Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studies in the usnic acid series. I. The condensation of ( + )-usnic acid with aliphatic and aromatic amines

Detailed investigations concerned with the reaction of usnic acid (1) and dihydrousnic acid (14) with a variety of aliphatic and aromatic amines are described. Extensive analyses of the characteristic spectroscopic data allow structural assignments for all the isolated products. The correctness of these assignments is established by an X-ray analysis of one of the products resulting from the reaction of usnic acid with ammonia.
Neuronal Metabolism and Neuroprotection: Neuroprotective Effect of Fingolimod on Menadione-Induced Mitochondrial Damage

Imbalance in the oxidative status in neurons, along with mitochondrial damage, are common characteristics in some neurodegenerative diseases. The maintenance in energy production is crucial to face and recover from oxidative damage, and the preservation of different sources of energy production is essential to preserve neuronal function. Fingolimod phosphate is a drug with neuroprotective and antioxidant actions, used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. This work was performed in a model of oxidative damage on neuronal cell cultures exposed to menadione in the presence or absence of fingolimod phosphate. We studied the mitochondrial function, antioxidant enzymes, protein nitrosylation, and several pathways related with glucose metabolism and glycolytic and pentose phosphate in neuronal cells cultures. Our results showed that menadione produces a decrease in mitochondrial function, an imbalance in antioxidant enzymes, and an increase in nitrosylated proteins with a decrease in glycolysis and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. All these effects were counteracted when fingolimod phosphate was present in the incubation media. These effects were mediated, at least in part, by the interaction of this drug with its specific S1P receptors. These actions would make this drug a potential tool in the treatment of neurodegenerative processes, either to slow progression or alleviate symptoms.
Therapy Implications of Hepatitis C Virus Genetic Diversity

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important human pathogen with a high chronicity rate. An estimated 71 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection, which carries the risk of progression to hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Similar to other RNA viruses, HCV has a high rate of genetic variability generated by its high mutation rate and the actions of evolutionary forces over time. There are two levels of HCV genetic variability: intra-host variability, characterized by the distribution of HCV mutant genomes present in an infected individual, and inter-host variability, represented by the globally circulating viruses that give rise to different HCV genotypes and subtypes. HCV genetic diversity has important implications for virus persistence, pathogenesis, immune responses, transmission, and the development of successful vaccines and antiviral strategies. Here we will discuss how HCV genetic heterogeneity impacts viral spread and therapeutic control.
Fast Diffusion of the Unassembled PetC1-GFP Protein in the Cyanobacterial Thylakoid Membrane

Biological membranes were originally described as a fluid mosaic with uniform distribution of proteins and lipids. Later, heterogeneous membrane areas were found in many membrane systems including cyanobacterial thylakoids. In fact, cyanobacterial pigment–protein complexes (photosystems, phycobilisomes) form a heterogeneous mosaic of thylakoid membrane microdomains (MDs) restricting protein mobility. The trafficking of membrane proteins is one of the key factors for long-term survival under stress conditions, for instance during exposure to photoinhibitory light conditions. However, the mobility of unbound ‘free’ proteins in thylakoid membrane is poorly characterized. In this work, we assessed the maximal diffusional ability of a small, unbound thylakoid membrane protein by semi-single molecule FCS (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy) method in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. We utilized a GFP-tagged variant of the cytochrome b6f subunit PetC1 (PetC1-GFP), which was not assembled in the b6f complex due to the presence of the tag. Subsequent FCS measurements have identified a very fast diffusion of the PetC1-GFP protein in the thylakoid membrane (D = 0.14 − 2.95 µm2s−1). This means that the mobility of PetC1-GFP was comparable with that of free lipids and was 50–500 times higher in comparison to the mobility of proteins (e.g., IsiA, LHCII—light-harvesting complexes of PSII) naturally associated with larger thylakoid membrane complexes like photosystems. Our results thus demonstrate the ability of free thylakoid-membrane proteins to move very fast, revealing the crucial role of protein–protein interactions in the mobility restrictions for large thylakoid protein complexes.
A novel virtual screening procedure identifies Pralatrexate as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and it reduces viral replication in vitro

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus poses serious threats to the global public health and leads to worldwide crisis. No effective drug or vaccine is readily available. The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is a promising therapeutic target. A hybrid drug screening procedure was proposed and applied to identify potential drug candidates targeting RdRp from 1906 approved drugs. Among the four selected market available drug candidates, Pralatrexate and Azithromycin were confirmed to effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro with EC50 values of 0. 008μM and 9.453 μM, respectively. For the first time, our study discovered that Pralatrexate is able to potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication with a stronger inhibitory activity than Remdesivir within the same experimental conditions. The paper demonstrates the feasibility of fast and accurate anti-viral drug screening for inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 and provides potential therapeutic agents against COVID-19.
Highly piezoelectric AlN thin films grown on amorphous, insulating substrates

AlN thin films were grown by reactive sputtering on amorphous SiO2 thin films. Film texture, x-ray rocking curve width, mechanical stress, and the clamped piezoelectric constant d33,f were studied as a function of rf bias power and substrate roughness. A high d33,f of 5.0 pm/V was achieved at low substrate roughness and low mechanical AlN film stress. Increasing substrate roughness and stress leads to a deterioration of d33,f, which is correlated with a higher density of opposite polarity grains detected by piezoresponse force microscopy. Extrapolating to 100% uniform polarity, a d33,f of 6.1 pm/V is derived as highest possible value, probably corresponding to the d33,f=e33/c33E of perfect single crystalline material. Growth mechanisms are proposed and underlined by high resolution transmission electron microscopy to explain the observed phenomena.
Emotional Eating in Adolescence: Effects of Emotion Regulation, Weight Status and Negative Body Image

Emotional eating is associated with an increased risk of binge eating, eating in the absence of hunger and obesity risk. While previous studies with children and adolescents suggest that emotion regulation may be a key predictor of this dysregulated eating behavior, little is known about what other factors may be influencing the link between emotional regulation and emotional eating in adolescence. This multi-method longitudinal study (n = 138) utilized linear regression models to examine associations between childhood emotion regulation, adolescent weight status and negative body image, and emotional eating at age 17. Emotion regulation predicted adolescent emotional eating and this link was moderated by weight status (β = 1.19, p < 0.01) and negative body image (β = −0.34, p < 0.01). Higher engagement in emotional eating was predicted by lower emotional regulation scores among normal-weight teens (β = −0.46, p < 0.001) but not among overweight/obese teens (β = 0.32, p > 0.10). Higher scores on emotion regulation were significantly associated with lower emotional eating at high (β = −1.59, p < 0.001) and low (β = −1.00, p < 0.01) levels of negative body image. Engagement in emotional eating was predicted by higher negative body image among overweight/obese teens only (β = 0.70, p < 0.001). Our findings show that while better childhood emotion regulation skills are associated with lower emotional eating, weight status and negative body image influence this link and should be considered as important foci in future interventions that aim to reduce emotional eating in adolescence.
Characterization and Biodegradability of Rice Husk-Filled Polymer Composites

The fabrication of affordable biodegradable plastics remains a challenging issue for both the scientific community and industries as mechanical properties and biodegradability improve at the expense of the high cost of the material. Hence, the present work deals with fabrication and characterization of biodegradable polymer with 40% rice husk waste filler and 60% polymer-containing mixture of polybutylene succinate (PBS) and poly butylenes adipate-Co-terephthalate (PBAT) to achieve good mechanical properties, 92% biodegradation in six months, and competitive pricing. The challenge in incorporating high amounts of hydrophilic nature filler material into hydrophobic PBS/PBAT was addressed by adding plasticizers such as glycerol and calcium stearate. The compatibilizers such as maleic anhydride (MA) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was used to improve the miscibility between hydrophobic PBS/PBAT and hydrophilic filler material. The component with the formulation of 24:36:40 (PBS/PBAT/TPRH) possessed the tensile strength of 14.27 MPa, modulus of 200.43 MPa, and elongation at break of 12.99%, which was suitable for the production of molded products such as a tray, lunch box, and straw. The obtained composite polymer achieved 92% mass loss after six months of soil burial test confirming its biodegradability.
Effects of body movement on yaw motion in bipedal running lizard by dynamic simulation

Lizards run quickly and stably in a bipedal gait, with their bodies exhibiting a lateral S-shaped undulation. We investigate the relationship between a lizard’s bipedal running and its body movement with the help of a dynamic simulation. In this study, a dynamic theoretical model of lizard is assumed as a three-link consisting of an anterior and posterior bodies, and a tail, with morphometrics based on Callisaurus draconoides. When a lizard runs straight in a stable bipedal gait, its pelvic rotation is periodically synchronized with its gait. This study shows that the S-shaped body undulation with the yaw motion is generated by minimizing the square of joint torque. Furthermore, we performed the biomechanical simulation to figure out the relationship between the lizard’s lateral body undulation and the bipedal running locomotion. In the biomechanical simulation, all joint torques significantly vary by the waist and tail’ motions at the same locomotion. Besides, when the waist and tail joint angles increase, the stride length and duration of the model also increase, and the stride frequency decreases at the same running speed. It means that the lizard’s undulatory body movements increase its stride and help it run faster. In this study, we found the benefits of the lizard’s undulatory body movement and figured out the relationship between the body movement and the locomotion by analyzing the dynamics. In the future works, we will analyze body movements under different environments with various simulators.
Durability of Hydrophobic/Icephobic Coatings in Protection of Lightweight Concrete with Waste Aggregate

The aim of the research presented in this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of using hydrophobic agents based on organosilicon compounds for surface protection of lightweight concrete modified with waste polystyrene. The experimental part pertains to the physical and mechanical properties of polystyrene-modified lightweight concrete. The concrete samples were prepared with the following ingredients: CEM I 42.5 R cement, recycled polystyrene (0–2 mm), quartz sand (0–2 mm), coarse river aggregate (2–16 mm), and water. Silane and tetramethoxysilane were employed for surface hydrophobization. Concrete with 20% polystyrene exhibits high porosity (25.22%), which is related to an increase in absorptivity (14.75%) compared to the reference concrete. The hydrophobized concrete is characterized by the lowest surface free energy (SFE) value, which is 7 or 11 times lower than the value of reference concrete, depending on the agents. The test on the contact angle (CA) was performed before and after the frost-resistance test (F–T test). Lower SFE translates into lower adhesive properties, higher resistance of the material to the infiltration of water and corrosive compounds, e.g., salts, and higher resistance to freezing and thawing cycles. Silane and tetramethoxysilane coating raised frost resistance by 54–58% compared to the reference samples. This agent reduced absorptivity by 30%. Recycled polystyrene can be successfully used to produce lightweight concrete (LC) with high durability provided by hydrophobic/icephobic coatings.
Scrambling the skin: A psychophysical study of adaptation to scrambled tactile apparent motion

An age-old hypothesis proposes that object motion across the receptor surface organizes sensory maps (Lotze, 19th century). Skin patches learn their relative positions from the order in which they are stimulated during motion events. We propose that reversing the local motion within a global motion sequence (‘motion scrambling’) provides a good test for this idea, and present results of the first experiment implementing the paradigm. We used 6-point apparent motion along the forearm. In the Scrambled sequence, two middle locations were touched in reversed order (1-2-4-3-5-6, followed by 6-5-3-4-2-1, in a continuous loop). This created a double U-turn within an otherwise constant-velocity motion, as if skin patches 3 and 4 physically swapped locations. The control condition, Orderly, proceeded at constant velocity at inter-stimulus onset interval of 120 ms. The 26.4-minute conditioning (delivered in twenty-four 66-s bouts) was interspersed with testing of perceived motion direction between the two middle tactors presented on their own (sequence 3–4 or 4–3). Our twenty participants reported motion direction. Direction discrimination was degraded following exposure to Scrambled pattern and was 0.31 d’ weaker than following Orderly conditioning (p = .007). Consistent with the proposed role of motion, this could be the beginning of re-learning of relative positions. An alternative explanation is that greater speed adaptation occurred in the Scrambled pattern, raising direction threshold. In future studies, longer conditioning should tease apart the two explanations: our re-mapping hypothesis predicts an overall reversal in perceived motion direction between critical locations (for either motion direction), whereas the speed adaptation alternative predicts chance-level performance at worst, without reversing.
Obstetric Violence in Spain (Part II): Interventionism and Medicalization during Birth

Background: obstetric violence can partially be represented by the high number of interventions and medicalization rates during the birthing process. The objective of the present study was to determine the interventionism and medicalization levels during childbirth in Spain. Methods: a descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2018 and June 2019. Results: the intervention percentages were 34.2% for Kristeller maneuver and 39.3% for episiotomy. Differences appeared in public, private, and mixed healthcare settings (p < 0.001). The mean satisfaction, with healthcare in the different settings, was estimated at 6.88 points (SD ± 2.146) in public healthcare, 4.76 points (SD ± 3.968) in private healthcare, and 8.03 points (SD ± 1.930) in mixed healthcare (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in Spanish autonomous communities. Conclusions: births in Spain seem to be highly intervened. In this study, a certain equity criterion was found concerning interventionism during childbirth in Spain. Healthcare influenced female intervention, satisfaction, and perception levels for obstetric violence; this evidences that female empowerment plays an important role.
A single-molecule counting approach for convenient and ultrasensitive measurement of restriction digest efficiencies

Restriction endonucleases play a central role in the microbial immune system against viruses and are widely used in DNA specific cleavage, which is called restriction digestion, for genetic engineering. Herein, we applied digital cell-free protein synthesis as an easy-to-use orthogonal readout means to assess the restriction digest efficiency, a new application of digital bioassays. The digital counting principle enabled an unprecedentedly sensitive trace analysis of undigested DNA at the single-molecule level in a PCR-free manner. Our approach can quantify the template DNA of much lower concentrations that cannot be detected by ensemble-based methods such as gold-standard DNA electrophoresis techniques. The sensitive and quantitative measurements revealed a considerable variation in the digest efficiency among restriction endonucleases, from less than 70% to more than 99%. Intriguingly, none of them showed truly complete digestion within reasonably long periods of reaction time. The same rationale was extended to a multiplexed assay and applicable to any DNA-degrading or genome-editing enzymes. The enzyme kinetic parameters and the flanking sequence-dependent digest efficiency can also be interrogated with the proposed digital counting method. The absolute number of residual intact DNA molecules per microliter was concluded to be at least 107, drawing attention to the residual issue of genetic materials associated with the interpretation of nucleases’ behaviors and functions in daily genetic engineering experiments.
Why some women who attend focused antenatal care fail to deliver in health facilities: a qualitative study of women’s perspectives from slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore why some women who attend focused antenatal care (FANC) fail to deliver in health facilities from slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Setting Public health facilities (three health centres and one district hospital). Study design A qualitative exploratory and descriptive research design was used. Study participants Study participants comprised women of reproductive age (18–49 years) living in slum areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We used 20 in-depth audio-recorded interviews. Data were analysed concurrently with data collection. Thematic analysis was done for the study. A multilevel life-course framework of facility-based delivery in low-income and middle-income countries developed by Bohren et al was used to frame the current study and link the findings of the study to the body of knowledge. Results From the analysis of in-depth interview data, four themes emerged, namely, perceived benefits of home delivery, knowledge deficit about health facility-based delivery, poor access to healthcare facilities and inadequate (demand side) resources. These themes were identified as rich and detailed accounts of the perspectives of facility-based and home delivery among attendees of FANC in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Conclusion The findings of this qualitative study revealed that perceived benefits of home delivery, knowledge deficit about health facility-based delivery, poor access to healthcare facilities and inadequate (demand side) resources were related to low uptake of facility-based delivery services. Use of ANC visits to advise women about birth preparedness and complication readiness, the use of facility deliveries to reduce risks of home delivery to the mother and the newborn should be stressed.
ApoE-Targeting Increases the Transfer of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles with Donepezil Cargo across a Culture Model of the Blood–Brain Barrier

Pharmacological treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders is difficult, because the blood–brain barrier (BBB) restricts the penetration of many drugs into the brain. To solve this unmet therapeutic need, nanosized drug carriers are the focus of research efforts to develop drug delivery systems for the CNS. For the successful delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) to the brain, targeting ligands on their surface is necessary. Our research aim was to design a nanoscale drug delivery system for a more efficient transfer of donepezil, an anticholinergic drug in the therapy of Alzheimer’s disease across the BBB. Rhodamine B-labeled solid lipid nanoparticles with donepezil cargo were prepared and targeted with apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a ligand of BBB receptors. Nanoparticles were characterized by measurement of size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, thermal analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, in vitro release, and stability. Cytotoxicity of nanoparticles were investigated by metabolic assay and impedance-based cell analysis. ApoE-targeting increased the uptake of lipid nanoparticles in cultured brain endothelial cells and neurons. Furthermore, the permeability of ApoE-targeted nanoparticles across a co-culture model of the BBB was also elevated. Our data indicate that ApoE, which binds BBB receptors, can potentially be exploited for successful CNS targeting of solid lipid nanoparticles.
Relationship between Physical Performance and Frailty Syndrome in Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Physical Activity, Sedentary Time and Body Composition

The objectives were to clarify whether the relationship between physical performance and frailty was independently and jointly mediated by movement behaviors and body composition. We analyzed 871 older adults (476 women) from The Toledo Study for Healthy Aging. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) and fat index (FI) were determined using bone densitometry. Sedentary time (ST) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were assessed using accelerometry. The Frailty Trait Scale and The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) were used to evaluate frailty and physical performance, respectively. Simple and multiple mediation analyses were carried out to determine the role of movement behaviors and body composition, adjusted for potential confounders. ST and MVPA acted independently as mediators in the relationship between SPPB and frailty (0.06% for ST and 16.89% for MVPA). FI also acted as an independent mediator in the same relationship (36.47%), while the mediation role of SMI was not significant. MVPA and FI both acted jointly as mediators in this previous relationship explaining 58.15% of the model. Our data support the fact that interventions should simultaneously encourage the promotion of MVPA and strategies to decrease the FI in order to prevent or treat frailty through physical performance improvement.
Determination of Selected Heavy Metals Using Amperometric Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) Inhibition Biosensor

Fabrication of an amperometric biosensor for determination of heavy metals in tap water based on the inhibition of horseradish peroxidase activity is reported. The inhibition of the biosensor's response to 0.95 mM H2O2 at −200 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) followed the order, Cd2+ < Cu2+ < Pb2+. The detection limits were 0.09 ppb, 0.03 ppb, and 0.10 ppb for Cd2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+, respectively. Kinetic parameters (apparent Michaelis-Menten constant) and Imax (maximum current) obtained in the absence ( = 1.16 mM, Imax = 0.51 µA) and the presence ( = 1.13 mM, Imax = 0.36) of 3.13 ppm Cd2+ showed that the enzyme inhibition process was reversible and non-competitive, and the corresponding KI (inhibition constant) value was 0.026 mM. After two weeks, the biosensor retained >95% of its initial response and gave a reproducibility of 3.8% and precision of 2.1%.