Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapid Self-Assembly of Metal/Polymer Nanocomposite Particles as Nanoreactors and Their Kinetic Characterization

Self-assembled metal nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposite particles as nanoreactors are a promising approach for performing liquid phase reactions using water as a bulk solvent. In this work, we demonstrate rapid, scalable self-assembly of metal nanoparticle catalyst-polymer nanocomposite particles via Flash NanoPrecipitation. The catalyst loading and size of the nanocomposite particles can be tuned independently. Using nanocomposite particles as nanoreactors and the reduction of 4-nitrophenol as a model reaction, we study the fundamental interplay of reaction and diffusion. The induction time is affected by the sequence of reagent addition, time between additions, and reagent concentration. Combined, our experiments indicate the induction time is most influenced by diffusion of sodium borohydride. Following the induction time, scaling analysis and effective diffusivity measured using NMR indicate that the observed reaction rate are reaction- rather than diffusion-limited. Furthermore, the intrinsic kinetics are comparable to ligand-free gold nanoparticles. This result indicates that the polymer microenvironment does not de-activate or block the catalyst active sites.
Influence of Temperature, Solvent and pH on the Selective Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Tiger Nuts by-Products: Triple-TOF-LC-MS-MS Characterization

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of temperature, solvent (hydroethanolic mixtures) and pH on the recovery of individual phenolic compounds from “horchata” by-products. These parameters were optimized by response surface methodology and triple-TOF-LC-MS-MS was selected as the analytical tool to identify and quantify the individual compounds. The optimum extraction conditions were 50% ethanol, 35 °C and pH 2.5, which resulted in values of 222.6 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry matter and 1948.1 µM trolox equivalent (TE)/g of dry matter for total phenolic content (TPC) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), respectively. The extraction of phenolic compounds by the conventional solvent method with agitation was influenced by temperature (p = 0.0073), and more strongly, by the content of ethanol in the extraction solution (p = 0.0007) while the pH did not show a great impact (p = 0.7961). On the other hand, the extraction of phenolic acids was affected by temperature (p = 0.0003) and by ethanol amount (p < 0.0001) but not by the pH values (p = 0.53). In addition, the percentage of ethanol influenced notably the extraction of both 4-vinylphenol (p = 0.0002) and the hydroxycinnamic acids (p = 0.0039). Finally, the main individual phenolic extracted with hydroethanolic mixtures was 4-vinylphenol (303.3 μg/kg DW) followed by spinacetin3-O-glucosyl-(1→6)-glucoside (86.2 μg/kg DW) and sinensetin (77.8 μg/kg DW).
A Frame-Based NLP System for Cancer-Related Information Extraction

We propose a frame-based natural language processing (NLP) method that extracts cancer-related information from clinical narratives. We focus on three frames: cancer diagnosis, cancer therapeutic procedure, and tumor description. We utilize a deep learning-based approach, bidirectional Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) Conditional Random Field (CRF), which uses both character and word embeddings. The system consists of two constituent sequence classifiers: a frame identification (lexical unit) classifier and a frame element classifier. The classifier achieves an F1 of 93.70 for cancer diagnosis, 96.33 for therapeutic procedure, and 87.18 for tumor description. These represent improvements of 10.72, 0.85, and 8.04 over a baseline heuristic, respectively. Additionally, we demonstrate that the combination of both GloVe and MIMIC-III embeddings has the best representational effect. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of deep learning methods to extract frame semantic information from clinical narratives.
Combined rhegmatogenous and traction retinal detachment in proliferative diabetic retinopathy: clinical manifestations and surgical outcome.

BACKGROUND Combined rhegmatogenous and traction retinal detachment (combined detachment) is a serious complication in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The common clinical findings and surgical results of this complication were investigated. METHODS Forty eyes of 36 consecutive patients with combined detachment undergoing pars plana vitrectomy at a teaching hospital in a 4.5-year period were retrospectively reviewed. All cases had been followed up for at least 6 months. RESULTS Only 10 of the 40 cases had a preoperative visual acuity better than finger counting vision. Extensive proliferation with multiple, thickened, plaque-like vitreoretinal adhesions and large areas of detachment were noted in 38 cases, 19 cases showing predominantly fibrous tissue and 19 cases presenting with predominantly active fibrovascular proliferation. Two cases had minimal fibrovascular proliferation. Retinal breaks were identified in 7 eyes (17.5%) before surgery and in 33 eyes (82.5%) during surgery. Thirty-seven eyes (92.5%) achieved long-term retinal reattachment. Silicone oil was used in 23 eyes (57.5%). Visual acuity improved in 28 eyes (70%), was unchanged in 6 (15%), and became worse in 6 (15%). In 19 eyes postoperative vision was better than 20/400. Multiple regression analysis showed preoperative visual acuity as the single factor associated with postoperative visual outcome. INTERPRETATION Combined retinal detachment in proliferative diabetic retinopathy may occur during the stage of active fibrovascular proliferation or as a late complication. It is frequently associated with tightly adherent preretinal tissue and extensive detachment. Preoperative visual acuity best predicts visual prognosis.
Being there: protocol for a scoping review of the medical education literature on grief support training for medical professionals

Introduction Medical trainees and professionals do not perceive that they are adequately taught the skills to address issues of grief with their patients. Atypical grief responses can prolong suffering, interrupt normal activities and lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Grief training can help physicians cope with feelings about and responses to suffering, loss and death in a way that improves both physician and patient/family wellness. This scoping review will describe the current landscape of grief training worldwide in medical school and residency and in continuing professional development in the disciplines of paediatrics, family medicine and psychiatry. The ultimate goal is to help physicians support patients experiencing grief. Methods and analysis The study design has been adapted from Arksey and O’Malley’s review methodology. We will work with an information specialist who will run searches in six multidisciplinary databases. To supplement the search, we will scan the reference lists of included studies. Two levels of screening will take place: a title and abstract review for articles that fit predefined criteria and a full-text review of articles that meet those criteria. To be included in the review, articles must report on grief training for medical residents and professionals in the fields of paediatrics, family medicine and psychiatry. Two investigators will review each article and extract data. Ethics and dissemination Research ethics approval is not required for this review. We plan to share the findings through national and international medical education conferences and to publish the results in a peer-reviewed academic journal. We have the support of several directors of medical education at our institution who are interested in the growing focus on humanism in medical education as a way of decreasing burnout among medical students, residents and faculty.
Tissue-Engineered Esophagus via Bioreactor Cultivation for Circumferential Esophageal Reconstruction.

IMPACT STATEMENT In vivo functional esophageal reconstruction remains challenging due to anastomosis site leakage and necrosis of the implanted scaffold in a circumferential esophageal defect. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a tissue-engineered esophagus that enables regeneration of esophageal mucosa and muscle without leakage of the esophageal anastomosis. In this study, we proposed an intriguing strategy that combines a mesenchymal stem cell-seeded tubular scaffold with a bioreactor system for esophageal reconstruction and introduced a new surgical anastomosis technique with the thyroid gland flap over the implanted scaffold to improve graft survival. We believe that this system should be a powerful platform for circumferential replacement of the esophagus in a rat model.
Anticancer Effects of Baicalein in FRO Thyroid Cancer Cells Through the Up-regulation of ERK/p38 MAPK and Akt Pathway

Background/Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the anticancer effects of baicalein in FRO anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) cells. Materials and Methods: FRO cells were treated with baicalein and viability was measured by the MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was observed by staining with Hoechst dye. The expression of apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, PARP, cytochrome c, and caspase-3) and the inflammatory protein Cox-2 and the phosphorylation of MAPKs and Akt were determined by western blot. Results: Treatment with baicalein inhibited cell proliferation in a time-dependent manner and increased DNA fragmentation and apoptosis in FRO cells. Baicalein at 50 and 100 μM inhibited the expression of Bax, PARP, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3, and Cox-2, and increased the expression of Bcl-2. Baicalein increased the phosphorylation of ERK, p38 MAPK, and Akt and decreased JNK phosphorylation. Conclusion: Baicalein caused anticancer effects in FRO ATC cells through induction of apoptosis and regulation of the MAPK and Akt pathway.
Hypothermic Storage of Human Hepatocytes for Transplantation

Transplantation of human hepatocytes is gaining recognition as a bridge or an alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation for patients with acute liver failure and genetic defects. Since most patients require multiple cell infusions over an extended period of time, we investigated hepatic functions in cells maintained in University of Wisconsin solution at 4°C up to 72 h. Eleven different assessments of hepatic viability and function were investigated both pre- and posthypothermic storage, including plating efficiency, caspase-3/7 activity, ammonia metabolism, and drug-metabolizing capacity of isolated hepatocytes. Long-term function, basal, and induced cytochrome P450 activities were measured after exposure to prototypical inducing agents. Cells from 47 different human liver specimens were analyzed. Viability significantly decreased in cells cold stored in UW solution, while apoptosis level and plating efficiency were not significantly different from fresh cells. Luminescent and fluorescent methods assessed phases I and II activities both pre- and post-24-72 h of cold preservation. A robust induction (up to 200-fold) of phase I enzymes was observed in cultured cells. Phase II and ammonia metabolism remained stable during hypothermic storage, although the inductive effect of culture on each metabolic activity was eventually lost. Using techniques that characterize 11 measurements of hepatic viability and function from plating efficiency, to ammonia metabolism, to phases I and II drug metabolism, it was determined that while viability decreased, the remaining viable cells in cold-stored suspensions retained critical hepatic functions for up to 48 h at levels not significantly different from those observed in freshly isolated cells.
Going with the Flow: The Neural Mechanisms Underlying Illusions of Complex-Flow Motion

Studying the mismatch between perception and reality helps us better understand the constructive nature of the visual brain. The Pinna–Brelstaff motion illusion is a compelling example illustrating how a complex moving pattern can generate an illusory motion perception. When an observer moves toward (expansion) or away (contraction) from the Pinna–Brelstaff figure, the figure appears to rotate. The neural mechanisms underlying the illusory complex-flow motion of rotation, expansion, and contraction remain unknown. We studied this question at both perceptual and neuronal levels in behaving male macaques by using carefully parametrized Pinna–Brelstaff figures that induce the above motion illusions. We first demonstrate that macaques perceive illusory motion in a manner similar to that of human observers. Neurophysiological recordings were subsequently performed in the middle temporal area (MT) and the dorsal portion of the medial superior temporal area (MSTd). We find that subgroups of MSTd neurons encoding a particular global pattern of real complex-flow motion (rotation, expansion, contraction) also represent illusory motion patterns of the same class. They require an extra 15 ms to reliably discriminate the illusion. In contrast, MT neurons encode both real and illusory local motions with similar temporal delays. These findings reveal that illusory complex-flow motion is first represented in MSTd by the same neurons that normally encode real complex-flow motion. However, the extraction of global illusory motion in MSTd from other classes of real complex-flow motion requires extra processing time. Our study illustrates a cascaded integration mechanism from MT to MSTd underlying the transformation from external physical to internal nonveridical flow-motion perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The neural basis of the transformation from objective reality to illusory percepts of rotation, expansion, and contraction remains unknown. We demonstrate psychophysically that macaques perceive these illusory complex-flow motions in a manner similar to that of human observers. At the neural level, we show that medial superior temporal (MSTd) neurons represent illusory flow motions as if they were real by globally integrating middle temporal area (MT) local motion signals. Furthermore, while MT neurons reliably encode real and illusory local motions with similar temporal delays, MSTd neurons take a significantly longer time to process the signals associated with illusory percepts. Our work extends previous complex-flow motion studies by providing the first detailed analysis of the neuron-specific mechanisms underlying complex forms of illusory motion integration from MT to MSTd.
Arbitrary-Waveform Electro-Optical Intracranial Neurostimulator With Load-Adaptive High-Voltage Compliance

A hybrid 16-channel current-mode and the 8-channel optical implantable neurostimulating system is presented. The system generates arbitrary-waveform charge-balanced current-mode electrical pulses with an amplitude ranging from 50 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> to 10 mA. An impedance monitoring feedback loop is employed to automatically adjust the supply voltage, yielding a load-optimized power dissipation. The 8-channel optical stimulator drives an array of LEDs, each with a maximum of 25 mA current amplitude, and reuses the arbitrary-waveform generation function of the electrical stimulator. The LEDs are assembled within a custom-made <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${4}\times {4}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ECoG grid electrode array, enabling precise optical stimulation of neurons with a 300 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> pitch between the LEDs and simultaneous monitoring of the neural response by the ECoG electrode, at different distances of the stimulation site. The hybrid stimulation system is implemented on a mini-PCB, and receives power and stimulation commands inductively through a second board and a coil stacked on top of it. The entire system is sized at <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${3}\times {2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${5}\times {1}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<sup>3</sup> and weighs 7 grams. The system efficacy for electrical and optical stimulation is validated in-vivo using separate chronic and acute experiments.
Mediterranean dietary patterns and prospective weight change in participants of the EPIC-PANACEA project.

BACKGROUND There is an association between a greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet and a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases. However, it is not clear whether this dietary pattern may be protective also against the development of obesity. OBJECTIVE We assessed the association between the adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP), prospective weight change, and the incidence of overweight or obesity. DESIGN We conducted a prospective cohort study [the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol Consumption, Cessation of Smoking, Eating Out of Home, and Obesity (EPIC-PANACEA) project] in 373,803 individuals (103,455 men and 270,348 women; age range: 25-70 y) from 10 European countries. Anthropometric measurements were obtained at recruitment and after a median follow-up time of 5 y. The relative Mediterranean Diet Score (rMED; score range: 0-18) was used to assess adherence to the MDP according to the consumption of 9 dietary components that are characteristic of the Mediterranean diet. The association between the rMED and 5-y weight change was modeled through multiadjusted mixed-effects linear regression. RESULTS Individuals with a high adherence to the MDP according to the rMED (11-18 points) showed a 5-y weight change of -0.16 kg (95% CI: -0.24, -0.07 kg) and were 10% (95% CI: 4%, 18%) less likely to develop overweight or obesity than were individuals with a low adherence to the MDP (0-6 points). The low meat content of the Mediterranean diet seemed to account for most of its positive effect against weight gain. CONCLUSION This study shows that promoting the MDP as a model of healthy eating may help to prevent weight gain and the development of obesity.
Thinger.io: An Open Source Platform for Deploying Data Fusion Applications in IoT Environments

In the last two decades, data and information fusion has experienced significant development due mainly to advances in sensor technology. The sensors provide a continuous flow of data about the environment in which they are deployed, which is received and processed to build a dynamic estimation of the situation. With current technology, it is relatively simple to deploy a set of sensors in a specific geographic area, in order to have highly sensorized spaces. However, to be able to fusion and process the information coming from the data sources of a highly sensorized space, it is necessary to solve certain problems inherent to this type of technology. The challenge is analogous to what we can find in the field of the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT technology is characterized by providing the infrastructure capacity to capture, store, and process a huge amount of heterogeneous sensor data (in most cases, from different manufacturers), in the same way that it occurs in data fusion applications. This work is not simple, mainly due to the fact that there is no standardization of the technologies involved (especially within the communication protocols used by the connectable sensors). The solutions that we can find today are proprietary solutions that imply an important dependence and a high cost. The aim of this paper is to present a new open source platform with capabilities for the collection, management and analysis of a huge amount of heterogeneous sensor data. In addition, this platform allows the use of hardware-agnostic in a highly scalable and cost-effective manner. This platform is called Thinger.io. One of the main characteristics of Thinger.io is the ability to model sensorized environments through a high level language that allows a simple and easy implementation of data fusion applications, as we will show in this paper.
Easy and effective method to generate endotoxin‐free chitosan particles for immunotoxicology and immunopharmacology studies

The cationic biopolymer chitosan (CH) has emerged as a promising candidate adjuvant due to its safety profile and immunostimulatory properties. The presence of endotoxin contamination in biomaterials is generally underappreciated and can generate misleading results. It is important to establish a convenient methodology to obtain large amounts of high quality chitosan nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
Acrylamide in daily food in the metropolitan area of Hanoi, Vietnam

ABSTRACT Acrylamide, a colourless and odourless crystalline solid, formed via the Maillard reaction in food, has been reported with harmful properties for humans, such as toxicity and carcinogenicity. Three hundred and four processed food samples from 17 product types, collected in Hanoi, Vietnam, were analyzed by LC-MS/MS to measure the acrylamide concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of acrylamide were 1 µg Kg−1 and 3 µg Kg−1, respectively. Effectively, the highest acrylamide content is usually found in processed food, which is one of the primary reasons of increased acrylamide content in food. All French fried samples contained acrylamide above 500 µg kg−1. Acrylamide concentration in non-fried noodle, vermicelli, rice noodle, phở, dried vegetable, and rice cracker is lower than in potato chips, fried potatoes, fried cake, and fried noodles. The results could be helpful to estimate exposure and risk assessment of acrylamide in Vietnam.
Ensemble Statistics Shape Face Adaptation and the Cheerleader Effect

When confronted with a scene of emotional faces, our brains automatically average the individual facial expressions together to create the gist of the collective emotion. Here, we tested whether this ensemble averaging could also occur for facial attractiveness, and in turn shape 2 related face perception phenomena: adaptation and the cheerleader effect. In our first 2 experiments, we showed that adaptation aftereffects could indeed be shaped by ensemble statistics; viewing an increasingly unattractive group of faces conversely increased attractiveness judgments for a subsequently presented face. Not only did group adaptation aftereffects occur, but their effects were equivalent to those observed from the morphed average face of the group, suggesting that the visual system had averaged the group together. In our last 2 experiments, we showed that viewing a target face in an increasingly unattractive group led to the target being perceived as increasingly more attractive: a “cheerleader” effect. Moreover, our results suggest that this cheerleader effect likely comprises of both a social positive effect and a contrastive process, requiring variance between the surrounding and target faces; that is, the visual system appeared incapable of boosting a target’s attractiveness when all of the faces in the scene were identical. Furthermore, the mean group attractiveness ratings strongly predicted both the cheerleader effect and adaptation aftereffects, with the latter 2 also interrelated. This suggests that ensemble statistics is the common underlying process linking each of these phenomena. To be perceived as beautiful, being surrounded by unattractive friends may help.