Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanochemical Synthesis and Structure of the Tetrahydrate and Mesoporous Anhydrous Metforminium(2+)-N,N′-1,4-Phenylenedioxalamic Acid (1:2) Salt: The Role of Hydrogen Bonding and n→π * Charge Assisted Interactions

A new organic salt of metformin, an antidiabetic drug, and N,N′-(1,4-phenylene)dioxalamic acid, was mechanochemically synthesized, purified by crystallization from solution and characterized by single X-ray crystallography. The structure revealed a salt-type crystal hydrate composed of one dicationic metformin unit, two monoanionic units of the acid and four water molecules, namely H2Mf(HpOXA)2∙4H2O. X-ray powder, IR, 13C-CPMAS, thermal and BET adsorption–desorption analyses were performed to elucidate the structure of the molecular and supramolecular structure of the anhydrous microcrystalline mesoporous solid H2Mf(HpOXA)2. The results suggest that their structures, conformation and hydrogen bonding schemes are very similar. To the best of our knowledge, the selective formation of the monoanion HpOXA−, as well as its structure in the solid, is herein reported for the first time. Regular O(δ−)∙∙∙C(δ), O(δ−)∙∙∙N+ and bifacial O(δ−)∙∙∙C(δ)∙∙∙O(δ−) of n→π * charge-assisted interactions are herein described in H2MfA organic salts which could be responsible of the interactions of metformin in biologic systems. The results support the participation of n→π * charge-assisted interactions independently, and not just as a short contact imposed by the geometric constraint due to the hydrogen bonding patterns.
Wireless Sensing of Concrete Setting Process

An RFID-based wireless system to measure the evolution of the setting process of cement-based materials is presented in this paper. The system consists of a wireless RFID temperature sensor that works embedded in concrete, and an external RFID reader that communicates with the embedded sensor to extract the temperature measurement conducted by the embedded sensor. Temperature time evolution is a well known proxy to monitor the setting process of concrete. The RFID sensor consisting of an UWB Bow Tie antenna with central frequency 868 MHz, matched to the EM4325 temperature chip through a T-match structure for embedded operation inside concrete is fully characterized. Results for measurements of the full set up conducted in a real-scenario are provided.
The Galleria mellonella infection model as a system to investigate the virulence of Candida auris strains.

Candida auris is a multiresistant pathogenic yeast commonly isolated from bloodstream infections in immunocompromised patients. In this work, we infected G. mellonella larvae with 105 CFU of a reference strains and two clinical isolates of C. albicans and C. auris and we compared the outcomes of infection between both species. Larvae were evaluated every 24 h for a total of 120 h following the G. mellonella Health Index Scoring System, and survival, activity, melanization and cocoon formation were monitored. Our results showed that clinical isolates were significantly more pathogenic than reference strains independently of the tested species, producing lower survival and activity scores and higher melanization scores, and being C. albicans strains more virulent than C. auris strains. We did not find differences in mortality between aggregative and non-aggregative C. auris strains, although non-aggregative strains produced significantly lower activity scores and higher melanization scores than aggregative ones. Survival assays using Galleria mellonella have been previously employed to examine and classify strains of this and other microbial species based on their virulence before scaling the experiments to a mammal model. Taken together, these results show how a more complete evaluation of the model can improve the study of C. auris isolates.
IndiGenomes: a comprehensive resource of genetic variants from over 1000 Indian genomes

Abstract With the advent of next-generation sequencing, large-scale initiatives for mining whole genomes and exomes have been employed to better understand global or population-level genetic architecture. India encompasses more than 17% of the world population with extensive genetic diversity, but is under-represented in the global sequencing datasets. This gave us the impetus to perform and analyze the whole genome sequencing of 1029 healthy Indian individuals under the pilot phase of the ‘IndiGen’ program. We generated a compendium of 55,898,122 single allelic genetic variants from geographically distinct Indian genomes and calculated the allele frequency, allele count, allele number, along with the number of heterozygous or homozygous individuals. In the present study, these variants were systematically annotated using publicly available population databases and can be accessed through a browsable online database named as ‘IndiGenomes’ http://clingen.igib. res.in/indigen/. The IndiGenomes database will help clinicians and researchers in exploring the genetic component underlying medical conditions. Till date, this is the most comprehensive genetic variant resource for the Indian population and is made freely available for academic utility. The resource has also been accessed extensively by the worldwide community since it's launch.
Influence of pars plana vitrectomy for macular surgery on the medium term intraocular pressure

Purpose To evaluate the long-term effect of 20 and 23 gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) on intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods Study type: Monocentric retrospective cohort study. 249 eyes of 249 patients undergoing PPV due to epiretinal membrane (EM), idiopathic macular hole (IMH) or vitreoretinal traction (VT) were included. The fellow eye served as control. Exclusion criteria were factors known to influence the IOP, such as cataract surgery during follow-up, extended use of steroids, cryotherapy and silicone oil endotamponade. The relative change of IOP (operated vs. fellow eye) at 6–12 months after surgery was defined as primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were the relative change of IOP at 3–6 and 12–24 months. Possible influencing cofactors were analysed using ANCOVA. Results The primary endpoint did not show a significant IOP reduction of the operated eye relative to the fellow eye (P = 0.089, n = 84). However, the IOP of the operated eye alone was significantly reduced at 6–12 and 12–24 months after surgery (-0.75 ± 2.80 and -1.22 ± 3.29 mmHg, P = 0.008 and 0.007, respectively). The IOP of the fellow eye was also significantly reduced at the 12–24 months period (-0.75 ± 2.73 mmHg, P = 0.008). In the subgroup analysis, sclerotomy size was a significant influencing cofactor, leading to lower IOP after 20G compared to 23G vitrectomy (P = 0.04). Conclusion Pars plana vitrectomy did not induce a significant long-term IOP reduction relative to the contralateral eye. However, we observed a IOP lowering potential in 20G vitrectomy.
Experimental Analysis and Characterization of High-Purity Aluminum Nanoparticles (Al-NPs) by Electromagnetic Levitation Gas Condensation (ELGC)

The production of high-purity aluminum nanoparticles (Al-NPs) is challenging due to the highly reactive nature of Al metals. Electromagnetic levitation gas condensation (ELGC) is a promising method to produce high-purity metallic particles as it avoids the interaction between molten metal and refractory-lined, which guarantees the removal of impurities such as oxygen (O). In this research, high-purity Al-NPs were successfully fabricated via ELGC process and fully characterized. The effects of power input and gas flow rate on particle size and distribution were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results showed that the Al-NPs have spherical morphologies with an average diameter of 17 nm and size distribution of NPs is narrow under helium (He) flow rate of 15 L/min at a constant temperature of 1683 ± 10 K. The purity of the NPs was confirmed by utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Finally, metal purity of 99.976% and 99.97% was measured by AAS and XRF analyses, respectively. Moreover, it was found that increasing gas flow rate and sample temperature results in a decrease in the particle size. The particle sizes for the Al-NPs obtained under He atmosphere were smaller than those obtained under Ar atmosphere.
Combining transcranial direct current stimulation with aerobic exercise to optimize cortical priming in stroke.

Aerobic exercise (AE) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are priming techniques that have been studied for their potential neuromodulatory effects on corticomotor excitability (CME), however the synergistic effects of AE and tDCS are not explored in stroke. Here we investigated the synergistic effects of AE and tDCS on CME, intracortical and transcallosal inhibition, and motor control for the lower limb in stroke. 26 stroke survivors participated in three sessions - tDCS, AE and AE + tDCS. AE included moderate intensity exercise and tDCS included 1 mA of anodal tDCS to the lower limb motor cortex with or without AE. Outcomes included measures of CME, short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), ipsilateral silent period (iSP) (an index of transcallosal inhibition) for the tibialis anterior and ankle reaction time. Ipsilesional CME significantly decreased for AE compared to AE + tDCS and tDCS. No differences were noted in SICI, iSP measures or reaction time between all three sessions. Our findings suggest that a combination of exercise and tDCS, and tDCS demonstrate greater excitability of the ipsilesional hemisphere compared to exercise only, however these effects were specific to the descending corticomotor pathways. No additive priming effects of exercise and tDCS over tDCS was observed. Novelty: • An exercise and tDCS paradigm upregulated the descending motor pathways from the ipsilesional lower limb M1 compared to exercise. • Exercise or tDCS administered alone or in combination did not affect intracortical or transcallosal inhibition or reaction time.
Improvement of Populus tremula . P. tremuloides by phenotypic selection and clonal testing

Field tests, including 280 clones of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. x l? tremuloides Michx.) planted on 10 different sites in the southern part of Sweden, were evaluated after up to 16 years of growth in the field. Survival rates were generally high and under weak genetic control. Symptoms of canker damage varied in frequency across sites, affecting I to 19 % of the trees and, again, was mainly under weak genetic control. All growth traits were strongly influenced by genetic factors. Selection of the best 10 % of the genotypes with respect to height resulted in a 14 % gain, corresponding to an estimated total yield of up to 25 m3 stem wood ha-' yr-' on fertile sites in southern Sweden. Strong age x age correlations for growth traits were found, suggesting that the optimal time for clonal selection would be after 3 or 4 years of testing in the field. However, since it is essential to avoid selecting clones that are sensitive to canker, the final selection of clones for commercial use should not be made until the trees are 10-15 years old. Since there was a negative genetic correlation between growth and straightness, multiple trait selection is needed to optirnise value production.
Assessment of Oral Hygiene Behavior during Fixed Orthodontic Treatment in Patients Visiting Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu

Objective: To assess oral hygiene behavior among patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. Material and Method: One hundred orthodontic patients (37 males and 63 females) undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment in the Department of Orthodontics Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu were studied. Patients were asked to fill the provided questionnaire regarding the reason for opting orthodontic treatment, oral hygiene behavior after placement of fixed orthodontic appliances. The result was statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 20 for interpretation of data. Results: Most of the patients used orthodontic toothbrush and fluoridated toothpastes to maintain oral hygiene but frequency of brushing for majority of the subjects was only once. Majority of the females used interdental brush and floss (57.14% and 33.33% respectively) regularly whereas majority of the males (78.37%) used mouthwash as a supplemental oral hygiene aid. There was no statistically significant gender difference with the selection of oral hygiene products. Conclusion: Patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment are required to be educated and motivated to maintain their oral health. Orthodontists should emphasize on increasing the awareness of the patients towards maintaining oral hygiene with various oral hygiene measures to prevent dental caries and periodontal disease during fixed orthodontic treatment.
Association between diet-related greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient intake adequacy among Japanese adults

Objectives A growing number of Western studies have been exploring sustainable and healthy dietary patterns that target to reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and to achieve nutritional needs. However, research is limited among Asian populations, where food sources for diet-related GHGE differ from those in Western populations. This study aimed to investigate associations between diet-related GHGE and the prevalence of inadequate nutritional intake. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among 392 healthy Japanese volunteers aged 20–69 years. Dietary intake was assessed by four-non-consecutive day diet record. Diet-related GHGE was estimated using the Global Link Input-Output model and adjusted for energy intake by residual method. Prevalence of inadequacy was defined as a percentage of participants with nutrient intake outside the Tentative Dietary Goal for Preventing Lifestyle-Related Disease or below the Estimated Average Requirement defined by the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Japanese. The association between diet-related GHGE and the prevalence of inadequacy of the usual intake of each nutrient was examined using logistic regression models. Results Participants with higher diet-related GHGE had overall better adherence to the DRIs. Intakes of all selected nutrients were positively associated with diet-related GHGE, except for carbohydrate, total fat, and saturated fat. With increasing quartile of diet-related GHGE, the prevalence of inadequacy decreased for protein, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamins A, B-6, and C, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, while that for sodium increased. Conclusions Diets with lower diet-related GHGE did not have better adherence to the DRIs compared to diets with higher diet-related GHGE among Japanese adults. Drastic dietary change or other strategies such as improving the food system would be needed to achieve a sustainable and healthy diet among Japanese.
Impact of Soil Heterogeneity on Forest Structure and Diversity of Tree Species in the Central Congo Basin

Premise of research. The role of soil in shaping plant communities in forest ecosystems has long attracted scientific interest, and many studies have pointed out the importance of edaphic properties on species distributions within the tropics. There is still a need to investigate whether edaphic differentiation affects forest composition and structure and to assess which soil properties can be good predictors of potential differences in species diversity. Methodology. We established 24 1-ha plots in nondisturbed semideciduous forests in the Central Congo Basin, following clear-cut edaphic heterogeneity between sandy soils and clayey substrates. All individual trees with ≥10-cm diameter at breast height were inventoried in order to account for the diametric structures of trees and patterns of their diversity. Pivotal results. Sandy and clayey plots differed significantly in their soil physical and chemical properties. Soil clearly segregates tree species into sand community and clay community, with species abundances differently correlated with soil properties, driving clear cases of edaphic associations in tree species. This trend was confirmed when species data were constrained by edaphic variables through a redundancy analysis, for which statistical tests confirmed the significance of the canonical model and that of the canonical axes. The diametric structure of trees remains the same on clayey and sandy soils, as do their diversity patterns. Conclusions. Edaphic differentiation did not affect the diameter of trees. It also did not have an impact on tree abundances, species richness, and the diversity of trees altogether. Soil pH is an important variable to consider to understand tree diversity patterns in these semideciduous forests, and maybe its effects can be much more evident on the other forest communities (i.e., shrub and herbaceous layers).
Atipamezole, a specific α2A antagonist, suppresses spike‐and‐wave discharges and alters Ca2⁺/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II in the thalamus of genetic absence epilepsy rats

The role of α2A adrenergic receptors (α2AARs) in absence epilepsy is not well characterized. Therefore, we investigated the outcomes of the specific antagonism of α2AARs on the spike‐and‐wave discharges (SWDs) in genetic absence epilepsy rats from Strasbourg (GAERSs), together with its influence on the behavior and second messenger systems, which may point to the mechanisms to which a possible SWD modulation can be related.
Shunaoxin pills improve the antihypertensive effect of nifedipine and alleviate its renal lipotoxicity in spontaneous hypertension rats

Shunaoxin pills (SNX) have been used to treat cerebrovascular diseases in China since 2005. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to explore the synergistic antihypertensive effect of SNX and nifedipine and whether SNX could alleviate nifedipine‐induced renal lipotoxicity. During administration, systolic blood pressure was measured weekly. After 5 weeks administration, we examined pathological changes of kidney, renal function, the lipid metabolism index, and adipogenesis genes expression in the kidney tissues, and explored its underlying mechanism. Finally, network pharmacology was used for supplement and verification. As a result, SNX improved the antihypertensive effect of nifedipine and apparently improved nifedipine‐induced renal pathological changes, dyslipidemia and the levels of adipogenesis gene expression in kidney tissues. SNX reduced the levels of interleukin‐6 and interleukin‐1β in renal tissues, down‐regulated the production of malondialdehyde, and increased superoxide dismutase activity and the protein expression of heme oxygenase‐1 in kidney tissues. Network pharmacology also showed that SNX could improve nifedipine‐induced renal lipotoxicity. The combination of SNX and nifedipine had certain benefits in the treatment of hypertension.
Spatial distribution of toxic metals in drinking water sources and their associated health risk in district buner, Northern Pakistan

ABSTRACT Vigorous knowledge on the occurrence and distribution of toxic metals (TMs) in theenvironment is needed to assess their toxicological impacts on human health especially in developing countries like Pakistan. For the first time, the concentrations of TMs like Ni, Zn, Pb, Cr, and Cd in both ground and surface water and their potential health risk in the district Buner (Pakistan) were determined using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS, Agilent Technologies, 7500 CX, USA) and their results were compared with their safe limits defined by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and World Health Organization WHO (2008). The concentrations of TMs, like Pb (43% and 86%), Ni (63% and 32%), Cr (41%), and Cd (1% and 20%) in drinking water samples exceeded their respective permissible limits set by Pak-EPA and WHO (2008), respectively. The mean concentrations of TMs were found in decreasing order Ni > Pb > Cr > Cd > Zn. The HRI values of TMs in drinking water samples for both adults and children were observed <1 indicating no health risk to the local population. Excessive marble industries are present in the study area; therefore, it is necessary to reduce metal contamination via proper disposal and treatment of marble wastewater, for which the government should take serious action in the study area.
Adsorption Media for the Removal of Soluble Phosphorus from Subsurface Drainage Water

Phosphorus (P) is a valuable, nonrenewable resource in agriculture promoting crop growth. P losses through surface runoff and subsurface drainage discharge beneath the root zone is a loss of investment. P entering surface water contributes to eutrophication of freshwater environments, impacting tourism, human health, environmental safety, and property values. Soluble P (SP) from subsurface drainage is nearly all bioavailable and is a significant contributor to freshwater eutrophication. The research objective was to select phosphorus sorbing media (PSM) best suited for removing SP from subsurface drainage discharge. From the preliminary research and literature, PSM with this potential were steel furnace slag (SFS) and a nano-engineered media (NEM). The PSM were evaluated using typical subsurface drainage P concentrations in column experiments, then with an economic analysis for a study site in Michigan. Both the SFS and generalized NEM (GNEM) removed soluble reactive phosphorus from 0.50 to below 0.05 mg/L in laboratory column experiments. The most cost-effective option from the study site was the use of the SFS, then disposing it each year, costing $906/hectare/year for the case study. GNEM that was regenerated onsite had a very similar cost. The most expensive option was the use of GNEM to remove P, including regeneration at the manufacturer, costing $1641/hectare/year. This study suggests that both SFS and NEM are both suited for treating drainage discharge. The use of SFS was more economical for the study site, but each site needs to be individually considered.