Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why do firms do basic ( with their own money )

The question to be addressed is: Why do private firms perform basic research with their own money? Interest in this question derives from both analytical and utilitarian considerations. There is empirical evidence in the United States, which provides the main context for this paper, supporting the view that basic research makes a significant contribution to the productivity growth of the economy [4,7]. It is widely held that social returns from basic research are significant and higher than private returns and it is for this reason that most such activities continue to be financed by the taxpayer. This also implies that measures aimed at increasing basic research by the private sector will be welfare improving. In the United States, the federal government in the years since the Second World War has provided the vast majority of all funds devoted to basic research. Although the federal share has been declining in recent years, and although that share is at its lowest level in about 20 years, it still constitutes about two-thirds of the total [lo]. If the goal is to encourage the private sector to spend more money on basic research, it is necessary to start out by asking why they would want to do so in the first place. Suppose it is taken as axiomatic that private industry is in business solely to make money, and therefore that firms are not
Enhancement of surface plasmon resonance signals by gold nanoparticles on high-density DNA microarrays

We have developed a new methodology to fabricate high-resolution DNA microarrays (2500 dots/cm2) in combination with microcontact printing (μCP) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging. A novel COOH-terminated PEG-disulfide with para-carborane (p-carborane) was synthesized as an initiator chemically bound to a gold substrate for surface coupling reactions with NH2-terminated DNA. The hybridization between target DNA immobilized on gold nanoparticles and probe DNA arrayed on flat gold substrates was successfully demonstrated by SPR imaging, where nonspecific adsorption was not observed at the array background. The gold nanoparticles on the array give quite high contrast even at low surface coverage with gold nanoparticles (∼10%) by the enhancement effect of optical signals based on nanoscale phenomena. This enhancement effect can be well described by the simulation based on the Maxwell-Garnett theory for the effective dielectric constants and Fresnel's equation.
Photosensitive oxide semiconductors for solar hydrogen fuel and water disinfection

Hydrogen is expected to become a commonly used energy carrier on the global scale in the near future. However, hydrogen as a fuel is environmentally friendly only when generated from water using renewable energy, such as solar energy. Therefore, intensive research aims to develop a new generation of solar materials, which may be used for the production of hydrogen fuel from water using solar energy. The highly promising candidates for solar energy conversion are photosensitive oxide semiconductors (POSs), particularly the TiO2-based semiconductors, which may be used for converting solar energy into the chemical energy required for hydrogen generation from water, as well as water purification (removal of microbial agents and toxic contaminants from water). The present work considers an R&D strategy for developing TiO2-based systems capable of converting solar energy into the chemical energy via water oxidation. The effect of surface versus bulk semiconducting properties on the performance of POSs is considered in terms of partial and total water oxidation. The progress requires modification of the key performance-related properties (KPPs) in order to enhance the light-induced reactivity of the POSs with water. The most recent approach in the development of POSs with enhanced performance is deposition of metallic islets of different size and shape in order to induce a plasmonic effect. The development of high-performance POSs can be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach. It is shown that defect disorder has a critical effect on the light-induced reactivity of POSs and the solar energy conversion. Therefore, defect engineering may be applied in the development of high-performance POSs. This work considers the hurdles in the development of high-performance POSs for specific applications and formulates the key questions that must be addressed to overcome these hurdles. The concepts developed for TiO2 may be expanded for other metal oxides.
SAW sensors for the room-temperature measurement of CO2 and relative humidity

A pair of polymer-coated 97-MHz SAW delay lines allows simultaneous determination of the concentrations of CO2 and H2O in the gas phase at room temperature. The SAW response of a 370-nm-thick, CO2-permeable polyimide prepared from hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthtalic anhydride and 2,4,5,6-tetramethylphenylenediamine is rapid and reversible for CO2 concentrations from 0.03 to 97% of 1 atm in a pure nitrogen carrier gas stream, but with significant interference from humidity. A 40-nm-thick layer of the hydrophilic material poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PNVP) responds primarily to humidity; 10−60% relative humidity has been examined for a wide range of accompanying CO2 concentrations. Using visually empirical region-of-influence pattern recognition, the optimum two-sensor pair was selected from several possibilities. The effects of noise and gradual film sensitivity degradation (“aging”) upon the accuracy of determining CO2 and H2O concentrations were examined: we find that the polyimide- and PNVP-coated SAW de.
An In Vivo Study of a Rat Fluid-Percussion-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury Model with [11C]PBR28 and [18F]flumazenil PET Imaging

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) modelled by lateral fluid percussion-induction (LFPI) in rats is a widely used experimental rodent model to explore and understand the underlying cellular and molecular alterations in the brain caused by TBI in humans. Current improvements in imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) have made it possible to map certain features of TBI-induced cellular and molecular changes equally in humans and animals. The PET imaging technique is an apt supplement to nanotheranostic-based treatment alternatives that are emerging to tackle TBI. The present study aims to investigate whether the two radioligands, [11C]PBR28 and [18F]flumazenil, are able to accurately quantify in vivo molecular-cellular changes in a rodent TBI-model for two different biochemical targets of the processes. In addition, it serves to observe any palpable variations associated with primary and secondary injury sites, and in the affected versus the contralateral hemispheres. As [11C]PBR28 is a radioligand of the 18 kD translocator protein, the up-regulation of which is coupled to the level of neuroinflammation in the brain, and [18F]flumazenil is a radioligand for GABAA-benzodiazepine receptors, whose level mirrors interneuronal activity and eventually cell death, the use of the two radioligands may reveal two critical features of TBI. An up-regulation in the [11C]PBR28 uptake triggered by the LFP in the injured (right) hemisphere was noted on day 14, while the uptake of [18F]flumazenil was down-regulated on day 14. When comparing the left (contralateral) and right (LFPI) hemispheres, the differences between the two in neuroinflammation were obvious. Our results demonstrate a potential way to measure the molecular alterations in a rodent-based TBI model using PET imaging with [11C]PBR28 and [18F]flumazenil. These radioligands are promising options that can be eventually used in exploring the complex in vivo pharmacokinetics and delivery mechanisms of nanoparticles in TBI treatment.
Characterization of Polycaprolactone Nanohydroxyapatite Composites with Tunable Degradability Suitable for Indirect Printing

Degradable bone implants are designed to foster the complete regeneration of natural tissue after large-scale loss trauma. Polycaprolactone (PCL) and hydroxyapatite (HA) composites are promising scaffold materials with superior mechanical and osteoinductive properties compared to the single materials. However, producing three-dimensional (3D) structures with high HA content as well as tuneable degradability remains a challenge. To address this issue and create homogeneously distributed PCL-nanoHA (nHA) scaffolds with tuneable degradation rates through both PCL molecular weight and nHA concentration, we conducted a detailed characterisation and comparison of a range of PCL-nHA composites across three molecular weight PCLs (14, 45, and 80 kDa) and with nHA content up to 30% w/w. In general, the addition of nHA results in an increase of viscosity for the PCL-nHA composites but has little effect on their compressive modulus. Importantly, we observe that the addition of nHA increases the rate of degradation compared to PCL alone. We show that the 45 and 80 kDa PCL-nHA groups can be fabricated via indirect 3D printing and have homogenously distributed nHA even after fabrication. Finally, the cytocompatibility of the composite materials is evaluated for the 45 and 80 kDa groups, with the results showing no significant change in cell number compared to the control. In conclusion, our analyses unveil several features that are crucial for processing the composite material into a tissue engineered implant.
Detection and Potential Virulence of Viable but Non-Culturable (VBNC) Listeria monocytogenes: A Review

The detection, enumeration, and virulence potential of viable but non-culturable (VBNC) pathogens continues to be a topic of discussion. While there is a lack of definitive evidence that VBNC Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) pose a public health risk, recent studies suggest that Lm in its VBNC state remains virulent. VBNC bacteria cannot be enumerated by traditional plating methods, so the results from routine Lm testing may not demonstrate a sample’s true hazard to public health. We suggest that supplementing routine Lm testing methods with methods designed to enumerate VBNC cells may more accurately represent the true level of risk. This review summarizes five methods for enumerating VNBC Lm: Live/Dead BacLightTM staining, ethidium monoazide and propidium monoazide-stained real-time polymerase chain reaction (EMA- and PMA-PCR), direct viable count (DVC), 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride-4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (CTC-DAPI) double staining, and carboxy-fluorescein diacetate (CDFA) staining. Of these five supplementary methods, the Live/Dead BacLightTM staining and CFDA-DVC staining currently appear to be the most accurate for VBNC Lm enumeration. In addition, the impact of the VBNC state on the virulence of Lm is reviewed. Widespread use of these supplemental methods would provide supporting data to identify the conditions under which Lm can revert from its VBNC state into an actively multiplying state and help identify the environmental triggers that can cause Lm to become virulent. Highlights: Rationale for testing for all viable Listeria (Lm) is presented. Routine environmental sampling and plating methods may miss viable Lm cells. An overview and comparison of available VBNC testing methods is given. There is a need for resuscitation techniques to recover Lm from VBNC. A review of testing results for post VBNC virulence is compared
[A surveillance system to detect COVID-19 infections in health care workers. Experience in 209 cases].

BACKGROUND Healthcare personnel are a high-risk group for acquiring COVID-19 disease. They represent 4 to 20% of the total number of cases reported in different geographical areas. AIM To describe an epidemiological surveillance strategy to detect symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection and early case detection among healthcare personnel at a university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS We assessed 209 healthcare workers reporting symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 in a telephone counseling system. After a structured evaluation, the suggestions ranged from having a SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab PCR test, consulting in the emergency room or at outpatient clinic or returning to work. RESULTS In 61% of assessed workers a coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab PCR was requested and 28 (22%) were positive. In a multivariate analysis, the clinical variables associated with a positive PCR test were the presence of fever, sudden loss of smell or taste, and a history of contact with a COVID-19 positive case. CONCLUSIONS The telephone symptom monitoring program allowed the early detection of a significant number of healthcare officials with acute respiratory infection due to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, it is easy to implement and has a low cost.
Chronic kidney disease correlates with MRI findings of cerebral small vessel disease

Abstract Objective: Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be part of a multisystem small-vessel disorder. Since the kidney and brain share unique susceptibilities to vascular injury, kidney impairment may be predictive of the presence and severity of CSVD. This study explored the relationship between CSVD and CKD. Methods: Between December 2015 and December 2017 (follow-up 10–20 months) 52 patients with chronic nephritis and CKD were classified into a progressive group (n = 17) and stable group (n = 35). Age, gender, hypertension, diabetes and smoking were matched between groups. CSVD features of both groups, including enlarged Virchow-Robin spaces (VRS), white matter lesions (WML), lacunar infarcts (LI), and cerebral microbleeds (CMB) were evaluated by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Results: WML and CMB in the progressive group were exacerbated at follow-up compared to initial exam (p = 0.004 and 0.041, respectively). There was no significant change in VRS, WML, LI, or CMB in the stable group at follow-up compared to initial exam. CMB were significantly different between the progressive group and stable group at follow-up.etimtaed Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly correlated with VRS, WML, and CMB at follow-up (p = 0.037, 0.041, and 0.009, respectively). Conclusions: Patients with progressive CKD have a higher prevalence and severity of CSVD, which correlates with deterioration of renal function as assessed by decreased eGFR. Thus EGFR may also be of value in the prediction of cerebral small vessel disease.
Hereditary Optic Neuropathies: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based 2D/3D Approaches

Inherited optic neuropathies share visual impairment due to the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as the hallmark of the disease. This group of genetic disorders are caused by mutations in nuclear genes or in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). An impaired mitochondrial function is the underlying mechanism of these diseases. Currently, optic neuropathies lack an effective treatment, and the implementation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology would entail a huge step forward. The generation of iPSC-derived RGCs would allow faithfully modeling these disorders, and these RGCs would represent an appealing platform for drug screening as well, paving the way for a proper therapy. Here, we review the ongoing two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) approaches based on iPSCs and their applications, taking into account the more innovative technologies, which include tissue engineering or microfluidics.
A Multi-Modal MRI Analysis of Cortical Structure in Relation to Gender Dysphoria, Sexual Orientation, and Age in Adolescents

Gender dysphoria (GD) is characterized by distress due to an incongruence between experienced gender and sex assigned at birth. Sex-differentiated brain regions are hypothesized to reflect the experienced gender in GD and may play a role in sexual orientation development. Magnetic resonance brain images were acquired from 16 GD adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB) not receiving hormone therapy, 17 cisgender girls, and 14 cisgender boys (ages 12–17 years) to examine three morphological and microstructural gray matter features in 76 brain regions: surface area (SA), cortical thickness (CT), and T1 relaxation time. Sexual orientation was represented by degree of androphilia-gynephilia and sexual attraction strength. Multivariate analyses found that cisgender boys had larger SA than cisgender girls and GD AFAB. Shorter T1, reflecting denser, macromolecule-rich tissue, correlated with older age and stronger gynephilia in cisgender boys and GD AFAB, and with stronger attractions in cisgender boys. Thus, cortical morphometry (mainly SA) was related to sex assigned at birth, but not experienced gender. Effects of experienced gender were found as similarities in correlation patterns in GD AFAB and cisgender boys in age and sexual orientation (mainly T1), indicating the need to consider developmental trajectories and sexual orientation in brain studies of GD.
Progress in the Enantioseparation of β-Blockers by Chromatographic Methods

β-adrenergic antagonists (β-blockers) with at least one chiral center are an exceedingly important class of drugs used mostly to treat cardiovascular diseases. At least 70 β-blockers have been investigated in history. However, only a few β-blockers, e.g., timolol, are clinically marketed as an optically pure enantiomer. Therefore, the separation of racemates of β-blockers is essential both in the laboratory and industry. Many approaches have been explored to obtain the single enantiomeric β-blocker, including high performance liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and simulated moving bed chromatography. In this article, a review is presented on different chromatographic methods applied for the enantioseparation of β-blockers, covering high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB).
Assessment of the Efficacy and Clinical Utility of Different Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Detection Assays in Patients with Chemotherapy-Naïve Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

We herein investigated the detection frequency and clinical relevance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in chemotherapy-naïve stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), by using the CellSearch and real-time CEACAM5mRNA assays. Blood samples from 43 patients were obtained at different time points during first-line chemotherapy. CellSearch revealed the detection of ≥1 CTCs in 41.9%, 40.9%, and 16.7% of patients at baseline, post-1st, and post-2nd treatment cycle, respectively, and of ≥5 CTCs in 11.6%, 9.1%, and 5.6%, respectively. CEACAM5mRNA+ CTCs were detected in 29.3% and 16% of patients pre- and post-treatment, respectively. The positivity concordance between the two assays was 2.2%. CTC-detection by CellSearch (≥5 CTCs: p = 0.004), CEACAM5mRNA (p = 0.010), or by any assay (p = 0.000) was associated with disease progression. Reduced survival was demonstrated for patients harboring ≥5 CTCs (progression-free survival; PFS: p = 0.000; overall survival; OS: p = 0.009), CEACAM5mRNA+ CTCs (PFS: p = 0.043; OS: p = 0.039), and CTCs by any assay (PFS: p = 0.005; OS: p = 0.006, respectively). CTC-detection by any assay independently predicted for increased risk of relapse (hazard ratio; HR: 3.496; p = 0.001) and death (HR: 2.866; p = 0.008). CellSearch-positivity either pre-, post-1st, or post-2nd cycle, was predictive for shorter PFS (p = 0.036) compared to negativity in all time points. Persistent CEACAM5mRNA-positivity pre- and post-treatment was associated with reduced PFS (p = 0.036) and OS (p = 0.026). In conclusion, CTC detection and monitoring using the CellSearch and CEACAM5mRNA assays provides valuable and complementary clinical information for chemo-naïve advanced or metastatic NSCLC.
Vascular Wall Reactions to Coronary Stents—Clinical Implications for Stent Failure

Coronary stents belong to the most commonly implanted devices worldwide. A number of different types of stent exist, with very different mechanical and biochemical characteristics that influence their interactions with vascular tissues. Inappropriate inflammatory reactions are the major cause of the two major complications that follow implantation of stents in a percentage as high as 5–20%. It is therefore important to understand these reactions and how different they are among different generations of stents.
Bombyx batryticatus Protein-Rich Extract Induces Maturation of Dendritic Cells and Th1 Polarization: A Potential Immunological Adjuvant for Cancer Vaccine

Bombyx batryticatus, a protein-rich edible insect, is widely used as a traditional medicine in China. Several pharmacological studies have reported the anticancer activity of B. batryticatus extracts; however, the capacity of B. batryticatus extracts as immune potentiators for increasing the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy is still unverified. In the present study, we investigated the immunomodulatory role of B. batryticatus protein-rich extract (BBPE) in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and DC vaccine-immunized mice. BBPE-treated BMDCs displayed characteristics of mature immune status, including high expression of surface molecules (CD80, CD86, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I, and MHC-II), increased production of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-12p70), enhanced antigen-presenting ability, and reduced endocytosis. BBPE-treated BMDCs promoted naive CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell proliferation and activation. Furthermore, BBPE/ovalbumin (OVA)-pulsed DC-immunized mice showed a stronger OVA-specific multifunctional T-cell response in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and a stronger Th1 antibody response than mice receiving differently treated DCs, which showed the enhanced protective effect against tumor growth in E.G7 tumor-bearing mice. Our data demonstrate that BBPE can be a novel immune potentiator for a DC-based vaccine in anticancer therapy.
Transient Increase and Delay of Multifocal Electroretinograms Following Laser Photocoagulations for Diabetic Macular Edema

Background: The acute physiological changes induced by focal retinal photocoagulation (PC) have been largely unexplored. Methods: This was a case-series study. We recorded multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs) just before PC, and mfERGs were also recorded 5′, 15′, one hour, 24 h, and one week after the PCs. Transient changes of mfERGs were analyzed in eyes which underwent PCs to treat diabetic macular edema. The mfERGs recorded from the predominantly irradiated area and that from non-irradiated areas were analyzed separately. Results: Fifteen eyes of 15 patients were included in this study. The mfERGs elicited from non-irradiated areas did not change after PC, but the mfERGs elicited from the irradiated area changed with time; the amplitude was larger at 60′ than that before (p < 0.05) and at 5′ after PC (p < 0.01) and significantly smaller at 24 h and 1 week than that before and at 60′ after the PC (p < 0.01). The implicit time was significantly prolonged after PC. mfERG on irradiated area with the severe diabetic change was less altered after PCs. Conclusions: The transient increase in the amplitude at 60′ likely resulted from a biological amplification of partially damaged cells adjacent to the PC spots. The mfERGs manifested the dynamic alterations of the retinal function following PCs.