Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Is the Role of Dopamine Transporter Imaging in Parkinson Prevention Clinical Trials?

Recent advances in the understanding of the natural course of brain pathophysiology in the major neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease (PD) have led to therapeutic approaches targeting abnormal brain protein deposition. In PD in particular, there is a need for reliable biomarkers to assess and quantify the clinical consequences of this pathology and support clinical evaluation of the efficacy of new therapeutic strategies. Some clinical measures tracked longitudinally can provide evidence for the efficacy of the therapeutic intervention. These include both motor and non-motor assessments like the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDSUPDRS), quality of life measures, and attaining clinical milestones (e.g., need for medication, onset of falling). Unfortunately, these measures were not developed for tracking the slow rate of clinical change and its high variability between PD patients, nor the resulting difficulty in measuring a reduction in the rate of change of these outcomes. Furthermore, many current trials seek eligibility determinations for trial enrollment in early disease, especially in identifying premotor PD and at-risk individuals for whom, theoretically, the treatment may delay or even prevent the onset of some clinical manifestations of early PD. In this context, CSF, blood and tissue biomarkers, genomics, and imaging have all been proposed as potential tools to aid in clinical trial eligibility determinations, as well as monitoring the natural course of illness and measuring the efficacy of treatment on slowing disease progression. Imaging is of value in providing a phenotypic snapshot in living human brain of specific pathologic processes that would otherwise only be obtainable at postmortem.
Type II achalasia with focal elevated pressures: A distinct manometric and clinical sub‐group

Type II achalasia (Ach2) is distinguished from other achalasia sub‐types by the presence of panesophageal pressurization (PEP) of ≥30 mmHg in ≥20% swallows on high‐resolution manometry (HRM). Variable manometric features in Ach2 have been observed, characterized by focal elevated pressures (FEPs) (focal/segmental pressures ≥70 mmHg within the PEP band) and/or high compression pressures (PEP ≥70 mmHg). This study aimed to examine clinical and physiologic variables among sub‐groups of Ach2.
Endometrial gland-specific progestagen-associated endometrial protein and cilia gene splicing changes in recurrent pregnancy loss

Endometrial glands are essential for fertility, consisting of ciliated and secretory cells that facilitate a suitable uterine environment for embryo implantation. This study sought to determine whether an endometrial gland-specific transcriptome and splicing profile are altered in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. Our data provide a comprehensive catalogue of cilia and progestagen-associated endometrial protein (PAEP) gene isoforms and relative exon usage in endometrial glands. We report a previously unannotated endometrial gland cilia transcript GALNT11 and its susceptibility to exon skipping. Key endometrial receptivity gene transcripts are also reported to change in endometrial glands of women with recurrent pregnancy loss. The endometrial gland cilia and PAEP targets identified in this study could be used to identify a perturbed endometrium, isolate causes of recurrent pregnancy loss and develop targeted therapies in personalised medicine. Lay summary Successful embryo implantation is a trade-off between the lining of the womb which receives an implanting embryo, termed the endometrium, and a good quality embryo. For days 21–24 of the menstrual cycle, the endometrium undergoes changes into a receptive state in which it can receive an implanting embryo. Inappropriate endometrial receptivity is thought to underlie recurrent pregnancy loss. Improving pregnancy success in women with recurrent pregnancy loss requires an increased understanding of the endometrium at the molecular level. Genes contain the instructions for the cell and which genes are turned on or off determine how well it can do its role. We sought to determine a gene expression pattern of human endometrial glands in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (n = 5) vs a control group (n = 5). We identify target genes altered in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. Endometrial gland markers could be used to identify inappropriate endometrial receptivity.
Association Between Cross-Limb Transfer and Practice Organization

Although the importance of practice has been evidenced in early studies of cross-limb transfer, the association between cross-limb transfer and practice organization remains unknown. The two primary means of organizing practice are constant practice (CP) and variable practice (VP). When the same generalized motor program governs the motor responses, VP produces better transfer than CP. Thus, we hypothesized that VP would generate a higher cross-limb transfer level than CP. We assigned 40 participants to CP or VP groups and conducted an experiment consisting of three phases: pre-test, practice, and transfer test. At pre-test, all participants practiced eight trials of a sequence key-pressing task with the non-dominant hand (NDH). After the pre-test, all participants performed a practice phase of 72 trials with the dominant hand, but CP and VP groups underwent their different practice schedules (CP or VP) such that the CP group practiced a sequence key-pressing task in one sequence, and the VP group practiced four different sequences randomly. On the transfer test all partcipants completed eight trials with the NDH 24 hours after the practice phase. The CP group showed better performance than the VP group on the transfer test, and we concluded that the effects of practice organization in cross-limb transfer are distinct from intra- and inter-task transfer such that the specificity of practice explained the benefits of CG.
Care Needs and Arrangements of Aging Immigrants in the United States

Objectives To examine the need for and arrangements pertaining to personal care assistance among individuals 65 and older, and how life stage at migration impacts nativity differences in aging-related care. Methods Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (2001, 2004, and 2008), I examine the odds of needing care assistance, who provides care assistance, and the duration of time care assistance is needed, comparing U.S.-born individuals to migrants who arrived before age 50 (“earlier-life migrants”) and those who arrived after age 50 (“later-life migrants”). Results While earlier-life migrants showed similar patterns to U.S.-born, later-life migrants showed higher care needs, were more likely to receive care from an adult child, and were particularly likely to need care for longer durations compared to U.S.-born. Discussion Aging later-life migrants have strikingly distinct care needs and arrangements, with implications for individual and family well-being, especially considering their barriers to public support.
The Influence of Different Ultrasonic Machines on Radiomics Models in Prediction Lymph Node Metastasis for Patients with Cervical Cancer

Objective To investigate the effects of different ultrasonic machines on the performance of radiomics models using ultrasound (US) images in the prediction of lymph node metastasis (LNM) for patients with cervical cancer (CC) preoperatively. Methods A total of 536 CC patients with confirmed histological characteristics and lymph node status after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were enrolled. Radiomics features were extracted and selected with US images acquired with ATL HDI5000, Voluson E8, MyLab classC, ACUSON S2000, and HI VISION Preirus to build radiomics models for LNM prediction using support vector machine (SVM) and logistic regression, respectively. Results There were 148 patients (training vs validation: 102:46) scanned in machine HDI5000, 75 patients (53:22) in machine Voluson E8, 100 patients (69:31) in machine MyLab classC, 110 patients (76:34) in machine ACUSON S2000, and 103 patients (73:30) in machine HI VISION Preirus, respectively. Few radiomics features were reproducible among different machines. The area under the curves (AUCs) ranged from 0.75 to 0.86, 0.73 to 0.86 in the training cohorts, and from 0.71 to 0.82, 0.70 to 0.80 in the validation cohorts for SVM and logistic regression models, respectively. The highest difference in AUCs for different machines reaches 17.8% and 15.5% in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusions The performance of radiomics model is dependent on the type of scanner. The problem of scanner dependency on radiomics features should be considered, and their effects should be minimized in future studies for US images.
Two-Component System VicRK Regulates Functions Associated with Establishment of Streptococcus sanguinis in Bioﬁlms

Streptococcus sanguinis is a commensal pioneer colonizer of teeth and an opportunistic pathogen of infectious endocarditis. The establishment of S. sanguinis in host sites likely requires dynamic ﬁtting of the cell wall in response to local stimuli. In this study, we investigated the two-component system (TCS) VicRK in S. sanguinis (VicRK Ss ), which regulates genes of cell wall biogenesis, bioﬁlm formation, and virulence in opportunistic pathogens. A vicK knockout mutant obtained from strain SK36 (SKvic) showed slight reductions in aerobic growth and resistance to oxidative stress but an impaired ability to form bioﬁlms, a phenotype restored in the complemented mutant. The bioﬁlm-defective phenotype was associated with reduced amounts of extracellular DNA during aerobic growth, with reduced production of H 2 O 2 , a metabolic product associated with DNA release, and with inhibitory capacity of S. sanguinis competitor species. No changes in autolysis or cell surface hydrophobicity were detected in SKvic. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), and promoter sequence analyses revealed that VicR directly regulates genes encoding murein hydrolases ( SSA_0094 , cwdP , and gbpB ) and spxB , which encodes pyruvate oxidase for H 2 O 2 production. Genes previously associated with spxB expression ( spxR , ccpA , ackA , and tpK ) were not transcriptionally affected in SKvic. RT-qPCR analyses of S. sanguinis bioﬁlm cells further showed upregulation of VicRK targets ( spxB , gbpB , and SSA_0094 other genes for bioﬁlm formation gtfP and comE ) compared to expression planktonic cells. This provides evidence that VicRK Ss regulates functions crucial for S. sanguinis establishment in bioﬁlms and identiﬁes novel VicRK targets potentially involved in hydrolytic activities of the cell wall required for these functions. sanguinis 24 Inhibitory standard digital the the Gel Logic 200 System Three independent experiments performed
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Eco-Apocalypse: An Existential Approach to Accepting Eco-Anxiety

Climate crisis presents a near-term existential threat to the human species, one that society has neither the physical nor psychological infrastructure to manage. Eco-anxiety increases as awareness about climate crisis spreads. Despite an urgent need for resources on how to help people cope with the psychological ramifications of climate crisis, there is little literature that both addresses people’s apocalyptic fears and takes the scientific bases of those fears seriously. In this article, I synthesize research on existential psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, grief, and end-of-life care to present an original perspective on how people, individually and collectively, can become psychologically resilient to climate crisis. First, I establish that death anxiety underlies eco-anxiety. Second, I demonstrate that preparing psychologically for eco-apocalypse requires people to cultivate death acceptance. Finally, I illustrate how commitment to palliative values can enable people to live rich and meaningful lives despite their most likely imminent end.
Dynamic modulation of inhibition ability following repeated exposures to morphine in macaque monkey

Background: Deficits in cognitive control, particularly inhibition ability, play crucial roles in susceptibility, progress, and relapse to opioid addiction. However, it is unclear when and how such deficits develop and interact with repeated exposures to prescribed opioids. Aim: Using macaque monkey (Macaca mulatta), as an animal model with high translational merits in cognitive neuroscience, we tried to delineate alterations of inhibition ability in the course of repeated exposures to morphine. Methods: Monkeys were trained to perform stop-signal task and then we closely monitored their inhibition ability before exposure, after initial exposure, and following repeated exposures to morphine when they experienced abstinent periods. We also assessed morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in these monkeys to monitor the long-lasting effects of morphine on other behaviors. Results: Compared to the baseline level, monkeys’ inhibition ability was significantly enhanced after initial exposure to morphine (early phase); however, it became significantly attenuated after repeated exposures (late phase). These alterations occurred while monkeys consistently expressed the morphine-induced CPP over the course of morphine exposure. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that repeated and scheduled exposures to morphine, which is akin to its clinical and recreational use, lead to dynamic alterations in primates’ cognitive control depending on the extent of exposure. Enhancement of inhibition after limited exposure might provide opportunities to intervene and prevent the progress and culmination of opioid addiction, which is characterized by disinhibited drug-seeking and consumption.
Indoor ozone removal and deposition using unactivated solid and liquid coffee

Managing indoor ozone levels is important because ozone is a hazardous pollutant that has adverse effects on human health. Coffee is a popular daily beverage, and thus, coffee beans and spent coffee grounds are common in many places such as offices, homes, aircraft, cafeterias, and such. The most common material used to remove ozone is activated carbon which can be made from coffee beans or spent coffee grounds with proper activation processes. This paper presents a novel idea: to remove ozone at the level of an indoor environment using unactivated coffee products. This paper examines the ozone removal efficiency and the ozone deposition velocity at 130 ppb ozone for two types of coffee: solid coffee (powder) and liquid coffee (beverage). The activated carbon, the deionized water, and the seawater are also included for comparison and validation purposes. The tests show that the fine coffee powder has a removal efficiency of 58.5% and a deposition velocity of 0.62 cm/s. The liquid coffee has a removal efficiency of 34.4% and a deposition velocity of 0.23 cm/s. The chemical inspections indicate that the oxidation reactions with the carbohydrates in solid coffee and the metal/mineral elements in liquid coffee are responsible for ozone removal. These results have confirmed that ozone removal via coffee is effective, controlling indoor air quality by coffee products is thus becoming possible.
Association between progesterone treatment and neonatal outcome in preterm births: a retrospective analysis

Abstract This retrospective study was conducted to determine if infants born prematurely despite prophylactic maternal progesterone treatment during pregnancy may still benefit from its adjunct properties and have decreased neonatal complications. 248 women treated with vaginal/intramuscular progesterone during pregnancy and 2519 controls who gave birth to a preterm newborn (24 + 0–36 + 6 gestational weeks) at a tertiary medical centre in 2012–2019. The primary outcome measure was neonatal infectious composite outcome. Secondary outcome measures were other maternal and neonatal complications. Compared to controls, the study group was characterised by lower gestational age at birth (35.0 ± 2.66 vs. 36.0 ± 2.23 weeks, p < .001), lower birth weight (2294 vs. 2485 g, p < .001), higher rates of neonatal infectious composite outcome (27.82 vs. 21.36%, p = 0.024), NICU admission, periventricular leukomalacia, and mechanical ventilation. The higher neonatal infectious composite outcome is likely associated with the lower gestational age at birth in this high-risk group and not the progesterone treatment per se. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Several randomised controlled trials have shown that progesterone administration in pregnancy significantly reduced the rate and complications of preterm birth. A recent study reported that vaginal administration of progesterone during pregnancy was more effective than intramuscular administration in decreasing vaginal group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation. This finding raises the question of whether progesterone treatment may have additional benefits besides preventing preterm birth and may reduce neonatal complication rate in preterm infants. What do the results of this study add? This is the first study examining the impact of gestational progesterone exposure on outcomes of preterm infants. The primary objective was a composite measure of infectious neonatal outcomes. Newborns who had progesterone exposure on average had lower gestational age, lower birth weight and higher neonatal infectious composite outcome. The significant difference is explained by lower gestational age. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Progesterone is widely used to prevent preterm birth, and may have important additive effects even when prematurity is not avoided. Although the findings did not support our initial hypothesis, they warrant further examination with larger cohorts.
Complete Genome Sequence of an Enterobacter roggenkampii Strain with Reduced Carbapenem Susceptibility Isolated from a Home-Visit Nursing Agency

Carbapenem-resistant bacteria represent an emerging threat to global health; nursing homes may be reservoirs for these isolates, which cause life-threatening infections. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of an Enterobacter roggenkampii strain with reduced carbapenem susceptibility that was isolated from a sink in a home-visit nursing agency. ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant bacteria represent an emerging threat to global health; nursing homes may be reservoirs for these isolates, which cause life-threatening infections. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of an Enterobacter roggenkampii strain with reduced carbapenem susceptibility that was isolated from a sink in a home-visit nursing agency.
The Risk of Metachronous Advanced Neoplasia After Colonoscopy in Patients Aged 40–49 Years Compared With That in Patients Aged 50–59 Years

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the risk of metachronous advanced neoplasia (AN) after colonoscopy in individuals aged 40–49 years compared with that in individuals aged 50–59 years. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed among Kaiser Permanente Northern California members aged 40–59 years who had their first (index) colonoscopy in 2010–2013. Participants were followed up until death, disenrollment, AN on surveillance colonoscopy, or December 31, 2018. The risk for the development of AN was estimated using the Cox regression, adjusted for confounders. RESULTS: The study included 11,374 patients (2,396 aged 40–49 years and 8,978 aged 50–59 years). When comparing the 40–49 years group with the 50–59 years group, AN was detected in 2.2% vs 4.4% (P = 0.0003) on surveillance colonoscopy after index colonoscopy finding of no adenoma, in 4.6% vs 7.0% (P = 0.03) after a finding of nonadvanced adenoma (NAA), and in 7.9% vs 11.7% (P = 0.06) after a finding of advanced adenoma (AA), respectively. Compared with the 50–59 years group, the 40–49 years group had a lower risk of metachronous AN when no adenoma was detected on index colonoscopy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.83) and no difference when NAA (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.54–1.24) or AA (HR 0.83; 95% CI 0.51–1.31) was detected. DISCUSSION: Compared with patients aged 50–59 years, patients aged 40–49 years may have a lower risk of developing metachronous AN when no adenoma is detected on index colonoscopy and a similar risk when NAA or AA is detected. These data suggest current surveillance colonoscopy guidelines may be applicable to patients aged 40–49 years who undergo colonoscopy.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Hyaluronate Lyase HysA- and HysB-Producing, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Sequence Type 30, Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Type IVc Strain Isolated from Furunculosis in Japan

We report the complete genome sequence of Staphylococcus aureus strain JP025, which was isolated from a furunculosis sample from a Japanese patient. The strain carried two hyaluronate lyase genes, JP025hysA and JP025hysB, on the chromosome and was classified as sequence type 30. ABSTRACT We report the complete genome sequence of Staphylococcus aureus strain JP025, which was isolated from a furunculosis sample from a Japanese patient. The strain carried two hyaluronate lyase genes, JP025hysA and JP025hysB, on the chromosome and was classified as sequence type 30.
Non-destructive fluorescence sensing for assessing microclimate, site and defoliation effects on flavonol dynamics and sugar prediction in Pinot blanc grapes

In an era of growing international competition in modern viticulture, the study and implementation of innovative technologies to increase the production of high-quality grapes and wines are of critical importance. In this study, the non-destructive portable sensor Multiplex, based on fluorescence sensing technique, was applied to evaluate grape maturity parameters and flavonol content of the understudied Pinot blanc variety. The effects of environmental and agronomical factors on flavonol content of Pinot blanc grapes were investigated in eight vineyards characterised by different microclimatic and agronomic conditions. Furthermore, the direct impact of canopy management treatment on the flavonol dynamics of the grapes oriented in the four cardinal directions was assessed. Results highlight the positive role of moderate temperatures and direct sunlight exposure on Pinot blanc flavonol content; however, no direct vineyard-elevation effect was observed. The ability to modulate and evaluate the flavonol content in field represent crucial factors because of their potential effect on flavonoids-dependent wine characteristics, such as stability and ageing. In the present study, for the first time, two calibration curves were reported for pre- and post-veraison periods between flavonol indices and the berry skin flavonol content and a good correlation was observed between Multiplex measurement and the total polyphenolic content of grape juice. Moreover, the strong correlation between the chlorophyll index with grape juice sugar content and titratable acidity revealed the practical application of non-destructive sensors to predict the optimal harvest time for Pinot blanc grapes. In conclusion, the non-destructive fluorescence sensor Multiplex is a high-potential tool for innovative viticulture, for evaluating grape skin composition variables in white grape varieties.