Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Accelerated Aging on Some Mechanical Properties and Wear of Different Commercial Dental Resin Composites

The aim of current in vitro research was to determine the effect of hydrothermal accelerated aging on the mechanical properties and wear of different commercial dental resin composites (RCs). In addition, the effect of expiration date of the composite prior its use was also evaluated. Five commercially available RCs were studied: Conventional RCs (Filtek Supreme XTE, G-aenial Posterior, Denfil, and >3y expired Supreme XTE), bulk-fill RC (Filtek Bulk Fill), and short fiber-reinforced RC (everX Posterior). Three-point flexural test was used for determination of ultimate flexural strength (n = 8). A vickers indenter was used for testing surface microhardness. A wear test was conducted with 15,000 chewing cycles using a dual-axis chewing simulator. Wear pattern was analyzed by a three-dimensional (3D) noncontact optical profilometer. Degree of C=C bond conversion of monomers was determined by FTIR-spectrometry. The specimens were either dry stored for 48 h (37 °C) or boiled (100 °C) for 16 h before testing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the microstructure of each material. Data were analyzed using ANOVA (p = 0.05). Hydrothermal aging had no significant effects on the surface wear and microhardness of tested RCs (p > 0.05). While flexural strength significantly decreased after aging (p < 0.05), except for G-aenial Posterior, which showed no differences. The lowest average wear depth was found for Filtek Bulk Fill (29 µm) (p < 0.05), while everX Posterior and Denfil showed the highest wear depth values (40, 39 µm) in both conditions. Passing the expiration date for 40 months did not affect the flexural strength and wear of tested RC. SEM demonstrated a significant number of small pits on Denfil’s surface after aging. It was concluded that the effect of accelerated aging may have caused certain weakening of the RC of some brands, whereas no effect was found with one brand of RC. Thus, the accelerated aging appeared to be more dependent on material and tested material property.
Genetic and epigenetic control of ACE2 expression and its possible role in COVID‐19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is a pandemic that is claiming hundreds of thousands of lives around the world. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐2 (ACE2) is a key player in COVID‐19 due to its pivotal role in the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. This enzyme is expressed throughout the body and the studies conducted so far have shown that its expression varies according to several factors, including cell type, sex, age, disease states and probably SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone post‐translational modifications and microRNAs, impact ACE2 expression and may explain structural variation. The understanding of how genetic variants and epigenetic markers act to control ACE2 expression in health and disease states may contribute to comprehend several aspects of COVID‐19 that are puzzling researchers and clinicians. This review collects and appraises the literature regarding some aspects in the ACE2 biology, the expression patterns of this molecule, SNPs of the ACE2 gene and epigenetic mechanisms that may impact ACE2 expression in the context of COVID‐19.
Clinical features, management, and outcome of hemodialysis patients with SARS‐CoV‐2

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical features of the patients on HD with COVID‐19 and determine the prognostic factors. In this single‐center prospective study, a total of 58 chronic renal failure patients on HD and diagnosed COVID‐19 infection were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into two groups according to their need for intensive care unit referral. Demographic features of the patients, clinical manifestations, laboratory data, treatments, and clinical outcome were evaluated. The mean age of 58 HD patients was 63.2 ± 13.8 (30–93) years and female–male ratio was 0.34. SARS‐CoV2‐PCR positivity rate was 32.8%. 85.2% of patients (n = 46) had bilateral lesions and 14.8% (n = 8) had unilateral one lesion in chest CT. The most common symptoms were fatigue (in 44 patients, 80%) and dyspnea (in 31 patients, 56.4%). The most common comorbidity was HT (in 37 patients, 67.3%). The patients who need intensive care and died were older (p = 0.015). We observed lower platelet and eosinophil counts, potassium levels, higher AST, troponin and CRP levels in the group of patients who need intensive care and died than the group who survived (p = 0.043, 0.005, 0.033, 0.007, 0.001, <0.001, respectively). 15.5% of the patients (n = 9) were transferred to intensive care unit. Among them, two were discharged with cure and seven patients died. Mortality rate was 12.1%. Older age, lower platelet and eosinophil counts and higher AST, troponin and CRP levels were prognostic risk factors in our HD patients who needed intensive care.
Self-Perceived Physical Activity and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Healthy Adolescents during COVID-19: Findings from the DIMENU Pilot Study

The global pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions which forced adolescents to stay at home and influenced their food habits and lifestyles with potential negative health impact. This study aims to investigate the self-reported physical activity (PA) and eating habits related to the consumption of Mediterranean foods in a sample of adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown enrolled into the DIMENU study. A web survey was launched for 91 adolescents (aged 15–17 years) to assess their adherence to the Mediterranean Diet using the KIDMED test and lifestyle habits using a questionnaire designed following recommendations by Italian National Institute of Health (ISS score). Our results indicate that most of the sample declared no changes in eating habits and PA without sex differences. After dividing the sample into active and sedentary groups based on the self-perceived PA, we found that KIDMED and ISS scores were significantly higher (p = 0.0028 and p = 0.0001, respectively) in active adolescents. Moreover, KIDMED was positively correlated with ISS only in active adolescents (r = 0.311, p = 0.0185). In conclusion, our data underline the impact of the PA on the Mediterranean diet adherence in adolescents during the lockdown, suggesting the usefulness of promoting wellness programs directed towards inactive individuals to increase their awareness on the importance of healthy lifestyles.
Transcranial direct current stimulation over the left anterior temporal lobe during memory retrieval differentially affects true and false recognition in the DRM task

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non‐invasive brain stimulation that has been used to modulate human brain activity and cognition. One area which has not yet been extensively explored using tDCS is the generation of false memories. In this study, we combined the Deese‐Roediger‐McDermott (DRM) task with stimulation of the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL) during retrieval. This area has been shown to be involved in semantic processing in general and retrieval of false memories in the DRM paradigm in particular. During stimulation, 0.7 mA were applied via a 9 cm² electrode over the left ATL, with the 35 cm² return electrode placed over the left deltoid. We contrasted the effects of cathodal, anodal, and sham stimulation, which were applied in the recognition phase of the experiment on a sample of 78 volunteers. Results showed impaired recognition of true memories after both anodal and cathodal stimulation in comparison to sham stimulation, suggesting a reduced signal‐to‐noise ratio. In addition, the results revealed enhanced false recognition of concept lure items during cathodal stimulation compared to anodal stimulation, indicating a polarity‐dependent impact of tDCS on false memories in the DRM task. The pathway by which tDCS modulated false recognition remains unclear: stimulation may have changed the activation of irrelevant lures or affected the weighting and monitoring of lure activations. Nevertheless, these results are a first step towards using brain stimulation to decrease false memories. Practical implications of the findings for real‐life settings, for example, in the courtroom, need to be addressed in future work.
Promising photovoltaic application of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in perovskites solar cells for retarding recombination

A facile spray deposition method was developed to prepare a high-quality perovskite layer under ambient conditions. However, the performance is expected to be further improved with substrate and the hole transport layer (HTL) optimization and device structure, for instance. MWCNTs with incorporated spiro-OMeTAD exhibited Jsc of 22.13 mA cm−2 and PCE of 10.42%. To infer the origin of the increasing Jsc and PCE, the optical absorption performance, charge transfer and recombination performance were investigated. τ, Rct, Rrec as a function of voltage and EIS measurements revealed the lower transfer resistance and recombination rate in PSCs with MWCNTs compared with the PSCs without MWCNTs. The increased resistance in dark conditions and the dark J–V curves explain the slight changes in the Voc. The SEM images showed that there were no MWCNTs aggregated on the surface of the spiro/MWCNTs composite layer and part of MWCNTs was uncovered by spiro-OMeTAD at the interface of HTM and Au electrode. The decreased ID/IG ratio from 0.90 to 0.68 demonstrated the increased interaction between MWCNTs and spiro-OMeTAD.
Maternal Economic Well-Being and Mental Health among Young Adult Children: Race/Ethnicity

This study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal economic well-being and children’s mental health outcomes in adulthood and to consider the moderating effect of race/ethnicity. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79 for Children and Young Adults. The two datasets were merged, and 4224 pairs were selected for the final sample. Ordinary linear regression and logistic regression analyses were used. Poverty and lower net worth among mothers were positively associated with their children’s depression in young adulthood. Race/ethnicity moderated the relationship between maternal poverty and children’s depression. Therefore, women’s economic resources may be an important factor in the development of mental health issues among their children in young adulthood. Developing anti-poverty policies that target women may assist in reducing depressive symptoms in their children once they reach young adulthood, specifically for non-Hispanic White children.
State-of-the-Art Native Mass Spectrometry and Ion Mobility Methods to Monitor Homogeneous Site-Specific Antibody-Drug Conjugates Synthesis

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are biotherapeutics consisting of a tumor-targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb) linked covalently to a cytotoxic drug. Early generation ADCs were predominantly obtained through non-selective conjugation methods based on lysine and cysteine residues, resulting in heterogeneous populations with varying drug-to-antibody ratios (DAR). Site-specific conjugation is one of the current challenges in ADC development, allowing for controlled conjugation and production of homogeneous ADCs. We report here the characterization of a site-specific DAR2 ADC generated with the GlyCLICK three-step process, which involves glycan-based enzymatic remodeling and click chemistry, using state-of-the-art native mass spectrometry (nMS) methods. The conjugation process was monitored with size exclusion chromatography coupled to nMS (SEC-nMS), which offered a straightforward identification and quantification of all reaction products, providing a direct snapshot of the ADC homogeneity. Benefits of SEC-nMS were further demonstrated for forced degradation studies, for which fragments generated upon thermal stress were clearly identified, with no deconjugation of the drug linker observed for the T-GlyGLICK-DM1 ADC. Lastly, innovative ion mobility-based collision-induced unfolding (CIU) approaches were used to assess the gas-phase behavior of compounds along the conjugation process, highlighting an increased resistance of the mAb against gas-phase unfolding upon drug conjugation. Altogether, these state-of-the-art nMS methods represent innovative approaches to investigate drug loading and distribution of last generation ADCs, their evolution during the bioconjugation process and their impact on gas-phase stabilities. We envision nMS and CIU methods to improve the conformational characterization of next generation-empowered mAb-derived products such as engineered nanobodies, bispecific ADCs or immunocytokines.
The value of new drugs for advanced prostate cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a number of new cancer drugs. The clinical trials that serve as the basis for new cancer drug approvals may not reflect how the drugs will perform in routine practice and do not measure the impact of the drugs on spending. The authors sought to evaluate the real‐world effectiveness and value of drugs recently approved for advanced prostate cancer.
Additive Benefits of Radium-223 Dichloride and Bortezomib Combination in a Systemic Multiple Myeloma Mouse Model

Osteolytic bone disease is a hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM) mediated by MM cell proliferation, increased osteoclast activity, and suppressed osteoblast function. The proteasome inhibitor bortezomib targets MM cells and improves bone health in MM patients. Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223), the first targeted alpha therapy approved, specifically targets bone metastases, where it disrupts the activity of both tumor cells and tumor-supporting bone cells in mouse models of breast and prostate cancer bone metastasis. We hypothesized that radium-223 and bortezomib combination treatment would have additive effects on MM. In vitro experiments revealed that the combination treatment inhibited MM cell proliferation and demonstrated additive efficacy. In the systemic, syngeneic 5TGM1 mouse MM model, both bortezomib and radium-223 decreased the osteolytic lesion area, and their combination was more effective than either monotherapy alone. Bortezomib decreased the number of osteoclasts at the tumor–bone interface, and the combination therapy resulted in almost complete eradication of osteoclasts. Furthermore, the combination therapy improved the incorporation of radium-223 into MM-bearing bone. Importantly, the combination therapy decreased tumor burden and restored body weights in MM mice. These results suggest that the combination of radium-223 with bortezomib could constitute a novel, effective therapy for MM and, in particular, myeloma bone disease.
Incorporation of Sulfonamide Moiety into Biguanide Scaffold Results in Apoptosis Induction and Cell Cycle Arrest in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Metformin, apart from its glucose-lowering properties, has also been found to demonstrate anti-cancer properties. Anti-cancer efficacy of metformin depends on its uptake in cancer cells, which is mediated by plasma membrane monoamine transporters (PMAT) and organic cation transporters (OCTs). This study presents an analysis of transporter mediated cellular uptake of ten sulfonamide-based derivatives of metformin in two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Effects of these compounds on cancer cell growth inhibition were also determined. All examined sulfonamide-based analogues of metformin were characterized by greater cellular uptake in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, and stronger cytotoxic properties than those of metformin. Effective intracellular transport of the examined compounds in MCF-7 cells was accompanied by high cytotoxic activity. For instance, compound 2 with meta-methyl group in the benzene ring inhibited MCF-7 growth at micromolar range (IC50 = 87.7 ± 1.18 µmol/L). Further studies showed that cytotoxicity of sulfonamide-based derivatives of metformin partially results from their ability to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and arrest cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. In addition, these compounds were found to inhibit cellular migration in wound healing assay. Importantly, the tested biguanides are more effective in MCF-7 cells at relatively lower concentrations than in MDA-MB-231 cells, which proves that the effectiveness of transporter-mediated accumulation in MCF-7 cells is related to biological effects, including MCF-7 cell growth inhibition, apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest. In summary, this study supports the hypothesis that effective transporter-mediated cellular uptake of a chemical molecule determines its cytotoxic properties. These results warrant a further investigation of biguanides as putative anti-cancer agents.
Effect of Hybrid Type on Fermentation and Nutritional Parameters of Whole Plant Corn Silage

Simple Summary Two corn hybrid types, dual-purpose and silage-specific, were harvested at the one half to three fourths milk line and ensiled in fermentation bags for 60 days. Parameters such as fermentation quality, chemical composition, yield prediction and energy value, carbohydrate profile, and in situ digestibility were evaluated for the comparison of two corn types. Our analysis for the above parameters showed that under favourable production conditions, for whole-plant corn silage, the nutritive value per unit was higher for dual-purpose corn, but biomass yield and nutritive value per ha were higher in silage-specific corn. Our current study provides data for whole-plant corn silage research and reference data for ruminant nutrition in selecting corn silage. Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the effect of hybrid type on the fermentation and nutritional parameters of whole-plant corn silage (dual-purpose and silage-specific corn). For this purpose, the two corn hybrid types were harvested at the one-half to three-fourths milk line and ensiled in fermentation bags (50 × 80 cm) for 60 day. Our results demonstrated that the ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid (p = 0.004), propionic acid (p < 0.001), Flieg point (p < 0.001), ether extract (p = 0.039), starch (p < 0.001), milk-per-ton index (p < 0.005), net energy for lactation (p = 0.003), total digestible nutrients (p < 0.001), neutral detergent soluble fiber (p =0.04), and in situ dry matter digestibility (TDMDis) (p < 0.001) were higher in dual-purpose corn silage, while the pH (p = 0.014), acetic acid (p = 0.007), the ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen (p = 0.045), neutral detergent fiber (p < 0.001), acid detergent fiber (p < 0.001), acid detergent lignin (p < 0.001), dry matter yield per ha (p < 0.001), milk-per-acre index (p = 0.003), available neutral detergent fiber (p < 0.001), and unavailable neutral detergent fiber (p < 0.001) were higher in silage-specific corn silage. Based on our analysis, we concluded that under favourable production conditions for whole-plant corn silage, the nutritive value per unit was higher in dual-purpose corn while biomass yield and nutrient value per ha were higher in silage-specific corn.
Somatic Mutation in UBA1 and ANCA-associated Vasculitis

VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome was recently discovered in 25 men with late-onset severe and refractory inflammatory syndromes and associated hematologic abnormalities. Various diseases have been described, such as relapsing polychondritis, myelodysplastic syndrome, polyarteritis nodosa, and giant cell arteritis.
Telling the same story: Fishers and landing data reveal changes in fisheries on the Southeastern Brazilian Coast

An understanding of the effects of fishing on marine ecosystems relies on information about the conserved state of these environments. Non-conventional approaches such as the use of historical data and local ecological knowledge can provide information and help adjust our references of changes in the environment. Also, the combination of different types of data can indicate a fisheries trend that would be undetectable when evaluated separately. Here we investigated changes in fisher’s perceptions regarding overexploited and new target species in artisanal fisheries in a secular fishing village of the subtropical, southeastern Brazilian coast. We identified temporal changes in landings and in the mean trophic level (MTL) of high trophic level species (≥ 3.5 and >4) over 16 years. Fishers’ knowledge revealed shifts in perception associated with years of fishing practice. More experienced fishers recognized a greater number of overexploited and new target species than fishers in the beginning of their careers. Landing data has revealed declining trends of 72% for five mesopredators species. Due to the overfishing of mesopredators, there was a shift in target species, towards fish that were previously discarded. Temporal changes in landings and in the MTL metric are concordant with previous reports on the overexploitation of species caught by local fishers. Our work reveals that multiple sources of information can be combined to establish historical baselines and improve the detection of change in marine ecosystems.
Cefiderocol-Based Combination Therapy for “Difficult-to-Treat” Gram-Negative Severe Infections: Real-Life Case Series and Future Perspectives

Cefiderocol is a new cephalosporin displaying against extensively resistant (XDR) Gram-negative bacteria. We report our experience with cefiderocol-based combination therapies as “rescue” treatments in immunocompromised or critically ill patients or in patients with post-surgical infections who had failed previous regimens. A total of 13 patients were treated from 1 September 2020 to 31 March 2021. In total, 5/13 (38%) patients were classified as critically ill, due to severe COVID-19 lung failure; 4/13 (31%) patients had post-surgical infections and 4/13 (31%) had severe infections in immunocompromised subjects due to solid organ transplantation (2/4) or hematological malignancy (2/4). Overall, 10/13 infections were caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, one by KPC-positive ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia and two by Pseudomonas aeruginosa XDR. Based on clinical, microbiological and hematobiochemical evaluation, cefiderocol was associated with different companion drugs, particularly with fosfomycin, high-dose tigecycline and/or colistin. Microbiological eradication was achieved in all cases and the 30-day survival rate was 10/13; two patients died due to SARS-CoV-2 lung failure, whereas one death was attributed to subsequent infections. No recurrent infections within 30 days were reported. Finally, we hereby discuss the therapeutic potential of cefiderocol and the possible place in the therapy of this novel drug.