Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Escalation vs. Early Intense Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis

The treatment strategy of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a highly controversial debate. Currently, there are up to 19 drugs approved. However, there is no clear evidence to guide fundamental decisions such as what treatment should be chosen in first place, when treatment failure or suboptimal response should be considered, or what treatment should be considered in these cases. The “escalation strategy” consists of starting treatment with drugs of low side-effect profile and low efficacy, and “escalating” to drugs of higher efficacy—with more potential side-effects—if necessary. This strategy has prevailed over the years. However, the evidence supporting this strategy is based on short-term studies, in hope that the benefits will stand in the long term. These studies usually do not consider the heterogeneity of the disease and the limited effect that relapses have on the long-term. On the other hand, “early intense therapy” strategy refers to starting treatment with drugs of higher efficacy from the beginning, despite having a less favorable side-effect profile. This approach takes advantage of the so-called “window of opportunity” in hope to maximize the clinical benefits in the long-term. At present, the debate remains open. In this review, we will critically review both strategies. We provide a summary of the current evidence for each strategy without aiming to reach a definite conclusion.
Changes in Bihemispheric Structural Connectivity Following Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction

This study investigated the changes in the structural connectivity of the bilateral hemispheres over time following a middle cerebral artery infarction. Eighteen patients in the subacute group and nine patients in the chronic group with mild upper extremity motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer motor assessment score for the upper limb > 43) following middle cerebral artery infarction were retrospectively evaluated in this study. All the patients underwent T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging. Tract-based statistical analyses of fractional anisotropy were used to compare the changes in the bilateral structural connectivity with those of age-matched normal controls. The corticospinal tract pathway of the affected hemisphere, corpus callosum, and corona radiata of the unaffected hemisphere had decreased structural connectivity in the subacute group, while the motor association area and anterior corpus callosum in the bilateral frontal lobes had increased structural connectivity in the chronic group. The bilateral hemispheres were influenced even in patients with mild motor impairment following middle cerebral artery infarction, and the structural connectivity of the bilateral hemispheres changed according to the time following the stroke.
MiR-126-5p Promotes Tumor Cell Proliferation, Metastasis and Invasion by Targeting TDO2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

TDO2 is a key enzyme in the kynurenine metabolic pathway, which is the most important pathway of tryptophan metabolism. It has been shown that miRNAs are involved in cell metastasis through interaction with target mRNAs. In this study, we found 645 miRNAs that could be immunoprecipitated with TDO2 through the RNA-immunoprecipitation experiment. miR-126-5p was selected as the research target, which was also confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Through qRT-PCR analysis, it was verified that the overexpression of miR-126-5p promoted the expression of TDO2, PI3K/AKT and WNT1. Meanwhile, it was verified that overexpression of miR-126-5p can promote intracellular tryptophan metabolism by HPLC. We also verified the effects of miR-126-5p on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by cck-8, cell colony formation and trans-well assay in both HCCLM3 cells and HepG2 cells. In vivo experiments were also conducted to verify that miR-126-5p promoted tumor formation and growth via immunohistochemical detection of cell infiltration and proliferation to generate markers Ki-67, BAX, and VEGF. In conclusion, our results suggest that miR-126-5p is a biomarker and a potential new treatment target in the progression of HCC via promoting the expression of TDO2.
The Role of Affective Realism and Interoceptive Accuracy in Choice

Summary We will assess the role of affect in constructing preference and influencing choice. Participants will report their preference for one of two landscape pictures while affective images are presented concurrently and suppressed from awareness. We predict that participants will tend to prefer the landscape paired with the more positive affective image, and we will explore whether this effect is moderated by individual differences in sensitivity to internal bodily sensations. Summary Popular theories of emotion and decision-making argue that negatively arousing emotions—such as anger—motivate antisocial decisions such as punish-ing norm transgressors. Here we leverage a new meth-odology to precisely characterize the role of emotions across a variety of social interactions. Results reveal that rather than anger, emotional states such as disappointment, are more associated with decisions to punish across multiple contexts. Summary Our aim was to establish a mapping between incidental emotional states (happiness and sad-ness) and sensitivity to costs (delay, risk, effort) involved in economic choices. Emotional states were induced using text vignettes paired with music extracts and validated by both subjective reports and physiological measures. Computational modelling of economic decisions showed that the valence of emotional states biased choices by increasing the willingness to accept additional costs in order to obtain higher rewards. Summary This study explores people ’ s Brexit-re-lated regret and relief experiences. The results support a distinction between two types of relief; one experienced at the end of a period of uncertainty (temporal relief), and one experienced when a favourable outcome is obtained (counterfactual relief). The results also indicate that it is possible to experience regret and relief simultaneously.
Late-Onset Behavioral and Synaptic Consequences of L-Type Ca2+ Channel Activation in the Basolateral Amygdala of Developing Rats

Abstract Postnatal CNS development is fine-tuned to drive the functional needs of succeeding life stages; accordingly, the emergence of sensory and motor functions, behavioral patterns and cognitive abilities relies on a complex interplay of signaling pathways. Strictly regulated Ca2+ signaling mediated by L-type channels (LTCCs) is crucial in neural circuit development and aberrant increases in neuronal LTCC activity are linked to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. In the amygdala, a brain region that integrates signals associated with aversive and rewarding stimuli, LTCCs contribute to NMDA-independent long-term potentiation (LTP) and are required for the consolidation and extinction of fear memory. In vitro studies have elucidated distinct electrophysiological and synaptic properties characterizing the transition from immature to functionally mature basolateral subdivision of the amygdala (BLA) principal neurons. Further, acute increase of LTCC activity selectively regulates excitability and spontaneous synaptic activity in immature BLA neurons, suggesting an age-dependent regulation of BLA circuitry by LTCCs. This study aimed to elucidate whether early life alterations in LTCC activity subsequently affect synaptic strength and amygdala-dependent behaviors in early adulthood. In vivo intra-amygdala injection of an LTCC agonist at a critical period of postnatal neurodevelopment in male rat pups was used to examine synaptic plasticity of BLA excitatory inputs, expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) and glutamate receptors, as well as anxiety and social affiliation behaviors at a juvenile age. Results indicate that enhanced LTCC activity in immature BLA principal neurons trigger persistent changes in the developmental trajectory to modify membrane properties and synaptic LTP at later stages, concomitant with alterations in amygdala-related behavioral patterns.
A Handheld Gyroscopic Device for Haptics and Hand Rehabilitation

We propose a novel, gyroscopic device for haptics and hand rehabilitation, named Gymball. It consists of a fully actuated rotor-gimbal assembly encased in an easy-to-grip appealing design. When held, the device generates a gyroscopic torque which causes the user's hand to move about the wrist. Interviews with occupational therapists, simulations, and proof-of-concept models helped determine the design specifications of Gymball. Compared to the existing gyroscopic devices, Gymball has the following advantages. (i) A smaller form-factor with better user appeal while achieving 0.5 Nm torque. (ii) A wire entanglement-free design allowing complete rotations of the rotor-gimbal assembly. (iii) Negligible rotary imbalances owing to a symmetrical design, resulting in haptic signals with minimal vibratory noise. In this paper, we detail the design and analysis of the device. A feasibility study was conducted to validate prospect of using the device for haptic feedback or therapy. Specifically, the study focused on (i) whether the gyroscopic torque generated by the device can passively move the user's hand about the wrist and (ii) whether the produced hand motion can be controlled. The results show that Gymball can successfully generate about $7^{\circ }$ of hand oscillations. The amplitude and frequency of the hand oscillations can be controlled using the speed of rotor and gimbal.
Development of a Credible Virtual Clinician Promoting Colorectal Cancer Screening via Telehealth Apps for and by Black Men: Qualitative Study

Background Traditionally, promotion of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among Black men was delivered by community health workers, patient navigators, and decision aids (printed text or video media) at clinics and in the community setting. A novel approach to increase CRC screening of Black men includes developing and utilizing a patient-centered, tailored message delivered via virtual human technology in the privacy of one’s home. Objective The objective of this study was to incorporate the perceptions of Black men in the development of a virtual clinician (VC) designed to deliver precision messages promoting the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kit for CRC screening among Black men in a future clinical trial. Methods Focus groups of Black men were recruited to understand their perceptions of a Black male VC. Specifically, these men identified source characteristics that would enhance the credibility of the VC. The modality, agency, interactivity, and navigability (MAIN) model, which examines how interface features affect the user’s psychology through four affordances (modality, agency, interactivity, and navigability), was used to assess the presumed credibility of the VC and likability of the app from the focus group transcripts. Each affordance triggers heuristic cues that stimulate a positive or a negative perception of trustworthiness, believability, and understandability, thereby increasing source credibility. Results In total, 25 Black men were recruited from the community and contributed to the development of 3 iterations of a Black male VC over an 18-month time span. Feedback from the men enhanced the visual appearance of the VC, including its movement, clothing, facial expressions, and environmental surroundings. Heuristics, including social presence, novelty, and authority, were all recognized by the final version of the VC, and creditably was established. The VC was named Agent Leveraging Empathy for eXams (ALEX) and referred to as “brother-doctor,” and participants stated “wanting to interact with ALEX over their regular doctor. ” Conclusions Involving Black men in the development of a digital health care intervention is critical. This population is burdened by cancer health disparities, and incorporating their perceptions in telehealth interventions will create awareness of the need to develop targeted messages for Black men.
Effects of roasting and deodorisation on 3-monochloropropane-1, 2-diol esters, 3, 4-benzopyrene and trans fatty acids in peanut oil

ABSTRACT Hazardous substances are readily produced during roasting and deodorisation in the preparation of peanut oil. The aim of this work was to investigate the variation of 3-monochloropropane-1, 2-diol ester (3-MCPDE), 3, 4-benzopyrene (BaP) and trans fatty acid (TFA) contents in the roasting and deodorisation segments of peanut oil production process. Roasting temperatures and durations significantly affected the contaminants contents in peanut oil; they increased significantly at a roasting temperature >210°C and time >60 min. In the deodorisation segment, the BaP and TFA contents were over the standard limits at a deodorisation temperature >210°C and time >140 min. Analysis showed that 3-MCPDE was significantly correlated with the formation of C18:2T (r = 0.979) and there was a linear relationship between BaP and C18:1T (Y = 0.509 C18:1T). This information will provide guidance for the precise and appropriate processing of peanut oil.
Transcriptomic profiling suggests candidate molecular responses to waterlogging in cassava

Owing to climate change impacts, waterlogging is a serious abiotic stress that affects crops, resulting in stunted growth and loss of productivity. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Grantz) is usually grown in areas that experience high amounts of rainfall; however, little research has been done on the waterlogging tolerance mechanism of this species. Therefore, we investigated the physiological responses of cassava plants to waterlogging stress and analyzed global gene transcription responses in the leaves and roots of waterlogged cassava plants. The results showed that waterlogging stress significantly decreased the leaf chlorophyll content, caused premature senescence, and increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in the leaves and roots. In total, 2538 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the leaves and 13364 in the roots, with 1523 genes shared between the two tissues. Comparative analysis revealed that the DEGs were related mainly to photosynthesis, amino metabolism, RNA transport and degradation. We also summarized the functions of the pathways that respond to waterlogging and are involved in photosynthesis, glycolysis and galactose metabolism. Additionally, many transcription factors (TFs), such as MYBs, AP2/ERFs, WRKYs and NACs, were identified, suggesting that they potentially function in the waterlogging response in cassava. The expression of 12 randomly selected genes evaluated via both quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was highly correlated (R2 = 0.9077), validating the reliability of the RNA-seq results. The potential waterlogging stress-related transcripts identified in this study are representatives of candidate genes and molecular resources for further understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the waterlogging response in cassava.
Perturbed-Location Mechanism for Increased User-Location Privacy in Proximity Detection and Digital Contact-Tracing Applications

Future social networks will rely heavily on sensing data collected from users’ mobile and wearable devices. A crucial component of such sensing will be the full or partial access to user’s location data, in order to enable various location-based and proximity-detection-based services. A timely example of such applications is the digital contact tracing in the context of infectious-disease control and management. Other proximity-detection-based applications include social networking, finding nearby friends, optimized shopping, or finding fast a point-of-interest in a commuting hall. Location information can enable a myriad of new services, among which we have proximity-detection services. Addressing efficiently the location privacy threats remains a major challenge in proximity-detection architectures. In this paper, we propose a location-perturbation mechanism in multi-floor buildings which highly protects the user location, while preserving very good proximity-detection capabilities. The proposed mechanism relies on the assumption that the users have full control of their location information and are able to get some floor-map information when entering a building of interest from a remote service provider. In addition, we assume that the devices own the functionality to adjust to the desired level of accuracy at which the users disclose their location to the service provider. Detailed simulation-based results are provided, based on multi-floor building scenarios with hotspot regions, and the tradeoff between privacy and utility is thoroughly investigated.
Assessing fetal growth in Africa: Application of the international WHO and INTERGROWTH-21st standards in a Beninese pregnancy cohort

Background Fetal growth restriction is a major complication of pregnancy and is associated with stillbirth, infant death and child morbidity. Ultrasound monitoring of pregnancy is becoming more common in Africa for fetal growth monitoring in clinical care and research, but many countries have no national growth charts. We evaluated the new international fetal growth standards from INTERGROWTH-21st and WHO in a cohort from southern Benin. Methods Repeated ultrasound and clinical data were collected in women from the preconceptional RECIPAL cohort (241 women with singleton pregnancies, 964 ultrasounds). We modelled fetal biometric parameters including abdominal circumference (AC) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) and compared centiles to INTERGROWTH-21st and WHO standards, using the Bland and Altman method to assess agreement. For EFW, we used INTERGROWTH-21st standards based on their EFW formula (IG21st) as well as a recent update using Hadlock’s EFW formula (IG21hl). Proportions of fetuses with measurements under the 10th percentile were compared. Results Maternal malaria and anaemia prevalence was 43% and 69% respectively and 11% of women were primigravid. Overall, the centiles in the RECIPAL cohort were higher than that of INTERGROWTH-21st and closer to that of WHO. Consequently, the proportion of fetuses under 10th percentile thresholds was systematically lower when applying IG21st compared to WHO standards. At 27–31 weeks and 33–38 weeks, respectively, 7.4% and 5.6% of fetuses had EFW <10th percentile using IG21hl standards versus 10.7% and 11.6% using WHO standards. Conclusion Despite high anemia and malaria prevalence in the cohort, IG21st and WHO standards did not identify higher than expected proportions of fetuses under the 10th percentiles of ultrasound parameters or EFW. The proportions of fetuses under the 10th percentile threshold for IG21st charts were particularly low, raising questions about its use to identify growth-restricted fetuses in Africa.
Validation of the Perception Neuron system for full-body motion capture

Recent advancements in Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) offers the possibility of its use as a cost effective and portable alternative to traditional optoelectronic motion capture systems in analyzing biomechanical performance. One such commercially available IMU is the Perception Neuron motion capture system (PNS). The accuracy of the PNS had been tested and was reported to be a valid method for assessing the upper body range of motion to within 5° RMSE. However, testing of the PNS was limited to upper body motion involving functional movement within a single plane. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to further validate the Perception Neuron system with reference to a conventional optoelectronic motion capture system (VICON) through the use of dynamic movements (e.g., walking, jogging and a multi-articular sports movement with object manipulation) and to determine its feasibility through full-body kinematic analysis. Validation was evaluated using Pearson’s R correlation, RMSE and Bland-Altman estimates. Present findings suggest that the PNS performed well against the VICON motion analysis system with most joint angles reporting a RMSE of < 4° and strong average Pearson’s R correlation of 0.85, with the exception of the shoulder abduction/adduction where RMSE was larger and Pearson’s R correlation at a moderate level. Bland-Altman analysis revealed that most joint angles across the different movements had a mean bias of less than 10°, except for the shoulder abduction/adduction and elbow flexion/extension measurements. It was concluded that the PNS may not be the best substitute for traditional motion analysis technology if there is a need to replicate raw joint angles. However, there was adequate sensitivity to measure changes in joint angles and would be suitable when normalized joint angles are compared and the focus of analysis is to identify changes in movement patterns.
Sex-Specific Effects of Nutritional Supplements for Infants Born Early or Small: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis (ESSENCE IPD-MA) II: Growth

Neonatal nutritional supplements may improve early growth for infants born small, but effects on long-term growth are unclear and may differ by sex. We assessed the effects of early macronutrient supplements on later growth. We searched databases and clinical trials registers from inception to April 2019. Participant-level data from randomised trials were included if the intention was to increase macronutrient intake to improve growth or development of infants born preterm or small-for-gestational-age. Co-primary outcomes were cognitive impairment and metabolic risk. Supplementation did not alter BMI in childhood (kg/m2: adjusted mean difference (aMD) −0.11[95% CI −0.47, 0.25], p = 0.54; 3 trials, n = 333). Supplementation increased length (cm: aMD 0.37[0.01, 0.72], p = 0.04; 18 trials, n = 2008) and bone mineral content (g: aMD 10.22[0.52, 19.92], p = 0.04; 6 trials, n = 313) in infancy, but not at older ages. There were no differences between supplemented and unsupplemented groups for other outcomes. In subgroup analysis, supplementation increased the height z-score in male toddlers (aMD 0.20[0.02, 0.37], p = 0.03; 10 trials, n = 595) but not in females, and no significant sex interaction was observed (p = 0.21). Macronutrient supplementation for infants born small may not alter BMI in childhood. Supplementation increased growth in infancy, but these effects did not persist in later life. The effects did not differ between boys and girls.
The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-IV (MCMI-IV) and Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory-II (MACI-II) in Legal Settings

Abstract The MCMI-IV and MACI-II are the most recent iterations of the primary Millon clinical inventories and have become well-established instruments over the course of multiple editions. The MCMI, in particular in its prior editions, and to a lesser extent, the original MACI, have joined the canon of commonly-used psychological instruments in several forensic settings, though they have been met with significant controversy. This controversy is due in large part to complicated and sometimes questionable psychometric and normative referencing qualities that evaluators may find difficult to defend in a court setting. On balance, the instruments, unlike many others, are also supported by a rich though often less-than-understood theoretical backbone which lends depth and explanatory power, but which also can further complicate addressing psycho-legal questions. The authors, representing a mixed perspective on the inventories, generally conclude that while the MCMI-IV and MACI-II rely on a rich theoretical framework, the peer-reviewed literature is virtually non-existent, the need to rely on their predecessor instruments’ research literatures are limiting, and the modifying indices have questionable utility in the detecting of response bias. In addition, the normative data and underreporting response styles in family court evaluations cause problems for the MCMI-IV’s use in such contexts.