Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population Dynamics within a Microbial Consortium during Growth on Diesel Fuel in Saline Environments

ABSTRACT The diversity and dynamics of a bacterial community extracted from an exploited oil field with high natural soil salinity near Comodoro Rivadavia in Patagonia (Argentina) were investigated. Community shifts during long-term incubation with diesel fuel at four salinities between 0 and 20% NaCl were monitored by single-strand conformation polymorphism community fingerprinting of the PCR-amplified V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA genes. Information obtained by this qualitative approach was extended by flow cytometric analysis to follow quantitatively the dynamics of community structures at different salinities. Dominant and newly developing clusters of individuals visualized via their DNA patterns versus cell sizes were used to identify the subcommunities primarily involved in the degradation process. To determine the most active species, subcommunities were separated physically by high-resolution cell sorting and subsequent phylogenetic identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Reduced salinity favored the dominance of Sphingomonas spp. , whereas at elevated salinities, Ralstonia spp. and a number of halophilic genera, including Halomonas, Dietzia, and Alcanivorax, were identified. The combination of cytometric sorting with molecular characterization allowed us to monitor community adaptation and to identify active and proliferating subcommunities.
A Reassessment of Bergmann's Rule in Modern Humans

It is widely accepted that modern humans conform to Bergmann's rule, which holds that body size in endothermic species will increase as temperature decreases. However, there are reasons to question the reliability of the findings on which this consensus is based. One of these is that the main studies that have reported that modern humans conform to Bergmann's rule have employed samples that contain a disproportionately large number of warm-climate and northern hemisphere groups. With this in mind, we used latitudinally-stratified and hemisphere-specific samples to re-assess the relationship between modern human body size and temperature. We found that when groups from north and south of the equator were analyzed together, Bergmann's rule was supported. However, when groups were separated by hemisphere, Bergmann's rule was only supported in the northern hemisphere. In the course of exploring these results further, we found that the difference between our northern and southern hemisphere subsamples is due to the limited latitudinal and temperature range in the latter subsample. Thus, our study suggests that modern humans do conform to Bergmann's rule but only when there are major differences in latitude and temperature among groups. Specifically, groups must span more than 50 degrees of latitude and/or more than 30°C for it to hold. This finding has important implications for work on regional variation in human body size and its relationship to temperature.
Ryanoid Modification of the Cardiac Muscle Ryanodine Receptor Channel Results in Relocation of the Tetraethylammonium Binding Site

The interaction of ryanodine and derivatives of ryanodine with the high affinity binding site on the ryanodine receptor (RyR) channel brings about a characteristic modification of channel function. In all cases, channel open probability increases dramatically and single-channel current amplitude is reduced. The amplitude of the ryanoid-modified conductance state is determined by structural features of the ligand. An investigation of ion handling in the ryanodine-modified conductance state has established that reduced conductance results from changes in both the affinity of the channel for permeant ions and the relative permeability of ions within the channel (Lindsay, A.R.G., A. Tinker, and A.J. Williams. 1994. J. Gen. Physiol. 104:425–447). It has been proposed that these alterations result from a reorganization of channel structure induced by the binding of the ryanoid. The experiments reported here provide direct evidence for ryanoid-induced restructuring of RyR. TEA+ is a concentration- and voltage-dependent blocker of RyR in the absence of ryanoids. We have investigated block of K+ current by TEA+ in the unmodified open state and modified conductance states of RyR induced by 21-amino-9α-hydroxyryanodine, 21-azido-9α-hydroxyryanodine, ryanodol, and 21-p-nitrobenzoylamino-9α-hydroxyryanodine. Analysis of the voltage dependence of block indicates that the interaction of ryanoids with RyR leads to an alteration in this parameter with an apparent relocation of the TEA+ blocking site within the voltage drop across the channel and an alteration in the affinity of the channel for the blocker. The degree of change of these parameters correlates broadly with the change in conductance of permeant cations induced by the ryanoids, indicating that modification of RyR channel structure by ryanoids is likely to underlie both phenomena.
Identification and geographic distribution of the ACE-1R mutation in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae in south-western Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Resistance of Anopheles gambiae to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides was first reported in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Subsequent studies revealed that it resulted from a single point mutation in the oxyanion hole of the acetycholinesterase enzyme (ace-1(R) mutation). We investigated the distribution and prevalence of the ace-1(R) mutation in An. gambiae s.l. populations from seven locations in south-western Burkina Faso. The ace-1(R) mutation was found in both M and S molecular forms of An. gambiae s.s. , but it was absent in An. arabiensis. Its frequency ranged from 0.25 to 0.5 in S form and 0.04 to 0.13 in M form, though they were sympatric. The lack of homozygous resistance indicated a strong genetic cost associated with the mutation. These data suggest that organophosphate and carbamate resistance conferred by target site insensitivity is spreading in populations of An. gambiae s.s. from West Africa.
The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Economic Choice and Rationality

It is well known that hormones affect both brain and behavior, but less is known about the extent to which hormones affect economic decision-making. Numerous studies demonstrate gender differences in attitudes to risk and loss in financial decision-making, often finding that women are more loss and risk averse than men. It is unclear what drives these effects and whether cyclically varying hormonal differences between men and women contribute to differences in economic preferences. We focus here on how economic rationality and preferences change as a function of menstrual cycle phase in women. We tested adherence to the Generalized Axiom of Revealed Preference (GARP), the standard test of economic rationality. If choices satisfy GARP then there exists a well-behaved utility function that the subject’s decisions maximize. We also examined whether risk attitudes and loss aversion change as a function of cycle phase. We found that, despite large fluctuations in hormone levels, women are as technically rational in their choice behavior as their male counterparts at all phases of the menstrual cycle. However, women are more likely to choose risky options that can lead to potential losses while ovulating; during ovulation women are less loss averse than men and therefore more economically rational than men in this regard. These findings may have market-level implications: ovulating women more effectively maximize expected value than do other groups.
Vertex disjoint cycles in a directed graph

Let D be a directed graph of order n 4 and minimum degree at least (3n 3)/2. Let n = nI + n2 where nl 2 and n2 2. Then D contains two vertex-disjoint directed cycles of nI and n2 respectively. The result is sharp if n ~ 6: we give counter-examples if the condition on the minimum degree is relaxed.
The effect of a clinical medical librarian on in-patient care outcomes.

OBJECTIVE The research sought to determine the effect of a clinical medical librarian (CML) on outcomes of in-patients on the internal medicine service. METHODS A prospective study was performed with two internal medicine in-patient teams. Team 1 included a CML who accompanied the team on daily rounds. The CML answered questions posed at the point of care immediately or in emails post-rounds. Patients on Team 2, which did not include a CML, as well as patients who did not require consultation by the CML on Team 1, served as the control population. Numerous clinical and library metrics were gathered on each question. RESULTS Patients on Team 1 who required an answer to a clinical question were more ill and had a longer length of stay, higher costs, and higher readmission rates compared to those in the control group. Using a matched pair analysis, we showed no difference in clinical outcomes between the intervention group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS This study is the largest attempt to prospectively measure changes in patient outcomes when physicians were accompanied by a CML on rounds. This approach may serve as a model for further studies to define when and how CMLs are most effective.
Unsupervised texture transfer from images to model collections

Large 3D model repositories of common objects are now ubiquitous and are increasingly being used in computer graphics and computer vision for both analysis and synthesis tasks. However, images of objects in the real world have a richness of appearance that these repositories do not capture, largely because most existing 3D models are untextured. In this work we develop an automated pipeline capable of transporting texture information from images of real objects to 3D models of similar objects. This is a challenging problem, as an object's texture as seen in a photograph is distorted by many factors, including pose, geometry, and illumination. These geometric and photometric distortions must be undone in order to transfer the pure underlying texture to a new object --- the 3D model. Instead of using problematic dense correspondences, we factorize the problem into the reconstruction of a set of base textures (materials) and an illumination model for the object in the image. By exploiting the geometry of the similar 3D model, we reconstruct certain reliable texture regions and correct for the illumination, from which a full texture map can be recovered and applied to the model. Our method allows for large-scale unsupervised production of richly textured 3D models directly from image data, providing high quality virtual objects for 3D scene design or photo editing applications, as well as a wealth of data for training machine learning algorithms for various inference tasks in graphics and vision.
Influence of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 polymorphisms on tacrolimus and sirolimus exposure in stable kidney transplant recipients

Abstract Background: Polymorphisms in genes encoding for drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters are among multiple factors that modulate the pharmacokinetic variability of tacrolimus (TAC) and sirolimus (SRL). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on TAC and SRL dose-adjusted concentrations (C0/D) in stable kidney transplant recipients. Methods: This is an exploratory and prospective study, which includes 46 stable kidney transplant recipients. These patients were monitored from the 3rd to the 24th month after transplantation. The SRL group consisted of 25 patients receiving TAC, prednisone (PRED), and mycophenolate sodium (MPS), which were converted from TAC to SRL at 3rd month after transplantation. The TAC group consisted of 21 patients who underwent treatment with TAC, PRED, and MPS. Both groups were genotyped for CYP3A4 rs2242480 (g.20230G>A), CYP3A5 rs15524 (g.31611C>T), CYP2C8 rs10509681 (c.1196A>G) and ABCB1 rs1045642 (c.3435C>T), rs1128503 (c.1236C>T), and rs2032582 (c.2677G>T/A) polymorphisms. Results: In the TAC group, CYP3A4 rs2242480 A allele carriers were associated with lower TAC C0/D. For CYP3A5 rs15524 SNP, C0/D was higher among patients carrying TT genotype when compared with CT and CC genotype carriers in the SRL and, more consistently, in the TAC groups. For ABCB1 rs1045642 SNP, TT genotype was associated with reduced SRL C0/D, but only at month 15. Conclusions: CYP3A4 rs2242480 and CYP3A5 rs15524 SNPs resulted in significant changes in SRL and TAC C0/D at different times after transplantation.
The Zinc and Copper Levels in Thalassemia Major Patients, Receiving Iron Chelation Therapy

Essential trace elements deficiency including zinc and copper are frequently reported in the literature, but the results are controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate zinc and copper levels in thalassemia major (TM) patients who were on regular transfusion and iron chelation therapy. In a case-control cross-sectional study 43 TM patients and 43 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls were examined. Patients were selected by convenience sampling method from TM patients who were registered in Thalassemia Clinic during 6 months. Serum zinc and copper levels were evaluated in all subjects. Zinc and copper dietary intake were also assessed. The median zinc level in the participants was significantly lower than the control group (35 [6.3 to 298] vs. 173 [3.1 to 584] &mgr;g/dL; P<0.05), but the mean copper level was significantly higher in the patients in comparison with the control group (260±118 vs. 201±69 &mgr;g/dL; P<0.05). In contrast, the mean zinc and copper dietary intake in the patient’s group were significantly lower than the control group. The mean serum zinc and copper levels in the patient’s group were not different according to iron chelation therapy type. Also, zinc and copper levels in the patient’s group were not statistically significant based on ferritin level, age, and duration of therapy. Essential trace elements level change and deficiency might occur in TM patients. Hence, routine assessment of these elements is recommended for better management.
Deficit in Central Auditory Processing as a Biomarker of Pre-Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease

Prevention of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (d/AD) requires interventions that slow the disease process prior to symptom onset. To develop such interventions, one needs metrics that assess pre-symptomatic disease progression. Familiar measures of progression include cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biochemical and imaging analyses, as well as cognitive testing. Changes in the latter can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from effects of “normal” aging. A different approach involves testing of “central auditory processing” (CAP), which enables comprehension of auditory stimuli amidst a distracting background (e.g., conversation in a noisy bar or restaurant). Such comprehension is often impaired in d/AD. Similarly, effortful or diminished auditory comprehension is sometimes reported by cognitively healthy elders, raising the possibility that CAP deficit may be a marker of pre-symptomatic AD. In 187 cognitively and physically healthy members of the aging, AD family history-positive PREVENT-AD cohort, we therefore evaluated whether CAP deficits were associated with known markers of AD neurodegeneration. Such markers included CSF tau concentrations and magnetic resonance imaging volumetric and cortical thickness measures in key AD-related regions. Adjusting for age, sex, education, pure-tone hearing, and APOE ɛ4 status, we observed a persistent relationship between CAP scores and CSF tau levels, entorhinal and hippocampal cortex volumes, cortical thickness, and deficits in cognition (Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status total score, and several of its index scales). These cross-sectional observations suggest that CAP may serve as a novel metric for pre-symptomatic AD pathogenesis. They are therefore being followed up longitudinally with larger samples.
Analysis and control of central cracks in the bloom continuous casting of microalloy 49MnVS3 steel

In order to control central cracks in continuous casting of microalloy 49MnVS3 steel, the formation mechanism of central cracks has been studied by analysing the element segregation, crack morphology, hot ductility, precipitates and centre macrosegregation. It was found that the centre macrosegregation of carbon and sulphur and the precipitation of (Mn, Fe)S in grain boundary at the later stage of solidification could decrease the solidus temperature and enlarge the high temperature brittle zone, meanwhile, the precipitations of MnS and Ti(C, N) in grain boundary could make cracks easier to propagate, both of which lead to the formation of central cracks. Based on the above analysis, the centre macrosegregation of carbon and sulphur and the inclusions including MnS and the total in the centre of bloom were decreased by using final electromagnetic stirring and machine soft reduction together, thus, the central cracks of bloom were controlled successfully.
Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton in two tropical rivers of varying size and human impact in southeast Nigeria.

Phytoplankton occurrence and dynamics in rivers are mainly shaped by hydrophysical conditions and nutrient availability. Phytoplankton main structuring factors have been poorly studied in West African rivers, and this study was undertaken to identify these conditions in two tropical rivers that vary in size and human impact. For this, environmental variables and phytoplankton monthly samples were collected from the middle reaches of Asu and Cross rivers during an 18 months survey from March 2005-July 2006. Phytoplankton biomass (F=11.87, p=0.003), Shannon-Weiner diversity and species richness (F=5.93, p=0.003) showed significant seasonality in Asu but not in Cross River. Data was analyzed with Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and showed environmental differences between the two rivers, nitrate in Asu River (5.1-15.5 mg/L) was significantly higher than Cross River (0.03-1.7 mg/L), while PO4 (0.2-0.9 mg/L) was significantly lower in Asu River compared to Cross River (0.03-2.6 mg/L) (p < 0.05). Eutrophic factors (NO1) determined primarily phytoplankton dynamics in Asu River, especially during the dry season, whereas hydrophysical factors (depth, transparency and temperature) shaped phytoplankton in Cross River. Taxa indicative of an eutrophic condition, such as Euglena, Chlorella, Chlorococcus, Ceratium, Peridinium, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Closterium, Scenedesmus and Pediastrum spp. , were frequently encountered in the shallow impounded Asu River, while riverine species, such as Frustulia rhomboids, Gyrosigma sp. , Opephora martyr and Surirella splendida dominated Cross River. A succession pattern was observed in the functional groups identified: Na/MP-->TB-->P (rainy-->dry season) was observed in Asu River, whereas MP/D predominated in Cross River for both seasons. We concluded that, if nutrients predominate hydrophysical factors in shaping phytoplankton during dry season (half of the year) then, they are as important as hydrophysical factors structuring phytoplankton during rainy season (the other half).
A transcriptomics study of differentiated C2C12 myoblasts identified novel functional responses to 17β‐estradiol

Previous studies of the role of 17β‐estradiol (E2) in myoblast differentiation have produced conflicting data. Therefore, this work aimed to determine the role of E2 on myoblast differentiation and specific myofiber formation. Murine C2C12 myoblasts were cultured in proliferation medium or differentiation medium/10 nM E2. The role of E2 on specific myosin heavy chain (MyHC) or estrogen receptor (ER) expression was examined using real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR (RT‐qPCR). Transcriptome studies of E2 on myoblast differentiation were accomplished by microarray analyses. The expression levels of candidate genes from microarrays and four and a half LIM domains 1 (Fhl1) were detected with RT‐qPCR. E2 in differentiation medium significantly up‐regulated MyHC I expression, but exerted the opposite effects on MyHC II a, MyHC II b, and MyHC II d. Both ER‐α and ER‐β were decreased in differentiated C2C12, and E2 partially restored ER‐β expression. Sixty‐two up‐regulated and 116 down‐regulated genes treated by E2 were identified, and RT‐qPCR validation results showed seven cytoskeletal genes (Myh8, Cenpe, Jak3, Obscn, Ldb3, Mybpc2, Col4a3bp), three genes related to ion channels (Kcnq1, Lrrc26, P2rx3) and Fhl1 transcript 2 were associated with the effects of E2 on myoblast differentiation. These findings suggested E2 helped slow type MyH I fiber formation and impeded fast 2A, 2X/D, and 2B fiber formation.
Transcriptomic and GC-MS Metabolomic Analyses Reveal the Sink Strength Changes during Petunia Anther Development

Petunia, which has been prevalently cultivated in landscaping, is a dicotyledonous herbaceous flower of high ornamental value. Annually, there is a massive worldwide market demand for petunia seeds. The normal development of anther is the necessary prerequisite for the plants to generate seeds. However, the knowledge of petunia anther development processes is still limited. To better understand the mechanisms of petunia anther development, the transcriptomes and metabolomes of petunia anthers at three typical development stages were constructed and then used to detect the gene expression patterns and primary metabolite profiles during the anther development processes. Results suggested that there were many differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) that mainly participated in photosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism when DEGs were compared between the different development stages of anthers. In this study, fructose and glucose, which were involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, were taken as the most important metabolites by partial least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA). Additionally, the qRT-PCR analysis of the photosynthetic-related genes all showed decreased expression trends along with the anther development. These pieces of evidence indicated that the activities of energy and carbohydrate metabolic pathways were gradually reduced during all the development stages of anther, which affects the sink strength. Overall, this work provides a novel and comprehensive understanding of the metabolic processes in petunia anthers.
Overexpression of long non-coding RNA cancer susceptibility 2 inhibits cell invasion and angiogenesis in gastric cancer

Increasing evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were aberrantly expressed and acted as key regulators in various types of disease, including cancer. lncRNA cancer susceptibility 2 (CASC2) has been found to be downregulated and acts as a tumor suppressor in various type of cancer, including gastric cancer (GC). However, the precise function of lncRNA CASC2 in GC remains unclear. In the present study, the expression level of lncRNA CASC2 in GC was investigated and the molecular mechanisms by which CASC2 acted as a tumor suppressor in this disease were elucidated. It was found that the expression level of lncRNA CASC2 was decreased, which correlated with TNM stages, vessel invasion, metastasis, and overall survival of patients with GC. Furthermore, overexpression of CASC2 inhibited the invasion and angiogenesis of GC cells. Thus, the present study indicated the important roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of lncRNA CASC2 on GC, and indicated that lncRNA CASC2 may present as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of GC.