Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Patient and Caregiver Perspectives of Ambulatory Kidney Palliative Care

Objectives: The ideal clinical model to deliver palliative care to patients with advanced kidney disease is currently unknown. Internationally, ambulatory kidney palliative care clinics have emerged with positive outcomes, yet there is limited data from the United States (US). In this exploratory study we report perceptions of a US-based ambulatory kidney palliative care clinic from the perspective of patient and caregiver attendees. The objective of this study was to inform further improvement of our clinical program. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit the patient and caregiver experience. Eleven interviews (8 patients with chronic kidney disease stage IV or V and 3 caregivers) were analyzed using qualitative description design. Results: We identified 2 themes: “Communication addressing the emotional and physical aspects of disease” and “Filling gaps in care”; Subthemes include perceived value in symptom management, assistance with coping with disease, engagement in advance care planning, program satisfaction and patient activation. Significance of Results: Qualitative analysis showed that attendees of an ambulatory kidney palliative care clinic found the clinic enhanced the management of their kidney disease and provided services that filled current gaps in their care. Shared experiences highlight the significant challenges of life with kidney disease and the possible benefits of palliative care for this population. Further study to determine the optimal model of care for kidney palliative care is needed. Inclusion of the patient and caregiver perspective will be essential in this development.
MCM-41 Organic Modification as Drug Delivery Rate Regulator

Organic modification with aminopropyl group of two MCM-41 materials having different pore sizes (obtained from trimethylalkylammonium surfactants with different chain sizes (16 and 12 carbon atoms)) has been carried out in order to control the delivery rate of ibuprofen from the siliceous matrix. This functionalization was performed by two different methods: the as-synthesized MCM-41 sample was treated with aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (method a), and the MCM-41 was first calcined and then funtionalized by reaction with aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (method b). The amount of ibuprofen adsorbed from hexane solution is lower for the C12 derived materials. A slower delivery rate has been observed for method b, whereas a minor influence of the pore size on the delivery rate has been found.
SAAFEC-SEQ: A Sequence-Based Method for Predicting the Effect of Single Point Mutations on Protein Thermodynamic Stability

Modeling the effect of mutations on protein thermodynamics stability is useful for protein engineering and understanding molecular mechanisms of disease-causing variants. Here, we report a new development of the SAAFEC method, the SAAFEC-SEQ, which is a gradient boosting decision tree machine learning method to predict the change of the folding free energy caused by amino acid substitutions. The method does not require the 3D structure of the corresponding protein, but only its sequence and, thus, can be applied on genome-scale investigations where structural information is very sparse. SAAFEC-SEQ uses physicochemical properties, sequence features, and evolutionary information features to make the predictions. It is shown to consistently outperform all existing state-of-the-art sequence-based methods in both the Pearson correlation coefficient and root-mean-squared-error parameters as benchmarked on several independent datasets. The SAAFEC-SEQ has been implemented into a web server and is available as stand-alone code that can be downloaded and embedded into other researchers’ code.
Mitochondrial Structure and Bioenergetics in Normal and Disease Conditions

Mitochondria are ubiquitous intracellular organelles found in almost all eukaryotes and involved in various aspects of cellular life, with a primary role in energy production. The interest in this organelle has grown stronger with the discovery of their link to various pathologies, including cancer, aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, dysfunctional mitochondria cannot provide the required energy to tissues with a high-energy demand, such as heart, brain and muscles, leading to a large spectrum of clinical phenotypes. Mitochondrial defects are at the origin of a group of clinically heterogeneous pathologies, called mitochondrial diseases, with an incidence of 1 in 5000 live births. Primary mitochondrial diseases are associated with genetic mutations both in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), affecting genes involved in every aspect of the organelle function. As a consequence, it is difficult to find a common cause for mitochondrial diseases and, subsequently, to offer a precise clinical definition of the pathology. Moreover, the complexity of this condition makes it challenging to identify possible therapies or drug targets.
Nanoparticle and Bioparticle Deposition Kinetics: Quartz Microbalance Measurements

Controlled deposition of nanoparticles and bioparticles is necessary for their separation and purification by chromatography, filtration, food emulsion and foam stabilization, etc. Compared to numerous experimental techniques used to quantify bioparticle deposition kinetics, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method is advantageous because it enables real time measurements under different transport conditions with high precision. Because of its versatility and the deceptive simplicity of measurements, this technique is used in a plethora of investigations involving nanoparticles, macroions, proteins, viruses, bacteria and cells. However, in contrast to the robustness of the measurements, theoretical interpretations of QCM measurements for a particle-like load is complicated because the primary signals (the oscillation frequency and the band width shifts) depend on the force exerted on the sensor rather than on the particle mass. Therefore, it is postulated that a proper interpretation of the QCM data requires a reliable theoretical framework furnishing reference results for well-defined systems. Providing such results is a primary motivation of this work where the kinetics of particle deposition under diffusion and flow conditions is discussed. Expressions for calculating the deposition rates and the maximum coverage are presented. Theoretical results describing the QCM response to a heterogeneous load are discussed, which enables a quantitative interpretation of experimental data obtained for nanoparticles and bioparticles comprising viruses and protein molecules.
Eco-Friendly, High-Density Fiberboards Bonded with Urea-Formaldehyde and Ammonium Lignosulfonate

The potential of producing eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free, high-density fiberboard (HDF) panels from hardwood fibers bonded with urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin and a novel ammonium lignosulfonate (ALS) is investigated in this paper. HDF panels were fabricated in the laboratory by applying a very low UF gluing factor (3%) and ALS content varying from 6% to 10% (based on the dry fibers). The physical and mechanical properties of the fiberboards, such as water absorption (WA), thickness swelling (TS), modulus of elasticity (MOE), bending strength (MOR), internal bond strength (IB), as well as formaldehyde content, were determined in accordance with the corresponding European standards. Overall, the HDF panels exhibited very satisfactory physical and mechanical properties, fully complying with the standard requirements of HDF for use in load-bearing applications in humid conditions. Markedly, the formaldehyde content of the laboratory fabricated panels was extremely low, ranging between 0.7–1.0 mg/100 g, which is, in fact, equivalent to the formaldehyde release of natural wood.
The Effects of Photobiomodulation on Leukocyte and Platelet-Rich Fibrin as Barrier Membrane on Bone Regeneration: An Experimental Animal Study.

Objective: To compare the effects of leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT)-applied L-PRF (PBMT/L-PRF) as barrier membranes on new bone formation (BV/TV) for the treatment of critical-sized bone defects. Materials and methods: The right iliac crests of five sheep were used in this experimental animal study. Eight critical-sized defects were surgically created in each sheep and a total of 40 defects were obtained. A deproteinized bovine bone graft was placed in all defects, and the defects were divided into four groups to be covered with L-PRF membrane, PBMT/L-PRF membrane, collagen membrane, or left uncovered as controls. Animals were sacrificed at 1 month. The sections obtained were histomorphometrically analyzed. Results: The results showed that the collagen group presented significantly higher values for main bone healing parameters (BV/TV, bone volume, and bone surface; p < 0.05). The PBMT/L-PRF group presented higher values than the L-PRF group and controls for these parameters though not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The findings show that PBMT may provide additional regenerative properties to L-PRF when used as barrier membranes. However, these results did not reach the collagen membranes, which warrants further studies for adapting the laser parameters to increase regenerative capacity of L-PRF.
Modulation of Synaptic Plasticity by Vibratory Training in Young and Old Mice

In the past 40 years, scientific research has shown how Whole Body Vibration concept represents a strong stimulus for the whole organism. Low (<30 Hz), medium (30–80 Hz), and high (>80 Hz) frequency vibrations can have both positive and negative effects, depending on the oscillation type and duration of exposure to which the body is subjected. However, very little is known about the effects of vibratory training on the brain. In this regard, we verified whether three vibratory training protocols, differing in terms of vibration frequency and exposure time to vibration, could modulate synaptic plasticity in an experimental mouse model, by extracellular recordings in vitro in hippocampal slices of mice of 4 and 24 months old. Our results showed that vibratory training can modulate synaptic plasticity differently, depending on the protocol used, and that the best effects are related to the training protocol characterized by a low vibration frequency and a longer recovery time. Future studies will aim to understand the brain responses to various types of vibratory training and to explore the underlying mechanisms, also evaluating the presence of any structural and functional changes due to vibratory training.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE BOUNDS OF GRIEF

ABSTRACT This article addresses the question of whether certain experiences that originate in causes other than bereavement are properly termed ‘grief’. To do so, we focus on widespread experiences of grief that have been reported during the Covid-19 pandemic. We consider two potential objections to a more permissive use of the term: (i) grief is, by definition, a response to a death; (ii) grief is subject to certain norms that apply only to the case of bereavement. Having shown that these objections are unconvincing, we sketch a positive case for a conception of grief that is not specific to bereavement, by noting some features that grief following bereavement shares with other experiences of loss.
BLOOD PARASITE INFECTIONS IN STRIGIFORMES AND PSITTACIFORMES SPECIES IN CAPTIVITY WITH A NEW RECORD OF POTENTIAL FATAL BLOOD PARASITE TRANSMISSION TO PARROTS

Abstract: Although parrot species are infrequently infected by hemoparasites in the wild, some fatal infections have been reported in captive individuals. Conversely birds of prey are frequently infected by hemoparasites. In this study, 193 captive birds from Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) centers in Madrid, Spain, belonging to orders Psittaciformes, Accipitriformes, Strigiformes, and Falconiformes, were blood-sampled in search of parasite infections. Molecular and microscopic analyses were conducted to detect parasites of the following genera: Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, Trypanosoma, Babesia, and Lankesterella. Infections by microfilariae and Coccidia were also searched in blood samples. Surprisingly, infections by Haemoproteus syrnii, a common parasite from owls, were detected in the cadavers of two species of parrots, Trichoglossus haematodus and Psittacula cyanocephala. The same haplotype was also detected in the cadavers of two owl species, Tyto alba and Strix rufipes. All these birds were housed and died in the same center. Infections by species of Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Trypanosoma were also found in different species of raptors. Nocturnal raptors (Strigiformes) show significantly higher prevalence of infection by blood parasites than diurnal raptors (Falconiformes and Accipitriformes). In conclusion, a potential fatal transmission of Haemoproteus syrnii, from Strigiformes to Psittaciformes species, is reported and several infections by different blood parasites were detected in birds of prey. These results emphasize the importance of increasing prevention measures to avoid or reduce the transmission of blood parasites among birds from different species housed in these types of centers.
A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC FACTORS INFLUENCING INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE IN BROOK TROUT (SALVELINUS FONTINALIS)

Abstract: Reference intervals of intraocular pressure (IOP) are poorly described in piscine species as the factors that may influence it. Rebound tonometry was used to measure IOP in 28 adult brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) anesthetized in a buffered solution of 60 mg/L tricaine methanesulfonate (n = 16) or restrained with electronarcosis (n = 12) at 16 mA. There was no significant effect of the eye side, sex, fish origin, and body weight, but IOP values were significantly higher with electronarcosis (mean ± SD: 16.4 ± 5.0 mm Hg) than with immersion anesthesia (10.8 ± 3.3 mm Hg; P = 0.0017). The same restraint method should be used for comparison with previously published IOP values or when evaluating individual variations over time.
HPC LINPACK Parameter Optimization on Homo-/Heterogeneous System of ARM Neoverse N1SDP

HPL(High Performance Linpack) is the standard benchmark used to evaluate supercomputers (high-performance computing systems) around the world. HPL solves a linear system of equations, Ax=b, through a series of mathematical processes such as 2D Block-Cyclic matrix distribution and LU Decomposition. In order to achieve the best performance, optimization of key HPL parameters is essential. In this paper, we propose an optimization analysis technique of HPL parameters based on HPLinpack performance results and the efficiency graph pattern on a homogeneous system consisting of the Neoverse N1SDP(System Development Platform) from ARM. Results show the significant influence of GEMM operations on performance and the need for its acceleration were further verified through HPL function call profiling. Finally, we show the effectiveness of the proposed parameter optimization methods on a heterogeneous system. A HPL modified for heterogenous system exhibited considerably improved performance when tested on the Neoverse N1SDP and the Nvidia RTX 2060 GPU.
Enhanced drug delivery to the reproductive tract using nanomedicine reveals therapeutic options for prevention of preterm birth

Vaginally delivered nanoformulations of progesterone and histone deacetylase inhibitors prevent inflammation-induced preterm birth in mice. Drug delivery to delay delivery Preterm birth, often caused by inflammation, is a major contributor to infant morbidity and mortality. It often cannot be predicted, but even for women who are known to be at risk of preterm delivery, there is no currently approved intervention to prevent it, although progesterone-based interventions are sometimes attempted. To improve access of treatments to the appropriate tissues for preventing preterm delivery, Zierden et al. designed a mucoinert nanosuspension to optimize vaginal dosing of therapeutics. The authors demonstrated the effectiveness of their approach in mouse models using histone deacetylase inhibitors with and without progesterone. Their approach improved the rates of full-term delivery of neurotypical pups. Inflammation contributes to nearly 4 million global premature births annually. Here, we used a mouse model of intrauterine inflammation to test clinically used formulations, as well as engineered nanoformulations, for the prevention of preterm birth (PTB). We observed that neither systemic 17a-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Makena) nor vaginal progesterone gel (Crinone) was sufficient to prevent inflammation-induced PTB, consistent with recent clinical trial failures. However, we found that vaginal delivery of mucoinert nanosuspensions of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, in some cases with the addition of progesterone, prevented PTB and resulted in delivery of live pups exhibiting neurotypical development. In human myometrial cells in vitro, the P4/HDAC inhibitor combination both inhibited cell contractility and promoted the anti-inflammatory action of P4 by increasing progesterone receptor B stability. Here, we demonstrate the use of vaginally delivered drugs to prevent intrauterine inflammation–induced PTB resulting in the birth of live offspring in a preclinical animal model.
Optimization of Parameters for Purification of Jatropha Curcas Based Biodiesel Using Organic Adsorbents

This paper discusses purification of biodiesel by using organic adsorbents instead of traditional water washing technique. The efficiency of different organic adsorbents under different conditions was compared with each other as well as traditional water washed biodiesel for the purification of Jatropha Curcas based transesterified biodiesel. The proposed methodologies were based on the use of Amberlite BD10 DRY, Purolite PD 206and Tulison T-45BD as adsorbents. The response of each adsorbent was measured through the determination of all the potential impurities like, free alkali, residual alcohol, moisture content, soap content and free and bonded glycerol; present in the biodiesel as per ASTM/EN Standard test method. As a result, it is observed that increasing the temperature from room temperature to 65° C decreases the time of contact as well as the amount of adsorbent required for the removal of impurities. On comparing the results of conventional acid water washing with that of organic adsorbents (at 3% (w/w) concentration with stirring time 25 min at 65°C), these matrices are found to be equally appropriate for the removal of contaminant species from biodiesel. The values for free potassium, residual methanol and free and bonded glycerol are found within the EN 14214 maximum limits.
Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) Analysis of Various Extracts of Cocculus hirsutus

showed the presence of 15 compounds of which 11 are nitrogenous compounds. In the same way methanol extract of Cocculus hirsutus showed the presence of 12 compounds of which 8 are nitrogenous in nature. This GC-MS analysis gives an idea that phytoconstituents present in Cocculus hirsutus are rich in nitrogenous substances. Some of the nitrogenous compounds identified from this plant in this study are Aziridine, 2-hexyl-, Azocine octahydro-, Boraneamine-N-ethyl-1,1-dipropyl-, 4-[1,4]Diazepan-1-yl-1,5-dihydro-imidazol-2-one, Pyrazol3(2H)-one,4-(5-hydroxymethylfurfur—ylidenamino) -1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-, Cinnamic acid, a-[N-benzoylamino]-3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxy- with the peak area of 2.12%, 3.04%, 2.64%, 2.38%, 12.75% and 33.04.
Evolution, Expression Profile, Regulatory Mechanism, and Functional Verification of EBP-Like Gene in Cholesterol Biosynthetic Process in Chickens (Gallus Gallus)

The emopamil binding protein (EBP) is an important enzyme participating in the final steps of cholesterol biosynthesis in mammals. A predictive gene EBP-like, which encodes the protein with a high identity to human EBP, was found in chicken genome. No regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of EBP-like have been characterized in chickens. In the present study, the coding sequence of EBP-like was cloned, the phylogenetic trees of EBP/EBP-like were constructed and the genomic synteny of EBP-like was analyzed. The regulatory mechanism of EBP-like were explored with in vivo and in vitro experiments. The biological functions of EBP-like in liver cholesterol biosynthetic were examined by using gain- or loss-of-function strategies. The results showed that chicken EBP-like gene was originated from a common ancestral with Japanese quail EBP gene, and was relatively conservative with EBP gene among different species. The EBP-like gene was highly expressed in liver, its expression level was significantly increased in peak-laying stage, and was upregulated by estrogen. Inhibition of the EBP-like mRNA expression could restrain the expressions of EBP-like downstream genes (SC5D, DHCR24, and DHCR7) in the cholesterol synthetic pathway, therefore downregulate the liver intracellular T-CHO level. In conclusion, as substitute of EBP gene in chickens, EBP-like plays a vital role in the process of chicken liver cholesterol synthesis. This research provides a basis for revealing the molecular regulatory mechanism of cholesterol synthesis in birds, contributes insights into the improvement of the growth and development, laying performance and egg quality in poultry.
Self-Reported Screen Time on Social Networking Sites Associated With Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Study

Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has been associated with screen time in general, but little is known about the effect of different screen-based activities. We examined the associations of self-reported time spent on overall and specific screen-based activities with PSU and its addictive symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese adults. Methods: We analyzed data from 562 smartphone owners (56.5% female; 82.1% aged 25–64 years) in a population-based telephone survey in 2017. PSU was measured using Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (range 10–60) which includes symptoms of daily-life disturbance, withdrawal, cyberspace-oriented relationship, overuse, and tolerance. Screen time was self-reported as average hours per day spent on the internet, online book/newspaper/magazine, online video, and social networking sites (SNS). Multivariable linear regression analyzed the associations of self-reported screen time with PSU severity and symptoms. Interaction effects of sex, age group, educational attainment, and monthly household income were examined. Results: Self-reported time spent on overall screen-based activities was associated with PSU severity (β = 1.35, 95% CI 0.15, 2.55) and withdrawal and overuse symptoms, after adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related variables. Independent association was observed for self-reported SNS time with PSU severity (β = 1.42, 95% CI 0.35, 2.49) and symptoms of withdrawal and cyberspace-oriented relationship, after mutually adjusting for time on other activities. The strongest association between self-reported SNS time and PSU severity was observed in younger than older adults (β = 4.36, 95% CI 2.58, 6.13; P for interaction = 0.004). Conclusions: The independent association of self-reported SNS time with PSU and core addictive symptoms highlighted the addiction potential of SNS use, particularly in younger users.