Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Film Dressings Based on Hydrogels: Simultaneous and Sustained-Release of Bioactive Compounds with Wound Healing Properties

This research proposes the rational modeling, synthesis and evaluation of film dressing hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with 20 different kinds of dicarboxylic acids. These formulations would allow the sustained release of simultaneous bioactive compounds including allantoin, resveratrol, dexpanthenol and caffeic acid as a multi-target therapy in wound healing. Interaction energy calculations and molecular dynamics simulation studies allowed evaluating the intermolecular affinity of the above bioactive compounds by hydrogels crosslinked with the different dicarboxylic acids. According to the computational results, the hydrogels crosslinked with succinic, aspartic, maleic and malic acids were selected as the best candidates to be synthesized and evaluated experimentally. These four crosslinked hydrogels were prepared and characterized by FTIR, mechanical properties, SEM and equilibrium swelling ratio. The sustained release of the bioactive compounds from the film dressing was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro results indicate a good release profile for all four analyzed bioactive compounds. More importantly, in vivo experiments suggest that prepared formulations could considerably accelerate the healing rate of artificial wounds in rats. The histological studies show that these formulations help to successfully reconstruct and thicken epidermis during 14 days of wound healing. Moreover, the four film dressings developed and exhibited excellent biocompatibility. In conclusion, the novel film dressings based on hydrogels rationally designed with combinatorial and sustained release therapy could have significant promise as dressing materials for skin wound healing.
Tracheal Sound Analysis Using a Deep Neural Network to Detect Sleep Apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Portable devices for home sleep apnea testing are often limited by their inability to discriminate sleep/wake status, possibly resulting in underestimations. Tracheal sound (TS), which can be visualized as a spectrogram, carries information about apnea/hypopnea and sleep/wake status. We hypothesized that image analysis of all-night TS recordings by a deep neural network (DNN) would be capable of detecting breathing events and classifying sleep/wake status. The aim of this study is to develop a DNN-based system for sleep apnea testing and validate it using a large sampling of polysomnography (PSG) data. METHODS PSG examinations for the evaluation of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) were performed for 1,852 patients: 1,548 PSG records were used to develop the system, and the remaining 304 records were used for validation. TS spectrogram images were obtained every 60 seconds and labeled with the PSG scoring results (breathing event and sleep/wake status), then introduced to DNN learning. Two different DNNs were trained for breathing status and sleep/wake status, respectively. RESULTS A DNN with convolutional layers showed the best performance for discriminating breathing status. The same DNN structure was trained for sleep/wake discrimination. In the validation study, the DNN analysis was capable of discriminating the sleep/wake status with reasonable accuracy. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for diagnosis of SDB with apnea-hypopnea index of > 5, 15, and 30 were 0.98, 0.76, and 0.99; 0.97, 0.90, and 0.99; and 0.92, 0.94, and 0.98, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The developed system using the TS DNN analysis has a good performance for SDB testing. CITATION Nakano H, Furukawa T, Tanigawa T. Tracheal sound analysis using a deep neural network to detect sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(8): 1125-1133.
Microbiological and Clinical Aspects of Cervicofacial Actinomyces Infections: An Overview

Similarly to other non-spore-forming Gram-positive anaerobes, members of the Actinomyces genus are important saprophytic constituents of the normal microbiota of humans. Actinomyces infections are considered to be rare, with cervicofacial infections (also known as ‘lumpy jaw syndrome’) being the most prevalent type in the clinical practice. Actinomycoses are characterized by a slowly progressing (indolent) infection, with non-specific symptoms, and additionally, the clinical presentation of the signs/symptoms can mimic other pathologies, such as solid tumors, active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, nocardiosis, fungal infections, infarctions, and so on. The clinical diagnosis of actinomycosis may be difficult due to its non-specific symptoms and the fastidious, slow-growing nature of the pathogens, requiring an anaerobic atmosphere for primary isolation. Based on 111 references, the aim of this review is to summarize current advances regarding the clinical features, diagnostics, and therapy of cervicofacial Actinomyces infections and act as a paper for dentistry specialists, other physicians, and clinical microbiologists.
Phenolic Plant Extracts Versus Penicillin G: In Vitro Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Bovine Mastitis

Antibiotics are the elective drugs in bovine mastitis (BM) treatment, despite their low rates of efficiency and effectiveness and increasing risk of pathogen resistance. In this sense, it is urgent to discover new and effective antimicrobial agents to apply in BM control and even treatment. Plant extracts have been widely recognized as a rich source of phytochemicals with antimicrobial potential. Thus, the present work aims to compare the bioactivity of Eucalyptus globulus and Juglans regia extracts against Staphylococcus aureus bovine mastitis strains with penicillin G. At non-toxic concentrations, E. globulus exerted a bacteriostatic effect in planktonic cells and J. regia had no antimicrobial activity. Penicillin G, at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), demonstrated bactericidal activity, but just for S. aureus 3, 5, 6 and ATCC 25923, while the other strains seem to have acquired resistance. On the other hand, E. globulus and penicillin G in combination demonstrated synergy, being the most effective approach against S. aureus 1, 2 and 4. Thus, penicillin alone and in combination with E. globulus or J. regia seems to be promissory strategies to control bovine mastitis infections.
Recovery of Decreased Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Availability in Abstinent Alcohol-Dependent Patients

Animal models of alcohol dependence and relapse demonstrate an important role of the glutamatergic system, in particular, cerebral metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). 18F-3-fluoro-5-[(pyridin-3-yl)ethynyl]benzonitrile (18F-FPEB) PET has revealed that chronic alcohol use leads to decreased limbic mGluR5 availability, which was associated with less craving. Here, we tested whether the state of decreased mGluR5 availability in alcohol-dependent patients normalizes during abstinence (at 2 and 6 mo of detoxification) and whether initial mGluR5 imaging parameters can predict individual relapse. Methods: 18F-FPEB scans were performed for 16 recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients (baseline condition), 2 mo after detoxification (n = 10), and 6 mo after detoxification (n = 8); 32 age- and sex-matched controls were included for comparison. mGluR5 availability was quantified by the 18F-FPEB total distribution volume using both voxel-by-voxel and volume-of-interest analyses. During follow-up, craving was assessed using the Desire for Alcohol Questionnaire, and alcohol consumption was assessed using the timeline follow-back method and monitored by hair ethyl glucuronide analysis. Results: During abstinence, alcohol-dependent patients showed sustained recovered mGluR5 availability in cortical and subcortical regions compared with the baseline, up to the levels observed in controls, after 6 mo in most areas except for the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and thalamus. Higher striatopallidal mGluR5 availability was observed at the baseline in patients who had a relapse during the 6-mo follow-up period (+25.1%). Also, normalization of striatal mGluR5 to control levels was associated with reduced craving (“desire and intention to drink” and “negative reinforcement”; r = 0.72–0.94). Conclusion: Reduced cerebral mGluR5 availability in alcohol-dependent patients recovers during abstinence and is associated with reduced craving. Higher striatal mGluR5 availability in alcohol-dependent users may be associated with long-term relapse.
ITS rDNA Gene Analysis Versus MALDI-TOF MS For Identification of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum Isolated from Onychomycosis and Dermatomycosis Cases in Medellin (Colombia)

Within the Neoscytalidium genus, N. dimidiatum, N. oculus, N. orchidacearum, and N. novaehollandiae have been recognized. Although these species are frequently found in soil, N. dimidiatum has been identified as an etiologic agent of onychomycosis or dermatomycosis, and N. oculus has been identified as an etiologic agent of an ocular lesion. All these species can be cultured in vitro, but their morphological identification by macroscopic and microscopic traits is difficult and imprecise due to their similarity. In this study, 34 isolates of Neoscytalidium spp. from 32 onychomycosis and two dermatomycosis cases in Medellin (Colombia) were identified at the species level using sequencing of the ITS1+5.8S+ITS2 nuclear rDNA region and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). Neoscytalidium dimidiatum strain MUM 17.21 was used to construct the reference spectrum in the in-house library to identify the clinical isolates by MALDI-TOF MS. Additionally, N. dimidiatum PPC-216 and PLAB-055 strains were used to validate the in-house constructed reference spectra. Although four groups were observed in the dendrogram obtained from the proteins of each isolate profile, MALDI-TOF MS and sequencing results are in accordance, since all isolates were identified as N. dimidiatum.
Retraction: MIG-7 Controls COX-2/PGE2-Mediated Lung Cancer Metastasis.

[This article][1] ([1][2]) has been retracted at the request of the editors. The editors were made aware of several concerns regarding potential manipulation of data in the article. An internal review by the editors and Academia Sinica (Taipei, Taiwan), the primary affiliation of the authors,
Raw Garlic Consumption and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Eastern China

Although the major risk factors for liver cancer have been established, preventive factors for liver cancer have not been fully explored. We evaluated the association between raw garlic consumption and liver cancer in a large population-based case-control study in Eastern China. The study was conducted in Jiangsu, China, from 2003 to 2010. A total of 2011 incident liver cancer cases and 7933 randomly selected population-controls were interviewed. Epidemiological data including raw garlic intake and other exposures were collected, and serum markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were assayed. Overall, eating raw garlic twice or more per week was inversely associated with liver cancer, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62–0.96) compared to those ingesting no raw garlic or less than twice per week. In stratified analyses, high intake of raw garlic was inversely associated with liver cancer among Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative individuals, frequent alcohol drinkers, those having history of eating mold-contaminated food or drinking raw water, and those without family history of liver cancer. Marginal interactions on an additive scale were observed between low raw garlic intake and HBsAg positivity (attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) = 0.31, 95% CI: -0.01–0.62) and heavy alcohol drinking (AP = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.00–0.57). Raw garlic consumption is inversely associated with liver cancer. Such an association shed some light on the potential etiologic role of garlic intake on liver cancer, which in turn might provide a possible dietary intervention to reduce liver cancer in Chinese population.
Cancer and Mediterranean Diet: A Review

The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the most worldwide healthy dietary patterns thanks to a combination of foods rich mainly in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Many studies have demonstrated a strong and inverse relationship between a high level of Mediterranean diet adherence and some chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.) and cancer. Given its protective effects in reducing oxidative and inflammatory processes of cells and avoiding DNA damages, cell proliferation, and their survival, angiogenesis, inflammations and metastasis, the Mediterranean diet is considered a powerful and manageable method to fight cancer incidence. The aim of this narrative review was to determine the magnitude of interaction between the Mediterranean diet and more widespread types of cancer so as to give a first and useful overview on this relationship identifying, with a nutritional approach, those nutrients of Mediterranean diet able to reduce cancer incidence.
The Influence of Early Nutrition on Brain Growth and Neurodevelopment in Extremely Preterm Babies: A Narrative Review

Extremely preterm babies are at increased risk of less than optimal neurodevelopment compared with their term-born counterparts. Optimising nutrition is a promising avenue to mitigate the adverse neurodevelopmental consequences of preterm birth. In this narrative review, we summarize current knowledge on how nutrition, and in particular, protein intake, affects neurodevelopment in extremely preterm babies. Observational studies consistently report that higher intravenous and enteral protein intakes are associated with improved growth and possibly neurodevelopment, but differences in methodologies and combinations of intravenous and enteral nutrition strategies make it difficult to determine the effects of each intervention. Unfortunately, there are few randomized controlled trials of nutrition in this population conducted to determine neurodevelopmental outcomes. Substantial variation in reporting of trials, both of nutritional intakes and of outcomes, limits conclusions from meta-analyses. Future studies to determine the effects of nutritional intakes in extremely preterm babies need to be adequately powered to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes separately in boys and girls, and designed to address the many potential confounders which may have clouded research findings to date. The development of minimal reporting sets and core outcome sets for nutrition research will aid future meta-analyses.
A Neuron‐Glia Co‐culture System for Studying Intercellular Lipid Transport

Neurons and glia operate in a highly coordinated fashion in the brain. Although glial cells have long been known to supply lipids to neurons via lipoprotein particles, new evidence reveals that lipid transport between neurons and glia is bidirectional. Here, we describe a co‐culture system to study transfer of lipids and lipid‐associated proteins from neurons to glia. The assay entails culturing neurons and glia on separate coverslips, pulsing the neurons with fluorescently labeled fatty acids, and then incubating the coverslips together. As astrocytes internalize and store neuron‐derived fatty acids in lipid droplets, analyzing the number, size, and fluorescence intensity of lipid droplets containing the fluorescent fatty acids provides an easy and quantifiable measure of fatty acid transport. © 2019 The Authors.
Comparative Analysis of MicroRNA and mRNA Profiles of Sperm with Different Freeze Tolerance Capacities in Boar (Sus scrofa) and Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Post-thawed sperm quality parameters vary across different species after cryopreservation. To date, the molecular mechanism of sperm cryoinjury, freeze-tolerance and other influential factors are largely unknown. In this study, significantly dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs in boar and giant panda sperm with different cryo-resistance capacity were evaluated. From the result of miRNA profile of fresh and frozen-thawed giant panda sperm, a total of 899 mature, novel miRNAs were identified, and 284 miRNAs were found to be significantly dysregulated (195 up-regulated and 89 down-regulated). Combined analysis of miRNA profiling of giant panda sperm and our previously published data on boar sperm, 46, 21 and 4 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs in boar sperm were believed to be related to apoptosis, glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively. Meanwhile, 87, 17 and 7 DE mRNAs in giant panda were associated with apoptosis, glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the targets of DE miRNAs showed that they were mainly distributed on membrane related pathway in giant panda sperm, while cell components and cell processes were tied to the targets of DE miRNAs in boar sperm. Finally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of DE mRNAs indicated that most of these DE mRNAs were distributed in membrane signal transduction-related pathways in giant panda sperm, while those in boar sperm were mainly distributed in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway and inflammatory related pathways. In conclusion, although the different freezing extenders and programs were used, the DE miRNAs and mRNAs involved in apoptosis, energy metabolism, olfactory transduction pathway, inflammatory response and cytokine-cytokine interactions, could be the possible molecular mechanism of sperm cryoinjury and freeze tolerance.
Disclosing Interfaces of ZnO Nanocrystals Using Dynamic Nuclear Polarization: Sol Gel versus Organometallic Approach.

The unambiguous characterization of the coordination chemistry of nanocrystal surfaces that have been produced by a wet-chemical synthesis presently remains a highly challenging issue. Here, zinc oxide nanocrystals (ZnO NCs) coated by monoanionic diphenyl phosphate (DPP) ligands were derived by a traditional sol-gel process and a one-pot self-supporting organometallic (OSSOM) procedure, and advanced atomic-scale characterization through dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP-)enhanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy has notably enabled resolving their vastly different surface-ligand interfaces. For the OSSOM-derived NCs, DPP moieties form stable and strongly-anchored µ2- and µ3-bridging-ligand pairs that are resistant to competitive ligand exchange processes. Contrastingly, the sol-gel-derived NCs contain a wide variety of coordination modes of DPP ligands and a ligand exchange process takes place between DPP ligands and glycerol molecules. This highlights the power of DNP-enhanced ssNMR for detailed NC surface analysis and the superiority of the OSSOM approach for the preparation of high quality ZnO NCs.
Prophylactic antibiotics for staged bone augmentation in implant dentistry

Abstract Background: The objective of the study was to assess the effect of prophylactic antibiotics on the outcome of bone augmentation and subsequent dental implant placement by combining the recommended quality assessment methods for systematic reviews and primary studies. Materials and methods: This is a complex systematic review in which systematic reviews as well as primary studies are scrutinised. A search of Medline (OVID), The Cochrane Library (Wiley) and EMBASE, PubMed and Health technology assessment (HTA) organisations as-well as a complementary hand-search was carried out. Selected primary studies were assessed using GRADE. Each study was reviewed by three authors independently. Results: Abstract screening yielded six potential systematic reviews allocated for full-text inspection. A total of ten primary studies were read in full-text. No relevant systematic reviews regarding the topic of this article were found. The quality assessment resulted in two primary studies with a moderate risk of bias. Of the two studies with a moderate risk of bias, one compared a single dose of clindamycin 600 mg preoperatively with the same preoperative dose followed by four doses of 300 mg every 6 h. The second study compared a single dose prophylaxis of two different types of antibiotic compounds. Conclusion: In conclusion, the scientific evidence regarding the use of antibiotic prophylaxis for reducing the risk of infection in conjunction with bone augmentation procedures during dental implant placement is very limited. The infection rate as compared to nonusage of prophylactic antibiotics, selection of the most suitable compound, and the optimal duration of prophylactic treatment is still unknown.
Historical records reveal the distinctive associations of human disturbance and extreme climate change with local extinction of mammals

Significance Human impacts and climatic changes are widely considered to be responsible for rapid species extinction. However, determining their effects is challenging owing to the lack of long-term spatial–temporal data. In this study, we quantified the distinctive associations of anthropogenic and climatic stressors with the local extinction of 11 medium- or large-sized mammals using historical records over the past 3 centuries. We found that the increased local extinction of mammals was associated with intensified human disturbance (particularly for large-sized mammals) and with extreme temperature change (both cooling and warming). Our results provide insight into biodiversity conservation during the Anthropocene. Accelerated anthropogenic impacts and climatic changes are widely considered to be responsible for unprecedented species extinction. However, determining their effects on extinction is challenging owing to the lack of long-term data with high spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, using historical occurrence records of 11 medium- to large-sized mammal species or groups of species in China from 905 BC to AD 2006, we quantified the distinctive associations of anthropogenic stressors (represented by cropland coverage and human population density) and climatic stressors (represented by air temperature) with the local extinction of these mammals. We found that both intensified human disturbances and extreme climate change were associated with the increased local extinction of the study mammals. In the cold phase (the premodern period of China), climate cooling was positively associated with increased local extinction, while in the warm phase (the modern period) global warming was associated with increased local extinction. Interactive effects between human disturbance and temperature change with the local extinction of elephants, rhinos, pandas, and water deer were found. Large-sized mammals, such as elephants, rhinos, and pandas, showed earlier and larger population declines than small-sized ones. The local extinction sensitivities of these mammals to the human population density and standardized temperature were estimated during 1700 to 2000. The quantitative evidence for anthropogenic and climatic associations with mammalian extinction provided insights into the driving processes of species extinction, which has important implications for biodiversity conservation under accelerating global changes.