Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Daylight-driven rechargeable antibacterial and antiviral nanofibrous membranes for bioprotective applications

Daylight-driven antimicrobial nanomaterials serve as a novel barrier for transmission of emerging infectious diseases. Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a significant burden on global economies and public health. Most present personal protective equipment used to prevent EID transmission and infections is typically devoid of antimicrobial activity. We report on green bioprotective nanofibrous membranes (RNMs) with rechargeable antibacterial and antiviral activities that can effectively produce biocidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) solely driven by the daylight. The premise of the design is that the photoactive RNMs can store the biocidal activity under light irradiation and readily release ROS under dim light or dark conditions, making the biocidal function “always online. ” The resulting RNMs exhibit integrated properties of fast ROS production, ease of activity storing, long-term durability, robust breathability, interception of fine particles (>99%), and high bactericidal (>99.9999%) and virucidal (>99.999%) efficacy, which enabled to serve as a scalable biocidal layer for protective equipment by providing contact killing against pathogens either in aerosol or in liquid forms. The successful synthesis of these fascinating materials may provide new insights into the development of protection materials in a sustainable, self-recharging, and structurally adaptive form.
Preserved lenalidomide efficacy in a recurrent isolated subcutaneous mantle cell lymphoma relapse.

A rare hematologic malignancy, mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) is frequently an aggressive disease whose typical evolution includes repeated relapses, with only a small subset of patients having an indolent clinical course. Cutaneous involvement is very rare, only a few cases being reported. In this report we present of a patient with recurring isolated subcutaneous relapse of MCL, successfully re-treated with the immunomodulatory drug lenalidomide. An 83-year-old woman in very good shape presenting with malaise, minor recent weight loss of 1 kg, and diarrhea was diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage IVAX MCL. Computed tomography scan examination described the presence of a large (13x8 cm) mass in the right iliac fossa, with disseminated pelvic, abdominal, and mediastinal lymph node enlargement, and right pleural effusion. A biopsy of the pelvic mass found a diffuse proliferation with a typical cyclin D1+ MCL phenotype, and t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation was present. The patient had an absolute lymphocyte count of 1.7 G/L, but with 45% CD19+ CD5+ cells showing peripheral blood involvement. Bone marrow cytological examination described no abnormal cells. Corticospinal fluid examination was also negative. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were elevated. The patient was treated with one course of COP, followed by one course of CHOP plus rituximab, then, because of poor tolerance (gastrointestinal symptoms), switched to 6 courses of bendamustin plus rituximab, achieving complete remission. She was continued on 6 two-monthly cycles of rituximab maintenance. One and a half years later, the patient presented with an isolated right lumbar subcutaneous mass of about 4x5 cm. A punch biopsy confirmed MCL relapse. Due to the advanced age, the patient was treated for a year with 4-weekly cycles of 21 days of lenalidomide 10 mg daily associated, for the first 6 cycles, with rituximab. The tolerance of the treatment was good with only grade 1 diarrhea as adverse event. A complete clinical and metabolic remission was documented at Uncertainties in the management of pleomorphic lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast still remain
NANOWIRE ASSEMBLY AND INTEGRATION

Semiconducting, metallic and insulating nanowires are attractive building blocks in nanotechnology due to their small size and anisotropy. Moreover, it is possible to fabricate homogeneous or heterogeneous nanowires with high purity and crystallinity in a parallel and cost effective manner. Strategies have also emerged to position nanowires precisely on substrates to allow integration of nanoelectronic devices. In this chapter, we describe the fabrication and assembly of nanowires to form functional devices. Several fabrication strategies including vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) and electrodeposition in nanoporous templates are discussed. We detail advances made in the bottom-up integration of nanowires using patterned growth and directed assembly. Finally, some functional devices fabricated using nanowires are reviewed, and strategies to reduce errors and improve defect tolerance are discussed.
Identification of a Metabolic Reaction Network from Time-Series Data of Metabolite Concentrations

Recent development of high-throughput analytical techniques has made it possible to qualitatively identify a number of metabolites simultaneously. Correlation and multivariate analyses such as principal component analysis have been widely used to analyse those data and evaluate correlations among the metabolic profiles. However, these analyses cannot simultaneously carry out identification of metabolic reaction networks and prediction of dynamic behaviour of metabolites in the networks. The present study, therefore, proposes a new approach consisting of a combination of statistical technique and mathematical modelling approach to identify and predict a probable metabolic reaction network from time-series data of metabolite concentrations and simultaneously construct its mathematical model. Firstly, regression functions are fitted to experimental data by the locally estimated scatter plot smoothing method. Secondly, the fitted result is analysed by the bivariate Granger causality test to determine which metabolites cause the change in other metabolite concentrations and remove less related metabolites. Thirdly, S-system equations are formed by using the remaining metabolites within the framework of biochemical systems theory. Finally, parameters including rate constants and kinetic orders are estimated by the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The estimation is iterated by setting insignificant kinetic orders at zero, i.e., removing insignificant metabolites. Consequently, a reaction network structure is identified and its mathematical model is obtained. Our approach is validated using a generic inhibition and activation model and its practical application is tested using a simplified model of the glycolysis of Lactococcus lactis MG1363, for which actual time-series data of metabolite concentrations are available. The results indicate the usefulness of our approach and suggest a probable pathway for the production of lactate and acetate. The results also indicate that the approach pinpoints a probable strong inhibition of lactate on the glycolysis pathway.
Differentiation-Free Multiswitching Neuroadaptive Control of Strict-Feedback Systems

Issues of differentiation-free multiswitching neuroadaptive tracking control of strict-feedback systems are presented. It mainly consists of a set of nominal adaptive neural network compensators plus an auxiliary switched linear controller that ensures the semiglobally/globally ultimately uniformly bounded stability when the unknown nonlinearities are locally/globally linearly bounded, respectively. In particular, the so-called explosion of complexity is annihilated in two steps. First, a set of first-order low-pass filters are constructed for solving such a problem in the nominal neural compensators. In contrast to most existing dynamic surface control-based schemes, bounded stability of the filter dynamics is ensured by virtue of the localness and hence boundedness of the neural compensators. Separation of controller-filter pairs is thus achieved in this paper. Next, an auxiliary switched linear state feedback control is synthesized to further solve such a problem in the nonneural regions. Besides being differentiation-free, such an approach provides more flexibility for meeting various control objectives at a time. An earlier proposed smooth switching algorithm is also incorporated to tackle the control singularity problem. Finally, simulation works are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed scheme.
Reproductive management of dairy herds in New Zealand: Attitudes, priorities and constraints perceived by farmers managing seasonal-calving, pasture-based herds in four regions

Abstract AIMS: To examine attitudes, priorities, and constraints pertaining to herd reproductive management perceived by farmers managing seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy herds in four regions of New Zealand, and to explore how these varied with demographic and biophysical factors. METHODS: Key decision makers (KDM) on 133 dairy herds in four dairy regions (Waikato, Taranaki, and north and south Canterbury) were interviewed between May and July 2009. They were asked to provide demographic and biophysical data about the farm, and to rate their attitude in relation to their own personality traits, management issues and priorities, and likely constraints affecting reproductive performance in their herds. Associations between demographic factors and attitudes, priorities and constraints were analysed using univariable and multivariable proportional-odds regression models. RESULTS: Farms in the regions studied in the South Island were larger, had larger herds and more staff than farms in the regions studied in the North Island. The farms in the South Island were more likely to be owned by a corporation, managed by younger people or people who had more education, and the herds were more likely to be fed a higher percentage of supplementary feed. The majority of KDM rated the current genetics, milksolids performance and reproductive performance of their herds as high or very high, and >70% believed that the reproductive performance had remained the same or improved over the preceding 3 years. Despite this, improving reproductive performance was the most highly rated priority for the next 3 years. The constraints considered most likely to have affected reproductive performance in the last 2 years were anoestrous cows, protracted calving periods, and low body condition scores; those considered least likely were artificial breeding and heat detection. Of the variables examined related to attitudes, priorities and likely constraints, there were significant differences between region for 10/40, and with age and occupation of the KDM for 24/40 and 5/40, respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of KDM reported the current reproductive performance of their herds to be high or very high, yet rated improving reproductive performance as a very high priority for the next 3 years. Mismatch between perceived and actual performance may result in reduced uptake of extension programmes designed to improve performance, and accurate benchmarking may help increase uptake and engagement. Further work is needed to determine whether the attitudes and perceptions about performance of farmers affect the likelihood of changes in their management behaviour which translate to measurable change in the actual reproductive performance of their herds. The variation in attitude, priorities and perceived constraints among age groups and region indicates that design of extension programmes may need to vary with these demographics.
Generation and Characterisation of Cisplatin-Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines Displaying a Stem-Like Signature

Introduction Inherent and acquired cisplatin resistance reduces the effectiveness of this agent in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this process may result in the development of novel agents to enhance the sensitivity of cisplatin. Methods An isogenic model of cisplatin resistance was generated in a panel of NSCLC cell lines (A549, SKMES-1, MOR, H460). Over a period of twelve months, cisplatin resistant (CisR) cell lines were derived from original, age-matched parent cells (PT) and subsequently characterized. Proliferation (MTT) and clonogenic survival assays (crystal violet) were carried out between PT and CisR cells. Cellular response to cisplatin-induced apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were examined by FACS analysis. A panel of cancer stem cell and pluripotent markers was examined in addition to the EMT proteins, c-Met and β-catenin. Cisplatin-DNA adduct formation, DNA damage (γH2AX) and cellular platinum uptake (ICP-MS) was also assessed. Results Characterisation studies demonstrated a decreased proliferative capacity of lung tumour cells in response to cisplatin, increased resistance to cisplatin-induced cell death, accumulation of resistant cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and enhanced clonogenic survival ability. Moreover, resistant cells displayed a putative stem-like signature with increased expression of CD133+/CD44+cells and increased ALDH activity relative to their corresponding parental cells. The stem cell markers, Nanog, Oct-4 and SOX-2, were significantly upregulated as were the EMT markers, c-Met and β-catenin. While resistant sublines demonstrated decreased uptake of cisplatin in response to treatment, reduced cisplatin-GpG DNA adduct formation and significantly decreased γH2AX foci were observed compared to parental cell lines. Conclusion Our results identified cisplatin resistant subpopulations of NSCLC cells with a putative stem-like signature, providing a further understanding of the cellular events associated with the cisplatin resistance phenotype in lung cancer.
Association of retinal vessel caliber to optic disc and cup diameters.

PURPOSE To investigate whether optic disc size is related to retinal venule and arteriole diameters. METHODS The population of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, aged 43 to 86 years were invited to participate in a baseline examination from 1988 to 1990. During this examination, photographs, centered on the optic discs, were taken after pupil dilation. Optic discs and cups were measured from stereoscopic photographs, whereas retinal vessel measurements were taken from a single digitized photograph. Central retinal vein and central retinal arterial equivalents were subsequently calculated. Data for 3887 right eyes are included in the analyses. RESULTS Narrower retinal venules and arterioles were found in the smaller optic discs controlling for optic cup diameter as well as age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, refraction, and sex. Central retinal artery equivalents ranged from 156.04 +/- 16.82 microm in the smallest optic disc category to 165.93 +/- 15.17 microm in the larger disc category (P < 0.001). Central retinal vein equivalents ranged from 228.93 +/- 21.26 microm in the smallest to 243.18 +/- 22.32 microm in the larger disc categories (P < 0.001). The significant reduction in retinal vessel diameters was only apparent for the smallest optic disc sizes. A reduction in retinal vessel diameters was less consistent and not significant for small optic cup sizes. CONCLUSIONS Smallest optic discs were associated with smaller central retinal artery and central retinal vein diameters. This anatomic relationship may be useful as an additional associated indicator for nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy as well as for retinal vascular events.
5HT2A receptor blockade in dorsomedial striatum reduces repetitive behaviors in BTBR mice

Restricted and repetitive behaviors are a defining feature of autism, which can be expressed as a cognitive flexibility deficit or stereotyped, motor behaviors. There is limited knowledge about the underlying neuropathophysiology contributing to these behaviors. Previous findings suggest that central 5HT2A receptor activity is altered in autism, while recent work indicates that systemic 5HT2A receptor antagonist treatment reduces repetitive behaviors in an idiopathic model of autism. 5HT2A receptors are expressed in the orbitofrontal cortex and striatum. These two regions have been shown to be altered in autism. The present study investigated whether 5HT2A receptor blockade in the dorsomedial striatum or orbitofrontal cortex in the BTBR mouse strain, an idiopathic model of autism, affects the phenotype related to restricted and repetitive behaviors. Microinfusion of the 5HT2A receptor antagonist, M100907 into the dorsomedial striatum alleviated a reversal learning impairment and attenuated grooming behavior. M100907 infusion into the orbitofrontal cortex increased perseveration during reversal learning and potentiated grooming. These findings suggest that increased 5HT2A receptor activity in the dorsomedial striatum may contribute to behavioral inflexibility and stereotyped behaviors in the BTBR mouse. 5HT2A receptor signaling in the orbitofrontal cortex may be critical for inhibiting a previously learned response during reversal learning and expression of stereotyped behavior. The present results suggest which brain areas exhibit abnormalities underlying repetitive behaviors in an idiopathic mouse model of autism, as well as which brain areas systemic treatment with M100907 may principally act on in BTBR mice to attenuate repetitive behaviors.
Reproductive Plasticity in Freshwater Invader: From Long-Term Sperm Storage to Parthenogenesis

Orconectes limosus, a North American crayfish species, is one of the most important aquatic invaders in European inland waters. Despite more than 120 years occurrence in Europe and intense research, there are still gaps in knowledge of its life history and ecology. Investigation into O. limosus invasive success requires identifying the mechanisms that enabled them to establish dense and widespread populations from small initial numbers without observable limitation by an introduction bottleneck. In part, O. limosus success may lie in its ability to reproduce by facultative parthenogenesis. Moreover, there are possible other mating scenarios, because of two mating seasons (autumn and spring) in O. limosus. This work investigated the effect of four reproductive scenarios (autumn mating only, spring mating only, autumn and spring mating, and without mating) on the reproductive success of O. limosus. Females successfully reproduced in all tested mating regimes using parthenogenesis as well as log term sperm storage. This reproductive plasticity likely facilitates the overwhelming success of O. limosus spread and establishment in new localities. It can explain the spread of O. limosus from the initial introduction of 90 specimens to most of continental Europe and Great Britain. These conclusions imply a serious threat, not only for autochthonous European astacofauna, but for other aquatic organisms as well as entire ecosystems.
Disco: Improving Packet Delivery via Deliberate Synchronized Constructive Interference

Constructive interference (CI) enables concurrent transmissions to interfere non-destructively, so as to enhance network concurrency. In this paper, we propose deliberate synchronized constructive interference (Disco), which ensures concurrent transmissions of an identical packet to synchronize more precisely than traditional CI. Disco envisions concurrent transmissions to positively interfere at the receiver, and potentially allows orders of magnitude reductions in energy consumption and improvements in link quality. We also theoretically introduce a sufficient condition to construct Disco with IEEE 802.15. 4 radio for the first time. Moreover, we propose Triggercast, a distributed middleware service, and show it is feasible to generate Disco on real sensor network platforms like TMote Sky. To synchronize transmissions of multiple senders at the chip level, Triggercast effectively compensates propagation and radio processing delays, and has 95th percentile synchronization errors of at most 250 ns. Triggercast also intelligently decides which co-senders to participate in simultaneous transmissions, and aligns their transmission time to maximize the overall link Packet Reception Ratio (PRR), under the condition of maximal system robustness. Extensive experiments in real testbeds demonstrate that Triggercast significantly improves PRR from 5 to 70 percent with seven concurrent senders. We also demonstrate that Triggercast provides 1. 3χ PRR performance gains in average, when it is integrated with existing data forwarding protocols.
Removal intensity and tree size effects on harvesting cost and profitability

Sixteen stands were harvested at intensities (proportion of basal area removed) ranging from 0.27 to 1.00. Logging contractors used chain saws and rubber-tired skidders. Harvested sites were similar in slope and tree size. Harvest cost per hundred cubic feet of wood (CCF) was inversely related to harvest intensity and tree size. Harvesting profitability per CCF was near zero when removing trees averaging less than 8 inches diameter at breast height (DBH). Harvest intensity had the greatest influence on profitability in small-diameter timber. Harvest profitability was greatest when removing large trees at high levels of harvesting intensity. Because of the differences in average tree size removed by different harvesting prescriptions, some prescriptions were more profitable than others. Most profitable for harvesting contractors in our study was single-tree selection in an uneven-aged stand. Less profitable were selection in an even-aged stand, clear cutting, and shelterwood harvests, in that order. Selection at low removal intensities with small trees removed would always be the least favored harvest method with the equipment spreads we observed. Average removed tree size needed to be at least 8 inches DBH to break even.
Stromal Claudin14-Heterozygosity, but Not Deletion, Increases Tumour Blood Leakage without Affecting Tumour Growth

The maintenance of endothelial cell-cell junctions is vital for the control of blood vessel leakage and is known to be important in the growth and maturation of new blood vessels during angiogenesis. Here we have investigated the role of a tight junction molecule, Claudin14, in tumour blood vessel leakage, angiogenesis and tumour growth. Using syngeneic tumour models our results showed that genetic ablation of Claudin14 was not sufficient to affect tumour blood vessel morphology or function. However, and surprisingly, Claudin14-heterozygous mice displayed several blood vessel-related phenotypes including: disruption of ZO-1-positive cell-cell junctions in tumour blood vessels; abnormal distribution of basement membrane laminin around tumour blood vessels; increased intratumoural leakage and decreased intratumoural hypoxia. Additionally, although total numbers of tumour blood vessels were increased in Claudin14-heterozygous mice, and in VEGF-stimulated angiogenesis ex vivo, the number of lumenated vessels was not changed between genotypes and this correlated with no difference in syngeneic tumour growth between wild-type, Claudin14-heterozygous and Claudin14-null mice. Lastly, Claudin14-heterozygosity, but not complete deficiency, also enhanced endothelial cell proliferation significantly. These data establish a new role for Claudin14 in the regulation of tumour blood vessel integrity and angiogenesis that is evident only after the partial loss of this molecule in Claudin14-heterozyous mice but not in Claudin14-null mice.
Kinesin-5 inhibitor resistance is driven by kinesin-12

The kinesin-5 Eg5 is essential for mitotic progression, and the lethal effects of Eg5 inhibitors make these inhibitors attractive candidates for chemotherapy drugs. Sturgill et al. show that kinesin-12 and a nonmotile Eg5 mutant form an alternative spindle assembly pathway that provides resistance to Eg5 inhibitors.