Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Surface Modification on Adsorption Behavior of Cell and Protein on Titanium Surface by Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance System

Primary stability and osseointegration are major challenges in dental implant treatments, where the material surface properties and wettability are critical in the early formation of hard tissue around the implant. In this study, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was used to measure the nanogram level amount of protein and bone marrow cells adhered to the surfaces of titanium (Ti) surface in real time. The effects of ultraviolet (UV) and atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment to impart surface hydrophilicity to the implant surface were evaluated. The surface treatment methods resulted in a marked decrease in the surface carbon (C) content and increase in the oxygen (O) content, along with super hydrophilicity. The results of QCM measurements showed that adhesion of both adhesive proteins and bone marrow cells was enhanced after surface treatment. Although both methods produced implants with good osseointegration behavior and less reactive oxidative species, the samples treated with atmospheric pressure plasma showed the best overall performance and are recommended for clinical use. It was verified that QCM is an effective method for analyzing the initial adhesion process on dental implants.
Upgrading on radical prostatectomy specimens of very low- and low-risk prostate cancer patients on active surveillance: A population-level analysis.

format accepted as a poster presentation at the Southeastern Sectional Meeting of the American Urological Association in New Orleans, LA, on March 21, 2020INTRODUCTION: A proportion of prostate cancer (PCa) patients initially managed with active surveillance (AS) are upgraded to a higher Gleason score (GS) at the time of radical prostatectomy (RP). Our objective was to determine predictors of upgrading on RP specimens using a national database. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Prostate with Watchful Waiting database was used to identify AS patients diagnosed with very low- or low-risk PCa who underwent delayed RP between 2010 and 2015. The primary outcome was upgrading to GS 7 disease or worse. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate demographic and oncological predictors of upgrading on final specimen. RESULTS A total of 3775 men underwent RP after a period of AS, 3541 (93.8%) of whom were cT2a; 792 (21.0%) patients were upgraded on RP specimen, with 85.4%, 10.6%, and 3.4% upgraded to GS 7(3+4), 7(4+3), and 8 diseases, respectively. On multivariable analysis, higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at diagnosis (5-10 vs. 0-2 ng/ml, odd ratio [OR] 2.59, p<0.001) and percent core involvement (80-100% vs. 0-20%, OR 2.52, p=0.003) were significant predictors of upgrading on final RP specimen, whereas higher socioeconomic status predicted lower odds of upgrading (highest vs. lowest quartile OR 0.75, p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS Higher baseline PSA and percent positive cores involvement are associated with significantly increased risk of upgrading on RP after AS, whereas higher socioeconomic status predicts lower odds of such events. These results may help identify patients at increased risk of adverse pathology on final specimen who may benefit from earlier definitive treatment.
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Induce Cell Death in Human HepaRG Cells in a Structure-Dependent Manner

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a group of secondary metabolites produced in various plant species as a defense mechanism against herbivores. PAs consist of a necine base, which is esterified with one or two necine acids. Humans are exposed to PAs by consumption of contaminated food. PA intoxication in humans causes acute and chronic hepatotoxicity. It is considered that enzymatic PA toxification in hepatocytes is structure-dependent. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the induction of PA-induced cell death associated with apoptosis activation. Therefore, 22 structurally different PAs were analyzed concerning the disturbance of cell viability in the metabolically competent human hepatoma cell line HepaRG. The chosen PAs represent the main necine base structures and the different esterification types. Open-chained and cyclic heliotridine- and retronecine-type diesters induced strong cytotoxic effects, while treatment of HepaRG with monoesters did not affect cell viability. For more detailed investigation of apoptosis induction, comprising caspase activation and gene expression analysis, 14 PA representatives were selected. The proapoptotic effects were in line with the potency observed in cell viability studies. In vitro data point towards a strong structure–activity relationship whose effectiveness needs to be investigated in vivo and can then be the basis for a structure-associated risk assessment.
Antinociceptive effects of oleuropein in experimental models of neuropathic pain in male rats

Background The present investigation explored the therapeutic actions of oleuropein along with the possible signaling pathway involved in attenuating neuropathic pain in chronic constriction injury (CCI) and vincristine-induced neuropathic pain in male rats. Methods Four loose ligatures were placed around the sciatic nerve to induce CCI, and vincristine (50 μg/kg) was injected for 10 days to develop neuropathic pain. The development of cold allodynia, mechanical allodynia, and mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed using different pain-related behavioral tests. The levels of H2S, cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), orexin, and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were measured in the sciatic nerve. Results Treatment with oleuropein for 14 days led to significant amelioration of behavioral manifestations of neuropathic pain in two pain models. Moreover, oleuropein restored both CCI and vincristine-induced decreases in H2S, CSE, CBS, orexin, and Nrf2 levels. Co-administration of suvorexant, an orexin receptor antagonist, significantly counteracted the pain-attenuating actions of oleuropein and Nrf2 levels without modulating H2S, CSE and CBS. Conclusions Oleuropein has therapeutic potential to attenuate the pain manifestations in CCI and vincristine-induced neuropathic pain, possibly by restoring the CSE, CBS, and H2S, which may subsequently increase the expression of orexin and Nrf2 to ameliorate behavioral manifestations of pain.
A Pattern Mining-Based Evolutionary Algorithm for Large-Scale Sparse Multiobjective Optimization Problems

In real-world applications, there exist a lot of multiobjective optimization problems whose Pareto-optimal solutions are sparse, that is, most variables of these solutions are 0. Generally, many sparse multiobjective optimization problems (SMOPs) contain a large number of variables, which pose grand challenges for evolutionary algorithms to find the optimal solutions efficiently. To address the curse of dimensionality, this article proposes an evolutionary algorithm for solving large-scale SMOPs, which aims to mine the sparse distribution of the Pareto-optimal solutions and, thus, considerably reduces the search space. More specifically, the proposed algorithm suggests an evolutionary pattern mining approach to detect the maximum and minimum candidate sets of the nonzero variables in the Pareto-optimal solutions, and uses them to limit the dimensions in generating offspring solutions. For further performance enhancement, a binary crossover operator and a binary mutation operator are designed to ensure the sparsity of solutions. According to the results on eight benchmark problems and four real-world problems, the proposed algorithm is superior over existing evolutionary algorithms in solving large-scale SMOPs.
Does Wound Management Technique Impact Surgical Site Infection in Open Emergency Colon Procedures?

Background Emergency open large bowel procedures have higher rates of intraoperative contamination and increased risk of surgical site infection (SSI) than elective colon surgeries. Several wound management strategies have been proposed, such as vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy and delayed primary closure to improve results. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between wound management technique and SSI and other quality measures. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing open emergency colon surgery from January 2017 to December 2018 by our acute care surgery service. The primary outcome measure was incidence of SSI. Secondary outcome measures included length of stay, reoperation, and 30-day readmission. Results A total of 118 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 62.8 years and mean BMI of 28.8. Overall incidence of SSI was 19.5%. There was no significant difference in incidence of SSI, reoperation, or 30-day readmission when stratifying by wound management technique or procedure type after controlling for confounding variables. Notably, patients managed with VAC therapy had a statistically significant longer average length of stay and higher total postoperative antibiotic days (both P = .001) than other techniques. Discussion We conclude from our data that wound management technique does not seem to influence rate of SSI, but wound management may influence length of stay or antibiotic duration. These findings suggest that there may not be an advantage to alternative methods of wound management in this high-risk population. Further prospective evaluation should be performed to confirm these findings.
Intrathecal Administration of Melatonin Ameliorates the Neuroinflammation-mediated Sensory and Motor Dysfunction in a rat Model of Compression Spinal Cord Injury.

BACKGROUND Spinal cord injury (SCI), often characterized by sensory-motor dysfunction, is a major debilitating disorder of the central nervous system. As no useful treatment for post-SCI complications has been approved thus far, finding novel treatments is of great importance. OBJECTIVE Considering the promising effects of melatonin (MEL) against destructive mechanisms in other models of brain damage, in the current study we evaluated its ameliorative effects on sensory-motor outcomes, inflammatory mediators, histological changes and other post-SCI complications. METHODS Rats, in SCI and MEL groups, underwent laminectomy followed by a severe compression injury by an aneurysm clip. Then, intrathecal treatment with vehicle (5% dimethyl sulfoxide) or MEL was carried out post-injury. Acetone drop, von Frey, inclined plane, and BBB tests as well as weight changes and auricle temperature, were used to evaluate the neuropathic pain, motor function, and other post-SCI complications. The effects of MEL on the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assessed using gelatin zymography method every week till day 28 post-SCI. Histopathological assessments were performed on days 14, 21, and 28. RESULTS MEL treatment resulted in decreased motor dysfunction, mechanical and cold allodynia, auricle temperature, and also ameliorated weight loss. Moreover, MEL suppressed MMP-9 activity while increasing that of MMP-2 post-SCI indicating its anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Also, MEL significantly preserved white matter myelinated areas and the number of sensory neurons post-SCI. CONCLUSION The results suggest MEL as a promising candidate for medical therapies with advantageous effects on improving functional recovery through suppressing inflammatory mediators, and attenuating spinal tissue damages.
Proton pump inhibitor usage reduces sustained viral response rates for veterans with HIV/HCV coinfection on ledipasvir/sofosbuvir: a real‐world study from a multicentre VA cohort

Previous studies have reported an association of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and decreased sustained viral response rate (SVR) in patients taking ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF). The relationship between PPI usage and SVR is less clear in patients with HIV/HCV coinfection, where concomitant antiretrovirals may result in more complex drug interactions. This retrospective study evaluates the effects of acid suppression medications (PPI or H2‐receptor antagonist [H2B]) use and SVR rates in patients with HIV/HCV or HCV and taking LDV/SOF in a large multicentre veteran cohort. Patients in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System who received LDV/SOF ± ribavirin from 10/10/2014 to 12/31/2015 were included. The odds ratios (OR) of PPI or H2B use for SVR were adjusted for clinical factors and with inverse probability of treatment weighting for non‐random treatment selection for acid suppression medication use. There were 9703 veterans included in our final analysis. After adjustment of other clinical factors, PPI use is associated with a lower SVR in the overall cohort (95.0% vs. 96.1%, OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.74–0.99, p = .03, number needed to harm 90.9) and HIV/HCV coinfection subgroup (93.4% vs. 96.9%, OR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.26–0.85, p = .01, number needed to harm 28.6). This present study reveals PPI use is associated with reduced SVR after LDV/SOF treatment, with a more significant impact in the subgroup of patients with HIV/HCV coinfection. Precautions need to be taken when using PPI and LDV/SOF in this group of patients.
Statistical Analysis of Published Carbon‐13 CPMAS NMR Spectra of Soil Organic Matter

We have collected solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data from the published literature (76 papers) and from our own results on 311 whole soils, physical fractions (25 clay-, 43 silt-, and 52 sand-size fractions) and chemical extracts (208 humic and 66 fulvic acids). Our purpose was to see whether a comprehensive analysis of data on >300 soils that ranged in organic C content from 0.42 to 53.9% would show any universal influence of management practice on the chemical composition of soil organic matter (SOM). The relative abundance of functional groups was calculated for the following chemical shift regions: 0-50 ppm (alkyls), 50-110 ppm (O-alkyls), 110-160 ppm (aromatics), and 160-200 ppm (carbonyls). There was a remarkable similarity between all soils with respect to the distribution of different forms of C despite the wide range of land use (arable, grassland, uncultivated, forest ), climate (from tropical rainforest to tundra ), cropping practice, fertilizer or manure application, and the different spectrometer characteristics and experimental conditions used. Functional groups in whole soils were always in the same abundance order despite the generally wide proportion range: O-alkyls (a mean of 45% of the spectrum, increasing with soil C content), followed by alkyls (mean 25%), aromatics (mean 20%), and finally carbonyls (mean 10%, decreasing with soil C content). Humic and fulvic acids contained much smaller proportions of O-alkyls than whole soils (means of 26%). Clay-size fractions were the most different from whole soils, being more aliphatic (+8%). Sand-size fractions generally gave very similar results to whole soils.
Biodegradation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons from Oily Sludge

ABSTRACT The present study concerns the biotreatment of oily sludge of petroleum refineries. Experiments were performed to assess the degradation potential of the microbial species present in the oily sludge through augmentation, and using the augmented microbial inoculums to treat oily sludge in a slurry form containing mineral medium and water. The optimum pH of the slurry was found to be 8 for the biodegradation of oily sludge. The effect of oily sludge concentration, stirring rate, and treatment time on degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was studied. It was found that the degradation process consists of two consecutive stages and that each stage follows a first-order kinetics. The first stage lasted 4 days followed by a second stage up to 7 days. The faster first stage had a rate constant of 0.1 day−1, whereas the slower second stage had a rate constant of 0.056 day−1. The kinetics was found to be time-dependent. The study showed that the mineral medium provided essential nutrients to the microbial species and that the degradation efficiency of the whole microbial species present in the oily sludge was quite high (∼90%).
The statistical significance of difference densities

The statistical properties of a difference density Δρ are not fully characterized by the standard deviation σ(Δρ), which relates to the density at a point. That is not sufficient information to assess the significance accurately for the density within a finite volume. The reliability of a complete Δρ map may be determined by applying standard statistical tests to the chi-square index \chi ^{2} = \Sigma_{{\bf S}} \sigma ^{2}({\bf S})[\Delta F({\bf S})]^{2} from a least-squares refinement, where ΔF is a structure-factor residual and σ2 is the variance in the structure factor, or equivalently to the goodness-of-fit index [(χ2/ν - 1)/2]1/2, where ν is the number of degrees of freedom in the structure refinement. A similar treatment applies to component volumes or features in the difference density for which the chi-square index is \chi ^{2} = \Sigma_{{\bf S}} \sigma^{-2}_{n}({\bf S})[\Delta F_{n}({\bf S})]^{2}, where ΔFn is obtained by Fourier transformation from the nth component of Δρ and on is the variance rescaled by the fraction of the cell volume occupied by the feature.
Heavy Metal uptake Potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Micrococcus luteus

Uptake of heavy metals, silver and cadmium by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a Gram negative bacterium) and Micrococcus luteus (a Gram positive bacterium) was investigated in Cadmium and Silver stock solution using ion selective electrodes. Silver and cadmium uptake by the two organisms was described by Langmuir isotherms. Binding at one site type is indicated. It was observed that both organisms showed rapid uptake of metal mostly in the first minute. Uptake was complete by ten minutes. Micrococcus luteus concentrated more metal than Pseudomonas aeruginosa. M. luteus took up 200% more silver and 100% more cadmium than P. aeruginosa. We conclude that the two organisms, particularly M. Luteus have very high bioremediation potentials in heavy metals polluted environment. Keywords: Heavy metals, Pseudomonas, Langmuir isotherms, Silver, Cadmium
Micromineralogy of mine wastes in relation to lead bioavailability, Butte, Montana

Electron microprobe analysis of soil and waste rock mineralogy helps explain the low blood Pb levels observed in young children living in Butte, MT. The sulfide/sulfate assemblage consists primarily of galena, anglesite, and lead jarosite, while the oxide/phosphate assemblage was principally manganese lead oxide, lead phosphate solid-solution series, and lead oxide. Modeled paragenetic sequences initiated using galena and lead oxide demonstrated that both primary phases weather to less soluble anglesite and pyromorphite end members, respectively. If these soils were ingested, Pb solubility would be constrained by alteration and encapsulation of the Pb-bearing minerals, which limits the available Pb-bearing surface area
Unique impact behavior and toughening mechanism of the polypropylene and poly(ethylene-co-octene) alternating multilayered blends with superior toughness

In this study, a novel approach is proposed to significantly toughen polypropylene (PP) by fabricating PP and poly(ethylene-co-octene) (POE) into alternating multilayered blends instead of conventional blends. POM, SEM, polarized-FTIR, DSC and XRD were performed to investigate and characterize the microstructure of the alternating multilayered and conventional blends. The crack-initiation term, impact fracture surface and bulk morphologies beneath the fracture surface are inspected in order to understand the differences in the impact behaviors of the alternating multilayered blends and the conventional blends. The results show that the unique multilayered structure has a great advantage in toughening PP. The notable improvement of the toughness of the alternating multilayered blends is ascribed to the synergetic effects of the interfaces' delaminations, craze deflection, larger subcritical damage zone (stress whitening zone) and the combination of the voids and deformation during the fracture process. Moreover, the alternating multilayered blends exhibit high toughness with a low POE content; thus, this work also offers a new method to toughen the materials without an obvious sacrifice of their strength.
Designing enantioselectivity in chiral self-assembly at a solid substrate: a theoretical study of competing interactions

Chiral structure formation is ubiquitous in surface self-assembly. Molecules that do not undergo chiral recognition in solution or fluid phases can do so when their configurational freedom is restricted in the two-dimensional field of a substrate. The process holds promise in the manufacture of functional materials for chiral catalysis, sensing or nonlinear optics. The present work investigates the relationships between molecular features, specifically molecular geometry and charge distribution, and chiral recognition at surface self-assembly. Simple model molecules are considered, having two prochiral centers and four partial charges. These model features embody the fundamental interactions involved in supramolecular structure formation in experimental systems, but allow the in-depth investigation of key parameters. The molecules have previously shown polymorphic behavior, with the formation of homochiral clusters in metastable states, but not in their equilibrium configurations, and are used here to show how molecular substitution can be manipulated to induce chiral recognition and homochiral structure formation, in molecules that were previously unable to segregate at surface assembly. Furthermore, the analysis of pair and multibody interactions provides an avenue for in-depth understanding and even prediction of the result of the surface adsorption process.