Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bioinspired Bouligand cellulose nanocrystal composites: a review of mechanical properties

The twisted plywood, or Bouligand, structure is the most commonly observed microstructural motif in natural materials that possess high mechanical strength and toughness, such as that found in bone and the mantis shrimp dactyl club. These materials are isotropically toughened by a low volume fraction of soft, energy-dissipating polymer and by the Bouligand structure itself, through shear wave filtering and crack twisting, deflection and arrest. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are excellent candidates for the bottom-up fabrication of these structures, as they naturally self-assemble into ‘chiral nematic’ films when cast from solutions and possess outstanding mechanical properties. In this article, we present a review of the fabrication techniques and the corresponding mechanical properties of Bouligand biomimetic CNC nanocomposites, while drawing comparison to the performance standards set by tough natural composite materials. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology’.
Higgs cosmology

The discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 and other results from the Large Hadron Collider have confirmed the standard model of particle physics as the correct theory of elementary particles and their interactions up to energies of several TeV. Remarkably, the theory may even remain valid all the way to the Planck scale of quantum gravity, and therefore it provides a solid theoretical basis for describing the early Universe. Furthermore, the Higgs field itself has unique properties that may have allowed it to play a central role in the evolution of the Universe, from inflation to cosmological phase transitions and the origin of both baryonic and dark matter, and possibly to determine its ultimate fate through the electroweak vacuum instability. These connections between particle physics and cosmology have given rise to a new and growing field of Higgs cosmology, which promises to shed new light on some of the most puzzling questions about the Universe as new data from particle physics experiments and cosmological observations become available. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Higgs cosmology’.
Optical solitons in media with focusing and defocusing saturable nonlinearity and a parity-time-symmetric external potential

We report results for solitons in models of waveguides with focusing or defocusing saturable nonlinearity and a parity-time ()-symmetric complex-valued external potential of the Scarf-II type. The model applies to the nonlinear wave propagation in graded-index optical waveguides with balanced gain and loss. We find both fundamental and multipole solitons for both focusing and defocusing signs of the saturable nonlinearity in such -symmetric waveguides. The dependence of the propagation constant on the soliton’s power is presented for different strengths of the nonlinearity saturation, S. The stability of fundamental, dipole, tripole and quadrupole solitons is investigated by means of the linear-stability analysis and direct numerical simulations of the corresponding (1+1)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger-type equation. The results show that the instability of the stationary solutions can be mitigated or completely suppressed, increasing the value of S. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Dissipative structures in matter out of equilibrium: from chemistry, photonics and biology (part 1)’.
Relationship between predicted oxygen uptake and cigarette smoking in Japanese men

The link between cigarette smoking and predicted oxygen uptake was investigated using data for 149 Japanese men not taking medication. Cigarette smoking habits were obtained through interviews by well-trained staff. The influence of cigarette smoking on predicted oxygen uptake, predicted work rate and predicted heart rate were evaluated. Predicted oxygen uptake decreased with age. Predicted oxygen uptake and predicted work rate in men who smoked cigarettes was significantly lower than in subjects who did not, after adjusting for age. The differences in parameters did not reach significant levels after adjusting for age and physical activity evaluated by Σ[metabolic equivalents × h per week (METs? h/w)] (predicted oxygen uptake: p = 0.0632, predicted work rate: p = 0.0873). Cigarette smoking might be a modifyable factor for improving the aerobic exercise level in Japanese men.
Problematica old and new

Problematica are taxa that defy robust phylogenetic placement. Traditionally the term was restricted to fossil forms, but it is clear that extant taxa may be just as difficult to place, whether using morphological or molecular (nucleotide, gene or genomic) markers for phylogeny reconstruction. We discuss the kinds and causes of Problematica within the Metazoa, as well as criteria for their recognition and possible solutions. The inclusive set of Problematica changes depending upon the nature and quality of (homologous) data available, the methods of phylogeny reconstruction and the sister taxa inferred by their placement or displacement. We address Problematica in the context of pre-cladistic phylogenetics, numerical morphological cladistics and molecular phylogenetics, and focus on general biological and methodological implications of Problematica, rather than presenting a review of individual taxa. Rather than excluding Problematica from phylogeny reconstruction, as has often been preferred, we conclude that the study of Problematica is crucial for both the resolution of metazoan phylogeny and the proper inference of body plan evolution.
Calcium waves

Waves through living systems are best characterized by their speeds at 20°C. These speeds vary from those of calcium action potentials to those of ultraslow ones which move at 1–10 and/or 10–20 nm s−1. All such waves are known or inferred to be calcium waves. The two classes of calcium waves which include ones with important morphogenetic effects are slow waves that move at 0.2–2 μm s−1 and ultraslow ones. Both may be propagated by cycles in which the entry of calcium through the plasma membrane induces subsurface contraction. This contraction opens nearby stretch-sensitive calcium channels. Calcium entry through these channels propagates the calcium wave. Many slow waves are seen as waves of indentation. Some are considered to act via cellular peristalsis; for example, those which seem to drive the germ plasm to the vegetal pole of the Xenopus egg. Other good examples of morphogenetic slow waves are ones through fertilizing maize eggs, through developing barnacle eggs and through axolotl embryos during neural induction. Good examples of ultraslow morphogenetic waves are ones during inversion in developing Volvox embryos and across developing Drosophila eye discs. Morphogenetic waves may be best pursued by imaging their calcium with aequorins.
A continuous glucose monitoring and problem-solving intervention to change physical activity behavior in women with type 2 diabetes: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND Diabetes technology has the potential to provide useful data for theory-based behavioral counseling. The aims of this study are to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a continuous glucose monitoring and problem-solving counseling intervention to change physical activity (PA) behavior in women with type 2 diabetes. METHODS Women (n=29) with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: continuous glucose counseling and problem-solving skills or continuous glucose monitoring counseling and general diabetes education. Feasibility data were obtained on intervention dose, implementation, and satisfaction. Preliminary efficacy data were collected at baseline and 12 weeks on the following measures: PA amount and intensity, diet, problem-solving skills, self-efficacy for PA, depression, hemogoloin A1c, weight, and blood pressure. Demographic and implementation variables were described using frequency distributions and summary statistics. Satisfaction data were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank. Differences between groups were analyzed using linear mixed-modeling. RESULTS Women were mostly white/non-Latina with a mean age of 53 years, a 6.5-year history of diabetes, and suboptimal glycemic control. Continuous glucose monitoring plus problem-solving group participants had significantly greater problem-solving skills and had greater, although not statistically significant, dietary adherence, moderate activity minutes, weight loss, and higher intervention satisfaction pre- to post-intervention than did participants in the continuous glucose monitoring plus education group. CONCLUSION A continuous glucose monitoring plus problem-solving intervention was feasible and acceptable, and participants had greater problem-solving skills than continuous glucose monitoring plus education group participants.
Identification of novel variants associated with warfarin stable dosage by use of a two‐stage extreme phenotype strategy

Essentials Required warfarin doses for mechanical heart valves vary greatly. A two‐stage extreme phenotype design was used to identify novel warfarin dose associated mutation. We identified a group of variants significantly associated with extreme warfarin dose. Four novel identified mutations account for 2.2% of warfarin dose discrepancies.
Effects of dietary prebiotics, probiotic and synbiotics on performance, caecal bacterial populations and caecal fermentation concentrations of broiler chickens.

BACKGROUND In view of a worldwide attempt to restrict or ban the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal production, probiotics, prebiotics and combinations of both, as synbiotics, have been suggested as potential alternatives. In this study, the effects of a prebiotic (isomalto-oligosaccharides, IMO), a multi-strain probiotic (consisting of 11 Lactobacillus strains), and a combination of these dietary additives as a synbiotic on the performance, caecal bacterial populations and concentrations of caecal volatile fatty acids and non-volatile fatty acids of broiler chickens were evaluated. RESULTS Supplementation of 1g kg⁻¹ probiotic (PRO); 5 g kg⁻¹ prebiotic IMO (PRE05); 10 g kg⁻¹ prebiotic IMO (PRE10); synbiotic consisting of 1g kg⁻¹ probiotic + 5 g kg⁻¹ prebiotic IMO (SYN05); or synbiotic consisting of 1 g kg⁻¹ probiotic + 10 g kg⁻¹ prebiotic IMO (SYN10) significantly (P < 0.05) improved weight gain of broiler chickens at 22-42 and 1-42 days of age, and feed conversion rate from 1 to 21, 22-42 and 1-42 days of age. The supplementation of probiotic (PRO), prebiotics (PRE05 and PRE10) or synbiotics (SYN05 and SYN10) also significantly (P < 0.05) increased the caecal populations of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and decreased the caecal Escherichia coli at 21 days of age, and increased the caecal VFA at 21 and 42 days of age. In all parameters studied, synbiotics did not show a two-fold synergistic effect, when compared to those of probiotic or prebiotic alone. CONCLUSION The results of the study indicated that prebiotic IMO (5 g kg⁻¹ or 10 g kg⁻¹), probiotic and their combinations as synbiotics were effective in improving the performance of broiler chickens and in increasing the caecal beneficial bacteria and fatty acids.
Intracellular origin and ultrastructure of platelet‐derived microparticles

Essentials Platelet microparticles play a major role in pathologies, including hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelet microparticles have been analyzed and classified based on their ultrastructure. The structure and intracellular origin of microparticles depend on the cell‐activating stimulus. Thrombin‐treated platelets fall apart and form microparticles that contain cellular organelles.
A METHOD OF DETERMINING OCULAR DOMINANCE

The question of a dominant eye does not seem to be considered of any consequence by the medical profession or even by its ophthalmologists. Probably few, indeed, realize that one eye is chosen unconsciously for the more rapid, accurate, and delicate visual perceptions, just as the dextral hand is chosen by the right-handed for the performance of all the more delicate and expert tasks, especially in learning them. The significance of ocular dominance in its relation to sport has been brought out by a newspaper reporter, and in its relation to right-handedness and left-handedness, by an oculist in a volume so entitled. The value of the determination of the dominant eye in refraction needs further outworking and rating, but a simpler method of making the test than the one to be suggested could scarcely be found. The idea of ocular dominance is by no means a new one. Ioan Baptista
Expository discourse in adolescents with language impairments: examining syntactic development.

PURPOSE This study examined syntactic development in a large cohort of adolescents. At kindergarten, each participant had been identified as having specific language impairment (SLI), nonspecific language impairment (NLI), or typical language development (TLD). METHOD The participants (n = 444) had a mean age of 13;11 (years;months; range = 12;10-15;5). Language samples were elicited in 2 genres, conversational and expository, and analyzed for mean length of T-unit and subordinate clause production. RESULTS Mean length of T-unit and the use of nominal, relative, and adverbial clauses were greater during the expository task than the conversational task for all groups. Thus, even the SLI and NLI groups produced longer sentences containing greater amounts of subordination when speaking in the expository genre than in the conversational genre. No group differences were revealed by the conversational task. However, on the expository task, the TLD group outperformed both the SLI and NLI groups on mean length of T-unit, and the TLD group outperformed the NLI group on relative clause use. CONCLUSIONS Speech-language pathologists may wish to employ expository discourse tasks rather than conversational tasks to examine syntactic development in adolescents.
Intent to abuse addictive substances in regions with serious drug abuse among early adolescents

Abstract Background: The intentions to use addictive substances among early adolescents residing in geographic areas characterised by severe drug abuse remain poorly understood due to a lack of sufficient research attention. Methods: We assessed participants (N = 217) in grades 5 and 6 in Yunlin County, where severe drug abuse is common. Self-reported data were acquired via questionnaires. Results: Only perceived behavioural control was found to have an effect on addictive substance use intentions. The subject norms and attitude behaviours concerning addictive substances had small, but positive effects, on perceived behavioural control. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, in high-drug abuse areas, prevention programmes aimed at early adolescents should focus on improving perceived behavioural control. Such interventions may increase adolescents’ likelihood of refraining from drug use while decreasing drug exposure channels.
Thermal consequences of colour and near-infrared reflectance

The importance of colour for temperature regulation in animals remains controversial. Colour can affect an animal's temperature because all else being equal, dark surfaces absorb more solar energy than do light surfaces, and that energy is converted into heat. However, in reality, the relationship between colour and thermoregulation is complex and varied because it depends on environmental conditions and the physical properties, behaviour and physiology of the animal. Furthermore, the thermal effects of colour depend as much on absorptance of near-infrared ((NIR), 700–2500 nm) as visible (300–700 nm) wavelengths of direct sunlight; yet the NIR is very rarely considered or measured. The few available data on NIR reflectance in animals indicate that the visible reflectance is often a poor predictor of NIR reflectance. Adaptive variation in animal coloration (visible reflectance) reflects a compromise between multiple competing functions such as camouflage, signalling and thermoregulation. By contrast, adaptive variation in NIR reflectance should primarily reflect thermoregulatory requirements because animal visual systems are generally insensitive to NIR wavelengths. Here, we assess evidence and identify key research questions regarding the thermoregulatory function of animal coloration, and specifically consider evidence for adaptive variation in NIR reflectance. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Animal coloration: production, perception, function and application’.
Comparison of Metabolic Outcomes in Children Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Through Research Screening (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young [DAISY]) Versus in the Community.

BACKGROUND Children with positive islet autoantibodies monitored prospectively avoid metabolic decompensation at type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis. However, the effects of early diagnosis and treatment on preservation of insulin secretion and long-term metabolic control are unknown. We compared characteristics of children detected through research screening (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young [DAISY]) versus community controls at baseline and, in a subset, 6- and 12-month metabolic outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a case-control study comparing DAISY children with T1D to children diagnosed in the general community. All participants underwent mixed-meal tolerance testing; a subset wore a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device. Fasting and stimulated C-peptide levels, insulin dose-adjusted hemoglobin A1c (IDAA1c), and CGM variables were compared. RESULTS Children (21 DAISY, 21 community) were enrolled and matched by age, time of diagnosis, and diabetes duration; 18 were enrolled within 2 months and 24 within 2.5 years on average from diagnosis. In the overall group and the subgroup of participants enrolled 2.5 years from diagnosis, there were no IDAA1c or C-peptide differences between DAISY versus community children. The subgroup of DAISY versus community children enrolled near diagnosis, however, had lower baseline hemoglobin A1c (6.5±1.4% vs. 9.2±2.9%; P=0.0007) and IDAA1c (7.4±2.1% vs. 11.2±3.5%; P=0.04) and higher stimulated C-peptide (2.5±0.5 vs. 1.6±0.2 ng/mL; P=0.02). In this subgroup, IDAA1c differences persisted at 6 months but not at 1 year. CGM analyses revealed lower minimum overnight glycemia in community children (72 vs. 119 mg/dL; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS Favorable patterns of IDAA1c and C-peptide seen in research-screened versus community-diagnosed children with T1D within 2 months of diagnosis are no longer apparent 1 year from diagnosis.
Clinicopathological profile of gastric cancer in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India: A prospective 2 year study

Context/Background : Gastric malignancy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Majority of gastric cancers present in late stages, so early detection is of paramount importance. Aim/Objective: To assess clinicopathological parameters of gastric carcinoma and to study expression of mucin by simple histochemical methods. Materials and Methods: Present prospective study were carried out over 2 years on surgically resected or endoscopically confirmed 116 cases of gastric carcinoma (>5 and <90-year-old) and their clinical profile, relevant investigation, and gross and microscopic features were studied. Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and alcian blue (AB) staining were done along with hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) to study nature of mucin. Results: Mean age of study population were 53.02 years with overall male predominance (male:female (M:F) =2.41:1). Majority presented with vague dyspepsia, blood group A was most prevalent. Endoscopy revealed fungating growth in 41.37%, rapid urease test (RUT) was negative in most of patients. Majority of masses were located in antrum, mean diameter of masses being 3.56 cm. Poorly differentiated carcinoma were most prevalent histological type closely followed by equal percentage of diffuse and intestinal adenocarcinomas. Most carcinomas belonged to stage II or higher in TNM staging. Mucin stain reveals weak or absent PAS stain in diffuse and AB stain in most intestinal adenocarcinoms. Conclusion: Gastric carcinoma mainly affects elderly males. Poorly differentiated cases are on the rise. Simple mucin stains like PAS and AB can prove valuable adjunct to routine histological diagnosis, especially in cases with suspicious margin involvement, lymph node metastasis, and true depth of invasion assessment.
Normative Values for Electrochemical Skin Conductances and Impact of Ethnicity on Quantitative Assessment of Sudomotor Function.

BACKGROUND Sudomotor dysfunction is one of the earliest pathophysiologic abnormalities in diabetes. Sudoscan™ (Impeto Medical, Paris, France) was developed as a noninvasive, rapid, and quantitative assessment of sudomotor function and has been shown to be sensitive in the detection of neuropathy. This global collaborative analysis aimed to establish reference values in healthy subjects of different ethnic groups, age, and gender, to define factors potentially affecting results, and to provide standardization of the methodology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from 1,350 generally healthy study participants who underwent sudomotor function testing were collected and analyzed. The relationship between age, height, weight, gender, glycemic and lipid profiles, ethnicity, and hand and foot electrochemical skin conductance (ESC) was assessed among subgroups of participants. RESULTS Lower mean hands and feet ESC values were observed in African American, Indian, and Chinese subjects (P < 0.0001). No participant discomfort or safety concern was reported in 1,376 tests. No significant difference in ESC was observed between women and men at the hands (75 [57-87] vs. 76 [56-89] μS; P = 0.35) or feet (83.5 [71-90] vs. 82.5 [70-91] μS; P = 0.12). The coefficient of correlation between right and left side ESC was r = 0.96, P < 0.0001 for hands and r = 0.97, P < 0.0001 for feet. A significant but weak correlation was observed between ESC and age: for hands, r = -0.17, P < 0.0001; for feet, r = -0.19, P < 0.0001. CONCLUSIONS A normative reference range was established in whites showing that there was no effect of sex or body mass index and a slight decrease in ESC with age. Ethnicity influenced ESC scores, but additional studies are necessary to validate this effect and determine its mechanism and impact on nerve function.
Chemical profile and antiacetylcholinesterase, antityrosinase, antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Cynometra cauliflora L. leaves.

BACKGROUND The aim of the current study was (i) to evaluate the bioactive potential of the leaf methanolic extract of Cynometra cauliflora L. , along with its respective hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH) and aqueous fractions, in inhibiting the enzymes α-glucosidase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and tyrosinase as well as evaluating their antioxidant activities. (ii) In addition, in view of the limited published information regarding the metabolite profile of C. cauliflora, we further characterized the profiles of the EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions using liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS The leaf methanolic extract of C. cauliflora exhibited potent inhibition of all three enzymes and high antioxidant activity. The bioactivity was found to be concentrated in the EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions. A total of 18 compounds were identified in these bioactive fractions, comprising a procyanidin trimer, procyanidin tetramer, procyanidin hexamer, taxifolin pentoside, catechin, vitexin, isovitexin, kaempferol hexoside, quercetin pentoside, quercetin hexoside, apigenin-6-C-glucoside-8-C-glucoside, kaempferol-coumaroyl hexoside and isorhamnetin hexoside. CONCLUSION The results indicated that C. cauliflora, the leaves in particular, is a rich source of bioactive compounds and could be beneficial for further development of high-value phytomedicinal preparations and functional food products.