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There are currently no abstract classifiers, which can be used for new diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) systematic reviews to select primary DTA study abstracts from database searches. Our goal was to develop machine‐learning‐based abstract classifiers for new DTA systematic reviews through an open competition. We prepared a dataset of abstracts obtained through database searches from 11 reviews in different clinical areas. As the reference standard, we used the abstract lists that required manual full‐text review. We randomly splitted the datasets into a train set, a public test set, and a private test set. Competition participants used the training set to develop classifiers and validated their classifiers using the public test set. The classifiers were refined based on the performance of the public test set. They could submit as many times as they wanted during the competition. Finally, we used the private test set to rank the submitted classifiers. To reduce false exclusions, we used the Fbeta measure with a beta set to seven for evaluating classifiers. After the competition, we conducted the external validation using a dataset from a cardiology DTA review. We received 13,774 submissions from 1429 teams or persons over 4 months. The top‐honored classifier achieved a Fbeta score of 0.4036 and a recall of 0.2352 in the external validation. In conclusion, we were unable to develop an abstract classifier with sufficient recall for immediate application to new DTA systematic reviews. Further studies are needed to update and validate classifiers with datasets from other clinical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type in the brain, where they participate in various homeostatic functions. Transcriptomically, diverse astrocyte subpopulations play distinct roles during development and disease progression. However, the biochemical identification of astrocyte subtypes, especially by membrane surface protein glycosylation, remains poorly investigated. Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type zeta (PTPRZ) is a highly expressed membrane protein in CNS glia cells that can be modified with diverse glycosylation, including the unique HNK‐1 capped O‐mannosyl (O‐Man) core M2 glycan mediated by brain‐specific branching enzyme GnT‐IX. Although PTPRZ modified with HNK‐1 capped O‐Man glycans (HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ) is increased in reactive astrocytes of demyelination model mice, whether such astrocytes emerge in a broad range of disease‐associated conditions or are limited to conditions associated with demyelination remains unclear. Here, we show that HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ localizes in hypertrophic astrocytes of damaged brain areas in patients with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, we show that astrocytes expressing HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ are present in two demyelination mouse models (cuprizone‐fed mice and a vanishing white matter disease model), while traumatic brain injury does not induce glycosylation. Administration of cuprizone to Aldh1l1‐eGFP and Olig2KICreER/+;Rosa26eGFP mice revealed that cells expressing HNK‐1‐O‐Man+ PTPRZ are derived from cells in the astrocyte lineage. Notably, GnT‐IX but not PTPRZ mRNA was up‐regulated in astrocytes isolated from the corpus callosum of cuprizone model mice. These results suggest that the unique PTPRZ glycosylation plays a key role in the patterning of demyelination‐associated astrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The distribution of documented cases of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4C (CMT4C) is mainly limited to the Mediterranean region. We report the first documented case of CMT4C in East Asia. Furthermore, we estimate the proportion of CMT4C in Japan and compare the same with that in European countries. Case report: A 72-year-old Japanese woman presented with early-onset motor and sensory neuropathy associated with scoliosis, deformities of the hands and feet, and carpal tunnel syndrome. A genetic screen detected a homozygous p.R529Q mutation in SH3TC2, the causative gene of CMT4C. The SH3TC2 mutation identified here is unique among 426 unrelated Japanese CMT patients, excluding those with CMT1A. Conclusions: Although CMT4C also occurs in Japan, it is less common than in European countries. Muscle Nerve, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover and the green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) are economically important pests with a worldwide distribution. We evaluated the efficacy of releasing a flightless adult strain of the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) as a control measure against these aphids on green pepper plants in open fields. Flightless H. axyridis adults were observed on the green pepper plants in the releasing plots throughout the experimental period and were found to be effective biocontrol agents, markedly decreasing the numbers of aphids. These results suggest that adults of this flightless strain of H. axyridis are effective in controlling aphids on green pepper plants in open fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]