Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Siloxane-Starch-Based Hydrophobic Coating for Multiple Recyclable Cellulosic Materials

The results of the application of a new hydrophobization agent based on a triethoxymethylsilane and standard starch aqueous mixture for mass-produced cellulosic materials—printing paper, paperboard, and sack paper—have been evaluated to examine whether such a mixture can be used in industrial practice. The application of this agent on laboratory sheets prepared in a repetitive recycling process was performed to investigate its influence on the formation and properties of the products, as well as the contamination of circulating water. Measurements of the water contact angle, Cobb tests, and water penetration dynamics (PDA) were performed to test the barrier properties of the resulting materials. The effects of the applied coatings and recycling process on the paper’s tensile strength, tear index, roughness, air permeance, and ISO brightness were studied. Studies have proven that this formulation imparts relatively high surface hydrophobicity to all materials tested (contact angles above 100°) and a significant improvement in barrier properties while maintaining good mechanical and optical performance. The agent also does not interfere with the pulping and re-forming processes during recycling and increases circulation water contamination to an acceptable degree. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the paper samples revealed the presence of a polysiloxane network on the surface.
Necessity of flow cytometry assessment of circulating plasma cells and its connection with clinical characteristics of primary and secondary plasma cell leukaemia

Plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) is a rare and very aggressive plasma cell disorder. Preventing a dismal outcome of PCL requires early diagnosis with appropriate analytical tools. Therefore, the investigation of 33 patients with primary and secondary PCL was done when the quantity of circulating plasma cells (PCs) using flow cytometry (FC) and morphology assessment was evaluated. The phenotypic profile of the PCs was also analysed to determine if there is an association with clinical outcomes and to evaluate the prognostic value of analysed markers. Our results revealed that FC is an excellent method for identifying circulating PCs as a significantly higher number was identified by FC than by morphology (26·7% vs. 13·5%, P = 0·02). None of secondary PCL cases expressed CD19 or CD20. A low level of expression with similar positivity of CD27, CD28, CD81 and CD117 was found in both PCL groups. A decrease of CD44 expression was detected only in secondary PCL. Expression of CD56 was present in more than half of PCL cases as well as cytoplasmic nestin. A decreased level of platelets, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 2–3 and lack of CD20+ PC were associated with a higher risk of death. FC could be incorporated in PCL diagnostics not only to determine the number of circulating PCs, but also to assess their phenotype profile and this information should be useful in patients’ diagnosis and possible prognosis.
Sex Differences in the Clinical Features and Outcomes of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Treated with Two Generations (Absorb and Magmaris) of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds

Background: Despite the developments in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), women are still more likely than men to have unfavorable outcomes after PCI performed in Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). The mechanisms of this phenomena are not fully understood. Potential benefits of bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS) may be particularly expressed in the female population. Nevertheless, the data available currently are inconsistent and limited. This study evaluated the gender-related differences in the short-term clinical outcomes in ACS patients treated with implantation of two generations of BRS (first generation, Absorb; second generation, Magmaris). Methods: The study was divided into two arms. To the first one, we qualified 160 patients with ACS treated with PCI who received 210 Absorb scaffolds. The second arm was composed of 193 patients with ACS who underwent PCI with Magmaris implantation. Results: There were no significant sex-related differences in primary endpoints (cardiovascular-death, myocardial infarction, in-stent thrombosis) or principal secondary endpoints (of target-lesion failure, scaffold restenosis, death from any reason, other cardiovascular events) in either generation of BRS in a 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Both genders tended to have a similar outcome in routine clinical practice following BRS implantation due to ACS. The magnesium bioresorbable scaffold (Magmaris) early outcome seemed to be more favorable in comparison to the Absorb scaffold.
Moderate Altitude Residence Reduces Male Colorectal and Female Breast Cancer Mortality More Than Incidence: Therapeutic Implications?

Simple Summary Living at moderate altitudes has been reported to be associated with health benefits, including reduced mortality from male colorectal and female breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate altitude-dependent incidence rates and to compare them with mortality rates of those cancers. We further explored whether altitude-associated differences in lifestyle behaviour exist. Analyses including all incidence cases and deaths over a 10-year observation period of an Alpine country (Austria) revealed that the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of male colorectal cancer decreased by 24.0% and 44.2%, and that of female breast cancer by 6.5% and 26.2%, from the lowest (<251 m) to the highest (1000–2000) altitude level. The population-based survey indicated higher physical activity levels and lower body mass index for both sexes living at a moderate altitude compared to those living below 251 m. These observations may, in certain cases, support decision making when changing residence. Abstract Background: Living at moderate altitude may be associated with health benefits, including reduced mortality from male colorectal and female breast cancer. We aimed to determine altitude-dependent incidence and mortality rates of those cancers and put them in the context of altitude-associated lifestyle differences. Methods: Incidence cases and deaths of male colorectal cancer (n = 17,712 and 7462) and female breast cancer (n = 33,803 and 9147) from altitude categories between 250 to about 2000 m were extracted from official Austrian registries across 10 years (2008–2017). Altitude-associated differences in health determinants were derived from the Austrian Health Interview Survey (2014). Results: The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of male colorectal cancer decreased by 24.0% and 44.2%, and that of female breast cancer by 6.5% and 26.2%, respectively, from the lowest to the highest altitude level. Higher physical activity levels and lower body mass index for both sexes living at higher altitudes were found. Conclusions: Living at a moderate altitude was associated with a reduced incidence and (more pronounced) mortality from colorectal and breast cancer. Our results suggest a complex interaction between specific climate conditions and lifestyle behaviours. These observations may, in certain cases, support decision making when changing residence.
Identifying the Main Functional Pathways Associated with Cognitive Resilience to Alzheimer’s Disease

Understanding the mechanisms involved in cognitive resilience in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents a promising strategy to identify novel treatments for dementia in AD. Previous findings from our group revealed that the study of aged-Tg2576 cognitive resilient individuals is a suitable tool for this purpose. In the present study, we performed a transcriptomic analysis using the prefrontal cortex of demented and resilient Tg2576 transgenic AD mice. We have been able to hypothesize that pathways involved in inflammation, amyloid degradation, memory function, and neurotransmission may be playing a role on cognitive resilience in AD. Intriguingly, the results obtained in this study are suggestive of a reduction of the influx of peripheral immune cells into the brain on cognitive resilient subjects. Indeed, CD4 mRNA expression is significantly reduced on Tg2576 mice with cognitive resilience. For further validation of this result, we analyzed CD4 expression in human AD samples, including temporal cortex and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Interestingly, we have found a negative correlation between CD4 mRNA levels in the periphery and the score in the Mini-Mental State Exam of AD patients. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the role of the immune system on the development of neurodegenerative diseases and points out to the infiltration of CD4+ cells in the brain as a key player of cognitive dysfunction in AD.
Fibre-Cement Panel Ventilated Façade Smart Control System

This paper outlines a design for a fibre-cement panel ventilated façade smart control system based on the acoustic emission method. The paper also provides methodology and test results, as well as statistical analysis of the three-point bending results with AE signal acquisition as a basis for the development of the system in question. The test items were samples cut from a full-size fibre-cement panel for interior and exterior use, according to the standard guidelines. The recorded acoustic emission signals were classified statistically into four classes, which were assigned to the processes occurring in the material structure as a result of the applied load. The system development was based on the differences between the characteristics of the individual signal classes and their number for each test case, as well as on the different distribution of successive classes over time. Given the results of the tests and the resulting conclusions indicating the applicability of the acoustic emission method (based on signal classification using the k-means algorithm for the assessment of variations in the mechanical parameters of cement-fibre composites), a methodology for such assessment was therefore developed. The approach proposed is a reasonable method for assessing the variation in mechanical parameters of fibre-cement panels on the basis of the parameters determined by the non-destructive method indicated.
A New Method for Determination of Pectin Content Using Spectrophotometry

The study aimed at developing a new spectrophotometric method for determining the pectin content. Take commercial pectin as an example, and the method is based on the reaction of copper ions with pectin to produce copper pectate. The spectrophotometer was used to measure the remaining content of copper ions so as to calculate the pectin content. This method eliminated the weight step and avoided the error associated with it. Effects of reaction time, temperature, and pH on absorbance were also studied. Additionally, the accuracy of this method was verified. It indicated excellent repeatability and accuracy with the relative standard deviation of 2.09%. In addition, three different plant types were used to demonstrate the reliability of the method. To summarize, this method can be widely used for the determination of pectin content in many materials.
The macrophage odorant receptor Olfr78 mediates the lactate-induced M2 phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages

Significance Expression and function of odorant receptors (ORs) are being increasingly reported in nonolfactory sites. However, ORs that can be targeted by drugs to treat diseases remain poorly identified. Here, we hypothesized that the macrophage OR Olfr78 functions as a tumor-derived lactate sensor and shapes the macrophage–tumor axis. Olfr78 and the G protein–coupled receptor Gpr132 form a heterodimer that senses lactate in the tumor microenvironment, leading to generation of tumor-associated macrophages with a protumoral M2 phenotype, which promotes tumor progression and metastasis. Our findings suggest an alternative strategy for cancer treatment, namely targeting the interaction between tumor-derived metabolites and ORs. Expression and function of odorant receptors (ORs), which account for more than 50% of G protein–coupled receptors, are being increasingly reported in nonolfactory sites. However, ORs that can be targeted by drugs to treat diseases remain poorly identified. Tumor-derived lactate plays a crucial role in multiple signaling pathways leading to generation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In this study, we hypothesized that the macrophage OR Olfr78 functions as a lactate sensor and shapes the macrophage–tumor axis. Using Olfr78+/+ and Olfr78−/− bone marrow–derived macrophages with or without exogenous Olfr78 expression, we demonstrated that Olfr78 sensed tumor-derived lactate, which was the main factor in tumor-conditioned media responsible for generation of protumoral M2-TAMs. Olfr78 functioned together with Gpr132 to mediate lactate-induced generation of protumoral M2-TAMs. In addition, syngeneic Olfr78-deficient mice exhibited reduced tumor progression and metastasis together with an increased anti- versus protumoral immune cell population. We propose that the Olfr78–lactate interaction is a therapeutic target to reduce and prevent tumor progression and metastasis.
Risk-Predictive and Diagnostic Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer; a Systematic Review of Studies Using Pre-Diagnostic Blood Samples Collected in Prospective Cohorts and Screening Settings

Simple Summary Currently, colorectal cancer screening typically involves stool tests, but a blood test might be more acceptable for screening participants. Most research on blood biomarkers for colorectal cancer has been conducted using samples from patients and may not be as predictive for early-stage cancer or pre-cancerous tumors. This systematic review summarizes the evidence from studies that used samples collected before the onset of symptoms. The quality of the studies was generally high, but very few potential biomarkers showed consistent, clinically relevant results across more than one study. Of these, the anti-p53 antibody was the most promising marker. Panels of biomarkers performed better than single markers. The results of this review underscore the need for validation of promising colorectal cancer biomarkers in independent pre-diagnostic settings. Abstract This systematic review summarizes the evidence for blood-based colorectal cancer biomarkers from studies conducted in pre-diagnostic, asymptomatic settings. Of 1372 studies initially identified, the final selection included 30 studies from prospective cohorts and 23 studies from general screening settings. Overall, the investigations had high quality but considerable variability in data analysis and presentation of results, and few biomarkers demonstrated a clinically relevant discriminatory ability. One of the most promising biomarkers was the anti-p53 antibody, with consistent findings in one screening cohort and in the 3–4 years prior to diagnosis in two prospective cohort studies. Proteins were the most common type of biomarker assessed, particularly carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and C-reactive protein (CRP), with modest results. Other potentially promising biomarkers included proteins, such as AREG, MIC-1/GDF15, LRG1 and FGF-21, metabolites and/or metabolite profiles, non-coding RNAs and DNA methylation, as well as re-purposed routine lab tests, such as ferritin and the triglyceride–glucose index. Biomarker panels generally achieved higher discriminatory performance than single markers. In conclusion, this systematic review highlighted anti-p53 antibodies as a promising blood-based biomarker for use in colorectal cancer screening panels, together with other specific proteins. It also underscores the need for validation of promising biomarkers in independent pre-diagnostic settings.
Auxin Metabolome Profiling in the Arabidopsis Endoplasmic Reticulum Using an Optimised Organelle Isolation Protocol

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an extensive network of intracellular membranes. Its major functions include proteosynthesis, protein folding, post-transcriptional modification and sorting of proteins within the cell, and lipid anabolism. Moreover, several studies have suggested that it may be involved in regulating intracellular auxin homeostasis in plants by modulating its metabolism. Therefore, to study auxin metabolome in the ER, it is necessary to obtain a highly enriched (ideally, pure) ER fraction. Isolation of the ER is challenging because its biochemical properties are very similar to those of other cellular endomembranes. Most published protocols for ER isolation use density gradient ultracentrifugation, despite its suboptimal resolving power. Here we present an optimised protocol for ER isolation from Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings for the subsequent mass spectrometric determination of ER-specific auxin metabolite profiles. Auxin metabolite analysis revealed highly elevated levels of active auxin form (IAA) within the ER compared to whole plants. Moreover, samples prepared using our optimised isolation ER protocol are amenable to analysis using various “omics” technologies including analyses of both macromolecular and low molecular weight compounds from the same sample.
Validation of the Champion Health Belief Model Scale for an Investigation of Breast Cancer Screening Behaviour in Malaysia

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women globally, including in Malaysia. There is a need to assess women’s beliefs about BC and screening in different cultural settings. This study aimed to translate and validate an adapted version of the United States (US) Champion Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS) for an investigation of predictors of BC screening in Malaysia. The CHBMS was adapted, and forward and backward translated into the Malay language. The validity and reliability of the CHBMS-BC-M (M for Malay language) was investigated in a community sample of 251 multi-ethnic Malay-speaking women. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation indicated that the structure of the adapted CHBMS-BC-M comprised three subscales with 21 items, and an Item-Content Validity Index (I-CVI) of 0.83 and above for all items. The explanatory factor analysis (EFA) showed acceptable to high factor loadings on items. Cronbach’s alpha for the subscales ranged from 0.59 to 0.87. The reproducibility of the scale was fair to high, with an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.53 to 0.80 for the subscales. Overall, the analysis indicated that the translated CHBMS-BC-M is a valid and reliable scale to measure beliefs about BC and screening in the Malay-speaking ethnic population of Malaysia.
Pre-Hypertension and Its Determinants in Healthy Young Adults: Analysis of Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify risk factors in the normotensive and pre-hypertensive group based on the blood pressure results of healthy young adults from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2018. The participants were 2225 healthy young adults between the ages of 19 and under 45, excluding those with a diagnosis of hypertension or taking antihypertensive medications. Of the 2225 participants, the normotensive group was 1498 (67.3%) and the pre-hypertensive group 727 (32.7%). Determinants of pre-hypertension were analyzed using multiple logistic regression based on a complex sample design. Factors related to pre-hypertension in young adults were age, smoking, waist circumference, diabetes, anemia, cholesterol levels including HDL cholesterol, and uric acid levels. Pre-hypertension is a pre-stage that can prevent the morbidity of hypertension through lifestyle control, so its management is very important. Furthermore, a young adult is a stage in the growth and development of human beings, in which lifestyles such as healthy behaviors, eating habits, and exercise are fixed. Therefore, it is very important to improve lifestyles such as diet, exercise, and smoking cessation and to control risk factors in young adults who are at the pre-hypertension stage for health promotion. Continuous health examinations should be conducted for young adults, and education that can be practiced based on clinical data through this should be implemented for community health.
Primary Melanoma Characteristics of Metastatic Disease: A Nationwide Cancer Registry Study

Simple Summary Melanoma of the skin is the most lethal form of skin cancer. Almost 40% of the patients who die of metastatic melanoma did not have metastases at first diagnosis. More knowledge about patient and tumour characteristics as well as patterns of disease progression is needed. We described the characteristics and disease patterns of early-stage melanomas that progress into metastatic disease. We observed that more than half of the patients with metastases were initially diagnosed with early-stage disease. Additionally, we found that melanomas in some specific body sites were likely to metastasize to certain organs. Our finding that a substantial proportion of patients with metastases were initially diagnosed with early-stage disease highlights the need to investigate who these high-risk patients are. Abstract The characteristics and disease patterns of primary stage I and II cutaneous melanomas that progress to stage III or IV disease were investigated based on data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR). Data on stage III or IV melanomas at first diagnosis or during follow-up between 2017 and 2019 were retrieved. Patient and primary tumour characteristics were investigated in relation to time to disease progression and the number of organ sites with metastatic disease using regression models. In total, 2763 patients were included, of whom 1613 were diagnosed with stage IV disease. Among the patients with stage IV disease, 60% (n = 963) were initially diagnosed with stage I or II disease. The proportion of patients who received a sentinel lymph node biopsy increased after the introduction of adjuvant therapy in 2019 from 61% to 87%. Among all patients with stage III disease who were eligible for adjuvant systemic therapy (n = 453) after 2019, 37% were not treated with this therapy. Among patients with stage IV disease, lung metastases were most often detected as the first metastatic site and females presented with more metastatic sites than males. Most patient and primary tumour characteristics were not associated with the distant metastatic organ site, except melanoma localisation in the lower extremities and the head or neck. Our observation that most stage IV patients were initially diagnosed with early-stage disease highlights the need for more accurate risk prediction models.
The Serum Metabolome of Moderate and Severe COVID-19 Patients Reflects Possible Liver Alterations Involving Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism

COVID-19 is a global threat that has spread since the end of 2019, causing severe clinical sequelae and deaths, in the context of a world pandemic. The infection of the highly pathogenetic and infectious SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been proven to exert systemic effects impacting the metabolism. Yet, the metabolic pathways involved in the pathophysiology and progression of COVID-19 are still unclear. Here, we present the results of a mass spectrometry-based targeted metabolomic analysis on a cohort of 52 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, classified according to disease severity as mild, moderate, and severe. Our analysis defines a clear signature of COVID-19 that includes increased serum levels of lactic acid in all the forms of the disease. Pathway analysis revealed dysregulation of energy production and amino acid metabolism. Globally, the variations found in the serum metabolome of COVID-19 patients may reflect a more complex systemic perturbation induced by SARS-CoV-2, possibly affecting carbon and nitrogen liver metabolism.