Unified Scale Research Articles

The Unified Redox Scale for All Solvents: Consistency and Gibbs Transfer Energies of Electrolytes from their Constituent Single Ions.

We have devised the unified redox scale Eabs H2O , which is valid for all solvents. The necessary single ion Gibbs transfer energy between two different solvents, which only can be determined with extra-thermodynamic assumptions so far, must clearly satisfy two essential conditions: First, the sum of the independent cation and anion values must give the Gibbs transfer energy of the salt they form. The latter is an observable and measurable without extra-thermodynamic assumptions. Second, the values must be consistent for different solvent combinations. With this work, potentiometric measurements on silver ions and on chloride ions show that both conditions are fulfilled using a salt bridge filled with the ionic liquid [N2225 ][NTf2 ]: if compared to the values resulting from known pKL values, the silver and chloride single ion magnitudes combine within a uncertainty of 1.5 kJ mol-1 to the directly measurable transfer magnitudes of the salt AgCl from water to the solvents acetonitrile, propylene carbonate, dimethylformamide, ethanol, and methanol. The resulting values are used to further develop the consistent unified redox potential scale Eabs H2O that now allows to assess and compare redox potentials in and over six different solvents. We elaborate on its implications.

A study on the correlations between acoustic speech variables and bradykinesia in advanced Parkinson's disease.

Very few studies have assessed the presence of a possible correlation between speech variables and limb bradykinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The objective of this study was to find correlations between different speech variables and upper extremity bradykinesia under different medication conditions in advanced PD patients. Retrospective data were collected from a cohort of advanced PD patients before and after an acute levodopa challenge. Each patient was assessed with a perceptual-acoustic analysis of speech, which included several quantitative parameters [i.e., maximum phonation time (MPT) and intensity (dB)]; the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) (total scores, subscores, and items); and a timed test (a tapping test for 20 s) to quantify upper extremity bradykinesia. Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied to find correlations between the different speech variables and the tapping rate. A total of 53 PD patients [men: 34; disease duration: 10.66 (SD 4.37) years; age at PD onset: 49.81 years (SD 6.12)] were included. Levodopa intake increased the MPT of sustained phonation (p < 0.01), but it reduced the speech rate (p = 0.05). In the defined-OFF condition, MPT of sustained phonation positively correlated with both bilateral mean (p = 0.044, r-value:0.299) and left (p = 0.033, r-value:0.314) tapping. In the defined-ON condition, the MPT correlated positively with bilateral mean tapping (p = 0.003), left tapping (p = 0.003), and right tapping (p = 0.008). This study confirms the presence of correlations between speech acoustic variables and upper extremity bradykinesia in advanced PD patients. These findings suggest common pathophysiological mechanisms.

Longitudinal motor decline in dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson disease dementia, and Alzheimer's dementia in a community autopsy cohort.

We examined the progression of extrapyramidal symptoms and signs in autopsy-confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), and Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD). Longitudinal data were obtained from Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease, with PDD (n=98), AD (n=47) and DLB (n=48) further sub-grouped as with or without parkinsonism (DLB+ and DLB-). Within-group Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) -II and UPDRS-III trajectories were analyzed using non-linear mixed effects models. In DLB, 65.6% had parkinsonism. Baseline UPDRS-II and III scores (off-stage) were highest (P<0.001) for PDD (mean±SD 14.3±7.8 and 27.4±16.3), followed by DLB+ (6.0±8.8 and 17.2±17.1), DLB- (1.1±1.3 and 3.3±5.5) and AD (3.2±6.1 and 8.2±13.6). Compared to PDD, the DLB+ group had faster UPDRS-III progression over 8-years (Cohen's-d range 0.98 to 2.79, P<0.001), driven by gait (P<0.001) and limb bradykinesia (P=0.02) subscales. Motor deficits progress faster in DLB+ than PDD, providing insights about expected changes in motor function. Dementia with Lewy bodies has faster motor progression than Parkinson's disease dementia Linear and non-linear mixed modeling analysis of longitudinal data was utilized Findings have implications for clinical prognostication and trial design.

A universal neocortical mask for Centiloid quantification.

The Centiloid (CL) project was developed to harmonize the quantification of amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) scans to a unified scale. The CL neocortical mask was defined using 11C Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), overlooking potential differences in regional distribution among Aβ tracers. We created a universal mask using an independent dataset of five Aβ tracers, and investigated its impact on inter-tracer agreement, tracer variability, and group separation. Using data from the Alzheimer's Dementia Onset and Progression in International Cohorts (ADOPIC) study (Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle + Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative + Open Access Series of Imaging Studies), age-matched pairs of mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy controls (HC) were selected: 18F-florbetapir (N=147 pairs), 18F-florbetaben (N=22), 18F-flutemetamol (N=10), 18F-NAV (N=42), 11C-PiB (N=63). The images were spatially and standardized uptake value ratio normalized. For each tracer, the mean AD-HC difference image was thresholded to maximize the overlap with the standard neocortical mask. The universal mask was defined as the intersection of all five masks. It was evaluated on the Global Alzheimer's Association Interactive Network (GAAIN) head-to-head datasets in terms of inter-tracer agreement and variance in the young controls (YC) and on the ADOPIC dataset comparing separation between HC/AD and HC/mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In the GAAIN dataset, the universal mask led to a small reduction in the variance of the YC, and a small increase in the inter-tracer agreement. In the ADOPIC dataset, it led to a better separation between HC/AD and HC/MCI at baseline. The universal CL mask led to an increase in inter-tracer agreement and group separation. Those increases were, however, very small, and do not provide sufficient benefits to support departing from the existing standard CL mask, which is suitable for the quantification of all Aβ tracers. This study built an amyloid universal mask using a matched cohort for the five most commonly used amyloid positron emission tomography tracers.There was a high overlap between each tracer-specific mask.Differences in quantification and group separation between the standard and universal mask were small.The existing standard Centiloid mask is suitable for the quantification of all amyloid beta tracers.

A screening method based on analytic hierarchy process for closed-loop DBS strategies of Parkinson's disease.

Closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a research hotspot in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, a variety of stimulation strategies will increase the selection time and cost in animal experiments and clinical studies. Moreover, the stimulation effect is little difference between similar strategies, so the selection process will be redundant. The objective was to propose a comprehensive evaluation model based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to select the best one among similar strategies. Two similar strategies, namely, threshold stimulation (CDBS) and threshold stimulus after EMD feature extraction (EDBS), were used for analysis and screening. The values of Similar to Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale estimates (SUE), β power and energy consumption were calculated and analysed. The stimulation threshold with the best improvement effect was selected. The weights of the indices were allocated by AHP. Finally, the weights and index values were combined, and the comprehensive scores of the two strategies were calculated using the evaluation model. The optimal stimulation threshold for CDBS was 52% and for EDBS was 62%. The weights of the indices were 0.45, 0.45 and 0.1, respectively. According to comprehensive scores, different from the situation where either EDBS or CDBS can be called optimal stimulation strategies. But under the same threshold stimulation, the EDBS was better than the CDBS under the optimal level. The evaluation model based on AHP under the optimal stimulation conditions satisfied the screening conditions between the two strategies.

Investigating terrestrial water storage changes in Southwest China by integrating GNSS and GRACE/GRACE-FO observations

Study regionSouthwest China. Study focusTerrestrial water storage (TWS) changes estimated from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment missions (GRACE/GRACE-FO) are critical data sets for hydrological studies. To obtain a broader and unified spatiotemporal scale than a single method, we designed two improved joint inversion methods (JIMs). The joint inversion method 1 and 2 (JIM1 and JIM2) are based on GRACE/GRACE-FO-derived virtual stations and 3-degree mascons from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, respectively. We focused on investigating TWS changes in Southwest China using JIM1 and JIM2 New hydrological insight for the regionThe synthetic test showed that JIM1 and JIM2 had lower root-mean-square-errors than a GNSS-Only inversion method (GNSS-IM), with reductions of 22% and 37%, respectively, confirming their feasibility. The results of JIMs using actual GNSS and GRACE/GRACE-FO data showed that the area-averaged JIMs-TWS estimates were consistent with GRACE/GRACE-FO-TWS and GNSS-IM-TWS, but JIM2-TWS was overfit to GNSS-IM-TWS. Then, we utilized JIM1-TWS to investigate hydro-climate relationships and quantify drought events. The results revealed a strong agreement between JIM1-dTWS/dt and precipitation-evapotranspiration-runoff with a correlation coefficient of 0.89. Precipitation contributed the most to TWS changes. Furthermore, three hydrological drought events were detected, with the third event being the most severe, lasting for 20 months, resulting in a total TWS loss of − 501 km3, and being categorized as an exceptional drought.

Establishing normative data for the evaluation of cognitive performance in Huntington's disease considering the impact of gender, age, language, and education.

A declining cognitive performance is a hallmark of Huntington's disease (HD). The neuropsychological battery of the Unified HD Rating Scale (UHDRS'99) is commonly used for assessing cognition. However, there is a need to identify and minimize the impact of confounding factors, such as language, gender, age, and education level on cognitive decline. Aim is to provide appropriate, normative data to allow clinicians to identify disease-associated cognitive decline in diverse HD populations by compensating for the impact of confounding factors METHODS: Sample data, N = 3267 (60.5% females; mean age of 46.9years (SD = 14.61, range 18-86) of healthy controls were used to create a normative dataset. For each neuropsychological test, a Bayesian generalized additive model with age, education, gender, and language as predictors was constructed to appropriately stratify the normative dataset. With advancing age, there was a non-linear decline in cognitive performance. In addition, performance was dependent on educational levels and language in all tests. Gender had a more limited impact. Standardized scores have been calculated to ease the interpretation of an individual's test outcome. A web-based online tool has been created to provide free access to normative data. For defined neuropsychological tests, the impact of gender, age, education, and language as factors confounding disease-associated cognitive decline can be minimized at the level of a single patient examination.

Study on the characterization of pesticide modes of action similarity and the multi-endpoint combined toxicity of pesticide mixtures to Caenorhabditis elegans

With the widespread use of pesticides, the coexistence of multiple low-residue pesticides in environmental media has increased significantly, and the “cocktail” effect caused by this phenomenon has garnered increasing attention. However, owing to the scarcity of information regarding the modes of action (MOAs) of chemicals, the application of concentration addition (CA) models for evaluating and predicting the toxicity of mixture with similar MOAs is limited. Additionally, the joint toxicity laws of complex mixture systems to different toxicity endpoints in organisms remain unclear, and effective methods to test the mixture toxicity on lifespan and reproductive inhibition are lacking. Therefore, in this study, the similarity of pesticide MOAs was characterized using molecular electronegativity-distance vector (MEDV-13) descriptors based on eight pesticides (aldicarb, methomyl, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dichlorvos, dimethoate, methamidophos and triazophos). Additionally, the methods of lifespan and reproduction inhibition microplate toxicity analysis of elegans (EL-MTA and ER-MTA) were established to test the lifespan and reproduction inhibition toxicity of Caenorhabditis elegans. Finally, a unified scale synergistic-antagonistic heatmap (SAHscale) method was proposed to explore the combined toxicity of the mixtures on the lifespan, reproduction, and mortality of nematodes. The results showed that the MEDV-13 descriptors could effectively characterize the similarity in MOAs. The lifespan and reproductive ability of Caenorhabditis elegans were significantly inhibited when the pesticide exposure concentration was one order of magnitude lower than the lethal dose. The sensitivity of lifespan and reproductive endpoints to mixtures was dependent on the concentration ratio. The same rays in the mixture had consistent toxicity interactions on the lifespan and reproductive endpoints of Caenorhabditis elegans. In conclusion, we demonstrated the feasibility of MEDV-13 in characterizing the similarity of MOAs, and provided a theoretical basis for exploring the mechanism of chemical mixtures by studying their apparent toxicity of mixtures on nematode lifespan and reproduction endpoints.

Unified Scaling-Based Pure-Integer Quantization for Low-Power Accelerator of Complex CNNs

Although optimizing deep neural networks is becoming crucial for deploying the networks on edge AI devices, it faces increasing challenges due to scarce hardware resources in modern IoT and mobile devices. This study proposes a quantization method that can quantize all internal computations and parameters in the memory modification. Unlike most previous methods that primarily focused on relatively simple CNN models for image classification, the proposed method, Unified Scaling-Based Pure-Integer Quantization (USPIQ), can handle more complex CNN models for object detection. USPIQ aims to provide a systematic approach to convert all floating-point operations to pure-integer operations in every model layer. It can significantly reduce the computational overhead and make it more suitable for low-power neural network accelerator hardware consisting of pure-integer datapaths and small memory aimed at low-power consumption and small chip size. The proposed method optimally calibrates the scale parameters for each layer using a subset of unlabeled representative images. Furthermore, we introduce a notion of the Unified Scale Factor (USF), which combines the conventional two-step scaling processes (quantization and dequantization) into a single process for each layer. As a result, it improves the inference speed and the accuracy of the resulting quantized model. Our experiment on YOLOv5 models demonstrates that USPIQ can significantly reduce the on-chip memory for parameters and activation data by ~75% and 43.68%, respectively, compared with the floating-point model. These reductions have been achieved with a minimal loss in mAP@0.5—at most 0.61%. In addition, our proposed USPIQ exhibits a significant improvement in the inference speed compared to ONNX Run-Time quantization, achieving a speedup of 1.64 to 2.84 times. We also demonstrate that USPIQ outperforms the previous methods in terms of accuracy and hardware reduction for 8-bit quantization of all YOLOv5 versions.

Glymphatic system impairment in corticobasal syndrome: diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS).

This study aimed to evaluate the along the perivascular space (ALPS) index based on the diffusion tensor image ALPS (DTI-ALPS) in corticobasal degeneration with corticobasal syndrome (CBD-CBS) and investigate its correlation with motor and cognitive functions. The data of 21 patients with CBD-CBS and 17 healthy controls (HCs) were obtained from the 4-Repeat Tauopathy Neuroimaging Initiative and the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Neuroimaging Initiative databases. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. The ALPS index based on DTI-ALPS was automatically calculated after preprocessing. The ALPS index was compared between the CBD-CBS and HC groups via a general linear model analysis, with covariates such as age, sex, years of education, and intracranial volume (ICV). Furthermore, to confirm the relation between the ALPS index and the motor and cognitive score in CBD-CBS, the partial Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated with covariates such as age, sex, years of education, and ICV. A p value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant in all statistical analyses. The ALPS index of CBD-CBS was significantly lower than that of HC (Cohen's d = - 1.53, p < 0.005). Moreover, the ALPS index had a significant positive correlation with the mini mental state evaluation score (rs = 0.65, p < 0.005) and a significant negative correlation with the unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III score (rs = - 0.75, p < 0.001). The ALPS index of patients with CBD-CBS, which is significantly lower than that of HCs, is significantly associated with motor and cognitive functions.

Small object detection leveraging density‐aware scale adaptation

AbstractAlbeit general object detection has made impressive progress in the last decade, as a significant subfield, small object detection still performs far from satisfactorily, which is impeded by several challenges, such as small size, severe occlusion and variant scales. To tackle these challenges, we propose a coarse‐to‐fine small object detection method leveraging density‐aware scale adaptation. Firstly, we employ global sketchy prediction via a coarse network in large scenes and generate adaptively scaled block regions with potential targets. Subsequently, we perform local accurate detection by a fine network for instances in densely packed areas with approximately unified scales. In particular, a density map with object distribution information is utilised to provide a scene classification auxiliary to instruct scale transformation. Extensive experiments on the popular remote sensing benchmark AI‐TOD and representative small object datasets VisDrone and UAVDT demonstrate the superiority of our method for small object detection, achieving an improvement of 2.9% mAP‐vt and 2.1% mAP on AI‐TOD, and outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art methods on VisDrone and UAVDT with an enhancement of 1.7% mAP and 2.0% mAP50, respectively.

Negative emotions and quality of life of parents with children diagnosed with anorectal malformations

To investigate the anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life of parents with children diagnosed with anorectal malformations. 68 parents participated in the study and completed the unified Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. Compared with the Chinese reference values, parents in our study had higher scores on anxiety and depression and lower scores on the psychological and environmental domain of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. Parents who live in rural areas, pay for medical treatmentout of pocket, and have multiple children are prone to feel anxious. Parents with multiple children also scored worse in the domains of physiology, psychology, social relationships, and general quality of life assessment. They scored significantly lower in the domains of psychology and social relationships when parents had a low education level. Parents of children who had undergone stagedoperations got lower scores on the general quality of life assessment. Parents of children with anorectal malformations have varying degrees of psychological and emotional problems that require attention in the clinic.

Urinary Symptom Profile in Early Multiple System Atrophy (P9-9.002)

<h3>Objective:</h3> Evaluate the Urinary Symptom Profile (USP) in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). <h3>Background:</h3> MSA is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease that presents with motor and autonomic symptoms. Urinary symptoms can occur at any time along the disease process; however, no study has characterized patient reported urinary symptoms in MSA. The Urinary Symptom Profile (USP) is a validated, patient-reported assessment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), overactive bladder (OAB), and low stream (LS). We applied this scale to a cohort of early MSA patients from the bioMUSE Natural history study. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> 16 participants, (8 females), mean age 62 (range 49–79), mean duration of motor symptoms of 3 years, completed the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) Part I, the Natural History and Neuroprotection in Parkinson Plus Syndromes-Parkinson Plus scale (PPS), and the Urinary Symptom Profile (USP) questionnaire. The PPS and UMSARS total urinary symptom scores were correlated with the total USP score using a t-distribution and the Spearman’s rank correlation. <h3>Results:</h3> The mean USP score was 14.06, (4–30). One participant had a bladder stimulator and 3 were taking medications for urinary symptoms. Total USP scores positively correlated with total urinary symptom scores from the UMSARS (p = 0.075, r² = 0.458) and PPS (p = 0.002, r² = 0.713). Across this cohort, the most severe complaints were related to urinary urgency (OAB avg = 8.4), and reduced amount of time to hold urine (SUI avg = 2.63). Subscale analysis indicates the most common symptoms relate to OAB, and least common were SUI. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> In early MSA, urinary symptoms are greatest in relation to overactive bladder, specifically urgency and frequency. These results suggest that the USP can be used for comprehensive evaluation of urinary complaints and give important insights to the concerns of patients early in disease. <b>Disclosure:</b> Miss Iregui has nothing to disclose. Ms. Wynn has nothing to disclose. Miss Hay has nothing to disclose. Cynthia Wong has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Alterity Therapeutics. Dr. Stamler has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Alterity Therapeutics. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Spark . The institution of Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $50,000-$99,999 for serving as a Consultant for Alterity. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for HD Insights. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from CHDI. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from HDSA. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Department of Defense. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Griffin Family Foundation. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Neurocrine. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Vaccinex. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from AbbVie. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from CHDI. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Genentech/ Roche. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Prilenia. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Neurocrine/ HSG.

Wearable Sensors for Quantitative Motor Assessments in Multiple System Atrophy (P8-9.002)

<h3>Objective:</h3> To determine the utility of quantitative wearable sensors in Multiple system atrophy (MSA). <h3>Background:</h3> Symptoms of MSA include parkinsonism, ataxia, and/or failure of the autonomic nervous system. Wearable sensors have potential to characterize motor impairment in an outpatient setting and to serve as clinical trial outcomes in MSA. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> Participants enrolled in biomarkers of progression in MSA (bioMUSE) had early MSA (&lt;3 years of motor symptoms) by clinical assessment. All completed neurologic exam, neuroimaging and biofluid assessments. The Unified MSA Rating Scale motor exam (UMSARS II), Parkinson Plus Scale (PPSm), and Tandem Walk (TW), were completed every 3 months. PAMSys actigraphy sensors were worn continuously for up to 12-months to assess gait (step count, bouts of walking, steps per bout, cadence, cadence variability), postures (minutes of sitting, lying, standing, walking, sedentary [sitting + lying]) and postural transitions (sit-to-stand) by averaging data over 14-days. Pearson correlation coefficients between clinical and sensor variables were estimated at each time point and two-sided p-values were calculated. <h3>Results:</h3> 12 participants (6 Female, mean age 64.2) with motor symptoms of 2.X years were followed for ≥ 6 months (n=9), and 12 months (n=5). Significant (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05) correlations were observed between step count, bouts of walking, minutes walking and sit to stand transitions for UMSARS II, PPSm and TW. Significant correlations were most frequently observed at BL and months 3, 6 and 9. The strongest correlations (r&gt;0.8) were observed at month 6 and 9. The PPSm had more frequent and stronger correlation with sensor parameters than UMSARS II. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> In early MSA, continuous actigraphy is feasible and demonstrates significant correlation with motor exam. The PPSm appeared to have stronger correlation with sensor variables than UMSARS II. Continuous motor assessments via wearable sensors may be a suitable endpoint for clinical trials in MSA. <b>Disclosure:</b> Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Spark . The institution of Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $50,000-$99,999 for serving as a Consultant for Alterity. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Claassen has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for HD Insights. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from CHDI. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from HDSA. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Department of Defense. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Griffin Family Foundation. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Neurocrine. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Vaccinex. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from AbbVie. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from CHDI. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Genentech/ Roche. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Prilenia. The institution of Dr. Claassen has received research support from Neurocrine/ HSG. Miss Iregui has nothing to disclose. Ms. Wynn has nothing to disclose. Charles Davis has nothing to disclose. Cynthia Wong has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Alterity Therapeutics. Dr. Stamler has received personal compensation for serving as an employee of Alterity Therapeutics.

Effect of Physiotherapy Interventions on Motor Symptoms in People With Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To evaluate the effectiveness of different types of physiotherapy interventions in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection) were searched for relevant RCTs published from database inception to July 14, 2022. Reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the literature quality according to the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and PEDro Scale. This meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.1 and reported in compliance with the PRISMA statement. Forty-two RCTs with 2,530 participants were included. Across all types of physiotherapy, strength training, mind-body exercise, aerobic exercise, and non-invasive brain stimulation (NiBS) were effective in improving motor symptoms as measured by the (Movement Disorders Society-) Unified PD Scale, whereas balance and gait training (BGT) and acupuncture were not. The pooled results showed that the change in mind-body exercise (MD = -5.36, 95% CI [-7.97 to -2.74], p < .01, I2 = 68%) and NiBS (MD = -4.59, 95% CI [-8.59 to -0.59], p = .02, I2 = 78%) reached clinical threshold, indicating clinically meaningful improvements. Considering the effectiveness of the interventions on motor symptoms, balance, gait and functional mobility, mind-body exercise was recommended the most. Exercise appears to be a better form of physiotherapy than NiBS and acupuncture for improving motor function. Mind-body exercise showed beneficial effects on motor symptoms, balance, gait and functional mobility in people with PD, and is worthy of being promoted.

Distance-based paper microfluidics as environmentally friendly platforms for monitoring acid-base titrations

The goal of green chemistry is to reduce the impact of chemical processes on the environment. In this context, it is important to develop new analytical tools that comply with the principles of green analytical chemistry (GAC) to contribute to the sustainable development of the planet. This study describes the development of an environmentally friendly methodology using paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) to perform acid-base titrations by distance-based measurements. The devices were composed of a circular zone defined with 5 mm diameter connected to a rectangular channel of 40 mm long × 3 mm wide. The titrations of acidic (strong and weak) and alkaline (strong and weak) solutions were successfully demonstrated using 10 µL of titrant solution and 10 µL of sample solution. The solution added into the zone travels different distances depending on the concentration of the titrated, thus promoting the channel coloration or discoloration. The distance measurements covered by the titrated solutions were obtained recorded with a digital caliper. As proof-of-concept for quantitative purposes, the µPAD was then used to determine the acetic acid content in commercial vinegar. The average distances ranged from to 32.0 to 32.5 mm and the concentration values ranged from 4.3 to 4.6% (m/v). Conventional acid-base volumetry was used as a control method, and the obtained results demonstrated no statistical difference at 95% confidence level. Lastly, the 12 principles of GAC were analyzed to evaluate the suitability of the proposed method. Considering a unified scale between 0 and 1, the final green value was 0.72. Titrations with distance-based detection on µPADs were found to be a technique with fast responses and low cost that can be used as a replacement for conventional practices in teaching laboratories or adapted for the detection of different analytes.

Healthy Cities, A comprehensive dataset for environmental determinants of health in England cities

This paper presents a fine-grained and multi-sourced dataset for environmental determinants of health collected from England cities. We provide health outcomes of citizens covering physical health (COVID-19 cases, asthma medication expenditure, etc.), mental health (psychological medication expenditure), and life expectancy estimations. We present the corresponding environmental determinants from four perspectives, including basic statistics (population, area, etc.), behavioural environment (availability of tobacco, health-care services, etc.), built environment (road density, street view features, etc.), and natural environment (air quality, temperature, etc.). To reveal regional differences, we extract and integrate massive environment and health indicators from heterogeneous sources into two unified spatial scales, i.e., at the middle layer super output area (MSOA) and the city level, via big data processing and deep learning. Our data holds great promise for diverse audiences, such as public health researchers and urban designers, to further unveil the environmental determinants of health and design methodology for a healthy, sustainable city.

A scale function based approach for solving integral-differential equations in insurance risk models

In risk theory, the resolutions of many interesting problems are reduced to solving some integro-differential equations (IDE), see [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31], and references therein. Meanwhile, due to the recent advances made on Lévy processes, explicit analytical expressions of the scale functions associated with Lévy processes become on offer (see [1, 2, 11, 16, 17], Chapter 8 of [19], [20], etc). This paper aims at bridging together the scale functions and the IDEs by presenting a unified scale function based approach for solving IDEs that arise in risk theory. In particular, to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, a dividend and capital injection problem is considered under a jump-diffusion risk model. We first derive the IDEs satisfied by the expected accumulated discounted difference between the net dividends and the costs of capital injections, and then solve the IDEs with its solution being expressed in compact and transparent forms.

Characteristics of fatigue in Parkinson's disease: A longitudinal cohort study.

To assess the prevalence, evolution, clinical characteristics, correlates and predictors of fatigue as well as to investigate the influence of comorbid fatigue on the longitudinal changes in motor and non-motor symptoms over a 2-year longitudinal follow-up period in a large cohort of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). A total of 2,100 PD patients were enrolled from the Parkinson's Disease & Movement Disorders Multicenter Database and Collaborative Network in China (PD-MDCNC), and their motor and non-motor symptoms were assessed biennially using comprehensive scales, including the 16-item Parkinson Fatigue Scale (PFS-16). Each PD patient was categorized as PD with or without fatigue on the basis of a cut-off mean PFS-16 score of 3.3. The prevalence of fatigue in our cohort was 36.8%. Compared to PD patients without fatigue, PD patients with fatigue were more likely to be older, have a longer disease duration, and higher baseline levodopa equivalent daily dose (all p < 0.05). Moreover, PD patients with fatigue showed more severe motor and non-motor phenotypes than those without fatigue. Overall, high total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score (odds ratio [OR] = 1.016, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.009-1.024), Non-Motor Symptoms Scale score (OR = 1.022, 95% CI: 1.015-1.029), postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD) subtype (OR = 1.586, 95% CI: 1.211-2.079), presence of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS; OR = 1.343, 95% CI: 1.083-1.666), and wearing-off (OR = 1.282, 95% CI: 1.023-1.607) were significantly associated with fatigue in PD patients (all p < 0.05). High total UPDRS score at baseline (OR = 1.014, 95% CI: 1.002-1.027, p = 0.028) increased the risk of developing fatigue during follow-up. Although significant, the odds ratios were low and confidence intervals were narrow. Analysis of disease progression showed significant group differences in motor and non-motor symptoms. In comparison with the never-fatigue group, the persistent-fatigue group showed significantly greater progression in motor, autonomic dysfunction, sleep, depression and cognitive symptoms (all p < 0.05). Increased disease severity, presence of the PIGD subtype, EDS, and wearing-off were associated with fatigue in PD patients. Significant subgroup-level differences were observed in the progression of motor and non-motor symptoms across different fatigue subgroups of PD patients.

Factors impacting quality of life in multiple system atrophy.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is an atypical parkinsonian disorder marked by autonomic dysfunction, parkinsonism, cerebellar dysfunction, and poor response to dopaminergic medications such as levodopa. Patient-reported quality of life is an important benchmark for clinicians and clinical trials. The Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) allows healthcare providers to rate and assess MSA progression. The MSA-QoL questionnaire is a health-related quality of life scale intended to provide patient-reported outcome measures. In this article, we investigated inter-scale correlations between the MSA-QoL and UMSARS to determine factors impacting the quality of life of patients with MSA. Twenty patients at the Johns Hopkins Atypical Parkinsonism Center's Multidisciplinary Clinic with a diagnosis of clinically probable MSA and who filled out the MSA-QoL and UMSARS questionnaires within 2 weeks of each other were included. Inter-scale correlations between MSA-QoL and UMSARS responses were examined. Linear regressions were also performed to examine relationships between both scales. Significant inter-scale correlations were found between the MSA-QoL and UMSARS, both between MSA-QoL total score and UMSARS Part I subtotal scores and for individual scale items. There were no significant correlations between MSA-QoL life satisfaction rating and UMSARS subtotal scores or any specific UMSARS items. Linear regression analysis found significant associations between MSA-QoL total score and UMSARS Part I and total scores, and between MSA-QoL life satisfaction rating and UMSARS Part I, Part II, and total scores (after adjustment for age). Our study demonstrates significant inter-scale correlations between MSA-QoL and UMSARS, particularly relating to activities of daily living and hygiene. MSA-QoL total score and UMSARS Part I subtotal scores, which assess patients' functional status, were significantly correlated. The lack of significant associations between MSA-QoL life satisfaction rating and any UMSARS item suggests there may be aspects to quality of life that are not fully captured by this assessment. Larger cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses utilizing UMSARS and MSA-QoL are warranted and modification of the UMSARS should be considered.