2, the word recognition scores improved at soft and loud intensities with the AI suggestions. The AI-suggested modifications seem to be atypical. Conclusions: The two case studies illustrate that adults implanted with manual CI fitting may experience an improvement in their auditory results with AI-assisted fitting.
Cardiac influence of the β3-adrenoceptor in the goldfish (Carassius auratus): a protective role under hypoxia?

ABSTRACT The goldfish (Carassius auratus) exhibits a remarkable capacity to survive and remain active under prolonged and severe hypoxia, making it a good model for studying cardiac function when oxygen availability is a limiting factor. Under hypoxia, the goldfish heart increases its performance, representing a putative component of hypoxia tolerance; however, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of β3-adrenoreceptors (ARs) in the mechanisms that modulate goldfish heart performance along with the impact of oxygen levels. By western blotting analysis, we found that the goldfish heart expresses β3-ARs, and this expression increases under hypoxia. The effects of β3-AR stimulation were analysed by using an ex vivo working heart preparation. Under normoxia, the β3-AR-selective agonist BRL37344 (10−12 to 10−7 mol l−1) elicited a concentration-dependent increase of contractility that was abolished by a specific β3-AR antagonist (SR59230A; 10−8 mol l−1), but not by α/β1/β2-AR inhibitors (phentolamine, nadolol and ICI118,551; 10−7 mol l−1). Under acute hypoxia, BRL37344 did not affect goldfish heart performance. However, SR59230A, but not phentolamine, nadolol or ICI118,551, abolished the time-dependent enhancement of contractility that characterizes the hypoxic goldfish heart. Under both normoxia and hypoxia, adenylate cyclase and cAMP were found to be involved in the β3-AR-dependent downstream transduction pathway. In summary, we show the presence of functional β3-ARs in the goldfish heart, whose activation modulates basal performance and contributes to a hypoxia-dependent increase of contractility. Summary: β3-ARs are expressed in the goldfish heart with a role in the modulation of cardiac performance under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions.
Effectiveness of a multifactorial context-enhancing functional therapy to promote functional arm use and recovery of stroke survivors: study protocol for a clinical trial

Introduction After a stroke, 55% of survivors do not regain the ability to completely use their arm in daily life functioning. Currently, evidence-based guidelines recommend functional training for improving the affected hand after stroke. However, promoting an optimal quantity and quality of functional training is influenced by personal and environmental contextual factors. Studies that comprehensively target multiple factors regulating arm use are limited. This study compares the effects of functional training to multifactorial context-enhancing functional training program for improving functional arm use and recovery after stroke. Methods and analysis This is a protocol for an observer-blinded, two parallel groups, randomised controlled trial. A total of 126 community-dwelling subacute and chronic stroke survivors will be included in the study. A tailor-made multifactorial context-enhancing intervention-incorporating education, environmental enrichment and behaviour change techniques to reinforce functional training will be provided to the experimental group. The functional training group will be provided with functional exercises. The intervention will be delivered for 2 months. The primary outcomes of functional arm use and recovery will be measured using Motor Activity Log, Goal Attainment Scale and Rating of Everyday Arm-use in the Community and Home scale. The secondary outcomes of arm motor impairment and function will be measured using Fugl-Meyer upper limb score, Action Research Arm Test, ABILHAND questionnaire and Stroke Impact Scale. These will be measured at three points in time: before, after 2 months and after 1-month follow-up. The outcome measures will be analysed using one-way analysis of variance and regression analysis will be performed to identify factors limiting optimal task practice. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, India. Participants will sign a written informed consent prior to participation. The results will be published on completion of the trial and communicated to community-dwelling stroke survivors. Trial registration number CTRI/2017/10/010108
Rationally designed trimetallic Prussian blue analogues on LDH/Ni foam for high performance supercapacitors.

Rational design of a Prussian blue analogue (PBA)@Ni-Co layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) nanocomposite electrode material is vitally important for synthesizing high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. In this work, such nanocomposite electrode materials were successfully fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method. Firstly, three-dimensional (3D) regulated NiCo-LDH nanosheets with high interlayer space were grown on nickel foam under mild synthetic conditions. Then these nanosheets as a precursor were in situ converted into the target PBA@NiCo-LDH/NF nanocomposite electrode by a facile thermal ion-exchange reaction with potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)6]). A series of PBA@NiCo-LDH/NF nanocomposite electrodes were fabricated with different ratios of Ni and Co and reaction temperatures. Their structures and morphologies were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrochemical investigation reveals that the PBA@Ni0.4Co0. 6-LDH electrode exhibits the best electrochemical performance with an area specific capacitance of 2004.26 mF cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2, which is much higher (about three times) than the properties of each single component. All results demonstrate that (1) high-performance composite electrodes can be effectively fabricated and (2) fabrication of such composites is highly necessary and important.
Pathologic Features of the Intervertebral Disc in Young Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers Confirms Chondrodystrophy Degenerative Phenotype Associated With Genotype

Chondrodystrophy results in predictable and progressive biochemical and structural changes to the intervertebral disc, resulting in early onset degeneration and dystrophic mineralization of the disc. Accelerated degeneration and mineralization of the intervertebral disc are common in multiple dog breeds and can result in compromised function, herniation, pain, and a variety of neurological sequelae. A mutation responsible for chondrodystrophy in dogs has been identified as an aberrant fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) retrogene insertion on chromosome 12 (CFA12) and is associated with short stature of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Segregation of the CFA12 FGF4 retrogene in this dog breed provides an opportunity to examine the effect of retrogene presence on radiographic and histologic appearance of chondrodystrophic disc degeneration within a single breed. Here we found that in the intervertebral discs isolated from 2 dogs with the CFA12 FGF4 genotype, the nucleus pulposus was largely replaced by cartilaginous tissue, and physaliferous notochordal cells were rarely if ever identified. These findings are in contrast to the normal histologic findings in 2 breed-matched dogs lacking the mutation. The findings are consistent with premature chondroid degeneration of the intervertebral disc and suggest that the presence of the CFA12 FGF4 retrogene is sufficient to cause the chondrodystrophic phenotype.
Compromised liver functions during the breeding period of clinically healthy Holstein cows.

Background The sub-clinical carry-over effects of post-partum (PP) conditions and the problems independent of parturition may affect the cows' performance during the breeding period. Aims It was hypothesized that some mid-lactation cows may have compromised liver functions and calculating liver activity index (LAI; -1.5 to +1.5) may be helpful in detecting such conditions. Methods Plasma lipid and protein profiles, retinol and ceruloplasmin were measured in 37 Holstein cows on days 60, 90, and 120 PP. Liver activity index was calculated using the measures of cholesterol, albumin and retinol. The results were interpreted using some health and performance indices. Results The mean LAI was 0.00 ± 0.61. Sixteen cows (45.7%) were LAI‾ and 19 cows (54.3%) were LAI+. In LAI+ cows the concentrations of cholesterol and albumin were unchanged, but in LAI‾ cows both of them increased through the study (P<0.05). Greater concentrations of low density lipoproteins (LDL) (P<0.01) and lower concentrations of γ- and total globulins (P<0.05; day 60) were detected in LAI+ cows. Ceruloplasmin was not different between the LAI groups with the highest level on day 90. Cholesterol had the strongest and the most repeated correlations with LAI during the study. The correlation of albumin with LAI faded on day 120 and vitamin A had a relationship only on day 60 PP. Triglycerides (TGs), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) (day 60) and LDL (days 60 and 90) had positive correlations with LAI. All globulin fractions showed negative correlations with LAI on day 60. Seventy percent of the cows without endometritis (day 30 PP) and 33% of the infected cows were LAI+ during the breeding period. About 79% of the cows with body condition score (BCS) loss ≤0.75 (day 60) and 38% of the cows with BCS loss >0.75 were LAI+ during the breeding period. Conclusion Compromised liver functions may exist in dairy cows during the breeding period and may be detected by calculating LAI. The relationship of LAI during the progressed lactation with herd's performance needs to be investigated.
Accounting for the Nutritional Context to Correctly Interpret Results from Studies of Exercise and Sedentary Behavior

There is a wealth of research lauding the benefits of exercise to oppose cardiometabolic disease such as diabetes, CVD and hypertension. However, in the great majority of these studies, the nutritional context (energy balance, deficit, or surplus) has been ignored, despite its profound effect on responses to both exercise and inactivity. Even a minor energy deficit or surplus can strongly modulate the magnitude and duration of the metabolic responses to an intervention; therefore, failure to account for this important confounding variable obscures clear interpretation of the results from studies of exercise or inactivity. The aim of this review is to highlight key lessons from studies examining the interaction between exercise and sedentary behavior, energy status, and glucose and insulin regulation. In addition to identifying notable problems, we suggest a few potential solutions.
Lessons from One Fastidious Bacterium to Another: What Can We Learn about Liberibacter Species from Xylella fastidiosa

Huanglongbing is causing economic devastation to the citrus industry in Florida, and threatens the industry everywhere the bacterial pathogens in the Candidatus Liberibacter genus and their insect vectors are found. Bacteria in the genus cannot be cultured and no durable strategy is available for growers to control plant infection or pathogen transmission. However, scientists and grape growers were once in a comparable situation after the emergence of Pierce’s disease, which is caused by Xylella fastidiosa and spread by its hemipteran insect vector. Proactive quarantine and vector control measures coupled with interdisciplinary data-driven science established control of this devastating disease and pushed the frontiers of knowledge in the plant pathology and vector biology fields. Our review highlights the successful strategies used to understand and control X. fastidiosa and their potential applicability to the liberibacters associated with citrus greening, with a focus on the interactions between bacterial pathogen and insect vector. By placing the study of Candidatus Liberibacter spp. within the current and historical context of another fastidious emergent plant pathogen, future basic and applied research to develop control strategies can be prioritized.
Entamoeba histolytica Interaction with Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Increases Parasite Virulence and Inflammation in Amebiasis

Epidemiological studies suggest frequent association of enteropathogenic bacteria with Entamoeba histolytica during symptomatic infection. In this study, we sought to determine if the interaction with enteropathogenic (EPEC) or nonpathogenic Escherichia coli (strain DH5α) could modify the virulence of E. histolytica to cause disease in animal models of amebiasis. In vitro studies showed a 2-fold increase in CaCo2 monolayer destruction when E. histolytica interacted with EPEC but not with E. coli DH5α for 2.5 h. ABSTRACT Epidemiological studies suggest frequent association of enteropathogenic bacteria with Entamoeba histolytica during symptomatic infection. In this study, we sought to determine if the interaction with enteropathogenic (EPEC) or nonpathogenic Escherichia coli (strain DH5α) could modify the virulence of E. histolytica to cause disease in animal models of amebiasis. In vitro studies showed a 2-fold increase in CaCo2 monolayer destruction when E. histolytica interacted with EPEC but not with E. coli DH5α for 2.5 h. This was associated with increased E. histolytica proteolytic activity as revealed by zymogram analysis and degradation of the E. histolytica CP-A1/5 (EhCP-A1/5) peptide substrate Z-Arg-Arg-pNC and EhCP4 substrate Z-Val-Val-Arg-AMC. Additionally, E. histolytica-EPEC interaction increased EhCP-A1, -A2, -A4, and -A5, Hgl, Apa, and Cox-1 mRNA expression. Despite the marked upregulation of E. histolytica virulence factors, nonsignificant macroscopic differences in amebic liver abscess development were observed at early stages in hamsters inoculated with either E. histolytica-EPEC or E. histolytica-E. coli DH5α. Histopathology of livers of E. histolytica-EPEC-inoculated animals revealed foci of acute inflammation 3 h postinoculation that progressively increased, producing large inflammatory reactions, ischemia, and necrosis with high expression of il-1β, ifn-γ, and tnf-α proinflammatory cytokine genes compared with that in livers of E. histolytica-E. coli DH5α-inoculated animals. In closed colonic loops from mice, intense inflammation was observed with E. histolytica-EPEC manifested by downregulation of Math1 mRNA with a corresponding increase in the expression of Muc2 mucin and proinflammatory cytokine genes il-6, il-12, and mcp-1. These results demonstrate that E. histolytica/EPEC interaction enhanced the expression and production of key molecules associated with E. histolytica virulence, critical in pathogenesis and progression of disease.
Perfusion Controls Muscle Glucose Uptake by Altering the Rate of Glucose Dispersion In Vivo.

These studies test, using intravital microscopy (IVM), the hypotheses that perfusion effects on insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake (MGU) are 1) capillary recruitment-independent and 2) mediated through the dispersion of glucose rather than insulin. Experiment 1: capillary perfusion was visualized before and after intravenous insulin. No capillary recruitment was observed. Experiment 2: mice were treated with vasoactive compounds (sodium nitroprusside, hyaluronidase, lipopolysaccharide), and dispersion of fluorophores approximating insulin size (10 kDa dextran) and glucose (2-NBDG) were measured using IVM. Subsequently, insulin and 2[14C]deoxyglucose were injected and muscle phospho-2[14C]DG accumulation was used as an index of MGU. Flow velocity and 2-NBDG dispersion, but not perfused surface area or 10 kDa dextran dispersion, predicted phospho-2[14C]DG accumulation. Experiment 3: Microspheres of the same size and number as are used for contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEU) studies of capillary recruitment were visualized using IVM. Due to their low concentration, microspheres were present in only a small fraction of blood-perfused capillaries. Microsphere-perfused blood volume correlated to flow velocity. These findings suggest that 1) flow velocity rather than capillary recruitment controls microvascular contributions to MGU, 2) glucose dispersion is more predictive of MGU than dispersion of insulin-sized molecules, and 3) CEU measures regional flow velocity rather than capillary recruitment.
Resazurin Method for Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds from Cranberry Extracts Using the Metabolic Activity of a ΔSOD1 Mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast Under Severe Osmotic Stress.

Background: In addition to nutrients, plant raw materials for food production should also contain substances with beneficial biological properties, which unquestionably include antioxidant compounds. Among the numerous methods of determining the antioxidant properties of samples of plant material, biological methods that provide information about not only the in vivo antioxidant potential of samples but also their metabolism and bioavailability are increasingly valued. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the antioxidant properties of extracts from large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) obtained from different producers. Methods: Biologically active compounds were extracted from cranberry fruits using water alone and ethyl alcohol-water in proportions of 1+1 and 4+1 (v/v) as solvents. The following were determined in the extracts: content of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, total antioxidant capacity based on reduction of the ABTS+•[2,20-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] radical cation, and antioxidant properties as reflected by the growth of a Saccharomyces cerevisiaeΔsod1 mutant in a liquid hypertonic environment. The growth parameters of this Δsod1 mutant, monitored by a method exploiting a color reaction with resazurin, reflected the antioxidant properties of the extracts. Results: The ethanol-water cranberry extracts showed higher content of polyphenols, anthocyanins, and total antioxidants expressed as Trolox equivalent, determined on the basis of ABTS+•reduction. Conclusions: The antioxidant properties determined by the bioassay did not respond strongly to the data obtained in the in vitro chemical and biochemical assays, because they were more closely associated with the batch of fruit than with the type of solvent used to extract phytochemicals.
Protocol developing : A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials in Tinnitus - a Focus on Methods of Outcome Measurement

목적 : 체계적 문헌고찰(Systematic Review)은 Protocol 개발과 Review로 구분되며, 본 연구는 국내외 의학논문 검색엔진에 등재된 이명증의 RCT 문헌들을 대상으로 평가지표를 추출하는 Systematic Review를 진행하기 위한 Protocol의 개발을 목적으로 함. 방법 : 문헌고찰을 위한 각 과정들 및 연구에 필요한 사전 결정 인자 들을 연구자 회의와 체계적 문헌고찰 protocol 개발 방식에 근거하여 개발함. 결과 : Outcome measurement의 추출을 위한 Systermatic Review의 진행에 적합한 database의 선정, 각 database에 적합한 검색식, 검색기간, 논문의 선정 및 제외기준, PICO(patient, intervention, comparator, outcome) form의 개발, 질 평가의 근거기준, 각 연구자의 역할, data의 취합 및 분석 방법 등의 결과를 개발하고 결정하였음. 결론 : 이상에서 과정에서 도출된 결과에 근거하여, 향후 Outcome measurement 추출을 위한 Review를 진행하고 차후 Review논문으로 발표할 예정임.
Epidemiology of early repolarization pattern in an adult general population

Abstract Background: Early repolarization pattern (ERP) is a frequent finding in asymptomatic subjects with controversial implications regarding to its prognosis. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of ERP and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors among the adult population in the Southern Cone of Latin America. Methods: A sub-sample of 5398 participants of the CESCAS I study was included in the present analysis. ERP was defined as a J peak ≥0.1 mV in two or more contiguous leads with an end-QRS notch or slur on the downslope of a prominent R-wave. Results: The global prevalence of ERP was 8.1%; 11.1% in men and 5.6% in women. The prevalence in women increased with age (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5–4.2, at >65 years, p < 0.001), current cigarette smoking (OR 1.4, 95%CI 1.0–2.0, p = 0.045) and hypercholesterolaemia (OR 1.4, 95%CI 1.0–2.0, 0 p = 0.036). Conversely, in men, ERP prevalence decreased with age (OR 0.5, 95%CI 0.3–0.9, at >65 years, p = 0.01) and obesity (OR 0.6, 95%CI 0.4–0.8, p = 0.006). We found an increasing ERP prevalence with a higher Sokolow-Lyon index in both sexes (p < 0.001). Inferior location was found in 67.9% of cases, and the most common ERP type was a “slurring” appearance without ST elevation (76.3%). Conclusions: We found an overall prevalence of ERP of 8.1% and a robust association of ERP with normal BMI and higher Sokolow-Lyon index in men and with hypercholesterolaemia, current cigarette smoking and higher Sokolow-Lyon index in women.