Notes

SCHNAPPs - One Mobile or portable sparkly Program(ersus).
The research in image quality assessment (IQA) has a long history, and significant progress has been made by leveraging recent advances in deep neural networks (DNNs). Despite high correlation numbers on existing IQA datasets, DNN-based models may be easily falsified in the group maximum differentiation (gMAD) competition with strong counterexamples being identified. Here we show that gMAD examples can be used to improve blind IQA (BIQA) methods. Specifically, we first pre-train a DNN-based BIQA model using multiple noisy annotators, and fine-tune it on multiple subject-rated databases of synthetically distorted images, resulting in a top-performing baseline model. We then seek pairs of images by comparing the baseline model with a set of full-reference IQA methods in gMAD. We query ground truth quality annotations for the selected images in a well controlled laboratory environment, and further fine-tune the baseline on the combination of human-rated images from gMAD and existing databases. This process may be iterated, enabling active and progressive fine-tuning from gMAD examples for BIQA. We demonstrate the feasibility of our active learning scheme on a large-scale unlabeled image set, and show that the fine-tuned method achieves improved generalizability in gMAD, without destroying performance on previously trained databases.
Bioluminescence tomography (BLT) is a promising modality that is designed to provide non-invasive quantitative three-dimensional information regarding the tumor distribution in living animals. However, BLT suffers from inferior reconstructions due to its ill-posedness. This study aims to improve the reconstruction performance of BLT.

We propose an adaptive grouping block sparse Bayesian learning (AGBSBL) method, which incorporates the sparsity prior, correlation of neighboring mesh nodes, and anatomical structure prior to balance the sparsity and morphology in BLT. Specifically, an adaptive grouping prior model is proposed to adjust the grouping according to the intensity of the mesh nodes during the optimization process.

Numerical simulations and in vivo experiments demonstrate that AGBSBL yields a high position and morphology recovery accuracy, stability, and practicality.

The proposed method is a robust and effective reconstruction algorithm for BLT. Moreover, the proposed adaptive grouping strategy can further increase the practicality of BLT in biomedical applications.
The proposed method is a robust and effective reconstruction algorithm for BLT. Moreover, the proposed adaptive grouping strategy can further increase the practicality of BLT in biomedical applications.
Neuroinflammation contributes to the development and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to examine whether ultrasound (US) stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) could suppress the neuroinflammation in a chronic PD mouse model induced by 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).

Chronic PD mouse model was built by injection of 20mg/kg MPTP and 250 mg/kg probenecid at 3.5-day intervals for 5 weeks. Mice were randomized into control+sham, MPTP+sham and MPTP+STN+US group. For MPTP+STN+US group, ultrasound wave (3.8 MHz, 50% duty cycle, 1 kHz pulse repetition frequency, 30 min/day) was delivered to the STN the day after MPTP and probenecid injection (the early stage of PD progression). The rotarod test and pole test were performed to evaluate the behavioral changes after ultrasound treatment. Then, the activity of microglia and astrocyte were measured to evaluate the inflammation level in the brain.

Ultrasound stimulation improved the latency to falls in the rotarod test (p = 0.033) and decreased the climbing time in the pole test (p = 0.016) compared with MPTP+sham group. Moreover, ultrasound stimulation reduced the chronic inflammation response as shown in microglia (p = 0.007) and astrocyte (p = 0.032) activation. In addition, HE, Nissl and Tunel staining showed no brain tissue injury was induced by US.

These findings demonstrate that ultrasound stimulation could suppress the neuroinflammation in PD mice.

Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation offers a novel approach for Parkinson's disease intervention, potentially through its anti-neuroinflammation functions.
Transcranial ultrasound neuromodulation offers a novel approach for Parkinson's disease intervention, potentially through its anti-neuroinflammation functions.
Untreated dental disease and resulting tooth loss can diminish quality of life for older adults by limiting food choices and discouraging social interaction. Before the Basic Screening Survey (BSS) for older adults, no clinical data were available to monitor the oral health of older adults in long-term care (LTC) facilities at the national level or older adults overall at the state level. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/fen1-in-4.html Although BSS is widely used, no guidelines exist to ensure the validity, reliability, and comparability of survey information across states. We examined BSS content to help establish reporting guidelines and synthesized findings across states for older adults living in LTC.

We systematically reviewed BSS reports published from 2011-2019, assessing how oral health outcomes were measured and reported. For reports that included statewide estimates for LTC residents, we calculated the mean, median, and ranges of 3 preventable oral health conditions and 4 indicators of tooth loss.

We found wide variation in reporting of sampling, screening, and statistical methods, as well as in indicators of tooth loss. Median prevalence of untreated tooth decay and edentulism (total tooth loss) among LTC adults in 11 states was almost twice that for community-dwelling adults in a national survey.

The substantial variation in BSS reporting highlights the potential benefits of adopting standardized guidance, which could improve the utility of BSS. Poor oral health outcomes among LTC residents underscore the importance of systematic monitoring of the oral health of this vulnerable population.
The substantial variation in BSS reporting highlights the potential benefits of adopting standardized guidance, which could improve the utility of BSS. Poor oral health outcomes among LTC residents underscore the importance of systematic monitoring of the oral health of this vulnerable population.
Responsive methods and measures are needed to bridge research to practice and address public health issues, such as older adults' need for multicomponent physical activity. The objective of this study was to detail the longitudinal, quasi-experimental work that spans 5 years to describe outcomes across RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) dimensions of integrating a physical activity intervention for older adults into the Cooperative Extension System through the assess, plan, do, evaluate, report (APDER) cycle.

The participant-level intervention is Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together (LIFT), an 8-week, group dynamics-based, strength-training program with 16 in-person sessions. The implementation intervention applies the iterative APDER cycle based on feedback for each dimension of RE-AIM. Each year, the APDER cycle was used to embed data collection procedures at the instructor and participant level to reveal the next evolution of the program.

Each evolutionverall, ongoing adaptations were necessary to ensure the program continued to fit the mission, values, and resources of the delivery system. Public health implications to support the need for ongoing adaptation include embedding pragmatic measures of adaptations and RE-AIM into standard evaluation pathways and using iterative APDER cycles.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define chronic diseases as conditions that last 1 year or more and that require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living, or both (1). Chronic diseases may be influenced by a combination of genetics, lifestyle and social behaviors, health care system factors, community influences, and environmental determinants of health (2). These risk factors often coexist and interact with each other. Therefore, a better understanding of determinants of chronic diseases such as tobacco use, unhealthy eating, and physical inactivity stands to benefit from effective strategies for improving primary, secondary, and tertiary disease prevention and management in diverse global settings (3). Strategies to prevent and manage chronic disease outcomes such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have global commonalities (4-7). The impact of chronic diseases is disproportionately evident in Black and Brown communities (8,9). Chronic disease prevention nd management of chronic diseases, therefore, can help researchers and practitioners benefit from the shared lessons and experience derived from research and interventions conducted in different parts of the world. There are more than 7 billion people worldwide, who speak diverse languages and who have different nationalities, identities, and health systems. Yet, if we share challenges and opportunities for chronic disease prevention and management, many of the global adversities to improving health and well-being can be ameliorated, which is the purpose of this collection. The authors in this collection share lessons that represent experiences in diverse contexts across countries and regions of the world.The alpaca is a very important social and economic resource for the production of fibre and meat for Andean communities. Peru is the main producer of alpacas. Group A rotavirus (RVA) has been sporadically detected in alpacas. In this study, a total of 1423 faecal samples from alpacas from different locations of the Puno department in Peru were collected and analysed by an antigen-capture ELISA in order to detect RVA. Four per cent of the samples were RVA-positive (57/1423). The genotype constellation of three selected alpaca RVA strains were G3/8 P[1/14]-I2-R2/5-C2/3-M2/3-A17-N2/3-T6-E3-H3. Two of the analysed strains presented a bovine-like genotype constellation, whereas the third strain presented six segments belonging to the AU-1-like genogroup (G3, M3, C3, N3, T3 and E3), suggesting reassorting events. Monitoring of the sanitary health of juvenile alpacas is essential to reduce the rates of neonatal mortality and for the development of preventive health strategies.Introduction. Antipathogenic or antivirulence strategy is to target a virulence pathway that is dispensable for growth, in the hope to mitigate the selection for drug resistance.Hypothesis/Gap Statment. Peroxide stress responses are one of the conserved virulence pathways in bacterial pathogens and thus good targets for antipathogenic strategy.Aim. This study aims to identify a new chemical compound that targets OxyR, the peroxide sensor required for the full virulence of the opportunistic human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Methodology. Computer-based virtual screening under consideration of the 'eNTRy' rules and molecular docking were conducted on the reduced form of the OxyR regulatory domain (RD). Selected hits were validated by their ability to phenocopy the oxyR null mutant and modulate the redox cycle of OxyR.Results. We first isolated three robust chemical hits that inhibit OxyR without affecting prototrophic growth or viability. One (compound 1) of those affected the redox cycle of OxyR in response to H2O2 treatment, in a way to impair its function.
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