Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between site index and several mechanical properties of Turkish calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.)

In this study, the mechanical properties (e.g., compressive, bending (modulus of rupture [MOR]), izod impact, and tensile strengths) of calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) wood naturally grown in the K.Maras province of Turkey were investigated as a function of site index. The tests of the mechanical properties were performed on the clear small specimens of calabrian pine selected from the most suitable stands in the province and prepared as described in Turkish Standards. The results of statistical analyses revealed that the site index was an important factor influencing the mechanical properties of calabrian pine wood. Significant differences among all the types of site indexes (I, II, and III) studied were found for compressive strength parallel to the grain and tensile strength perpendicular to the grain. However, significant differences were found between only two site indexes for MOR and izod impact strength. Site index should be taken into account as an important parameter when using calabrian pine lumber.
The structure and UV spectroscopy of benzene-water (Bz-W_6) clusters using time-dependent density functional theory

DFT and MP2 calculations are performed to obtain optimized ground state geometries and binding energies of the cage and the prism conformers of water W_6 clusters and Bz-W_6 clusters using the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. The cage conformer of Bz-W_6 system is found to be more stable than prism conformer for all range of DFT functionals and MP2. Time dependent-DFT is then used to study UV spectroscopy of Bz, water W_6 clusters and Bz-W_6 clusters at both the MP2 and wB97XD optimized ground state geometries using the B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP and M06-2X functionals with 6-31++G(d,p) and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. Our results predict minor differences in the UV spectroscopy of cage and prism conformers W_6 and Bz-W_6 clusters that may be observable with high-resolution spectroscopy. The M06-2X and CAM-B3LYP functionals perform consistently with each other. Benzene-mediated excitations of the water W_6 cluster towards longer wavelengths above 170 nm are noticed in both the cage and prism geometries of Bz-W_6 Benzene is found to be influenced after interacting with the cage and prism W_6 geometries, and is seen to undergo a red shift in the main π-π* electronic transition, in which the degeneracy is slightly broken Charge transfer (CT) states and diffuse Rydberg-type states are also found to play an important role in the spectroscopy of such systems.
Antimicrobial Efficacy of Different Solvent Extracts of Tagetes erecta L. Flower, Alone and in Combination with Antibiotics

Bacteria have evolved numerous defences against antimicrobial agent and drug resistance in pathogen is on rise. This is due to rapid development of multi-drug resistance, limited anti-bacterial spectrum and adverse effects of available anti-microbial agents. This necessitates the search for new antimicrobials with diverse structures and novel mechanism of action. Flowers are mostly used for ornamental purposes and they are not frequently worked out hence marigold flower was selected for the study. The antimicrobial activity of different solvent (Hexane, Toluene, Ethyl acetate, Acetone, Methanol and Aqueous) extracts of marigold flowers were evaluated by agar well diffusion method against a panel of pathogenic microorganisms. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of acetone extract and its fraction were evaluated. B. cereus and K. pneumonia were the most sensitive organisms to acetone extract and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 78 μg/ml. Synergistic effect of acetone extract and commercial antibiotics (chloroamphenicol and ceftazidime) against pathogenic bacteria was investigated. The best synergistic activity was with combination of acetone extract and ceftazidime against B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa with FIC indices 0.312 and 0.093 respectively. Only the polar solvent acetone extract showed promising antibacterial and synergistic activity. These results indicate that combination between plant extract and the antibiotics could be useful in fighting emerging drug-resistant microorganisms and choice of the solvent plays a prominent role in evaluating antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants. Flowers can be taken as an alternative source of antimicrobial agent against the human pathogens.
No evidence of seed transmissibility of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus in Nicotiana benthamiana

摘 要最近有研究报道番茄黄化卷叶病毒在番茄中可以 通过种子传播, 这个结论与之前的普遍观念是相 反的。 为了确定该病毒的种子传播性是否是在不 同寄主植物中具有普遍性, 我们检测了该病毒在 本氏烟中通过种子的传播能力。 实验结果证明在 我们的实验条件下, 番茄黄化卷叶病毒在本氏烟 中没有种子传播性, 从而说明该病毒在不同寄主 植物中的种子传播性是不同的。 不同的生长条件 造成影响的可能性也需要被考虑。
Higher Impulsivity As a Distinctive Trait of Severe Cocaine Addiction among Individuals Treated for Cocaine or Alcohol Use Disorders

Aims Despite alcohol being the most often used addictive substance among addicted patients, use of other substances such as cocaine has increased over recent years, and the combination of both drugs aggravates health impairment and complicates clinical assessment. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize heterogeneous subgroups of cocaine- and alcohol-addicted patients with common characteristics based on substance use disorders, psychiatric comorbidity and impulsivity. Methods A total of 214 subjects with cocaine and/or alcohol use disorders were recruited from outpatient treatment programs and clinically assessed. A latent class analysis was used to establish phenotypic categories according to diagnosis of cocaine and alcohol use disorders, mental disorders, and impulsivity scores. Relevant variables were examined in the latent classes (LCs) using correlation and analyses of variance and covariance. Results Four LCs of addicted patients were identified: Class 1 (45.3%) formed by alcohol-dependent patients exhibiting lifetime mood disorder diagnosis and mild impulsivity; Class 2 (14%) formed mainly by lifetime cocaine use disorder patients with low probability of comorbid mental disorders and mild impulsivity; Class 3 (10.7%) formed by cocaine use disorder patients with elevated probability to course with lifetime anxiety, early and personality disorders, and greater impulsivity scores; and Class 4 (29.9%) formed mainly by patients with alcohol and cocaine use disorders, with elevated probability in early and personality disorders and elevated impulsivity. Furthermore, there were significant differences among classes in terms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition-Text Revision criteria for abuse and dependence: Class 3 showed more criteria for cocaine use disorders than other classes, while Class 1 and Class 4 showed more criteria for alcohol use disorders. Conclusion Cocaine- and alcohol-addicted patients who were grouped according to diagnosis of substance use disorders, psychiatric comorbidity, and impulsivity show different clinical and sociodemographic variables. Whereas mood and anxiety disorders are more prevalent in alcohol-addicted patients, personality disorders are associated with cocaine use disorders and diagnosis of comorbid substance use disorders. Notably, increased impulsivity is a distinctive characteristic of patients with severe cocaine use disorder and comorbid personality disorders. Psychiatric disorders and impulsivity should be considered for improving the stratification of addicted patients with shared clinical and sociodemographic characteristics to select more appropriate treatments.
Oral dydrogesterone vs. vaginal progesterone capsules for luteal-phase support in women undergoing embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To identify, appraise, and summarize the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing oral dydrogesterone to vaginal progesterone capsules for luteal-phase support (LPS) in women offered fresh or frozen embryo transfers following in vitro fertilization. Methods Two independent authors screened the literature for papers based on titles and abstracts, then selected the studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Dydrogesterone and progesterone were compared based on risk ratios (RR) and the precision of the estimates was assessed through the 95% confidence interval (CI). Results An electronic search performed on June 7, 2017 retrieved 376 records, nine of which were papers deemed eligible and included in this systematic review and quantitative analysis. Good quality evidence indicates that oral dydrogesterone provided at least similar results than vaginal progesterone capsules on live birth/ongoing pregnancy (RR=1.08, 95%CI=0.92-1.26, I2=29%, 8 RCTs, 3,386 women) and clinical pregnancy rates (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.27; I2=43%; 9 RCTs; 4,061 women). Additionally, moderate quality evidence suggests there is no relevant difference on miscarriage rates (RR=0.92, 95%CI=0.68-1.26, I2=6%, 8 RCTs, 988 clinical pregnancies; the quality of the evidence was downgraded because of imprecision). Conclusions Good quality evidence from RCTs suggest that oral dydrogesterone provides at least similar reproductive outcomes than vaginal progesterone capsules when used for LPS in women undergoing embryo transfers. Dydrogesterone is a reasonable option and the choice of either of the medications should be based on cost and side effects.
Risk Factors for Incident Diabetic Polyneuropathy in a Cohort With Screen-Detected Type 2 Diabetes Followed for 13 Years: ADDITION-Denmark

OBJECTIVE To study incident diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) prospectively during the first 13 years after a screening-based diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and determine the associated risk factors for the development of DPN. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We assessed DPN longitudinally in the Danish arm of the Anglo-Danish-Dutch study of Intensive Treatment of Diabetes in Primary Care (ADDITION) using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument questionnaire (MNSIQ), defining DPN with scores ≥4. Risk factors present at the diabetes diagnosis associated with the risk of incident DPN were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for trial randomization group, sex, and age. RESULTS Of the total cohort of 1,533 people, 1,445 completed the MNSIQ at baseline and 189 (13.1%) had DPN at baseline. The remaining 1,256 without DPN entered this study (median age 60.8 years [interquartile range 55.6; 65.6], 59% of whom were men). The cumulative incidence of DPN was 10% during 13 years of diabetes. Age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03 [95% CI 1.00; 1.07]) (unit = 1 year), weight (HR 1.09 [95% CI 1.03; 1.16]) (unit = 5 kg), waist circumference (HR 1.14 [95% CI 1.05; 1.24]) (unit = 5 cm), BMI (HR 1.14 [95% CI 1.06; 1.23]) (unit = 2 kg/m2), log2 methylglyoxal (HR 1.45 [95% CI 1.12; 1.89]) (unit = doubling), HDL cholesterol (HR 0.82 [95% CI 0.69; 0.99]) (unit = 0.25 mmol/L), and LDL cholesterol (HR 0.92 [95% CI 0.86; 0.98]) (unit = 0.25 mmol/L) at baseline were significantly associated with the risk of incident DPN. CONCLUSIONS This study provides further epidemiological evidence for obesity as a risk factor for DPN. Moreover, low HDL cholesterol levels and higher levels of methylglyoxal, a marker of dicarbonyl stress, are identified as risk factors for the development of DPN.
Coreference and Antecedent Representation Across Languages

Previous studies have shown that speakers of languages such as German, Spanish, and French reactivate the syntactic gender of the antecedent of a pronoun to license gender agreement. As syntactic gender is assumed to be stored in the lexicon, this has motivated the claim that pronouns in these languages reactivate the lexical entry of their antecedent noun. In contrast, in languages without syntactic gender such as English, lexical retrieval might be unnecessary. We used eye-tracking while reading to examine whether antecedent retrieval involves rapid semantic and phonological reactivation. We compared German and English. In German, we found early sensitivity to the semantic but not to the phonological features of the pronoun’s antecedent. In English, readers did not immediately show either semantic or phonological effects specific to coreference. We propose that early semantic facilitation arises due to syntactic gender reactivation, and that antecedent retrieval varies cross-linguistically depending on the type of information relevant to the grammar of each language.
Metformin extended‐release versus immediate‐release: An international, randomized, double‐blind, head‐to‐head trial in pharmacotherapy‐naïve patients with type 2 diabetes

This international, randomized, double‐blind trial (NCT01864174) compared the efficacy and safety of metformin extended‐release (XR) and immediate‐release (IR) in patients with type 2 diabetes. After a 4‐week placebo lead‐in, pharmacotherapy‐naïve adults with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) at 7.0% to 9.2% were randomized (1:1) to receive once‐daily metformin XR 2000 mg or twice‐daily metformin IR 1000 mg for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c after 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints were change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), mean daily glucose (MDG) and patients (%) with HbA1c <7.0% after 24 weeks. Overall, 539 patients were randomized (metformin XR, N = 268; metformin IR, N = 271). Adjusted mean changes in HbA1c, FPG, MDG and patients (%) with HbA1c <7.0% after 24 weeks were similar for XR and IR: −0.93% vs −0.96%; −21.1 vs −20.6 mg/dL (−1.2 vs −1.1 mmol/L); −24.7 vs −27.1 mg/dL (−1.4 vs −1.5 mmol/L); and 70.9% vs 72.0%, respectively. Adverse events were similar between groups and consistent with previous studies. Overall, metformin XR demonstrated efficacy and safety similar to that of metformin IR over 24 weeks, with the advantage of once‐daily dosing.
Relationship between swallow‐specific quality of life and fiber‐optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing findings in patients with head and neck cancer

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between swallow‐specific quality of life (QOL) using the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and the swallowing function using a standardized fiber‐optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) protocol in patients with dysphagia with head and neck cancer.
Frontotemporal dementia with the V337M MAPT mutation

Objective: To assess the efficacy of [18F]AV1451 PET in visualizing tau pathology in vivo in a patient with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) associated with the V337M microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) mutation. Methods: MAPT mutations are associated with the deposition of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in neurons and glia. The PET tracer [18F]AV1451 binds with high affinity to paired helical filaments tau that comprises neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease (AD), while postmortem studies suggest lower or absent binding to the tau filaments of the majority of non-AD tauopathies. We describe clinical, structural MRI, and [18F]AV1451 PET findings in a V337M MAPT mutation carrier affected by FTD and pathologic findings in his affected mother and in an unrelated V337M MAPT carrier also affected with FTD. The biochemical similarity between paired helical filament tau in AD and MAPT V337M predicts that the tau pathology associated with this mutation constitutes a compelling target for [18F]AV1451 imaging. Results: We found a strong association between topography and degree of [18F]AV1451 tracer retention in the proband and distribution of tau pathology in the brain of the proband's mother and the unrelated V337M mutation carrier. We also found a significant correlation between the degree of regional MRI brain atrophy and the extent of [18F]AV1451 binding in the proband and a strong association between the proband's clinical presentation and the extent of regional brain atrophy and tau accumulation as assessed by structural brain MRI and [18F]AV1451PET. Conclusion: Our study supports the usefulness of [18F]AV1451 to characterize tau pathology in at least a subset of pathogenic MAPT mutations.
Mutant Alleles of Photoperiod-1 in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) That Confer a Late Flowering Phenotype in Long Days

Flowering time in wheat and barley is known to be modified by mutations in the Photoperiod-1 (Ppd-1) gene. Semi-dominant Ppd-1a mutations conferring an early flowering phenotype are well documented in wheat but gene sequencing has also identified candidate loss of function mutations for Ppd-A1 and Ppd-D1. By analogy to the recessive ppd-H1 mutation in barley, loss of function mutations in wheat are predicted to delay flowering under long day conditions. To test this experimentally, introgression lines were developed in the spring wheat variety ‘Paragon’. Plants lacking a Ppd-B1 gene were identified from a gamma irradiated ‘Paragon’ population. These were crossed with the other introgression lines to generate plants with candidate loss of function mutations on one, two or three genomes. Lines lacking Ppd-B1 flowered 10 to 15 days later than controls under long days. Candidate loss of function Ppd-A1 alleles delayed flowering by 1 to 5 days while candidate loss of function Ppd-D1 alleles did not affect flowering time. Loss of Ppd-A1 gave an enhanced effect, and loss of Ppd-D1 became detectable in lines where Ppd-B1 was absent, indicating effects may be buffered by functional Ppd-1 alleles on other genomes. Expression analysis revealed that delayed flowering was associated with reduced expression of the TaFT1 gene and increased expression of TaCO1. A survey of the GEDIFLUX wheat collection grown in the UK and North Western Europe between the 1940s and 1980s and the A.E. Watkins global collection of landraces from the 1920s and 1930s showed that the identified candidate loss of function mutations for Ppd-D1 were common and widespread, while the identified candidate Ppd-A1 loss of function mutation was rare in countries around the Mediterranean and in the Far East but was common in North Western Europe. This may reflect a possible benefit of the latter in northern locations.
Functionalized Surface Geometries Induce: “Bone: Formation by Autoinduction”

The induction of tissue formation, and the allied disciplines of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, have flooded the twenty-first century tissue biology scenario and morphed into high expectations of a fulfilling regenerative dream of molecularly generated tissues and organs in assembling human tissue factories. The grand conceptualization of deploying soluble molecular signals, first defined by Turing as forms generating substances, or morphogens, stemmed from classic last century studies that hypothesized the presence of morphogens in several mineralized and non-mineralized mammalian matrices. The realization of morphogens within mammalian matrices devised dissociative extractions and chromatographic procedures to isolate, purify, and finally reconstitute the cloned morphogens, found to be members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) supergene family, with insoluble signals or substrata to induce de novo tissue induction and morphogenesis. Can we however construct macroporous bioreactors per se capable of inducing bone formation even without the exogenous applications of the osteogenic soluble molecular signals of the TGF-β supergene family? This review describes original research on coral-derived calcium phosphate-based macroporous constructs showing that the formation of bone is independent of the exogenous application of the osteogenic soluble signals of the TGF-β supergene family. Such signals are the molecular bases of the induction of bone formation. The aim of this review is to primarily describe today's hottest topic of biomaterials' science, i.e., to construct and define osteogenetic biomaterials' surfaces that per se, in its own right, do initiate the induction of bone formation. Biomaterials are often used to reconstruct osseous defects particularly in the craniofacial skeleton. Edentulism did spring titanium implants as tooth replacement strategies. No were else that titanium surfaces require functionalized geometric nanotopographic cues to set into motion osteogenesis independently of the exogenous application of the osteogenic soluble molecular signals. Inductive morphogenetic surfaces are the way ahead of biomaterials' science: the connubium of stem cells on primed functionalized surfaces precisely regulates gene expression and the induction of the osteogenic phenotype.
Perception of change in sexual activity in Alzheimer's disease: views of people with dementia and their spouse-caregivers

ABSTRACT Introduction: The onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects couples’ relationship. We investigated the perception of change and sexual satisfaction in spouse-caregivers and their partners diagnosed with AD. Methods: We compared 74 dyads of people with Alzheimer's disease (PwAD)/spouse-caregivers and 21 elderly dyads control. We assessed sexual satisfaction with Questionnaire on Sexual Experience and Satisfaction (QSES), cognition using a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), disease severity using a Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR), awareness of disease with Assessment Scale of Psychosocial Impact of the Diagnosis of Dementia (ASPIDD), functionality with Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ), depressive symptoms with Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), quality of life using a Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (QoL-AD), and burden using a Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Results: We found differences between the perception and no perception of change in sexual activity of PwAD (p < 0.001), spouse-caregivers (p < 0.01), and controls (p < 0.05). Moderate to severe sexual dissatisfaction was observed in 36.5% of PwAD, 65% of spouse-caregivers, and 31% of controls. PwAD sexual satisfaction was related to cognitive impairment (p < 0.05). Spouse-caregivers sexual satisfaction was related to gender (p < 0.05) and the presence of sexual activity (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The perception of change with higher sexual dissatisfaction, were significant in PwAD and their spouse-caregivers, in comparison with couples of elderly without dementia.
The Interaction Effects of Top Management Team Attributes and Environment on Organizational Growth

This paper attempts to explore how TMT (Top Management Team) attributes interact with environment dimensions to influence organizational growth. Specifically, this study will examine environmental dimensions as a potentially important moderator of the association between TMT attributes and organizational growth. However, the overall findings provide mixed results for the hypotheses tested. The results of direct effect show that: (1) organizational growth exhibits a significant positive relationship with TMT tenure; (2) TMT functional heterogeneity is insignificant with no change in the variance of organizational growth; and (3) positive but insignificant relationship between industrial heterogeneity and organizational growth. Furthermore, the interaction effect results indicate that: (1) as munificence increases, the relationship between TMT tenure and organizational growth shows increasingly positive; (2) concentration, dynamism and munificence moderate the relationship between TMT functional heterogeneity and organizational growth; (3) finally, the interaction effect also provide mixed results, such: as environment concentration increases, the relationship between TMT industrial heterogeneity and organizational growth increases positively; by contrast, as environment dynamism increases, the relationship between TMT industrial heterogeneity and organizational growth increases negatively; while the interaction between TMT industrial heterogeneity and environment munificence is not significant to explain the organizational growth. Key words: Organization growth, environment, management team.