Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Protective Effects of Centella asiatica and Its Triterpenes: A Review

Abstract Centella asiatica, a triterpene-rich medicinal herb, is traditionally used to treat various types of diseases including neurological, dermatological, and metabolic diseases. A few articles have previously reviewed a broad range of pharmacological activities of C. asiatica, but none of these reviews focuses on the use of C. asiatica in cardiovascular diseases. This review aims to summarize recent findings on protective effects of C. asiatica and its active constituents (asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, and madecassoside) in cardiovascular diseases. In addition, their beneficial effects on conditions associated with cardiovascular diseases were also reviewed. Articles were retrieved from electronic databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords “Centella asiatica,” “asiatic acid,” “asiaticoside,” “madecassic acid,” and “madecassoside. ” The articles published between 2004 and 2018 that are related to the aforementioned topics were selected. A few clinical studies published beyond this period were also included. The results showed that C. asiatica and its active compounds possess potential therapeutic effects in cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease-related conditions, as evidenced by numerous in silico, in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. C. asiatica and its triterpenes have been reported to exhibit cardioprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. In conclusion, more clinical and pharmacokinetic studies are needed to support the use of C. asiatica and its triterpenes as therapeutic agents for cardiovascular diseases. Besides, elucidation of the molecular pathways modulated by C. asiatica and its active constituents will help to understand the mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective action of C. asiatica.
Ultrathin Tunable Lens Based on Boundary Tension Effect

Solid and liquid lenses are commonly used in optical design. Such lenses have suitable thicknesses due to their working principle and processing mode. Thus, zoom optical systems comprising solid and liquid lenses are extremely large. This work presents a new ultrathin tunable lens (UTL) comprising two liquid film lenses (LFLs) obtained through aspheric deformation and produced from the surface of a micro-liquid under gravity and boundary tension. The UTL can flexibly change focal lengths between positive and negative lenses when the device thickness is merely 2.15 mm. The proposed lens has the advantages of small volume, light weight, simple fabrication, and independence from external force during zooming. This research makes up for the drawback that traditional solid and liquid lenses cannot further reduce their thicknesses. The proposed UTL provides a new lens form and fabrication method, and can be used to replace solid and liquid lenses for designing miniature zoom optical systems.
The JDCS Model and Blue-Collar Bullying: Decent Working Conditions for a Healthy Environment

Violence in the workplace and its health consequences still represent one of the main obstacles to obtaining decent working conditions. In particular, blue-collar workers run a greater risk of experiencing episodes of violence, also because of a lack of autonomy and fewer social interactions. According to the work environment hypothesis, factors such as high workload, lack of social support and lack of job control represent the antecedents of workplace bullying. Following the job demand-control-support model (JDCS), violence can be the symptom of a high-strain environment. Moreover, it is still unclear if workplace bullying can mediate the effects of work-related stress on workers’ health outcomes. The aim of the present study is to analyse the relationship between the components of the JDCS and the health of the workers considering workplace bullying as a mediating variable. By a cross sectional study design, we tested the following theoretical hypotheses: first, JDCS components (conceptualized as stress) are supposed to significantly predict the level of workers’ health. Second, workplace bullying is supposed to mediate the relationship between the JDCS components and the level of health. The sample consists of 400 blue-collars from three different Italian companies. Work-related stress, health outcomes and workplace bullying were measured by specific self-administered questionnaires and the relationships between the variables of interest were tested through a structural equation model (SEM) analysis. The results showed that while the direct relationship between the components of the JDCS and the level of psychological health is weaker (standardized path coefficients SPC = 0.21), the partial mediation hypothesis shows that workplace bullying mediate the relationship between JDCS components and health outcomes (χ2/df ratio = 2.70; path from stress to workplace bullying SPC = 0.78; path from workplace bullying to general health SPC = 0.51; p = 0.01). The JDCS components (workload, lack of control, lack of support) are useful predictors for workplace bullying. On the other hand, bullying plays a mediating role between the stress experienced and the health consequences. The present study adds new insights into the relationship between violence seen as a form of social behavioural strain and the psychological health of workers. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Future research on blue-collars could use longitudinal designs in order to analyse the relationship between social environment, job design and strain reactions.
Electrochemical-Based Biosensors on Different Zinc Oxide Nanostructures: A Review

Electrochemical biosensors have shown great potential in the medical diagnosis field. The performance of electrochemical biosensors depends on the sensing materials used. ZnO nanostructures play important roles as the active sites where biological events occur, subsequently defining the sensitivity and stability of the device. ZnO nanostructures have been synthesized into four different dimensional formations, which are zero dimensional (nanoparticles and quantum dots), one dimensional (nanorods, nanotubes, nanofibers, and nanowires), two dimensional (nanosheets, nanoflakes, nanodiscs, and nanowalls) and three dimensional (hollow spheres and nanoflowers). The zero-dimensional nanostructures could be utilized for creating more active sites with a larger surface area. Meanwhile, one-dimensional nanostructures provide a direct and stable pathway for rapid electron transport. Two-dimensional nanostructures possess a unique polar surface for enhancing the immobilization process. Finally, three-dimensional nanostructures create extra surface area because of their geometric volume. The sensing performance of each of these morphologies toward the bio-analyte level makes ZnO nanostructures a suitable candidate to be applied as active sites in electrochemical biosensors for medical diagnostic purposes. This review highlights recent advances in various dimensions of ZnO nanostructures towards electrochemical biosensor applications.
Sesquiterpenes Are Agonists of the Pregnane X Receptor but Do Not Induce the Expression of Phase I Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in the Human Liver

Sesquiterpenes, the main components of plant essential oils, are bioactive compounds with numerous health-beneficial activities. Sesquiterpenes can interact with concomitantly administered drugs due to the modulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the modulatory effects of six sesquiterpenes (farnesol, cis-nerolidol, trans-nerolidol, α-humulene, β-caryophyllene, and caryophyllene oxide) on the expression of four phase I DMEs (cytochrome P450 3A4 and 2C, carbonyl reductase 1, and aldo-keto reductase 1C) at both the mRNA and protein levels. For this purpose, human precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) prepared from 10 patients and transfected HepG2 cells were used. Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR and reporter gene assays were employed in the analyses. In the reporter gene assays, all sesquiterpenes significantly induced cytochrome P450 3A4 expression via pregnane X receptor interaction. However in PCLS, their effects on the expression of all the tested DMEs at the mRNA and protein levels were mild or none. High inter-individual variabilities in the basal levels as well as in modulatory efficacy of the tested sesquiterpenes were observed, indicating a high probability of marked differences in the effects of these compounds among the general population. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that the studied sesquiterpenes would remarkably influence the bioavailability and efficacy of concomitantly administered drugs.
Removal of the Potassium Chloride Co-Transporter from the Somatodendritic Membrane of Axotomized Motoneurons Is Independent of BDNF/TrkB Signaling But Is Controlled by Neuromuscular Innervation

Abstract The potassium-chloride cotransporter (KCC2) maintains the low intracellular chloride found in mature central neurons and controls the strength and direction of GABA/glycine synapses. We found that following axotomy as a consequence of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs), KCC2 protein is lost throughout the somatodendritic membrane of axotomized spinal cord motoneurons after downregulation of kcc2 mRNA expression. This large loss likely depolarizes the reversal potential of GABA/glycine synapses, resulting in GABAergic-driven spontaneous activity in spinal motoneurons similar to previous reports in brainstem motoneurons. We hypothesized that the mechanism inducing KCC2 downregulation in spinal motoneurons following peripheral axotomy might be mediated by microglia or motoneuron release of BDNF and TrkB activation as has been reported on spinal cord dorsal horn neurons after nerve injury, motoneurons after spinal cord injury (SCI), and in many other central neurons throughout development or a variety of pathologies. To test this hypothesis, we used genetic approaches to interfere with microglia activation or delete bdnf from specifically microglia or motoneurons, as well as pharmacology (ANA-12) and pharmacogenetics (F616A mice) to block TrkB activation. We show that KCC2 dysregulation in axotomized motoneurons is independent of microglia, BDNF, and TrkB. KCC2 is instead dependent on neuromuscular innervation; KCC2 levels are restored only when motoneurons reinnervate muscle. Thus, downregulation of KCC2 occurs specifically while injured motoneurons are regenerating and might be controlled by target-derived signals. GABAergic and glycinergic synapses might therefore depolarize motoneurons disconnected from their targets and contribute to augment motoneuron activity known to promote motor axon regeneration.
Affective and enjoyment responses to 12 weeks of high intensity interval training and moderate continuous training in adults with Crohn’s disease

The aim was to undertake secondary data analysis from a three-arm randomised feasibility trial of high intensity interval training (HIIT), moderate intensity continuous training (MICT), and usual care control in adults with Crohn’s disease (CD; n = 36), with a primary focus on exploring affective and enjoyment responses. Twenty-five participants with quiescent or mildly-active CD were randomised to one of the two exercise groups: HIIT (n = 13) and MICT (n = 12). Both groups were offered thrice weekly sessions for 12 weeks. MICT consisted of cycling for 30 minutes at 35% peak power (Wpeak), whereas HIIT involved ten 1-minute bouts at 90% Wpeak, interspersed with 1-minute bouts at 15% Wpeak. Heart rate (HR), differentiated ratings of perceived exertion for legs (RPE-L) and central (RPE-C), along with feeling state (Feeling Scale; FS) were measured at 92.5% of each session. Enjoyment was measured at the end of training using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). Post-hoc exploratory analysis involved a mixed-model two-way ANOVA to compare HR, RPE-L, RPE-C and FS for the exercise sessions in weeks 1, 6 and 12 between groups. Overall, HR was greater (p < 0.01) during HIIT (173 ± 8 bpm) compared with MICT (128 ± 6 bpm). Similarly, RPE-L and RPE-C responses were greater overall (p = 0.03 and p = 0.03, respectively) during HIIT (5.5 ± 1.6 and 5.1 ± 1.7, respectively) compared to MICT (3.3 ± 1.5 and 2.9 ± 1.5, respectively). Overall, FS was 2.2 ± 1.9 for HIIT and 2.1 ± 1.4 for MICT with no effect of treatment group (p = 0.25) or time (p = 0.94). There was also no significant difference in PACES scores between HIIT (99.4 ± 12.9) and MICT (101.3 ± 17.4; p = 0.78). The findings suggest HIIT and MICT protocols elicited similar enjoyment and affect in adults with quiescent or mildly-active CD.
In-Depth Compositional and Structural Characterization of N-Glycans Derived from Human Urinary Exosomes.

The study of exosomes has become increasingly popular due to their potentially important biological roles. Urine can be used as an effective source of exosomes for noninvasive investigations into the pathophysiological states of the genitourinary tract, but first, detailed characterization of exosomal components in healthy individuals is essential. Here, we significantly extend the number of N-glycan compositions, including sulfated species, identified from urinary exosomes and determine the sialic acid linkages for many of those compositions. Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), and capillary liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to identify N-glycan and sulfated N-glycan compositions. Second, because the alteration of sialylation patterns has been previously implicated in various disease states, ion-exchange chromatography, microfluidic capillary electrophoresis (CE), and MALDI-MS were adopted to resolve positional isomers of sialic acids. Structures of the sialyl-linkage isomers were assigned indirectly through α2-3 sialidase treatment and sialic acid linkage-specific alkylamidation (SALSA). In total, we have identified 219 N-glycan structures that include 175 compositions, 64 sialic acid linkage isomers, and 27 sulfated N-glycan structures.
Lentivirus Susceptibility in Iranian and German Sheep Assessed by Determination of TMEM154 E35K

Simple Summary There are no data on the effect of the transmembrane protein 154 (TMEM154) E35K variants on susceptibility to small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection in Iranian sheep breeds, and only limited data for German sheep flocks. This study aimed at investigating the association of TMEM154 variants and SRLV infection status in Iranian and German sheep flocks and breeds. Three out of the four analyzed sheep flocks/breeds showed a significant association between TMEM154 variants and SRLV prevalence. A complementary analysis was carried out based on regression analysis to test the relationship between frequency of the TMEM154 E allele and SRLV prevalence in different flocks/breeds. Results showed that the TMEM154 E allele frequencies could be useful for predicting genetic susceptibility to SRLV infection in a sheep flock or breed. Finally, the genetic susceptibility of different Iranian and German sheep breeds was compared based on the frequency of the TMEM154 E allele. Abstract Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) cause maedi-visna disease in sheep and are prevalent in Iran and Germany. The association of the transmembrane protein 154 (TMEM154) variants with SRLV infection has been previously identified by a genome-wide association (GWAS) approach and subsequent analyses, and validated in some US, German, and Turkish sheep flocks. We aimed at evaluating these findings for the first time in Iranian, and in some more German sheep flocks/breeds. Also, we aimed at comparing the SRLV susceptibility in Iranian and German sheep based on the frequency of the TMEM154 E35 allele. About 800 blood samples were collected from 21 Iranian and German sheep flocks/breeds for different purposes: (1) The association of TMEM154 E35K with SRLV infection status was tested in four sheep breeds and found to be significant in Kermani, Merinoland, and Brown Hair. (2) The usefulness of the TMEM154 E35 frequency for predicting SRLV susceptibility was evaluated by regression analysis, combining data from this study and some already published data. Results showed a significant association between E35 frequency and SRLV prevalence. (3) SRLV susceptibility was compared based on E35 frequency in Iranian and German sheep. Altogether, findings of this study provide valuable information on SRLV susceptibility, using TMEM154 E35, in Iranian and German sheep.
Endoglin Protein Interactome Profiling Identifies TRIM21 and Galectin-3 as New Binding Partners

Endoglin is a 180-kDa glycoprotein receptor primarily expressed by the vascular endothelium and involved in cardiovascular disease and cancer. Heterozygous mutations in the endoglin gene (ENG) cause hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia type 1, a vascular disease that presents with nasal and gastrointestinal bleeding, skin and mucosa telangiectases, and arteriovenous malformations in internal organs. A circulating form of endoglin (alias soluble endoglin, sEng), proteolytically released from the membrane-bound protein, has been observed in several inflammation-related pathological conditions and appears to contribute to endothelial dysfunction and cancer development through unknown mechanisms. Membrane-bound endoglin is an auxiliary component of the TGF-β receptor complex and the extracellular region of endoglin has been shown to interact with types I and II TGF-β receptors, as well as with BMP9 and BMP10 ligands, both members of the TGF-β family. To search for novel protein interactors, we screened a microarray containing over 9000 unique human proteins using recombinant sEng as bait. We find that sEng binds with high affinity, at least, to 22 new proteins. Among these, we validated the interaction of endoglin with galectin-3, a secreted member of the lectin family with capacity to bind membrane glycoproteins, and with tripartite motif-containing protein 21 (TRIM21), an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. Using human endothelial cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells, we showed that endoglin co-immunoprecipitates and co-localizes with galectin-3 or TRIM21. These results open new research avenues on endoglin function and regulation.
The efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A in treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and peripheral neuropathic pain: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

Although recent studies have shown that botulinum toxin‐A (BTX‐A) has a good analgesic effect on trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP), the quality of evidence is low due to limited data. This meta‐analysis is used to synthesize existing evidence for the treatment of these conditions with BTX‐A.
Glycan Binding Profiling of Jacalin-Related Lectins from the Pteria Penguin Pearl Shell

We determined the primary structures of jacalin-related lectins termed PPL3s (PPL3A, 3B, and 3C, which are dimers consisting of sequence variants α + α, α + β, β + β, respectively) and PPL4, which is heterodimer consisting of α + β subunits, isolated from mantle secretory fluid of Pteria penguin (Mabe) pearl shell. Their carbohydrate-binding properties were analyzed, in addition to that of PPL2A, which was previously reported as a matrix protein. PPL3s and PPL4 shared only 35–50% homology to PPL2A, respectively; they exhibited significantly different carbohydrate-binding specificities based on the multiple glycan binding profiling data sets from frontal affinity chromatography analysis. The carbohydrate-binding specificity of PPL3s was similar to that of PPL2A, except only for Man3Fuc1Xyl1GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide, while PPL4 showed different carbohydrate-binding specificity compared with PPL2A and PPL3s. PPL2A and PPL3s mainly recognize agalactosylated- and galactosylated-type glycans. On the other hand, PPL4 binds to high-mannose-and hybrid-type N-linked glycans but not agalactosylated- and galactosylated-type glycans.
Affordable Thin Lens Using Single Polarized Disparate Filter Arrays for Beyond 5G toward 6G

This paper proposes a novel design approach for a thin lens with the aim of overcoming fineness limits in the commercial millimeter wave printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing process. The PCB manufacturing process typically does not allow the fabrication of metallic patterns with a gap and width of less than 100 μm. This hampers expanding thin lens technology to 5G commercial applications, especially when such technology is considered for 60 GHz or higher frequency, which requires a finer gap and width of metallic traces. This paper proposes that problematic process conditions can be mitigated when a lens is designed by establishing single-polarized lumped element models where larger capacitance and inductance values can be obtained for the same patch and grid unit cells. While the proposed design technique is more advantageous at higher target frequencies, a 60 GHz application and a wireless backhaul system is selected because of a limited range of frequencies that can be measured by an available vector network analyzer. The required gap or width of metallic traces can be widened significantly by using the proposed single-polarized unit cells to acquire the same in-plane capacitance or inductance. This enables the lens operating at higher-frequency under the process limits in fabricable fine traces. Finally, the effectiveness of the simulated design procedure is demonstrated by fabricating a 60 GHz thin lens that can achieve a gain enhancement of 16 dB for a 4 × 4 patch antenna array with a gain of 16.5 dBi.
A Wi-Fi-Based Wireless Indoor Position Sensing System with Multipath Interference Mitigation

Wi-Fi-based indoor position sensing solutions have the advantages of easy integration in mobile phones and low cost by using existing Wi-Fi access points. The mainstream methods are commonly based on the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), which suffers from multipath interference in complicated indoor environments. Through the in-depth analysis of the multipath interference, an RSSI-assisted time difference of arrival (TDoA) method is proposed for Wi-Fi-based indoor position sensing in this work. The key idea is to compensate for the multipath interference in the received signals based on the coarse estimation using RSSI and TDoA calculation. A prototype system has been implemented to validate the proposed method. Experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method, especially for handling the multipath interference with small propagation delay difference. Experimental results show that the indoor position sensing system can achieve a 90th percentile error of 0.3 m. The proposed method can also achieve moderate computational complexity and moderate real-time performance compared to other methods.
Fresh Pasta Manufactured with Fermented Whole Wheat Semolina: Physicochemical, Sensorial, and Nutritional Properties

Fresh pasta (SP) was prepared by mixing semolina with liquid sourdough, whole wheat semolina based, and the effects of sourdough inclusion were evaluated against a control sample (CP) prepared using semolina and whole wheat semolina. Physicochemical, nutritional, and sensorial analyses were performed on pasteurized fresh pasta, before and after cooking. The optimum cooking time was not affected by whole wheat sourdough, whereas differences were found in color, firmness, and cooking loss. Changes of in vitro digested starch fractions in SP pasta were affected by a higher cooking loss. Overall, SP samples were characterized by improved nutraceutical features, namely higher content of free essential amino acids and phenolic compounds, lower phytic acid content, and higher antioxidant activity. Sensory analyses (acceptability and check-all-that-apply (CATA) tests) showed significantly higher scores for the SP, and the differences were enhanced when the consumers were informed about the product composition and how it was manufactured. Consumers checked for more positive sensory parameters for the SP than the CP.