Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pilot Scale Studies of Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol Removal

Water blooms of O. bornettii, a producer of off-flavour compounds, occasionally occur in Lake Mjoesa. Accordingly a new water works is planned to alleviate the associated taste and odour problems. A pilot plant was constructed in 1985 and a continuous water treatment study was performed over a one year period. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was compared with ozonation-GAC. Filtrasorb-400 was used and the empty-bed contact-time of the GAC-filters was 21 min. The ozone dosage varied from 2 to 5 mg O3/l. To simulate water blooms, commercially produced geosmin and 2-methyliso-borneol (MIB) were added to the water in concentrations from 10 to 190 ng/l. A slightly higher TOC-uptake was seen in the ozonation-GAC combination. This may indicate that the ozonation process is forming organic oxidation products that are competing with the geosmin and MIB for adsorption sites in the GAC-filter.
The Association Between Different Trajectories of Low Back Pain and Degenerative Imaging Findings in Young Adult Participants Within The Raine Study

This study investigated the association between lumbar spine MRI findings and 5-year trajectories of low back pain in young Australian adults. Young adults with disc degeneration or herniation were more likely to have a 5-year trajectory of consistently high disabling low back pain. Study Design. Case-control study. Objective. Investigate the association between lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and 5-year trajectories of low back pain (LBP) in young Australian adults. Summary of Background Data. The association between lumbar spine imaging findings and LBP remains unclear due to important limitations of previous research, such as a lack of clearly defined LBP phenotypes and inadequate controlling for age, which may substantially affect the association. Methods. Seventy-eight “case” participants with a previously identified “consistent high disabling LBP” trajectory from age 17 to 22 years and 78 “control” participants from a trajectory with consistently low LBP over the same time period, matched for sex, body mass index, physical activity levels, and work physical demands, were identified from Gen2 Raine Study participants. At age 27, participants underwent a standardized lumbar MRI scan, from which 14 specific MRI phenotypes were identified. Primary analyses used unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for covariates used in the matching process, to investigate the relationship between presence of each imaging finding and being a case or control. Secondary analyses explored those relationships based on the number of spinal levels with each MRI finding. Results. The odds for being a case compared with a control were higher in those with disc degeneration (Pfirrmann grade ≥ 3; OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 1.60–6.44; P = 0.001) or those with a herniation (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 0.96–3.74; P – 0.065). We also found that the association became substantially stronger when either disc degeneration or herniation was present at two or more spinal levels (OR = 5.56, 95% CI: 1.97–15.70; P = 0.001, and OR = 5.85, 95% CI: 1.54–22.25; P = 0.009, respectively). The other investigated MRI findings were not associated with greater odds of being a case. Conclusion. Lumbar disc degeneration and herniation may be important contributors to disabling LBP in young adults. Further investigation of their potential prognostic and causal roles is indicated. Level of Evidence: 4
Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke Among Critically Ill Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: An International Multicenter Coronavirus Disease 2019 Critical Care Consortium Study*

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. OBJECTIVES: Stroke has been reported in observational series as a frequent complication of coronavirus disease 2019, but more information is needed regarding stroke prevalence and outcomes. We explored the prevalence and outcomes of acute stroke in an international cohort of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who required ICU admission. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected database. SETTING: A registry of coronavirus disease 2019 patients admitted to ICUs at over 370 international sites was reviewed for patients diagnosed with acute stroke during their stay. PATIENTS: Patients older than 18 years old with acute coronavirus disease 2019 infection in ICU. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 2,699 patients identified (median age 59 yr; male 65%), 59 (2.2%) experienced acute stroke: 0.7% ischemic, 1.0% hemorrhagic, and 0.5% unspecified type. Systemic anticoagulant use was not associated with any stroke type. The frequency of diabetes, hypertension, and smoking was higher in patients with ischemic stroke than in stroke-free and hemorrhagic stroke patients. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was more common among patients with hemorrhagic (56%) and ischemic stroke (16%) than in those without stroke (10%). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients had higher cumulative 90-day probabilities of hemorrhagic (relative risk = 10.5) and ischemic stroke (relative risk = 1.7) versus nonextracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients. Hemorrhagic stroke increased the hazard of death (hazard ratio = 2.74), but ischemic stroke did not—similar to the effects of these stroke types seen in noncoronavirus disease 2019 ICU patients. CONCLUSIONS: In an international registry of ICU patients with coronavirus disease 2019, stroke was infrequent. Hemorrhagic stroke, but not ischemic stroke, was associated with increased mortality. Further, both hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke were associated with traditional vascular risk factors. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use was strongly associated with both stroke and death.
Potential effect of EGCG on the anti-tumor efficacy of metformin in melanoma cells

Metformin, a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus, has been recognized as a potential anti-tumor agent in recent years. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), as the dominant catechin in green tea, is another promising adjuvant agent for tumor prevention. In the present work, the potential effect of EGCG on the anti-tumor efficacy of metformin in a mouse melanoma cell line (B16F10) was investigated. Results indicated that EGCG and metformin exhibited a synergistic effect on cell viability, migration, and proliferation, as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/nuclear factor-κB (STAT3/NF-κB) pathway signaling and the production of inflammation cytokines. Meanwhile, the combination showed an antagonistic effect on cell apoptosis and oxidative stress levels. The combination of EGCG and metformin also differentially affected the nucleus (synergism) and cytoplasm (antagonism) of B16F10 cells. Our findings provide new insight into the potential effects of EGCG on the anti-tumor efficacy of metformin in melanoma cells.
Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Older Adults With Heart Failure

ABSTRACT Background Although heart failure (HF) is negatively known to affect older adults physically, psychologically, and socially, only a few studies have explored the predictors of quality of life (QoL) in older adults with HF in Taiwan. Purpose This study was designed to determine the relationships among depression, demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and QoL in older patients with HF. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. From January 2013 to June 2014, convenience sampling was used to collect data from 175 older adults with HF at two hospitals in Northern Taiwan. Participant data were collected from medical records and researcher-administered structured questionnaires in face-to-face interviews. Results The QoL of the participants was found to be associated with clinical characteristics, including hospital readmission for > 10 days with an increased level of HF-related symptom distress (HFSD) and more-severe depression. Depression was found to have a mediating effect, with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class and HFSD both affecting the QoL of the participants through this intermediary. Conclusions/Implications for Practice HF is a chronic and debilitating disease that often reduces QoL in older adults significantly. Interventions designed to increase QoL by improving the NYHA functional class and alleviating HFSD are valid treatment options only in cases with depressive symptoms. Nurses treating older adults with HF should consider factors such as NYHA functional class and HFSD to reduce HFSD and readmission rates and to enhance the QoL of these patients. In addition, after both hospital admission and discharge, older adult patients should be assessed regularly to monitor for and quickly address the development of comorbid depression.
Social media exposure during COVID‐19 lockdowns could lead to emotional overeating via anxiety: The moderating role of neuroticism

Abstract China was a major hotspot during the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Several studies have reported changes in residents' eating behaviors and appetite during city wide lockdowns and home confinements. However, few have investigated how neuroticism interacts with the impact of COVID‐19 to influence eating behaviors during city lockdowns. Thus, the current study aims to establish a pathway model to understand social media exposure, negative affect, neuroticism, and their interaction with eating behaviors during the COVID‐19 lockdowns. We present data from 1,128 participants (Mage = 24.34 ± 10.48 years) who completed an online survey between February 17 and 27, 2020. The extent of respondents' social media exposure, negative affect, eating behaviors, and desire for high‐calorie food during city lockdowns, as well as the personality trait of neuroticism, were measured. Results show that city lockdowns and home confinements had a negative impact on residents' eating behaviors and appetite. Forty‐eight percent of respondents showed moderate to constant emotional overeating, and respondents' desire for high‐calorie food significantly increased. Correlation analysis showed that emotional overeating is positively associated with social media exposure, neuroticism, and anxiety. Then, a moderated mediation model was established, showing that heavy social media exposure could lead to emotional overeating through anxiety, and the association between social media exposure and anxiety varies depending on the extent of neuroticism. The current study provides novel insight into how the interaction of a personality trait and the stressful situation of COVID‐19 influence people's negative emotions and eating behaviors.
Shared cognitive mechanisms involved in the processing of scene texture and scene shape

Recent research has demonstrated that the parahippocampal place area represents both the shape and texture features of scenes, with the importance of each feature varying according to perceived scene category. Namely, shape features are predominately more diagnostic to the processing of artificial human–made scenes, while shape and texture are equally diagnostic in natural scene processing. However, to date little is known regarding the degree of interactivity or independence observed in the processing of these scene features. Furthermore, manipulating the scope of visual attention (i.e., globally vs. locally) when processing ensembles of multiple objects—stimuli that share a functional neuroanatomical link with scenes—has been shown to affect their cognitive visual representation. It remains unknown whether manipulating the scope of attention impacts scene processing in a similar manner. Using the well-established Garner speeded-classification behavioral paradigm, we investigated the influence of both feature diagnosticity and the scope of visual attention on potential interactivity or independence in the shape and texture processing of artificial human–made scenes. The results revealed asymmetric interference between scene shape and texture processing, with the more diagnostic feature (i.e., shape) interfering with the less diagnostic feature (i.e., texture), but not vice versa. Furthermore, this interference was attenuated and enhanced with more local and global visual processing strategies, respectively. These findings suggest that the scene shape and texture processing are mediated by shared cognitive mechanisms and that, although these representations are governed primarily via feature diagnosticity, they can nevertheless be influenced by the scope of visual attention.
Lower androgen levels promote abnormal cartilage development in female patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Background Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a disease characterized by changes in the three-dimensional structure of the spine. Studies have shown that the development of AIS might be associated with genetic, biomechanics, endocrine factors and abnormal bone or cartilage development. Methods Blood samples collected from 301 female patients (161 females with AIS and 140 females without AIS) were used for genotyping. Forty-eight serum samples from 161 females with AIS and 40 serum samples from 140 females without AIS were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). We also evaluated 32 facet joints (18 females with AIS and 14 females without AIS from the 301 female patients) using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and isolation of human primary chondrocytes, among other methods. We treated the AIS primary chondrocytes with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to verify the relationship among androgen, the androgen receptor (AR), and its downstream pathway proteins. Results The serum androgen level in the AIS group was significantly decreased (1.94±0.09 vs. 2.284±0.103) compared with that in the non-AIS (control) group. The single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping results showed that the mutation rates of rs6259 between the AIS and control groups were significantly different (G/G genotype: 48.4% vs. 42.1%, G/A genotype: 40.4% vs. 35.7%, P<0.05). The levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 were increased in the cartilage of AIS patients, and these patients also exhibited decreased AR levels. The cell experiment results showed that androgen reduced the degree of abnormal cartilage development in female AIS patients through the AR/IL-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. Conclusions Our study provides a new perspective on the pathogenesis of AIS and indicates that decreased androgen levels in female AIS patients play a potential role in the development of AIS via the AR/IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Sexual Minority Status, Affect Lability, and Suicide Ideation: Buffering Role of Trait Mindfulness

Abstract Objective Emotion regulation has been proposed as a mechanism driving sexual orientation disparities in suicide ideation (SI), but little research has examined the role of affect lability in the association of sexual minority identity and SI. As prior research has found trait mindfulness to be associated with lower SI, the objective of the present study was to examine the buffering role of mindfulness in the associations of sexual orientation, affect lability, and SI. Method The present study used a moderated mediation model to examine a cross-sectional dataset consisting of heterosexual (n = 1511) and sexual minority (n = 355) U.S. college students (N = 1866), to examine whether five facets of mindfulness moderated the indirect association of sexual minority identity on SI via affect lability. Results As predicted, sexual minority identity was associated with higher affect lability, which in turn was associated with higher SI. Acting with awareness (i.e., attending to the present activities), describing (i.e., the ability to verbalize inner experiences), and non-judging (i.e., refraining from judging inner experiences) buffered the indirect association of sexual minority identity on SI via affect lability, such that the indirect association weakened at higher levels of those mindfulness facets. Conclusions Our results provide a better understanding of the emotion regulation mechanisms underlying the higher risk of SI among sexual minorities. Future research is needed to examine mindfulness facets as buffers against SI among other communities, and to examine the efficacy of emotion regulation and mindfulness interventions in reducing suicide ideation and other aspects of suicidality (i.e., plans/attempts). Highlights Sexual orientation disparities in suicide ideation (SI) and affect lability. Sexual minority identity linked to higher SI via higher affect lability. Three mindfulness facets attenuated indirect association of identity on SI.
Reuse of urban-treated wastewater from a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system in Sicily (Italy) for irrigation of Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) turf under Mediterranean climatic conditions

AbstractConstructed wetlands (CW) are one of the most important biological technology for the treatment and reuse of wastewaters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) from CW for irrigation of Bermudagrass turf (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. ) and assess the effects of TWW on the biometric and qualitative parameters of the turfgrass and on chemical–physical soil properties. The research was carried out in Sicily (Italy) in a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow system which was fed with urban TWW following secondary treatment from an activate sludge wastewater treatment plant. The pilot-system included three separate parallel units. The outflow TWW flowed downhill into three storage tanks which were connected to sprinkler systems. Bermudagrass plots were irrigated with freshwater (FW) and with TWW from planted units and unplanted unit. The TWW quality did not affect the visual turf quality and colour. The above-ground biomass yield of Bermudagrass was on average 1.31 .
Efficacy and safety profile of combining programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) inhibitors and antiangiogenic targeting agents as subsequent therapy for advanced or metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Previous studies have demonstrated that PD‐1 inhibitors are effective in the treatment of advanced or metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, whether the combination of PD‐1 inhibitors and antiangiogenic agents benefit advanced NSCLC patients as subsequent therapy remains unknown. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the efficacy and safety profile of this combination strategy as subsequent therapy for NSCLC patients in a real‐world setting.
SPECTRAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL STUDIES OF ORGANOTIN(IV) COMPLEXES OF BIDENTATE SCHIFF BASES HAVING NITROGEN AND SULPHUR DONOR SYSTEMS

The complexes of composition R2Sn(L)2 and RjSnL (where R = butyl and L = monoanion of Schiff bases of S-benzyldithiocarbazate) have been prepared by the reaction of Schiff bases with metal oxides. The newly synthesized complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, conductance measurements and molecular weight determinations. The mode of bonding and geometry of the complexes have been suggested on the basis of IR, UV and multinuclear 'H, i 3 C and Sn N M R spectral studies. Schiff bases and their tin complexes have also been screened for their antibacterial activities, as several bacteria are quite active in this respect. Introduction The number and diversity of sulphur and nitrogen chelating agents used to prepare new coordination and organometa l l ic compounds has increased rapidly during the past few yea r s [ l ,2 ] . The pronounced biological activity of the metal complexes of ligands derived f rom di thiocarbazic acids has created a considerable interest in their coordination chemistry. Complexes of dithiocarbazates with many dif ferent transition metal ions[3,4] have been extensively studies over the last few years and only limited information on the bonding and structural features are available for the non-transition derivatives[5-7]. However, little is known about the complexing behavior of non-transition elements. Tin occupies an important position as a number of modern physiochemical techniques can be applied for the detailed structural and biological study of its compounds. It was, therefore, considered of interest worthwhi le to synthesize and character ize organot in( lV) complexes of di thiocarbazates of heterocyclic a ldehydes viz: indole-3-carboxyaldehyde, thiophene-2-aldehyde and furfuraldehyde. The structures of the ligands are shown in Fig. 1.
Characterization, Stability, and Bioaccessibility of Betalain and Phenolic Compounds from Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii Fruits and Products of Their Industrialization

The aim of the present study was the full characterization, quantification, and determination of the digestive stability and bioaccessibility of individual betalain and phenolic compounds of Opuntia stricta, var. Dillenii fresh fruits (peel, pulp, and whole fruit) and of the products of the industrialization to obtain jam (raw pressed juice (product used for jam formulation), by-product (bagasse), and frozen whole fruit (starting material for jam production)). Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii fruits and products profile showed 60 betalain and phenolic compounds that were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS and HPLC-DAD-MS/QTOF, being 25 phenolic acids (including isomers and derivatives), 12 flavonoids (including glycosides), 3 ellagic acids (including glycosides and derivative), and 20 betanins (including degradation compounds). In vitro gastrointestinal digestion was performed by INFOGEST® protocol. Fruit pulp showed the greater content of total betalains (444.77 mg/100 g f.w.), and jam only showed very low amounts of two betanin degradation compounds, Cyclo-dopa-5-O-β-glucoside (and its isomer) (0.63 mg/100 f.w.), and two Phyllocactin derivatives (1.04 mg/100 g f.w.). Meanwhile, fruit peel was the richer tissue in total phenolic acids (273.42 mg/100 g f.w.), mainly in piscidic acid content and total flavonoids (7.39 mg/100 g f.w.), isorhamnetin glucoxyl-rhamnosyl-pentoside (IG2) being the most abundant of these compounds. The stability of betalains and phenolic compounds during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion is reported in the present study. In Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii pulp (the edible fraction of the fresh fruit), the betanin bioaccessibility was only 22.9%, and the flavonoid bioaccessibility ranged from 53.7% to 30.6%, depending on the compound. In non-edible samples, such as peel sample (PE), the betanin bioaccessibility was 42.5% and the greater bioaccessibility in flavonoids was observed for quercetin glycoside (QG1) 53.7%, the fruit peel being the most interesting material to obtain antioxidant extracts, attending to its composition on antioxidant compounds and their bioaccessibilities.
Recently emerging trends in thermal conductivity of polymer nanocomposites

Abstract Due to escalating power densities in electronics, information, communication, energy storage, aerospace, and automobile technologies, heat dissipation has become immensely essential for the efficient performance and reliability of photonic, electronics, optoelectronics, and other devices in order to proactively prevent premature failure due to overheating. The functionalization and synergistic inclusion of thermally conducting nanoparticles such as carbon derivatives and metallic and ceramic fillers into polymer matrices have resulted in development of thermally conducting polymer nanocomposites. This has enlarged the scope of application of these materials in areas hitherto restricted due to poor thermal conductivity and, therefore, opened broad windows of opportunities for polymer nanocomposites as emerging alternative replacements for metal components in various applications where effective heat dissipation is compulsory for device performance. Thus, this paper critically discusses globally emerging technologies applied in the development of thermally conductive polymer nanocomposites for various industrial applications.