Structural mediation of human brain activity revealed by white-matter interpolation of fMRI.

Understanding how the anatomy of the human brain constrains and influences the formation of large-scale functional networks remains a fundamental question in neuroscience. Here, given measured brain activity in gray matter, we interpolate these functional signals into the white matter on a structurally-informed high-resolution voxel-level brain grid. The interpolated volumes reflect the underlying anatomical information, revealing white matter structures that mediate the interaction between temporally coherent gray matter regions.

Phase 1 study of the protein deubiquitinase inhibitor VLX1570 in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

This phase 1 study sought to characterize the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic behavior of VLX1570, a small molecule inhibitor of the deubiquitinases (DUBs) that remove sterically bulky ubiquitin chains from proteins during processing in the19S regulatory subunit of the proteasome, in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Fourteen patients were treated with escalating doses of VLX1570 ranging from 0.05 to 1.

Tools to implement the World Health Organization End TB Strategy: Addressing common challenges in high and low endemic countries.

Aim: The purpose of this viewpoint is to summarize the advantages and constraints of the tools and strategies available for reducing the annual incidence of tuberculosis (TB) by implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy and the linked WHO TB Elimination Framework, with special reference to Oman.

Methods: The case-study was built based on the presentations and discussions at an international workshop on TB elimination in low incidence countries organized by the Ministry of Health, Oman, which took place from September 5 to September 7, 2019, and supported by the WHO and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID).

Results: Existing tools were reviewed, including the screening of migrants for latent TB infection (LTBI) with interferon-gamma release assays, clinical examination for active pulmonary TB (APTB) including chest X-rays, organization of laboratory services, and the existing centres for mandatory health examination of pre-arrival or arriving migrants, including examination for APTB.

Characteristics of successful changes in health care organizations: an interview study with physicians, registered nurses and assistant nurses.

Background: Health care organizations are constantly changing as a result of technological advancements, ageing populations, changing disease patterns, new discoveries for the treatment of diseases and political reforms and policy initiatives. Changes can be challenging because they contradict humans' basic need for a stable environment. The present study poses the question: what characterizes successful organizational changes in health care? The aim was to investigate the characteristics of changes of relevance for the work of health care professionals that they deemed successful.

High Correlation between Ethanol Concentrations in Postmortem Femoral Blood and in Alternative Biological Specimens, but Large Uncertainty When the Linear Regression Model Was Used for Prediction in Individual Cases.

In connection with medicolegal autopsies peripheral blood (e.g. from a femoral vein) is the specimen of choice for toxicological analysis, although alternative specimens are also sometimes submitted, such as bile, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), vitreous humor (VH), bladder urine, pleural effusions and/or lung fluid.

Proteomics in fresh and preserved pig semen: Recent achievements and future challenges.

Proteins in semen, either in spermatozoa (SPZ) or seminal plasma (SP), are directly involved in molecular processes and biological pathways regulating sperm function, including fertilizing ability. Therefore, semen proteins are candidates of choice for biomarkers discovery for fertility and for sperm (dys)function. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has opened up a new era for characterizing and quantifying the protein profile of SP and SPZ, as well as for unveiling the complex protein interactions involved in the activation of sperm functionality.

Aniridia with PAX6 mutations and narcolepsy.

PAX6 gene mutations cause a variety of eye and central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities. Aniridia is often accompanied by CNS abnormalities such as pineal gland atrophy or hypoplasia, leading to disturbed circadian rhythm and sleep disorders. Less is known on the coincidence of narcolepsy in this patient group.

Seminal Plasma Cytokines Are Predictive of the Outcome of Boar Sperm Preservation.

Boar seminal plasma is rich in cytokines, which could influence the capability of spermatozoa to tolerate preservation. To evaluate the involvement of boar seminal plasma cytokines in the changes experienced by boar spermatozoa during their storage, either in liquid or frozen state. In two separated experiments, semen samples from healthy and fertile boars were split in two aliquots, one centrifuged twice (1,500 ×g for 10 min) to harvest seminal plasma, whereas the other was either commercially extended (3 × 10 sperm/mL) and liquid-stored at 17°C during 144 h ( = 28, Experiment 1) or frozen-thawed using a standard 0.

The cost utility of pitolisant as narcolepsy treatment.

Objectives: The cost-effectiveness of available pharmacological treatments for narcolepsy is largely unknown. Available pharmacological treatments are associated with tolerability, abuse, and adherence issues. Pitolisant is the first inverse agonist of the histamine H3 receptor to be prescribed for the treatment of narcolepsy with and without cataplexy.

Organic solvent exposure as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis: An updated review.

Organic solvents exposure has for a long time been suspected as a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis. The evidence, containing case reports, case-control studies and cohort studies has been contradictory. An early meta-analysis, however, pointed to a doubled risk for MS.

Host plant-related genomic differentiation in the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi.

Elucidating the mechanisms and conditions facilitating the formation of biodiversity are central topics in evolutionary biology. A growing number of studies imply that divergent ecological selection may often play a critical role in speciation by counteracting the homogenising effects of gene flow. Several examples involve phytophagous insects, where divergent selection pressures associated with host plant shifts may generate reproductive isolation, promoting speciation.

ETS Factor ETV5 Activates the Mutant Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Promoter in Thyroid Cancer.

Co-occurrence of (telomerase reverse transcriptase) promoter (TERTp) mutations with / mutations is associated with significantly more aggressive thyroid cancer. TERTp mutations are hypothesized to generate binding sites for ETS transcription factors, which are themselves activated by BRAF/RAS-stimulated MEK-ERK activity. To date, a detailed study of this mechanism has been limited to only a few cancer types, and we hypothesized that ETS factors involved in TERTp activation could vary between different cancers.

An intact lacertus fibrosus improves strength after reinsertion of the distal biceps tendon.

Purpose: The importance of an intact lacertus fibrosus in distal biceps tendon injury is uncertain. This study aimed to assess long-term outcome following distal biceps tendon repair with focus on the significance of the lacertus fibrosus.

Methods: Thirty-six patients surgically treated for primary distal biceps tendon rupture were identified.

Levels of activity of superoxide dismutase in seminal plasma do not predict fertility of pig AI-semen doses.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a major antioxidant enzyme in boar seminal plasma (SP). This study evaluated how SP-SOD affected sperm attributes when semen of boars of various breeds, included in commercial artificial insemination (AI)-programs, was extended and liquid-stored at 17 °C for AI; as well as their in vivo fertility (farrowing rate and litter size of 10,952 AI-sows). SP-SOD-activity was assessed in 311 ejaculates (100 boars) while sperm motility (by CASA), viability and intracellular HO generation in viable spermatozoa (by flow cytometry) were measured at 0 and 72 h of liquid storage.

Extracellular vesicles isolated from porcine seminal plasma exhibit different tetraspanin expression profiles.

Seminal extracellular vesicles (EVs) include exosomes (ø 40-120 nm) and microvesicles (MVs, ø 120-1000 nm), which would be involved in multiple functional reproductive roles. The study aimed to establish which EV subtypes are present in pig semen, using a high-resolution flow cytometer to explore differences in their tetraspanin expression profile. The EVs were isolated from 12 pig ejaculates using serial ultracentrifugation and characterized by dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy for size and morphology as well as for tetraspanin expression using flow cytometry with Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and antibodies against CD9, CD63 and CD81.

An interactional perspective on sound prolongation in multilingual encounters in residential care.

Elderspeak refers to adapting one's language to a  perceived language decline of an older interlocutor. Earlier studies have explored different features of elderspeak; some of these studies attribute positive outcomes to using elderspeak that facilitates communication, but other studies consider elderspeak a negative way of communicating that should be avoided. The aim of this study is to investigate a largely unexplored feature of elderspeak, namely sound prolongation in a multilingual context.

Regional differences in exercise training implementation in heart failure: findings from the Exercise Training in Heart Failure (ExTraHF) survey.

Background: Exercise training programmes (ETPs) are a crucial component in cardiac rehabilitation in heart failure (HF) patients. The Exercise Training in HF (ExTraHF) survey has reported poor implementation of ETPs in countries affiliated to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The aim of the present sub-analysis was to investigate the regional variations in the implementation of ETPs for HF patients.

Long-Lasting Mucosal and Systemic Immunity against Influenza A Virus Is Significantly Prolonged and Protective by Nasal Whole Influenza Immunization with Mucosal Adjuvant N3 and DNA-Plasmid Expressing Flagellin in Aging In- and Outbred Mice.

: Vaccination is commonly used to prevent and control influenza infection in humans. However, improvements in the ease of delivery and strength of immunogenicity could markedly improve herd immunity. The aim of this pre-clinical study is to test the potential improvements to existing intranasal delivery of formalin-inactivated whole Influenza A vaccines (WIV) by formulation with a cationic lipid-based adjuvant (N3).

Electronic and magnetic properties of a ferromagnetic cobalt surface by adsorbing ultrathin films of tetracyanoethylene.

Ultrathin films of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) on Co(100) were investigated by means of spin-integrated and spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy ((sp-)UPS), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), near edge X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS), and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). We found a coverage-dependent modulation of the interface dipole and a switching between a metallic and a resistive spin filtering at the interface triggered by two distinct adsorption geometries of TCNE. The strongest hybridization and spin structure modifications are found at low coverage with a face-on adsorption geometry indicating changes in the distance between the surface Co atoms beneath.

Driving under the influence of psychoactive substances - A historical review.

Important events in the history of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) and/or other drugs (DUID) are reviewed covering a period of approximately 100 years. This coincides with major developments in the pharmaceutical industry and the exponential growth in motor transportation worldwide. DUID constitutes an interaction between the driver, the motor-driven vehicle, and one or more psychoactive (mind-altering) substances.

Antipsychotic use and risk of life-threatening medical events: umbrella review of observational studies.

Objective: To quantify the risk of hip fracture, thromboembolism, stroke, myocardial infarction, pneumonia and sudden cardiac death associated with exposure to antipsychotics.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in Medline, Embase and PsycINFO from inception until 30/07/2018 for systematic reviews of observational studies. AMSTAR-2 was used for the quality assessment of systematic reviews, while the strength of associations was measured using GRADE and quantitative umbrella review criteria (URC).

Environmental risk factors and biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder: an umbrella review of the evidence.

Background: Numerous studies have identified potential risk factors and biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder. We aimed to study the strength and validity of the suggested environmental risk factors or biomarkers of autism spectrum disorder.

Methods: We did an umbrella review and systematically appraised the relevant meta-analyses of observational studies.

Self-Care Interventions That Reduce Hospital Readmissions in Patients With Heart Failure; Towards the Identification of Change Agents.

Unplanned hospital readmissions are the most important, preventable cost in heart failure (HF) health economics. Current professional guidelines recommend that patient self-care is an important means by which to reduce this burden. Patients with HF should be engaged in their care such as by detecting, monitoring, and managing their symptoms.