Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Host age, social group, and habitat type influence the gut microbiota of wild ring‐tailed lemurs (Lemur catta)

The gut microbiota contributes to host health by maintaining homeostasis, increasing digestive efficiency, and facilitating the development of the immune system. The composition of the gut microbiota can change dramatically within and between individuals of a species as a result of diet, age, or habitat. Therefore, understanding the factors determining gut microbiota diversity and composition can contribute to our knowledge of host ecology as well as to conservation efforts. Here we use high‐throughput sequencing to describe variation in the gut microbiota of the endangered ring‐tailed lemur (Lemur catta) at the Bezà Mahafaly Special Reserve (BMSR) in southwestern Madagascar. Specifically, we measured the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in relation to social group, age, sex, tooth wear and loss, and habitat disturbance. While we found no significant variation in the diversity of the ring‐tailed lemur gut microbiota in response to any variable tested, the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota was influenced by social group, age, and habitat disturbance. However, effect sizes were small and appear to be driven by the presence or absence of relatively low abundance taxa. These results suggest that habitat disturbance may not impact the lemur gut microbiota as strongly as it impacts the gut microbiota of other primate species, highlighting the importance of distinct host ecological and physiological factors on host‐gut microbe relationships. Am. J. Primatol. 78:883–892, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mobile Phone Detection of Semantic Location and Its Relationship to Depression and Anxiety

Background Is someone at home, at their friend’s place, at a restaurant, or enjoying the outdoors? Knowing the semantic location of an individual matters for delivering medical interventions, recommendations, and other context-aware services. This knowledge is particularly useful in mental health care for monitoring relevant behavioral indicators to improve treatment delivery. Local search-and-discovery services such as Foursquare can be used to detect semantic locations based on the global positioning system (GPS) coordinates, but GPS alone is often inaccurate. Mobile phones can also sense other signals (such as movement, light, and sound), and the use of these signals promises to lead to a better estimation of an individual’s semantic location. Objective We aimed to examine the ability of mobile phone sensors to estimate semantic locations, and to evaluate the relationship between semantic location visit patterns and depression and anxiety. Methods A total of 208 participants across the United States were asked to log the type of locations they visited daily, using their mobile phones for a period of 6 weeks, while their phone sensor data was recorded. Using the sensor data and Foursquare queries based on GPS coordinates, we trained models to predict these logged locations, and evaluated their prediction accuracy on participants that models had not seen during training. We also evaluated the relationship between the amount of time spent in each semantic location and depression and anxiety assessed at baseline, in the middle, and at the end of the study. Results While Foursquare queries detected true semantic locations with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.62, using phone sensor data alone increased the AUC to 0.84. When we used Foursquare and sensor data together, the AUC further increased to 0.88. We found some significant relationships between the time spent in certain locations and depression and anxiety, although these relationships were not consistent. Conclusions The accuracy of location services such as Foursquare can significantly benefit from using phone sensor data. However, our results suggest that the nature of the places people visit explains only a small part of the variation in their anxiety and depression symptoms.
Distributed Estimation From Relative and Absolute Measurements

This note defines the problem of least squares distributed estimation from relative and absolute measurements, by encoding the set of measurements in a weighted undirected graph. The role of its topology is studied by an electrical interpretation, which easily allows distinguishing between topologies that lead to “small” or “large” estimation errors. The least squares problem is solved by a distributed gradient algorithm: the computed solution is approximately optimal after a number of steps that does not depend on the size of the problem or on the graph-theoretic properties of its encoding. This fact indicates that only a limited cooperation between the sensors is necessary.
Perilipin 5 and liver fatty acid binding protein function to restore quiescence in mouse hepatic stellate cells[S]

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation occurs along with decreased Perilipin5 (Plin5) and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-Fabp) expression and coincident lipid droplet (LD) depletion. Conversely, the activated phenotype is reversible in WT HSCs upon forced expression of Plin5. Here, we asked if L-Fabp expression is required for Plin5-mediated rescue of the quiescent phenotype. Lentiviral Plin5 transduction of passaged L-Fabp−/− HSCs failed to reverse activation markers or restore lipogenic gene expression and LD formation. However, adenoviral L-Fabp infection of lentiviral Plin5 transduced L-Fabp−/− HSCs restored both the quiescent phenotype and LD formation, an effect also mediated by adenoviral intestine-Fabp or adipocyte-Fabp. Expression of exogenous Plin5 in activated WT HSCs induced a transcriptional program of lipogenic gene expression including endogenous L-Fabp, but none of the other FABPs. We further demonstrated that selective, small molecule inhibition of endogenous L-Fabp also eliminated the ability of exogenous Plin5 to rescue LD formation and reverse activation of WT HSCs. This functional coordination of L-Fabp with Plin5 was 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent and was eliminated by AMPK inhibition. Taken together, our results indicate that L-Fabp is required for Plin5 to activate a transcriptional program that restores LD formation and reverses HSC activation.
Mitochondrial DNA and two Y‐chromosome genes of common long‐tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis fascicularis) throughout Thailand and vicinity

Macaca fascicularis fascicularis is distributed over a wide area of Southeast Asia. Thailand is located at the center of their distribution range and is the bridge connecting the two biogeographic regions of Indochina and Sunda. However, only a few genetic studies have explored the macaques in this region. To shed some light on the evolutionary history of M. f. fascicularis, including hybridization with M. mulatta, M. f. fascicularis and M. mulatta samples of known origins throughout Thailand and the vicinity were analyzed by molecular phylogenetics using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), including the hypervariable region 1, and Y‐chromosomal DNA, including SRY and TSPY genes. The mtDNA phylogenetic analysis divided M. f. fascicularis into five subclades (Insular Indonesia, Sundaic Thai Gulf, Vietnam, Sundaic Andaman sea coast, and Indochina) and revealed genetic differentiation between the two sides of the Thai peninsula, which had previously been reported as a single group of Malay peninsular macaques. From the estimated divergence time of the Sundaic Andaman sea coast subclade, it is proposed that after M. f. fascicularis dispersed throughout Southeast Asia, some populations on the south‐easternmost Indochina (eastern Thailand, southern Cambodia and southern Vietnam at the present time) migrated south‐westwards across the land bridge, which was exposed during the glacial period of the late Pleistocene epoch, to the southernmost Thailand/northern peninsular Malaysia. Then, some of them migrated north and south to colonize the Thai Andaman sea coast and northern Sumatra, respectively. The SRY‐TSPY phylogenetic analysis suggested that male‐mediated gene flow from M. mulatta southward to M. f. fascicularis was restricted south of, but close to, the Isthmus of Kra. There was a strong impact of the geographical factors in Thailand, such as the Isthmus of Kra, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Phuket ranges and Sundaland, on M. f. fascicularis biogeography and their hybridization with M. mulatta.
Introducing a Comprehensive Informatics Framework to Promote Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Chemoprevention in the Primary Care Setting

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, and current routine screening prevention methods are costly and expose patients to unnecessary risks of overtreatment. The utilization of a risk-based stratification model, genetic testing, and chemoprevention could decrease the incidence of invasive breast cancer but uptake has been low among high-risk women. The goal of this project was to implement a comprehensive informatics framework to promote breast cancer risk assessment and chemoprevention in the primary care setting that was informed by potential user feedback. The framework provides evidence-based decision support to both providers and patients. For providers we developed a novel breast cancer risk navigation (BNAV) tool which incorporates an evidence-based breast cancer risk model into the electronic health record. For patients a decision aid was designed that allows participants to experience risk through an activity and to address patient-related barriers to chemoprevention. We conducted usability testing to determine barriers and facilitators affecting the toolbox use by providers. A total of seven subjects were recruited and completed the usability testing. Using think-aloud protocols, semi-structured interviews, and subject recordings, we identified recurring themes related to the usability of BNAV. Themes specifically aligned with the content, ease of use, and navigation of the application. This feedback was used to make interface changes to the application that more appropriately tailored BNAV to engage the target population of primary care providers and thus more effectively optimizing shared decision-making associated with breast cancer risk assessment and prevention in clinical practice. A comprehensive informatics framework to increase breast cancer risk assessment and chemoprevention in the primary care setting has been successfully introduced to address this challenge. Given the proven efficacy of breast cancer chemoprevention in high-risk populations, higher uptake may significantly reduce the public health burden of this disease.
Cocaine Exposure Increases Blood Pressure and Aortic Stiffness via the miR-30c-5p–Malic Enzyme 1–Reactive Oxygen Species Pathway

Cocaine abuse increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. By using a mouse model for cocaine abuse/use, we found that repeated cocaine injection led to increased blood pressure and aortic stiffness in mice associated with elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the aortas, a phenomenon similar to that observed in hypertensive humans. This ROS elevation was correlated with downregulation of Me1 (malic enzyme 1), an important redox molecule that counteracts ROS generation, and upregulation of microRNA (miR)-30c-5p that targets Me1 expression by directly binding to its 3′UTR (untranslated region). Remarkably, lentivirus-mediated overexpression of miR-30c-5p in aortic smooth muscle cells recapitulated the effect of cocaine on Me1 suppression, which in turn led to ROS elevation. Moreover, in vivo silencing of miR-30c-5p in smooth muscle cells resulted in Me1 upregulation, ROS reduction, and significantly suppressed cocaine-induced increases in blood pressure and aortic stiffness—a similar effect to that produced by treatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine. Discovery of this novel cocaine-↑miR-30c-5p–↓Me1–↑ROS pathway provides a potential new therapeutic avenue for treatment of cocaine abuse–related cardiovascular disease.
Novel spray dried pH-sensitive polyacrylamide-grafted-carboxymethylcellulose sodium copolymer microspheres for colon targeted delivery of an anti-cancer drug

Abstract Unique pH-sensitive spray dried microspheres were formulated employing hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-g-carboxymethylcellulose sodium (PAAm-g-NaCMC) co-polymer for colon targeted delivery of an anticancer drug, capecitabine. Synthesis of PAAm-g-NaCMC was carried out through free radical polymerization, which was supported with an inert atmosphere and then the alkaline hydrolysis was performed and subjected for characterization including FTIR spectroscopic analysis, 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis, elemental analysis, viscosity measurement, neutralization equivalent and thermo-gravimetric investigation. The swelling data suggested that the PAAm-g-NaCMC possesses significant pH-sensitive property. The microspheres were in the range of 1.00 to 7.34 μ and the drug entrapment efficiency ranged between 70.98 and 94.41%. In vitro drug release suggested the failure of microspheres formulated using native NaCMC which failed to impede drug release in stomach and small intestine, while those prepared with pH-sensitive PAAm-g-NaCMC copolymer and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde are suitable for colon targeting because they retarded release of drug in physiologic atmosphere of stomach and small intestine. Only 12.97% of drug was released from CMC10 formulation by the end of 5th h and rest of drug has been targeted to colonic region. A sudden increase in release of drug was observed in rat caecal contents media because of colonic bacterial action on PAAm-g-NaCMC copolymer.
Critical Success Factors of Digital Business Strategy

Digitalization does fundamentally impact firms’ strategy development. With the fusion of IT and business strategy, Digital Business Strategy (DBS) creates the foundation for digital business models [1]. In this paper, we develop a DBS framework, based on a structured review of 21 industry reports. From this analysis, we yield 8 generic dimensions with a total of 40 critical success factors (CSFs) for DBS. The CSFs represent a rich set of actions specific to DBS and to the design of business models in the digital business environment. The discussion shows that academic research is lagging behind in contributing to DBS. Future research is suggested to further formalize the concept of DBS and to create a better understanding about how firms can successfully establish DBS.
Effects of Different Courses of Disease on the Biological Behavior of Dermal Fibroblasts in Diabetic Rats

Objective To study the effects of different courses of disease on biological behavior of dermal fibroblasts in diabetic rats. Methods Diabetic animal models with different courses of disease (short/long-term group) were prepared to study the changes of histology, biochemistry and the biological behavior of dermal fibroblasts in diabetic intact skin. Results The thickness of skin layer and the contents of glucose were reduced in short-term group. In long-term group, the contents of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in diabetic skin and the percentage of S stag in the dermal cells were higher than those of controls. The contents of hydroxyproline in the same area were reduced obviously in long-term group with the morphological characteristic changes including the degenerated collagen fibers with focal chronic inflammatory cells infiltration. Proliferation of dermal fibroblasts derived from each group was significantly lower than control group when exposed to the high concentrations of AGE-HSA. The apoptotic rates of fibroblasts received from three groups were significantly higher than control group when cultured with AGE-HSA. The proliferation and apoptotic rate of fibroblasts showed a dose dependent effect with AGE-HSA. Conclusion It is found that there is a set of abnormal pathological changes in the diabetic skin. When the course of diabetes is prolonged, abnormality in the diabetic skin will aggravate continuously. The high contents of dermal glucose and AGEs in the diabetic rat skin show the inhibiting effects on the biological behaviors of dermal fibroblasts, this might be one of the most important mechanisms in the pathogenesis of impaired-wound healing.
The white-light humidified optical particle spectrometer (WHOPS) - a novel airborne system to characterize aerosol hygroscopicity

Abstract. Aerosol particles experience hygroscopic growth at enhanced relative humidity (RH), which leads to changes in their optical properties. We developed the white-light humidified optical particle spectrometer (WHOPS), a new instrument to investigate the particles' hygroscopic growth. Here we present a detailed technical description and characterization of the WHOPS in laboratory and field experiments. The WHOPS consists of a differential mobility analyzer, a humidifier/bypass and a white-light aerosol spectrometer (WELAS) connected in series to provide fast measurements of particle hygroscopicity at subsaturated RH and optical properties on airborne platforms. The WELAS employs a white-light source to minimize ambiguities in the optical particle sizing. In contrast to other hygroscopicity instruments, the WHOPS retrieves information of relatively large particles (i.e., diameter D > 280 nm), therefore investigating the more optically relevant size ranges. The effective index of refraction of the dry particles is retrieved from the optical diameter measured for size-selected aerosol samples with a well-defined dry mobility diameter. The data analysis approach for the optical sizing and retrieval of the index of refraction was extensively tested in laboratory experiments with polystyrene latex size standards and ammonium sulfate particles of different diameters. The hygroscopic growth factor (GF) distribution and aerosol mixing state is inferred from the optical size distribution measured for the size-selected and humidified aerosol sample. Laboratory experiments with pure ammonium sulfate particles revealed good agreement with Kohler theory (mean bias of ~3% and maximal deviation of 8% for GFs at RH = 95%). During first airborne measurements in the Netherlands, GFs (mean value of the GF distribution) at RH = 95% between 1.79 and 2.43 with a median of 2.02 were observed for particles with a dry diameter of 500 nm. This corresponds to hygroscopicity parameters (κ) between 0.25 and 0.75 with a median of 0.38. The GF distributions indicate externally mixed particles covering the whole range of GFs between ~1.0 and 3.0. On average, ~74% of the 500 nm particles had GFs > 1.5, ~15% had GF 2, indicating influence of sea-salt particles, consistent with previous ground-based particle hygroscopicity measurements in this area. The mean dry effective index of refraction for 500 nm particles was found to be rather constant with a value of 1.42 ± 0.04 (mean ± 1SD).
Are Political Orientations Genetically Transmitted?

We test the possibility that political attitudes and behaviors are the result of both environmental and genetic factors. Employing standard methodological approaches in behavioral genetics—specifically, comparisons of the differential correlations of the attitudes of monozygotic twins and dizygotic twins—we analyze data drawn from a large sample of twins in the United States, supplemented with findings from twins in Australia. The results indicate that genetics plays an important role in shaping political attitudes and ideologies but a more modest role in forming party identification; as such, they call for finer distinctions in theorizing about the sources of political attitudes. We conclude by urging political scientists to incorporate genetic influences, specifically interactions between genetic heritability and social environment, into models of political attitude formation.
Vaccine knowledge and practices of primary care providers of exempt vs. vaccinated children

Objectives: Compare vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary care providers for fully vaccinated children and children who are exempt from school immunization requirements. Methods: We conducted a mailed survey of parent-identified primary care providers from four states to measure perceived risks and benefits of vaccination and other key immunization beliefs. Frequencies of responses were stratified by type of provider, identified by exempt versus vaccinated children. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for responses by provider type. Results: 551 surveys were completed (84.3% response rate). Providers for exempt children had similar attitudes to providers for non-exempt children. However, there were statistically significant increased concerns among providers for exempt children regarding vaccine safety and lack of perceived individual and community benefits for vaccines compared to other providers. Conclusions: The great majority of providers for exempt children had similar attitudes about vaccine safety, effectiveness, and benefits as providers of non-exempt children. Although providers for exempt children were more likely to believe that multiple vaccines weaken a child’s immune system and were concerned about vaccine safety and less likely to consider vaccines were beneficial, a substantial proportion of providers of both exempt and vaccinated children have concerns about vaccine safety and believe that CDC underestimates the frequency of vaccine side effects. Effective continuing education of providers about the risks and benefits of immunization and including in vaccine recommendations more information on pre and post licensing vaccine safety evaluations may overcome some of these perceptions.