Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carotid intima‐media thickness and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels in rosacea patients without cardiovascular risk factors

There is a growing body of evidence linking rosacea to various systemic disorders, even though data regarding the association between rosacea and cardiovascular diseases are presently controversial. We sought to investigate the potential association of rosacea with subclinical atherosclerosis and serum proinflammatory/proatherogenic markers. This study included 44 patients with rosacea and 44 age‐matched and sex‐matched healthy control subjects. Patients with traditional cardiovascular risk factors or a history of cardiovascular events were excluded. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, including serum interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) levels were assessed. Carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaques were measured by carotid ultrasonography. Serum IL‐1β (P < .001), IL‐6 (P < .001), TNF‐α (P < .001), and hs‐CRP (P < .001) levels were significantly higher in the patient group compared with the control group. Mean CIMT values did not differ significantly between the patient group and control group (P > .05). Patients with moderate to severe rosacea had a significantly greater CIMT than those with mild rosacea (P = .047). Rosacea patients with eye involvement had a significantly greater CIMT than those without eye involvement (P = .008). There was no significant correlation between CIMT values and inflammation parameters. As conclusion, in the absence of other traditional cardiovascular risk factors, rosacea does not seem to affect mean CIMT value. However, specific subgroups such as patients with moderate to severe disease or with eye involvement are associated with increased subclinical atherosclerosis and may require additional attention for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Mangiferin prevents the impairment of mitochondrial dynamics and an increase in oxidative stress caused by excessive fluoride in SH‐SY5Y cells

Previous studies both invivo and in vitro have revealed that high levels of fluoride cause neurotoxicity. Mangiferin has been reported to possess antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anti‐inflammatory properties. The present study was designed to characterize the mechanisms by which mangiferin protects against NaF‐induced neurotoxicity. Increased levels of proapoptotic Bax, Caspase‐3, Caspase‐9, and cleaved‐caspase 3, as well as a decreased level of antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 induced by fluoride in human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells, these effects were prevented by pretreatment of mangiferin. In addition, mangiferin attenuated the enhancement of p‐JNK, reductions of Nrf2 and HO‐1, and increased level of the mitochondrial fission proteins Drp1 caused by fluoride. Moreover, oxidative stress, as reflected in the levels of reactive oxygen species, 8‐hydroxy‐2'‐deoxyguanosine, and 4‐hydroxynonenal, was elevated by fluoride and these effects were again ameliorated by mangiferin. In conclusion, protection by mangiferin against fluoride‐induced neurotoxicity involves normalizing the impaired mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and dynamics and reducing oxidative stress via inactivation of the JNK and activation of the Nrf2/HO‐1 pathways.
A new table-direct configuration interaction method for the evaluation of Hamiltonian matrix elements in a basis of linear combinations of spin-adapted functions

A new table‐direct CI (TDCI) scheme based on the table CI method for the direct computation of Hamiltonian matrix elements whose basis functions are linear combinations of spin‐adapted functions ψα is presented, in which the explicit calculation and storage of the Hamiltonian matrix H in the basis {ψα} is avoided. Two algorithms are provided for the matrix element evaluation; (i) within the iterative Davidson diagonalization procedure of H and (ii) within the individualized configuration selection scheme of Buenker and Peyerimhoff, as included in the MRD‐CI program of these authors. The new algorithm is employed to compute the equilibrium structural parameters of the lowest X 2A1 and A 2B2 states of NO2, solving secular equations of dimension 190 000 spin‐adapted functions (384 000 determinants, 32 000 configurations), as well as the Te value for the corresponding transition.
Water flow characterization and test of a kinematic-wave model for macropore flow in a highly contrasted and irregular double-porosi medium

SUMMARY Laboratory experiments to characterize water flow through a column consisting of an artificial double-porosity medium are described. A gamma-attenuation device was used to measure water storage in the intra- and inter-aggregate porosity domains after successive infiltrations. Several days after macropore flow had ceased, a significant proportion of the water that had infiltrated was retained within the aggregates. After the column had been brought to its water retention capacity, several rains with different intensities were applied, and the drainage hydrographs were recorded and analysed in order to characterize water transport in the coarser pores and to test the kinematic-wave approach to macropore flow proposed by Germann (1985). Reasonable fits of calculated hydrographs to experimental data were obtained for high input intensities, but the model was unable to reproduce the hydrographs recorded at low intensities. In particular, the model could not simulate the high dispersion of the input signal observed at low rain intensities.
5HT‐2C agonist lorcaserin decreases cannabis self‐administration in daily cannabis smokers

There are no FDA‐approved treatments for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Preclinical research has shown that the 5HT‐2C agonist lorcaserin attenuates cue‐induced reinstatement of THC seeking and self‐administration. The goal of this placebo‐controlled, counterbalanced, within‐subject human laboratory study was to examine lorcaserin's effects on cannabis intoxication and self‐administration. Lorcaserin (10 mg BID) was administered during one of two 13‐day inpatient phases and placebo during the other; each phase was separated by ≥7 days of washout. Inpatient phases comprised (1) standardized cannabis administration (7.0% THC) at no financial cost (intoxication), counterbalanced with (2) the option to self‐administer cannabis following either 0 or 3 days of abstinence. Cognitive task performance, food intake, subjective ratings of drug effects, objective/subjective sleep measures, and tobacco cigarette use were also assessed. Fifteen normal‐weight, daily cannabis users (4F, 11M) not seeking treatment for CUD completed the study. Lorcaserin significantly reduced cannabis self‐administration following 0 and 3 days of cannabis abstinence and also reduced craving for cannabis during abstinence. Lorcaserin produced small but significant increases in positive cannabis ratings and body weight relative to placebo. Lorcaserin also reduced tobacco cigarette smoking on days of cannabis administration relative to placebo. During abstinence, subjective but not objective measures of sleep quality worsened during lorcaserin maintenance. Overall, lorcaserin's ability to decrease drug taking and cannabis craving in nontreatment‐seeking cannabis users supports further investigation of 5HT‐2C agonists as potential pharmacotherapies for CUD.
The association of acute-to-chronic glycemic ratio with no-reflow in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND No-reflow (NR) is a strong and independent predictor of poor cardiovascular outcomes among ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. AIMS To investigate the association of acute-to-chronic (A/C) glycemic ratio with no-reflow (NR) development in STEMI patients following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS This retrospective study included 905 STEMI patients. The A/C glycemic ratio was determined as admission blood glucose (ABG) divided by the estimated average glucose (eAG). We evaluated two primary models (full model and reduced model). The primary outcome was the presence of NR. RESULTS The incidence of NR was 22.7% (206 cases) in the present study. We divided the study population into three tertiles (T1, T2, and T3) based on the ABG/eAG ratio. There was a stepwise increase of the frequency of NR development from the T1 to T3 group (36 patients [12%] vs. 70 patients [23%] vs. 100 patients [33%]; respectively [P < 0.001, for each group comparison]). In a full model, the ABG/eAG ratio (OR; 2.274, 95% CI; 1.587-3.26, P < 0.001) was associated with NR. After the performance of a step-down backward variable selection method, the thrombus grade, the ABG/eAG ratio, the infarct-related artery diameter, and age remained in the reduced model. The ABG/eAG ratio (contributing 25.3% of the explainable outcome in the model) was one of the strong predictors of NR in the reduced model. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this might be the first study showing a significant relationship between the ABG/eAG ratios with NR in STEMI patients after primary PCI.
Releasing and structural/mechanical properties of nano-particle/Punica granatum (Pomegranate) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid/fibrin as nano-composite scaffold.

The effect of poly(lactic‑co‑glycolic acid) (PLGA) on structure, degradation, drug release and mechanical properties of fibrin/pomegranate(F/POM)-based drug‑eluting scaffolds have been studied comprehensively. METHODS AND MATERIAL Nanoparticle-fibrin is prepared from thrombin and fibrinogen dissolved in NaOH and HCl. Then pomegranate powder is added to it. Nanoparticles/pom are provided by freeze drying and freeze milling. The 3-D scaffold of poly(lactide-co‑glycolic acid) (PLGA) was prepared via salt‑leaching solvent/casting leaching method and impregnated with nanofibrin-pom. Structural and chemical component of the scaffolds were evaluated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy and furrier transmission infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Moreover, the scaffolds were characterized from the degradation rate and drug releasing rate points of view of human Adipose Derive Stem Cells (hADSCs). Cytotoxicity effects of the scaffold were evaluated on hADSCs via MTT assay. RESULTS The results showed that the size of nanoparticles was about 100 nm. The scaffold had a slow degradation rate and it caused a sustained release pattern of pom. MTT assay indicated that nanoparticles had no cytotoxicity and fibrin-pom nanoparticles increased compressive strength of PLGA/scaffolds dramatically and also caused a proper compressive modulus. CONCLUSIONS By adding F/POM nanoparticle to PLGA and fabricating a three‑dimensional nanocomposite scaffold (PLGA/F/POM nanoparticle), special physical and mechanical properties also suitable for drug release and cell behavior were achieved, which makes it suitable for cartilage tissue engineering applications (Tab. 1, Fig. 7, Ref. 53) Keywords: hybrid composites, drug delivery, carrier, nanoparticles, scaffold.
The First Case Report of Mediastinal Abscess Caused by Gemella bergeri

Most cases of mediastinal abscess occur as a postoperative complication of a thoracic surgical procedure or following trauma. The most common causative microorganism is Staphylococcus aureus, but it can be rarely caused by unusual microorganisms, such as Gemella species. These are relatively difficult-to-identify commensal microorganisms of the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and may cause several infections. A 66-year-old man was diagnosed with Gemella bergeri mediastinal abscess by the molecular detection of bacterial genes. He was successfully treated with penicillin antibiotic for eight weeks. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of mediastinal abscess caused by G. bergeri.
Gene therapy based on lipid nanoparticles as non-viral vectors for Gliomas treatment.

Gliomas are primary brain tumors originating from glial cells, representing 30% of all Central Nervous System (CNS) neoplasia. Among them, the astrocytoma grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme) is the most common presenting an invasive and aggressive profile, with an estimated life expectancy about 15 months after diagnosis even after treatment with radiation, surgical resection, and chemotherapy. This poor prognostic is related to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and multidrug resistance mechanisms that avoid the uptake and retention of chemotherapeutics inside the brain. Gene therapy has been a promising strategy to overcome these treatment limitations since it has the ability to modify the defective genetic information in tumor cells, being able to induce cellular apoptosis, and silencing genes responsible for multidrug resistance. Lipid-based nanoparticles, non-viral vectors, have been investigated to deliver genes across the BBB to reach the gliomas cells target. Besides that, its low immunogenicity, easy production, ability in the incorporation of ligands to specific target cells and capacity to carry higher size genes, has become the gene therapy based on non-viral vectors promising glioma treatment. In this context, this review will address the most common non-viral vectors based on lipid-based nanoparticles used for gliomas gene therapy such as liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers and nanoemulsions.
Linseed ameliorates renal apoptosis in rat fetuses induced by single or combined exposure to diesel nanoparticles or fenitrothion by inhibiting transcriptional activation of p21/p53 and caspase‐3/9 through pro‐oxidant stimulus

Gestational exposure to environmental pollutants can induce oxidative injury and apoptosis since the fetal organs are sensitively vulnerable to these chemicals. In this work, we have investigated the renal anti‐apoptotic efficiency of linseed (LS) against the oxidative stress‐mediated upregulation of the fetal apoptosis‐related genes following the prenatal intoxication with diesel nanoparticles (DNPs) and/or fenitrothion (FNT). A fifty‐six timed‐pregnant rats were equally divided to eight groups; control, LS (20% in diet), DNPs (0.5 mg/kg by intratracheal inoculation), FNT (3.76 mg/kg by gavage), DNPs+FNT, LS + DNPs, LS + FNT, and LS + DNPs+FNT. The transmission electron microscope analysis revealed the spherical shape of diesel particles with a homogeneous nanosized range (20–92.3 nm) and the crystallinity was confirmed by electron diffraction microscopy. Administration of DNPs and/or FNT significantly increased fetal renal malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and glutathione reductase as compared with the control group. However, they declined the level of glutathione together with the activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione‐S‐transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. Furthermore, DNPs and/or FNT elicited many histopathological changes in fetal renal cells, markedly up‐regulated apoptosis‐related gene expressions (p53, p21 caspase‐3, and caspase‐9), and evoked DNA breaks as detected by comet assay. Interestingly, LS supplementation significantly ameliorated the disturbances in oxidant/antioxidant biomarkers, downregulated the apoptosis gene expressions, and alleviated DNA damage alongside renal cell architecture. These findings reveal that the antioxidant and anti‐apoptotic characteristics of LS are acceptable defender pointers for the renal injury especially during gestational exposure to DNPs and/or FNT.
Effect of nitrate feeding strategies on lipid and biomass productivities in fed‐batch cultures of Nannochloropsis gaditana

Controlled nitrate feeding strategies for fed‐batch cultures of microalgae were applied for the enhancement of lipid production and microalgal growth rates. In particular, in this study, the effect of nitrate feeding rates on lipid and biomass productivities in fed‐batch cultures of Nannochloropsis gaditana were investigated using three feeding modes (i.e., pulse, continuous, and staged) and under two light variations on both lipid productivity and fatty acid compositions. Higher nitrate levels negatively affected lipid production in the study. Increasing the light intensity increased the lipid contents of the microalgae in all three fed‐batch feeding modes. A maximum of 58.3% lipid‐ to dry weight ratio was achieved when using pulse‐fed cultures at an illumination of 200 μmol photons m−2 s−1 and 10 mg/day of nitrate feeding. This condition also resulted in the maximum lipid productivity of 44.6 mg L−1 day−1. The fatty acid compositions of the lipids consisted predominantly of long‐chain fatty acids (C:16 and C:18) and accounted for 70% of the overall fatty acid methyl esters. Pulse feeding mode was found to significantly enhance the biomass and lipid production. The other two feeding modes (continuous and staged) were not ideal for lipid and biomass production. This study demonstrates the applicability of pulse feeding strategies in fed‐batch cultures as an appropriate cultivation strategy that can increase both lipid accumulation and biomass production.
Active coherent laser spectrometer for remote detection and identification of chemicals

Currently, there exists a capability gap for the remote detection and identification of threat chemicals. We report here on the development of an Active Coherent Laser Spectrometer (ACLaS) operating in the thermal infrared and capable of multi-species stand-off detection of chemicals at sub ppm.m levels. A bench top prototype of the instrument has been developed using distributed feedback mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers as spectroscopic sources. The instrument provides active eye-safe illumination of a topographic target and subsequent spectroscopic analysis through optical heterodyne detection of the diffuse backscattered field. Chemical selectivity is provided by the combination of the narrow laser spectral bandwidth (typically < 2 MHz) and frequency tunability that allows the recording of the full absorption spectrum of any species within the instrument line of sight. Stand-off detection at distances up to 12 m has been demonstrated on light molecules such as H2O, CH4 and N2O. A physical model of the stand-off detection scenario including ro-vibrational molecular absorption parameters was used in conjunction with a fitting algorithm to retrieve quantitative mixing ratio information on multiple absorbers.
Boundary Lubrication. The Paraffin Series

In what is often called complete lubrication, the kind of lubrication investigated by Towers and Osborne Reynolds, the solid surfaces are completely floated apart by the lubricant. There is, however, another kind of lubrication in which the solid faces are near enough together to influence directly the physical properties of the lubricant. This is the condition found with "dry" or "greasy" surfaces. What Osborne Reynolds calls ”boundary conditions” then operate, and the friction depends not only on the lubri­cant, but also on the chemical nature of the solid boundaries. Boundary lubrication differs so greatly from complete lubrication as to suggest that there is a discontinuity between the two states. In the former the surfaces have the property of static friction, and the resistance is some inverse function of the viscosity of the lubricant. In complete lubrication static friction is absent and the resistance varies directly with the viscosity of the lubricant. Boundary lubrication is alone considered in this paper. The enquiry is limited to the lubricating qualities of normal paraffins and their related acids and alcohols.The molecules of the substances employed, therefore, consist either of a simple chain of carbon atoms to which are attached atoms of hydrogen, or of such a chain loaded at one end with the hydroxyl group—OH, or the carboxyl group—COOH.
Factors Affecting Sampling Error of Nutrient Element Contents of Arable Fields

A sampling proficiency test is evaluated to analyze the influence of soil heterogeneity and sampling parameters on sampling error of nutrient contents. The influence of parameters on sampling error was assessed by multiple linear regression, regression tree analysis, and variance component analysis (VCA). Error was governed mainly by heterogeneity. Among sampling parameters, the number of increment samples had the largest influence. VCA revealed that the component between sampling repetitions was larger than the component between samplers. This suggests a predominance of heterogeneity for the influence on sampling error, increasing with field-scale heterogeneity. Sampling patterns of low complexity seemed sufficient for the homogeneous field, whereas sampling performance was enhanced by more complex sampling pattern on fields of intermediate and high heterogeneity. Overall, the results suggest that sampling error on arable fields sampled with simplified sampling schemes is often determined by soil heterogeneity and to a lesser degree by sampling parameters.
Interleukin‐6 neutralization ameliorates symptoms in prematurely aged mice

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) causes premature aging in children, with adipose tissue, skin and bone deterioration, and cardiovascular impairment. In HGPS cells and mouse models, high levels of interleukin‐6, an inflammatory cytokine linked to aging processes, have been detected. Here, we show that inhibition of interleukin‐6 activity by tocilizumab, a neutralizing antibody raised against interleukin‐6 receptors, counteracts progeroid features in both HGPS fibroblasts and LmnaG609G/G609G progeroid mice. Tocilizumab treatment limits the accumulation of progerin, the toxic protein produced in HGPS cells, rescues nuclear envelope and chromatin abnormalities, and attenuates the hyperactivated DNA damage response. In vivo administration of tocilizumab reduces aortic lesions and adipose tissue dystrophy, delays the onset of lipodystrophy and kyphosis, avoids motor impairment, and preserves a good quality of life in progeroid mice. This work identifies tocilizumab as a valuable tool in HGPS therapy and, speculatively, in the treatment of a variety of aging‐related disorders.
Analog resistive switching behavior of Al/Nb2O5/Al device

Resistive switching effects in metal–insulator–metal (MIM) structures are strongly influenced by the electrode materials. In this work a platinum-free symmetric Al/Nb2O5/Al device is compared to a device with platinum bottom electrode. For the device with the platinum bottom electrode, filamentary based resistive switching with good data retention was observed up to 125 °C. For the Al/Nb2O5/Al device, an area dependent pure electronic based resistive switching was observed. Electron trapping at the bottom electrode interface is responsible for the observed analog switching behavior which makes an Al/Nb2O5/Al device suitable for neuromorphic applications.