Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Strategy for Creating an Antibacterial Surface Using a Highly Efficient Electrospray-Based Method for Silica Deposition

Adhesion of bacteria on biomedical implant surfaces is a prerequisite for biofilm formation, which may increase the chances of infection and chronic inflammation. In this study, we employed a novel electrospray-based technique to develop an antibacterial surface by efficiently depositing silica homogeneously onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film to achieve hydrophobic and anti-adhesive properties. We evaluated its potential application in inhibiting bacterial adhesion using both Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. These silica-deposited PET surfaces could provide hydrophobic surfaces with a water contact angle greater than 120° as well as increased surface roughness (root mean square roughness value of 82.50 ± 16.22 nm and average roughness value of 65.15 ± 15.26 nm) that could significantly reduce bacterial adhesion by approximately 66.30% and 64.09% for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, compared with those on plain PET surfaces. Furthermore, we observed that silica-deposited PET surfaces showed no detrimental effects on cell viability in human dermal fibroblasts, as confirmed by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and live/dead assays. Taken together, such approaches that are easy to synthesize, cost effective, and efficient, and could provide innovative strategies for preventing bacterial adhesion on biomedical implant surfaces in the clinical setting.
Damage Characterization of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene/ Flax/Jute Fiber Reinforced Melamine Formaldehyde Hybrid Composites using Cone Beam Computed Tomography

ABSTRACT Hybridisation is the process of reinforcing multiple fibres in a single matrix. Hybridisation has proved to enhance the mechanical strength of composites based on natural fibres and has opened avenues for using these composites in applications such as structural members for office partitions, automotive interior panels and sound proof panels. Present study deals with the hybridisation of natural fibres such as flax and jute with a synthetic fibre ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), using melamine formaldehyde resin. Hand lay-up and compression moulding process was used to fabricate eight layered composite panels with six different fibre orientation. In this study, the effect of stack sequence on flexural, impact and inter laminar shear strength was investigated. Maximum flexural strength of (36.07 MPa), inter laminar shear strength of (3.81 MPa) and impact strength of (63.83 kJ/m2) was noted for Stack-2 hybrid composites. Stack-4 composites with flexural strength of (18.96 MPa), inter laminar shear strength of (2.19 MPa) and impact strength of (24.61 kJ/m2) was the lowest. Analysis of the composite failure mechanisms was carried out using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Failure mechanisms such as angular bending, deformation, peripheral shearing, debonding and delamination were prominent.
Asynchronous and Tailored Digital Rehabilitation of Chronic Shoulder Pain: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background Chronic shoulder pain (SP) is responsible for significant morbidity, decreased quality of life and impaired work ability, resulting in high socioeconomic burden. Successful SP management is dependent on adherence and compliance with effective evidence-based interventions. Digital solutions may improve accessibility to such treatments, increasing convenience, while reducing healthcare-related costs. Purpose Present the results of a fully remote digital care program (DCP) for chronic SP. Patients and Methods Interventional, single-arm, cohort study of individuals with chronic SP applying for a digital care program. Primary outcome was the mean change between baseline and 12 weeks on the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were change in pain (NPRS), analgesic consumption, intention to undergo surgery, anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), fear-avoidance beliefs (FABQ-PA), work productivity (WPAI) and engagement. Results From 296 patients at program start, 234 (79.1%) completed the intervention. Changes in QuickDASH between baseline and end-of-program were both statistically (p < 0.001) and clinically significant, with a mean reduction of 51.6% (mean −13.45 points, 95% CI: 11.99; 14.92). Marked reductions were also observed in all secondary outcomes: 54.8% in NPRS, 44.1% ceased analgesics consumption, 55.5% in surgery intent, 37.7% in FABQ-PA, 50.3% in anxiety, 63.6% in depression and 66.5% in WPAI overall. Higher engagement was associated with higher improvements in disability. Mean patient satisfaction score was 8.7/10.0 (SD 1.6). Conclusion This is the first real-world cohort study reporting the results of a multimodal remote digital approach for chronic SP rehabilitation. High completion and engagement rates were observed, which were associated with clinically significant improvement in all health-related outcomes, as well as marked productivity recovery. These promising results support the potential of digital modalities to address the global burden of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Whey-Adapted versus Natural Cow’s Milk Formulation: Distinctive Feeding Responses and Post-Ingestive c-Fos Expression in Laboratory Mice

The natural 20:80 whey:casein ratio in cow’s milk (CM) for adults and infants is adjusted to reflect the 60:40 ratio of human milk, but the feeding and metabolic consequences of this adjustment have been understudied. In adult human subjects, the 60:40 CM differently affects glucose metabolism and hormone release than the 20:80 CM. In laboratory animals, whey-adapted goat’s milk is consumed in larger quantities. It is unknown whether whey enhancement of CM would have similar consequences on appetite and whether it would affect feeding-relevant brain regulatory mechanisms. In this set of studies utilizing laboratory mice, we found that the 60:40 CM was consumed more avidly than the 20:80 control formulation by animals motivated to eat by energy deprivation and by palatability (in the absence of hunger) and that this hyperphagia stemmed from prolongation of the meal. Furthermore, in two-bottle choice paradigms, whey-adapted CM was preferred against the natural 20:80 milk. The intake of the whey-adapted CM induced neuronal activation (assessed through analysis of c-Fos expression in neurons) in brain sites promoting satiation, but importantly, this activation was less pronounced than after ingestion of the natural 20:80 whey:casein CM. Activation of hypothalamic neurons synthesizing anorexigenic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) was also less robust after the 60:40 CM intake than after the 20:80 CM. Pharmacological blockade of the OT receptor in mice led to an increase in the consumption only of the 20:80 CM, thus, of the milk that induced greater activation of OT neurons. We conclude that the whey-adapted CM is overconsumed compared to the natural 20:80 CM and that this overconsumption is associated with weakened responsiveness of central networks involved in satiety signalling, including OT.
Impact of Homoarginine on Myocardial Function and Remodeling in a Rat Model of Chronic Renal Failure

Purpose: Low plasma concentrations of the amino acid homoarginine (HA) have been shown to correlate with adverse cardiovascular outcome, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease. The present study sought to investigate the effect of HA treatment on cardiac remodeling in rats undergoing artificially induced renal insufficiency by 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6 Nx). Methods: A total of 33 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham and 5/6 Nx groups, receiving either placebo treatment or 400 mg·kg−1·day−1 HA over a 4-week period. Results: 5/6 Nx per se resulted in adverse myocardial remodeling with aggravated cardiac function and associated cardiac overload as the most obvious alteration (−23% ejection fraction, P < 0.0001), as well as increased myocardial fibrosis (+80%, P = 0.0005) compared to placebo treated sham animals. HA treatment of 5/6 Nx rats has led to an improvement of ejection fraction (+24%, P = 0.0003) and fractional shortening (+21%, P = 0.0126), as well as a decrease of collagen deposition (−32%, P = 0.0041), left ventricular weight (−14%, P = 0.0468), and myocyte cross-sectional area (−12%, P < 0.0001). These changes were accompanied by a downregulation of atrial natriuretic factor (−65% P < 0.0001) and collagen type V alpha 1 chain (−44%, P = 0.0006). Sham animals revealed no significant changes in cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis, or any of the aforementioned molecular changes after drug treatment. Conclusion: Dietary HA supplementation appears to have the potential of preventing cardiac remodeling and improving heart function in the setting of chronic kidney disease. Our findings shed new light on HA as a possible new therapeutic agent for patients at high cardiovascular risk.
SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection Rate and Estimated Effectiveness of the Inactivated Whole Virion Vaccine BBV152 Against Reinfection Among Health Care Workers in New Delhi, India

Key Points Question What are the rate of reinfection of SARS-CoV-2 among a cohort of health care workers (HCWs) and the estimated effectiveness of the inactivated whole virion vaccine BBV152 against reinfection? Findings In this cohort study of 4978 HCWs who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 from March 3, 2020, to June 18, 2021, the incidence density of reinfection was 7.26 per 100 person-years. A protective association of 86% against reinfection was observed among HCWs who completed the 2-dose schedule of BBV152 and for whom at least 15 days elapsed without reinfection after vaccination. Meaning The results of this study suggest that complete vaccination with BBV152 among HCWs in India is crucial, including in persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Integration Policies and Public Perceptions of Immigrants in Europe

National mechanisms of migrant integration into the host society and the wider social context in which migration occurs may affect the construction of public attitudes towards migrants regardless of their origin or status. By combining the data of two international studies: the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) and the European Social Survey (ESS), this paper examines national policies regarding migrant integration and the public perception of migrants in the host society in selected European countries. This analysis highlights especially the shifts in public attitudes as possible consequences of the 2015/2016 European “migration crisis”. The data from 27 European countries that participated in the last waves of both MIPEX2020 and ESS2018 were analysed according to the four-dimensional MIPEX categorisation: 1) Comprehensive integration, 2) Equality on paper, 3) Temporary integration, and 4) Immigration without integration (Integration denied). These categories of states’ migration policies were then combined with the public perceptions of immigrants examined by the ESS. Multilevel regression models demonstrated that the respondents from countries with well-developed integration policies express a more positive attitude towards immigrants and acknowledge their contribution to all areas of the host society. A higher proportion of non-EU-27 immigrants in the country correlates with a more negative perception of immigrants’ impact on the host country. Even though the MIPEX score does not reflect clearly the shift in migration policies affected by the European “migration crisis”, it could be considered a stable, though relatively weak predictor of anti-immigrant prejudice. In conclusion, this study's findings suggest that better-developed policies of political participation and immigrant inclusion foster more positive attitudes towards immigrants.
Stibiogoldfieldite, Cu12(Sb2Te2)S13, a new tetrahedrite-group mineral

ABSTRACT Stibiogoldfieldite, Cu12(Sb2Te2)S13, was approved as a new mineral species from the Mohawk mine, Goldfield mining district, Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA. It occurs as metallic anhedral grains, dark grey in colour. It is associated with quartz, pyrite and an Ag–Bi–(S,Se) phase (holotype material) and with quartz, pyrite, calaverite, bismuthinite, bohdanowiczite, and the Ag–Bi–(S,Se) phase (cotype material). In reflected light, stibiogoldfieldite is isotropic, grey in colour, with indistinct brownish shade. Reflectance data in air [R (%)] are: 31.1 at 470 nm, 30.9 at 546 nm, 30.8 at 589 nm and 31.0 at 650 nm. Electron microprobe analysis for holotype material gave (in wt.% – average of 60 spot analyses): Cu 45.03(60), Ag 0.26(7), Fe 0.02(3), Zn 0.13(15), Sn 0.02(4), Pb 0.05(6), Sb 8.02(62), As 2.80(65), Bi 2.77(87), Te 15.15(1.24), S 24.50(32), Se 0.52(11), total 99.27(69). On the basis of (As + Sb + Te + Bi) = 4 atoms per formula unit (apfu), the empirical formula of stibiogoldfieldite is (Cu12.05Ag0.04Zn0.03Fe0.01)Σ12. 13(Sb1.12As0.63Bi0.23Te2.02)Σ4. 00(S12.99Se0.11)Σ13. 10. Chemical data on an additional sample from the same locality (cotype material) gave the following results (in wt.% – average of 181 spot analyses): Cu 43.84(63), Ag 0.21(7), Sb 5.92(78), As 2.63(45), Te 20.07(1.19), S 25.13(53), Se 0.97(35), total 99.47(66). On the basis of (As + Sb + Te + Bi) = 4 apfu, the empirical formula of cotype material is (Cu11.30Ag0.03)Σ11. 33(Sb0.80As0.57Bi0.06Te2.57)Σ4. 00(S12.83Se0.20)Σ13. 03. Stibiogoldfieldite is cubic, I$\overline 4$3m, with unit-cell parameters a = 10.3466(17) Å, V = 1107.6(5) Å3 and Z = 2 (holotype). Unit-cell parameters for the cotype sample are a = 10.3035(2) Å and V = 1093.83(7) Å3. The crystal structure of holotype stibiogoldfieldite was refined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction data to a final R1 = 0.032 on the basis of 285 reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) and 20 refined parameters. Stibiogoldfieldite is isotypic with other members of the tetrahedrite group.
Early Reconstitution of Antibody Secreting Cells after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Immune cell reconstitution after stem cell transplantation is allocated over several stages. Whereas cells mediating innate immunity recover rapidly, adaptive immune cells, including T and B cells, recover slowly over several months. In this study we investigated kinetics and reconstitution of de novo B cell formation in patients receiving CD3 and CD19 depleted haploidentical stem cell transplantation with additional in vivo T cell depletion with monoclonal anti-CD3 antibody. This model enables a detailed in vivo evaluation of hierarchy and attribution of defined lymphocyte populations without skewing by mTOR- or NFAT-inhibitors. As expected CD3+ T cells and their subsets had delayed reconstitution (<100 cells/μL at day +90). Well defined CD19+ B lymphocytes of naïve and memory phenotype were detected at day +60. Remarkably, we observed a very early reconstitution of antibody-secreting cells (ASC) at day +14. These ASC carried the HLA-haplotype of the donor and secreted the isotypes IgM and IgA more prevalent than IgG. They correlated with a population of CD19− CD27− CD38low/+ CD138− cells. Of note, reconstitution of this ASC occurred without detectable circulating T cells and before increase of BAFF or other B cell stimulating factors. In summary, we describe a rapid reconstitution of peripheral blood ASC after CD3 and CD19 depleted haploidentical stem cell transplantation, far preceding detection of naïve and memory type B cells. Incidence before T cell reconstitution and spontaneous secretion of immunoglobulins allocate these early ASC to innate immunity, eventually maintaining natural antibody levels.
Haplocauda, a New Genus of Fireflies Endemic to the Amazon Rainforest (Coleoptera: Lampyridae)

Simple Summary The Amazon Rainforest is still a frontier in the study of insect biodiversity, housing several species yet to be described and studied. Yet, its continuous deforestation urges scientists to study insect diversity there before it is too late. Here, we identified and described new species and a new genus of fireflies from the Amazon Rainforest. These new species are unique among other fireflies due to their unique abdominal morphology, supposed here to involve a clamping mechanism used during mating. Abstract Most firefly genera have poorly defined taxonomic boundaries, especially in the Neotropics, where they are more diverse and more difficult to identify. Recent advances that shed light on the diversity of fireflies in South America have focused mainly on Atlantic Rainforest taxa, whereas lampyrids in other biomes remained largely unstudied. We found three new firefly species endemic to the Amazon basin that share unique traits of the male abdomen where sternum VIII and the pygidium are modified and likely work as a copulation clamp. Here we test and confirm the hypothesis that these three species form a monophyletic lineage and propose Haplocauda gen. nov. to accommodate the three new species. Both maximum parsimony and probabilistic (Bayesian and maximum likelihood) phylogenetic analyses confirmed Haplocauda gen. nov. monophyly, and consistently recovered it as the sister group to Scissicauda, fireflies endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest that also feature a copulation clamp on abdominal segment VIII, although with a different configuration. We provide illustrations, diagnostic descriptions, and keys to species based on males and females. The three new species were sampled from different regions, and are likely allopatric, a common pattern among Amazonian taxa.
Understanding In-Silico Approaches to Design Synthetic Antifungal Peptides to Combat Fungal Infections like Mucormycosis

Antimicrobial peptides are the small sized molecule ranging in size from 2 to 9 kDa with expansive range of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, viruses etc. They are also used as first line of defense against various pathogens. With the emergence of various fungal infections in the present day and uprising antifungal resistance has made the choice of antifungal drugs very limited, the conventional drugs are slowly becoming ineffective to these fungal pathogens. Researchers have turned to these naturally occurring molecules which represent diverse range of functions and structural features but these naturally occurring peptides exhibit high toxicity, instability and low specificity towards the target which can be combatted by using various in silico and computational approaches to design and modify these AMPs in such a way that their efficiency is increased. In this article, we have specifically focused on Mucormycosis infection because of its high mortality rates and a very few synthetic AMPs have been produced against Mucorales considering the severity of this disease and the rapid surge in Mucormycosis cases emerged in the country. In this paper we will discuss about the present scenario of the disease, AMPs as antifungal therapy, role, classification of antifungal peptides, mechanism of action, advantages and limitations of natural AMPs, important physicochemical properties taken into account while designing synthetic AMPs (SAMPs) and the workflow pipeline to characterize and predict potential synthetic AMPs by using the existing web servers, databases and bioinformatics tools to develop new alternatives of conventional drugs available in the market against fungal infections.
Celecoxib-Induced Modulation of Colon Cancer CD133 Expression Occurs through AKT Inhibition and Is Monitored by 89Zr Immuno-PET

We developed an immuno-PET technique that monitors modulation of tumor CD133 expression, which is required for the success of CD133-targeted therapies. Methods. Anti-CD133 antibodies were subjected to sulfhydryl moiety-specific 89Zr conjugation. 89Zr-CD133 IgG was evaluated for specific activity and radiolabel stability. Colon cancer cells underwent binding assays and Western blotting. Biodistribution and PET studies were performed in mice. Results. 89Zr-CD133 IgG showed excellent target specificity with 97.2 ± 0.7% blocking of HT29 cell binding by an excess antibody. Intravenous 89Zr-CD133 IgG followed biexponential blood clearance and showed CD133-specific uptake in HT29 tumors. 89Zr-CD133 IgG PET/CT and biodistribution studies confirmed high HT29 tumor uptake with lower activities in the blood and normal organs. In HT29 cells, celecoxib dose-dependently decreased CD133 expression and 89Zr-CD133 IgG binding that reached 19.9 ± 2.1% (P < 0.005) and 50.3 ± 10.9% (P < 0.001) of baseline levels by 50 μM, respectively. Celecoxib treatment of mice significantly suppressed tumor CD133 expression to 67.5 ± 7.8% of controls (P < 0.005) and reduced tumor 89Zr-CD133 IgG uptake from 15.5 ± 1.4% at baseline to 12.3 ± 2.0%ID/g (P < 0.01). Celecoxib-induced CD133 reduction in HT29 cells and tumors was associated with substantial suppression of AKT activation. There were also reduced HIF-1α accumulation and IκBα/NFκB phosphorylation. Conclusion. 89Zr-CD133 IgG PET provides high-contrast tumor imaging and monitors celecoxib treatment-induced modulation of tumor CD133 expression, which was found to occur through AKT inhibition. This technique may thus be useful for screening drugs that can effectively suppress colon cancer stem cells.
Butylphthalide Inhibits TLR4/NF-κB Pathway by Upregulation of miR-21 to Have the Neuroprotective Effect

Stroke is a disease with the highest incidence rate and the highest mortality rate in the world. The study aims to verify the neuroprotective effect of Butylphthalide. The mice were divided into sham group, MCAO group, and MCAO + Butylphthalide-treated group. The mice in MCAO + Butylphthalide-treated group were administered with 70 mg/kg Butylphthalide injection intraperitoneally after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. The normal saline with the same volume was administered intraperitoneally for the mice in the MCAO group and sham group. The levels of miR-21 in brain tissue and cells were detected by qPCR. The OGD/R injury model of Neuro2A cells was used to simulate the hypoxic-ischemic environment of neurons in vitro. The proliferation rate of Neuro2A cells was detected with CCK-8. The production of ROS was detected with DCFH-DA. Compared with the mice in MCAO group, a decrease (P < 0.01) was observed in the functional neurologic impairment scoring, cerebral infarction volume, and brain loss volume in the mice treated with MCAO + Butylphthalide, but an increase (P < 0.01) was observed in the level of miR-21, which was positively correlated with functional neurologic impairment scoring (r = −0.8933, P < 0.001). MTT assay showed that the cell viability of OGD/R + Butylphthalide group was significantly higher than that of other groups (P < 0.001), and the activity of ROS was significantly decreased (P < 0.001). The WB results showed that, compared with OGD/R + miR-NC and control groups, the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax in OGD/R + Butylphthalide group and OGD/R + miR-21 mimics group was significantly higher (P < 0.05), while the ratio of caspase-3/GAPDH was significantly lower (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Butylphthalide has neuroprotective effect on the mouse model of MCAO. It may upregulate the level of miR-21 to inhibit neuronal apoptosis and ROS production and improve the proliferation activity. The specific mechanism may lie in inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB pathway.