Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Sandblasting and Hydrofluoric Acid Etching on Surface Topography, Flexural Strength, Modulus and Bond Strength of Composite Cement to Ceramics.

PURPOSE To evaluate the influence of different surface treatments of two CAD/CAM glass ceramics on surface topography, shear bond strength of composite cement, flexural strength, and elastic modulus. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two ceramics were evaluated: lithium-disilicate (LDS) and zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS)﻿ glass ceramics. ﻿Glass ceramics were sintered and the surfaces were ﻿sandblast﻿ed (SBL) or ﻿etched with 9% hydrofluoric acid for 10 s (HF10), 20 s (HF20) or 30 s (HF30). The treated surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (n = 3) to evaluate the etching pattern. For bond strength testing, ceramic samples were silanized after treatments and an adhesive was applied to the surface. Afterwards, a silicone mold was used to build ﻿composite-cement cylinders, which were tested after 24 h or one year of water storage (n = 10). Flexural strength and modulus were assessed using a 3-point bending test (n = 15). The data were subjected to statistical analysis at a pre-set α = 0.05. RESULTS SBL and HF resulted in different surface topographies. Increased HF etching time influenced the surface dissolution level and exposition of crystals for LDS, while no effect of etching time was observed for ZLS. After one year, the bond strength to LDS significantly decreased, regardless of treatments. For ZLS, HF10 and HF20 showed stable bond strengths over time. SBL yielded the lowest bond strength for both ceramics and statistically significantly reduced the flexural strength of ZLS. The flexural strength and elastic modulus of ceramics were not affected by different etching times. CONCLUSION Bonding stability depended on the glass ceramic and the pretreatment method employed. HF etching did not change the mechanical properties of the ceramics and is indicated as a ceramic treatment for bonding.
The effects of the ratio of pellets of wheat and barley grains to ground corn grain in the diet on sorting and chewing activities of heat stressed dairy cows

Abstract Background Normal feeding behaviours is one of the criteria of the health condition of dairy cows particularly in the condition of heat stress. Objective The study evaluated the effects of the ratio of pellets of wheat and barley grains to ground corn grain on sorting activity and chewing behaviour of lactating dairy cows managed under ambient conditions including natural heat stress events. Materials and Methods Nine multiparous cows (650 ± 56 kg Body Weight; mean ± SD) averaging 102 ± 13 days in milk and producing 54 ± 6 kg/d were randomly assigned to a triplicate 3 × 3 Latin square. During each 21‐d period, cows received one of three total mixed rations as dietary treatments. The dietary treatments were three ratio of pellets (containing 50% ground wheat and 50% ground barley): ground corn on a dry matter (DM) basis: 1) 33.3:66.6 (low); 2) 66.6:33.3 (medium); and 3) 100:0 (high). During the experiment, the ambient temperature‐humidity index was equal or more than 72, indicating that the cows were predisposed to heat stress condition. Results Increasing the proportion of wheat‐barley pellets in the diet had a minimal effect on sorting index of different particles during the first 6 h of the day. However, later in the day (6‐18h), sorting against long particles (particles >19 mm) and in favour of fine particles (particles <1.18 mm) linearly increased with increasing the proportion of pellet; as a result overall daily sorting against long particles was increased with increasing the proportion of pellets. Although the average of daily eating and rumination was not affected by the treatments in the day times with high ambient THI, time spent for eating and rumination was low and eating time had more fluctuation for diet contained a high level of pellets. Conclusion Increasing the proportion of pellets of barley and wheat grains in the diet under conditions of heat stress caused more fluctuation in daily eating behaviour and cows were predisposed to sort against long particles.
Novel gene rearrangement in the mitochondrial genome of Siliqua minima (Bivalvia, Adapedonta) and phylogenetic implications for Imparidentia

Siliqua minima (Gmelin, 1791) is an important economic shellfish species belonging to the family Pharidae. To date, the complete mitochondrial genome of only one species in this family (Sinonovacula constricta) has been sequenced. Research on the Pharidae family is very limited; to improve the evolution of this bivalve family, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of S. minima by next-generation sequencing. The genome is 17,064 bp in length, consisting of 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), and two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA). From the rearrangement analysis of bivalves, we found that the gene sequences of bivalves greatly variable among species, and with closer genetic relationship, the more consistent of the gene arrangement is higher among the species. Moreover, according to the gene arrangement of seven species from Adapedonta, we found that gene rearrangement among families is particularly obvious, while the gene order within families is relatively conservative. The phylogenetic analysis between species of the superorder Imparidentia using 12 conserved PCGs. The S. minima mitogenome was provided and will improve the phylogenetic resolution of Pharidae species.
Local adaptation in thermal tolerance for a tropical butterfly across ecotone and rainforest habitats

ABSTRACT Thermal adaptation to habitat variability can determine species vulnerability to environmental change. For example, physiological tolerance to naturally low thermal variation in tropical forests species may alter their vulnerability to climate change impacts, compared with open habitat species. However, the extent to which habitat-specific differences in tolerance derive from within-generation versus across-generation ecological or evolutionary processes are not well characterized. Here we studied thermal tolerance limits of a Central African butterfly (Bicyclus dorothea) across two habitats in Cameroon: a thermally stable tropical forest and the more variable ecotone between rainforest and savanna. Second generation individuals originating from the ecotone, reared under conditions common to both populations, exhibited higher upper thermal limits (CTmax) than individuals originating from forest (∼3°C greater). Lower thermal limits (CTmin) were also slightly lower for the ecotone populations (∼1°C). Our results are suggestive of local adaptation driving habitat-specific differences in thermal tolerance (especially CTmax) that hold across generations. Such habitat-specific thermal limits may be widespread for tropical ectotherms and could affect species vulnerability to environmental change. However, microclimate and within-generation developmental processes (e.g. plasticity) will mediate these differences, and determining the fitness consequences of thermal variation for ecotone and rainforest species will require continued study of both within-generation and across-generation eco-evolutionary processes. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Intrinsic Nature of Graphene Revealed in Temperature-Dependent Transport of Twisted Multilayer Graphene

Graphene in its purest form is expected to exhibit a semiconducting to metallic transition in its temperature-dependent conductivity as a result of the interplay between Coulomb disorder and phonon scattering, the transition temperature, Tc, depending sensitively on the disorder induced carrier density (nc). Even for good quality graphene, the nc can be quite high (∼1012 cm–2) and the transition temperature may be placed well above the ambient, practically rendering it to be only semiconducting over a wide range of temperature. Here we report an experimental study on the transport behavior of twisted multilayer graphene (tMLG) exhibiting Tc well below the ambient temperature. The graphene layers in these tMLG are highly decoupled with one another due to the angular rotation among them; as a result, they exhibit very high Raman I2D/IG values (up to 12) with narrow 2D width (16–24 cm–1). The observed Tc values seem to go hand in hand with the Raman I2D/IG values; a multilayer with mean I2D/IG value of 4.6 s.
Bereavement Support Services in a National Sample of Hospices: A Content Analysis

Although the Medicare Hospice Benefit mandates that hospices offer bereavement support services to families for at least 1 year following the death of a patient, it does not stipulate which services they should offer. As a result, little is known about what bereavement support services hospices provide, especially on a national scale. The current study recruited a national sample of hospice representatives who responded to an open-ended question that asked, “What types of bereavement support services does your hospice provide to families? ” Seventy-six viable responses were recorded and content analyzed. Four overarching domains emerged: (a) timing of support, (b) providers of support, (c) targets of support, and (d) formats of support. Other notable findings included the underutilization of bereavement support services and the utility of informal support formats. These findings present implications for future study regarding which specific aspects of hospice bereavement support services are most beneficial to bereaved families.
Interleukin-1 and Transforming Growth Factor Beta: Commonly Opposing, but Sometimes Supporting, Master Regulators of the Corneal Wound Healing Response to Injury

Purpose Interleukin (IL)-1α/IL-1β and transforming growth factor (TGF)β1/TGFβ2 have both been promoted as “master regulators” of the corneal wound healing response due to the large number of processes each regulates after injury or infection. The purpose of this review is to highlight the interactions between these systems in regulating corneal wound healing. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the literature. Results Both regulator pairs bind to receptors expressed on keratocytes, corneal fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts, as well as bone marrow-derived cells that include fibrocytes. IL-1α and IL-1β modulate healing functions, such as keratocyte apoptosis, chemokine production by corneal fibroblasts, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) production by keratocytes and corneal fibroblasts, expression of metalloproteinases and collagenases by corneal fibroblasts, and myofibroblast apoptosis. TGFβ1 and TGFβ2 stimulate the development of myofibroblasts from keratocyte and fibrocyte progenitor cells, and adequate stromal levels are requisite for the persistence of myofibroblasts. Conversely, TGFβ3, although it functions via the same TGF beta I and II receptors, may, at least in some circumstances, play a more antifibrotic role—although it also upregulates the expression of many profibrotic genes. Conclusions The overall effects of these two growth factor-cytokine-receptor systems in controlling the corneal wound healing response must be coordinated during the wound healing response to injury or infection. The activities of both systems must be downregulated in coordinated fashion to terminate the response to injury and eliminate fibrosis. Translational Relevance A better standing of the IL-1 and TGFβ systems will likely lead to better approaches to control the excessive healing response to infections and injuries leading to scarring corneal fibrosis.
Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Japanese COVID-19 patients

Objectives To determine the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies in symptomatic Japanese COVID-19 patients. Methods Serum samples (n = 114) from 34 COVID-19 patients with mild to critical clinical manifestations were examined. The presence and titers of IgG antibody for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were determined by a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) using Alinity i SARS-CoV-2 IgG and by an immunochromatographic (IC) IgM/IgG antibody assay using the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Test. Results IgG was detected by the CMIA in 40%, 88%, and 100% of samples collected within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, and 2 weeks after symptom onset in severe and critical cases, and 0%, 38%, and 100% in mild/moderate cases, respectively. In severe and critical cases, the positive IgG detection rate with the IC assay was 60% within one week and 63% between one and two weeks. In mild/moderate cases, the positive IgG rate was 17% within one week and 63% between one and two weeks; IgM was positive in 80% and 75% of severe and critical cases, and 42% and 88% of mild/moderate cases, respectively. On the CMIA, no anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected in COVID-19 outpatients with mild symptoms within 10 days from onset, whereas 50% of samples from severe inpatients were IgG-positive in the same period. The IC assay detected higher IgM positivity earlier from symptom onset in severe and critical cases than in mild/moderate cases. Conclusions A serologic anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody analysis can complement PCR for diagnosing COVID-19 14 days after symptom onset.
Undiagnosed disease in decedents with and without schizophrenia: an autopsy-based case-control study

Abstract Background Individuals with schizophrenia (SCZ) suffer from higher morbidity and mortality than the general population. Some of this is due to concurrent somatic disease. Aims To identify and compare the somatic comorbidities antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) in autopsied decedents with SCZ and with no mental illness (NMI), using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Materials A total of 106 autopsied decedents with SCZ and 156 decedents with NMI were included. AM diagnoses were sampled from Danish national health registers. PM diagnoses were included from forensic autopsies. Negative binomial regression models were used to test associations between age, sex, SCZ diagnosis, manner of death and the CCI score both AM and PM. Results The CCI score increased significantly from AM to PM for both decedents with SCZ and NMI (SCZ, AM 0.669 vs PM 1.208, p = 0.008) (NMI, AM 0.519 vs PM 1.218, p = 0.000). Regression analysis showed that age was significantly associated with the CCI score both AM and PM (AM, OR 1.044 [1.029–1.060] p ≤ 0.001) (PM, OR 1.028 [1.015–1.041], p ≤ 0.001). A diagnosis of SCZ was correlated with the CCI score AM but not PM (AM, OR 1.880 [1.207–2.928], p = 0.005) (PM, OR 1.170 [0.828–1.654], p = 0.374). Conclusion The autopsies revealed undiagnosed diseases in both decedents with SCZ and NMI. The diseases were primarily of cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal origin and may have contributed to premature mortality. Age was the only covariate significantly associated with the CCI score both AM and PM; the SCZ diagnosis was positively correlated to the CCI score before death.
Tungsten oxide: a catalyst worth studying for the abatement and decontamination of chemical warfare agents

Abstract Tungsten(VI) oxide, WO3, was studied and used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the liquid-phase oxidative abatement and solid-phase decontamination of simulants of chemical warfare agents, CWAs. The catalytic performance of WO3 was compared to the one of a soluble W-containing model catalyst, W(IV)-heptaisobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, W-POSS. In liquid-phase abatement tests, WO3 promoted a complete degradation of the toxic agent simulant within 24 h, in the presence of aqueous hydrogen peroxide, at room temperature. In solid-phase decontamination tests, when WO3 was mixed with sodium perborate as a solid oxidant, it was also tested in the decontamination of a cotton textile support from organosulfide and organophosphonate agents (simulants of blistering and nerve CWAs, respectively), showing promising performances comparable to, or sometimes better than, a nanostructured TiO2 catalyst, taken as a reference material. The environmental impact of the WO3 catalyst was assessed on bioluminescent Photobacterium leiognathi Sh1 bacteria, over which no acute nor chronic detrimental effects were recorded. Then, when in contact with a vegetable species such as Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean), WO3 did not cause damage to the photosynthetic apparatus of the plant, whereas a clear inhibition of the seed germination was evidenced.
Diagnosis and management of eosinophilic otitis media: a systematic review

Abstract Background Eosinophilic Otitis Media (EOM) is a relatively newly defined entity of recurrent and resistant otitis media. Objective To perform a systematic review of otologic manifestations, diagnosis and management of eosinophilic otitis media (EOM). Methods 393 patients diagnosed with EOM of 26 studies met inclusion criteria and were assessed for demographics, otologic manifestations, diagnostic criteria fulfilled, and medical and surgical treatments. Results Most common otologic manifestations were hearing loss (65%), otitis media with effusion (16%), tympanic membrane perforation (13%), and otorrhea (13%). 93% had a predominantly eosinophilic middle ear effusion, 95% had asthma, 85% had a highly viscous middle ear effusion, 71% had nasal polyposis, and 58% had resistance to conventional treatment. For treatment, 39% received intratympanic steroid injections, 33% received systemic steroids, 17% received steroid ear drops and 13% received a biological agent. 39% of patients underwent a surgical intervention with 26% receiving functional endoscopic sinus surgery and 18% receiving myringotomy with tube insertion. Success rates were highest with use of intratympanic steroids (45%), systemic steroids (26%), and biological agents (58%). Conclusion Intratympanic steroids show the most efficacy in treating EOM, and aggressive optimization of asthma may be beneficial in resolving otologic symptoms. Surgery should be reserved for refractory cases and complications.
Authors' response to comments on: Higher risk of dementia in English older individuals who are overweight or obese.

the most compelling approach to interpreting research findings is to triangulate findings across multiple methods. If all approaches provide consistent evidence, stronger conclusions can be drawn. However, in this case, the genomic evidence consistently suggests that meaningful effects of BMI on risk of Alzheimer’s disease are unlikely. This evidence, in addition to the limited number of interventions that have been shown to reduce BMI over the long term, suggests that it is probably not an efficacious target for intervention to reduce the rates of dementia. However, as a positive, this would indicate that the obesity epidemic is unlikely to increase the incidence of dementia in the coming years.
Merging Our Understanding of Anxiety and Exposure: Using Inhibitory Learning to Target Anxiety Sensitivity in Exposure Therapy

Exposure-based therapies are the gold standard treatment for anxiety disorders, and recent advancements in basic and clinical research point to the need to update the implementation of exposure. Recent research has highlighted the importance of transdiagnostic factors such as anxiety sensitivity (AS), or fear of anxiety-related sensations. Elevated AS is common among all anxiety disorders and contains three dimensions, or expectancies, that can be used to guide treatment. Recently, treatments directly targeting AS have shown potential in reducing symptoms of anxiety. In addition, inhibitory learning theory (ILT) provides an alternative explanation of exposure processes based on basic learning research. ILT extends the current framework by accounting for renewal of fear, which is important given the substantial number of individuals who experience a return of symptoms following treatment. The current paper will provide an overview of ILT and discuss several ILT techniques that can be used to target AS. These two converging bodies of research hold strong potential for optimizing treatment for anxiety.
T1-Weighted/T2-Weighted Ratio Mapping at 5 Months Captures Individual Differences in Behavioral Development and Differentiates Infants at Familial Risk for Autism from Controls

Abstract Identifying structural measures that capture early brain development and are sensitive to individual differences in behavior is a priority in developmental neuroscience, with potential implications for our understanding of both typical and atypical populations. T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) ratio mapping, which previously has been linked to myelination, represents an interesting candidate measure in this respect, as an accessible measure from standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Yet, its value as an early infancy measure remains largely unexplored. Here, we compared T1w/T2w ratio in 5-month-old infants at familial risk (n = 27) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to those without elevated autism risk (n = 16). We found lower T1w/T2w ratio in infants at high risk for ASD within widely distributed regions, spanning both white and gray matter. In regions differing between groups, higher T1w/T2w ratio was robustly associated with higher age at scan (range: ~ 4–6.5 months), implying sensitivity to maturation at short developmental timescales. Further, higher T1w/T2w ratio within these regions was associated with higher scores on measures of concurrent developmental level. These findings suggest that T1w/T2w ratio is a developmentally sensitive measure that should be explored further in future studies of both typical and atypical infant populations.
Depression in disabling medical conditions – current perspectives

Abstract Chronic diseases commonly entail disability and are highly comorbid with mental health problems, particularly depression. Prevalence of depression across different disabling conditions affecting adult patients, as well as risk factors for depression in these patient groups are reviewed in the current work, with a particular focus on the literature published in the past 5 years. The prevalence of depression in disabling conditions is higher than in the general population and is associated with different factors. Examples of disease-specific factors include neurological implications of stoke, diabetic related conditions (e.g. amputation), limitations imposed by vision loss caused by age-related eye diseases, fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis, and pain in cancer. Common factors identified across different conditions include pre-morbid depression, history of mental health problems, poor social support, disease-related disability, multi-morbidity, and less adaptive coping strategies. We also reviewed studies suggesting a potential bidirectional relationship between depression and chronic disease, particularly for stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and potential factors mediating that relationship. Current findings suggested that long-term depression might be associated with an increased risk of subsequent physical health problems, although the nature of that relationship and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear.