Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of homobrassinolide, abscisic acid, and 6-benzylamino purine on delaying flower senescence in Gladiolus grandiflora

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of homobrassinolide (HBL), abscisic acid (ABA) and 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) on the post-harvest life of 2 Gladiolus grandiflora cultivars, snow princess and nova lux. Different concentrations of HBL, ABA and BAP were applied to cut flowers. The experimental results showed that ABA and BAP treatments significantly increased post-harvest life in snow princess and nova lux cultivars compared to untreated flowers. However, HBL treatment was unsuccessful in delaying senescence in gladiolus. Furthermore, ABA and BAP treatments were more effective in delaying senescence in the nova lux cultivar than in the snow princess cultivar. Vase solutions containing BAP (500 M) and ABA (10 M) were the most efficient in extending the life of the cut floral spike of the nova lux variety (10 and 9 days respectively) followed by the snow princess variety (8 and 7 days respectively). Increasing fresh weight of flowers, vase solution uptake and membrane integrity along with a decrease in pH, malondialdehyde content, and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity prolonged flowers' post-harvest life. In terms of the post-harvest life of G. grandiflora, BAP outperformed ABA in improving the flower longevity of Gladiolus by maintaining higher physiological and biochemical stability in petals.
Structural, Topography, and Optical Properties of Ba‐Doped Mn3O4 Thin Films for Ammonia Gas Sensing Application

The fabrication of reliable and cost‐effective gas sensor for low concentrations of toxic gases such as ammonia is still a challenging task, in this work the authors report structural, topography, and optical properties of pure and Ba‐doped Mn3O4 thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) as well as its gas sensing performance toward low concentrations of ammonia gas. XRD analyses prove the films have tetragonal spinel structure with a preferred orientation along the direction (103). AFM and SEM measurements show the films have homogeneous with rough surfaces and porous structures. EDS measurement confirms the presence of Mn, O, and Ba elements according to a doping concentration ratio. Optical measurements show the optical band gap redshifts and the bond length expands as Ba concentration increases. The optimal results are achieved in Mn3O4:Ba1% thin films where porous structure, rough surface, high crystallinity, and maximum response toward (20, 30, 40, and 50 ppm) of ammonia gas with great stability. Empirical equations are suggested to evaluate the sensitivity in terms of relative bond length and RMS roughness. These results show the films are good candidates in p‐type MOS gas sensors.
Spoken lexical chunks used by successful learners at B2 level: forms and functions

This study analyses the lexical chunks used in successful spoken language by a sample of learners at Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) B2 level in the speaking component of a four-skills test. The data forms the initial part of a corpus of speaking tests at this level and the intention is to provide practitioners and researchers with evidence in order to more clearly interpret the broad ‘can do’ statements of the CEFR. Results suggest that the most frequent chunks used at this level employ the first thousand most frequent words in the British National Corpus (BNC) spoken lists and are often comparable to frequent chunks used in native speaker corpus data. The findings also show that learners make use of a narrow range of multi-functional chunks rather than employing a range of items for one function. Moreover, some chunks we normally would expect to find at this level were underused. The data has implications for how spoken language, in this case, chunks, could be taught to students at this level and for further research in this area.
Diagnostic values of MMP-9 and TGF-1β in assessing the severity of liver fibrosis and the rate of its progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C GT 1 infection

Aim. The purpose of our work is to find out diagnostic values of serum MMP-9 and TGF-1β determination for assessing the severity of liver fibrosis and the rate of its progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 (CHC GT1) infection. Materials and methods. 92 patients with CHC GT1 were examined. The severity of liver fibrosis was assessed by elastometry. The rate of liver fibrosis progression was calculated using the T. Poynard formula. Serum levels of TGF-1β and MMP-9 were measured by ELISA method. Results. In patients with CHC GT1, the most noticeable changes in the serum parameters of fibrogenesis / fibrinolysis were observed in the presence of F 3–4. The probability of liver fibrosis stages F 3–4 was high at the serum levels of TGF-1β >12.03 pg/ml (p < 0.001), MMP-9 ≤987.20 pg/ml (p = 0.016), TGF-1β/MMP-9 ratio >0.011 (p < 0.001). Fast liver fibrosis progression was more often registered in F 3–4 than in F 0–2 (62.9 % vs. 16.7 %, p < 0.0001). Increasing rate of liver fibrosis progression in these patients was confirmed by a higher ratio of TGF-1β/MMP-9 compared to that in patients with a slow rate of liver fibrosis progression (p < 0.05). The probability of fast liver fibrosis progression was high at the serum levels of TGF-1β >8.69 pg/ml (p < 0.001), MMP-9 ≤920.65 (p = 0.005), TGF-1β/MMP-9 ratio > 0.011 (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The diagnostic value of MMP-9 and TGF-1β in assessing the liver fibrosis severity and the rate of its progression in patients with CHC GT1 has been defined. Cut-off levels of MMP-9, TGF-1β and the TGF-1β/MMP-9 ratio for stratification of patients with severe liver fibrosis and the fast rate of its progression have been proposed.
Evaluation of Plasma miR-17-5p, miR-24-3p and miRNA-223-3p Profile of Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients after Treatment with Direct-Acting Antivirals

The expression of miR-223-3p, miR-17-5p, and miR-24-3p was evaluated in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patient serum samples, collected before DAA treatment and after a sustained virological response (SVR). Fifty HCV patients were stratified based on their liver damage stages into three different subgroups (21 with chronic hepatitis—CH, 15 with cirrhosis, and 14 with hepatocellular carcinoma—HCC). Considering the entire HCV population, the miRNA expression levels were significantly downregulated after the SVR compared to pre-treatment ones (p < 0.05). Stratifying the patients based on liver damage, the post-SVR values of the three miRNAs were significantly downregulated compared to the pre-treatment levels for both cirrhosis and HCC patients. No significant differences emerged from the analysis of the CH group. To our knowledge, this is the first study to detail the behavior of miR-223-3p, miR-17-5p, and miR-24-3p levels in patients with HCV-related CH, cirrhosis, and HCC after DAA therapy. Our findings show that HCV-infected patients have different miRNA profiles before and after treatment with DAAs, strongly suggesting that miRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of HCV-related damage. In this respect, the correlation observed among the three studied miRNAs could imply that they share common pathways by which they contribute the progression of HCV-induced chronic liver damage.
Gingival Tissue MiRNA Expression Profiling and an Analysis of Periodontitis-Specific Circulating MiRNAs

This study aimed to identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with periodontitis (PD) in gingival tissues, and to evaluate the levels of these selected miRNAs in the saliva and blood plasma among participants with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A genome-wide miRNA expression analysis in 16 gingival tissue samples revealed 177 deregulated miRNAs. The validation of the miRNA profiling results in 80 gingival tissue samples revealed that the PD-affected tissues had a higher expression of miR-140-3p and -145-5p, while the levels of miR-125a-3p were significantly lower in inflamed tissues. After a thorough validation, four miRNAs, namely miR-140-3p, -145-5p, -146a-5p, and -195-5p, were selected for further analysis in a larger sample of salivary (N = 173) and blood plasma (N = 221) specimens. Increased salivary levels of miR-145-5p were associated with higher mean values of pocket probing depth and bleeding on probing index. The plasma-derived levels of miR-140-3p were higher among the participants with PD. In conclusion, the gingival levels of miR-140-3p, -145-5p, and -125a-3p were independently associated with PD presence and severity. The salivary and blood plasma levels of the target miRNAs were diversely related to PD. Similar miRNA associations with PD were observed among the participants with and without RA.
Long-Chain Branched Bio-Based Poly(butylene dodecanedioate) Copolyester Using Pentaerythritol as Branching Agent: Synthesis, Thermo-Mechanical, and Rheological Properties

The introduction of long-chain branched structures into biodegradable polyesters can effectively improve the melt strength and blow-molding properties of polyesters. In this study, pentaerythritol (PER) was used as a branching agent to synthesize branched poly(butylene dodecanedioate) (PBD), and the resulting polymers were characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Proton Spectra (1H NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). It was found that the introduction of a small amount of PER (0.25–0.5 mol%) can generate branching and even crosslinking structures. Both impact strength and tensile modulus can be greatly improved by the introduction of a branching agent. With the introduction of 1 mol% PER content in PBD, the notched impact strength of PBD has been increased by 85%, and the tensile modulus has been increased by 206%. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that PER-branched PBDs exhibited improved crystallization ability compared with linear PBDs. Dynamic viscoelastics revealed that shear-thickening behaviors can be found for all branched PBD under low shear rates.
Numerical simulation of non-isothermal thin liquid film flow on inclined plane using an implicit finite difference scheme

The classical problem of the stability and dynamics of thin liquid films on solid surfaces has been studied extensively. Particularly, thin liquid films subjected to various physico-chemical effects such as thermocapillarity, solutal-Marangoni and evaporative instabilities at the film surface has been the focus of research for more than two decades. Various flow configurations of thin film such as thin film on plane, inclined, and wavy surfaces has been the subject of recent investigations. An inclined film compared to a horizontal film, also experiences the gravity force which may significantly influence the nonlinear dynamics of the film coupled with other forces. In this research, we attempt to study the stability and dynamics of thin liquid films subjected to thermocapillarity and evaporative instabilities at the free surface besides instability owing to ubiquitous van der Waals attraction, using numerical simulations. For a Newtonian liquid, flow in thin liquid film on a planar support and bounded by a passive gas, is represented by Navier-Stokes equation, equation of continuity and appropriate boundary conditions. The external effects are incorporated in the body force term of the Navier-Stokes equation. These governing equations are simplified using the so called long-wave approximation to arrive at a nonlinear partial differential equation, henceforth called equation of evolution (EOE), which describes the time evolution of the interfacial instability in the film caused by internal and/or external effects. Efficient numerical method is required for the solution of the equation of evolution (EOE) in order to comprehend the nonlinear dynamics of the thin film. Here we present the results of our numerical simulation using Crank-Nicholson implicit finite difference scheme applied to the thin film model incorporating instabilities owing to gravity, evaporation and thermo-capillarity. Comparison of our results with those obtained from Spectral method, show remarkable agreement for most of the cases investigated.
Gravitational separation of the stratospheric air over Syowa, Antarctica and its connection with meteorological fields

To examine gravitational separation of the stratospheric air over Antarctica in austral summer, we collected air samples from altitudes of 10 to 30 km over Syowa Station (69.0°S, 39.6°E) using balloon‐borne cryogenic samplers for the period 1998–2013, and then analyzed them for δ15N of N2, δ18O of O2, δ(Ar/N2) and δ40Ar. The normalized mass ratio “δ,” calculated using their measured values, decreases with increasing altitude, implying an upward enhancement of the gravitational separation effect. The observed stratospheric δ profiles are generally well reproduced by a two‐dimensional atmospheric model, but the model tends to underestimate the observed δ values in the middle stratosphere above 26 km. We also observe interannual variation in the δ vertical profile in the middle stratosphere. A backward trajectory analysis suggests that this variation is attributable to different horizontal mixing of the stratospheric air over Antarctica from year to year.
Transdermal Delivery of Glimepiride: A Novel Approach Using Nanomicelle-Embedded Microneedles

Glimepiride (GM) is a hydrophobic drug that dissolves slowly and yields inconsistent clinical responses after oral administration. Transdermal drug delivery (TDD) is an appropriate alternative to oral administration. Microneedles (MNs) offer a promising delivery system that penetrates the skin, while polymeric micelles can enhance the solubility; hence, the combination of both results in high drug bioavailability. This study aims to improve glimepiride’s solubility, dissolution rate, and bioavailability by incorporating nanomicelles into MNs for TDD. The nanomicelles formulated with 10% Soluplus® (SP) and 40% GM had a mean particle size of 82.6 ± 0.54, PDI of 0.1 ± 0.01, −16.2 ± 0.18 zeta potential, and achieved a 250-fold increase in solubility. The fabricated pyramid shaped GM-dissolving MNs were thermally stable and had no formulation incompatibility, as confirmed by thermal and FTIR analysis. The in vitro dissolution profile revealed that the GM release from nanomicelles and nanomicelle-loaded DMN was concentration-independent following non-Fickian transport mechanism. Improved pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained with dose of 240 µg as compared to 1 mg of GM oral tablet, in healthy human volunteers. The observed Cmax, Tmax and MRT were 1.56 μg/mL ± 0.06, 4 h, and 40.04 h ± 3.37, respectively. The safety profile assessment indicated that microneedles are safe with no adverse effects on skin or health. This study provides an alternative delivery system for the administration of glimepiride, resulting in improved bioavailability, enhanced patient compliance, and reduced dosing frequency.
Evaluation of glymphatic system activity using diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space and amyloid PET in older adults with objectively normal cognition: a preliminary study

Objectives Diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) is a recently introduced method for the assessment of the glymphatic system without the need for contrast injection. The purpose of our study was to assess the glymphatic system in cognitively normal older adults with or without subjective cognitive decline (SCD) using DTI-ALPS, and correlating with amyloid PET. Design and participants To evaluate the glymphatic system in cognitively normal older adults using DTI-ALPS, we built a prospective cohort including a total of 123 objectively cognitively normal older adults with or without SCD. The ALPS index was calculated from DTI MRI and was assessed by correlating it with standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) from amyloid PET and clinically relevant variables. The study subjects were also divided into amyloid “positive” and “negative” groups based on the result of amyloid PET, and the ALPS indices between those two groups were compared. Results The ALPS index was not significantly different between the normal and SCD groups (P = 0.897). The mean ALPS index from the amyloid positive and amyloid negative group was 1.31 and 1.35, respectively, which showed no significant difference (P = 0.308). Among the SUVRs from variable cortices, that of the paracentral cortex was negatively correlated with the ALPS index (r = −0.218, P = 0.016). Multivariate linear regression revealed that older age (coefficient, −0.007) and higher SUVR from the paracentral cortex (coefficient, −0.101) were two independent variables with a significant association with a lower ALPS index (P = 0.015 and 0.045, respectively). Conclusion DTI-ALPS may not be useful for evaluation of the glymphatic system in subjects with SCD. Older age was significantly associated with lower ALPS index. Greater amyloid deposition in the paracentral cortex was significantly associated with lower glymphatic activity in cognitively normal older adults. These results should be validated in future studies on the relationships between ALPS index and other fundamental compartments in glymphatic system, such as perivenous space and the meningeal lymphatic vessels.
Prediction of rapid intensification of tropical cyclone Phailin over the Bay of Bengal using the HWRF modelling system

The study objective is to assess the impact of cloud‐permitting resolution and improved representation of multiscale processes on the ability to predict rapid intensification (RI) and structure of Phailin (2013), one of the strongest tropical cyclones (TCs) over the Bay of Bengal. The state‐of‐the‐art Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) modelling system is used with two different configurations. The first configuration uses a static domain of 27 km grid size with a movable nested domain of 9 km grid size (hereafter H2D). The second configuration has an additional movable nested domain of 3 km grid size (known as H3D) to resolve meso‐ and vortex‐scale features respectively.
The quantum equation of state until the fourth virial coefficient for many‐component plasmas

The aim of the present article is to calculate the quantum excess free energy until the fourth virial coefficient in terms of Slater sums for neutral many‐component plasmas. We used the results to calculate the equation of state; we used the thermal equilibrium plasma. Bound states are not taken into account in this work.
Cognitive subgroups and the relationships with symptoms, psychosocial functioning and quality of life in first-episode non-affective psychosis: a cluster-analysis approach

Introduction Prior research examining cognitive heterogeneity in psychotic disorders primarily focused on chronic schizophrenia, with limited data on first-episode psychosis (FEP). We aimed to identify distinct cognitive subgroups in adult FEP patients using data-driven cluster-analytic approach, and examine relationships between cognitive subgroups and a comprehensive array of illness-related variables. Methods Two-hundred-eighty-nine Chinese patients aged 26–55 years presenting with FEP to an early intervention program in Hong Kong were recruited. Assessments encompassing premorbid adjustment, illness-onset profile, symptom severity, psychosocial functioning, subjective quality-of-life, and a battery of cognitive tests were conducted. Hierarchical cluster-analysis was employed, optimized with k-means clustering and internally-validated by discriminant-functional analysis. Cognitive subgroup comparisons in illness-related variables, followed by multivariable multinominal-regression analyzes were performed to identify factors independently predictive of cluster membership. Results Three clusters were identified including patients with globally-impaired (n = 101, 34.9%), intermediately-impaired (n = 112, 38.8%) and relatively-intact (n = 76, 26.3%) cognition (GIC, IIC and RIC subgroups) compared to demographically-matched healthy-controls’ performance (n = 50). GIC-subgroup was older, had lower educational attainment, greater positive, negative and disorganization symptom severity, poorer insight and quality-of-life than IIC- and RIC-subgroups, and higher antipsychotic-dose than RIC-subgroup. IIC-subgroup had lower education levels and more severe negative symptoms than RIC-subgroup, which had better psychosocial functioning than two cognitively-impaired subgroups. Educational attainment and disorganization symptoms were found to independently predict cluster membership. Discussion Our results affirmed cognitive heterogeneity in FEP and identified three subgroups, which were differentially associated with demographic and illness-related variables. Further research should clarify longitudinal relationships of cognitive subgroups with clinical and functional outcomes in FEP.
Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary, Hypercalcemic Type (SCCOHT): Patient Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcome—A Systematic Review

Simple Summary Small-cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer with a poor prognosis, and information on adequate treatment for this cancer is lacking. However, since the discovery of mutations in the SMARCA4 gene in 2014, SCCOHT has become the subject of extensive investigation. With this systematic review, we aim to generate an overview of all reported patients with SCCOHT from 1990 onwards, describing the clinical presentation, genetic characteristics, treatment, and outcome. Harmonization and international collaboration to obtain high-quality data on diagnostic investigations, treatment, and outcome are warranted to be able to develop international treatment guidelines to improve the survival chances of young women with SCCOHT. Abstract Background: Small-cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a rare aggressive ovarian malignancy mainly affecting children, adolescents, and young adults. Since the discovery of mutations in the SMARCA4 gene in 2014, SCCOHT has become the subject of extensive investigation. However, international uniform treatment guidelines for SCCOHT are lacking and the outcome remains poor. The aim of this systematic review is to generate an overview of all reported patients with SCCOHT from 1990 onwards, describing the clinical presentation, genetic characteristics, treatment, and outcome. Methods: A systematic search was performed in the databases Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane for studies that focus on SCCOHT. Patient characteristics and treatment data were extracted from the included studies. Survival was estimated using Kaplan–Meier’s methodology. To assess the difference between survival, the log-rank test was used. To quantify the effect of the FIGO stage, the Cox proportional hazard regression model was estimated. The chi-squared test was used to study the association between the FIGO stage and the surgical procedures. Results: Sixty-seven studies describing a total of 306 patients were included. The median patient age was 25 years (range 1–60 years). The patients mostly presented with non-specific symptoms such as abdominal pain and sometimes showed hypercalcemia and elevated CA-125. A great diversity in the diagnostic work-up and therapeutic approaches was reported. The chemotherapy regimens were very diverse, all containing a platinum-based (cisplatin or carboplatin) backbone. Survival was strongly associated with the FIGO stage at diagnosis. Conclusions: SCCOHT is a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer, with a poor prognosis, and information on adequate treatment for this cancer is lacking. The testing of mutations in SMARCA4 is crucial for an accurate diagnosis and may lead to new treatment options. Harmonization and international collaboration to obtain high-quality data on diagnostic investigations, treatment, and outcome are warranted to be able to develop international treatment guidelines to improve the survival chances of young women with SCCOHT.