Design and Methods of a Prospective Smartphone App-Based Study for Digital Phenotyping of Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Mixed With Centralized and Decentralized Research Form: The Search Your Mind (S.Y.M., ) Project.

In this study, the Search Your Mind (S.Y.M., ) project aimed to collect prospective digital phenotypic data centered on mood and anxiety symptoms across psychiatric disorders through a smartphone application (app) platform while using both centralized and decentralized research designs: the centralized research design is a hybrid of a general prospective observational study and a digital platform-based study, and it includes face-to-face research such as informed written consent, clinical evaluation, and blood sampling. It also includes digital phenotypic assessment through an application-based platform using wearable devices. Meanwhile, the decentralized research design is a non-face-to-face study in which anonymous participants agree to electronic informed consent forms on the app. It also exclusively uses an application-based platform to acquire individualized digital phenotypic data. We expect to collect clinical, biological, and digital phenotypic data centered on mood and anxiety symptoms, and we propose a possible model of centralized and decentralized research design.

The role of allergen-specific IgE in predicting allergic symptoms on dog and cat exposure among Korean pet exhibition participants.

BACKGROUND: The values of the skin prick test (SPT) and allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) measurement in predicting dog and cat allergies remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of SPT and sIgE measurement in predicting self-reported allergic symptoms during exposure to dogs and cats in Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 552 participants in a pet exhibition in Korea completed questionnaires regarding exposure to dog or cat and the development of allergic symptoms during exposure. Study participants also underwent SPT using 3 different commercially available reagents, and had their blood drawn for measurement of serum total IgE and dog/cat-dander-IgE using ImmunoCAP®. RESULTS: Measurement of sIgE for dog and cat dander allergens provided the highest positive and negative predictive values and sensitivity, but not specificity (58%, 87.2%, 67.9%, and 93.1% for allergic symptoms on dog exposure; 64.7%, 83.2%, 74.8%, and 88.9% for those on cat exposure, respectively), in predicting self-reported allergic symptoms on dog and cat exposure. The sIgE level consistently exhibited the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.749 and 0.719 for allergic symptoms on dog and cat exposure, respectively). Careful interpretation of SPT and sIgE measurements maximized the positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity, and specificity for predicting allergic symptoms on dog exposure (71.4%, 87.3%, 75.3%, and 99.3%) and those on cat exposure (71.4%, 85.3%, 79.3%, and 98.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of dog and cat dander sIgE levels may be useful for the exclusion of allergic symptoms related to pet exposure. Collective interpretation of SPT and sIgE tests facilitates identification of allergic symptoms on dog or cat exposure, giving a better rule-in test result.

Successful Treatment with a High-dose Rifampin-containing Regimen for Pulmonary Tuberculosis with a Disputed rpoB Mutation.

Mutations in the rpoB gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis can result in resistance to rifampin. Among various mutations in the rpoB gene, some known as disputed rpoB mutations can cause low-level rifampin resistance. It has been suggested that a high-dose rifampin (20 mg/kg)-based regimen might be effective in treating tuberculosis (TB) caused by M. tuberculosis with disputed rpoB mutations exhibiting low-level resistance. We herein report the first two cases of pulmonary TB caused by M. tuberculosis with a disputed rpoB mutation (CTG511CCG) that showed successful treatment outcomes with a high-dose rifampin-based regimen.

Tunable and Diastereoselective Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Synthesis of ß-Enaminones.

The Brønsted acid catalyzed Meyer-Schuster reaction of hemiaminals was studied for the stereoselective synthesis of ß-enaminones. Hemiaminals were formed from propargyl aldehydes (or the oxidation of propargyl alcohols) and amines in the presence of Brønsted acids. A critical step to control the stereochemistry of the products is the protonation of the corresponding allenol intermediate, which is dictated by the Brønsted acid used, the steric effect of the amine, and the electronic effect of the propargyl aldehyde.

Copper-catalyzed TEMPO addition to propargyl alcohols for the synthesis of vinylic alkoxyamines.

A variety of vinylic alkoxyamines derived from propargyl alcohols and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine N-oxyl (TEMPO) were synthesized in good yields under copper-catalyzed aerobic conditions. A reaction mechanism was proposed, involving the isomerization of propargyl radicals to allenic radicals, and related mechanistic studies were performed. The kinetic isotope effect on the propargyl C-H bond cleavage (α-deprotonation) reaction was observed (kH/kD = 3.76).