Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy of Mintrex Mn (Manganese chelate of hydroxy analogue of methionine) as feed additive for all species - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed

Following a request from the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a manganese chelate of the hydroxy analogue of methionine (MintrexMn) as a feed additive for all species. MintrexMn contains a minimum of 16 % manganese and 76 % hydroxy methionine analogue ((2-hydroxy-4-methylthio)butanoic acid, HMTBa), as shown from analyses of the product. It is intended to be used as a source of the essential trace element manganese. Manganese (in several forms) and HMTBa are already separately authorised as nutritional feed additives in the European Union. In a study on chickens for fattening using a wide dose range, MintrexMn supplementation increased tibia bone deposition, an indicator of manganese bioavailability. The concentration of manganese in tibia bone supplied by MintrexMn did not differ from that supplied by manganese sulphate, a recognised source of available manganese in animal nutrition. Thus MintrexMn can be considered as a bioavailable manganese source, comparable to other authorised sources of manganese. No specific studies on tolerance in target animals to MintrexMn were provided. The efficacy study, which included supplemented doses of up to 800 mg manganese kg diet, provided some evidence of safety but alone was not adequate to draw conclusions on the safety for target animals. However, considering the published data on manganese tolerance in poultry with other manganese sources, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concludes that manganese from MintrexMn is safe for chickens for fattening.
GPs’ experiences with enhanced collaboration between psychiatry and general practice for children with ADHD

Abstract Background: Most general practitioners (GPs) do not feel comfortable with diagnosing and treating children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is problematic since ADHD is a prevalent disorder and an active role of GPs is desired. In the Netherlands a collaborative ADHD programme was established, comprising of shortened diagnostic assessment in specialized mental healthcare followed by psycho-education in mental healthcare and pharmacological treatment by pre-trained GPs. Objectives: To explore the experiences of GPs regarding the diagnosis and treatment of children with uncomplicated ADHD within this programme. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 15 GPs were conducted. The GPs participated in an evaluation of the collaborative ADHD programme. Data was analysed using the principles of constant comparative analysis. Results: Most participating GPs expressed reluctance to diagnose ADHD themselves. The reluctance was due to a lack of time, knowledge and experience. The GPs welcomed the collaborative programme because it met their need for both quick and adequate diagnosis by a specialist. Furthermore, an online ADHD course, offered by the programme, gave them the confidence to start and monitor ADHD medication. Finally, they appreciated the possibility of consulting a specialist when necessary. Conclusion: GPs preferred that ADHD was diagnosed by a specialist. In the context of the ADHD collaborative programme, they felt competent and comfortable to start and monitor medication in children with uncomplicated ADHD. Key Messages Within a collaborative ADHD programme for children, participating GPs were positive about a quick and specialist diagnostic process within secondary care. After an online course, GPs felt confident to start and monitor ADHD medication in children with uncomplicated ADHD. GPs were content about the collaboration between primary and secondary care.
Non-chaperone Proteins Can Inhibit Aggregation and Cytotoxicity of Alzheimer Amyloid β Peptide

Background: Aβ amyloid formation is associated with Alzheimer disease. Results: Non-chaperone proteins prevent amyloid formation and reduce the cytotoxicity of the Aβ peptide. Conclusion: Non-chaperone proteins may affect the onset and development of Alzheimer disease by interfering with Aβ peptide aggregation. Significance: Non-chaperone proteins can function as a chaperone protein to regulate the pathway of the Aβ fibrillation in proteostasis providing a new strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer disease. Many factors are known to influence the oligomerization, fibrillation, and amyloid formation of the Aβ peptide that is associated with Alzheimer disease. Other proteins that are present when Aβ peptides deposit in vivo are likely to have an effect on these aggregation processes. To separate specific versus broad spectrum effects of proteins on Aβ aggregation, we tested a series of proteins not reported to have chaperone activity: catalase, pyruvate kinase, albumin, lysozyme, α-lactalbumin, and β-lactoglobulin. All tested proteins suppressed the fibrillation of Alzheimer Aβ(1–40) peptide at substoichiometric ratios, albeit some more effectively than others. All proteins bound non-specifically to Aβ, stabilized its random coils, and reduced its cytotoxicity. Surprisingly, pyruvate kinase and catalase were at least as effective as known chaperones in inhibiting Aβ aggregation. We propose general mechanisms for the broad-spectrum inhibition Aβ fibrillation by proteins. The mechanisms we discuss are significant for prognostics and perhaps even for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer disease.
Arterial stiffness in women previously with preeclampsia from a semi-rural region of South Africa

ABSTRACT Women with pre-eclampsia have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. The aim of the study was to establish the presence and pattern of arterial stiffness in women previously with pre-eclampsia from a semi-rural region of South Africa. This was a prospective longitudinal study which involved 36 previously pre-eclamptic women and 86 non-pregnant controls (NPC) who had a past history of non-complicated pregnancy. Maternal wave reflection (augmentation index) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were assessed noninvasively, using applanation tonometry with the SphygmoCor device. Endothelial function was assessed by EndoPAT 2000 device; pneumatic probes were fitted to the index fingers; induced flow-mediated reactive hyperemia; the ratio of the readings before and after occlusion was then used to calculate the score, the reactive hyperemia index (RHI) as a measure of endothelial function. Pulse wave velocity remained significantly higher in previously pre-eclamptic women than non-pregnant controls up to three months after delivery (p < 0.05), then it reduced to nonsignificant values. All blood pressure indices (central and brachial pressures), were higher in previously pre-eclamptic women as compared to nonpregnant controls up to one year postpartum. Regional (aortic) arterial stiffness, though it persists for some time after delivery, is transitory in previously pre-eclamptic women from the rural Africa setting. However, their increase blood pressure is an indication of compromised arterial compliance in women previously with pre-eclampsia.
Towards Deep Learning Models Resistant to Adversarial Attacks

Recent work has demonstrated that deep neural networks are vulnerable to adversarial examples---inputs that are almost indistinguishable from natural data and yet classified incorrectly by the network. In fact, some of the latest findings suggest that the existence of adversarial attacks may be an inherent weakness of deep learning models. To address this problem, we study the adversarial robustness of neural networks through the lens of robust optimization. This approach provides us with a broad and unifying view on much of the prior work on this topic. Its principled nature also enables us to identify methods for both training and attacking neural networks that are reliable and, in a certain sense, universal. In particular, they specify a concrete security guarantee that would protect against any adversary. These methods let us train networks with significantly improved resistance to a wide range of adversarial attacks. They also suggest the notion of security against a first-order adversary as a natural and broad security guarantee. We believe that robustness against such well-defined classes of adversaries is an important stepping stone towards fully resistant deep learning models. Code and pre-trained models are available at this https URL and this https URL.
“Nutrient Inputs to the Laurentian Great Lakes by Source and Watershed Estimated Using SPARROW Watershed Models” by Dale M. Robertson and David A. Saad 2

Richards, R. Peter, Ibrahim Alameddine, J. David Allan, David B. Baker, Nathan S. Bosch, Remegio Confesor, Joseph V. DePinto, David M. Dolan, Jeffrey M. Reutter, and Donald Scavia, 2012. Discussion –“Nutrient Inputs to the Laurentian Great Lakes by Source and Watershed Estimated Using SPARROW Watershed Models” by Dale M. Robertson and David A. Saad. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐10. DOI: 10.1111/jawr.12006
Presence–Absence Variation in A. thaliana Is Primarily Associated with Genomic Signatures Consistent with Relaxed Selective Constraints

The sequencing of multiple genomes of the same plant species has revealed polymorphic gene and exon loss. Genes associated with disease resistance are overrepresented among those showing structural variations, suggesting an adaptive role for gene and exon presence–absence variation (PAV). To shed light on the possible functional relevance of polymorphic coding region loss and the mechanisms driving this process, we characterized genes that have lost entire exons or their whole coding regions in 17 fully sequenced Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. We found that although a significant enrichment in genes associated with certain functional categories is observed, PAV events are largely restricted to genes with signatures of reduced essentiality: PAV genes tend to be newer additions to the genome, tissue specific, and lowly expressed. In addition, PAV genes are located in regions of lower gene density and higher transposable element density. Partial coding region PAV events were associated with only a marginal reduction in gene expression level in the affected accession and occurred in genes with higher levels of alternative splicing in the Col-0 accession. Together, these results suggest that although adaptive scenarios cannot be ruled out, PAV events can be explained without invoking them.
Block-Diagonal Constrained Low-Rank and Sparse Graph for Discriminant Analysis of Image Data

Recently, low-rank and sparse model-based dimensionality reduction (DR) methods have aroused lots of interest. In this paper, we propose an effective supervised DR technique named block-diagonal constrained low-rank and sparse-based embedding (BLSE). BLSE has two steps, i.e., block-diagonal constrained low-rank and sparse representation (BLSR) and block-diagonal constrained low-rank and sparse graph embedding (BLSGE). Firstly, the BLSR model is developed to reveal the intrinsic intra-class and inter-class adjacent relationships as well as the local neighborhood relations and global structure of data. Particularly, there are mainly three items considered in BLSR. First, a sparse constraint is required to discover the local data structure. Second, a low-rank criterion is incorporated to capture the global structure in data. Third, a block-diagonal regularization is imposed on the representation to promote discrimination between different classes. Based on BLSR, informative and discriminative intra-class and inter-class graphs are constructed. With the graphs, BLSGE seeks a low-dimensional embedding subspace by simultaneously minimizing the intra-class scatter and maximizing the inter-class scatter. Experiments on public benchmark face and object image datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Anxiety in youth with asthma: A meta‐analysis

Anxiety often presents comorbidly with asthma in youth under 18; however, prevalence rates are unclear. The aim of this review was to provide an up‐to‐date analysis of the literature investigating the prevalence of anxiety disorders, and comparisons of anxiety disorders and symptomatology in youth with asthma, compared to those without.
Concentration of metabolites from Phoma sp. using microfiltration membrane for increasing bioherbicidal activity

ABSTRACT This study is focused on the concentration of fermented broth from Phoma sp. to increase its herbicidal activity. For this purpose, biomolecules produced by submerged fermentation using Phoma sp. were concentrated by hollow fiber microfiltration membranes. The membrane feed was separated into two streams (retentate and permeate) and the crude broth was concentrated to 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90% (relative to the initial volume). The retentate samples were submitted to bioassays (triplicate) for evaluating their phytotoxic effects on five young leaves of species of Cucumis sativus and also on pre-emergence of weeds as Bidens pilosa and Amaranthus retroflexus. The highest herbicidal activity was 80.7% obtained for a concentration of 30% in the retentate fraction. At this condition, the bioherbicide presented severe damage symptoms on the detached leaves of Cucumis sativus if compared to the crude fermented broth. In the pre-emergence of B. pilosa and A. retroflexus, 100% control was obtained for assays performed in a germination chamber. For greenhouse assays using the substrate, the control rate of A. retroflexus was dependent of concentration of bioherbicide. The promising results achieved in the research with membrane separation process allow us to propose and develop further studies for evaluating this technology in the concentration of other metabolites produced by fermentation which also have bioherbicidal activity. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Fluctuation limit of branching processes with immigration and estimation of the means

We investigate a sequence of Galton-Watson branching processes with immigration, where the offspring mean tends to its critical value 1 and the offspring variance tends to 0. It is shown that the fluctuation limit is an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck-type process. As a consequence, in contrast to the case in which the offspring variance tends to a positive limit, it transpires that the conditional least-squares estimator of the offspring mean is asymptotically normal. The norming factor is n 3/2, in contrast to both the subcritical case, in which it is n 1/2, and the nearly critical case with positive limiting offspring variance, in which it is n.
Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea and the Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in a Community Cohort of Men and Women

Background Previous studies have documented a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Central sleep apnea (CSA) has been associated with AF in patients with heart failure. However, data from prospective cohorts are sparse and few studies have distinguished the associations of obstructive sleep apnea from CSA with AF in population studies. Methods and Results We assessed the association of obstructive sleep apnea and CSA with incident AF among 2912 individuals without a history of AF in the SHHS (Sleep Heart Health Study), a prospective, community‐based study of existing (“parent”) cohort studies designed to evaluate the cardiovascular consequences of sleep disordered breathing. Incident AF was documented by 12‐lead ECG or assessed by the parent cohort. obstructive sleep apnea was defined by the obstructive apnea‐hypopnea index (OAHI). CSA was defined by a central apnea index ≥5 or the presence of Cheyne Stokes Respiration. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between sleep disordered breathing and incident AF. Over a mean of 5.3 years of follow‐up, 338 cases of incident AF were observed. CSA was a predictor of incident AF in all adjusted models and was associated with 2‐ to 3‐fold increased odds of developing AF (central apnea index ≥5 odds ratio [OR], 3.00, 1.40–6.44; Cheyne–Stokes respiration OR, 1.83, 0.95–3.54; CSA or Cheyne–Stokes respiration OR, 2.00, 1.16–3.44). In contrast, OAHI was not associated with incident AF (OAHI per 5 unit increase OR, 0.97, 0.91–1.03; OAHI 5 to <15 OR, 0.84, 0.59–1.17; OAHI 15 to <30 OR, 0.93, 0.60–1.45; OAHI ≥30 OR, 0.76, 0.42–1.36). Conclusions In a prospective, community‐based cohort, CSA was associated with incident AF, even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors.
Extraction, purification of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and establishment of radioimmunoassay system as a diagnostic tool for prostate disorders

ABSTRACT This study aimed to provide an easy and effective method for extraction and purification of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) from human seminal fluid with high quantity (14 mg) and high purity (98%). The obtained PSA was injected into rabbits for production of anti-PSA polyclonal antibody (titer 1/1000), labeled with radioactive iodine-125 for preparation of radioactive PSA tracer (purity 98 ± 1.8% and specific activity 64 ± 1.9 µCi/µg), and used in preparation of PSA standards. All prepared components can be used in PSA immunoassays specially radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit preparation as a diagnostic tool for prostatic diseases.
Evolutionary Analysis and Expression Profiling of Zebra Finch Immune Genes

Genes of the immune system are generally considered to evolve rapidly due to host–parasite coevolution. They are therefore of great interest in evolutionary biology and molecular ecology. In this study, we manually annotated 144 avian immune genes from the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) genome and conducted evolutionary analyses of these by comparing them with their orthologs in the chicken (Gallus gallus). Genes classified as immune receptors showed elevated dN/dS ratios compared with other classes of immune genes. Immune genes in general also appear to be evolving more rapidly than other genes, as inferred from a higher dN/dS ratio compared with the rest of the genome. Furthermore, ten genes (of 27) for which sequence data were available from at least three bird species showed evidence of positive selection acting on specific codons. From transcriptome data of eight different tissues, we found evidence for expression of 106 of the studied immune genes, with primary expression of most of these in bursa, blood, and spleen. These immune-related genes showed a more tissue-specific expression pattern than other genes in the zebra finch genome. Several of the avian immune genes investigated here provide strong candidates for in-depth studies of molecular adaptation in birds.
Food safety traits of mussels and clams: distribution of PCBs, PBDEs, OCPs, PAHs and PFASs in sample from different areas using HRMS-Orbitrap® and modified QuEChERS extraction followed by GC-MS/MS

ABSTRACT Reviewing the presence of contaminant residues is important both for food safety and for monitoring of environmental pollution. Here, the occurrence of 6 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 15 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 7 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 4 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 17 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) was evaluated in mussels and clams. A liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) and an innovative QuEChERS extraction followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) methods were developed, validated and applied. We demonstrate good linearity, repeatability and accuracy of these methods, confirming that they are suitable for the analyses of mollusc samples. The prevalence of PCBs, OCPs and PAHs was higher in mussels than in clams. For PFASs, contamination was higher in clams than in mussels. The samples were all compliant with the regulations, and, for the compounds without legislative limits, a risk assessment confirmed that the values were lower than the tolerable intakes. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Role of Fetal Programming and Epigenetic Regulation on the Development of Endocrine and Metabolic Alterations Prenatal exposure to diesel exhaust PM2.5 causes offspring cell dysfunction in adulthood

Minjie Chen, Shuai Liang, Xiaobo Qin, Li Zhang, Lianglin Qiu, Sufang Chen, Ziying Hu, Yanyi Xu, Wanjun Wang, Yuhao Zhang, Qi Cao, and Zhekang Ying Department of Medicine Cardiology Division, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Bile Pancreatic Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Department of Electrocardiography, the People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China; Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China; Department of Geriatric Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Department of Endocrinology, the People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Provincial People’s Hospital), Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; and Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Apolipoproteins E and CIII interact to regulate HDL metabolism and coronary heart disease risk.

BACKGROUND Subspecies of HDL contain apolipoprotein E (apoE) and/or apoCIII. Both proteins have properties that could affect HDL metabolism. The relation between HDL metabolism and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is not well understood. METHODS Eighteen participants were given a bolus infusion of [D3]L-leucine to label endogenous proteins on HDL. HDL was separated into subspecies containing apoE and/or apoCIII and then into 4 sizes. Metabolic rates for apoA-I in HDL subspecies and sizes were determined by interactive modeling. The concentrations of apoE in HDL that contain or lack apoCIII were measured in a prospective study in Denmark including 1,949 incident CHD cases during 9 years. RESULTS HDL containing apoE but not apoCIII is disproportionately secreted into the circulation, actively expands while circulating, and is quickly cleared. These are key metabolic steps in reverse cholesterol transport, which may protect against atherosclerosis. ApoCIII on HDL strongly attenuates these metabolic actions of HDL apoE. In the epidemiological study, the relation between HDL apoE concentration and CHD significantly differed depending on whether apoCIII was present. HDL apoE was associated significantly with lower risk of CHD only in the HDL subspecies lacking apoCIII. CONCLUSIONS ApoE and apoCIII on HDL interact to affect metabolism and CHD. ApoE promotes metabolic steps in reverse cholesterol transport and is associated with lower risk of CHD. ApoCIII, when coexisting with apoE on HDL, abolishes these benefits. Therefore, differences in metabolism of HDL subspecies pertaining to reverse cholesterol transport are reflected in differences in association with CHD. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01399632. FUNDING This work was supported by NIH grant R01HL095964 to FMS and by a grant to the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (8UL1TR0001750) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science.