Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards a Zero-Waste Biorefinery Using Edible Oils as Solvents for the Green Extraction of Volatile and Non-Volatile Bioactive Compounds from Rosemary

The zero-waste biorefinery concept inspired a green oleo-extraction of both natural volatile (e.g., borneol, camphor, o-cymene, eucalyptol, limonene, α-pinene, and terpinen-4-ol) and non-volatile (e.g., carnosol, carnosic, and rosmarinic acid) bioactive compounds from rosemary leaves with vegetable oils and their amphiphilic derivatives as simple food-grade solvents. It is noteworthy that soybean oil could obtain the highest total phenolic compounds (TPCs) among 12 refined oils including grapeseed, rapeseed, peanut, sunflower, olive, avocado, almond, apricot, corn, wheat germ, and hazelnut oils. Furthermore, the addition of oil derivatives to soybean oils, such as glyceryl monooleate (GMO), glyceryl monostearate (GMS), diglycerides, and soy lecithin in particular, could not only significantly enhance the oleo-extraction of non-volatile antioxidants by 66.7% approximately, but also help to remarkably improve the solvation of volatile aroma compounds (VACs) by 16% in refined soybean oils. These experimental results were in good consistency with their relative solubilities predicted by the more sophisticated COSMO-RS (COnductor like Screening MOdel for Real Solvents) simulation. This simple procedure of using vegetable oils and their derivatives as bio-based solvents for simultaneously improving the extraction yield of natural antioxidants and flavors from rosemary showed its great potential in up-scaling with the integration of green techniques (ultrasound, microwave, etc.) for zero-waste biorefinery from biomass waste to high value-added extracts in future functional food and cosmetic applications.
Early discharge and home treatment of patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism with the oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban: an international multicentre single-arm clinical trial.

AIMS To investigate the efficacy and safety of early transition from hospital to ambulatory treatment in low-risk acute PE, using the oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban. METHODS AND RESULTS We conducted a prospective multicentre single-arm investigator initiated and academically sponsored management trial in patients with acute low-risk PE (EudraCT Identifier 2013-001657-28). Eligibility criteria included absence of (i) haemodynamic instability, (ii) right ventricular dysfunction or intracardiac thrombi, and (iii) serious comorbidities. Up to two nights of hospital stay were permitted. Rivaroxaban was given at the approved dose for PE for ≥3 months. The primary outcome was symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) or PE-related death within 3 months of enrolment. An interim analysis was planned after the first 525 patients, with prespecified early termination of the study if the null hypothesis could be rejected at the level of α = 0.004 (<6 primary outcome events). From May 2014 through June 2018, consecutive patients were enrolled in seven countries. Of the 525 patients included in the interim analysis, three (0.6%; one-sided upper 99.6% confidence interval 2.1%) suffered symptomatic non-fatal VTE recurrence, a number sufficiently low to fulfil the condition for early termination of the trial. Major bleeding occurred in 6 (1.2%) of the 519 patients comprising the safety population. There were two cancer-related deaths (0.4%). CONCLUSION Early discharge and home treatment with rivaroxaban is effective and safe in carefully selected patients with acute low-risk PE. The results of the present trial support the selection of appropriate patients for ambulatory treatment of PE.
Two types of urgency

To determine whether urinary urgency, as defined by the International Continence Society, is an intensification of the normal sensation that occurs when micturition must be delayed once the urge to void is felt (Type 1 urgency) or a discrete, pathologic symptom different from the normal urge (Type 2 urgency).
Stress-free evolution: the Nrf-coordinated oxidative stress response in early diverging metazoans.

Environmental stress from UV radiation, elevated temperatures or metal toxicity can lead to Reactive Oxygen Species in cells, leading to oxidative DNA damage, premature aging, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. The transcription factor Nrf2 (Nuclear factor [erythroid-derived 2]-like 2), activates many cytoprotective proteins within the nucleus to maintain homeostasis during oxidative stress. In vertebrates, Nrf2 levels are regulated by the Kelch-family protein Keap1 in the absence of stress according to a canonical redox control pathway. Little, however, is known about the redox control pathway used in early diverging metazoans. Our study examines the presence of known oxidative stress regulatory elements within non-bilaterian metazoans including free living and parasitic cnidarians, ctenophores, placozoans and sponges. Cnidarians, with their pivotal position as the sister phylum to bilaterians, play an important role in understanding the evolutionary history of response to oxidative stress. Through comparative genomic and transcriptomic analysis our results show that Nrf homologs evolved early in metazoans, while Keap1 appeared later in the last common ancestor of cnidarians and bilaterians. However, key Nrf-Keap1 interacting domains are not conserved within the cnidarian lineage, suggesting this important pathway evolved with the radiation of bilaterians. Several known downstream Nrf targets are present in cnidarians suggesting that cnidarian Nrf plays an important role in oxidative stress response even in the absence of Keap1. Comparative analyses of key oxidative stress sensing and response proteins in early diverging metazoans thus provide important insights into the molecular basis of how these lineages interact with their environment and suggest a shared evolutionary history of regulatory pathways. Exploration of these pathways may prove important for the study of cancer therapeutics and broader research in oxidative stress, senescence and the functional responses of early diverging metazoans to environmental change.
Treating Alcohol Use Disorder in U.S. Veterans: The Role of Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE The authors examined the efficacy of valproate to reduce relapse to heavy drinking among veterans with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and neuropsychiatric comorbidities and whether antecedent traumatic brain injury (TBI) or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affected treatment response. METHODS Participants were male veterans 18-60 years old with an AUD and no other substance use besides nicotine or cannabis. Sixty-two patients were randomly assigned to receive either valproate or naltrexone. Participants were evaluated at baseline and followed weekly for 24 weeks. All participants received standardized psychosocial interventions as well as treatment for coexistent psychiatric conditions. RESULTS During the follow-up period, nine study subjects in the naltrexone group and 14 in the valproate group relapsed to heavy drinking, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Participants with a history of moderate to severe TBI were more likely to relapse to heavy drinking compared with those with no TBI (hazard ratio=4.834, 95% CI=1.103-21.194, p=0.033). PTSD status did not significantly affect outcome. CONCLUSIONS Intensive outpatient programs are efficacious alternatives to treat AUD in veterans, although the role of pharmacological treatment is not completely elucidated. Glutamatergic agents appear to be less effective than opiate antagonists to prevent relapse to heavy drinking and to increase cumulative abstinence. Future studies should examine novel pharmacological and nonpharmacological options.
Resource-oriented architecture toward efficient device management and service enablement

Recent advances in the Internet-of-Things has given rise to the possibility of connecting different kinds of devices to the internet. With low computing resources constraining most IoT devices and their networks, managing the capabilities and services of the various constrained devices over the internet has been an issue for IoT implementations. Existing approaches to this problem lack end-to-end resource-oriented Device Management architecture for resource constrained devices and their networks as a result of protocol fragmentation in the domain. This study first proposes a Device Management architecture which is able to leverage more than one protocol in addressing this problem. We then base on the architecture to put forward an implementation approach to manifesting this solution through our usage of a simulated Smart Building case study. The analysis of the case study shows that the proposed resource-oriented architecture achieves device management and service enablement operations with good performance.
Uncovering the Metabolic Strategies of the Dormant Microbial Majority: towards Integrative Approaches

A grand challenge in microbiology is to understand how the dormant majority lives. In natural environments, most microorganisms are not growing and instead exist in a spectrum of dormant states. ABSTRACT A grand challenge in microbiology is to understand how the dormant majority lives. In natural environments, most microorganisms are not growing and instead exist in a spectrum of dormant states. Despite this, most research on microbial metabolism continues to be growth-centric, and many overlook the fact that dormant cells require energy for maintenance. In this perspective, we discuss our research program to uncover the metabolic strategies that support microbial survival. We present two major principles underlying these studies. The first is the recent realization that microbial survival depends on previously unrecognized metabolic flexibility. The second is that new discoveries in this area depend on more sophisticated integration of approaches at the molecular, cellular, and ecosystem levels. These principles are illustrated with examples from the literature, including our own work demonstrating that bacteria can live on air, and areas for future methodological and theoretical development are highlighted.
Effect of local infiltration with oxytocin on hemodynamic response to surgical incision and postoperative pain in patients having open laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia

Preemptive analgesia encompasses different perioperative interventions that have the final aim of decreasing postoperative pain and improving recovery. Recently, peripheral analgesic effects of oxytocinergic modulation have been suggested. In this regard, we tested the potential analgesic effects of subcutaneous oxytocin (OT) infiltration in patients submitted to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Methodological Considerations for Researchers and Practitioners Using Pedometers to Measure Physical (Ambulatory) Activity

Abstract Researchers and practitioners require guidelines for using electronic pedometers to objectively quantify physical activity (specifically ambulatory activity) for research and surveillance as well as clinical and program applications. Methodological considerations include choice of metric and length of monitoring frame as well as different data recording and collection procedures. A systematic review of 32 empirical studies suggests we can expect 12,000–16,000 steps/day for 8–10-year-old children (lower for girls than boys); 7,000–13,000 steps/day for relatively healthy, younger adults (lower for women than men); 6,000–8,500 steps/day for healthy older adults; and 3,500–5,500 steps/day for individuals living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. These preliminary recommendations should be modified and refined, as evidence and experience using pedometers accumulates.
Area-Based Socio-Economic Inequalities in Mortality from Lung Cancer and Respiratory Diseases

Background: After political transformation in 1989/1990, Poland experienced a general improvement in living conditions and quality of life, but the benefits did not extend evenly across all segments of the society. We hypothesized that the regional differences in mortality due to diseases of the respiratory system are related to socioeconomic status (SES) and its changes over time. Materials and methods: An ecological study was carried out in 66 sub-regions of Poland using the data from the period of 2010 to 2014. Age-standardized mortality rates (SMRs) were calculated separately for men and women in three age categories: ≥15, 25–64 years, and ≥65 years. An area-based SES index was derived from the characteristics of the sub-regions using the z-score method. Multiple weighted linear regression models were constructed to estimate a real socioeconomic gradient for mortality resulting from lung cancer and respiratory diseases. Results: In the regions studied, the SMRs for respiratory disease varied from 70/100,000 to 215/100,000 in men and from 18/100,000 to 53/100,000 in women. The SMRs for lung cancer varied from 36/100,000 to 110/100,000 among men and from 26/100,000 to 77/100,000 among women. After adjusting for the prevalence of smoking and environmental pollution, the SES index was found to be inversely associated with the SMR for lung cancer in each category of age among men, and in the age group of 25–64 years among women. An increase of the SES index between 2010 and 2014 was associated with a decrease of SMR for respiratory disease both in men and women, but this change was not significantly associated with the SMR for lung cancer. Conclusion: SES appears to be an important correlate of mortality from respiratory diseases and lung cancer at the population level, particularly in men. A lower SES was associated with greater mortality from lung cancer and respiratory diseases. An increase in SES over time was related to a decrease in mortality from respiratory disease, but not from lung cancer.
Basic principles of the virulence of Cryptococcus

ABSTRACT Among fungal pathogens, Cryptococcus neoformans has gained great importance among the scientific community of several reasons. This fungus is the causative agent of cryptococcosis, a disease mainly associated to HIV immunosuppression and characterized by the appearance of meningoencephalitis. Cryptococcal meningitis is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. Research of the pathogenesis and virulence mechanisms of this pathogen has focused on three main different areas: Adaptation to the host environment (nutrients, pH, and free radicals), mechanism of immune evasion (which include phenotypic variations and the ability to behave as a facultative intracellular pathogen), and production of virulence factors. Cryptococcus neoformans has two phenotypic characteristics, the capsule and synthesis of melanin that have a profound effect in the virulence of the yeast because they both have protective effects and induce host damage as virulence factors. Finally, the mechanisms that result in dissemination and brain invasion are also of key importance to understand cryptococcal disease. In this review, I will provide a brief overview of the main mechanisms that makes C. neoformans a pathogen in susceptible patients. Abbreviations: RNS: reactive nitrogen species; BBB: brain blood barrier; GXM: glucuronoxylomannan; GXMGal: glucuronoxylomannogalactan
Fallibility in estimating direct effects.

We use causal graphs and a partly hypothetical example from the Physicians' Health Study to explain why a common standard method for quantifying direct effects (i.e. stratifying on the intermediate variable) may be flawed. Estimating direct effects without bias requires that two assumptions hold, namely the absence of unmeasured confounding for (1) exposure and outcome, and (2) the intermediate variable and outcome. Recommendations include collecting and incorporating potential confounders for the causal effect of the mediator on the outcome, as well as the causal effect of the exposure on the outcome, and clearly stating the additional assumption that there is no unmeasured confounding for the causal effect of the mediator on the outcome.
Comparative study of silicon empirical interatomic potentials.

We have performed a comparative study of six classical many-body potentials for silicon (Pearson, Takai, Halicioglu and Tiller, Biswas and Hamann; Stillinger and Weber; Dodson, Tersoff 2, and Tersoff 3). Extensive static calculations have been performed using these potentials on Si n clusters (n=2-6), bulk point defects, elastic constants, polytypes, pressure-induced phase transformations, and surfaces [(111), (100), and (110)]. Similarities and differences between the six potentials have been identified, and their transferability as well as their accuracy with respect to experiment and first-principles methods have been assessed
Gas Phase Stability of Protein Ions in a Cyclic Ion Mobility Spectrometry Traveling Wave Device

Ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM-MS) allows separation of native protein ions into “conformational families”. Increasing the IM resolving power should allow finer structural information to be obtained and can be achieved by increasing the length of the IM separator. This, however, increases the time that protein ions spend in the gas phase and previous experiments have shown that the initial conformations of small proteins can be lost within tens of milliseconds. Here, we report on investigations of protein ion stability using a multipass traveling wave (TW) cyclic IM (cIM) device. Using this device, minimal structural changes were observed for Cytochrome C after hundreds of milliseconds, while no changes were observed for a larger multimeric complex (Concanavalin A). The geometry of the instrument (Q-cIM-ToF) also enables complex tandem IM experiments to be performed, which were used to obtain more detailed collision-induced unfolding pathways for Cytochrome C. The instrument geometry provides unique capabilities with the potential to expand the field of protein analysis via IM-MS.
Near Infrared Spectroscopy Based Clinical Algorithm Applicability During Spinal Neurosurgery and Postoperative Cognitive Disturbances

Background and Objectives: Postoperative cognitive disturbances (POCD) can significantly alter postoperative recovery. Inadequate intraoperative cerebral oxygen supply is one of the inciting causes of POCD. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices monitor cerebral oxygen saturation continuously and can help to guide intraoperative patient management. The aim of the study was to evaluate the applicability of the NIRS-based clinical algorithm during spinal neurosurgery and to find out whether it can influence postoperative cognitive performance. Materials and Methods: Thirty four patients scheduled for spinal neurosurgery were randomized into a study group (n = 23) and a control group (n = 11). We monitored regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) throughout surgery, using a NIRS device (INVOS 4100). If rScO2 dropped bilaterally or unilaterally by more than 20% from baseline values, or under an absolute value of 50%, the NIRS-based algorithm was initiated in the study group. In the control group, rScO2 was monitored blindly. To evaluate cognitive function, Montreal-Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale was used in both groups before and after the surgery. Results: In the study group, rScO2 dropped below the threshold in three patients and the NIRS-based algorithm was activated. Firstly, we verified correct positioning of the head; secondly, we increased mean systemic arterial pressure in the three patients by injecting repeated intravenous bolus doses of Ephedrine, ultimately resulting in an rScO2 increase above the approved threshold level. None of the three patients showed POCD. In the control group, one patient showed a drop in rScO2 of 34% from baseline and presented with a POCD. RScO2 drop occurred with other stable intraoperative measurements. Conclusions: A significant rScO2 drop may occur during spinal surgery in prone position despite other intraoperative measurements remaining stable, allowing it to stay otherwise unrecognized. Use of the NIRS-based clinical algorithm can help to avoid POCD in patients after spinal surgery.
mRNA levels are buffered upon knockdown of RNA decay and translation factors via adjustment of transcription rates in human HepG2 cells

ABSTRACT Evidence from yeast and mammals argues the existence of cross-talk between transcription and mRNA decay. Stabilization of transcripts upon depletion of mRNA decay factors generally leads to no changes in mRNA abundance, attributing this to decreased transcription rates. We show that knockdown of human XRN1, CNOT6 and ETF1 genes in HepG2 cells led to significant alteration in stability of specific mRNAs, alterations in half-life were inversely associated with transcription rates, mostly not resulting in changes in abundance. We demonstrate the existence of the gene expression buffering mechanism in human cells that responds to both transcript stabilization and destabilization to maintain mRNA abundance via altered transcription rates and may involve translation. We propose that this buffering may hold novel cancer therapeutic targets.
Clonal Smooth Muscle Cell Expansion, Autophagy, and Vascular Integrity in Aortic Aneurysm Disease.

The dissecting aortic aneurysm (AA) is a feared vascular disorder characterized by medial degeneration, false lumen formation, and risk for death because of hemorrhage or end-organ malperfusion. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are known to play a central role in the maintenance of vascular integrity, while defects in their homeostatic functions are conceptualized as potentiators of aneurysmal dilatation. To date, little is known about how vascular SMCs respond to apoptosis and inflammation in the dissected aorta, nor if they assume a reparative posture which may have evolved to compensate for degenerative changes in the diseased media.
Correlates of Trabecular and Cortical Volumetric BMD in Men of African Ancestry

QCT provides a measure of volumetric BMD (vBMD) and distinguishes trabecular from cortical bone. Few studies have determined the factors related to vBMD in men, especially among men of African heritage. This study evaluated the relationship of anthropometric, medical, and behavioral factors and vBMD in a population‐based cohort of men of African ancestry (n = 1901) ≥40 yr of age who had undergone screening for prostate cancer for the first time. Trabecular and cortical vBMD were measured at the radius and tibia by pQCT. Multiple linear regression analysis identified age, height, body weight, cigarette smoking, history of diabetes, fracture, and prostate cancer as the independent correlates of vBMD. However, associations with several variables differed between cortical and trabecular vBMD and between the radius and tibia. Longitudinal studies are needed to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these differential associations that may show new insight into the etiology of trabecular and cortical bone loss in men.
miR‐139‐5p reverses stemness maintenance and metastasis of colon cancer stem‐like cells by targeting E2‐2

Colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs) stand for a critical subpopulation of colon cancer cells that possess self‐renewal and multilineage differentiation potentials and drive tumorigenicity. Due to their impact on treatment tolerance, CCSCs have been a hot research topic in the past few years. We have previously reported that miR‐139‐5p is a vital tumor repressive noncoding RNA whose level decreases in the clinical colon cancer samples with the increase of tumor malignancy. This research discovered that miR‐139‐5p targets the Wnt/β‐catenin/TCF7L2 downstream effector E2‐2 in CCSCs. E2‐2 is a pivot molecule in the negative feedback loop of miR‐139‐5p/Wnt/β‐catenin/TCF7L2. Its small interfering RNA reverses the stemness maintenance and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition of colon cancer CSCs. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the clinical diagnosis and medical treatment of recurrent or metastatic colon cancer with miR‐139‐5p and its target E2‐2.