Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereocomplex formation between enantiomeric poly(lactic acid)s. X. Binary blends from poly(D-lactide-CO-glycolide) and poly(L-lactide-CO-glycolide)

SYNOPSIS Binary blend films from lactide-rich poly (D-lactide-co-glycolide) (PDLG) and poly ( Llactide-co-glycolide) (PLLG ) were obtained by casting methylene chloride solutions of the two mixed copolymers with different D- and L-lactide contents (XDI and XLI), and their crystallization was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) . Four combinations were selected from the binary (A-B) blends: mixing of the same polymer [XDl(A) = XD~(B) or XLl(A) = XLl(B)], blending under X,l(B) = XLl(A), blending of a Dlactide homopolymer [X,,(B) = 11 with other PDLGs, and blending of a D-lactide homopolymer [ XD, (B) = 11 with other PLLGs. Racemic crystallites were exclusively formed between PDLG and PLLG when they had high lactide unit contents. The melting point and enthalpy of fusion of the racemic crystallites decreased with a decrease in X DI of PDLG or XL~ of PLLG, suggesting that glycolide units in the polymer disturbed the growth of the racemic crystallites. A similar behavior was also observed for the homocrystallization in nonblended copolymer films. Homocrystallites composed entirely either of D-lactide unit or L-lactide unit sequences were formed when one component was crystallizable and the other component had the same sign of optical rotation or very different lactide content. An interesting finding was that even nonhomocrystallizable lactide-poor PDLG and PLLG could form racemic crystallites when both were blended. 0 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Smartphone-Based Interventions and Internalizing Disorders in Youth: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background Mental health disorders in youth are a global issue that have important implications for the future quality of life and morbidity of affected individuals. In the context of public health initiatives, smartphone-based interventions have been suggested to hold the potential to be an effective strategy to reduce the symptoms of mental health disorders in youth; however, further evaluation is needed to confirm their effectiveness. This systematic review and meta-analysis documents and synthesizes existing research on smartphone-based interventions targeting internalizing disorders in youth populations. Objective This study aims to synthesize existing research on smartphone-based interventions targeting internalizing disorders in youth populations. Methods PubMed and SCOPUS were searched in 2019, and 4334 potentially relevant articles were found. A total of 12 studies were included in the final synthesis. We used the Hedges g meta-analysis approach and a random effects model for analysis. Results The results of this review note that depression and anxiety are the most commonly targeted symptoms, and unlike other similar topics, most studies reviewed were linked to a proven treatment. The overall pooled effect from the meta-analysis showed small but significant effects (κ=12; N=1370; Hedges g=0.20; 95% CI 0.02-0.38) for interventions in reducing the symptoms of internalizing disorders. In total, 4 subgroup analyses examining specific symptoms and intervention styles found varied small significant and nonsignificant effects. Conclusions Future research should focus on developing robust evaluative frameworks and examining interventions among more diverse populations and settings. More robust research is needed before smartphone-based interventions are scaled up and used at the population level to address youth internalizing disorders.
#BetterHealth: A qualitative analysis of reactions to the UK government’s better health campaign

This study examined reactions to the UK government’s Better Health campaign through a thematic analysis of tweets. Four themes were generated: Embracing Better Health; There is no Better Health without mental health; Inconsistent messaging; Only a surface-level solution. Findings suggest the campaign is problematic, given its lack of consideration for mental health and wider societal factors that contribute to obesity. The campaign could exacerbate mental health difficulties for individuals with eating disorders due to its focus on weight and perceived fat-shaming approach. Recommendations are made to develop future campaigns that avoid negative public responses, minimise harms, and maximise intended benefits.
ERG1 plays an essential role in rat cardiomyocyte fate decision by mediating AKT signaling

ERG1, a potassium ion channel, is essential for cardiac action potential repolarization phase. However, the role of ERG1 for normal development of the heart is poorly understood. Using the rat embryonic stem cells (rESCs) model, we show that ERG1 is crucial in cardiomyocyte lineage commitment via interactions with Integrin β1. In the mesoderm phase of rESCs, the interaction of ERG1 with Integrin β1 can activate the AKT pathway by recruiting and phosphorylating PI3K p85 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) to further phosphorylate AKT. Activation of AKT pathway promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation through two different mechanisms, (a) through phosphorylation of GSK3β to upregulate the expression levels of β‐catenin and Gata4; (b) through promotion of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor‐κB by phosphorylating IKKβ to inhibit cell apoptosis, which occurs due to increased Bcl2 expression. Our study provides solid evidence for a novel role of ERG1 on differentiation of rESCs into cardiomyocytes.
The Epidemiology of Aggression and Associated Factors among Iranian Adult Population: A National Survey

Background: This survey was conducted to determine the level of aggression among the Iranian adult population and underlying predisposing factors. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 10,957 participants, involving 23 out of the 31 provinces of Iran in 2019. The outcome of interest was aggression, evaluated by the Buss & Perry aggression questionnaire. The association between aggression and 34 demographic, behavioral, social, and cultural characteristics was assessed using simple and multiple linear regression. Results: The overall mean (SD) score of aggression was 77.10 (22.53). Based on the severity of aggression, the participants were categorized into four groups as follows: 2,464 (23.1%) nonaggressive, 4,692 (43.9%) mild, 3,071 (28.8%) moderate, and 454 (4.2%) severe aggressive. Aggression was more likely to occur in people with the following characteristics: younger ages, having several siblings, lower ranks of birth, having an intimate friend of the opposite sex, having an aggressive father/mother, history of parental divorce, interest in watching action/porn movies, listening to music, history of escape from home/school, using neuropsychiatric drugs, using illicit drugs, history of suicidal thoughts/attempt, and family conflict and hostility. Aggression was less likely to occur with the following characteristics: reading, regular physical exercise, the ability to control anger, regular prayer, adherence to avoid lying, respect to other people's rights, sexual satisfaction, and attachment to parents. Conclusions: A majority of the population has some degree of aggression. Aggression is a multifactorial behavior corresponding with several demographical, social, cultural, and religious factors, some of which back to early childhood events.
Muscle blood flow is independent of conduit artery diameter following prior vasodilation in males

At the onset of exercise in humans, muscle blood flow (MBF) increases to a new steady‐state that closely matches the metabolic demand of exercise. This increase has been attributed to “contraction‐induced vasodilation,” comprised of the skeletal muscle pump and rapid vasodilatory mechanisms. While most research in this area has focused on forearm blood flow (FBF) and vascular conductance, it is possible that separating FBF into diameter and blood velocity can provide more useful information on MBF regulation downstream of the conduit artery. Therefore, we attempted to dissociate the matching of oxygen delivery and oxygen demand by administering glyceryl tri‐nitrate (GTN) prior to handgrip exercise. Eight healthy males (29 ± 9 years) performed two trials consisting of two bouts of rhythmic handgrip exercise (30 contractions·min−1 at 5% of maximum) for 6 min, one for each control and GTN (0.4 mg sublingual) condition. Administration of GTN resulted in a 12% increase in resting brachial artery diameter that persisted throughout the duration of exercise (CON: 0.50 ± 0.01 cm; GTN: 0.56 ± 0.01 cm, p < 0.05). Resting FBF was greater following GTN administration compared to control (p < 0.05); however, differences in FBF disappeared following the onset of muscle contractions. Our results indicate that the matching of FBF to oxygen demand during exercise is not affected by prior vasodilation, so that any over‐perfusion is corrected at the onset of exercise. Additionally, our findings provide further evidence that the regulation of vascular tone within the microvasculature is independent of the conduit artery diameter.
A Directional Congruency Effect of Amplified Dilated Time Perception Induced by Looming Stimuli With Implied Motion Cues

The perception of time is not veridical, but, rather, it is susceptible to environmental context, like the intrinsic dynamics of moving stimuli. The direction of motion has been reported to affect time perception such that movement of objects toward an observer (i.e., looming stimuli) is perceived as longer in duration than movement of objects away from the observer (i.e., receding stimuli). In the current study we investigated whether this looming/receding temporal asymmetry can be modulated by the direction of movement implied by static cues of images. Participants were presented with images of a running person, rendered from either the front or the back (i.e., representing movement toward or away from the observer). In Experiment 1, the size of the images was constant. In Experiment 2, the image sizes varied (i.e., increasing: looming; or decreasing: receding). In both experiments, participants performed a temporal bisection task by judging the duration of the image presentation as “short” or “long”. In Experiment 1, we found no influence of implied-motion direction in the participants’ duration perceptions. In Experiment 2, however, participants overestimated the duration of the looming, as compared to the receding image in relation to real motion. This finding replicated previous findings of the looming/receding asymmetry using naturalistic human-character stimuli. Further, in Experiment 2 we observed a directional congruency effect between real and implied motion; stimuli were perceived as lasting longer when the directions of real and implied motion were congruent versus when these directions were incongruent. Thus, looming (versus receding) movement, a perceptually salient stimulus, elicits differential temporal processing, and higher-order motion processing integrates signals of real and implied motion in time perception.
Public health impact and cost-effectiveness of catch-up 9-valent HPV vaccination of individuals through age 45 years in the United States

ABSTRACT The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended catch-up 9-valent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination through age 26 years, and shared clinical decision-making for adults aged 27–45 years, compared with catch-up through age 26 years and 21 years for females and males, respectively (status quo; pre-June-2019 recommendations). This study assessed the public health impact and cost-effectiveness of expanded catch-up vaccination through age 45 years (expanded catch-up) compared with status quo. We used an HPV dynamic transmission infection and disease model to assess disease outcomes and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of expanded catch-up compared with status quo. Costs (2018 USD), calculated from a healthcare sector perspective, and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) were discounted at 3% annually. Historical vaccination coverage was estimated using NIS-TEEN survey data (NHANES data for sensitivity analysis). Alternative scenario analyses included restricting upper age of expanded catch-up through 26 years (June-2019 ACIP recommendation), 29 years, and further 5-year increments. Our results show expanded catch-up vaccination would prevent additional 37,856 cancers, 314,468 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-2/3s, 1,743,461 genital warts, and 10,698 deaths compared with status quo over 100 years at cost of $141,000/QALY. With NHANES coverage, the ICER was $96,000/QALY. The June-2019 ACIP recommendation also provided public health benefits with an ICER of $117,000/QALY, compared with status quo. The ICER for expanded vaccination through age 34 years was $107,000/QALY. Expanding catch-up vaccination program through age 45 years-old in the US is expected to provide public health benefits, and cost-effectiveness improves with expanding catch-up through age 34.
Anti-tumor effect of local injectable hydrogel-loaded endostatin alone and in combination with radiotherapy for lung cancer

Abstract Endostatin (ES) can effectively inhibit neovascularization in most solid tumors and has the potential to make oxygen delivery more efficient and increase the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT). With a short half-life, ES is mainly administered systemically, which leads to low intake in tumor tissue and often toxic systemic side effects. In this study, we used hyaluronic acid-tyramine as a carrier to synthesize an ES-loaded hydrogel drug (ES/HA-Tyr) that can be injected locally. ES/HA-Tyr has a longer half-life and fewer systemic toxic side effects, and it exerts a better anti-angiogenic effect and anti-tumor effect with RT. In vitro, ES/HA-Tyr showed sustained release in the release assay and a stronger ability to inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the MTT assay; it exhibited a more potent effect against HUVEC invasion and a stronger anti-angiogenic effect on HUVECs in tube formation. In vivo, ES/HA-Tyr increased local drug concentration, decreased blood drug concentration, and caused less systemic toxicity. Further, ES/HA-Tyr effectively reduced tumor microvessel density, increased tumor pericyte coverage, decreased tumor hypoxia, and increased RT response. ES/HA-Tyr + RT also had increased anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects in Lewis lung cancer (LLC) xenograft models. In conclusion, ES/HA-Tyr showed sustained release, lower systemic toxicity, and better anti-tumor effects than ES. In addition, ES/HA-Tyr + RT enhanced anti-angiogenic effects, reduced tumor hypoxia, and increased the efficacy of RT in LLC-bearing mice.
Production between and within: distinctiveness and the relative magnitude of the production effect

ABSTRACT The production effect is the memory advantage for items studied aloud over items studied silently. Three experiments examined the influence of (1) the distinctiveness heuristic in a pure-list paradigm and (2) statistical distinctiveness during study. Aloud versus silent processing was manipulated within-subject in a mixed-list procedure and additional pure-list items were alternated with the to-be-remembered words. This arrangement permitted the first examination of the production effect using both within-subject and between-subjects manipulations in the same experiment. The quite large between-subjects production effect observed for the pure-list words is attributed to the distinctiveness of the aloud words being enhanced by the co-occurring within-subject manipulation. In addition, when the pure-list words were all read aloud, they effectively increased the overall proportion of aloud words, thereby decreasing the distinctiveness of the to-be-remembered aloud words in the mixed list. Correspondingly, there was a decrease in the magnitude of the production effect. However, when the pure-list words were all read silently, the magnitude of the production effect was unchanged relative to baseline. These results provide partial support for the influence of statistical distinctiveness on the magnitude of the production effect.
The use of benchmark dose uncertainty measurements for robust comparative potency analyses

The Benchmark Dose (BMD) method is the favored approach for quantitative dose–response analysis where uncertainty measurements are delineated between the upper (BMDU) and lower (BMDL) confidence bounds, or confidence intervals (CIs). Little has been published on the accurate interpretation of uncertainty measurements for potency comparative analyses between different test conditions. We highlight this by revisiting a previously published comparative in vitro genotoxicity dataset for human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells that were exposed to each of 10 clastogens in the presence and absence (+/−) of low concentration (0.25%) S9, and scored for p53, γH2AX and Relative Nuclei Count (RNC) responses at two timepoints (Tian et al., 2020). The researchers utilized BMD point estimates in potency comparative analysis between S9 treatment conditions. Here we highlight a shortcoming that the use of BMD point estimates can mischaracterize potency differences between systems. We reanalyzed the dose responses by BMD modeling using PROAST v69.1. We used the resulting BMDL and BMDU metrics to calculate “S9 potency ratio confidence intervals” that compare the relative potency of compounds +/− S9 as more statistically robust metrics for comparative potency measurements compared to BMD point estimate ratios. We performed unsupervised hierarchical clustering that identified four S9‐dependent groupings: high and low‐level potentiation, no effect, and diminution. This work demonstrates the importance of using BMD uncertainty measurements in potency comparative analyses between test conditions. Irrespective of the source of the data, we propose a stepwise approach when performing BMD modeling in comparative potency analyses between test conditions.
CARBON-13 NMR OF CITRININ IN THE SOLID STATE AND IN SOLUTIONS

Carbon-13 NMR is used to study the tautomeric equilibrium of citrinin in the solid state. The results confirm earlier X-ray diffraction studies, which indicated that the compound crystallizes in a disordered structure, with the p-quinone and o-quinone forms in a dynamic equilibrium. Analysis of the NMR data yields the equilibrium constant K(T) = [o]/[p] = exp(4.2/R) exp(−1610/RT) (where R is in cal mol-1 K-1), which is essentially identical to that determined by X-ray. The tautomerism is extremely fast on the NMR time scale (>106 s-1). In methylene chloride solution citrinin also exists as a fast interconverting mixture of the two isomers with an equilibrium constant K ∼ 0.7 at room temperature. However, the temperature dependence of the carbon-13 and oxygen-17 chemical shifts gave conflicting results, thus preventing a reliable determination of the thermodynamic parameters of K. In methanol and methanol/methylene chloride mixtures, citrinin undergoes a nucleophilic, Michael type, addition. The reaction i.
p-type conduction in beryllium-implanted hexagonal boron nitride films

p-type conduction in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) films was achieved by beryllium implantation and subsequent rapid thermal annealing treatment. The dependence of phase composition and electrical properties of hBN films on the implantation fluence and annealing was studied. A maximum resistivity reduction by six orders of magnitude was demonstrated. Hall measurements revealed a corresponding hole concentration of 3×1019 cm−3 and mobility of 27 cm2/V s. The activation energy of Be ions was estimated to be 0.21 eV. It is suggested that hBN is a promising wide bandgap semiconductor for applications in high-temperature electronic devices and transparent conductive coatings.
A novel approach to laboratory assessment and reporting of platelet von Willebrand factor

Abstract The interaction of platelets with von Willebrand factor is essential for primary hemostasis. Concentration and activity of plasma von Willebrand factor are routine parameters in the assessment of hemostasis disorders. In addition to plasma von Willebrand factor, platelet von Willebrand factor, synthesized in megakaryocytes and stored in α-granules of circulating platelets, is known to contribute to primary hemostasis and the microenvironment of thrombus formation. The laboratory assessment of platelet von Willebrand factor however is cumbersome and not widely established as a routine parameter. We here propose a method for laboratory assessment and reporting of platelet von Willebrand factor potentially useful for laboratory routines in specialized laboratories. Our model allows to describe platelet von Willebrand factor as 1. the concentration of platelet von Willebrand factor in whole blood, 2. the amount of platelet von Willebrand factor in a sample with a defined concentration of 1000 platelets/nl, and 3. the concentration of platelet von Willebrand factor in one platelet. According to our results in healthy individuals, the proportion of platelet von Willebrand factor activity is estimated to be about 10% of total von Willebrand factor in human plasma under physiological circumstances. The concentration of platelet von Willebrand factor is estimated to be 0.4 IU/ml in a sample with a defined concentration of 1000 platelets/nl and to be about 42 IU/ml in one platelet (both expressed as VWF:Ag).
Trephine biopsy versus conventional open surgical technique for bone graft harvesting from the olecranon: A retrospective comparison of perioperative outcomes.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to compare the perioperative clinical outcomes of trephine biopsy (TB) with the conventional open surgical method (COSM) in bone graft harvesting from the olecranon. METHODS In this retrospective study, 130 patients who underwent bone graft harvesting from the olecranon using either TB or COSM were included. Patients were then divided into two groups: the COSM group (48 patients; 36 men and 12 women; mean age=32 years; age range=18-52) and the TB group (82 patients; 61 men and 21 women; mean age=34 years; age range=20-62). The mean follow-up was 30 months (range=17-57) in the COSM group and 26.8 months (range=6-48 months) in the TB groups. The two groups were compared in terms of pain intensity, operating time, complication rate, elbow range of motion, and the scar sensitivity of the graft donor site. Pain intensity was measured using the visual analogous scale (VAS) on postoperative days 1 and 15. Other outcome measures were evaluated at the final follow-up. RESULTS In the TB group, the mean VAS score was 4±1.62 on postoperative day 1 and 1.6±0.76 on postoperative day 15. In the COSM group, the mean VAS score was 7.2±1.38 on postoperative day 1 and 3.1±1.34 on postoperative day 15. The early VAS scores were significantly higher in the COSM group than in the TB group (p<0.05). The mean operating time was 7±1.99 minutes in the TB group and 20±4.51 minutes in the COSM group. Hematoma occurred in one patient from each group, with an incidence of 2.1% in the COSM group and 1.2% in the TB group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding elbow range of motion at final follow-up p>0.05). No patient in the TB group showed sensitivity of the scar region, while scar sensitivity occurred in 3 of 48 patients (0.6%) in the COSM group. CONCLUSION Compared with COSM, TB seems to be a safe technique with similar complication rates. TB can provide shorter operating time, less postoperative pain, and smaller and less sensitive scar compared with COSM. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV, Therapeutic study.