Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research note: fumaric acid enhances performance of broiler chickens.

Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of fumaric acid on performance and carcass composition of broiler chickens. Fumaric acid was added to nutritionally complete diets at levels of 0, . 125, . 25, and . 5% and fed from 1 to 49 days under simulated commercial conditions. In one trial, samples of birds were processed to determine dressing percentage and abdominal fat content. In the first trial (mixed sex broilers), the addition of . 125% fumaric acid significantly (P less than .05) improved 49-day body weight of females and average weight gain of both sexes with no effect on feed utilization. Feed consumption was significantly increased when diets contained . 125 or . 50% fumaric acid. In the second trial (male broilers), 49-day body weight was significantly (P less than .05) improved by the addition of . 125 and . 25% fumaric acid. There were no significant differences in feed consumption; feed utilization was improved by the addition of all levels of fumaric acid. Dietary fumaric acid had no adverse effects on dressing percentage, abdominal fat content, or mortality rate.
Smart Contract-Based Access Control for the Internet of Things

This paper investigates a critical access control issue in the Internet of Things (IoT). In particular, we propose a smart contract-based framework, which consists of multiple access control contracts (ACCs), one judge contract (JC), and one register contract (RC), to achieve distributed and trustworthy access control for IoT systems. Each ACC provides one access control method for a subject-object pair, and implements both static access right validation based on predefined policies and dynamic access right validation by checking the behavior of the subject. The JC implements a misbehavior-judging method to facilitate the dynamic validation of the ACCs by receiving misbehavior reports from the ACCs, judging the misbehavior and returning the corresponding penalty. The RC registers the information of the access control and misbehavior-judging methods as well as their smart contracts, and also provides functions (e.g., register, update, and delete) to manage these methods. To demonstrate the application of the framework, we provide a case study in an IoT system with one desktop computer, one laptop and two Raspberry Pi single-board computers, where the ACCs, JC, and RC are implemented based on the Ethereum smart contract platform to achieve the access control.
Alpha mangostin Inhibits Hepatic Stellate Cells Activation Through TGF-β/Smad and Akt Signaling Pathways: An in vitro Study in LX2

Abstract Background Alpha mangostin has been reported to have activity for the treatment of liver fibrosis in the rats. However, the mechanisms of action are poorly understood. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of alpha mangostin on hepatic stellate cells (HSC) activation and proliferation through TGF-β/Smad and Akt signaling pathways. Methods Immortalized HSC, LX2 cells, were incubated with TGF-β with or without alpha mangostin (5 or 10 μM). Sorafenib 10 µM was used as positive control. LX2 viability was counted using trypan blue exclusion method. The effect of alpha mangostin on TGF-β concentrations, and the expressions of proliferation and fibrogenic markers were evaluated. Results Alpha mangostin treatment resulted in a reduced proliferation of HSC, decreased Ki-67 and p-Akt expressions. These findings were followed with decreased concentrations of TGF-β in the medium of cells treated with alpha mangostin, decreased expressions of COL1A1, TIMP1, PAI1, α-SMA, and p-Smad3 as fibrogenic markers. These effects were shown to be dose-dependent. Conclusions Alpha mangostin inhibits hepatic stellate cells proliferation and activation through TGF-β/Smad and Akt signaling pathways in dose dependent manner.
Metabolic strategies of free-living and aggregate-associated bacterial communities inferred from biologic and chemical profiles in the Black Sea suboxic zone.

The Black Sea is a permanently anoxic basin with a well-defined redox gradient. We combine environmental 16S rRNA gene data from clone libraries, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms, and V6 hypervariable region pyrosequences to provide the most detailed bacterial survey to date. Furthermore, this data set is informed by comprehensive geochemical data; using this combination of information, we put forward testable hypotheses regarding possible metabolisms of uncultured bacteria from the Black Sea's suboxic zone (microaerophily, nitrate reduction, manganese cycling, and oxidation of methane, ammonium, and sulfide). Dominant bacteria in the upper suboxic zone included members of the SAR11, SAR324, and Microthrix groups and in the deep suboxic zone included members of BS-GSO-2, Marine Group A, and SUP05. A particulate fraction (30 μm filter) was used to distinguish between free-living and aggregate-attached communities in the suboxic zone. The particulate fraction contained greater diversity of V6 tag sequences than the bulk water samples. Lentisphaera, Epsilonproteobacteria, WS3, Planctomycetes, and Deltaproteobacteria were enriched in the particulate fraction, whereas SAR11 relatives dominated the free-living fraction. On the basis of the bacterial assemblages and simple modeling, we find that in suboxic waters, the interior of sinking aggregates potentially support manganese reduction, sulfate reduction, and sulfur oxidation.
Panel of serum metabolites discriminates cancer patients and healthy participants of lung cancer screening - a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION Blood biomarkers may support early diagnosis of lung cancer by enabling pre-selection of candidates for computed tomography screening or discrimination between benign and malignant screening-detected nodules. We aimed to identify features of serum metabolome distinguishing individuals with early-detected lung cancer from healthy participants of the lung cancer screening program. METHODS Blood samples were collected in the course of a low-dose computed tomography screening program performed in the Gdansk district (Northern Poland). The analysis included 31 patients with screening-detected lung cancer and the pair-matched group of 92 healthy controls. The gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) approach was used to identify and quantify small metabolites present in serum. RESULTS There were several metabolites detected in the sera whose abundances discriminated patients with lung cancer from controls. Majority of the differentiating components were downregulated in cancer samples, including amino acids, carboxylic acids and tocopherols, whereas benzaldehyde was the only compound significantly upregulated. A classifier including nine serum metabolites allowed separation of cancer and control samples with 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity. CONCLUSIONS Signature of serum metabolites discriminating between cancer patients and healthy participants of the early lung cancer screening program was identified using a GC/MS metabolomics approach. This signature, though not validated in an independent dataset, deserves further investigation in a larger cohort study.
Real-Time Control of an Articulatory-Based Speech Synthesizer for Brain Computer Interfaces

Restoring natural speech in paralyzed and aphasic people could be achieved using a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) controlling a speech synthesizer in real-time. To reach this goal, a prerequisite is to develop a speech synthesizer producing intelligible speech in real-time with a reasonable number of control parameters. We present here an articulatory-based speech synthesizer that can be controlled in real-time for future BCI applications. This synthesizer converts movements of the main speech articulators (tongue, jaw, velum, and lips) into intelligible speech. The articulatory-to-acoustic mapping is performed using a deep neural network (DNN) trained on electromagnetic articulography (EMA) data recorded on a reference speaker synchronously with the produced speech signal. This DNN is then used in both offline and online modes to map the position of sensors glued on different speech articulators into acoustic parameters that are further converted into an audio signal using a vocoder. In offline mode, highly intelligible speech could be obtained as assessed by perceptual evaluation performed by 12 listeners. Then, to anticipate future BCI applications, we further assessed the real-time control of the synthesizer by both the reference speaker and new speakers, in a closed-loop paradigm using EMA data recorded in real time. A short calibration period was used to compensate for differences in sensor positions and articulatory differences between new speakers and the reference speaker. We found that real-time synthesis of vowels and consonants was possible with good intelligibility. In conclusion, these results open to future speech BCI applications using such articulatory-based speech synthesizer.
Genetic and Molecular Insights Into Genotype‐Phenotype Relationships in Osteopathia Striata With Cranial Sclerosis (OSCS) Through the Analysis of Novel Mouse Wtx Mutant Alleles

The X‐linked WTX/AMER1 protein constitutes an important component of the β‐catenin destruction complex that can both enhance and suppress canonical β‐catenin signaling. Somatic mutations in WTX/AMER1 have been found in a proportion of the pediatric kidney cancer Wilms’ tumor. By contrast, germline mutations cause the severe sclerosing bone dysplasia osteopathia striata congenita with cranial sclerosis (OSCS), a condition usually associated with fetal or perinatal lethality in male patients. Here we address the developmental and molecular function of WTX by generating two novel mouse alleles. We show that in addition to the previously reported skeletal abnormalities, loss of Wtx causes severe midline fusion defects including cleft palate and ectopic synostosis at the base of the skull. By contrast, deletion of the C‐terminal part of the protein results in only mild developmental abnormalities permitting survival beyond birth. Adult analysis, however, revealed skeletal defects including changed skull morphology and an increased whole‐body bone density, resembling a subgroup of male patients carrying a milder, survivable phenotype. Molecular analysis in vitro showed that while β‐catenin fails to co‐immunoprecipitate with the truncated protein, partial recruitment appears to be achieved in an indirect manner using AXIN/AXIN2 as a molecular bridge. Taken together our analysis provides a novel model for WTX‐caused bone diseases and explains on the molecular level how truncation mutations in this gene may retain some of WTX‐protein functions. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (RT‐LAMP), a light for mammalian transcript analysis in low‐input laboratories

Transcript analysis is usually performed by costly, time‐consuming, and expertise intensive methods, like real time‐PCR, microarray, etc. However, they are not much feasible in low‐input laboratories. Therefore, we implemented the reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (RT‐LAMP) as a means of mammalian transcript analysis. Particularly, RT‐LAMP was developed for buffalo aromatase cytochrome P450 (CYP19) transcript, to study its expression in 3D‐cultured buffalo granulosa cells, which were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The CYP19‐RT‐LAMP assay rapidly identified the LPS‐induced downregulation of the CYP19 gene within 30 min at 63°C in a water bath. The assay was visualized via unaided eye by observing the change in turbidity and fluorescence, which were decreased by increasing the LPS exposure time to granulosa cells. Overall, the developed CYP19‐RT‐LAMP assay provided a hope on the application of RT‐LAMP for mammalian transcript analysis in low‐input laboratories.
The Charles Bonnet Syndrome in Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Association With Proton Pump Inhibitors.

Purpose We investigate the prevalence of the Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and analyze the role of oral proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other potential risk factors. Methods A total of 510 consecutive patients with neovascular-AMD followed at a single tertiary center in Portugal were screened for CBS. Using a structured questionnaire, psychiatrically healthy individuals were interviewed systematically and divided into a CBS group and a non-CBS group. Demographic data, current medication, and ocular risk factors were collected and compared between the two groups. Results A total of 500 patients met the inclusion criteria and 471 with complete data were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of CBS was 9.0% (45/500). Using a binary logistic regression model, correlations were found between older age (P = 0.002), PPI intake (P = 0.022), poor visual acuity (P = 0.004), and development of CBS. PPIs doubled the risk of CBS from 7% (20/304) to 15% (25/167), with an odds ratio of 2.154. The increased risk for visual hallucinations caused by PPIs was independent of age (P = 0.598) and visual acuity (P = 0.739). Conclusions The prevalence of CBS in neovascular-AMD patients is high and mainly affects older individuals with poor visual acuity. PPIs seem to increase the risk of development of hallucinations independently of the degree of visual loss.
Time trends in absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in leisure time physical inactivity in northern Sweden

Aims: The aim was to investigate the time trends in educational, occupational, and income-related inequalities in leisure time physical inactivity in 2006, 2010, and 2014 in northern Swedish women and men. Methods: This study was based on data obtained from the repeated cross-sectional Health on Equal Terms survey of 2006, 2010, and 2014. The analytical sample consisted of 20,667 (2006), 31,787 (2010), and 21,613 (2014) individuals, aged 16–84. Logistic regressions were used to model the probability of physical inactivity given a set of explanatory variables. Slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were used as summary measures of the social gradient in physical inactivity. The linear trend in inequalities and difference between gender and years were estimated by interaction analyses. Results: The year 2010 displayed the highest physical inactivity inequalities for all socioeconomic position indicators, but educational and occupational inequalities decreased in 2014. However, significant positive linear trends were found in absolute and relative income inequalities. Moreover, women had significantly higher RII of education in physical inactivity in 2014 and significantly higher SII and RII of income in physical inactivity in 2010, than did men in the same years. Conclusions: The recent reduction in educational and occupational inequalities following the high inequalities around the time of the great recession in 2010 suggests that the current policies might be fairly effective. However, to eventually alleviate inequities in physical inactivity, the focus of the researchers and policymakers should be directed toward the widening trends of income inequalities in physical inactivity.
Estimates of genetic parameters in turkeys. 1. Body weight and skeletal characteristics.

Heritabilities (h2) of and genetic (rG) correlations among body weight and a number of skeletal characteristics were estimated from data on 1,088 pedigree turkeys (504 females and 584 males) of a randombred control line. All measurements were made at 16 wk of age. The h2 estimates (sire component) obtained from females (F) and males (M), respectively, were: BW . 23, . 60; shank width (SW) . 54, . 47; shank length (SL) . 43, . 54; drum length . 66, . 60; rough-cleaned weights of the thigh (nonestimable, .60), drum . 09, . 57, and shank . 28, . 69; cleaned weights of the drum . 37, . 71, and shank . 30, . 40; fat-free weights of the drum . 44, . 93, and shank, . 45, . 82; bone density measured at 40 and 60% of the length from the proximal end of the drum . 68, . 80 and . 34, . 92, respectively, and shank . 28, . 69 and . 31, . 55. Genetic correlations (rG) among the various bone weights were all above . 66, with most above . 85. The rG between BW and SW were . 33 from M and . 47 from F. These correlations suggest there is a relatively weak relationship, indicating that selection for BW alone might not cause a large enough increase in SW to support the increase brought about in BW. Shank width also had relatively low correlations with bone weight measurements, ranging from . 27 to . 53 from M and . 17 to . 56 from F. The h2 of walking ability score (WA) was . 06 and the rG of WA with BW was -. 73, which indicated that the low body weight families tended to have poor WA (i.e., higher scores). This may be a spurious rG, because poor walking ability scores tended to be grouped in families. Birds with poor walking ability would have difficulty eating, and would, therefore, tend to have low BW. The rG between SW:WA (-.09) and SL:WA (.03) indicated little relationship between those traits. The WA and the bone density readings had high negative rG (range -.75 to -1.47), indicating that families with poor WA ratings also had low bone density scores.
Alloy Design and Material Properties of Ni-based Superalloy with Low Thermal Expansion for Steam Turbine

Synopsis : Advanced 700•Ž class steam turbines require austenitic alloys to replace conventional ferritic 12Cr steels poor at creep strength and oxidation resistance above 650•Ž. The austenitic alloys, however, possess a higher thermal expansion coefficient than ferritic 12Cr steels. Therefore, Ni-based superalloys were tailored to reduce their coefficients to the level of 12Cr steels. A regression analysis of commercial superalloys proves that Ti, Mo and Al decrease the coefficient quantitatively in this order, while Cr increases it so significantly that Cr should be limited to 12 mass% to secure oxidation resistance. The newly designed Ni-18Mo-12Cr-1.1Ti-0.9Al alloy is strengthened by ƒÁ' [Ni,(Al, Ti)] and also A2B [Ni2(Mo, Cr)] phase precipitates. It bears a RT/700•Ž mean expansion coefficient equivalent to that of 12Cr steels and far lower than that of low-alloyed heat resistant steels. It surpasses a current turbine alloy, Refractaloy 26, in tensile strength at RT to 700•Ž and SCC life in 330•Ž deaerated pure water. Its creep rupture life at 700•Ž is equivalent to that of Refractaloy 26.
Effect of NaOH concentration on sorption isotherm of carboxymethyl rice starch films and prediction models

Effect of NaOH concentration on the sorption isotherm of carboxymethyl rice starch (CMSr) films was investigated. Sorption isotherms are important for predicting moisture sorption properties of the films via moisture sorption empirical models. The moisture sorptions isotherm of CMSr films synthesized with different NaOH concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% w/v) were studied at various relative humidity (16, 35, 55 and 76% RH), at 25±1C. The equilibrium moisture content of the films increased dramatically above aw = 0.6. Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Oswin sorption models were fitted to the experimental data. The results showed that the increase in NaOH concentration caused a decrease in the monolayer water content (M0) of the films. The GAB model was found to be the best-fit model for CMSr films at aw 0.1-0.76, 25±1 C.
Reverse selection in a Japanese quail line previously selected for 4-week body weight.

After 38 generations of individual selection for high 4-week body weight in a Japanese quail line (T) fed a 20% protein diet containing . 2% thiouracil, a reverse selected line (TR) was established by selecting quail in the T line with the lowest 4-week body weight. The TR line was thereafter provided with the same nutritional environment as the T line and selected for low 4-week body weight for 5 generations. The mean 4-week body weights of T line quail increased only slightly from generation 38 through 43. The 4-week body weights of the TR line, however, showed a definite downward trend. The difference in 4-week body weight between the T and TR lines in generation 43 was 15.2 g.
Migration confers winter survival benefits in a partially migratory songbird

To evolve and to be maintained, seasonal migration, despite its risks, has to yield fitness benefits compared with year-round residency. Empirical data supporting this prediction have remained elusive in the bird literature. To test fitness related benefits of migration, we studied a partial migratory population of European blackbirds (Turdus merula) over 7 years. Using a combination of capture-mark-recapture and radio telemetry, we compared survival probabilities between migrants and residents estimated by multi-event survival models, showing that migrant blackbirds had 16% higher probability to survive the winter compared to residents. A subsequent modelling exercise revealed that residents should have 61.25% higher breeding success than migrants, to outweigh the survival costs of residency. Our results support theoretical models that migration should confer survival benefits to evolve, and thus provide empirical evidence to understand the evolution and maintenance of migration.
Traveling Pulses for a Two-Species Chemotaxis Model

Mathematical models have been widely used to describe the collective movement of bacteria by chemotaxis. In particular, bacterial concentration waves traveling in a narrow channel have been experimentally observed and can be precisely described thanks to a mathematical model at the macroscopic scale. Such model was derived in [1] using a kinetic model based on an accurate description of the mesoscopic run-and-tumble process. We extend this approach to study the behavior of the interaction between two populations of E. Coli. Separately, each population travels with its own speed in the channel. When put together, a synchronization of the speed of the traveling pulses can be observed. We show that this synchronization depends on the fraction of the fast population. Our approach is based on mathematical analysis of a macroscopic model of partial differential equations. Numerical simulations in comparison with experimental observations show qualitative agreement.
Comparison between a conventional membrane bioreactor (C-MBR) and a biofilm membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) for domestic wastewater treatment

In this paper, the influence of biofilm carriers in a MBR on the performance of organic matter and nitrogen removal and the influence on membrane fouling were evaluated. The configurations studied included a Conventional Membrane Bioreactor (C-MBR) and a Biofilm Membrane Bioreactor (BF-MBR) operated in parallel, both fed with domestic wastewater. Regarding organic matter removal, no statistically significant differences were observed between C-MBR and BF-MBR, producing an effluent with a Soluble COD concentration of 27 ± 9.0 mgO2/L and 26 ±1.0 mgO2/L and BOD concentration of 6.0 ± 2.5 mgO2/L and 6.2 ± 2.1 mgO2/L, respectively. On the other hand, the BF-MBR produced a permeate with lower ammonia and total nitrogen concentrations, which resulted in a removal efficiency of 98% and 73%, respectively. It was also observed that the fouling rate was about 35% higher in the C-MBR than that for the BF-MBR, which also presented a reduction of total membrane resistance, about 29%, and increased operational cycle length around 7 days, compared to C-MBR.