Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Stability and In Vitro Security of Nanoemulsions Containing Eucalyptus globulus Oil

Essential oil of Eucalyptus globulus presents several pharmacological properties. However, their therapeutic efficacy may be affected by limitations due to several conditions, rendering it difficult to obtain stable and effective pharmaceutical formulations. The use of nanotechnology is an alternative to improve their characteristics aiming to ensure their stability and effectiveness. Furthermore, studies about the possible toxic effects of nanostructures are necessary to evaluate safety when the formulation comes into contact with human cells. Hence, in this paper, we evaluate for the first time the stability and in vitro cytogenotoxicity of nanoemulsions containing Eucalyptus globulus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. As a result, the stability study found that the best condition for storage up to 90 days was refrigeration (4°C); it was the condition that best preserved the nanometric features. The content of the major compounds of oil was maintained after nanoencapsulation and preserved over time. In tests to evaluate the safety of this formulation, we can conclude that, at a low concentration (approximately 0.1%), Eucalyptus globulus nanoemulsion did not cause toxicity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and also showed a protective effect in cells against possible damage when compared to oil in free form.
Economic and Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes of Whiplash Associated Disorders

Study Design. This study examines the links between severity of whiplash associated disorder and costs and health outcomes. Objective. The study aims to estimate the economic costs and health-state utilities associated with disability levels and recovery trajectories after acute whiplash injury. Summary of Background Data. Data used were from the Managing Injuries of the Neck Trial, which collected information on 3851 people over a 12-month period after acute whiplash injury. Methods. Effects of whiplash associated disorder severity on economic costs (measured from a societal perspective and separately from a health and personal social services perspective) were estimated using two-part regression models, comprising probability of incurring a cost and the total cost, given one was incurred. Effects on health-state utilities (measured using the EQ-5D and SF-6D) were estimated using ordinary least squares regression, and two-part models as for costs. Results. There was a direct relationship between severity of disability after acute whiplash injury and economic costs. Between baseline and 4 months, average societal costs for those with no disability were £99.55 (UK£, 2009 prices), increasing to £668.53 for those with complete disability. Average societal costs for the whole sample were £234.15 over the first 4 months, decreasing to £127.51 between 8 and 12 months. Conversely, utility scores decreased with increased disability. The average EQ-5D utility score was 0.934 at 4 months for those with no disability, decreasing to 0.033 for those with complete disability. The average EQ-5D utility score for the whole sample increased from 0.587 immediately post-injury to 0.817 at 12 months. Relative costs and disutilities generated by the multivariate models are also presented by disability level and recovery trajectory. Conclusion. These results provide estimates of the costs and health-state utilities associated with disability levels and recovery trajectories after acute whiplash injury. They can be used to inform estimates of the cost-effectiveness of interventions targeting whiplash-associated disorders. Level of Evidence: 3
Procedures for Initializing Soil Organic Carbon Pools in the DSSAT-CENTURY Model for Agricultural Systems

Process-based soil organic C (SOC) models are widely used for simulating, monitoring, and verifying soil C change. In such models, determining the initial distribution of SOC across multiple pools is often not well defined, yet pool initialization can strongly influence the subsequent SOC dynamics. We developed a model-based procedure to initialize SOC fractions that uses site-specific soil, climatic, and land use history information, along with measured initial total SOC, to estimate SOC distribution across pools. The procedure consists of creating sets of SOC fractions for scenarios including different field histories, soil texture, and management practices for medium- and long-term simulations to provide a broad spectrum of conditions, using data from an experimental site in Georgia. Tables created using this procedure can help model users select the SOC fractions needed to properly initialize the model. The model is executed for the duration of the prior land use history time period, and the simulated final total SOC is compared with the soil C measurement at the beginning of the subsequent experimental time period. If these values are equal, the final SOC fractions from the land use history simulations are used with the measured soil C to start the simulation of the cropping system being studied. If these values are not equal, then the procedure is repeated iteratively until the measured value of soil C is adequately predicted. We demonstrated the improved prediction accuracy by using the proposed procedure in simulating soil C for a long-term field experiment in Michigan.
Facile Preparation of Nanoporous Silica Aerogel Granules

Hydrophobic silica aerogel beads with low thermal conductivity and high porosity were prepared using a cost-effective sodium silicate as a silica source via an ambient-pressure drying process. Monolithic wet gels were first prepared by adjusting pH ~5) of a diluted sodium silicate solution. The silica aerogel beads (0.5~20 mm) were manufactured by breaking the wet gel monoliths under a simultaneous solvent exchange/surface modification process and an ambient-pressure drying process without using co-precursors or templates. Dried silica aerogel beads exhibit a comparable porosity (593 of surface area, 34.9 nm of pore size, and 4.4 of pore volume) to that of the aerogel powder prepared in the same conditions. Thermal conductivity of the silica aerogel beads (19.8 mW/mK at 20 ) is also identical to the aerogel powder.
MicroRNA-29a Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth by Inhibiting Tristetraprolin

Background/Aims: The microRNA (miR) 29 family has been studied extensively for its involvement in several diseases, and aberrant expression of its members is associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Here, we examined the role of miR-29a in pancreatic cancer and the involvement of tristetraprolin (TTP). Methods: We monitored miR-29a and TTP expression in pancreatic cancer by qRT-PCR and western blotting. The effect of miR-29a on pancreatic cancer was determined through MTT assay and migration assay. The results were validated in the tumorigenesis model. Results: We found that miR-29a was up regulated in pancreatic tumor tissues and cell lines and positively correlated with metastasis. Ectopic expression of miR-29a increased the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, through down regulating TTP. TTP was down regulated in tumor tissues, and its ectopic expression decreased cell viability and migration in vitro, inhibited tumor growth and the EMT phenotype in vivo, and reversed the effect of miR-29a on tumor cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Our results suggest that miR-29a acts as an oncogene by down regulating TTP and provide the basis for further studies exploring the potential of miR-29a and TTP as biomarkers and targets for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
The Associations of Atrial Fibrillation With the Risks of Incident Invasive Breast and Colorectal Cancer

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that poses a significant risk of stroke. Cross-sectional and case-control studies have shown evidence of associations between AF and breast or colorectal cancer, but there have been no longitudinal studies in which this has been assessed. We prospectively examined a cohort of 93,676 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative from 1994 to 1998 to determine whether there are relationships between baseline AF and the development of invasive breast or colorectal cancer. The prevalence of self-reported physician diagnosis of AF at baseline was 5.1%. Over approximately 15 years of follow-up, the incidence of invasive breast cancer was 5.7%, and the incidence of colorectal cancer was 1.6%. Adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using Cox proportional hazards models. We found no significant association between AF and incident colorectal cancer, but we did see a 19% excess risk of invasive breast cancer among those with AF (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.38). Additional adjustment for baseline use of cardiac glycosides attenuated the association between AF and invasive breast cancer (HR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.20). Cardiac glycoside use was strongly associated with incident invasive breast cancer (HR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.33, 2.12) independent of AF and other confounders. Mechanisms of the associations among breast cancer, AF, and cardiac glycosides need further investigation.
Patterns of genetic variation in US federal bison herds

Like many wide‐ranging mammals, American bison (Bison bison) have experienced significant range contraction over the past two centuries and are maintained in artificially isolated populations. A basic understanding of the distribution of genetic variation among populations is necessary to facilitate long‐term germplasm preservation and species conservation. The 11 herds maintained within the US federal system are a critically important source of germplasm for bison conservation, as they include many of the oldest herds in the USA and have served as a primary resource for the establishment of private and public herds worldwide. In this study, we used a panel of 51 nuclear markers to investigate patterns of neutral genetic variation among these herds. Most of these herds have maintained remarkably high levels of variation despite the severe bottleneck suffered in the late 1800s. However, differences were noted in the patterns of variation and levels of differentiation among herds, which were compared with historical records of establishment, supplementation, herd size, and culling practices. Although some lineages have been replicated across multiple herds within the US federal system, other lineages with high levels of genetic variation exist in isolated herds and should be considered targets for the establishment of satellite herds. From this and other studies, it is clear that the genetic variation represented in the US federal system is unevenly distributed among National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service herds, and that these resources must be carefully managed to ensure long‐term species conservation.
An influenza A virus agglutination test using antibody-like polymers

Abstract Antibodies are commonly used in diagnostic routines to identify pathogens. The testing protocols are relatively simple, requiring a certain amount of a specific antibody to detect its corresponding pathogen. Antibody functionality can be mimicked by synthesizing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), i.e. polymers that can selectively recognize a given template structure. Thus, MIPs are sometimes termed ‘plastic antibody (PA)’. In this study, we have synthesized new granular MIPs using influenza A virus templates by precipitation polymerization. The selective binding of influenza A to the MIP particles was assessed and subsequently contrasted with other viruses. The affinities of influenza A virus towards the MIP was estimated based on an agglutination test by measuring the amount of influenza subtypes absorbed onto the MIPs. The MIPs produced using the H1N1 template showed specific reactivity to H1N1 while those produced using H5N1 and H3N2 templates showed cross-reactivity.
Outcomes of Latarjet Versus Distal Tibia Allograft for Anterior Shoulder Instability Repair: A Matched Cohort Analysis

Background: Anterior glenoid reconstruction with fresh distal tibia allograft (DTA) has been described for management of recurrent shoulder instability, with encouraging early outcomes; however, no comparative data with the Latarjet procedure are available. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between patients undergoing DTA and a matched cohort of patients undergoing Latarjet. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A review was conducted of prospectively collected data for patients with a minimum 15% anterior glenoid bone loss who underwent shoulder stabilization via either the DTA or Latarjet procedure and had a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Consecutive patients undergoing DTA were matched in a 1-to-1 format to patients undergoing Latarjet by age, body mass index, history of contact sports, and number of previous shoulder operations. Patients were evaluated pre- and postoperatively with a physical examination and the following outcome assessments: Simple Shoulder Test, visual analog scale, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation. Complications, reoperations, and episodes of recurrent instability were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed with Student t tests, with P < . 05 considered significant. Results: A total of 100 patients (50 Latarjet, 50 DTA) with a mean ± SD age of 25.6 ± 6.1 years were analyzed at 45 ± 20 months (range, 24-111) after surgery. Thirty-two patients (64%) in each group underwent prior ipsilateral shoulder surgery (range, 1-3). Patients undergoing DTA had significantly greater glenoid bone loss defects when compared with patients undergoing Latarjet (28.6% ± 7.4% vs 22.4% ± 10.3%, P = .001). Patients in both groups experienced significant improvements in all outcome scores after surgery (P < .05 for all). No significant differences were found in postoperative scores between the Latarjet and DTA groups: visual analog scale (0.67 ± 0.97 vs 1.83 ± 2.31), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (91.06 ± 8.78 vs 89.74 ± 12.66), Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (74.30 ± 21.84 vs 89.69 ± 5.50), or Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (80.68 ± 7.21 vs 90.08 ± 13.39) (P > .05 for all). However, patients in the Latarjet group had superior Simple Shoulder Test outcomes (P = .011). There were 10 complications (10%) for the entire cohort, including 5 in the Latarjet group (3 of which required reoperation) and 5 in the DTA group (3 of which required reoperation). The overall recurrent instability rate was 1% (1 patient). Conclusion: Fresh DTA reconstruction for recurrent anterior shoulder instability results in a clinically stable joint with similar clinical outcomes as the Latarjet procedure. Longer-term studies are needed to determine if these results are maintained over time.
The Role of Immune Reactivity in Bone Regeneration

Bone is a complex organ with the capacity to regenerate. Even with this healing potential, healing results in fractured bone are unsatisfactory in a considerable patient cohort even with a good treatment regimen. These delayed healing cases encourage further research into possible new treatment approaches. The recently developed field of osteoimmunol‐ ogy addressing the tight interconnectivity of the skeletal system and the immune system could be a promising opportunity in this regard. In this review, the complexity of bone and the bone healing process are highlighted with an emphasis on the early healing phase. Specific immune cell subsets are considered for their potential to enhance bone healing and thus to develop new treatment strategies for patients in need.
An Empirical Analysis of the Levers of Control Framework

The impact of the Levers of Control (LOC) framework on the accounting literature is undeniably large. The framework, however, has also been criticized for being vague and ambiguous. One of the central, but unclear, concepts in the LOC framework is the notion of balance. That is, the framework holds that control systems must be in balance in order to manage competing tensions such as that found between predictable goal achievement on the one hand and innovation on the other. The goal of our study is to make the concept of balance more explicit by providing empirically informed insights on different balancing arrangements that exist in a cross-section of business units. To empirically examine the concept of balance, we develop a survey and administer it in person to a convenience sample of business unit managers. Using responses from 217 managers, cluster analysis reveals four stable configurations of balance, which we label strategic stability, strategic vigilance, strategic exploitation, and strategic responsiveness. We examine organizational and contextual factors that further validate and help explain the observed patterns of balance. By shedding light on one of the key concepts in the LOC framework, our study helps to explicate a hitherto underspecified theoretical claim in that framework. This explication is a significant step in the further development of the framework, adding to its explanatory expressiveness as well as to its empirical contestability.
A whole-body model to distinguish excess fluid from the hydration of major body tissues.

BACKGROUND Excess fluid (ExF) accumulates in the body in many conditions. Currently, there is no consensus regarding methods that adequately distinguish ExF from fat-free mass. OBJECTIVE The aim was to develop a model to determine fixed hydration constants of primary body tissues enabling ExF to be calculated from whole-body measurements of weight, intracellular water (ICWWB), and extracellular water (ECWWB). DESIGN Total body water (TBW) and ECWWB were determined in 104 healthy subjects by using deuterium and NaBr dilution techniques, respectively. Body fat was estimated by using a reference 4-component model, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and air-displacement plethysmography. The model considered 3 compartments: normally hydrated lean tissue (NH_LT), normally hydrated adipose tissue (NH_AT), and ExF. Hydration fractions (HF) of NH_LT and NH_AT were obtained assuming zero ExF within the diverse healthy population studied. RESULTS The HF of NH_LT mass was 0.703 +/- 0.009 with an ECW component of 0.266 +/- 0.007. The HF of NH_AT mass was 0.197 +/- 0.042 with an ECW component of 0.127 +/- 0.015. The ratio of ECW to ICW in NH_LT was 0.63 compared with 1.88 in NH_AT. ExF can be estimated with a precision of 0.5 kg. CONCLUSIONS To calculate ExF over a wide range of body compositions, it is important that the model takes into account the different ratios of ECW to ICW in NH_LT and NH_AT. This eliminates the need for adult age and sex inputs into the model presented. Quantification of ExF will be beneficial in the guidance of treatment strategies to control ExF in the clinical setting.
A spread enriched with plant sterol-esters lowers blood cholesterol and lipoproteins without affecting vitamins A and E in normal and hypercholesterolemic Japanese men and women.

The objective of the study was to investigate whether different initial baseline cholesterol levels modulate the efficacy of a spread enriched with plant sterol-esters (PS) in lowering blood cholesterol in a Japanese population consuming their usual diet. Healthy adults with a mean age of 45 y and mean plasma total cholesterol (TC) level of 6.5 mmol/L were recruited to participate in a double-blind trial comprised of a run-in period of 1 wk, followed by two intervention periods of 3 wks in a 2 x 2 crossover design and a post-trial follow-up of 3 wk. Volunteers consumed two spreads, one enriched with PS (12 g/100 g plant sterols) and a control spread not fortified with PS. Recommended spread intake was 15 g/d. Effects on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, beta-carotene and vitamins A and E were assessed. Plasma TC and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations were 5.8 and 9.1% lower, respectively, when subjects consumed the PS spread than when they consumed the control spread (P < 0.001). Subjects were divided into two groups [normal and mildly cholesterolemic (TC <5.7 mmol/L) and hypercholesterolemic (TC >/= 5.7 mmol/L)]. Reductions (P < 0.001) in TC and LDL-C due to treatment in the former group were 4.9 and 7.9%, respectively. In the hypercholesterolemic group, the reductions (P < 0.001) were 7.1 and 10.6%, respectively. The decreases did not differ between normal/mildly cholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic subjects. Plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB) and remnant-like particle (RLP) cholesterol (RLP-C) concentrations were lower when subjects consumed the PS spread (44.3 g/L) than the control spread (49.7 g/L). Plasma beta-carotene concentration was lower (P < 0.001) in subjects consuming the PS spread than in the control. Changes in plasma vitamins A and E levels did not differ after intake of the PS and control spreads. In conclusion, consumption of a PS-enriched spread effectively lowered plasma TC, LDL-C, apoB and RLP-C regardless of baseline plasma TC at an intake of 1.8 g/d of plant sterols.
The Effects of Herkinorin, the First μ-Selective Ligand from a Salvinorin A-Derived Scaffold, in a Neuroendocrine Biomarker Assay in Nonhuman Primates

Herkinorin is the first μ-opioid receptor-selective ligand from the salvinorin A diterpenoid scaffold. Herkinorin has relative μ > κ > δ binding selectivity, and it can act as an agonist at both μ- and κ-receptors, in vitro. These studies were the first in vivo evaluation of the effects of herkinorin in nonhuman primates, using prolactin release, a neuroendocrine biomarker assay that is responsive to both μ- and κ-agonists, as well as to compounds with limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. In cumulative dosing studies (0.01–0.32 mg/kg i.v.), herkinorin produced only small effects in gonadally intact males (n = 4), but a more robust effect in females (n = 4). Time course studies with herkinorin (0.32 mg/kg) confirmed this greater effectiveness in females and revealed a fast onset after i.v. administration (e.g., by 5–15 min). Antagonism experiments with different doses of nalmefene (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) caused dose-dependent and complete prevention of the effect of herkinorin in females. This is consistent with a principal μ-agonist effect of herkinorin, with likely partial contribution by κ-agonist effects. The peripherally selective antagonist quaternary naltrexone (1 mg/kg s.c.) caused approximately 70% reduction in the peak effect of herkinorin (0.32 mg/kg) in females, indicating that this effect of herkinorin is prominently mediated outside the blood-brain barrier.
Sync or separate? No compelling evidence for unintentional interpersonal coordination between Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay on the 100-meter world record race

In a recent observation article in JEP:HPP (Varlet & Richardson, 2015) the 100-m sprint final of the World Championship in Athletics in Berlin of 2009 (i.e., the current world record race) was analyzed. That study reported occurrence of spontaneous, unintentional interpersonal synchronization between Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay, the respective winner and runner-up of that race. In the present commentary paper, however, we argue that the results and conclusion of that study cannot be warranted due to methodological shortcomings. We addressed the same research question and re-assessed the same race using an alternative data analysis method. These results revealed that as yet there is no sufficient ground to conclude that in the 100m world record race synchronization occurred between Bolt and Gay. At the same time, our re-analysis suggested that even at this very elite level the individual movement frequencies did seem to vary to such an extent that synchronization would theoretically not be impossible, thereby providing incentives for further examination of potential unintentional synchronization in co-active sports.