Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitotic effects of copper oxide nanoparticle on root development and root tip cells of Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds

Copper oxide nanoparticle (CuO NP) is used widely in many fields in nanotechnology. For this reason, both production, use, and release to the environment are increasing with each passing day. With the increased use of products that contain nanoparticles (NP) (<100 nm), plants and organisms that constitute the food chain are at risk. In the present study, Phaseolus vulgaris L. , a very common food plant, was exposed to metal‐based CuO NPs. The anomalies that were caused by CuO NP in germination and mitosis of P. vulgaris were investigated. In the trials, a total of 4 groups (Control, 50, 150, and 300 ppm) were formed and examined in three replications. The determination of the accumulation and elimination rate because of NPs in P. vulgaris that was used in the study was made through X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), mapping image, and EDX characteristic spectrum analysis. Also, the mitotic effects on germination, root development, and root tip cells of seeds that were grown by treatment with control, 50, 150, and 300 ppm concentrations were investigated. The study was conducted in three replications in a laboratory setting. All concentrations of CuO NPs caused significant decreases in the mitotic index in the root tip cells of P. vulgaris when compared to the control. The mitotic index reached the lowest level, especially at the highest concentration. Multiple analyzes in the study showed that CuO NPs cause abnormalities in cell division such as C‐metaphase, distorted metaphase, distorted anaphase and telophase, chromosome breakage, asynchronous division, advanced chromosomes, micronucleus, and loss of genetic material. These findings also support that the Cytogenetic Test of P. vulgaris can be used to evaluate the genotoxicity of new nanomaterials that are used in many consumer products. In this respect, NPs that are taken up by the organisms in the food chain may pose a danger to higher consumer organisms when they accumulate in the tissue. A control mechanism must be established for the use and contamination of these particles and wider studies must be conducted regarding their effects.
Extremely high-intensity laser interactions with fundamental quantum systems

The field of laser-matter interaction traditionally deals with the response of atoms, molecules, and plasmas to an external light wave. However, the recent sustained technological progress is opening up the possibility of employing intense laser radiation to trigger or substantially influence physical processes beyond atomic-physics energy scales. Available optical laser intensities exceeding ${10}^{22}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ can push the fundamental light-electron interaction to the extreme limit where radiation-reaction effects dominate the electron dynamics, can shed light on the structure of the quantum vacuum, and can trigger the creation of particles such as electrons, muons, and pions and their corresponding antiparticles. Also, novel sources of intense coherent high-energy photons and laser-based particle colliders can pave the way to nuclear quantum optics and may even allow for the potential discovery of new particles beyond the standard model. These are the main topics of this article, which is devoted to a review of recent investigations on high-energy processes within the realm of relativistic quantum dynamics, quantum electrodynamics, and nuclear and particle physics, occurring in extremely intense laser fields.
Functional analysis of a bitter gustatory receptor highly expressed in the larval maxillary galea of Helicoverpa armigera

Many plant secondary substances are feeding deterrents for insects and play a key role in the selection of host plants. The taste sensilla of phytophagous insects contain gustatory sensory neurons sensitive to deterrents but the molecular basis of deterrent chemoreception remains unknown. We investigated the function of Gr180, the most highly expressed bitter gustatory receptor in the maxillary galea of Helicoverpa armigera larvae. Functional analyses using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and two-electrode voltage clamp revealed that the oocytes expressing Gr180 responded to coumarin. Tip recording results showed that the medial sensilla styloconica of the maxilla of fifth instar larvae exhibited electrophysiological responses to coumarin. Two-choice feeding bioassays confirmed that coumarin inhibited larval feeding. A homozygous mutant strain of H. armigera with truncated Gr180 proteins (Gr180−/−) was established using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The responses of the medial sensilla styloconica in Gr180−/− to coumarin were almost abolished, and the responses to sinigrin and strychnine were also significantly decreased. Knockout of Gr180 alleviated the feeding deterrent effects of coumarin, sinigrin, and strychnine. Thus, we conclude that Gr180 is a receptor responding to coumarin,and also participates in sensing sinigrin and strychnine. These results enhance our understanding of the gustatory sensing mechanisms of phytophagous insects to deterrents.
Significantly higher use of polypharmacy in elderly with hip fracture treated with psychotropics.

INTRODUCTION The high prevalence of chronic medical conditions among older adults leads to an increased use of prescription medications and a heightened risk of polypharmacy, raising the risk of falls and fractures. Psychotropic medications influence balance, and therefore our aim was to describe the use of psychotropic medications and the association with polypharmacy in elderly patients with a hip fracture. METHODS A retrospective study of 200 patients aged 65 years or more admitted consecutively with a hip fracture. RESULTS In total, 98 of the 200 patients used psychotropic medications. These 98 patients used a higher number of drugs at the time of admission (an average of eight (6-11) versus six (3-10), p less-than0.001), had a higher risk of using five or more medications (odds ratio (OR) = 5.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.75-12.7; p less-than 0.001) and a higher risk of using ten or more medications (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.05-3.5; p = 0.03). Furthermore, they were more likely to use analgesics (65.3% versus 48.0%; p = 0.01) and medications targeting the gastrointestinal tract (59.1% versus 40.2%; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Psychotropic medication use was frequent in elderly patients with a hip fracture and strongly associated with polypharmacy. Psychotropic medications may potentially be a trigger to perform medication review in elderly patients to prevent re-occurrence hip fractures. FUNDING none. TRIAL REGISTRATION not relevant.
Epitaxial relationship between wurtzite GaN and β-Ga2O3

The epitaxial relationship between wurtzite GaN and monoclinic β-Ga2O3 is studied by transmission electron microscopy. GaN is grown on β-Ga2O3 by molecular beam epitaxy without any low-temperature buffer layer, obtaining c plane GaN on a plane β-Ga2O3. The effect of the surface nitridation, which is necessary for the epitaxial growth, is analyzed at the atomic level. The lattice mismatch has a minimum of 2.6% for the in-plane epitaxial relationship ⟨011⟩Ga2O3‖⟨101¯0⟩GaN.
Anticholinergic co‐prescribing in nursing home residents using cholinesterase inhibitors: Potential deprescribing cascade

Polypharmacy may result from inappropriate prescribing of medications to treat adverse drug reactions (ADRs), i.e., “prescribing cascade. ” A potentially harmful prescribing cascade affecting those with severe dementia can result when anticholinergics are prescribed to manage side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs). We investigated 1) factors associated with co‐prescribing of anticholinergics and ChEIs and 2) whether discontinuation of ChEIs was associated with subsequent discontinuation of anticholinergics—a potentially beneficial reversal or “deprescribing cascade. ”
Codeword-stabilized quantum codes on subsystems

Codeword stabilized quantum codes provide a unified approach to constructing quantum error-correcting codes, including both additive and non-additive quantum codes. Standard codeword stabilized quantum codes encode quantum information into subspaces. The more general notion of encoding quantum information into a subsystem is known as an operator (or subsystem) quantum error correcting code. Most operator codes studied to date are based in the usual stabilizer formalism. We introduce operator quantum codes based on the codeword stabilized quantum code framework. Based on the necessary and sufficient conditions for operator quantum error correction, we derive a error correction condition for operator codeword stabilized quantum codes. Based on this condition, the word operators of a operator codeword stabilized quantum code are constructed from a set of classical binary errors induced by generators of the gauge group. We use this scheme to construct examples of both additive and non-additive codes that encode quantum information into a subsystem.
Fetal Autopsy Rates in the United States

The national fetal autopsy rate is approximately 20%, despite this being one of the highest-yield investigations in the evaluation of stillbirth. OBJECTIVE: To identify rates of fetal autopsy in the United States as well as demographic and clinical characteristics related to consent to autopsy after stillbirth. METHODS: This is a population-based retrospective cohort study using U.S. fetal death certificates for stillborn fetuses (20 weeks of gestation or more) delivered between January 2014 and December 2016. Multiple gestations were excluded. Fetal autopsy rates were calculated by gestational age, maternal age, self-reported race and ethnicity, education, and having at least one living child. Multivariate logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders was performed. RESULTS: There were 60,328 stillbirths meeting inclusion criteria. Overall, fetal autopsy was performed in 20.9% of stillbirths. Non-Hispanic Black women had the highest rate of fetal autopsy (22.9%, 95% CI 22.3–23.6%), compared with non-Hispanic White women (20.4%, 95% CI 20.0–20.9%) and Hispanic women (19.6%, 95% CI 19.0–20.3%) (P<.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, maternal non-Hispanic Black race (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.22, 95% CI 1.16–1.29), higher education (graduate degree: aOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.47–1.79), and higher gestational age (term: aOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.95–2.23) were associated with increased aORs for fetal autopsy. Maternal age 40 years or older (aOR 0.77 95% CI 0.63–0.92) and having at least one living child (aOR 0.74, 95% CI 0.71–0.78) were associated with a decreased aOR of having a fetal autopsy. Women of American Indian or Alaska Native decent had decreased uptake of fetal autopsy compared with non-Hispanic White women (aOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.58–0.90). CONCLUSION: Fetal autopsy rates are low throughout the United States. The reasons for low autopsy rates warrant further exploration to inform strategies to increase availability and uptake.
Comprehensive analysis of m6A methylation modification in chronic spinal cord injury in mice

Chronic spinal cord injury (CSCI) is a catastrophic disease of the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in partial or complete loss of neurological function. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common form of reversible posttranslational modification at the RNA level. However, the role of m6A modification in CSCI remains unknown. In this study, we established a CSCI model using a water‐absorbable polyurethane polymer, with behavioral assessment, electrophysiological analysis, and histochemical staining for validation. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (meRIP‐seq) and messenger RNA sequencing (mRNA‐seq) were jointly explored to compare the differences between CSCI spinal tissue and normal spinal tissue. Furthermore, real‐time quantitative reverse transcription pcr (qRT–PCR), western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze m6A modification‐related proteins. We found that water‐absorbable polyurethane polymer simulated well chronic spinal cord compression. Basso mouse scale scores and electrophysiological analysis showed continuous neurological function decline after chronic compression of the spinal cord. meRIP‐seq identified 642 differentially modified m6A genes, among which 263 genes were downregulated and 379 genes were upregulated. mRNA‐seq showed that 1544 genes were upregulated and 290 genes were downregulated after CSCI. Gene Ontology terms and enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were also identified. qRT–PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining showed that Mettl14, Ythdf1, and Ythdf3 were significantly upregulated after CSCI. Our study revealed a comprehensive profile of m6A modifications in CSCI which may act as a valuable key for future research on CSCI.
Relationship between B‐cell epitope structural properties and the immunogenicity of blood group antigens: Outlier properties of the Kell K1 antigen

The immunogenicities of polypeptide blood group antigens vary, despite most being created by single amino acid (AA) substitutions. To study the basis of these differences, we employed an immunoinformatics approach to determine whether AA substitution sites of blood group antigens have structural features typical of B‐cell epitopes and whether the extent of B‐cell epitope properties is positively related to immunogenicity.
Early Sport Specialization and Long-term Throwing Arm Health in College Baseball Players

Background: Early sport specialization is associated with increased risk of overuse injuries in several sports, including baseball. However, limited evidence exists evaluating how early sport specialization affects patient-reported outcome measures as they age. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow Scores among collegiate baseball players based on the grade when a participant first reported high specialization behaviors. Hypothesis: Baseball players who were highly specialized at a younger age will have worse throwing arm health while participating in college. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: A total of 752 college baseball players was contacted through their institution’s athletic trainer. We measured baseball specialization and KJOC scores using the validated Baseball and Sport Experience survey. Data were summarized using means and SDs, medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs), and frequencies and percentages. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine differences in mean KJOC scale scores based on the earliest time the participant reported high-level specialization. Results: A total of 294 baseball players completed the survey (response rate: 39.1%). Of the 294 participants, 280 completed the KJOC scale questions to generate a total KJOC score (median: 90.5; IQR: 76.6-97.2). No significant differences in KJOC total scores (P = 0.78) existed based on the grade period in which the athlete was first highly specialized. Conclusion: Early baseball specialization as a youth baseball player may not impact throwing arm health in college baseball athletes. Clinical Relevance: Early specialization has been linked to increased risk for overuse injuries in certain sports, but may not lead to poorer throwing arm health in college baseball players. Sports medicine clinicians and researchers may use this information to educate various stakeholders about the benefits and risks associated with early sport specialization.
Irradiation of Astrophysical Objects - SED and Flux Effects on Thermally Driven Winds

We develop a general method for the self consistent calculation of the hydrodynamics of an astrophysical object irradiated by a radiation field with an arbitrary strength and spectral energy distribution (SED). Using the XSTAR photoionization code, we calculate heating and cooling rates as a function of gas photoionization parameter and temperature for several examples of SEDs: bremsstrahlung, blackbody, hard and soft state XRBs, Type 1 and Type 2 AGN. As an application of our method we study the hydrodynamics of 1-dimensional spherical winds heated by a uniform radiation field using the code Athena++. We find that in all cases explored a wind settles into a transonic, steady state. The wind evolves along the radiative heating equilibrium curve until adiabatic cooling effects become important and the flow departs from radiative equilibrium. If the flow is heated very rapidly, for example as in a thermally unstable regime, the corresponding column density of gas is low. Perhaps one of the most intriguing results of our work is the two stage acceleration of the wind that happens when there are two thermally unstable regions and the flux is relatively high. The efficiency with which the radiation field transfers energy to the wind is dependent on the SED of the external source, particularly the relative flux of soft X-rays. These results suggest that detailed photoionization calculations are essential not only to predict spectra but also to properly capture the flow dynamics.
Leishmaniasis epidemiology in endemic areas of metropolitan France and its overseas territories from 1998 to 2020

Background In France, leishmaniasis is endemic in the Mediterranean region, in French Guiana and to a lesser extent, in the French West Indies. This study wanted to provide an updated picture of leishmaniasis epidemiology in metropolitan France and in its overseas territories. Methodology/Principal findings Leishmaniasis cases were collected by passive notification to the French National Reference Centre for Leishmaniases (NRCL) in Montpellier from 1998 to 2020 and at the associated Centre in Cayenne (French Guiana) from 2003 to 2020. In metropolitan France, 517 autochthonous leishmaniasis cases, mostly visceral forms due to Leishmania infantum (79%), and 1725 imported cases (French Guiana excluded), mainly cutaneous leishmaniasis from Maghreb, were recorded. A slight decrease of autochthonous cases was observed during the survey period, from 0.48 cases/100,000 inhabitants per year in 1999 (highest value) to 0.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants per year in 2017 (lowest value). Conversely, imported cases increased over time (from 59.7 in the 2000s to 94.5 in the 2010s). In French Guiana, 4126 cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis cases were reported from 2003 to 2020. The mean incidence was 103.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants/year but varied in function of the year (from 198 in 2004 to 54 in 2006). In Guadeloupe and Martinique (French West Indies), only sporadic cases were reported. Conclusions/Significance Because of concerns about disease expansion and outbreaks in other Southern Europe countries, and leishmaniasis monitoring by the NRCL should be continued and associated with a more active surveillance.
Likelihood Ratios: An Important Concept for Palliative Physicians to Understand

Palliative care has several tools and questionnaires which are commonly used for patient-related outcomes and prognosis. As an example, the Surprise Question (I would or would not be surprised that this person would have died in a year) has been used as a screen for palliative care referral but also used as a prognostic tool. Diagnostic tests, prognostic tools, and tools for gauging outcomes have certain sensitivity and specificity in predicting a diagnosis or outcome. Clinicians often use positive and negative predictive values in judging the merits of a diagnostic tool or questionnaire. However positive and negative predictive values are highly dependent on the prevalence of disease or outcome in a population and thus are not portable across studies. Likelihood ratios are both portable across populations but also provide the strength of the diagnostic or predictive measure of a test or questionnaire. In this article, we review the value and limitations of likelihood ratios and illustrate the value of using likelihood ratios using 3 studies centered on the Surprise Question published in 2022.
In vitro testing and efficacy of poly‐lactic acid coating incorporating antibiotic loaded coralline bioceramic on Ti6Al4V implant against Staphylococcus aureus

Biofilm formation on an implant surface is most commonly caused by the human pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which can lead to implant related infections and failure. It is a major problem for both implantable orthopedic and maxillofacial devices. The current antibiotic treatments are typically delivered orally or in an injectable form. They are not highly effective in preventing or removing biofilms, and they increase the risk of antibiotic resistance of bacteria and have a dose‐dependent negative biological effect on human cells. Our aim was to improve current treatments via a localized and controlled antibiotic delivery‐based implant coating system to deliver the antibiotic, gentamicin (Gm). The coating contains coral skeleton derived hydroxyapatite powders (HAp) that act as antibiotic carrier particles and have a biodegradable poly‐lactic acid (PLA) thin film matrix. The system is designed to prevent implant related infections while avoiding the deleterious effects of high concentration antibiotics in implants on local cells including primary human adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs). Testing undertaken in this study measured the rate of S. aureus biofilm formation and determined the growth rate and proliferation of ADSCs. After 24 h, S. aureus biofilm formation and the percentage of live cells found on the surfaces of all 5%–30% (w/w) PLA‐Gm‐(HAp‐Gm) coated Ti6Al4V implants was lower than the control samples. Furthermore, Ti6Al4V implants coated with up to 10% (w/w) PLA‐Gm‐(HAp‐Gm) did not have noticeable Gm related adverse effect on ADSCs, as assessed by morphological and surface attachment analyses. These results support the use and application of the antibacterial PLA‐Gm‐(HAp‐Gm) thin film coating design for implants, as an antibiotic release control mechanism to prevent implant‐related infections.
Development of a new device for manipulating frozen mouse 2-cell embryos on the International Space Station

Whether mammalian embryos develop normally under microgravity remains to be determined. However, embryos are too small to be handled by inexperienced astronauts who orbit Earth on the International Space Station (ISS). Here we describe the development of a new device that allows astronauts to thaw and culture frozen mouse 2-cell embryos on the ISS without directly contacting the embryos. First, we developed several new devices using a hollow fiber tube that allows thawing embryo without practice and observations of embryonic development. The recovery rate of embryos was over 90%, and its developmental rate to the blastocyst were over 80%. However, the general vitrification method requires liquid nitrogen, which is not available on the ISS. Therefore, we developed another new device, Embryo Thawing and Culturing unit (ETC) employing a high osmolarity vitrification method, which preserves frozen embryos at −80°C for several months. Embryos flushed out of the ETC during thawing and washing were protected using a mesh sheet. Although the recovery rate of embryos after thawing were not high (24%-78%) and embryonic development in ETC could not be observed, thawed embryos formed blastocysts after 4 days of culture (29%-100%) without direct contact. Thus, this ETC could be used for untrained astronauts to thaw and culture frozen embryos on the ISS. In addition, this ETC will be an important advance in fields such as clinical infertility and animal biotechnology when recovery rate of embryos were improved nearly 100%.