Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Encapsulated Cells on the Physical–Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Gelatin Methacrylate Hydrogels

Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) has been gaining popularity in recent years as a photo-crosslinkable biomaterial widely used in a variety of bioprinting and tissue engineering applications. Several studies have established the effects of process-based and material-based parameters on the physical–mechanical properties and microstructure of GelMA hydrogels. However, the effect of encapsulated cells on the physical–mechanical properties and microstructure of GelMA hydrogels has not been fully understood. In this study, 3T3 fibroblasts were encapsulated at different cell densities within the GelMA hydrogels and incubated over 96 h. The effects of encapsulated cells were investigated in terms of mechanical properties (tensile modulus and strength), physical properties (swelling and degradation), and microstructure (pore size). Cell viability was also evaluated to confirm that most cells were alive during the incubation. It was found that with an increase in cell density, the mechanical properties decreased, while the degradation and the pore size increased.
Targeted Release of Probiotics from Enteric Microparticulated Formulations

The development of advanced probiotic delivery systems, which preserve bacteria from degradation of the gastrointestinal tract and achieve a targeted release mediated by pH-independent swelling, is of great interest to improve the efficient delivery of probiotic bacteria to the target tissue. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria models (Lactobacillus acidophilus (Moro) Hansen and Mocquot (ATCC® 4356™) and Escherichia coli S17, respectively) have been successfully encapsulated for the first time in pH-independent microparticulate polymethacrylates (i.e., Eudraguard biotic) used for the targeted delivery of nutraceuticals to the colon. These bacteria have also been encapsulated within the mucoadhesive polymethacrylate Eudragit RS 100 widely used as targeted release formulation for active pharmaceutical ingredients. The enteric microparticles remained unaltered under simulated gastric conditions and released the contained viable microbial cargo under simulated intestinal conditions. Buoyancies of 90.2% and 57.3% for Eudragit and Eudraguard microparticles, respectively, and long-term stability (5 months) for the encapsulated microorganisms were found. Cytotoxicity of the microparticles formulated with both polymers was evaluated (0.5–20 mg/mL) on Caco-2 cells, showing high cytocompatibility. These results underline the suitability of the synthesized materials for the successful delivery of probiotic formulations to the target organ, highlighting for the first time the potential use of Eudraguard biotic as an effective enteric coating for the targeted delivery of probiotics.
A Miniaturized Low-Intensity Ultrasound Device for Wearable Medical Therapeutic Applications

Low-intensity ultrasound has drawn increasing attention recently as a non-invasive modality for medical therapeutic applications. Current commercially available low-intensity ultrasound devices are bulky and expensive. In this paper, a battery-powered miniaturized device is proposed to generate low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound. The proposed device consists of a custom Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an off-chip digital control block, and a piezoelectric transducer. The ASIC, which integrates a DC-DC boost converter and a transducer driver, is implemented in TSMC's 0.18 $\mu$m BCD Gen2 process. Measurement results show that a maximum output voltage of 14 V is achieved by the proposed fully-integrated DC-DC boost converter with a battery supply voltage of 3.7 V. The peak power conversion efficiency is 29% and the output power at the peak power conversion efficiency is 105 mW. The on-chip transducer driver employs a half-bridge circuit with two n-type devices at the output stage. A high-voltage level shifter with low power consumption and short propagation delay is proposed in this paper for the high-performance operation of the half-bridge transducer driver. The piezoelectric transducer is a customized transducer with a resonance frequency of 1.5 MHz. At this frequency, the proposed low-intensity ultrasound device is able to generate continuous-wave ultrasound with a therapeutic power intensity of 32 ${\text{mW/cm}^\text {2}}$. The proposed low-intensity ultrasound device is low-cost, compact, and light-weight, which enables affordable, and wearable applications.
DCS: Distributed Caching Strategy at the Edge of Vehicular Sensor Networks in Information-Centric Networking

Information dissemination in current Vehicular Sensor Networks (VSN) depends on the physical location in which similar data is transmitted multiple times across the network. This data replication has led to several problems, among which resource consumption (memory), stretch, and communication latency due to the lake of data availability are the most crucial. Information-Centric Networking (ICN) provides an enhanced version of the internet that is capable of resolving such issues efficiently. ICN is the new internet paradigm that supports innovative communication systems with location-independent data dissemination. The emergence of ICN with VSNs can handle the massive amount of data generated from heterogeneous mobile sensors in surrounding smart environments. The ICN paradigm offers an in-network cache, which is the most effective means to reduce the number of complications of the receiver-driven content retrieval process. However, due to the non-linearity of the Quality-of-Experience (QoE) in VSN systems, efficient content management within the context of ICN is needed. For this purpose, this paper implements a new distributed caching strategy (DCS) at the edge of the network in VSN environments to reduce the number of overall data dissemination problems. The proposed DCS mechanism is studied comparatively against existing caching strategies to check its performance in terms of memory consumption, path stretch ratio, cache hit ratio, and content eviction ratio. Extensive simulation results have shown that the proposed strategy outperforms these benchmark caching strategies.
EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON LIPIDS PROFILE

Introduction: Smoking is an escalating public health problem in a developing country like India. WHO has recently introduced as fourth global health threat (1) . Cigarette smoking is a dominant annually risk factor for premature or accelerated peripheral, coronary and cerebral atherosclerosis vascular disease. In the present study an attempt has been made to find out the effect of smoking on lipids profile in healthy smokers. Results are compared with that of same age groups healthy non smokers. AIMS 1. To study alteration in lipid profile in healthy smokers and compare the same with lipid profile of non-smokers.
Histone H2A and Bovine Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Induce Damage of Besnoitia besnoiti-Infected Host Endothelial Cells but Fail to Affect Total Parasite Proliferation

Besnoitia besnoiti tachyzoites infect and develop in bovine endothelial cells in vivo and trigger the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) from bovine polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). The purpose of this study was to analyze if pure B. besnoiti tachyzoite-triggered NETs would damage endothelial host cells and subsequently influence intracellular development and proliferation of B. besnoiti tachyzoites in primary bovine endothelial cells. For comparison purposes, isolated A23187-induced NETs were also used. Thus, we here evaluated endothelial host cell damage triggered by histone 2A (H2A) and B. besnoiti tachyzoite-induced NET preparations and furthermore estimated the effects of PMN floating over B. besnoiti-infected endothelium under physiological flow conditions on endothelial host cell viability. Overall, all treatments (H2A, B. besnoiti-triggered NETs and floating PMN) induced endothelial cell death of B. besnoiti-infected host cells. However, though host cell damage led to significantly altered intracellular parasite development with respect to parasitophorous vacuole diameter and numbers, the total proliferation of the parasite over time was not significantly affected by these treatments thereby denying any direct effect of NETs on intracellular B. besnoiti replication.
Investigation on the Antifungal Ingredients of Saccharothrix Yanglingensis Hhs.015, an Antagonistic Endophytic Actinomycete Isolated from Cucumber Plant

Apple tree canker infected by Valsa mali var. mali is a serious and widely distributed disease in China. Saccharothrix yanglingensis Hhs.015 is an endophytic actinomycete isolated from cucumber roots, and it has been proven that this strain is a promising biocontrol agent on apple tree canker in previous studies. The aim of this study was to elucidate the active ingredients in its metabolites. Two pentaene macrolides, WH01 and WH02, were isolated from strain Hhs.015, and their structures were elucidated based on the extensive spectroscopic analysis. WH01 and WH02 were identified as fungichromin and 1′-deoxyfungichromin, among which WH02 is a novel compound. These two compounds showed strong in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity against V. mali. By comparison of the structures of hyphae cells treated by pure compound and fermentation broth, it has been proven that pentaene macrolides are the main active ingredients in the metabolites of strain Hhs.015. This is the first report on the antifungal activity of fungichromin and its analogs on V. mali, and the 28-member pentaene macrolides were also firstly isolated from the genus of Saccharothrix.
Microscopic Analysis of Steel Corrosion Products in Seawater and Sea-Sand Concrete

In this paper, the types, formation time, structural morphology, and influence of steel corrosion products in seawater and sea-sand concrete were studied, and the intermediate and final products of steel corrosion under different conditions were determined. The corrosion products of steel in these concrete specimens under two curing methods were studied separately by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Due to the presence of a large amount of chloride ions in the concrete, the rust layer on the surface of a steel bar contained many intermediates, such as lepidocrocite (γ–FeOOH) and aka-ganeite (β–FeOOH). Under wet/dry cycles, with the addition and loss of moisture in concrete, various corrosion products were also dynamically converted into each other. In the specimens immersed in seawater for a long time, the intermediates of corrosion were lepidocrocite (γ–FeOOH) and aka-ganeite (β–FeOOH), which were substituted for oxygen as the new depolarizers of cathode reduction reaction, and consumed themselves to ensure smooth corrosion.
Relationship between severity of obesity and mental health: An Australian community survey

In Australia the incidence of obesity is increasing rapidly and has become a significant public health concern. In addition to the many physical consequences of obesity many studies have reported significant mental health consequences, including major depression, mood and anxiety disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between severity of obesity and perceived mental health in an Australian community sample.
Interoceptive attention in opioid and stimulant use disorder

Blunted anterior insula activation during interoceptive perturbations has been associated with stimulant (cocaine and amphetamine) use disorder (SUD) and is related to risk for and prognosis of SUD. However, little is known whether these interoceptive alterations extend to opioid use disorder (OUD). This exploratory study used the same experimental probe during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test the hypothesis that SUD and OUD exhibit interoceptive discrepancies characterized by subjective ratings and activation within the insula. Recently, abstinent individuals diagnosed with current SUD (n = 40) or current OUD (n = 20) were compared with healthy individuals (CTL; n = 30) on brain and self‐report responses during an interoceptive attention task known to elicit insula activation. Participants selectively attended to interoceptive (heartbeat and stomach) and exteroceptive signals during blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent fMRI recording. Groups and conditions were compared on (a) activation within probabilistic cytoarchitectonic segmentations of the insula and (b) self‐reported stimulus intensity. First, SUD showed amplified ratings of heart‐related sensations but attenuation of dorsal dysgranular insula activity relative to CTL. Amplified ratings were linked to drug use recency, while attenuation was normalized with greater past‐year stimulant use. Second, SUD and OUD showed attenuation of dorsal dysgranular insula activity during attention to stomach sensations relative to CTL. Taken together, these results are consistent with altered neural processing of interoceptive signals in drug addiction, particularly as a function of SUD. Future studies will need to determine whether interoceptive metrics help to explain substance use disorder pathophysiology and are useful for predicting outcomes.
Urinary Epidermal Growth Factor/Creatinine Ratio and Graft Failure in Renal Transplant Recipients: A Prospective Cohort Study

Graft failure (GF) remains a significant limitation to improve long-term outcomes in renal transplant recipients (RTR). Urinary epidermal growth factor (uEGF) is involved in kidney tissue integrity, with a reduction of its urinary excretion being associated with fibrotic processes and a wide range of renal pathologies. We aimed to investigate whether, in RTR, uEGF is prospectively associated with GF. In this prospective cohort study, RTR with a functioning allograft ≥1-year were recruited and followed-up for three years. uEGF was measured in 24-hours urine samples and normalized by urinary creatinine (Cr). Its association with risk of GF was assessed by Cox-regression analyses and its predictive ability by C-statistic. In 706 patients, uEGF/Cr at enrollment was 6.43 [IQR 4.07–10.77] ng/mg. During follow-up, 41(6%) RTR developed GF. uEGF/Cr was inversely associated with the risk of GF (HR 0.68 [95% CI 0.59–0.78]; P < 0.001), which remained significant after adjustment for immunosuppressive therapy, estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate, and proteinuria. C-statistic of uEGF/Cr for GF was 0.81 (P < 0.001). We concluded that uEGF/Cr is independently and inversely associated with the risk of GF and depicts strong prediction ability for this outcome. Further studies seem warranted to elucidate whether uEGF might be a promising marker for use in clinical practice.
GIGANTEA Regulates the Timing Stabilization of CONSTANS by Altering the Interaction between FKF1 and ZEITLUPE

Plants monitor changes in day length to coordinate their flowering time with appropriate seasons. In Arabidopsis, the diel and seasonal regulation of CONSTANS (CO) protein stability is crucial for the induction of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene in long days. FLAVIN-BINDING, KELCH REPEAT, F-BOX 1 (FKF1) and ZEITLUPE (ZTL) proteins control the shape of CO expression profile antagonistically, although regulation mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we show that GIGANTEA (GI) protein modulates the stability and nuclear function of FKF1, which is closely related to the stabilization of CO in the afternoon of long days. The abundance of FKF1 protein is decreased by the gi mutation, but increased by GI overexpression throughout the day. Unlike the previous report, the translocation of FKF1 to the nucleus was not prevented by ZTL overexpression. In addition, the FKF1-ZTL complex formation is higher in the nucleus than in the cytosol. GI interacts with ZTL in the nucleus, implicating the attenuation of ZTL activity by the GI binding and, in turn, the sequestration of FKF1 from ZTL in the nucleus. We also found that the CO-ZTL complex presents in the nucleus, and CO protein abundance is largely reduced in the afternoon by ZTL overexpression, indicating that ZTL promotes CO degradation by capturing FKF1 in the nucleus under these conditions. Collectively, our findings suggest that GI plays a pivotal role in CO stability for the precise control of flowering by coordinating balanced functional properties of FKF1 and ZTL.
3D Object Recognition Based on Point Clouds in Underwater Environment with Global Descriptors: A Survey

This paper addresses the problem of object recognition from colorless 3D point clouds in underwater environments. It presents a performance comparison of state-of-the-art global descriptors, which are readily available as open source code. The studied methods are intended to assist Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) in performing autonomous interventions in underwater Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) applications. A set of test objects were chosen as being representative of IMR applications whose shape is typically known a priori. As such, CAD models were used to create virtual views of the objects under realistic conditions of added noise and varying resolution. Extensive experiments were conducted from both virtual scans and from real data collected with an AUV equipped with a fast laser sensor developed in our research centre. The underwater testing was conducted from a moving platform, which can create deformations in the perceived shape of the objects. These effects are considerably more difficult to correct than in above-water counterparts, and therefore may affect the performance of the descriptor. Among other conclusions, the testing we conducted illustrated the importance of matching the resolution of the database scans and test scans, as this significantly impacted the performance of all descriptors except one. This paper contributes to the state-of-the-art as being the first work on the comparison and performance evaluation of methods for underwater object recognition. It is also the first effort using comparison of methods for data acquired with a free floating underwater platform.
Fecal microbiota transplantation in a toddler after heart transplant was a safe and effective treatment for recurrent Clostridiodes difficile infection: A case report

Pediatric recipients of SOT have a significantly increased risk of Clostridiodes (formerly Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI), which is associated with adverse outcomes after SOT. Alterations to the intestinal microbiota community structure increase the risk of CDI. FMT is a safe and effective treatment for recurrent CDI in immunocompetent children and adults. While there are increasing data that FMT in immunosuppressed patients is safe and effective without increased risk of infection, data regarding safety and efficacy of FMT in children after SOT are limited. To our knowledge, we report the youngest immunocompromised patient to undergo FMT and the third overall case of FMT in a child after HTx. Our patient presented with five episodes of rCDI in 6 months, and 16S rRNA genetic analysis revealed significant loss of overall microbiota community structure and diversity prior to FMT compared with a donor and a healthy, age‐matched control. After FMT, marked and prolonged (at least 16 months) shifts in the recipient microbiota community structure and diversity were evident, approaching that of donor and healthy, age‐matched control. FMT was well tolerated, restored microbial diversity without any graft or transplant complications, and prevented further rCDI episodes after more than 4 years of follow‐up.
Spray Drying of a Subcritical Extract Using Marrubium vulgare as a Method of Choice for Obtaining High Quality Powder

White horehound (Marrubium vulgare L.), is a grey-leaved perennial herb, belonging to Lamiaceae family, distributed in Eurasia and northern Africa. Despite the fact that M. vulgare has been used since ancient times in treating diverse diseases, it is only in the last decade or so that scientists have been able to lay the foundation for its potential pharmacological actions from the results observed through the prism of ethnopharmacological use of this species. The novelty of this study was that subcritical water extraction, acknowledged as a powerful extraction technology to recover phenolic compounds, was coupled with spray drying. The subcritical horehound extract, obtained using optimal process parameters, was used as a liquid feed in spray drying. Maltodextrin was used as a carrier in a concentration of 10%. Thus, two M. vulgare powders, carrier-free and 10% MD, were produced. Comprehensive powders characterization was conducted in order to evaluate their quality. Results confirmed that spray drying can be used as a method of choice for obtaining high quality horehound powders which kept the amorphous structure constant after 6 months.
The Role of MicroRNAs in Selected Forms of Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis (GN) represents a collection of kidney diseases characterized by inflammation within the renal glomeruli and small blood vessels. The lesions that occur in other nephron structures mainly result from the harmful effects of proteinuria. In recent years, an emphasis has been placed on gaining a better insight into the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of GN in order to facilitate diagnoses and provide efficient and targeted treatments of the disease. Owing to the advanced molecular and genetic diagnostic techniques available today, researchers have been able to elucidate that most cases of GN are determined by genetic risk factors and are associated with the abnormal functioning of the immune system (the immunologically mediated forms of GN). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of single-stranded, non-coding molecules, approximately 20 nucleotides in length, that act as regulatory factors in the post-transcriptional processes capable of regulating the expression of multiple genes. In this paper we present the available research aiming to determine effects of miRNAs on the development and progression of GN and discuss the potential role of miRNAs as new diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.
Many roads lead to Rome: Neutral phenotypes in microorganisms.

John Bonner pointed out that microorganisms differ in several ways, some of which may reflect neutral phenotypic evolution. For making his case, Bonner referred to interspecies differences and morphological traits. Here we consider intraspecies differences and physiological traits. As a case-study, we examine the production of an extracellular cyclic 3 ' ,5 ' monophosphate phosphodiesterase in the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. Temporal profiles of phosphodiesterase activity differ significantly between wild-type strains. From that we argue that the inference drawn initially from studies on a single wild-type, namely that the profile displayed by it pointed to an adaptive role, was mistaken. We generalize the conclusion to suggest that physiological differences exhibited by microorganisms of the same species may, but need not, reflect adaptations to different environments. Rather, the differences could be related to the fact that microorganisms live in groups whose composition can vary between homogeneous (clonal) and heterogeneous (polyclonal). More than one physiological profile is consistent with the normal development of the group in a given environment; the alternatives are neutral. When studying microbial physiology and behavior, it is expected that the observations are made on a clonal population; genetic (and so phenotypic) heterogeneity is carefully guarded against. As the example from D. discoideum shows, an unintended consequence of overlooking phenotypic heterogeneity is that one can fall into the trap of accepting a seemingly plausible, but possibly erroneous, adaptive explanation for a "normal" wild-type phenotype.