Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stability of CL-20, TNAZ, HMX, RDX, NG, and PETN in Moist, Unsaturated Soil

Abstract : The stability of a number of the chemical components of energetic materials was evaluated in three moist, unsaturated soils. This study was conducted to evaluate the stability of several components of currently used energetic materials and two chemicals that may be used in future energetic material compositions in unsaturated, moist surface soils from three military training ranges. The compounds studied were nitroglycerin (NC), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro- 1,3,5-triazine (RDX), octahydro-1,3,5 7-tetranitro-1,3,5, 7-tetrazocine (HMX), hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20), and 1,3,3-trinitroazetidine (TNAZ). Three soils from military training ranges were fortified using an aqueous spiking solution and the residual concentrations were measured after 0, 1, 4, 8, 14, and 29 days at 22 deg C in the dark. The results indicate that the half-life of TNAZ and NG in all three test soils was less than one day, the half life for PETN varied from 0.45 to 2.4 days, the half-life for RDX ranged from 94 to 154 days, the half-life for HMX varied from 133 to 2,310 days, and the half-life for CL-20 varied from 144 to 686 days.
Social support buffers against cognitive decline in single mild traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness: Results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

OBJECTIVES We investigated rates of cognitive decline at three-year follow-up from initial examination in people reporting mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with loss of consciousness (LOC) more than a year prior to initial examination. We examined the role of social support as predictors of preserved cognitive function in this sample. METHOD Analyses were conducted on 440 participants who had self-reported LOC of < 1 min, 350 with LOC of 1-20 min, and 10,712 healthy controls, taken from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a nationwide study on health and aging. RESULTS People who reported at baseline that they had experienced mTBI with LOC of 1-20 min more than a year prior were 60% more likely to have experienced global cognitive decline than controls at three-year follow-up. Cognitive decline was most apparent on measures of executive functioning. Logistic regression identified increased social support as predictors of relatively preserved cognitive function. DISCUSSION mTBI with longer time spent unconscious (i.e., LOC 1-20 min) is associated with greater cognitive decline years after the head injury. Perceived social support, particularly emotional support may help buffer against this cognitive decline.
Effectiveness of an Advanced Clinical Decision Support System on Clinical Decision-Making Skills in a Call Center Medication Therapy Management Pharmacy Setting: A Pilot Study

(1) Background: There is limited evidence related to the efficacy of advanced clinical decision support systems (CDSS) on the quantity of high-quality clinical recommendations in a pharmacy-related medication therapy management (MTM) setting. The study aimed to assess the effect of an advanced CDSS on the quantity of relevant clinical pharmacist recommendations in a call center MTM setting. (2) Methods: This pre-test/post-test with comparator group study compared clinical skills assessment scores between certified MTM pharmacists in March 2020. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test assessed the difference between pre- and post-test scores in both groups. (3) Results: Of 20 participants, the majority were less than 40 years old (85%) with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (90%). Nine were female. Intervention group participants had less than three years of experience as a pharmacist. The control group had less than three years (40%) or seven to ten years (40%) of experience. There was a significant increase in intervention group scores between pre- (median = 3.0, IQR = 3.0) and post-test segments (median = 6.5, IQR = 4.0, p = 0.02). There was no significant change between control group pre- and post-test segments (p = 0.48). (4) Conclusion: Pharmacist exposure to an advanced CDSS was associated with significantly increased quantity of relevant clinical recommendations in an MTM pharmacy setting.
Analysis of Cytotoxicity of Selected Asteraceae Plant Extracts in Real Time, Their Antioxidant Properties and Polyphenolic Profile

Plants from Asteraceae family are widely used for their therapeutic effects in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, but the consequences of excessive intake still need to be studied. The aims of this study were the evaluation of cytotoxicity, measurement of antioxidant properties and determination of polyphenolic profile of Tanacetum vulgare L. (tansy), Achillea millefolium L. (yarrow) and Solidago gigantea Ait. (goldenrod) ethanolic extracts. The cytotoxicity of extracts was monitored by xCELLigence system in real time by using porcine intestinal epithelial cell line (IPEC-1) and by measurement of changes in metabolic activity ((3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assay). The antioxidant properties were measured by spectrophotometric methods and polyphenolic profiles were determined by HPLC-DAD for 50% ethanol extracts (10% w/v). Strong cytotoxic effect was recorded for tansy and yarrow extracts (125–1000 µg/mL) by xCELLigence system and MTS assay. Conversely, a supportive effect on cell proliferation was recorded for goldenrod extracts (125 µg/mL) by the same methods (p < 0.001). The antioxidant activity was in good correlation with total polyphenolic content, and the highest value was recorded for goldenrod leaves, followed by tansy leaves, goldenrod flowers and yarrow leaf extracts. The goldenrod extracts were abundant with flavonoids, whereas phenolic acid derivatives predominated in the polyphenolic profile of tansy and yarrow.
Origin of β-Hairpin Stability in Solution: Structural and Thermodynamic Analysis of the Folding of a Model Peptide Supports Hydrophobic Stabilization in Water

The origin of the stability of isolated β-hairpins in aqueous solution is unclear with contrasting opinions as to the relative importance of interstrand hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and conformational preferences, the latter being associated largely with the turn sequence. We have designed an unconstrained 16-residue peptide that we show folds autonomously in water to form a β-hairpin that mimics the two-stranded anti-parallel β-sheet DNA binding motif of the met repressor dimer. The designed peptide, with a type I‘ turn (INGK), is shown by CD and a range of NMR parameters to be appreciably folded (≈50% at 303 K) in aqueous solution with the predicted alignment of the peptide backbone. We show that the folding transition approximates to a two-state model. The hairpin has a marked temperature-dependent stability, reaching a maximum value at 303 K in water with both lower and higher temperatures destabilizing the folded structure. Van't Hoff analysis of Hα chemical shifts, reveals that foldin.
Oral health is essential for quality of life in older adults: A Swedish National Quality Register Study

Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between QoL and oral health from two Swedish national quality registries (NQRs). Background: Oral health plays an important part in general health, which might also affect QoL. No studies have examined the relationships between QoL and oral health in late adulthood based on aggregated data from Swedish NQRs. Material and methods Four NQRs incorporated the EQ‐5D, which assesses 5 aspects of QoL: mobility, self‐care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Items from the Revised Oral Assessment Guide, obtained from the NQR Senior Alert, were used to identify older adults at risk for oral health issues. Results A total of 510 individuals had data on all relevant variables. Analyses indicated significantly higher QoL for individuals without risk of oral health problems (M = −0.15 (SD = 1.01)), compared to those with risk (M = −0.75 (SD = 1.52)). Logistic regression analysis showed that lower QoL (OR = 0.69 (0.49, 0.97)), mental status (OR = 0.37 (0.19, 0.71)), lower self‐rated health (OR = 0.59 (0.42, 0.85)) and higher age (OR = 1.07 (1.01, 1.13)) were significantly related to risk of oral health problems. Higher BMI (OR = 1.13 (0.99, 1.30)), living alone (OR = 2.37 (0.93, 6.06)) and more years of education (OR = 1.15 (1.01, 1.31)) were associated with higher risk of oral health problems. Conclusions Oral health is a significant component of quality of life in late adulthood. NQRs are of value for healthy ageing research in populations that may be underrepresented in research studies.
A goal-driven modular neural network predicts parietofrontal neural dynamics during grasping

Significance Grasping objects is something primates do effortlessly, but how does our brain coordinate such a complex task? Multiple brain areas across the parietal and frontal cortices of macaque monkeys are essential for shaping the hand during grasping, but we lack a comprehensive model of grasping from vision to action. In this work, we show that multiarea neural networks trained to reproduce the arm and hand control required for grasping using the visual features of objects also reproduced neural dynamics in grasping regions and the relationships between areas, outperforming alternative models. Simulated lesion experiments revealed unique deficits paralleling lesions to specific areas in the grasping circuit, providing a model of how these areas work together to drive behavior. One of the primary ways we interact with the world is using our hands. In macaques, the circuit spanning the anterior intraparietal area, the hand area of the ventral premotor cortex, and the primary motor cortex is necessary for transforming visual information into grasping movements. However, no comprehensive model exists that links all steps of processing from vision to action. We hypothesized that a recurrent neural network mimicking the modular structure of the anatomical circuit and trained to use visual features of objects to generate the required muscle dynamics used by primates to grasp objects would give insight into the computations of the grasping circuit. Internal activity of modular networks trained with these constraints strongly resembled neural activity recorded from the grasping circuit during grasping and paralleled the similarities between brain regions. Network activity during the different phases of the task could be explained by linear dynamics for maintaining a distributed movement plan across the network in the absence of visual stimulus and then generating the required muscle kinematics based on these initial conditions in a module-specific way. These modular models also outperformed alternative models at explaining neural data, despite the absence of neural data during training, suggesting that the inputs, outputs, and architectural constraints imposed were sufficient for recapitulating processing in the grasping circuit. Finally, targeted lesioning of modules produced deficits similar to those observed in lesion studies of the grasping circuit, providing a potential model for how brain regions may coordinate during the visually guided grasping of objects.
Bisphenol A Deranges the Endocannabinoid System of Primary Sertoli Cells with an Impact on Inhibin B Production

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that negatively affects spermatogenesis, a process where Sertoli cells play a central role. Thus, in the present study we sought to ascertain whether BPA could modulate the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in exposed mouse primary Sertoli cells. Under our experimental conditions, BPA turned out to be cytotoxic to Sertoli cells with an half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ~6.0 µM. Exposure to a non-cytotoxic dose of BPA (i.e., 0.5 μM for 48 h) increased the expression levels of specific components of the eCB system, namely: type-1 cannabinoid (CB1) receptor and diacylglycerol lipase-α (DAGL-α), at mRNA level, type-2 cannabinoid (CB2) receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptors, and DAGL-β, at protein level. Interestingly, BPA also increased the production of inhibin B, but not that of transferrin, and blockade of either CB2 receptor or TRPV1 receptor further enhanced the BPA effect. Altogether, our study provides unprecedented evidence that BPA deranges the eCB system of Sertoli cells towards CB2- and TRPV1-dependent signal transduction, both receptors being engaged in modulating BPA effects on inhibin B production. These findings add CB2 and TRPV1 receptors, and hence the eCB signaling, to the other molecular targets of BPA already known in mammalian cells.
Characterization of Preoperative, Postsurgical, Acute and Chronic Pain in High Risk Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Pain after breast cancer surgery remains largely unexplained and inconsistently quantified. This study aims to describe the perioperative pain patterns in patients with breast cancer, up to two years after surgery. Methods: This is a pre-planned sub-study of the Ketorolac in Breast Cancer (KBC) trial. The KBC trial was a multicentre, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial of a single dose of 30 mg of ketorolac just before breast cancer surgery, aiming to test its effect on recurrences. This sub-study focuses only on pain outcomes. From 2013 to 2015, 203 patients were randomised to ketorolac (n = 96) or placebo (n = 107). Structured questionnaires were delivered by telephone after one and two years, exploring the presence, location, permanence, and frequency of pain. Patients’ perceptions of pain were captured by an open-ended question, the responses to which were coded and classified using hierarchical clustering. Results: There was no difference in pain between the ketorolac and the placebo group. The reported incidence of permanent pain was 67% and 45% at one and two years, respectively. The largest category was musculoskeletal pain. Permanent pain was mainly described in patients with musculoskeletal pain. The description of pain changed in most patients during the second postoperative year, i.e., moved from one category to another (no pain, permanent, or non-permanent pain, but also, the localisation). This phenomenon includes patients without pain at one year. Conclusions: Pain is a complex phenomenon, but also a fragile and unstable endpoint. Pain after breast cancer surgery does not necessarily mean breast pain but also musculoskeletal and other pains. The permanence of pain and the pain phenotype can change over time.
Using Laser-Doppler Flowmetry to Evaluate the Therapeutic Response in Dentin Hypersensitivity

Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a common medical condition with underreported prevalence and it is difficult to quantify. This study aimed to investigate whether assessing dental pulp vascular micro-dynamics by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) would be functional for therapeutic evaluation, in contrast to a verbal rating scale (VRS). A split-mouth single-blind randomized study was conducted on seven patients and a total of 36 teeth. Two DH therapeutic methods were employed: (i) fluoride gel; (ii) Nd:YAG radiation combined with fluoride gel. For each tooth, five consecutive LDF determinations of pulp blood flow were made (before and immediately after desensitizing treatment, then after 24 h, 7 days, and 1 month), and the VRS was applied each time. Spearman’s correlation was applied for concurrent validation. Two-way (treatment and patient) repeated measures ANOVA full factorial was applied, followed by Tukey’s post-hoc comparisons and Pillai’s trace multivariate statistic. While VRS scores had moderate reliability, LDF could objectively estimate treatment effects. Based on partial eta-squared values, treatment and patient characteristics were estimated to explain about 84% and 50% of the variability, respectively. In conclusion, LDF is an objective technique that can quantitatively assess DH evolution, and it is effective in reliably monitoring oral health therapeutic interventions.
‘Intelligent’ lockdown, intelligent effects? Results from a survey on gender (in)equality in paid work, the division of childcare and household work, and quality of life among parents in the Netherlands during the Covid-19 lockdown

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic is more than a public health crisis. Lockdown measures have substantial societal effects, including a significant impact on parents with (young) children. Given the existence of persistent gender inequality prior to the pandemic, particularly among parents, it is crucial to study the societal impact of COVID-19 from a gender perspective. The objective of this paper is to use representative survey data gathered among Dutch parents in April 2020 to explore differences between mothers and fathers in three areas: paid work, the division of childcare and household tasks, and three dimensions of quality of life (leisure, work-life balance, relationship dynamics). Additionally, we explore whether changes take place in these dimensions by comparing the situation prior to the lockdown with the situation during the lockdown. Method We use descriptive methods (crosstabulations) supported by multivariate modelling (linear regression modelling for continuous outcomes; linear probability modelling (LPM) for binary outcomes (0/1 outcomes); and multinomial logits for multinomial outcomes) in a cross-sectional survey design. Results Results show that the way in which parents were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic reflects a complex gendered reality. Mothers work in essential occupations more often than fathers, report more adjustments of the times at which they work, and experience both more and less work pressure in comparison to before the lockdown. Moreover, mothers continue to do more childcare and household work than fathers, but some fathers report taking on greater shares of childcare and housework during the lockdown in comparison to before. Mothers also report a larger decline in leisure time than fathers. We find no gender differences in the propensity to work from home, in perceived work-life balance, or in relationship dynamics. Conclusion In conclusion, we find that gender inequality in paid work, the division of childcare and household work, and the quality of life are evident during the first lockdown period. Specifically, we find evidence of an increase in gender inequality in relation to paid work and quality of life when comparing the situation prior to and during the lockdown, as well as a decrease in gender inequality in the division of childcare and household work. We conclude that the unique situation created by restrictive lockdown measures magnifies some gender inequalities while lessening others. Discussion The insights we provide offer key comparative evidence based on a representative, probability-based sample for understanding the broader impact of lockdown measures as we move forward in the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the limitations in this study is the cross-sectional design. Further study, in the form of a longitudinal design, will be crucial in investigating the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender inequality.
Risk Factors for Chronic Kidney Disease in Older Adults with Hyperlipidemia and/or Cardiovascular Diseases in Taipei City, Taiwan: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Analysis

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in older adults with or without dyslipidemia and/or cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Taipei City, Taiwan. The data on 2912 participants with hyperlipidemia and/or CVD and 14,002 healthy control participants derived from the Taipei City Elderly Health Examination Database (2010 to 2011) were analyzed. The associations between conventional CKD risk factors and CKD were comparable between participants with and without hyperlipidemia. Participants with high uric acid and BUN had a higher risk of CKD if they also had hyperlipidemia and CVD [odds ratio (OR) in uric acid = 1.572, 95% CI 1.186–2.120, p < 0.05; OR in BUN = 1.271, 95% CI 1.181–1.379, p < 0.05]. The effect was smaller in participants with hyperlipidemia only (OR in uric acid = 1.291, 95% CI 1.110–1.507, p < 0.05; OR in BUN = 1.169, 95% CI 1.122–1.221, p < 0.05). The association between uric acid/BUN and CKD was also observed in the healthy population and participants with CVD only. In conclusion, older adults with hyperlipidemia and CVD are at high of CKD. Physicians should be alert to the potential for CKD in older patients with hyperlipidemia and CVD.
Targeting presynaptic H3 heteroreceptor in nucleus accumbens to improve anxiety and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors

Significance Anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are highly prevalent and debilitating psychiatric disorders commonly co-occurring in our stressful modern life. Yet the common effective therapeutic target is still unknown. Here we report that activation of the histaminergic afferent system, particularly the histamine H3 receptor, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core, a vital node in the limbic loop, inhibits glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the circuit from the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PrL) to NAc and improves both anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors induced by restraint stress. Our results define a common glutamatergic PrL–NAc circuit involved in both anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors modulated by the H3 presynaptic heteroreceptor and pave a path for developing potential strategies for clinical treatment of anxiety and OCD. Anxiety commonly co‐occurs with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Both of them are closely related to stress. However, the shared neurobiological substrates and therapeutic targets remain unclear. Here we report an amelioration of both anxiety and OCD via the histamine presynaptic H3 heteroreceptor on glutamatergic afferent terminals from the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PrL) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core, a vital node in the limbic loop. The NAc core receives direct hypothalamic histaminergic projections, and optogenetic activation of hypothalamic NAc core histaminergic afferents selectively suppresses glutamatergic rather than GABAergic synaptic transmission in the NAc core via the H3 receptor and thus produces an anxiolytic effect and improves anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors induced by restraint stress. Although the H3 receptor is expressed in glutamatergic afferent terminals from the PrL, basolateral amygdala (BLA), and ventral hippocampus (vHipp), rather than the thalamus, only the PrL– and not BLA– and vHipp–NAc core glutamatergic pathways among the glutamatergic afferent inputs to the NAc core is responsible for co-occurrence of anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors. Furthermore, activation of the H3 receptor ameliorates anxiety and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors induced by optogenetic excitation of the PrL–NAc glutamatergic afferents. These results demonstrate a common mechanism regulating anxiety- and obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors and provide insight into the clinical treatment strategy for OCD with comorbid anxiety by targeting the histamine H3 receptor in the NAc core.