Meadstender7633

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.PURPOSE This work aims to establish a classification framework for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at different stages (early MCI and late MCI) through direct analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) signals and using the accuracy (total correct rate), specificity (correct rate of late MCI) and sensitivity (correct rate of early MCI) to validate its classification performance. METHODS All fMR images of subjects were parcellated into 116 regions of interest (ROIs) by applying the Anatomical Automatic Labeling (AAL) template, and the average rs-fMRI signals of each ROI were extracted. The Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) was introduced into the framework to decompose each rs-fMRI signal into a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and analyze these non-stationary and non-linear time-series from the perspective of multi-resolution. After obtaining the instantaneous frequencies and amplitudes of all IMFs of a signal, the Hilbert weighted frequencies (HWFs) were cained HWF features with high SVM weights, such as Orbitofrontal superior frontal gyrus in IMF2, Insula in IMF4 and Lobule Ⅲ of vermis in IMF5, indicating that other IMFs provide important information for the diagnosis of MCI as well. CONCLUSIONS This work confirmed the classification ability of HHT-based classification framework in classification of at different stages of MCI. Through the analysis, we found that during the progress of MCI the main changes of rs-fMRI were concentrated in IMF3, and HWF characteristics showed a significant downward trend in all cerebellar regions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Azithromycin (AZ) is a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic with a long half-life and a large volume of distribution. It is primarily used for the treatment of respiratory, enteric, and genitourinary bacterial infections. AZ is not approved for the treatment of viral infections, and there is no well-controlled, prospective, randomized clinical evidence to support AZ therapy in COVID-19 (Coronavirus Infectious Disease-2019). Nevertheless, there are anecdotal reports that some hospitals have begun to include AZ in combination with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or chloroquine (CQ) for treatment of COVID-19. It is essential that the clinical pharmacology (CP) characteristics of AZ be considered in planning and conducting clinical trials of AZ alone or in combination with other agents, to ensure safe study conduct and to increase the probability of achieving definitive answers regarding efficacy of AZ in the treatment of COVID-19. The safety profile of AZ used as an antibacterial agent is well-established.(1) This work assesses published in vitro and clinical evidence for AZ as an agent with antiviral properties. It also provides basic CP information relevant for planning and initiating COVID-19 clinical studies with AZ, summarizes safety data from healthy volunteer studies, and safety and efficacy from Phase 2 and Phase 2/3 studies in patients with uncomplicated malaria, including a Phase 2/3 study in pediatric patients following administration of AZ and CQ in combination. This paper may also serve to facilitate the consideration and use of a priori-defined control groups for future research. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by a nematode parasite, Onchocerca volvulus, and transmitted by bites of Simulium blackflies which breed near fast-flowing rivers. In humans thousands of microfilariae (immature worms) migrate to the skin and eyes where they cause pathology. Historically, much research was devoted to the serious effect of blindness, from which the disease earns its alternative name of "river blindness". Mapping the burden of onchocercal skin disease (OSD) was expedited by the development of a clinical classification and grading system which facilitated comparison of data from different countries. After successful field-testing in Nigeria, the classification scheme was used in a multicountry study in seven endemic sites, to estimate the true burden of OSD across Africa. High levels of OSD were found, affecting 28% of the population. A new control programme, the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) was launched in 20 countries using annual doses of ivermectin, donated by Merck & Co., Inc. The multicountry study also found a close correlation between the levels of itching and OSD with the level of endemicity, as determined by the prevalence of onchocercal nodules. This enabled APOC to use Rapid Epidemiological Mapping of Onchocerciasis (REMO) which entailed identifying likely vector breeding sites near rivers, then sampling 50 adult males in nearby villages to determine the prevalence of nodules and delineate which villages required treatment. Onchocerciasis is now targeted for elimination in Africa, and the challenge is to complete Onchocerciasis Elimination Mapping (OEM) of hypoendemic areas using serology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVE Guidelines following median sternotomy typically include strict sternal precautions (SP). Recently, alternative approaches propose less functional restrictions while avoiding excessive stress to the sternum. The study aimed to determine the effect of a less restrictive (LR) approach versus a standard sternal precautions protocol after median sternotomy. METHODS The study was a cross-sectional design (n = 364; SP n = 172, 66.3 ± 11.2 y; LR n = 196, 65.2 ± 11.2 y). This study ran in 2 consecutive phases and compared 2 groups post median sternotomy at a community-based hospital. The LR group received instructions on the Keep Your Move in the Tube™ approach. At 2-3 weeks post discharge, sternal instability was assessed using the Sternal Instability Scale (SIS), and patients completed a self-reported survey (perceived pain rating/frequency, sternal instability, and functional mobility). The 2 groups were compared using the Mann Whitney U test and Chi square test (P  less then  0.05). RESULTS There were no significant differences between the 2 groups for all the outcomes, SIS, pain rating, pain frequency, perceived sternal instability, difficulty with functional mobility, length of stay, and discharge disposition. CONCLUSIONS In our study, the implementation of the LR approach, Keep Your Move in the Tube™, had no adverse effect on outcomes 2 to 3 weeks following median sternotomy. Although no statistically significant differences were noted for all outcomes, patients with the LR approach reported less difficulty with functional mobility. IMPACT These data are useful in clinical decision making regarding alternative apporaches for mobility following sternotomy. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email journals.permissions@oup.com.OBJECTIVE Previous studies have demonstrated that muscle ultrasound can be reliably performed at the patient bedside by novice assessors with minimal training. The primary objective of this study was to determine the interrater reliability of muscle ultrasound image acquisition by physical therapists and physical therapist students. AZD0095 Secondarily, this study was designed to elucidate the process for training physical therapists to perform peripheral skeletal muscle ultrasonography. METHODS This was a cross-sectional observational study. Four novice and 1 expert participated in the study. Novice sonographers engaged in a structured training program prior to implementation. Ultrasound images were obtained on the biceps brachii, quadriceps femoris, and tibialis anterior muscles in 3 groups patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), patients on the hospital ward, and participants in the outpatient gym who were healthy. Reliability of image acquisition was analyzed in comparison to the expert sonographer. RESULTS Inrmissions@oup.com.Genome-wide characterization of genetic variants of a large population of individuals within the same species is essential to have a deeper insight into its evolutionary history as well as the genotype-phenotype relationship. Population genomic surveys have been performed in multiple yeast species, including the two model organisms, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this context, we sought to characterize at the population level the Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeast species, which is a major cause of wine spoilage but also can contribute to the specific flavor profile of some Belgium beers. We have completely sequenced the genome of 53 B. bruxellensis strains isolated worldwide. The annotation of the reference genome allowed us to define the gene content of this species. As previously suggested, our genomic data clearly highlighted that genetic diversity variation is related to ploidy level, which is variable in the B. bruxellensis species. Genomes are punctuated by multiple loss-of-heterozygosity regions while aneuploidies as well as segmental duplications are uncommon. Interestingly, triploid genomes are more prone to gene copy number variation than diploids. Finally, the pangenome of the species was reconstructed and was found to be small with few accessory genes compared to S. cerevisiae. The pangenome is composed of 5,409 ORFs among which 5,106 core ORFs and 303 ORFs that are variable within the population. All these results highlight the different trajectories of species evolution and consequently the interest of establishing population genomic surveys in more populations. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel, viral-induced respiratory disease that in ∼10-15% of patients progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) triggered by a cytokine storm. In this Perspective, autopsy results and literature are presented supporting the hypothesis that a little known yet powerful function of neutrophils-the ability to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs)-may contribute to organ damage and mortality in COVID-19. We show lung infiltration of neutrophils in an autopsy specimen from a patient who succumbed to COVID-19. We discuss prior reports linking aberrant NET formation to pulmonary diseases, thrombosis, mucous secretions in the airways, and cytokine production. If our hypothesis is correct, targeting NETs directly and/or indirectly with existing drugs may reduce the clinical severity of COVID-19. © 2020 Barnes et al.The proliferative activity of aging hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is controversially discussed. Inducible fluorescent histone 2B fusion protein (H2B-FP) transgenic mice are important tools for tracking the mitotic history of murine HSCs in label dilution experiments. A recent study proposed that primitive HSCs symmetrically divide only four times to then enter permanent quiescence. We observed that background fluorescence due to leaky H2B-FP expression, occurring in all H2B-FP transgenes independent of label induction, accumulated with age in HSCs with high repopulation potential. We argue that this background had been misinterpreted as stable retention of induced label. We found cell division-independent half-lives of H2B-FPs to be short, which had led to overestimation of HSC divisional activity. Our data do not support abrupt entry of HSCs into permanent quiescence or sudden loss of regeneration potential after four divisions, but show that primitive HSCs of adult mice continue to cycle rarely. © 2020 Morcos et al.