Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ecotoxicology of Aluminium

Aluminium is an element commonly occurring in nature, the third most abundant in the earth's crust after oxygen and silicon. It forms numerous mineral and organic complexes, characterised by different degrees of hydration. Its easy transition from solid to liquid phase and high solubility in acid environment are decisive factors for its important function in the environment. Until recently, aluminium was considered harmless for the human organism as it is readily excreted through urine. However, studies of environmental toxicology conducted in recent years indicated that aluminium could be a cause of many diseases in humans, animals and plants. Acid rains and increasing acidification of the environment induced water and soil pH changes which resulted in the mobilisation of toxic aluminium ions which in turn evoked many unfavourable alterations, such as plant poisoning, forest drying, crop reduction, vanishing of water fauna, and numerous disturbances in the function of human and animal organisms. Aluminium can be found in many food products and feed for animals. In this way it enters the organism and accumulates in various tissues. Although the mechanism of toxic aluminium actions on humans has not been elucidated yet, prophylactic action should be undertaken aimed at limiting the contact of humans with aluminium. Most of all, it should be eliminated from food, food additives and medicines. We should avoid tools, kitchen utensils and appliances made of aluminium as well as aluminium wrappings and containers.
Neo-ECHOTIP: A structured protocol for ultrasound-based tip navigation and tip location during placement of central venous access devices in neonates

Central venous access devices are often needed in neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The location of the tip of the central catheter is usually assessed by post-procedural X-ray. However, this strategy is inaccurate and time consuming. Recent guidelines strongly recommend intra-procedural methods of tip location, to increase the cost-effectiveness of the maneuver and to shorten the time between device placement and utilization. In this regard, real-time ultrasound represents the most promising tool for tip navigation and location in neonates. The aim of this paper is (a) to review all the evidence available about ultrasound-based tip navigation and tip location of central catheters in the neonatal population (b) to propose a novel protocol for tip navigation and location (Neo-ECHOTIP) based on such evidence.
Swelling kinetics of modified poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and monomer, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC), or methacrylic acid (MAA) were prepared by using the sequential-IPN method. The equilibrium swelling ratios of PVA/NIPAAm (VANP), PVA/DADMAC (VADC), and PVA/MAA (VAMA) are 412, 370, and 297 at 25°C, respectively. VANP had the highest swelling ratio in time-dependent swelling behavior, whereas the swelling ratio of VAMA had the lowest. The n values of VANP, VADC, and VAMA are 0.72, 0.81, and 0.96, respectively. Transport of all IPN hydrogels is anomalous and their transport mechanisms are dominated by a combination of diffusion-controlled and relaxation-controlled systems. VAMA has the highest activation energy and VANP has the lowest activation energy. The values of all IPN hydrogels are from 4.66 to 16.49 kJ/mol, which proves that all IPN hydrogels are hydrophilic. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3310–3313, 2003
Highlighting recent treatment advances in metastatic prostate cancer: expanding the treatment arsenal

Purpose of review Present highlights from recent research examining the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Recent findings Although debate remains about the optimal sequencing of docetaxel and novel androgen directed therapies in addition to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in the treatment of men with new metastatic prostate cancer, the novel LHRH antagonist relugolix seems poised to become an appealing option in a choice of initial ADT. Novel radioisotopes, genomically selected therapies, and immune therapy combinations show progress in opening up new treatment options for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Summary Although no clear consensus has emerged, evolving data continue to refine the selection of systemic therapies in treatment naïve metastatic prostate cancer. With potentially less cardiotoxic androgen deprivation therapies, novel radioisotopes, targeted pharmaceuticals, and immune therapy combinations, progress appears to be on the horizon in improving outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer.
Texture analysis based on quantitative magnetic resonance imaging to assess kidney function: a preliminary study.

Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated its potential in the evaluation of renal function. Texture analysis (TA) is a novel technique to quantify tissue heterogeneity. We aim to investigate the feasibility of using TA based on the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), as well as T1 and T2 maps to evaluate renal function. Methods Patients with impaired renal function and subjects with a normal renal function who underwent renal diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), as well as T1 and T2 mapping at 3T, were prospectively enrolled. The participants were classified into four groups according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, mL/min/1.73 m2): normal (eGFR ≥90), mildly impaired (60≤ eGFR <90), moderately impaired (30≤ eGFR <60), and severely impaired (eGFR <30) renal function groups. Texture features quantified from the renal cortex or medulla were selected to build classifiers to discriminate different renal function groups by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calculating the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). Results In total, 116 candidates were included (94 patients and 22 healthy volunteers, mean age 37.9±14.9 years). There were 46 participants in the normal renal function group, 14 in the mildly impaired renal function group, 27 in the moderately impaired renal function group, and 29 in the severely impaired renal function group. Texture features from the ADC and T1 maps exhibited a good correlation to eGFR. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV to differentiate between the normal and impaired renal function groups were 0.835, 0.792, 0.867, 0.905, and 0.722, respectively; to differentiate between the mildly impaired and moderately impaired groups were 0.937, 0.889, 0.857, 0.923, and 0.800, respectively; and to differentiate between the moderately impaired and severely impaired groups was 0.940, 0.759, 0.889, 0.880, and 0.774, respectively. Conclusions TA based on ADC and T1 maps is feasible for evaluating renal function with relatively good accuracy.
The selective advantage of facultative anaerobes relies on their unique ability to cope with changing oxygen levels during infection

Bacteria, including those that are pathogenic, have been generally classified according to their ability to survive and grow in the presence or absence of oxygen: aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, respectively. Strict aerobes require oxygen to grow (e.g., Neisseria), and strict anaerobes grow exclusively without, and do not survive oxygen exposure (e.g., Clostridia); aerotolerant bacteria (e.g., Lactobacilli) are insensitive to oxygen exposure. Facultative anaerobes (e.g., E. coli) have the unique ability to grow in the presence or in the absence of oxygen and are thus well‐adapted to these changing conditions, which may constitute an underestimated selective advantage for infection. In the WHO antibiotic‐resistant ‘priority pathogens’ list, facultative anaerobes are overrepresented (8 among 12 listed pathogens), consistent with clinical studies performed in populations particularly susceptible to infectious diseases. Bacteria aerobic respiratory chain plays a central role in oxygen consumption, leading to the formation of hypoxic infectious sites (infectious hypoxia). Facultative anaerobes have developed a wide diversity of aerotolerance and anaerotolerance strategies in vivo. However, at a single cell level, the modulation of the intracellular oxygen level in host infected cells remains elusive and will be discussed in this review. In conclusion, the ability of facultative bacteria to evolve in the presence or the absence of oxygen is essential for their virulence strategy and constitute a selective advantage.
Understanding self-managing teams in Dutch healthcare: empirical evidence to non-sequential team development processes

Purpose This two-part study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on team development by examining the development of self-managing teams (SMTs) in healthcare. Based on an exploration of the team development literature, a perspective on SMT development was created, which suggested that SMTs develop along a non-sequential pattern of three processes–team management, task management and boundary management and improvement–that is largely the result of individual, team, organizational and environmental-level factors. Design/methodology/approach The perspective on SMT development was assessed in a Dutch mental healthcare organization by conducting 13 observations of primary mental healthcare SMTs as well as 14 retrospective interviews with the self-management process facilitator and advisors of all 100 primary mental healthcare SMTs. Findings Empirical results supported the perspective on SMT development. SMTs were found to develop along each of the three defined processes in a variety or possible patterns or simultaneously over time, depending on many of the identified factors and three others. These factors included individual human capital, team member attitudes and perceived workload at the individual level, psychological safety, team turnover, team size, nature of the task and bureaucratic history at the team level, and management style and material and social support at the organizational level. Practical implications This study provides a non-sequential model of SMT development in healthcare, which healthcare providers could use to understand and foster SMTs development. To foster SMT development, it is suggested that cultural change need to be secured alongside with structural change. Originality/value Even though various team development models have been described in the literature, this study is the first to indicate how SMTs in the healthcare context develop toward effective functioning.
A fungal sirtuin modulates development and virulence in the insect pathogen, Beauveria bassiana.

Chromatin transitions are mediated in part by acetylation/deacetylation post-translational modifications of histones. Histone deacetylases, e.g. sirtuins (Sir-proteins), repress transcription via promotion of heterochromatin formation. Here, we characterize the Sir2 class III histone deacetylase (BbSir2) in the environmentally and economically important fungal insect pathogen, Beauveria bassiana. BbSir2 is shown to contribute to the deacetylation of lysine residues on H3 and H4 histones. Targeted gene knockout of BbSir2 resulted in impaired asexual development, reduced abilities to utilize various carbon/nitrogen sources, reduced tolerance to oxidative, heat, and UV stress, and attenuated virulence. ΔBbSir2 cells showed disrupted cell cycle development and abnormal hyphal septation patterns. Proteomic protein acetylation analyses of wild type and ΔBbSir2 cells, revealed the differential abundance of 462 proteins, and altered (hyper- or hypo-) acetylation of 436 lysine residues on 350 proteins. Bioinformatic analyses revealed enrichment in pathways involved in carbon/nitrogen metabolism, cell cycle control and cell rescue, defense, and mitochondrial functioning. Critical targets involved in virulence included LysM effector proteins and a benzoquinone oxidoreductase implicated in detoxification of cuticular compounds. These data indicate broad effects of BbSir2 on fungal development and stress response, with identification of discrete targets that can account for the observed (decreased) virulence phenotype. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Heat stress response mechanisms in pollen development

Summary Being rooted in place, plants are faced with the challenge of responding to unfavourable local conditions. One such condition, heat stress, contributes massively to crop losses globally. Heatwaves are predicted to increase, and it is of vital importance to generate crops that are tolerant to not only heat stress but also to several other abiotic stresses (e.g. drought stress, salinity stress) to ensure that global food security is protected. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the temperature stress response in pollen will be a significant step towards developing effective breeding strategies for high and stable production in crop plants. While most studies have focused on the vegetative phase of plant growth to understand heat stress tolerance, it is the reproductive phase that requires more attention as it is more sensitive to elevated temperatures. Every phase of reproductive development is affected by environmental challenges, including pollen and ovule development, pollen tube growth, male–female cross‐talk, fertilization, and embryo development. In this review we summarize how pollen is affected by heat stress and the molecular mechanisms employed during the stress period, as revealed by classical and ‐omics experiments.
Photoinduced changes in photosystem II pigments

The photosynthetic apparatus in higher plants performs two seemingly opposing tasks: efficient harvest of sunlight, but also rapid and harmless dissipation of excess light energy as heat to avoid deleterious photodamage. In order to study this process in pigment-protein supercomplexes of photosystem II (PSII), 77 K fluorescence and room temperature resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy were applied to investigate the changes in structure and spectral properties of the pigments in spinach PSII membranes. The high-light treatment results in a strong quenching of the fluorescence (being largest when the excitation is absorbed by carotenoids) and a red-shift of the main maximum. Decomposition of the fluorescence spectra into four bands revealed intensive quenching of F685 and F695 bands, possible bleaching of chlorophyll a, enhanced extent of light harvesting complexes (LHCII) aggregation and increased energy transfer to aggregated LHCII. The analysis of RR spectra revealed the predominant contribution of ß-carotene (ß-Car) upon 457.8 and 488 nm excitations and lutein (Lut) at 514.5 nm. During prolonged exposure to strong light no significant bleaching of ß-Car and weak photobleaching of Lut is observed. The results will contribute to the efforts to produce more efficient and robust solar cells when exposed to fluctuations in light intensity.
Hepatic stellate cells – from past till present: morphology, human markers, human cell lines, behavior in normal and liver pathology

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC), initially analyzed by von Kupffer, in 1876, revealed to be an extraordinary mesenchymal cell, essential for both hepatocellular function and lesions, being the hallmark of hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. Apart from their implications in hepatic injury, HSCs play a vital role in liver development and regeneration, xenobiotic response, intermediate metabolism, and regulation of immune response. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge regarding HSCs morphology, human HSCs markers and human HSC cell lines. We also summarize the latest findings concerning their roles in normal and liver pathology, focusing on their impact in fibrogenesis, chronic viral hepatitis and liver tumors.
Circulating microRNA signatures that predict liver fibrosis progression in patients with HIV-1/hepatitis C virus coinfections

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: The lack of available biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting different stages of liver disease with a noninvasive strategy is currently one of the main challenges that clinicians are facing. Recent evidence indicates that the plasma levels of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) may be significantly altered in patients with liver injury, including those with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) infections. Design/methods: Large-scale deep sequencing analysis of small RNA expression was performed on plasma samples from 46 patients with HIV-1/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfections that did not exhibit liver fibrosis at the time of sampling. Results: A total of 1065 different miRNAs were identified. After a mean of 10.3 years, 26 out of the 46 patients developed liver fibrosis (stage F2–4) and 20 remained without signs of liver fibrosis (stage F0–1). We identified a signature of seven miRNAs: 100–5p, 192–5p, 99a-5p, 122–5p, 125b-2–3p, 1246 and 194–5p, which were highly correlated with progression to liver fibrosis. These seven miRNAs detected liver fibrosis progression with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.910–0.806. Two miRNAs, 100–5p and 192–5p, which displayed the best AUC values, yielded a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 85% for detecting liver fibrosis progression. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that circulating miRNA levels had potential in predicting liver fibrosis progression before the clinical detection of liver fibrosis or significant clinical signs, such as elevated liver transaminases or platelets. Thus, our results might facilitate predictions of liver injury progression in patients with HIV-1-infections.
Effect of solvent polarity on a rotational isomerization mechanism of rhodamine‐B in normal alcohols

Experiments were performed to investigate the effects of solvent polarity and solvent viscosity on the nonradiative rates of rhodamine‐B in a series of normal alcohols. The fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes for rhodamine‐B in these solvents were measured and used to calculate the nonradiative rates. From a modified kinetic model, the nonradiative rate can be deduced to be the conversion rate for crossing over a potential barrier from an excited planar state to an excited twisted state. Both solvent viscosity and solvent polarity can play key roles in this mechanism because the former may hinder the rotational motion and the latter may change the barrier height. Our results show that the variation in the nonradiative rates is due to solvent polarity changes rather than to solvent viscosity changes. The effect of solvent viscosity on the excited‐state lifetimes of rhodamine‐B in a series of methanol–poly(ethylene oxide) mixed solvents was also investigated. Our results indicate that the measured lif.
A graphene-oxide-based thin coating on the separator: an efficient barrier towards high-stable lithium–sulfur batteries

The electrochemical performance of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries can be significantly improved by simply coating a thin barrier layer on the separator. The spray-coating of a mixture of graphene oxides (GO) and oxidized carbon nanotubes (o-CNT) can achieve a barrier coating of only 0.3 mg cm−2, which is much less than conventional interlayers and has no negative impact on the energy density but significantly enhances the electrochemical performances of the whole battery device. Due to the binding forces induced by functional groups on GO and the interconnected nanoscale channels provided by o-CNT, the thus fabricated Li–S batteries show dramatically improved specific discharge capacities of up to 750 mAh g−1 at 1 C even after 100 cycles, more than twice those of batteries without barrier coatings.
Dispersion of Expiratory Droplets in a General Hospital Ward with Ceiling Mixing Type Mechanical Ventilation System

This study investigated the dispersion characteristics of polydispersed droplets in a general hospital ward equipped with ceiling-mixing type ventilation system. Injections of water test droplets containing non-volatile content were produced. The injections simulate human coughs with a similar droplet size distribution (peak size at 12 μ m) and airflow rate (0.4 L/s). The dispersion of test droplets was measured in-situ by interferometric Mie imaging (IMI) method combined with an aerosol spectrometer. A multiphase numerical model was employed to simulate the droplet dispersion tracks to provide additional transient position tracking data. Results show that the small size group of droplets or droplet nuclei (initial size ≤45 μ m) behaved airborne transmittable as some nuclei stayed airborne for more than 360 s. The dispersions were strongly affected by the ventilation airflow pattern. The expiratory droplets exhibited a two-stage lateral dispersion behavior, in which rapid dispersion was found in the early “initial dispersion” stage and then the dispersion became much slower in the subsequent “stable” stage. The exhaust air vents significantly enhanced lateral dispersions towards their direction. Droplets in the large size group (initial size = 87.5 μ m and 137.5 μ m) were subjected to heavy gravitational effect and stayed airborne for less than 30 s. Results indicate that the location of exhaust air vents has significant impact on the dispersion pattern of expiratory droplets. It should be carefully considered in designing ventilation systems for health-care settings.
Individual Ants Do Not Show Activity-Rest Rhythms in Nest Conditions

Circadian rhythms, which respond to the day-night cycle on the earth, arise from the endogenous timekeeping system within organisms, called the “biological clock. ” For accurate circadian rhythms, daily fluctuations in light and temperature are considered one of the important time cues. In social insects, both abiotic and biotic factors (i.e., social interactions) play a significant role in activity-rest rhythm regulation. However, it is challenging to monitor individual activity-rest rhythms in a colony because of the large group size and small body size. Therefore, it is unclear whether individuals in a colony exhibit activity-rest rhythms and how social interactions regulate their activity-rest rhythms in the colony. This study developed an image-based tracking system using 2D barcodes for Diacamma cf. indicum from Japan (a monomorphic ant) and measured the locomotor activities of all colony members under laboratory colony conditions. We also investigated the effect of broods on activity-rest rhythms by removing all broods under colony conditions. Activity-rest rhythms appeared only in isolated ants, not under colony conditions. In addition, workers showed arrhythmic activities after brood removal. These results suggested that a mixture of social interactions, and not light and temperature, induces the loss of activity-rest rhythms. These results contribute to the knowledge of a diverse pattern of circadian activity rhythms in social insects.