Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy dose parameters affect antimicrobial photodynamic therapy-mediated eradication of periopathogenic biofilm and planktonic cultures.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the in vitro efficacy of a commercially available aPDT system in eradication of the periopathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in both planktonic and biofilm cultures. BACKGROUND DATA Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is an effective antibacterial approach in vitro; however, few data are available regarding effective light-energy parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Planktonic and biofilm cultures of periopathogens were exposed to a methylene blue-based formulation and irradiated with a 670-nm nonthermal diode laser. Energy doses were varied from 2.3 to 9.4 J/cm(2) through adjustments in illumination time and a constant power density. Controls consisted of no treatment, light only, and photosensitizer only. Temperature changes were recorded in experimental samples before and after illumination. RESULTS aPDT with an energy dose of 9.4 J/cm(2) was effective in eradicating P. gingivalis, F. nucleatum, and A. actinomycetemcomitans in biofilm and planktonic form. Reductions from control in planktonic cultures at this energy dose were 6.8 +/- 0.7, 5.2 +/- 0.6, and 1.9 +/- 0.6 log(10), respectively, whereas biofilm reductions were 4.5 +/- 1.2, 3.4 +/- 1.1, and 4.9 +/- 1.4 log(10). Decreasing the treatment time produced an energy dose-dependent killing effect in both models. Changes in sample temperature did not exceed 3 degrees C under these exposure parameters. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that three important periopathogens are susceptible to aPDT-mediated killing, regardless of whether they are present in planktonic or biofilm form. Furthermore, a clear energy dose-dependence exists with this treatment that should to be taken into account when determining optimal treatment times in clinical application.
An inerter-based electromagnetic device and its application in vehicle suspensions

This paper proposes a novel inerter-based electromagnetic device and investigates its performance as a vehicle suspension strut. The inerter-based electromagnetic device is obtained by placing the flywheel employed in an existing inerter prototype into a constant magnetic field. During rotation of the flywheel, the flywheel is doing the magnetic line cutting motion, which makes the flywheel perform as a Faraday generator. The influences of different types of loads on the behaviour of the inerter-based electromagnetic device are analyzed, and it is shown that the resistive, capacitive and inductive loads can contribute to the damping, the inertance, and the stiffness of the whole device, respectively. Moreover, the proposed device can also be used to realize higher-order mechanical admittances by using electrical circuits. The performance of the device as a suspension strut is also studied. Numerical simulations show that the proposed device can not only provide improvements on the suspension performance (ride comfort and road holding) compared with the conventional strut, but also generate an amount of electric energy that can be utilized by other parts of the vehicle.
Effects of 24 Months of Treatment With Romosozumab Followed by 12 Months of Denosumab or Placebo in Postmenopausal Women With Low Bone Mineral Density: A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Phase 2, Parallel Group Study

Over 12 months, romosozumab increased bone formation and decreased bone resorption, resulting in increased bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with low BMD (NCT00896532). Herein, we report the study extension evaluating 24 months of treatment with romosozumab, discontinuation of romosozumab, alendronate followed by romosozumab, and romosozumab followed by denosumab. Postmenopausal women aged 55 to 85 years with a lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH), or femoral neck T‐score ≤–2.0 and ≥–3.5 were enrolled and randomly assigned to placebo, one of five romosozumab regimens (70 mg, 140 mg, 210 mg monthly [QM]; 140 mg Q3M; 210 mg Q3M) for 24 months, or open‐label alendronate for 12 months followed by romosozumab 140 mg QM for 12 months. Eligible participants were then rerandomized 1:1 within original treatment groups to placebo or denosumab 60 mg Q6M for an additional 12 months. Percentage change from baseline in BMD and bone turnover markers (BTMs) at months 24 and 36 and safety were evaluated. Of 364 participants initially randomized to romosozumab, placebo, or alendronate, 315 completed 24 months of treatment and 248 completed the extension. Romosozumab markedly increased LS and TH BMD through month 24, with largest gains observed with romosozumab 210 mg QM (LS = 15.1%; TH = 5.4%). Women receiving romosozumab who transitioned to denosumab continued to accrue BMD, whereas BMD returned toward pretreatment levels with placebo. With romosozumab 210 mg QM, bone formation marker P1NP initially increased after treatment initiation and gradually decreased to below baseline by month 12, remaining below baseline through month 24; bone resorption marker β‐CTX rapidly decreased after treatment, remaining below baseline through month 24. Transition to denosumab further decreased both BTMs, whereas after transition to placebo, P1NP returned to baseline and β‐CTX increased above baseline. Adverse events were balanced between treatment groups through month 36. These data suggest that treatment effects of romosozumab are reversible upon discontinuation and further augmented by denosumab. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of 3,3′-Disubstituted Indolenines Utilizing the Lewis Acid Catalyzed Alkylation of 2,3-Disubstituted Indoles with Trichloroacetimidates

Abstract Trichloroacetimidates function as effective electrophiles for the selective C3-alkylation of 2,3-disubstituted indoles to provide 3,3′-disubstituted indolenines. These indolenines are common synthetic intermediates that are often utilized in the synthesis of complex molecules. Effective reaction conditions utilizing Lewis acid catalysts have been determined, and the scope of the reaction with respect to indole and imidate reaction partner has been investigated. This chemistry provides an alternative to base promoted and transition-metal-catalyzed methods that are more commonly utilized to access similar indolenines.
A Deep Neural Networks Approach to Automatic Recognition Systems for Volcano-Seismic Events

Deep neural networks (DNNs) could help to identify the internal sources of volcano-seismic events. However, direct applications of DNNs are challenging, given the multiple seismic sources and the small size of available datasets. In this paper, we propose a novel approach in the field of volcano seismology to classify volcano-seismic events based on fully connected DNNs. Two DNN architectures with different weights scheme initialization are studied: stacked denoising autoencoders and deep belief networks. Using a combined feature vector of linear prediction coefficients and statistical properties, we evaluate classification performance on seven different classes of isolated seismic events. These proposed architectures are compared to multilayer perceptron, support vector machine, and random forest. Experimental results show that DNNs can efficiently capture complex relationships of volcano-seismic data and achieve better classification performance with faster convergence when compared to classical models.
Structure dissection of zebrafish progranulins identifies a well‐folded granulin/epithelin module protein with pro‐cell survival activities

The ancient and pluripotent progranulins contain multiple repeats of a cysteine‐rich sequence motif of ∼60 amino acids, called the granulin/epithelin module (GEM) with a prototypic structure of four β‐hairpins zipped together by six inter‐hairpin disulfide bonds. Prevalence of this disulfide‐enforced structure is assessed here by an expression screening of 19 unique GEM sequences of the four progranulins in the zebrafish genome, progranulins 1, 2, A and B. While a majority of the expressed GEM peptides did not exhibit uniquely folded conformations, module AaE from progranulin A and AbB from progranulin B were found to fold into the protopypic 4‐hairpin structure along with disulfide formation. Module AaE has the most‐rigid three‐dimensional structure with all four β‐hairpins defined using high‐resolution (H–15N) NMR spectroscopy, including 492 inter‐proton nuclear Overhauser effects, 23 3J(HN,Hα) coupling constants, 22 hydrogen bonds as well as 45 residual dipolar coupling constants. Three‐dimensional structure of AaE and the partially folded AbB re‐iterate the conformational stability of the N‐terminal stack of two beta‐hairpins and varying degrees of structural flexibility for the C‐terminal half of the 4‐hairpin global fold of the GEM repeat. A cell‐based assay demonstrated a functional activity for the zebrafish granulin AaE in promoting the survival of neuronal cells, similarly to what has been found for the corresponding granulin E module in human progranulin. Finally, this work highlights the remaining challenges in structure‐activity studies of proteins containing the GEM repeats, due to the apparent prevalence of structural disorder in GEM motifs despite potentially a high density of intramolecular disulfide bonds.
Highly efficient thermophotovoltaics enabled by photon re-use

Thin-film photovoltaic cells with high reflectivity in the below-bandgap spectral region are ideally suited for thermophotovoltaics. This allows the below-bandgap radiation to be reflected back to the emitter, so that their energy can be used to reheat the source, rather than being lost. In this work, we present a substantial improvement in the theoretical thermophotovoltaic conversion efficiency in the presence of photon re-use. We also predict the achievable conversion efficiency for a system that uses In0.53Ga0. 47As photovoltaic cells, and present an experimental optical cavity to be used for future efficiency measurements. Owing to recent advances in thin-film photovoltaics, thermophotovoltaic efficiencies above 50% may soon be realizable.
Capillary electrophoresis/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry for the analysis of negatively charged derivatized and underivatized glycans.

The increasing interest in the development of glycoproteins for therapeutic purposes has created a greater demand for methods to characterize the sugar moieties bound to them. Traditionally, released carbohydrates are derivatized using such methods as permethylation or fluorescent tagging prior to analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), or direct infusion mass spectrometry. However, little research has been performed using CE with on-line mass spectrometry (MS) detection. The CE separation of neutral oligosaccharides requires the covalent attachment of a charged species for electrophoretic migration. Among charged labels which have shown promise in assisting CE and HPLC separation is the fluorophore 8-aminonaphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid (ANTS). This report describes the qualitative profiling of charged ANTS-derivatized and underivatized complex glycans by CE with on-line electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry. Several neutral standard glycans including a maltooligosaccharide ladder were derivatized with ANTS and subjected to CE/UV and CE/MS using low pH buffers consisting of citric and 6-aminocaproic acid salts. The ANTS-derivatized species were detected as negative ions, and multiple stage MS analysis provided valuable structural information. Fragment ions were easily identified, showing promise for the identification of unknowns. N-Linked glycans released from bovine fetuin were used to demonstrate the applicability of ANTS derivatization followed by CE/MS for the analysis of negatively charged glycans. Analyses were performed on both underivatized and ANTS-derivatized species, and sialylated glycans were separated and detected in both forms. The ability of the ion trap mass spectrometer to perform multiple stage analysis was exploited, with MS5 information obtained on selected glycans. This technique presents a complementary method to existing methodologies for the profiling of glycan mixtures.
Clinical characteristics, hospital morbidity and mortality, and up to 1-year follow-up events of acute myocardial infarction patients: the first report from Iran

BackgroundFew data exist about the clinical epidemiology of acute myocardial infarction and its complications and mortality in Iran. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied clinical characteristics and the outcome for a group of Iranian patients with acute myocardial infarction, who were, for the first time in our country, followed after discharge from hospital for 1 year. MethodsAll patients (139 individuals) with confirmed acute myocardial infarction who were treated at the coronary care unit of Dr Shariati Hospital and followed up over a 1-year period (June 2002 to June 2003) were prospectively studied. Numerous relevant variables including epidemiologic data, treatments received, in-hospital course and complications were recorded. The survivors were followed at 1, 6 and 12 months after discharge. ResultsIn all, there were 101 men and 38 women aged 58.6±11.8 years. Only 35.9% of patients received thrombolytic therapy, and primary percutaneous coronary intervention was performed in 6.4% of cases. In-hospital death occurred in 21 of 139 (15.1%), with an equal distribution between the two sexes. One-month, 6-month and 12-month cumulative mortality rates were 17.3, 20.1 and 21.6%, respectively. ConclusionAlthough our patients were younger than myocardial infarction patients in developed countries, they had a higher rate of in-hospital mortality than those of the international statistics. This may be due, in part, to the lower rate of administration of primary reperfusion strategies in our center, namely primary percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombolytic therapy, which have proved to be effective in reducing the mortality from myocardial infarction in the west. Wider application of primary percutaneous coronary intervention, in particular, is recommended.
Single versus 3-dose antibiotic prophylaxis in clean and clean contaminated operations.

BACKGROUND Infection is a great problem in surgery and is encountered by all surgeons by nature of their craft; they invariably impair the first line of host defence. Bacteria may enter the wound during or after the operation and may be of endogenous or exogenous origin. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in reduction of postoperative wound infection in clean and clean contaminated procedures and to compare the cost of antibiotic prophylaxis in both groups. METHOD This was a prospective study done on patients in General Surgery Department, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Holly Makkah, Saudi Arabia from 1st April 2006 to 30th March 2007. Total 400 patients were divided into 2 groups of 200 patients each: Group-A received single dose antibiotic prophylaxis, and Group-B received 3 doses of antibiotic therapy. Only clean and clean contaminated procedures were included and results were compared. RESULTS In Group A, clean procedures (Group-Al) were 110, and clean contaminated (Group-A2) were 90 patients. In clean procedure, rate of infection was 5 out of 110 (4.54%) and in clean contaminated procedures it was 3 out of 90 (3.33%). In Group B, in clean procedures (Group-B1), rate of infection was 7 out of 90 (7.77%), while in clean contaminated procedures (Group-B2) it was 9 out of 110 (8.18%) patients. Over all wound infection rate after single dose antibiotic prophylaxis was 4% in both procedures and 8% after 3-dose antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION Single dose antibiotic prophylaxis is as effective as 3-dose therapy in clean and clean contaminated procedures to prevent wound infection and is cost-effective.
Obstructive sleep apnea and resistant hypertension: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has been linked to resistant hypertension, but the magnitude of this association and its independence of confounding have not been established. METHODS Case patients were 63 patients with resistant hypertension (BP >or= 140/90 mm Hg using at least three BP-lowering drugs, including a diuretic), and control subjects were 63 patients with controlled BP receiving drug treatment. The primary outcome was the frequency of OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] >or= 10 episodes per hour) determined with a portable home monitor. The comparison of AHI episodes in patients truly normotensive, truly hypertensive, and in patients with white coat or masked hypertension, based on BP determined at office and by ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) was a secondary outcome. RESULTS Case patients and control subjects were well matched for confounding factors. OSAS was present in 45 case patients (71%) and in 24 control subjects (38%) [p < 0.001]. In a logistic regression model, OSAS was strongly and independently associated with resistant hypertension (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% confidence interval, 2.0 to 11.7). The AHI of case patients with normal BP in ABPM (white coat hypertension) and control subjects with abnormal BP in ABPM (masked hypertension) was intermediate between the AHI of individuals with normal and abnormal BP measures in both settings (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The magnitude and independence of the risk of OSAS for resistant hypertension strengthen the concept that OSAS is a risk factor for resistant hypertension. Comorbid OSAS should be considered in patients with resistant hypertension.
An FTIR and CD study of the structural effects of G-tract length and sequence context on DNA conformation in solution.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and CD spectroscopy have been used to investigate the structural effects of G-tract length and flanking sequence on the conformation of DNA G-tracts in aqueous solution. Particularly, a possible predisposition for A-form features has been probed, since this may be important for protein-DNA interactions. Five different G-tract-containing DNA duplexes have been studied: d[CATGGCCATG](2), d[CATGGGCCCATG](2), d[CATGGGGCCCCATG](2,) d[AGGGGCCCCT](2), and d[TGGGGCCCCA](2). In addition, a DNA duplex lacking a G-tract center was probed (d[CATATGCATATG](2)). The CD and FTIR results show that the G-tract-containing sequences are all in a dominating B-DNA conformation in solution. However, certain spectral variations reflect structural effects of sequence context and G-tract length. CD spectra and FTIR results in the 1800-1500 cm(-1) region show that the base-stacking pattern is greatly affected by the sequence context. The FTIR backbone 1250-1000 cm(-1) region shows the antisymmetric non-bridging phosphate vibration around 1225 cm(-1) in all sequences, demonstrating the overall B-conformation of the backbone. The FTIR sugar 900-800 cm(-1) region shows variable contributions of two bands around 865 cm(-1) and 840 cm(-1), reflecting the N and S-type of sugar pucker. The relative intensities of the 865 cm(-1) and 840 cm(-1) bands have been proposed in the literature to quantitatively yield the contribution of N and S-type of sugar pucker, respectively. This correlation is supported by the present study. Furthermore, the contributions of N-type sugar in the DNA sequences studied indicate structural propensities that agree with trends in reported crystal structures of the same sequences: (1) d[CATGGCCATG](2), for which FTIR shows the lowest contribution of N-type sugar puckering in solution, crystallizes in a B-like conformation; (2) d[AGGGGCCCCT](2), with the highest degree of N-type sugar puckering of all the sequences studied, crystallizes in an A-like conformation; (3) d[CATGGGCCCATG](2), with an N-type contribution intermediate between that of d[CATGGCCATG](2) and d[AGGGGCCCCT](2), crystallizes in an A/B intermediate conformation.
Perception of internal auditor on the use of Generalized Audit Software

The objective of this research is to explore the perception of internal auditor in public companies on the use of Generalized Audit Software (GAS) to improve the transparency and accountability of financial report. Qualitative approach was used by conducting face-to-face semi structured interview with internal auditors from Indonesian public companies. This research uses Agency Theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as underpinning theories, therefore this research provides academic contribution not only in auditing area but also in information technology. The results indicated that not all participants agreed that GAS is helping them in producing a transparent and accountable financial report.
Importance of Individual Rods and Plates in the Assessment of Bone Quality and Their Contribution to Bone Stiffness

Local morphometry based on the assessment of individual rods and plates was applied to 42 human vertebral trabecular bone samples. Results showed that multiple linear regression models based on local morphometry as a measure for bone microstructure helped improving our understanding of the role of local structural changes in the determination of bone stiffness as assessed from direct and computational biomechanics.
Low‐dose γ‐irradiation promotes survival of injured neurons in the central nervous system via homeostasis‐driven proliferation of T cells

Protective autoimmunity was only recently recognized as a mechanism for attenuating the progression of neurodegeneration. Using a rat model of optic nerve crush or contusive spinal cord injury, and a mouse model of neurodegenerative conditions caused by injection of a toxic dose of intraocular glutamate, we show that a single low dose of whole‐body or lymphoid‐organ γ‐irradiation significantly improved the spontaneous recovery. Animals with severe immune deficiency or deprived of mature T cells were unable to benefit from this treatment, suggesting that the irradiation‐induced neuroprotection is immune mediated. This suggestion received further support from the findings that irradiation was accompanied by an increased incidence of activated T cells in the lymphoid organs and peripheral blood and an increase in mRNA encoding for the pro‐inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐12 and interferon‐γ, and that after irradiation, passive transfer of a subpopulation of suppressive T cells (naturally occurring regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells) wiped out the irradiation‐induced protection. These results suggest that homeostasis‐driven proliferation of T cells, induced by a single low‐dose irradiation, leads to boosting of T cell‐mediated neuroprotection and can be utilized clinically to fight off neurodegeneration and the threat of other diseases in which defense against toxic self‐compounds is needed.
Diagnostic Accuracy Of Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology Versus Frozen Section In Solitary Thyroid Nodules

FNAC and FS were evaluated in 64 patients who had surgery for a non-toxic solitary thyroid nodule. FNAC was classified as negative, positive and others. Frozen section was classified as benign, deferred and malignant. Accuracy of FNAC and FS were assessed by definitive histological section as reference. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated for both FS and FNAC.