Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dental Amalgam Restorations and Children’s Neuropsychological Function: The New England Children’s Amalgam Trial

Background A concern persists that children’s exposure to mercury vapor from dental amalgams produces neurotoxicity. Objective Our goal was to compare the neuropsychological function of children, without prior exposure to dental amalgam, whose caries were repaired using either dental amalgam or mercury-free composite materials. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial involving 534 6- to 10-year-old urban and rural children who were assessed yearly for 5 years using a battery of tests of intelligence, achievement, language, memory, learning, visual–spatial skills, verbal fluency, fine motor function, problem solving, attention, and executive function. Results Although the mean urinary mercury concentration was greater among children in the amalgam group than the composite group (0.9 vs. 0.6 μg/g creatinine), few significant differences were found between the test scores of children in the two groups. The differences found were inconsistent in direction. Analyses using two cumulative exposure indices—surface years of amalgam and urinary mercury concentration—produced similar results. Conclusions Exposure to elemental mercury in amalgam at the levels experienced by the children who participated in the trial did not result in significant effects on neuropsychological function within the 5-year follow-up period.
High-precision figure testing of large-aperture space mirrors

Due to different situations on the ground and in agravic space,special support structure is demanded to unload mirror gravity when testing large-aperture space mirrors on the ground.Meanwhile,deformation induced by clamping forces must be strictly controlled to meet the requirements of high-precision figure testing.This paper presents test experiments performed on a space aspheric mirror made of SiC with 750 mm aperture.Testing results are compared with the finite element analysis results to investigate the influence of the support structure on mirror surface figure.To analyze the causes of incapability of high-precision surface figure testing,the methods of strip suspension and central supporting are discussed.An improved method of backboard supporting is proposed,it reduces the supporting deformation and the repeatability of surface figure at different angles reaches nanometer level.It is proved to be able to achieve higher precision testing,which is a fundamental solution for improving machining quality and efficiency.
School burnout and heart rate variability: risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in young adult females

Abstract Emerging research documents the relationship between school burnout and some indicators of increased cardiovascular risk. Indicators of cardiovascular functioning assessed via ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV) have not been thoroughly explored in this research domain. Therefore, the current study examined relationships between school burnout and indicators of cardiac functioning via 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiogram monitoring in a sample of young adult female undergraduates (N = 88). Two hypotheses were tested: (1) that independent of related negative affective symptomology (depression and anxiety), increased school burnout would be related to greater systolic and diastolic BP, higher low frequency (LF) HRV and lower very low frequency (VLF) HRV, and (2) that lower VLF would be related to greater school burnout independently of LF HRV. Hierarchical multiple regression analyzes showed that school burnout was significantly related to elevated ambulatory BP (systolic and diastolic) and HRV markers of increased cardiac sympathovagal tone. These findings support the hypotheses and suggest that school burnout might be implicated in the development of pre-hypertension or early cardiovascular disease. Study limitations and the need for future longitudinal research are discussed.
Strep-tag II fusion technology for the immobilization of lipase B from Candida antarctica

Fusion tags are genetically coded protein or peptides that can be expressed as attached moieties to the desired enzyme to improve downstream purification of the target protein. Fusion tags have the potential to provide specific immobilization with repeatable attachment of the enzyme, eliminate the need for purification and post-modification and enable dissociation of spent enzyme and regeneration of the support. Lipase is an industry-relevant enzyme utilized for the production of natural flavors, biodegradable polyesters for food packaging, structured lipids, antioxidant esters, sugar esters and several other important compounds used in food and agriculture industries. In this research work, we are targeting the immobilization of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) using novel Strep-tag II fusion technology as a means to enhance its functional properties. The gene encoding CALB was codon-optimized and synthesized for expression in E. coli. Multiple plasmid constructs were designed to allow for the direct fusion of a Strep-tag II to lipase. The corresponding bacterial expression systems were optimized to promote lipase expression. SDS-PAGE was employed to monitor protein expression. The expressed recombinant lipase having Strep-tag II was purified using Strep-Tactin (engineered streptavidin) column and further used for immobilization to Strep-Tactin based supports. Enzyme specific activity and kinetics were evaluated using colorimetric assays. The optimized bacterial expression system yielded a recombinant CALB with a Strep-II fusion tag. The expressed enzyme displayed specific affinity to Strep-Tactin and could be attached to a Strep-Tactin coated support. The resulting enzyme was catalytically active and was purified and characterized for immobilization studies using bio-affinity interaction.
Photosynthetic activity buffers ocean acidification in seagrass meadows

Macrophytes growing in shallow coastal zones characterised by intense metabolic activity have the capacity to modify pH within their canopy and beyond. We observed diel pH changes in shallow (5–12 m) seagrass ( Posidonia oceanica ) meadows spanning 0.06 pH units in September to 0.24 units in June. The carbonate system (pH, DIC, and aragonite saturation state (Ω Ar )) and O 2 within the meadows displayed strong diel variability driven by primary productivity, and changes in chemistry were related to structural parameters of the meadow, in particular, the leaf surface area available for photosynthesis (LAI). LAI was positively correlated to mean, max and range pH NBS and max and range Ω Ar . In June, vertical mixing (as Turbulent Kinetic Energy) influenced max and min Ω Ar , while in September there was no effect of hydrodynamics on the carbonate system within the canopy. Max and range Ω Ar within the meadow showed a positive trend with the calcium carbonate load of the leaves, pointing to a possible link between structural parameters, Ω Ar and carbonate deposition. Calcifying organisms, e.g. epiphytes with carbonate skeletons, may benefit from the modification of the carbonate system by the meadow. There is, however, concern for the ability of seagrasses to provide modifications of similar importance in the future. The predicted decline of seagrass meadows may alter the scope for alteration of pH within a seagrass meadow and in the water column above the meadow, particularly if shoot density and biomass decline, on which LAI is based. Organisms associated with seagrass communities may therefore suffer from the loss of pH buffering capacity in degraded meadows.
Multi‐echo segmented k‐space imaging: An optimized hybrid sequence for ultrafast cardiac imaging

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging requires high temporal resolution to resolve motion and contrast uptake with low total scan times to avoid breathing artifacts. While spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) imaging is robust and reproducible, it is relatively inefficient and requires long breath‐holds to acquire high time resolution movies of the heart. Echo planar imaging (EPI) is highly efficient with excellent signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) behavior; however, it is particularly difficult to use in the heart because of its sensitivity to chemical shift, susceptibility, and motion. EPI may also require reference scans, which are used to measure hardware delays and phase offsets that cause ghosting artifacts; these reference scans are more difficult and less reliable in the heart. Consequently, a hybrid EPI/SPGR sequence is proposed for application to rapid cardiac imaging. A detailed optimization of SNR and echo train length for multi‐echo sequences is presented. It is shown that significant reductions in total scan time are possible while maintaining good image quality. This will allow complete motion sampling of the entire heart in one to three breath‐holds, necessary for MR cardiac dobutamine stress testing. Improved speed performance also permits sampling of three to six slices every heartbeat for bolus injection perfusion studies. Magn Reson Med 41:375–385, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PROCESSAMENTO DE SORVETE POR CONGELAMENTO CONVENCIONAL E CRIOGÊNICO: TESTE DE ACEITABILIDADE ICE CREAM PROCESSING FOR CONVENTIONAL AND CRYOGENIC FREEZE: ACCEPTABILITY TEST

Ice cream is a food rich in protein, sugars, fat, vitamins and minerals, essential in a balanced nutrition. It is noteworthy that the processing of ice cream freezing step is important for the product quality and that the faster the freezing, the smaller the ice crystals and softer the final product. In the process of preparing the ice cream by the conventional method, temperatures of -18°C occurs the formation of large ice crystals, giving the product an appearance and texture not so desirable. Using the fast freezing technique obtain higher quality products because the formation of crystals occurs at a higher speed, giving no time for their aggregation, resulting in small crystals that do not damage cells and are also is imperceptible to the human palate. Emerging techniques are being studied to obtain a better quality product, one such technique is to use ultra-low temperatures. This study aimed to assess the acceptability of the processes and effects of conventional and cryogenic freezing in the preparation of vanilla ice cream. Physical tests were done (determining the overrun and microscopic analysis) and sensory evaluation by a nine point Hedonic Scale. The ice cream prepared by the cryogenic method presented better overrun percentage (78%) and its air bubbles and fat globules present in a more aerated, when compared with the ice cream structure manufactured by the conventional process. It was also found that the highest aeration of the ice cream (by cryogenic) was important for obtaining the best product results for the sensory attributes (flavor, texture and overall acceptability). Keywords— Cryogenic, ice cream, overrun, sensory evaluation.
Sleep quality among internally displaced Georgian adolescents and population-based controls

Sleep problems in children and adolescents are a significant public health concern and may be linked to a variety of psychoemotional difficulties. This study aimed to evaluate sleep quality and associated factors in conflict-affected Georgian adolescents after 9 months of forced displacement. Thirty-three internally displaced adolescents (mean age 11.4 years) and 33 adolescents (mean age 10.8 years) from the general population completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Parents completed the Children’s Sleep–Wake Scale and provided information on their socioeconomic status (SES) and the adolescents’ sleep behavior, academic performance, and peer social relationships. The groups differed significantly in sleep quality, peer relationships, SES, and CDI scores. In the internally displaced group, the only significant predictor of sleep quality was SES, which increased the predictive capacity of the model (demographic and psychosocial variables) by 20% in the hierarchical analyses. The most significant predictor in the non-internally displaced group was CDI. This research indicates that displacement may affect sleep quality and psychosocial functioning. The importance of family SES as a contributing factor to displaced adolescents’ poor sleep quality is highlighted. An integrated approach designed to improve the psychosocial environment of internally displaced adolescents is needed for their protection.
Plasma phospholipase, γ‐CEHC and antioxidant capacity in fibromyalgia

Recent studies have suggested a possible role of high levels of plasma lysophosphocholines (lysoPCs) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of plasma phospholipases (e.g., Platelet Activating Factor Acetyl Hydrolase [PAF‐AH], secretory Phospholipase A2 [sPLA2], Total Antioxidant Capacity [TAOC] and 2,7,8‐trimethyl‐2‐(2‐carboxyethyl)‐6‐hydroxy chroman [γ‐CEHC]) in FMS patients and their association with clinical status and quality of life.
Current audiological diagnostics

Today’s audiological functional diagnostics is based on a variety of hearing tests, whose large number takes account of the variety of malfunctions of a complex sensory organ system and the necessity to examine it in a differentiated manner and at any age of life. The objective is to identify nature and origin of the hearing loss and to quantify its extent as far as necessary to dispose of the information needed to initiate the adequate medical (conservative or operational) treatment or the provision with technical hearing aids or prostheses. Moreover, audiometry provides the basis for the assessment of impairment and handicap as well as for the calculation of the degree of disability. In the present overview, the current state of the method inventory available for practical use is described, starting from basic diagnostics over to complex special techniques. The presentation is systematically grouped in subjective procedures, based on psychoacoustic exploration, and objective methods, based on physical measurements: preliminary hearing tests, pure tone threshold, suprathreshold processing of sound intensity, directional hearing, speech understanding in quiet and in noise, dichotic hearing, tympanogram, acoustic reflex, otoacoustic emissions and auditory evoked potentials. Apart from a few still existing gaps, this method inventory covers the whole spectrum of all clinically relevant functional deficits of the auditory system.
Efficacy of Bright Light Treatment, Fluoxetine, and the Combination in Patients With Nonseasonal Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE Bright light therapy is an evidence-based treatment for seasonal depression, but there is limited evidence for its efficacy in nonseasonal major depressive disorder (MDD). OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of light treatment, in monotherapy and in combination with fluoxetine hydrochloride, compared with a sham-placebo condition in adults with nonseasonal MDD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Randomized, double-blind, placebo- and sham-controlled, 8-week trial in adults (aged 19-60 years) with MDD of at least moderate severity in outpatient psychiatry clinics in academic medical centers. Data were collected from October 7, 2009, to March 11, 2014. Analysis was based on modified intent to treat (randomized patients with ≥1 follow-up rating). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly assigned to (1) light monotherapy (active 10,000-lux fluorescent white light box for 30 min/d in the early morning plus placebo pill); (2) antidepressant monotherapy (inactive negative ion generator for 30 min/d plus fluoxetine hydrochloride, 20 mg/d); (3) combination light and antidepressant; or (4) placebo (inactive negative ion generator plus placebo pill). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Change score on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) from baseline to the 8-week end point. Secondary outcomes included response (≥50% reduction in MADRS score) and remission (MADRS score ≤10 at end point). RESULTS A total of 122 patients were randomized (light monotherapy, 32; fluoxetine monotherapy, 31; combination therapy, 29; placebo, 30). The mean (SD) changes in MADRS score for the light, fluoxetine, combination, and placebo groups were 13.4 (7.5), 8.8 (9.9), 16.9 (9.2), and 6.5 (9.6), respectively. The combination (effect size [d] = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.54 to 1.64) and light monotherapy (d = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.28 to 1.31) were significantly superior to placebo in the MADRS change score, but fluoxetine monotherapy (d = 0.24; 95% CI, -0.27 to 0.74) was not superior to placebo. For the respective placebo, fluoxetine, light, and combination groups at the end point, response was achieved by 10 (33.3%), 9 (29.0%), 16 (50.0%), and 22 (75.9%) and remission was achieved by 9 (30.0%), 6 (19.4%), 14 (43.8%), and 17 (58.6%). Combination therapy was superior to placebo in MADRS response (β = 1.70; df = 1; P = .005) and remission (β = 1.33; df = 1; P = .02), with numbers needed to treat of 2.4 (95% CI, 1.6 to 5.8) and 3.5 (95% CI, 2.0 to 29.9), respectively. All treatments were generally well tolerated, with few significant differences in treatment-emergent adverse events. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Bright light treatment, both as monotherapy and in combination with fluoxetine, was efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment of adults with nonseasonal MDD. The combination treatment had the most consistent effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00958204.
Low toxic maghemite nanoparticles for theranostic applications

Background Iron oxide nanoparticles have numerous and versatile biological properties, ranging from direct and immediate biochemical effects to prolonged influences on tissues. Most applications have strict requirements with respect to the chemical and physical properties of such agents. Therefore, developing rational design methods of synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles remains of vital importance in nanobiomedicine. Methods Low toxic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) for theranostic applications in oncology having spherical shape and maghemite structure were produced using the fast microwave synthesis technique and were fully characterized by several complementary methods (transmission electron microscopy [TEM], X-ray diffraction [XRD], dynamic light scattering [DLS], X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [XPS], X-ray absorption near edge structure [XANES], Mossbauer spectroscopy, and HeLa cells toxicity testing). Results TEM showed that the majority of the obtained nanoparticles were almost spherical and did not exceed 20 nm in diameter. The averaged DLS hydrodynamic size was found to be ~33 nm, while that of nanocrystallites estimated by XRD waŝ16 nm. Both XRD and XPS studies evidenced the maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) atomic and electronic structure of the synthesized nanoparticles. The XANES data analysis demonstrated the structure of the nanoparticles being similar to that of macroscopic maghemite. The Mossbauer spectroscopy revealed the γ-Fe2O3 phase of the nanoparticles and vibration magnetometry study showed that reactive oxygen species in HeLa cells are generated both in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Conclusion Quasispherical Fe3+ SPIONs having the maghemite structure with the average size of 16 nm obtained by using the fast microwave synthesis technique are expected to be of great value for theranostic applications in oncology and multimodal anticancer therapy.
Anti‐leukaemic activity of the TYK2 selective inhibitor NDI‐031301 in T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Activation of tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) contributes to the aberrant survival of T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T‐ALL) cells. Here we demonstrate the anti‐leukaemic activity of a novel TYK2 inhibitor, NDI‐031301. NDI‐031301 is a potent and selective inhibitor of TYK2 that induced robust growth inhibition of human T‐ALL cell lines. NDI‐031301 treatment of human T‐ALL cell lines resulted in induction of apoptosis that was not observed with the JAK inhibitors tofacitinib and baricitinib. Further investigation revealed that NDI‐031301 treatment uniquely leads to activation of three mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), resulting in phosphorylation of ERK, SAPK/JNK and p38 MAPK coincident with PARP cleavage. Activation of p38 MAPK occurred within 1 h of NDI‐031301 treatment and was responsible for NDI‐031301‐induced T‐ALL cell death, as pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK partially rescued apoptosis induced by TYK2 inhibitor. Finally, daily oral administration of NDI‐031301 at 100 mg/kg bid to immunodeficient mice engrafted with KOPT‐K1 T‐ALL cells was well tolerated, and led to decreased tumour burden and a significant survival benefit. These results support selective inhibition of TYK2 as a promising potential therapeutic strategy for T‐ALL.
Antibody-conjugated, dual-modal, near-infrared fluorescent iron oxide nanoparticles for antiamyloidgenic activity and specific detection of amyloid-β fibrils

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is the main fibrillar component of plaque deposits found in brains affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is related to the pathogenesis of AD. Passive anti-Aβ immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach for the therapy of AD, based on the administration of specific anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies (aAβmAbs) to delay Aβ aggregation in the brain. However, the main disadvantage of this approach is the required readministration of the aAβmAbs at frequent intervals. There are only a few reports describing in vitro study for the immobilization of aAβmAbs to nanoparticles as potential targeting agents of Aβ aggregates. In this article, we report the immobilization of the aAβmAb clone BAM10 to near-infrared fluorescent maghemite nanoparticles for the inhibition of Aβ40 fibrillation kinetics and the specific detection of Aβ40 fibrils. The BAM10-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles were well-characterized, including their immunogold labeling and cytotoxic effect on PC-12 (pheochromocytoma cell line). Indeed, these antibody-conjugated nanoparticles significantly inhibit the Aβ40 fibrillation kinetics compared with the same concentration, or even five times higher, of the free BAM10. This inhibitory effect was confirmed by different assays such as the photo-induced crosslinking of unmodified proteins combined with sodium dodecyl sulfate– polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A cell viability assay also confirmed that these antibody-conjugated nanoparticles significantly reduced the Aβ40-induced cytotoxicity to PC-12 cells. Furthermore, the selective labeling of the Aβ40 fibrils with the BAM10-conjugated near-infrared fluorescent iron oxide nanoparticles enabled specific detection of Aβ40 fibrils ex vivo by both magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence imaging. This study highlights the immobilization of the aAβmAb to dual-modal nanoparticles as a potential approach for aAβmAb delivery, eliminating the issue of readministration, and contributes to the development of multifunctional agents for diagnosis and therapy of AD.
Restoration of Self-Sustained Circadian Rhythmicity by the Mutant Clock Allele in Mice in Constant Illumination

Mice mutant for the Clock gene display abnormal circadian behavior characterized by long circadian periods and a tendency to become rapidly arrhythmic in constant darkness (DD). To investigate whether this result is contingent on the absence of light, the authors studied the circadian behavior of homozygous Clock mutant mice under conditions of both constant light and DD. Fourteen of 15 Clock/Clock mice stayed rhythmic in constant light of 70 to 170 lux, where 10 of 15 wild-type mice became arrhythmic. In contrast, only 5 of 15 Clock/ Clock mice and 15 of 15 wild-type mice remained rhythmic after 60 cycles when released in DD (dim red light of < 1.5 lux) after 8 days of entrainment. The restoration of self-sustained rhythmicity by the Clock allele cannot be attributed to reduced sensitivity of the system to light. It underscores the fact that self-sustainment is not a secure guide to functional organization.