Biphasic in vitro maturation (CAPA-IVM) specifically improves the developmental capacity of oocytes from small antral follicles.

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of a biphasic IVM culture strategy at improving IVM outcomes in oocytes from small follicles (< 6 mm) compared with routine Standard IVM in patients with polycystic ovaries.

Methods: This prospective pilot study was performed in 40 women with polycystic ovaries whose oocytes were randomized to two IVM culture methods. Patients received a total stimulation dose of 450 IU rFSH.

DNA methylation and mRNA expression of imprinted genes in blastocysts derived from an improved in vitro maturation method for oocytes from small antral follicles in polycystic ovary syndrome patients.

Study Question: Does imprinted DNA methylation or imprinted gene expression differ between human blastocysts from conventional ovarian stimulation (COS) and an optimized two-step IVM method (CAPA-IVM) in age-matched polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients?

Summary Answer: No significant differences in imprinted DNA methylation and gene expression were detected between COS and CAPA-IVM blastocysts.

What Is Known Already: Animal models have revealed alterations in DNA methylation maintenance at imprinted germline differentially methylated regions (gDMRs) after use of ARTs. This effect increases as more ART interventions are applied to oocytes or embryos.

The value of missing information in severity of illness score development.

Objective: We aim to investigate the hypothesis that using information about which variables are missing along with appropriate imputation improves the performance of severity of illness scoring systems used to predict critical patient outcomes.

Study Design And Setting: We quantify the impact of missing and imputed variables on the performance of prediction models used in the development of a sepsis-related severity of illness scoring system. Electronic health records (EHR) data were compiled from Christiana Care Health System (CCHS) on 119,968 adult patients hospitalized between July 2013 and December 2015.

What if Acupuncture Were Covered by Insurance for Pain Management? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cancer Patients at One Academic Center and 11 Community Hospitals.

Objective: In response to the national opioid crisis, governmental and medical organizations have called for broader insurance coverage of acupuncture to improve access to nonpharmacologic pain therapies, especially in cancer populations, where undertreatment of pain is prevalent. We evaluated whether cancer patients would be willing to use insurance-covered acupuncture for pain.

Design And Setting: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of cancer patients with pain at one academic center and 11 community hospitals.

Neuropsychological, clinical and environmental predictors of severe mental disorders in offspring of patients with schizophrenia.

Offspring of individuals with schizophrenia (SZCOff) are at an increased risk for this disorder. Neuropsychological decline is a core feature of the disorder and researchers have reported increasing impairments in cognition during the prodromal phase in high-risk adolescents. Additionally, factors like the presence of prodromal symptoms or specific behavioral patterns could predict, together with neurocognitive functioning, the risk of conversion to severe mental disorders in SCZOff.

Linking the scientific knowledge on marine frontal systems with ecosystem services.

Primary production hotspots in the marine environment occur where the combination of light, turbulence, temperature and nutrients makes the proliferation of phytoplankton possible. Satellite-derived surface chlorophyll-a distributions indicate that these conditions are frequently associated with sharp water mass transitions named "marine fronts". Given the link between primary production, consumers and ecosystem functions, marine fronts could play a key role in the production of ecosystem services (ES).

Demyelination-Remyelination of the Rat Caudal Cerebellar Peduncle Evaluated with Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Remyelination is common under physiological conditions and usually occurs as a response to a pathological demyelinating event. Its potentiation is an important goal for the development of therapies against pathologies such as multiple sclerosis and white matter injury. Visualization and quantification in vivo of demyelination and remyelination processes are essential for longitudinal studies that will allow the testing and development of pro-myelinating strategies.

Phosphorylation of Merlin by Aurora A kinase appears necessary for mitotic progression.

Although Merlin's function as a tumor suppressor and regulator of mitogenic signaling networks such as the Ras/rac, Akt, and Hippo pathways is well-documented, in mammals as well as in insects, its role during cell cycle progression remains unclear. In this study, using a combination of approaches, including FACS analysis, time-lapse imaging, immunofluorescence microscopy, and co-immunoprecipitation, we show that Ser-518 of Merlin is a substrate of the Aurora protein kinase A during mitosis and that its phosphorylation facilitates the phosphorylation of a newly discovered site, Thr-581. We found that the expression in HeLa cells of a Merlin variant that is phosphorylation-defective on both sites leads to a defect in centrosomes and mitotic spindles positioning during metaphase and delays the transition from metaphase to anaphase.

Evaluation of the treatment of halitosis with photodynamic therapy in older patients with complete denture: Protocol for a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Halitosis is the term used to define an unpleasant odor emanating from the mouth. However, no studies have evaluated the causes and treatment of halitosis in the population of older adults with denture.

Methods: A randomized, controlled trial is proposed.

Validation of Electroencephalographic Recordings Obtained with a Consumer-Grade, Single Dry Electrode, Low-Cost Device: A Comparative Study.

The functional validity of the signal obtained with low-cost electroencephalography (EEG) devices is still under debate. Here, we have conducted an in-depth comparison of the EEG-recordings obtained with a medical-grade golden-cup electrodes ambulatory device, the SOMNOwatch + EEG-6, vs those obtained with a consumer-grade, single dry electrode low-cost device, the NeuroSky MindWave, one of the most affordable devices currently available. We recorded EEG signals at Fp1 using the two different devices simultaneously on 21 participants who underwent two experimental phases: a 12-minute resting state task (alternating two cycles of closed/open eyes periods), followed by 60-minute virtual-driving task.

Apoptotic cell death regulation in neurons.

Apoptosis plays a major role in shaping the developing nervous system during embryogenesis as neuronal precursors differentiate to become post-mitotic neurons. However, once neurons are incorporated into functional circuits and become mature, they greatly restrict their capacity to die via apoptosis, thus allowing the mature nervous system to persist in a healthy and functional state throughout life. This robust restriction of the apoptotic pathway during neuronal differentiation and maturation is defined by multiple unique mechanisms that function to more precisely control and restrict the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Non-dopaminergic vs. dopaminergic treatment options in restless legs syndrome.

Two types of drugs have been extensively investigated for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS)/Willis-Ekbom disease (WED): dopamine agonists and α2δ ligands to the α2δ subunit of calcium channels. Comparative studies show that both classes of drugs are similarly effective in treating RLS symptoms over the short- and long-term. While dopamine agonists are more effective in treating periodic limb movements (PLMs), α2δ ligands are more effective in consolidating sleep.

Efficacy of a web-based women's health survivorship care plan for young breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Breast cancer survivorship care plans (SCP) have limited content addressing women's health issues. This trial tested if young breast cancer survivors who receive a web-based, women's health SCP were more likely to improve on at least one of the four targeted issues (hot flashes, fertility-related concerns, contraception, and vaginal symptoms) compared to attention controls.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial recruited female survivors ages 18-45 at diagnosis, 18-50 at enrollment, completed primary cancer treatment, and had a significant women's health issue: moderate or higher fertility-related concerns; ≥ 4 hot flashes/day with ≥ 1 of moderate severity; ≥ 1 moderate vaginal atrophy symptoms; or not contracepting/using less effective methods.

Protocol for a randomized controlled dismantling study of an internet-based intervention for depressive symptoms: exploring the contribution of behavioral activation and positive psychotherapy strategies.

Background: There are evidence-based interventions for depression that include different components. However, the efficacy of their therapeutic components is unknown. Another important issue related to depression interventions is that, up to now, their therapeutic components have only focused on reducing negative symptoms rather than on improving positive affect and well-being.

Corrigendum: Construction and Validation of the 21 Item Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure Short-Form.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.

Trends in VA Telerehabilitation Patients and Encounters Over Time and by Rurality.

Telerehabilitation fills a need and helps ensure treatment adherence for rural and other veterans who find it difficult to access health care.

Effectiveness of Shared Decision-Making for Elderly Depressed Minority Primary Care Patients.

Objective: The authors assessed the impact of a shared decision-making (SDM) intervention among elderly depressed minority primary care patients not currently receiving treatment.

Methods: A total of 202 English and Spanish-speaking primary care participants aged 65 and older who scored positive on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (≥10) were randomized at the physician level to receive a brief SDM intervention or usual care (UC). Primary analyses focused on patient adherence to either psychotherapy or antidepressant medication, and reduction in depression severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) over 12 weeks.

Vitellogenesis in spiders: first analysis of protein changes in different reproductive stages of Polybetes pythagoricus.

Vitellogenesis represents one of the most vital processes of oviparous species during which various proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids are synthesized and stored inside the developing oocytes. Through analyzing protein changes in the midgut diverticula, hemolymph, and ovaries of females throughout the different vitellogenic stages of the spider Polybetes pythagoricus, we determined the origin of the different proteins involved in the formation of lipovitellins (LVs) along with the existence of a linkage between the hemocyanin and this vital process. An increase in the total protein content of the midgut diverticula, hemolymph, and ovary occurred throughout vitellogenesis followed by a decrease in those levels after laying.

Alterations in EEG connectivity in healthy young adults provide an indicator of sleep depth.

Current sleep analyses have used electroencephalography (EEG) to establish sleep intensity through linear and nonlinear measures. Slow wave activity (SWA) and entropy are the most commonly used markers of sleep depth. The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in brain EEG connectivity during sleep in healthy subjects and compare them with SWA and entropy.

Comparative study of PROMIS self-efficacy for managing chronic conditions across chronic neurologic disorders.

Purpose: Self-efficacy (SE) for managing chronic conditions is the belief that one can carry out behaviors to reach health goals. The study objective is to investigate (1) SE for managing chronic conditions across diverse neurologic conditions, (2) demographic and disease determinants of SE, and (3) SE as a predictor of health and disability.

Methods: Patients with chronic neurologic conditions (epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, Parkinson disease, stroke; n = 834) completed five SE for Managing Chronic Conditions instruments (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System®; PROMIS®).

Sleep alterations in pediatric bipolar disorder versus attention deficit disorder.

Bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) share numerous clinical features, which can make the differential diagnosis challenging. Studies conducted in adults suggest that patients with BD and ADHD have different sleep patterns. However, in pediatric populations, data on these potential differences are scant.

Cortical thickness 20 years after diagnosis of anorexia nervosa during adolescence.

Objective: The objective of the present study is to evaluate cortical thickness (CT) abnormalities using FreeSurfer in adult subjects who had an onset of anorexia nervosa during their adolescence some 20 years previously, and to compare them with control subjects.

Methods: Fifty-four participants, including 26 women who were diagnosed and treated for AN during adolescence some 20 years previously and 28 healthy women of similar age and geographical area were assessed using structured interviews and MRI scans. Prior AN subjects were divided into two groups depending on their current eating disorder status (recovered or not recovered from any eating disorder).

Multidimensionality of the PROMIS self-efficacy measure for managing chronic conditions.

Purpose: This study investigated the PROMIS Self-Efficacy Measure for Managing Chronic Conditions (PROMIS-SE) domain distributions and examined the factor structure of the PROMIS-SE.

Methods: A total of 1087 individuals with chronic conditions participated in this study. PROMIS-SE's item banks and two short forms (eight-item and four-item) measuring five behavioral domains (daily activities(DA), Emotions(EM), medications and treatments(MT), social interactions(SS), and Symptoms(SX)) were examined.

Discriminatory ability of anthropometric measurements of central fat distribution for prediction of post-prandial hyperglycaemia in patients with normal fasting glucose: the DICAMANO Study.

Background And Aims: Obesity is associated with impaired glucose tolerance which is a risk factor for cardiovascular risk. However, the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is not usually performed in patients with normal fasting glycaemia, thus offering false reassurance to patients with overweight or obesity who may have post-prandial hyperglycaemia. As an alternative to resource demanding OGTTs, we aimed to examine the predictive value of anthropometric measures of total and central fat distribution for post-prandial hyperglycaemia in patients with overweight and obesity with normal fasting glycaemia enrolled in the DICAMANO study.