Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sepiolite-Palygorskite: A Continuous Polysomatic Series

A compositional gap between sepiolite and palygorskite has long been accepted even though they have similar structures, but recent studies found that such a gap does not exist and that the compositional series is continuous between them. If this is true, intergrowths between these two minerals should exist. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the existence of sepiolite-palygorskite intergrowths in all possible proportions, in order to establish the compositional links between ideal sepiolite and ideal palygorskite and to define the compositional limits of these two minerals. Sepiolite and palygorskite have similar structures but different chemical compositions: sepiolite is the most trioctahedral and magnesic extreme, while palygorskite is dioctahedral with Al and Mg in its octahedral sheet. The existence of all intermediate compositions between these two pure extremes has led to the definition of the intermediate minerals, Al-sepiolite and Mg-palygorskite, which can have similar chemical composition. The structural relations between the different minerals of the palygorskite—sepiolite series were studied here by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and continuous variation in the chemical composition is explained by the existence of intergrowths of sepiolite and palygorskite polysomes forming a continuous polysomatic series. The existence of intergrowths by mixtures of polysomes in modulated structures can be considered in the same way that the mixed-layer minerals in layered structures are considered. The continuous polysomatic series of sepiolite-palygorskite can be expressed by the general formula: [Si12Mg8O30(OH)4(OH2)4]y∙[Si8O20(Mg2Fe2)x(Mg2Al2)(1-x)(OH)2(OH2)4](1-y)·nH2O, where sepiolite and palygorskite are the end-members. They and xvalues can be calculated using a ternary plot with the oxide contents of the main octahedral cations (Al2O3, Fe2O3, and MgO). The proposed model, which is based on the intergrowth of sepiolite and palygorskite polysomes, explains both the variability in the chemical composition and the compositional limit for the identification of these minerals by X-ray diffraction.
Comparison of Neonatal Outcomes With and Without Prophylaxis With Indomethacin in Premature Neonates.

OBJECTIVE Historically, prophylactic indomethacin (pINDO) has been used in some institutions for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in extremely low birthweight neonates while other institutions have used it as prophylaxis for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of IVH and PDA with or without pINDO in premature neonates. METHODS This was a retrospective, single-center study comparing neonatal outcomes in neonates weighing 1250 grams or less who received pINDO (pINDO group) to those who did not (No pINDO group) after our institution discontinued its routine use. RESULTS A total of 399 infants were included for analysis (pINDO, n = 141; No pINDO, n = 258). No difference was found between pINDO and No pINDO groups in incidence of any IVH (18% vs 14%, respectively) or severe IVH (7% vs 3%, respectively) when adjusting for gestational age and antenatal corticosteroids. Although the incidence of moderate-to-large PDA was lower in the pINDO group (13% vs 23%, respectively, adjusted p = 0.002), there was no significant difference for PDA requiring surgery (4% vs 3%, respectively). Results demonstrated a higher incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in the pINDO group (55% vs 41%, respectively, adjusted p = 0.014). CONCLUSION No difference in the incidence of IVH, severe IVH, or PDA requiring surgery was observed between groups, whereas an increase in BPD was seen with use of pINDO. These data support our institutional practice change to discontinue routine use of pINDO in premature neonates. Further research is needed to guide clinical practice.
Early Optimistic Effect in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry Trials

Differences in effect estimates between early primary trials included in a meta-analysis and the pooled estimate of meta-analysis might indicate potential novelty bias. The objective of this study was to assess the presence of novelty bias in a sample of studies published in periodontology and implant dentistry. On August 7, 2020, we searched the PubMed database for meta-analyses of clinical studies published between August 2015 and August 2020. Meta-analyses with at least 4 primary studies were selected for assessment. We fitted logistic regression models using trial characteristics as predictors to assess the association between these characteristics and 1) the odds of the first trial’s estimate to be included in the meta-analysis confidence interval (CI) and 2) the odds of overlap between the first trial’s CI and the meta-analysis prediction interval (PI). Ninety-two meta-analyses provided data for assessment. In absolute values, 70% of the meta-analyses have a pooled estimate smaller than the corresponding estimate of the first trial, although there was overlap of the CI of estimates from the first trial and the meta-analysis in 87% of the cases. This is probably due to the small number of trials in most meta-analyses and the subsequently large uncertainty associated with the pooled effect estimate. As the number of trials in the meta-analysis increased, the odds of the treatment effect estimate of the first trial to be included in the meta-analysis CI decreased by 15% for every additional trial (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.96). Meta-analytic effect estimates appear to be more conservative than those from the first trial in the meta-analysis. Our findings show evidence of novelty bias in periodontology and implant dentistry; therefore, clinicians should be aware of the risk of making decisions based on the information reported in new trials because of the risk of exaggerated estimates in these trials.
Analysis of Nonbattle Deaths Among U.S. Service Members in the Deployed Environment

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: Describe etiologies and trends in non-battle deaths (NBD) among deployed U.S. service members to identify areas for prevention. Background: Injuries in combat are categorized as battle (result of hostile action) or nonbattle related. Previous work found that one-third of injured US military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan had nonbattle injuries and emphasized prevention. NBD have not yet been characterized. Methods: U.S. military casualty data for Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 were obtained from the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) and the Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DoDTR). Two databases were used because DoDTR does not capture prehospital deaths, while DCAS does not contain clinical details. Nonbattle injuries and NBD were identified, etiologies classified, and NBD trends were assessed using a weighted moving average and time-series analysis with autoregressive integrated moving average. Future NBD rates were forecast. Results: DCAS recorded 59,799 casualties; 21.0% (n = 1431) of all deaths (n = 6745) were NBD. DoDTR recorded 29,958 casualties; 11.5% (n = 206) of all deaths (n = 1788) were NBD. After early fluctuations, NBD rates for both Iraq and Afghanistan stabilized at approximately 21%. Leading causes of NBD were gunshot wounds and vehicle accidents, accounting for 66%. Approximately 25% was self-inflicted. A 24% NBD rate was forecasted from 2015 through 2025. Conclusions: Approximately 1 in 5 deaths were NBD. The majority were potentially preventable, including a significant proportion of self-inflicted injuries. A single comprehensive data repository would facilitate future mortality monitoring and performance improvement. These data may assist military leaders with implementing targeted safety strategies.
Maturity of gray matter structures and white matter connectomes, and their relationship with psychiatric symptoms in youth

Brain predicted age difference, or BrainPAD, compares chronological age to an age estimate derived by applying machine learning (ML) to MRI brain data. BrainPAD studies in youth have been relatively limited, often using only a single MRI modality or a single ML algorithm. Here, we use multimodal MRI with a stacked ensemble ML approach that iteratively applies several ML algorithms (AutoML). Eligible participants in the Healthy Brain Network (N = 489) were split into training and test sets. Morphometry estimates, white matter connectomes, or both were entered into AutoML to develop BrainPAD models. The best model was then applied to a held‐out evaluation dataset, and associations with psychometrics were estimated. Models using morphometry and connectomes together had a mean absolute error of 1.18 years, outperforming models using a single MRI modality. Lower BrainPAD values were associated with more symptoms on the CBCL (pcorr = .012) and lower functioning on the Children's Global Assessment Scale (pcorr = .012). Higher BrainPAD values were associated with better performance on the Flanker task (pcorr = .008). Brain age prediction was more accurate using ComBat‐harmonized brain data (MAE = 0.26). Associations with psychometric measures remained consistent after ComBat harmonization, though only the association with CGAS reached statistical significance in the reduced sample. Our findings suggest that BrainPAD scores derived from unharmonized multimodal MRI data using an ensemble ML approach may offer a clinically relevant indicator of psychiatric and cognitive functioning in youth.
Enzymatic textile recycling – best practices and outlook

Recently, textiles and their end-of-life management have become the focus of public and political attention. In the European Union the revised waste framework directive defines textiles as municipal waste and stipulates their separate collection by 2025. In the context of these developments, this paper summarises briefly the current state-of-the-art in textile recycling. It is evident that recycling methods are not yet fully developed. This is especially the case with multi-material textiles, which are composed of two or more polymers that are incompatible for recycling. In the practical part of the communication, results are presented which show that enzymatic hydrolysis is a suitable process for recycling textiles made of cotton and polyester. After a complete removal of cotton, the remaining pure polyester fibres undergo a re-granulation and post-condensation step. The so obtained recycled polyester is fed back into the textile processing chain and finally towels are obtained. The main steering parameters of the enzymatic hydrolysis process are described. The study proves that solutions in accordance with the Circular Economy in the textile sector are available but an industrial implementation has not yet been realised.
Impact of single amino acid substitution on the structure and function of TANK‐binding kinase‐1

Tank‐binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase involved in various signaling pathways and subsequently regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, antiviral and antitumor immunity. Dysfunction of TBK1 can cause many complex diseases, including autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, and cancer. This dysfunction of TBK1 may result from single amino acid substitutions and subsequent structural alterations. This study analyzed the effect of substituting amino acids on TBK1 structure, function, and subsequent disease using advanced computational methods and various tools. In the initial assessment, a total of 467 mutations were found to be deleterious. After that, in detailed structural and sequential analyses, 13 mutations were found to be pathogenic. Finally, based on the functional importance, two variants (K38D and S172A) of the TBK1 kinase domain were selected and studied in detail by utilizing all‐atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for 200 ns. MD simulation, including correlation matrix and principal component analysis, helps to get deeper insights into the TBK1 structure at the atomic level. We observed a substantial change in variants' conformation, which may be possible for structural alteration and subsequent TBK1 dysfunction. However, substitution S172A shows a significant conformational change in TBK1 structure as compared to K38D. Thus, this study provides a structural basis to understand the effect of mutations on the kinase domain of TBK1 and its function associated with disease progression.
How do lipids influence risk of violence, self-harm and suicidality in people with psychosis? A systematic review

Objectives: Low cholesterol has been linked with violent and suicidal behaviour in people with schizophrenia. This association, if consistently present, may be a promising biological marker that could assist clinicians in decision making regarding risk and treatment. We conducted a systematic review to assess whether there is a reliable association between lipid profile (total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides) and aggression, self-harm or suicide in people with schizophrenia, and whether effects are similar in males and females. Method: Relevant databases were searched to identify primary research studies (up to November 2020) that (1) involved adults (some samples also included 16- to 18-year olds) with a confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or psychosis; and (2) included a standardised assessment of verbal aggression, physical aggression against objects, physical aggression against self (including suicide) or others. The search yielded 23 studies eligible for inclusion following a quality appraisal. Results: Suicidality was the most commonly assessed subtype of aggression (20 studies). For suicidality, about half the studies, including the study with the largest sample size, found a link with total cholesterol. An association between low total cholesterol and violence towards others was found in six of nine studies that investigated this. The evidence for a link with violence was the strongest for total cholesterol, followed by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the weakest for triglycerides. Only a few studies investigated sex differences and yielded mixed evidence. Studies focussed on self-harm as well as involving females in forensic settings were lacking. Conclusion: There is encouraging evidence of an association between low total cholesterol and aggression towards others as well as suicidality in schizophrenia. Future studies should systematically explore this association in people with schizophrenia who have a significant history of violence, suicidality and self-harm, both inpatients and community, and also investigate underlying mechanisms.
Adaptive Fuzzy Output-Feedback Decentralized Control for Fractional-Order Nonlinear Large-Scale Systems

This article studies the adaptive fuzzy output-feedback decentralized control problem for the fractional-order nonlinear large-scale systems. Since the considered strict-feedback systems contain unknown nonlinear functions and unmeasurable states, the fuzzy-logic systems (FLSs) are used to model unknown fractional-order subsystems, and a fuzzy decentralized state observer is established to obtain the unavailable states. By introducing the dynamic surface control (DSC) design technique into the adaptive backstepping control algorithm and constructing the fractional-order Lyapunov functions, an adaptive fuzzy output-feedback decentralized control scheme is developed. It is proved that the decentralized controlled system is stable and that the tracking and observer errors are able to converge to a neighborhood of zero. A simulation example is given to confirm the validity of the proposed control scheme.
Self‐Powered Respiration Monitoring Enabled By a Triboelectric Nanogenerator

In mammals, physiological respiration involves respiratory cycles of inhaled and exhaled breaths, which has traditionally been an underutilized resource potentially encompassing a wealth of physiologically relevant information as well as clues to potential diseases. Recently, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been widely adopted for self‐powered respiration monitoring owing to their compelling features, such as decent biocompatibility, wearing comfort, low‐cost, and high sensitivity to respiration activities in the aspect of low frequency and slight amplitude body motions. Physiological respiration behaviors and exhaled chemical regents can be precisely and continuously monitored by TENG‐based respiration sensors for personalized health care. This article presents an overview of TENG enabled self‐powered respiration monitoring, with a focus on the working principle, sensing materials, functional structures, and related applications in both physical respiration motion detection and chemical breath analysis. Concepts and approaches for acquisition of physical information associated with respiratory rate and depth are covered in the first part. Then the sensing mechanism, theoretical modeling, and applications related to detection of chemicals released from breathing gases are systemically summarized. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of triboelectric effect enabled self‐powered respiration monitoring are comprehensively discussed and criticized.
The Effect of Hemodynamic Parameters on Cerebral Oxygenization During Carotid Endarterectomy

Objective/Introduction Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technique to detect cerebral ischemia by monitoring changes in regional cerebral oxygenation (rSO2) in the frontal lobes. However, there are no studies showing the changes in NIRS values in response to hemodynamic variations during stages of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) procedure and clinical implications of these changes. The aim of this study was to determine if hemodynamic changes affect NIRS values during carotid endarterectomy and if our results may help to provide strategies for hemodynamic management in these patients. Methods A total of 50 consecutive patients undergoing CEA were prospectively included in the study. NIRS was measured at first minute after clamping of carotid artery, and then systolic blood pressure was increased above 150 mmHg. NIRS values from both hemispheres were recorded simultaneously at certain time points and were analyzed to evaluate the changes at different stages of operation and to assess correlations with hemodynamic parameters. Results NIRS values on the right and left sides were correlated with systolic (right P<0.001, R2:0.24; left P=0.02, R2:0.10) diastolic (right P<0.001, R2:0.36; left P=0.001, R2:0.18) and mean (right P<0.001, R2:0.33; left P=0.003, R2:0.17) blood pressures when the patient was under general anaesthesia. NIRS values were significantly lower than pre-incision values just after clamping of carotid artery in both hemispheres (P=0.005 for the right and P<0.001 for the left side). Conclusion NIRS values measured in our study show that there is a correlation between hemodynamic changes and cerebral oxygenation. This effect is especially pronounced while the patient is asleep and intubated, which implies the importance of close monitoring of patients with carotid disease during any surgery requiring general anaesthesia.
MicroRNA-124a Protects the Myocardium Against Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Through Regulation of the Notch Signaling Pathway

Introduction This study’s objective is to investigate the effect of downregulation of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-124a on myocardial injury after ischemia reperfusion (I/R) in rats. Methods Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (n=20) were divided into four groups - sham, I/R, I/R+miR-124a antagomir (I/R+ant-miR-124a), and I/R+ant-normal control (NC). The pathomorphological and infarct size variance of injured myocardial tissues with IR were conducted with hematoxylin (HE) and triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The expression levels of miR-124a, BAX, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-KB), Notch1, and Hes1 were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or Western blot in myocardium. The inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, as well as the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) in serum by colorimetry. Results The expression of miR-124a was increased in the I/R group. Compared with I/R and I/R+ant-NC groups, after downregulating miR-124a, the expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, BAX, NF-KB, LDH, and CK were decreased, but the expression of Notch1 and Hes1 were increased. In HE staining, myocardial tissue edema, red blood cell exudation, and myocardial fiber arrangement disorder were accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration and local necrosis in the I/R group. However, the pathological injury of myocardial tissue was alleviated after downregulating miR-124a. Additionally, TTC results showed that the myocardial infarction area was decreased in the I/R+ant-miR-124a group. Conclusion Downregulation of miR-124a expression through Notch pathway can significantly reduce myocardial damage after 24 hours of I/R in SD rats. Therefore, miR-124a may become a potential therapeutic target for I/R injury.
Effect of pasture and intensive feeding systems on the carcass and meat quality of buffalo

Objective This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of pasture (PA) feeding on buffalo meat quality compared with buffaloes reared intensively with the use of corn silage as a forage base or alternatively with polyphite meadow hay (PH). Methods Thirty Mediterranean bull buffaloes were distributed into three experimental diet groups: maize silage (MS), PH, and PA. The animals were slaughtered at a live weight of 250 kg, and carcass and meat quality were evaluated. After 7 days of ageing, physical and chemical parameters of longissimus thoracis muscle were determined. To evaluate lipid oxidation the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was tested at 7 and 14 days, and also the fatty acid profile was recorded by gas chromatography. Results The PA group, even if it showed carcass parameters lower than those of the silage maize group, reported a good meat percentage (60.59% vs 58.46%, respectively) and lower fat percentage (p<0.001). PA-fed animals showed meat redness, and even if only on raw meat, shear force was higher than the others. Low values of conjugate linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and n-3 were reported in the silage maize group. Principal component analysis (PCA) clearly showed the influence of different diets on meat quality, and PCA1 and PCA2 explained 82% of the variability. Conclusion Buffaloes reared on PA had meat with high nutritional value even if they showed poor carcass performance compared to the animals fed on MS. Buffaloes fed on polyphite hay were in an intermediate position, similar to grazing animals, according to the same nutritional determinations.