Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Bisphenol A and Di-Isononyl Phthalate on Conformational Stability and Activity of Lysozyme

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Di-Isononyl Phthalate (DINP) on conformational stability and biological activity of a model protein lysozyme. Lysozyme was incubated to various concentrations (2-100 μM) of bisphenol A and phthalate for 6 weeks. The conformational stability of lysozyme was figured out by using Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer. Biological activity of the samples was determined by an enzyme activity assay using Micrococcus lysodeikticus (M. luteus) as a specific substrate to lysozyme. A rate of change of 0.001 in absorbance at 450 nm (A450 nm) was used to define 1 unit of biologically active lysozyme. The DSC data showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in Tm and H values for lysozyme samples treated with BPA or DINP with increase in exposure time. The H value of BPA treated 7 days’ sample was negative which may indicate complete reversal of conformational integrity. In 7 days old DINP treated sample, no measurable peak was observed which may be due to complete loss of conformational structure. DSC data were further corroborated by FTIR and biological activity data. FTIR spectra of all the treated lysozyme samples showed the splitting of β sheet secondary structure which was completely lost in 7 days DINP treated samples which also showed the minimal biological activity. BPA and DINP (constituents of plastic bottles) may disrupt the conformational stability of protein which is expected to be more severe in human where they can remain longer than the 7 days’ exposure period used in this study.
Management of Alveolar Osteitis in Dental Practice: A Literature Review*

Background. Dry socket is one of the most common post-extraction complications with its incidence reaching up to 30% after impacted third molar extractions. In spite of its high incidence, there is no established treatment for the condition. Objectives. To investigate how efficient different management methods of Alveolar osteitis are, in regards to pain relief, healing process and reduction of the incidence. Materials and Methods. A literature search of “PubMed-MEDLINE” database was conducted using the keywords “dry socket management”, “alveolar osteitis”, “fibrinolytic alveolitis”, “post-extraction complications”. The inclusion criteria were clinical studies, case reports, reviews and human studies, related to alveolar Osteitis published from 2011-2016, written in English language. The exclusion criteria were animal studies, studies that discussed other post-extraction complications, and in any other languages than English. Results. 63 articles were found and only 31 were reviewed. 18 out of 31 articles were included in the results, after reading the full text, due to lack of significant results in the rest of the articles. Out of these there were 12 clinical studies, 3 systematic reviews and 1 retrospective study. Conclusion. It was concluded that there is no specific management that could be rated as the best to treat dry socket, due to the lack of evidence to support the use of one management over the other, although there are many options that can help manage it and have proved to be highly effective recently and until today. © 2017 OMF Publishing, LLC. This is an open access article under the CC BY licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Article history: Paper received 10 June 2017 Accepted 16 June 2017 Available online 28 December 2017
Gut Microbiota Reshaped by Pectin Treatment Improves Liver Steatosis in Obese Mice

Pectin, a soluble fiber, improves non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD), but its mechanisms are unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of pectin-induced changes in intestinal microbiota (IM) in NAFLD. We recovered the IM from mice fed a high-fat diet, treated or not with pectin, to perform a fecal microbiota transfer (FMT). Mice fed a high-fat diet, which induces NAFLD, were treated with pectin or received a fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) from mice treated with pectin before (preventive FMT) or after (curative FMT) being fed a high-fat diet. Pectin prevented the development of NAFLD, induced browning of adipose tissue, and modified the IM without increasing the abundance of proteobacteria. Preventive FMT also induced browning of white adipose tissue but did not improve liver steatosis, in contrast to curative FMT, which induced an improvement in steatosis. This was associated with an increase in the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in contrast to preventive FMT, which induced an increase in the concentration of branched SCFAs. Overall, we show that the effect of pectin may be partially mediated by gut bacteria.
A Selection Flowchart for Micromodel Experiments Based on Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations of Surfactant Flooding in Enhanced Oil Recovery

A selection flowchart that assists, through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, the design of microfluidic experiments used to distinguish the performance in Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (CEOR) of two surfactants with very similar values of interfacial tension (IFT) was proposed and its use demonstrated. The selection flowchart first proposes an experimental design for certain modified variables (X→: porosity, grain shape, the presence of preferential flowing channels, and injection velocity). Experiments are then performed through CFD simulations to obtain a set of response variables (Y→: recovery factor, breakthrough time, the fractal dimension of flow pattern, pressure drop, and entrapment effect). A sensitivity analysis of Y→ regarding the differences in the interfacial tension (IFT) can indicate the CFD experiments that could have more success when distinguishing between two surfactants with similar IFTs (0.037 mN/m and 0.045 mN/m). In the range of modifiable variables evaluated in this study (porosity values of 0.5 and 0.7, circular and irregular grain shape, with and without preferential flowing channel, injection velocities of 10 ft/day and 30 ft/day), the entrapment effect is the response variable that is most affected by changes in IFT. The response of the recovery factor and the breakthrough time was also significant, while the fractal dimension of the flow and the pressure drop had the lowest sensitivity to different IFTs. The experimental conditions that rendered the highest sensitivity to changes in IFT were a low porosity (0.5) and a high injection flow (30 ft/day). The response to the presence of preferential channels and the pore shape was negligible. The approach developed in this research facilitates, through CFD simulations, the study of CEOR processes with microfluidic devices. It reduces the number of experiments and increases the probability of their success.
Serving the Community with Trustworthy Government Information and Data: What Can We Learn from the Public Librarians?

ABSTRACT Using the semi-structured interview method, this study identifies the roles public librarians play in assisting their communities with trustworthy government information and data, and the challenges public librarians face when providing access and mediating the use of government information and data by the community. The findings of the study provide useful insights as American libraries begin to rethink and reinvent their roles in community resilience. The paper also suggests ways library and information science education can help future public librarians prepare for their roles in mediating government information and data.
Pressurized Hot Water Extraction and Bio-Hydrogels Formulation with Aristotelia chilensis [Mol.] Stuntz Leaves

Aristotelia chilensis is a plant rich in phenolics and other bioactive compounds. Their leaves are discarded as waste in the maqui berry industry. A new application of these wastes is intended by the recovery of bioactive compounds using pressurized hot water extraction with conventional or microwave heating. Both technologies have been selected for their green character regarding the type of solvent and the high efficiency in shorter operation times. Extractions were performed in the temperature range 140–200 °C with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:15 (w:w). The extracts’ total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and saccharides content obtained with both heating methods were measured. Additionally, the thermo-rheological properties of the gelling matrix enriched with these extracts were analyzed. Optimum conditions for lyophilized extracts were found with conventional heating, at 140 °C and 20 min extraction; 250.0 mg GAE/g dry extract and 1321.5 mg Trolox/g dry extract. Close to optimum performance was achieved with microwave heating in a fraction of the time (5 min) at 160 °C (extraction), yielding extracts with 231.9 mg GAE/g dry extract of total phenolics and antiradical capacity equivalent to 1176.3 mg Trolox/g dry extract. Slightly higher antioxidant values were identified for spray-dried extracts (between 5% for phenolic content and 2.5% for antioxidant capacity). The extracts obtained with both heating methods at 200 °C contained more than 20% oligosaccharides, primarily glucose. All the formulated gelling matrices enriched with the obtained extracts displayed intermediate gel strength properties. The tested technologies efficiently recovered highly active antioxidant extracts, rich in polyphenolics, and valuable for formulating gelling matrices with potential applicability in foods and other products.
Monopolistic Competition

Introduction • Market structure is the focus real-world competition. • Market structure refers to the physical characteristics of the market within which firms interact. Introduction • Market structure involves the number of firms in the market and the barriers to entry. Introduction • Perfect competition, with an infinite number of firms, and monopoly, with a single firm, are polar opposites. • Monopolistic competition and oligopoly lie between these two extremes. Introduction • Monopolistic competition is a market structure in which there are many firms selling differentiated products. • There are few barriers to entry.
Prevalence of Migraine in General Spanish Population; Factors Related and Use of Health Resources

Migraine is a common neurological disorder considered the second most disabling condition worldwide. Its prevalence ranges from 2.6% to 21.7% in population studies. This study aimed to know the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed migraine in the general Spanish adult population, their health care use, and factors related. A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken with 23,089 individuals >15 years from the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey. Three groups were defined: people diagnosed with migraine (DM), people reporting undiagnosed migraine (UM) and people without migraine. Sociodemographic, clinical and use of health resources data were collected. The scales Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used. Prevalence of DM and UM were determined with 95% confidence intervals. To determine the factors associated with DM and UM, a multinomial logistic regression model was used. The prevalence of DM was 8.6% (95%CI: 8.2–9), and UM, 0.9% (95%CI: 0.8–1). People with DM more frequently visited healthcare professionals (47.8%), required more supplementary tests (86.8), had a higher percentage of hospitalization (11.3%), and used emergency services (45.1%). Women had nearly three times the risk of DM and UM. Worse mental health was a risk factor for UM (OR = 1.20) and DM (OR = 1.18). The greater the work stress, the greater the risk of DM (OR = 1.12). An adequate monitoring and management of migraine in people with these characteristics could contribute to improving their quality of life and reducing costs in the system.
A Review of Recent Developments in Turner Syndrome Research

Turner syndrome is a rare disorder resulting from complete or partial loss of the second sex chromosome. Common manifestations include delayed growth, premature ovarian failure, congenital heart defects, endocrine disorders, lymphedema, and webbed neck. People with Turner syndrome have significantly increased mortality risk primarily due to cardiovascular abnormalities. The mechanisms that lead to these defects are not completely understood and are obscured by the significant variability of both karyotype and phenotype without consistent correlation between the two. This paper presents a review of the recent literature surrounding the symptoms, mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of Turner syndrome with a focus on cardiovascular manifestations. With technological advancements in genetics, the molecular processes of Turner syndrome have begun to be dissected. Certain genes on the X chromosome that typically escape inactivation have been implicated in both specific manifestations and broader risk categories. Recently identified genome-wide epigenetic changes may help explain the variability in presentation. It remains unclear as to how the combination of these factors results in the overall clinical picture, but advances in genomic, genetic, epigenetic, and -omics technology hold promise for providing insights that will improve the medical management of individuals with Turner syndrome.
Hemichorea-Hemiballismus Syndrome in Acute Non-ketotic Hyperglycemia

Hemichorea/hemiballismus syndrome secondary to non-ketotic hyperglycemia is a movement disorder induced by long-standing poor control of diabetes mellitus. Diagnosis is based on clinical assessment and imaging. Here we report a rare case of a 56-year-old woman presenting with involuntary movements on the left side secondary to acute hyperglycemia. She received antidiabetic and anti-choreic drugs. The patient's glycemic profile was closely monitored, and she, consequently, responded favorably to therapy.
Novel Biocompatible with Animal Cells Composite Material Based on Organosilicon Polymers and Fullerenes with Light-Induced Bacteriostatic Properties

A technology for producing a nanocomposite based on the borsiloxane polymer and chemically unmodified fullerenes has been developed. Nanocomposites containing 0.001, 0.01, and 0.1 wt% fullerene molecules have been created. It has been shown that the nanocomposite with any content of fullerene molecules did not lose the main rheological properties of borsiloxane and is capable of structural self-healing. The resulting nanomaterial is capable of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals in light. The rate of ROS generation increases with an increase in the concentration of fullerene molecules. In the absence of light, the nanocomposite exhibits antioxidant properties. The severity of antioxidant properties is also associated with the concentration of fullerene molecules in the polymer. It has been shown that the nanocomposite upon exposure to visible light leads to the formation of long-lived reactive protein species, and is also the reason for the appearance of such a key biomarker of oxidative stress as 8-oxoguanine in DNA. The intensity of the process increases with an increase in the concentration of fullerene molecules. In the dark, the polymer exhibits weak protective properties. It was found that under the action of light, the nanocomposite exhibits significant bacteriostatic properties, and the severity of these properties depends on the concentration of fullerene molecules. Moreover, it was found that bacterial cells adhere to the surfaces of the nanocomposite, and the nanocomposite can detach bacterial cells not only from the surfaces, but also from wetted substrates. The ability to capture bacterial cells is primarily associated with the properties of the polymer; they are weakly affected by both visible light and fullerene molecules. The nanocomposite is non-toxic to eukaryotic cells, the surface of the nanocomposite is suitable for eukaryotic cells for colonization. Due to the combination of self-healing properties, low cytotoxicity, and the presence of bacteriostatic properties, the nanocomposite can be used as a reusable dry disinfectant, as well as a material used in prosthetics.
Utilization of Sodium Nitroprusside as an Intestinal Permeation Enhancer for Lipophilic Drug Absorption Improvement in the Rat Proximal Intestine

As advanced synthetic technology has enabled drug candidate development with complex structure, resulting in low solubility and membrane permeability, the strategies to improve poorly absorbed drug bioavailability have attracted the attention of pharmaceutical companies. It has been demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO), a vital signaling molecule that plays an important role in various physiological systems, affects intestinal drug absorption. However, NO and its oxidants are directly toxic to the gastrointestinal tract, thereby limiting their potential clinical application as absorption enhancers. In this study, we show that sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an FDA-approved vasodilator, enhances the intestinal absorption of lipophilic drugs in the proximal parts of the small intestine in rats. The SNP pretreatment of the rat gastrointestinal sacs significantly increased griseofulvin and flurbiprofen permeation in the duodenum and jejunum but not in the ileum and colon. These SNP-related enhancement effects were attenuated by the co-pretreatment with dithiothreitol or c-PTIO, an NO scavenger. The permeation-enhancing effects were not observed in the case of antipyrine, theophylline, and propranolol in the duodenum and jejunum. Furthermore, the SNP treatment significantly increased acidic glycoprotein release from the mucosal layers specifically in the duodenum and jejunum but not in the ileum and colon. These results suggest that SNP increases lipophilic drug membrane permeability specifically in the proximal region of the small intestine through disruption of the mucosal layer.
A drop‐in centre for treating mental health problems in children with chronic illness: Outcomes for parents and their relationship with child outcomes

Abstract Background Children with chronic health conditions and their parents are at greater risk of developing emotional and behavioural problems compared to their physically healthy peers. The psychological impact on parents is crucial to understand given the relationship between parental mental health and child emotional and behavioural difficulties. This study was part of a broader research project examining the acceptability, feasibility and impact of a ‘Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing Drop‐in Centre’ in a paediatric hospital providing access to support and intervention for children and their families. This paper aimed to investigate the impact of the centre on parents (n = 148). Methods Parental anxiety and depression were assessed using the GAD‐7 and PHQ‐9 at baseline and 6‐month post‐baseline. Child mental health was assessed using the parent‐report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). If parents had significant mental health needs, a brief intervention/signposting to relevant services was provided. Results At baseline, 48% of parents scored above clinical threshold for anxiety and 41% for depression, and parent reported child SDQ scores were correlated with parental anxiety and parental low mood. Self‐reported parental anxiety and low mood decreased at 6‐months post‐baseline (parental anxiety: mean decrease = 2.29 [1.22–3.36], d = 0.38; parental low mood: mean decrease = 1.81 [0.64–3.00], d = 0.28). There were no significant correlations between change in parent reported child wellbeing and changes in parental low mood and anxiety between baseline and 6‐month post‐baseline. Conclusions Assessing and providing a brief treatment to address the mental health needs of parents of children with comorbidity may bring important benefits. It is recommended that children's mental health services consider assessment of parental mental health as part of routine care.
C

We have evaluated the diffuse intracluster light (ICL) in the central core of the galaxy cluster CL0024+17 at z ∼ 0.4 observed with the prime focus camera (Large Binocular Camera) at the Large Binocular Telescope. The measure required an accurate removal of the galaxies’ light within ∼200 kpc from the center. The residual background intensity has then been integrated in circular apertures to derive the average ICL intensity profile. The latter shows an approximate exponential decline as expected from theoretical cold dark matter models where the ICL is due to the integrated contribution of light from stars that are tidally stripped from the halo of their host galaxies due to encounters with other galaxies in the cluster cold dark matter (CDM) potential. The radial profile of the ICL over the galaxies intensity ratio (ICL fraction) is increasing with decreasing radius, but near the cluster center it starts to bend and then decreases where the overlap of the halos of the brightest cluster galaxies becomes dominant. Theoretical expectations in a simplified CDM scenario show that the ICL fraction profile can be estimated from the stripped over galaxy stellar mass ratio in the cluster. It is possible to show that the latter quantity is almost independent of the properties of the individual host galaxies but mainly depends on the average cluster properties. The predicted ICL fraction profile is thus very sensitive to the assumed CDM profile, total mass, and concentration parameter of the cluster. Adopting values very similar to those derived from the most recent lensing analysis in CL0024+17, we find a good agreement with the observed ICL fraction profile. The galaxy counts in the cluster core have then been compared with that derived from composite cluster samples in larger volumes, up to the clusters virial radius. The galaxy counts in the CL0024+17 core appear flatter and the amount of bending with respect to the average cluster galaxy counts imply a loss of total emissivity in broad agreement with the measured ICL fraction. The present analysis shows that the measure of the ICL fraction in clusters can quantitatively account for the stellar stripping activity in their cores and can be used to probe their CDM distribution and evolutionary status.
Developing Statistical Machine Translation System for English and Nigerian Languages

The global demand for translation and translation tools currently surpasses the capacity of available solutions. Besides, there is no one-solution-fits-all, off-the-shelf solution for all languages. Thus, the need and urgency to increase the scale of research for the development of translation tools and devices continue to grow, especially for languages suffering under the pressure of globalisation. This paper discusses our experiments on translation systems between English and two Nigerian languages: Igbo and Yorùbá. The study is setup to build parallel corpora, train and experiment English-to-Igbo, (), English-to-Yorùbá, () and Igbo-to-Yorùbá, () phrase-based statistical machine translation systems. The systems were trained on parallel corpora that were created for each language pair using text from the religious domain in the course of this research. A BLEU score of 30.04, 29.01 and 18.72 respectively was recorded for the English-to-Igbo, English-to-Yorùbá and Igbo-to-Yorùbá MT systems. An error analysis of the systems’ outputs was conducted using a linguistically motivated MT error analysis approach and it showed that errors occurred mostly at the lexical, grammatical and semantic levels. While the study reveals the potentials of our corpora, it also shows that the size of the corpora is yet an issue that requires further attention. Thus an important target in the immediate future is to increase the quantity and quality of the data.