Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary Polyphenol Intake Is Associated with Biological Aging, a Novel Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease: Cross-Sectional Findings from the Moli-Sani Study

Biological aging, or the discrepancy between biological and chronological age of a subject (Δage), has been associated with a polyphenol-rich Mediterranean diet and represents a new, robust indicator of cardiovascular disease risk. We aimed to disentangle the relationship of dietary polyphenols and total antioxidant capacity with Δage in a cohort of Italians. A cross-sectional analysis was performed on a sub-cohort of 4592 subjects (aged ≥ 35 y; 51.8% women) from the Moli-sani Study (2005–2010). Food intake was recorded by a 188-item food-frequency questionnaire. The polyphenol antioxidant content (PAC)-score was constructed to assess the total dietary content of polyphenols. Total antioxidant capacity was measured in foods by these assays: trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP). A deep neural network, based on 36 circulating biomarkers, was used to compute biological age and the resulting Δage, which was tested as outcome in multivariable-adjusted linear regressions. Δage was inversely associated with the PAC-score (β = −0.31; 95%CI −0.39, −0.24) but not with total antioxidant capacity of the diet. A diet rich in polyphenols, by positively contributing to deceleration of the biological aging process, may exert beneficial effects on the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and possibly of bone health.
Effect of Protease Type and Peptide Size on the In Vitro Antioxidant, Antihypertensive and Anti-Diabetic Activities of Eggplant Leaf Protein Hydrolysates

Solanum macrocarpon (eggplant) leaf protein isolate (ELI) was hydrolyzed using four different enzymes to produce hydrolysates from alcalase (AH), chymotrypsin (CH) pepsin (PH) and trypsin (TH). CH had an overall stronger antioxidant property and was separated using ultrafiltration membranes into <1, 1–3 and 3–5 kDa peptide fractions. Gel-permeation chromatography confirmed conversion of the ELI (average of 22 kDa) into protein hydrolysates that contained smaller peptides (<6 kDa). A total of 23 peptides consisting of tri and tetrapeptides were identified from the CH, which is a wider spectrum when compared to seven for AH and four each for TH and PH. CH exhibited stronger scavenging activities against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. CH and TH exhibited the strongest inhibitions against angiotensin-converting enzyme. In contrast, AH was the strongest inhibitor of α-amylase while AH and PH had strong inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase when compared with other hydrolysates. Ultrafiltration fractionation produced peptides that were stronger (p < 0.05) scavengers of DPPH, and hydroxyl radicals, in addition to better metal-chelating and enzyme inhibition agents. The study concluded that the eggplant protein hydrolysates and the UF fractions may find applications in tackling oxidative stress-related diseases and conditions involving excessive activities of the metabolic enzymes.
From Amorphous Silicones to Si-Containing Highly Ordered Polymers: Some Romanian Contributions in the Field †

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), in spite of its well-defined helical structure, is an amorphous fluid even at extremely high molecular weights. The cause of this behavior is the high flexibility of the siloxane backbone and the lack of intermolecular interactions attributed to the presence of methyl groups. These make PDMS incompatible with almost any organic or inorganic component leading to phase separation in siloxane-siloxane copolymers containing blocks with polar organic groups and in siloxane-organic copolymers, where dimethylsiloxane segments co-exist with organic ones. Self-assembly at the micro- or nanometric scale is common in certain mixed structures, including micelles, vesicles, et cetera, manifesting reversibly in response to an external stimulus. Polymers with a very high degree of ordering in the form of high-quality crystals were obtained when siloxane/silane segments co-exist with coordinated metal blocks in the polymer chain. While in the case of coordination of secondary building units (SBUs) with siloxane ligands 1D chains are formed; when coordination is achieved in the presence of a mixture of ligands, siloxane and organic, 2D structures are formed in most cases. The Romanian research group’s results regarding these aspects are reviewed: from the synthesis of classic, amorphous silicone products, to their adaptation for use in emerging fields and to new self-assembled or highly ordered structures with properties that create perspectives for the use of silicones in hitherto unexpected areas.
Job Crafting and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Work Meaning

One of the most widely researched personal resources is job crafting, for which several studies have confirmed the existence of a positive relationship with engagement. Some authors suggest that it would be necessary to go deeper into the mechanisms that can help us explain this relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study is to ascertain the possible influence of the meaning of work on the relationship between job crafting and engagement. The sample is composed of 814 workers (50.4% women) with an average age of 41.68 years (SD = 9.78). The results were obtained by simple mediation analysis using PROCESS. The meaning of work mediates the relationship between job crafting and engagement, this influence being especially significant in the case of cognitive crafting. This study confirms the positive relationship between job crafting and engagement. However, in the case of some types of job crafting, increased levels of engagement only occur if the individuals also manage to increase the levels of meaning attributed to the work role. Therefore, in order to improve the well-being levels of working people, it would also be necessary to help them understand how these changes help them to attribute more meaning to their work.
Mistreatment from Multiple Sources: Interaction Effects of Abusive Supervision, Coworker Incivility, and Customer Incivility on Work Outcomes

Despite the large body of research on workplace mistreatment, surprisingly few studies have examined the interaction effect of multiple interpersonal stressors on employee outcomes. To fill this gap, our research aimed to test the moderating effects of coworker incivility and customer incivility on the relationship between abusive supervision, emotional exhaustion, and job performance. Analyses conducted on 651 South Korean frontline service employees revealed that abusive supervision exerted a significant indirect effect on job performance through emotional exhaustion. Customer incivility strengthened the positive relationship between abusive supervision and emotional exhaustion, as well as the indirect effect of abusive supervision on job performance through emotional exhaustion. Our post hoc analysis demonstrated a three-way interaction between abusive supervision, coworker incivility, and customer incivility; the relationship between abusive supervision and emotional exhaustion was significantly positive only when coworker incivility was high and customer incivility was low. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory and practice.
Liver proteome alterations in psychologically distressed rats and a nootropic drug

Background Chronic psychological distress is considered today a pandemic due to the modern lifestyle and has been associated with various neurodegenerative, autoimmune, or systemic inflammation-related diseases. Stress is closely related to liver disease exacerbation through the high activity of the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems, and the connection between the development of these pathologies and the physiological effects induced by oxidative stress is not yet completely understood. The use of nootropics, as the cognitive enhancer and antioxidant piracetam, is attractive to repair the oxidative damage. A proteomic approach provides the possibility to obtain an in-depth comprehension of the affected cellular processes and the possible consequences for the body. Therefore, we considered to describe the effect of distress and piracetam on the liver proteome. Methods We used a murine model of psychological stress by predatory odor as a distress paradigm. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed into four experimental groups (n = 6 − 7/group) and were exposed or not to the stressor for five days and treated or not with piracetam (600 mg/kg) for six days. We evaluated the liver proteome by one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D-SDS-PAGE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GeLC-MS/MS). Besides, we analyzed the activity of liver antioxidant enzymes, the biochemical parameters in plasma and rat behavior. Results Our results showed that distress altered a wide range of proteins involved in amino acids metabolism, glucose, and fatty acid mobilization and degradation on the way to produce energy, protein folding, trafficking and degradation, redox metabolism, and its implications in the development of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Piracetam reverted the changes in metabolism caused by distress exposure, and, under physiological conditions, it increased catabolism rate directed towards energy production. These results confirm the possible relationship between chronic psychological stress and the progression of NAFLD, as well as we newly evidenced the controversial beneficial effects of piracetam. Finally, we propose new distress biomarkers in the liver as the protein DJ-1 (PARK7), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX), peroxiredoxin-5 (PRDX5), glutaredoxin 5 (GLRX5), and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNDR1), and in plasma as biochemical parameters related to kidney function such as urea and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels.
Serum Periostin as a Potential Biomarker in Pediatric Patients with Primary Hypertension

Experimental studies suggest that periostin is involved in tissue repair and remodeling. The study aimed to evaluate serum periostin concentration as potential biomarker in pediatric patients with primary hypertension (PH). We measured serum periostin, blood pressure, arterial damage, biochemical, and clinical data in 50 children with PH and 20 age-matched healthy controls. In univariate analysis, children with PH had significantly lower serum periostin compared to healthy peers (35.42 ± 10.43 vs. 42.16 ± 12.82 [ng/mL], p = 0.038). In the entire group of 70 children serum periostin concentration correlated negatively with peripheral, central, and ambulatory blood pressure, as well as with aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV). In multivariate analysis, periostin level significantly correlated with age (β = −0.614, [95% confidence interval (CI), −0.831–−0.398]), uric acid (β = 0.328, [95%CI, 0.124–0.533]), body mass index (BMI) Z-score (β = −0.293, [95%CI, −0.492–−0.095]), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (β = 0.235, [95%CI, 0.054–0.416]), and triglycerides (β = −0.198, [95%CI, −0.394–−0.002]). Neither the presence of hypertension nor blood pressure and aPWV influenced periostin level. To conclude, the role of serum periostin as a biomarker of elevated blood pressure and arterial damage in pediatric patients with primary hypertension is yet to be unmasked. Age, body mass index, uric acid, and lipid concentrations are key factors influencing periostin level in pediatric patients.
Towards Higher Electric Conductivity and Wider Phase Stability Range via Nanostructured Glass-Ceramics Processing

This review article presents recent studies on nanostructured glass-ceramic materials with substantially improved electrical (ionic or electronic) conductivity or with an extended temperature stability range of highly conducting high-temperature crystalline phases. Such materials were synthesized by the thermal nanocrystallization of selected electrically conducting oxide glasses. Various nanostructured systems have been described, including glass-ceramics based on ion conductive glasses (silver iodate and bismuth oxide ones) and electronic conductive glasses (vanadate-phosphate and olivine-like ones). Most systems under consideration have been studied with the practical aim of using them as electrode or solid electrolyte materials for rechargeable Li-ion, Na-ion, all-solid batteries, or solid oxide fuel cells. It has been shown that the conductivity enhancement of glass-ceramics is closely correlated with their dual microstructure, consisting of nanocrystallites (5–100 nm) confined in the glassy matrix. The disordered interfacial regions in those materials form “easy conduction” paths. It has also been shown that the glassy matrices may be a suitable environment for phases, which in bulk form are stable at high temperatures, and may exist when confined in nanograins embedded in the glassy matrix even at room temperature. Many complementary experimental techniques probing the electrical conductivity, long- and short-range structure, microstructure at the nanometer scale, or thermal transitions have been used to characterize the glass-ceramic systems under consideration. Their results have helped to explain the correlations between the microstructure and the properties of these systems.
Percentile Reference Values for the Neck Circumference of Mexican Children

Neck circumference was studied for the first time in a pediatric population in 2010. Since then, various countries have proposed cutoff values to identify overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. However, no reference values have been established for the Mexican child population. The aim of this study is to provide percentile reference values for the neck circumference of Mexican schoolchildren. Only normal-weight schoolchildren aged 6–11 years were included. Percentiles and growth charts were constructed based on the “Generalized Additive Model for Location, Scale and Shape” (GAMLSS). A total of 1059 schoolchildren (52.9% female) was evaluated. Weight, height, and BMI values were higher for males; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The 50th percentile for females was 24.6 cm at six years old and 28.25 cm at 11 years old, and for males, it was 25.75 cm and 28.76 cm, respectively. Both males and females displayed a pronounced increase in neck circumference between 10 and 11 years of age. The greatest variability was found in the 11-year-old group, with an increase of 5.5 cm for males and 5.4 cm for females. This study presents the first reference values for neck circumference for a Mexican child population.
Antibiotic Prescriptions among China Ambulatory Care Visits of Pregnant Women: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Antibiotic use in pregnant women at the national level has rarely been reported in China. Objectives: We aimed to investigate antibiotic prescriptions during pregnancy in ambulatory care settings in China. Methods: Data of 4,574,961 ambulatory care visits of pregnant women from October 2014 to April 2018 were analyzed. Percentages of Antibiotic prescriptions by different subgroups and various diagnosis categories and proportions of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions for different subgroups were estimated. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pregnancy categories were used to describe the antibiotic prescription patterns. The 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the Clopper––Pearson method or Goodman method. Results: Among the 4,574,961 outpatient visits during pregnancy, 2.0% (92,514 visits; 95% CI, 2.0–2.0%) were prescribed at least one antibiotic. The percentage of antibiotic prescriptions for pregnant women aged >40 years was 4.9% (95% CI, 4.7–5.0%), whereas that for pregnant women aged 26–30 years was 1.5% (95% CI, 1.4–1.5%). In addition, percentages of antibiotic prescriptions varied among different trimesters of pregnancy, which were 5.4% (95% CI, 5.3–5.4%) for the visits in the first trimester of pregnancy and 0.5% (95% CI, 0.4–0.5%) in the third trimester of pregnancy. Furthermore, the percentages of antibiotic prescriptions substantially varied among different diagnosis categories and nearly three-quarters of antibiotic prescriptions had no clear indications and thus might be inappropriate. In total, 130,308 individual antibiotics were prescribed; among these, 60.4% (95% CI, 60.0–60.8%) belonged to FDA category B, 2.7% (95% CI, 2.1–3.5%) were classified as FDA category D and 16.8% (95% CI, 16.2–17.4%) were not assigned any FDA pregnancy category. Conclusions: Antibiotic prescriptions in ambulatory care during pregnancy were not highly prevalent in mainland China. However, a substantial proportion of antibiotics might have been prescribed without adequate indications. Antibiotics whose fetal safety has not been sufficiently illustrated were widely used in pregnant women.
Utilizing Publicly Available Cancer Clinicogenomic Data on CBioPortal to Compare Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutant and Wildtype Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Publicly available clinicogenomic data on platforms such as the cancer BioPortal (cBioPortal.org) allow for efficient analyses by researchers with little or no experience working with Big Data. cBioPortal.org also allows for appropriate statistical testing and downloadable images for easy dissemination of findings. In this study, the cBioPortal.org platform was tested and its utility demonstrated by comparing cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with and without epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) mutations. Patients with EGFR mutations were more likely to be female, of Asian ethnicity, never-smokers, and be diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. Metastasis to the pleura, pleural fluid, and liver was common in patients with EGFR mutant NSCLC. On the other hand, lymph node, brain, and adrenal gland metastases were more common in patients with other mutations. While the median overall survival was about the same in the two groups, progression-free survival was significantly shorter in the EGFR mutant group. The mutational landscape was significantly different in the two groups with EGFR mutant NSCLCs having a lower mutational burden. Differences in copy number alterations between the two groups were also noted. The descriptive data generated from this study such as age, gender, smoking history, and histological subtype recapitulate findings of other studies on EGFR mutant NSCLCs. Further prospective and/or preclinical studies are needed to confirm differences noted in this study. cBioPortal.com queries may be used to supplement clinical/pre-clinical studies or to generate novel hypotheses.
Daily Lifestyle and Cutaneous Malignancies

Daily lifestyle is a fundamental part of human life and its influence accumulates daily in the human body. We observe that a good daily lifestyle has a beneficial impact on our health; however, the actual effects of individual daily lifestyle factors on human skin diseases, especially skin cancers, have not been summarized. In this review, we focused on the influence of daily lifestyle on the development of skin cancer and described the detailed molecular mechanisms of the development or regulation of cutaneous malignancies. Several daily lifestyle factors, such as circadian rhythm disruption, smoking, alcohol, fatty acids, dietary fiber, obesity, and ultraviolet light, are known to be associated with the risk of cutaneous malignancies, malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Although the influence of some daily lifestyles on the risk of skin cancers is controversial, this review provides us a better understanding of the relationship between daily lifestyle factors and skin cancers.
Structural Landscape of the Transition from an ssDNA Dumbbell Plus Its Complementary Hairpin to a dsDNA Microcircle Via a Kissing Loop Intermediate

The experimental construction of a double-stranded DNA microcircle of only 42 base pairs entailed a great deal of ingenuity and hard work. However, figuring out the three-dimensional structures of intermediates and the final product can be particularly baffling. Using a combination of model building and unrestrained molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent we have characterized the different DNA structures involved along the process. Our 3D models of the single-stranded DNA molecules provide atomic insight into the recognition event that must take place for the DNA bases in the cohesive tail of the hairpin to pair with their complementary bases in the single-stranded loops of the dumbbell. We propose that a kissing loop involving six base pairs makes up the core of the nascent dsDNA microcircle. We also suggest a feasible pathway for the hybridization of the remaining complementary bases and characterize the final covalently closed dsDNA microcircle as possessing two well-defined U-turns. Additional models of the pre-ligation complex of T4 DNA ligase with the DNA dumbbell and the post-ligation pre-release complex involving the same enzyme and the covalently closed DNA microcircle are shown to be compatible with enzyme recognition and gap ligation.
Effectiveness of Mobilization with Movement on the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background Osteoarthritis is becoming a global major cause of pain and functional disability worldwide, especially in the elderly population. Nowadays, evidence shows that mobilization with movement (MWM) has a beneficial effect on knee osteoarthritis subjects. However, its adequacy remains unclear. Objective To review the best available evidence for the effectiveness of MWMs on pain reduction and functional improvement in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods A comprehensive search of literature was conducted using the following electronic databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, and the methodological quality of the studies was appraised using the PEDro scale. It was reported according to the guideline of the PRISMA statement. Results A total of 15 RCTs having 704 participants were included. The present systematic review suggests that there were significant differences between MWM groups and control groups in terms of visual analogue scale (VAS), Western Ontario and MacMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale, and flexion range of motion. Conclusions This systematic review demonstrated that MWM was effective to improve pain, range of motion, and functional activities in subjects with knee osteoarthritis.