Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Treated Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) Nanoparticles on the Color and Surface Properties of Interim Fixed Prostheses

Objective: Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles addition to interim fixed prostheses (IFPs) was suggested to improve the mechanical properties. However, the effect of ZrO2 on the color and surface properties of IFP was neglected. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of ZrO2 on the color, hardness, and surface roughness of IFP. Materials and Methods: Customized split-press metal molds were used for the fabrication of forty disk-shaped acrylics (10 mm × 1.5 mm). The salinized ZrO2 particles were weighed using an electronic balance and added in concentrations of 1wt %, 2.5wt %, and 5wt % of auto-polymerized acrylic polymer powder. Based on ZrO2 concentrations, specimens were divided into one control group without ZrO2 and three ZrO2 study groups 1 ZrO2, 2.5 ZrO2, and 5 ZrO2, respectively. A double beam ultraviolet-visible reflection spectrophotometer was the instrument used for recording the color measurements (CIEDE2000). The Microhardness and surface roughness (Ra, μm) of all samples were tested. ANOVA test was used for data analysis (α = 0.05) Results: Notable changes were seen between the group containing 1% and the other two groups in ΔaFNx01, ΔΕab, and ΔΕ00 parameters. Statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups for the ΔLFNx01 parameter. No notable changes were seen between the group containing 1% and the group containing 5% for the ΔbFNx01 parameter. The 1% group showed a statistically significant difference in hardness in comparison to the 5% group. For surface roughness, the 2.5% group presented statistically significant higher surface roughness as opposed to the 0% control group. Conclusions: The addition of ZrO2 in high concentrations resulted in a noticeable color change in IFP. However, the surface properties did not change hardness and roughness with ZrO2 addition except roughness increased with 2.5% ZrO2. Low ZrO2 addition did not result in a change in color and surface properties of IFP.
Alpha-Amylase Inhibitory and Antioxidant Activities in Aqueous Acetone Extract and its Fractions from Ampelocissus martini Root

: Biological Activity of Ampelocissus martini Root This study aimed to evaluate and correlate phytochemical content, antioxidant activity and alpha-amylase inhibitory activity in aqueous acetone extract and fractions derived from it (ethyl acetate fraction, water-soluble fraction, aqueous methanol fraction and aqueous acetone fraction) which are obtained from Ampelocissus martini Planch. root. Ethyl acetate fraction and aqueous acetone fraction had the highest total phenolic content and total proanthocyanidin content, respectively. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays showed that aqueous acetone fraction had higher antioxidant activity compared to other samples and standards. Acarbose and all samples except aqueous methanol fraction inhibited alpha-amylase, a key enzyme linked to type 2 diabetes, in a dose-dependent manner and aqueous acetone fraction showed the strongest inhibition (half-maximal inhibitory concentration=8.77±0.28 µg/ ml). Aqueous acetone fraction was a mixed noncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme. Correlation analysis showed strong positive correlations among proanthocyanidin content, antioxidant activity and alpha-amylase inhibitory activity. These results suggest that aqueous acetone fraction, proanthocyanidins-rich fraction from Ampelocissus martini root, may be used for effective diabetes management because of its high potential antioxidant activity and alpha-amylase inhibitory activity.
Wave‐particle interaction in the terrestrial ion foreshock: new results from Cluster

Different types of backstreaming ion distributions have been reported in the region upstream from the Earth’s bow shock and magnetically connected to it (ion foreshock): field‐aligned beams (FABs), gyrating ion and diffuse ion distributions. Contrary to the first type, the two others are always associated with ULF waves. Among them, gyrating ions with well‐defined pitch‐angle and gyrophase organization around the local magnetic field have been frequently observed in association with large amplitude quasi‐monochromatic right‐hand mode waves. These waves reveal the existence of coherent wave‐particle interaction which is an efficient process to dissipate the energy of the particles reflected at the collisionless bow shock. It has been shown recently from a large data set from multi‐spacecraft observations by Cluster that the gyrophase‐bunched ion distributions are mainly produced by such a process from cyclotron‐resonant FABs observed just both at the edge of the gyrating ions region and the boundary of ULF.
Decrease in Bone Formation and Bone Resorption during Intravenous Methylprednisolone Pulse Therapy in Patients with Graves’ Orbitopathy

Background: Treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) is associated with side effects. In contrast to the well-known negative impact on bone tissue exerted by oral GCs, few data are available regarding intravenous GCs. We investigated the influence of intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) on bone turnover markers (BTM): amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (P1NP) and the C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), and on calcium metabolism parameters: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), calcium (Ca), phosphate (P), and intact parathormone (iPTH). Methods: In a prospective study, 23 consecutive subjects with Graves’ orbitopathy were included and treated with IVMP according to the European Group on Graves’ Orbitopathy recommendations. We evaluated effects on BTM occurring during the first 7 days after 0.5 g IVMP, and after the therapy with 12 IVMP pulses with a cumulative dose of 4.5 g. Results: We observed prompt but transient decrease of P1NP (p < 0.001) and the reduction of CTX (p = 0.02) after the first IVMP pulse. Following the full course of IVMP therapy, both P1NP and CTX were found decreased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: A single pulse of 0.5 g IVMP already decreases bone formation and resorption; however, this change is transient. The full therapy is associated with suppression of bone turnover.
Trends in reconstructed monthly, seasonal and annual flows for Irish catchments (1900–2016)

Analysis of trends in historical river flows furthers understanding of variability and change for water management. In the United Kingdom (UK), Harrigan et al. (2018) examined trends in river flows finding increasing trends in autumn and winter, decreases in spring and contrasting northwest/southeast increasing/decreasing patterns in summer. In Ireland, Murphy et al. (2013) assessed trends in observed flows for 43 Irish catchments over the period 1976–2009, identifying decreasing trends in winter and spring flows and increasing trends in summer. However, such analyses can be hampered by short record lengths (e.g. Wilby, 2006; Slater et al., 2021). In Europe, which has amongst the longest and most spatially dense flow records (Brönnimann et al., 2019), average record length is 54 years (Mangini et al., 2018). In Ireland, flow records typically commenced in the 1970s in response to severe drought at the time (Murphy et al., 2013), with only a handful of gauges extending to earlier periods. Consequently, researchers have attempted to reconstruct flows to extend observed records and improve understanding of variability and change (e.g. Jones et al., 2006; Spraggs et al., 2015; Brigode et al., 2016; Smith et al., 2019). Here, we employ monthly flow reconstructions developed by O’Connor et al. (2021) for Irish catchments to assess trends in annual, seasonal and monthly mean flows and examine the sensitivity of trends to the period of record analysed.
Mitochondria and Cancer Recurrence after Liver Transplantation—What Is the Benefit of Machine Perfusion?

Tumor recurrence after liver transplantation has been linked to multiple factors, including the recipient’s tumor burden, donor factors, and ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). The increasing number of livers accepted from extended criteria donors has forced the transplant community to push the development of dynamic perfusion strategies. The reason behind this progress is the urgent need to reduce the clinical consequences of IRI. Two concepts appear most beneficial and include either the avoidance of ischemia, e.g., the replacement of cold storage by machine perfusion, or secondly, an endischemic organ improvement through perfusion in the recipient center prior to implantation. While several concepts, including normothermic perfusion, were found to reduce recipient transaminase levels and early allograft dysfunction, hypothermic oxygenated perfusion also reduced IRI-associated post-transplant complications and costs. With the impact on mitochondrial injury and subsequent less IRI-inflammation, this endischemic perfusion was also found to reduce the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation. Firstly, this article highlights the contributing factors to tumor recurrence, including the surgical and medical tissue trauma and underlying mechanisms of IRI-associated inflammation. Secondly, it focuses on the role of mitochondria and associated interventions to reduce cancer recurrence. Finally, the role of machine perfusion technology as a delivery tool and as an individual treatment is discussed together with the currently available clinical studies.
Age of Information in Multihop Connections With Tributary Traffic and No Preemption

Age of Information (AoI) has gained significant attention from the research community because of its applications to Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring and control. In this work, we treat multihop connections over queuing networks with tributary flows and non-preemptive service: packets cannot be discarded because they are utilized for other system objectives, such as data analytics. Without preemption, the key tool for optimizing AoI is then the scheduling policy between the different data flows at each intermediate node. This is the subject of our analysis, along with the impact of packet erasure on the age. We derive upper and lower bounds for the average AoI considering several queuing policies in arbitrary network topologies, and present the results in different scenarios. Network topology, tributary traffic load, and link characteristics such as packet erasure generate complex trade-offs, which affect the optimal operation point and the age performance. The scheduling strategy at each node can also affect performance and fairness among users, particularly at critical bottleneck links, which have a significant impact on the overall performance of the whole network.
Therapeutic Effects of Retinoic Acid in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction: Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation

Purpose Sepsis, which is deemed as a systemic inflammation reaction syndrome in the face of infectious stimuli, is the primary cause of death in ICUs. Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) may derive from systemic inflammation reaction and oxidative stress. Retinoic acid (RA) is recognized by its beneficial roles in terms of the immunoresponse to infections and antioxygen actions. However, the treatment efficacy and potential causal links of RA in SIC are still elusive. Methods By virtue of the STITCH database, we identified the targets of RA. Differentially expressed genes in SIC were acquired from the GEO database. The PPI network of intersected targets was established. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was completed. Hub genes were analyzed by cytoHubba plug-in. In the process of experimental validation, a mouse sepsis model was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the treated mice were intraperitoneally injected with RA or Dexamethasone (DEX) 60 min prior to LPS injections. Survival conditions, cardiac functions and antioxidant levels of the mice were assessed. Cardiac inflammation and injury were detected by HE and TUNEL. The levels of key genes and signal pathway expression were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot. Results PPARA, ITGAM, VCAM-1, IGF-1 and IL-6 were identified as key therapeutic targets of RA by network pharmacology. PI3K-Akt signaling pathway is the main regulatory pathway of RA. In vivo researches unraveled that RA can improve the survival rate and cardiac function of LPS-treated mice, inhibit inflammatory factors and myocardial injury, and regulate the expression of key therapeutic targets and key pathways, which is PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion Network pharmacological method offers a predicative strategy to explore the treatment efficacy and causal links of RA in endotoxemic myocarditis. Through experimental verification, we discover that RA can reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced cardiac dysfunction by regulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and key genes.
Comparative Chloroplast Genomes of Six Magnoliaceae Species Provide New Insights into Intergeneric Relationships and Phylogeny

Simple Summary Magnoliaceae is one of the most endangered families of angiosperms. The systematic classification of Magnoliaceae has been controversial for a long time due to minor differences in morphology. In the present study, six new chloroplast genomes of Magnoliaceae were sequenced, and the 37 published chloroplast genomes of the family were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. The results showed that all these chloroplast genomes possess the typical quadripartite structure with a conserved genome arrangement and gene structures, yet their lengths varied due to the expansion/contraction of the IR/SC boundaries. Phylogenetic relationships within Magnoliaceae were determined using complete cp genome sequences. These findings will provide a theoretical basis for adjusting the phylogenetic position of Magnoliaceae at the molecular level. Abstract Magnoliaceae plants are industrial tree species with high ornamental and medicinal value. We published six complete chloroplast genomes of Magnoliaceae by using Illumina sequencing. These showed a typical quadripartite structure of angiosperm and were 159,901–160,008 bp in size. A total of 324 microsatellite loci and six variable intergenic regions (Pi > 0.01) were identified in six genomes. Compared with five other genomes, the contraction and expansion of the IR regions were significantly different in Manglietia grandis. To gain a more thorough understanding of the intergeneric relationships in Magnoliaceae, we also included 31 published chloroplast genomes of close relative species for phylogenetic analyses. New insights into the intergeneric relationships of Magnoliaceae are provided based on our results and previous morphological, phytochemical and anatomical information. We suggest that the genus Yulania should be separated from the genus Michelia and its systematic position of should be restored; the genera Paramichelia and Tsoongiodendron should be merged into the genus Michelia; the genera Pachylarnax and Parakmeria should be combined into one genus. These findings will provide a theoretical basis for adjusting the phylogenetic position of Magnoliaceae at the molecular level.
Nonlinear Microwave Circuit Design

Preface.Chapter 1. Nonlinear Analysis Methods.1. 1 Introduction.1. 2 Time-Domain Solution.1. 3 Solution Through Series Expansion1.4 The Conversion Matrix.1. 5 Bibliography.Chapter 2. Nonlinear Measurements.2. 1 Introduction.2. 2 Load/Source-Pull.2. 3 The Vector Nonlinear Network Analyser.2. 4 Pulsed Measurements.2. 5 Bibliography.Chapter 3. Nonlinear Models.3. 1 Introduction.3. 2 Physical Models.3. 3 Equivalent-Circuit Models.3. 4 Black-Box Models.3. 5 Simplified Models.3. 6 Bibliography.Chapter 4. Power Amplifiers.4. 1 Introduction.4. 2 Classes of Operation.4. 3 Simplified Class-A Fundamental-Frequency Design For High Efficiency.4. 4 Multi-Harmonic Design For High Power And Efficiency.4. 5 Bibliography.Chapter 5. Oscillators.5. 1 Introduction.5. 2 Linear Stability and Oscillation Conditions.5. 3 From Linear To Nonlinear: Quasi-Large-Signal Oscillation And Stability Conditions.5. 4 Design Methods.5. 5 Nonlinear Analysis Methods For Oscillators.5. 6 Noise.5. 7 Bibliography.Chapter 6. Frequency Multipliers and Dividers.6. 1 Introduction.6. 2 Passive Multipliers.6. 3 Active Multipliers.6. 4 Frequency Dividers-The Rigenerative (Passive) Approach.6. 5 Bibliography.Chapter 7. Mixers. 7.1 Introduction.7. 2 Mixer Configurations.7. 3 Mixer Design.7. 4 Nonlinear Analysis.7. 5 Noise.7. 6 Bibliography.Chapter 8. Stability and Injection-locked Circuits.8. 1 Introduction.8. 2 Local Stability Of Nonlinear Circuits In Large-Signal Regime.8. 3 Nonlinear Analysis, Stability And Bifurcations.8. 4 Injection Locking.8. 5 Bibliography.Appendix. A.1. Transformation in the Fourier Domain of the Linear Differential Equation.A. 2. Time-Frequency Transformations.A. 3 Generalized Fourier Transformation for the Volterra Series Expansion.A. 4 Discrete Fourier Transform and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform for Periodic Signals.A. 5 The Harmonic Balance System of Equations for the Example Circuit with N=3.A. 6 The Jacobian MatrixA.7 Multi-dimensional Discrete Fourier Transform and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform for quasi-periodic signals.A. 8 Oversampled Discrete Fourier Transform and Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform for Quasi-Periodic Signals.A. 9 Derivation of Simplified Transport Equations.A.10 Determination of the Stability of a Linear Network.A.11 Determination of the Locking Range of an Injection-Locked Oscillator.Index.
Chemotherapy Toxicity in Older Adults Optimized by Geriatric Assessment and Intervention: A Non-Comparative Analysis

The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is recommended to guide treatment choices in older patients with cancer. Patients ≥ 70 years referred to our oncology service with a new cancer diagnosis are screened using the G-8. Patients with a score of ≤14 are eligible to attend the Geriatric Oncology and Liaison (GOAL) Clinic in our institution, with referral based on physician discretion. Referred patients undergo multidimensional assessments at baseline. CGA domains assessed include mobility, nutritional, cognitive, and psychological status. Chemotherapy toxicity risk is estimated using the Cancer Aging and Research Group (CARG) calculator. We undertook a retrospective analysis of patients attending the GOAL clinic over a 30-month period to April 2021. The objective was to determine rates of treatment dose modifications, delays, discontinuation, and unscheduled hospitalizations as surrogates for cytotoxic therapy toxicity in these patients. These data were collected retrospectively. Ninety-four patients received chemotherapy; the median age was 76 (70–87) and 45 were female (48%). Seventy-five (80%) had an ECOG PS of 0–1. Seventy-two (77%) had gastrointestinal cancer, and most had stage III (47%) or IV (40%) disease. Chemotherapy with curative intent was received by 51% (n = 48) and 51% received monotherapy. From the CGA, the median Timed Up and Go was 11 s (7.79–31.6), and 90% reported no falls in the prior 6 months. The median BMI was 26.93 (15.43–39.25), with 70% at risk or frankly malnourished by the Mini Nutritional Assessment. Twenty-seven (29%) patients had impaired cognitive function. Forty-three (46%) had a high risk of toxicity based on the baseline CARG toxicity calculator. Twenty-six (28%) required dose reduction, 55% (n = 52) required a dose delay, and 36% (n = 34) had a hospitalization due to toxicity. Thirty-nine patients (42%) discontinued treatment due to toxicity. Despite intensive assessment, clinical optimization and personalized treatment decisions, older adults with cancer remain at high risk of chemotherapy toxicity.
Comparison of Thermal Degradation Between Soft and Hard Epoxy Resins

Soft epoxy resin with rubber-based additives and ordinary hard epoxy resin, both used as electrical insulators and airtight sealants in electrical penetrations in nuclear power plants (NPPs), were heated in air at various temperatures to simulate their thermal aging. They were then subjected to mechanical and dielectric tests. The soft epoxy resin becomes hard, while its permittivity and loss factor decrease as the heating becomes longer. By these changes, the soft resin tends to exhibit similar behavior in various properties to those of the original unaged hard one. Since its behavior becomes close to the hard one, it can be usable in NPPs. On the other hand, the hard one is hardly affected by the thermal aging.
Self-compassion and social stress: Links with subjective stress and cortisol responses

ABSTRACT The present study investigated links between self-compassion and responses to social stress. Participants (N = 102) were randomly assigned to a self-compassion training or a comparison condition and engaged in the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G). Measures of trait self-compassion, subjective perceptions of stress, and salivary cortisol were collected. Participants with higher trait self-compassion had significantly lower subjective and cortisol responses to stress during the TSST-G than did participants with lower trait self-compassion. Participants in the self-compassion training condition did not have significantly lower responses to stress. Results suggest that trait self-compassion is linked with subjective and physiological responses to a social-evaluative stressor. Implications for trait self-compassion and self-compassion training on subjective and physiological responses to stress are discussed.