Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Engineering of cell membrane to enhance heterologous production of hyaluronic acid in Bacillus subtilis

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a high‐value biopolymer used in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Current methods of HA production, including extraction from animal sources and streptococcal cultivations, are associated with high costs and health risks. Accordingly, the development of bioprocesses for HA production centered on robust “Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)” organisms such as Bacillus subtilis is highly attractive. Here, we report the development of novel strains of B. subtilis in which the membrane cardiolipin (CL) content and distribution has been engineered to enhance the functional expression of heterologously expressed hyaluronan synthase (HAS) of Streptococcus equisimilis (SeHAS), in turn, improving the culture performance for HA production. Elevation of membrane CL levels via overexpressing components involved in the CL biosynthesis pathway, and redistribution of CL along the lateral membrane via repression of the cell division initiator protein FtsZ resulted in increases to the HA titer of up to 204% and peak molecular weight of up to 2.2 MDa. Moreover, removal of phosphatidylethanolamine and neutral glycolipids from the membrane of HA‐producing B. subtilis via inactivation of pssA and ugtP, respectively, has suggested the lipid dependence for functional expression of SeHAS. Our study demonstrates successful application of membrane engineering strategies to develop an effective platform for biomanufacturing of HA with B. subtilis strains expressing Class I streptococcal HAS.
The Retinoblastoma family member p107 regulates the rate of progenitor commitment to a neuronal fate

The Retinoblastoma protein p107 regulates the neural precursor pool in both the developing and adult brain. As p107-deficient mice exhibit enhanced levels of Hes1, we questioned whether p107 regulates neural precursor self-renewal through the repression of Hes1. p107 represses transcription at the Hes1 promoter. Despite an expanded neural precursor population, p107-null mice exhibit a striking reduction in the number of cortical neurons. Hes1 deficiency rescues neurosphere numbers in p107-null embryos. We find that the loss of a single Hes1 allele in vivo restores the number of neural precursor cells at the ventricular zone. Neuronal birthdating analysis reveals a dramatic reduction in the rate of neurogenesis, demonstrating impairment in p107−/− progenitors to commit to a neuronal fate. The loss of a single Hes1 allele restores the number of newly generated neurons in p107-deficient brains. Together, we identify a novel function for p107 in promoting neural progenitor commitment to a neuronal fate.
Care bundle approach to reduce device-associated infections in a tertiary care teaching hospital, South India

Context: The care bundle approach is a set of evidence-based practices that when performed collectively and reliably have been shown to improve the patient outcome. Aims: To evaluate the impact of the bundle care approach on reducing device-associated infections (DAIs). Settings and Design: The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital, South India. The study period was from January 2016 to September 2016 which was divided into three phases, each comprising 3 months. Subjects and Methods: During the implementation phase, bundle care forms were implemented in all Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and the ICU staff were given a basic education on the importance of bundle care approach. The DAI rates (ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP] rates, central line-associated bloodstream infection [CLABSI] rate, and catheter-associated urinary tract infection [CAUTI] rate) were calculated throughout the study period. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 19 software. Results: During preimplementation phase, the VAP rate, CLABSI rate, and CAUTI rate were 14.79, 4.98, and 4.86 per 1000 device days, respectively. Rates were reduced to 13.03, 3.98, and 3.39 per 1000 device days, respectively, during the implementation phase and further reduced into 11.91, 3.49, and 2.36 per 1000 device days during the postimplementation phase. The month-wise decreasing trend of DAI rates was significant for medical ICUs as compared to surgical and pediatric ICUs. Conclusions: The month-wise decreasing trend of VAP rate, CLABSI rate, and CAUTI rate was noted, which signifies that the use of care bundle approach has a great impact on reducing DAIs
Sex‐specific extent and severity of white matter damage in multiple sclerosis: Implications for cognitive decline

Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the relationship between white matter (WM) damage and cognition remains insufficiently clear. This study investigates the extent and severity of WM diffusion abnormalities in MS patients and relations with cognition. Diffusion tensor imaging scans were obtained in 131 MS patients (88 women, 6 years postdiagnosis) and 49 age‐matched controls (29 women). Patient groups were equal in terms of disease duration, disability, and WM lesion volume. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were compared between groups. Post hoc analyses calculated the spatial extent and severity of diffusion abnormalities to relate these to cognitive performance. In controls, 31% of WM voxels showed higher FA in men; therefore, all patient analyses were within‐sex. The extent of diffusion changes was higher in male patients than in female patients for all parameters (FA: 24% in women, 53% in men), as was the severity of changes (FA: Z = −0.18 in women, Z = −0.41 in men). Especially the extent of FA abnormalities was strongly related to cognitive performance in all patients (r = −0.42, P < 0.0001). Regionally, thalamic decreases in FA were especially correlated with cognitive performance. Cognitively impaired patients showed greater extent and severity on all diffusion parameters compared to cognitively preserved patients. The WM of male patients was both more extensively and also more severely affected than that of female patients. The extent of WM FA changes, especially in the thalamus, was associated with cognitive performance in this cohort of early MS patients. Hum Brain Mapp 35:2348–2358, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
BiHom-associative algebras, BiHom-Lie algebras and BiHom-bialgebras

A BiHom-associative algebra is a (nonassociative) algebra A endowed with two commuting multiplicative linear maps α,β : A → A such that α(a)(bc) = (ab)β(c), for all a,b,c ∈ A. This concept arose in the study of algebras in so-called group Hom-categories. In this paper, we introduce as well BiHom-Lie algebras (also by using the categorical approach) and BiHom-bialgebras. We discuss these new structures by presenting some basic properties and constructions (representations, twisted tensor products, smash products etc).
In situ measurements of fine sediment infiltration (FSI) in gravel‐bed rivers with a hydropeaking flow regime

The overpresence of fine sediment and fine sediment infiltration (FSI) in the aquatic environment of rivers are of increasing importance due to their limiting effects on habitat quality and use. The habitats of both macroinvertebrates and fish, especially spawning sites, can be negatively affected. More recently, hydropeaking has been mentioned as a driving factor in fine sediment dynamics and FSI in gravel‐bed rivers. The primary aim of the present study was to quantify FSI in the vertical stratigraphy of alpine rivers with hydropeaking flow regimes in order to identify possible differences in FSI between the permanently wetted area (during base and peak flows) and the so‐called dewatering areas, which are only inundated during peak flows. Moreover, we assessed whether the discharge ratio between base and peak flow is able to explain the magnitude of FSI. To address these aims, freeze‐core samples were taken in eight different alpine river catchments. The results showed significant differences in the vertical stratification of FSI between the permanently wetted area during base flow and the dewatering sites. Surface clogging occurred only in the dewatering areas, with decreasing percentages of fine sediments associated with increasing core depths. In contrast, permanently wetted areas contained little or no fine sediment concentrations on the surface of the river bed. Furthermore, no statistical relationship was observed between the magnitude of hydropeaking and the sampled FSI rate. A repeated survey of FSI in the gravel matrix revealed the importance of de‐clogging caused by flooding and the importance of FSI in the aquatic environment, especially in the initial stages of riparian vegetation establishment. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
HUBUNGAN TINGKAT PENGETAHUAN DENGAN SIKAP MASYARAKAT TENTANG SKISTOSOMIASIS DI KECAMATAN LINDU KABUPATEN SIGI SULAWESI TENGAH TAHUN 2015

Latar belakang : Salah satu penyakit yang merupakan suatu fenomena kompleks yang berpengaruh terhadap kehidupan suatu komunitas adalah skistosomiasis. Skistosomiasis di Indonesia hanya ditemukan di Sulawesi Tengah, yaitu di Dataran Tinggi Lindu, Napu dan Bada. Perilaku masyarakat dalam mendukung ataupun mencegah terjadinya penularan penyakit sangat dipengaruhi oleh pengetahuan masyarakat terhadap penyakit tersebut. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui hubungan tingkat pengetahuan dengan sikap masyarakat tentang skistosomiasis di Kecamatan Lindu Kabupaten Sigi Sulawesi Tengah. Metode : Penelitian ini menggunakan metode survey deskriptif pendekatan analitik. Sampel penelitian 98 responden. Analisis data menggunakan analisis univariat dan bivariat dengan uji statistik chi square versi 20.0. Hasil : Tingkat pengetahuan masyarakat tentang skistosomiasis sebagian besar memiliki pengetahuan baik yaitu 59 responden (60,2%), 36 responden (36,7%) memiliki pengetahuan cukup, dan 3 responden (3,1%) memiliki pengetahuan kurang. Sikap masyarakat baik tentang skistosomiasis yaitu 92 responden (93.9 %) dan 6 Responden (6.1 %) memiliki sikap cukup. Terdapat hubungan antara tingkat pengetahuan dengan sikap masyarakat tentang skistosomiasis, p value =0,003 Kata kunci : pengetahuan, sikap, skistosomiasis
Evolution of a Large, Conserved, and Syntenic Gene Family in Insects

The Osiris gene family, first described in Drosophila melanogaster, is clustered in the genomes of all Drosophila species sequenced to date. In D. melanogaster, it explains the enigmatic phenomenon of the triplo-lethal and haploinsufficient locus Tpl. The synteny of Osiris genes in flies is well conserved, and it is one of the largest syntenic blocks in the Drosophila group. By examining the genome sequences of other insects in a wide range of taxonomic orders, we show here that the gene family is well-conserved and syntenic not only in the diptera but across the holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects. Osiris gene homologs have also been found in the expressed sequence tag sequences of various other insects but are absent from all groups that are not insects, including crustacea and arachnids. It is clear that the gene family evolved by gene duplication and neofunctionalization very soon after the divergence of the insects from other arthropods but before the divergence of the insects from one another and that the sequences and synteny have been maintained by selection ever since.
A new method of fast compression of program code for ota updates in consumer devices

This paper presents a technology for over the air (OTA) updating that allows software updates in consumer devices such as mobile phones and car-navigation systems that are connected to networks, and it adopts NAND flash memories and demand paging technologies. Software updates for these kinds of consumer devices are carried out using the binary difference that minimizes the amount of update data, software construction technologies that minimize the rewriting of flash memories, and fast compression technologies that enables rapid rewriting. This paper focuses on byte pair encoding (BPE), which is one of the most efficient methods of compressing program code in consumer devices that adopts NAND flash memories and demand paging technologies. We describe a fast method of compressing BPE and evaluating it.
β-Cell Growth and Regeneration: Replication Is Only Part of the Story

> “I am accordingly of the opinion that the normal regulation of islet content in the pancreas is by interstitial growth of pre-existing islets and by the formation of new islets from the duct epithelium, and not at all by the formation of new islets out of acini. ” > > R.R. Bensley Am J Anatomy 1911;12:297–388 For almost a century (for historical review, see 1) both β-cell replication and neogenesis (the differentiation of new islet cells from progenitors or stem cells) have been thought to be responsible for postnatal growth of the endocrine pancreas. Even though doubts have been raised in recent years about the existence and importance of neogenesis, this skepticism may be subsiding. Replication and neogenesis are not mutually exclusive. Both processes often occur simultaneously, as seen during the regeneration that follows pancreatic injury. However, there are important differences in the balance of these two pathways that depend upon species and age. Replication of β-cells is an important mechanism particularly in adult rodents, but there are compelling data that after-birth progenitors also have a role in renewal and growth of islets. Eventually one or both of these pathways may be manipulated for therapeutic treatment of diabetes. Since we and others have extensively reviewed the regulation of β-cell mass (2,3), this Perspective will specifically address the contributions of the neogeneic pathway to new β-cell formation, considering whether postnatal neogenesis occurs, to what extent; possible differences between mammalian species; and whether it might be exploited therapeutically. ### β-Cell expansion in normal growth. The concept that β-cell mass is dynamic and increases and decreases both in function and mass to maintain the glycemic level within a very narrow physiological range (4) is now generally accepted. In both normal and pathophysiological states, the mechanisms responsible are changes in replication and neogenesis, changes in individual cell volume, and changes in cell loss or death rates. In …
Contribution CARDIAC SHEARWAVE VELOCITY DETECTION IN THE PORCINE HEART

HENDRIK J. VOS,*y BAS M. VAN DALEN,z ILKKA HEINONEN,x{k JOHAN G. BOSCH,* OANA SOROP,x DIRK J. DUNCKER,x ANTONIUS F. W. VAN DER STEEN,*y#** and NICO DE JONG*yk *Biomedical Engineering, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; yAcoustical Wavefield Imaging, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands; zCardiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; xExperimental Cardiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; {University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; kDepartment of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Netherlands Heart Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands; and **Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
Glucose‐regulated protein 78: A new partner of p53 in trophoblast

Although wild‐type p53 protein is overexpressed in first trimester trophoblast, it is inactive towards its target genes Metalloproteinase 2 and 9. This seems to be due to a complex mechanism of inactivation and stabilization of p53 relying on the formation of protein complexes involving the N‐terminus of p53. To detect the proteins associated with this sequence, we incubated biotinylated p53 N‐terminal peptide in cytotrophoblastic cell medium 24 h before lysis of cells. We purified the proteins retained on biotinylated peptide using a neutravidin affinity column. Proteins were then identified by peptide mass finger printing followed or not by peptide fragmentation sequencing. Among these proteins, we identified glucose‐regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and verified its interaction with p53 in trophoblastic cells by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. Moreover, the decreased expression of GRP78 induced by GRP78siRNA or versipelostatin decreased the formation of high molecular weight p53 complexes and p53 monomer and increased trophoblastic invasion. These results suggest that GRP78 is involved in inactivation and stabilization of p53 and in the regulation of trophoblastic invasion.
Valuing health for oneself versus one’s child or elderly parent

The aim of this study was to determine if adults value health states or are willing to accept risk differently for themselves than for their children or elderly parents. Participants (701) were asked to rate four hypothetical health states for themselves using both the standard gamble and time trade-off methodologies. They then did the same assessments for a real or hypothetical child as well as an elderly parent. Participants were willing to take more risk or trade more years of life to avoid bilateral vision loss and mental impairment for themselves than they were for their children and elderly parents.
Risk factors and comorbidities in a community-wide sample of patients hospitalized with acute systolic or diastolic heart failure: The Worcester Heart Failure Study

ObjectivesFew epidemiological studies have examined differences in the prevalence of risk factors and comorbidities in patients with systolic heart failure (HF), as compared with those with diastolic HF. MethodsWe analyzed data from 1426 residents of the Worcester (MA) metropolitan area hospitalized at all 11 greater Worcester medical centers for acute HF during 1995 and 2000 who had data available on ejection fraction (EF) findings during hospitalization. The analysis was conducted based on the presence of either normal (diastolic HF) as compared with reduced (systolic HF) EF, using an EF cutpoint of at least 50%. ResultsThe average age of study patients was 71 years, 56% were women, and 43% had diastolic HF. Patients with diastolic HF were more likely to be older, female, obese, and to have higher systolic blood pressures and lower heart rates at the time of hospital presentation than patients with systolic HF. In contrast, patients with systolic HF had a greater prevalence of diabetes, previous myocardial infarction, and a history of alcohol abuse as compared with patients with diastolic HF. In multivariate analyses, the strongest metabolic correlates of diastolic HF were obesity, hypertension, and clustered metabolic risk factors; diabetes was associated with the occurrence of systolic HF. ConclusionThe results of our population-based investigation show that multiple risk factors and comorbidities are present in patients with systolic and diastolic HF. Consideration of these comorbidities and risk factors should be taken into account in distinguishing patients with diastolic HF from those with systolic HF and in their optimal management.
Oncotargets and Therapy Dovepress Dovepress Serum Biomarker Panels for Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer

Purpose: Currently, serum biomarkers that are sufficiently sensitive and specific for early detection and risk classification of gastric adenocarcinomas are not known. In this study, ten serum markers were assessed using the Luminex system and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of gastric cancer and analysis of the relation between prognosis and metastases. Patients and methods: A training set consisting of 228 gastric adenocarcinoma and 190 control samples was examined. A Luminex multiplex panel with nine biomarkers, consisting of three proteins discovered through our previous studies and six proteins previously reported to be cancer-associated, was constructed. One additional biomarker was detected using a commercial kit containing EDTA. Logistic regression, random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) were used to identify the panel of discriminatory biomarkers in the training set. After selecting five proteins as candidate biomarkers, multivariate classification analyses were used to identify algorithms for diagnostic biomarker combinations. These algorithms were independently validated using a set of 57 gastric adenocarcinoma and 48 control samples. domain-containing protein 8 (ADAM8), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and serum IgG to Helicobacter pylori were selected as classifiers in the three algorithms. These algorithms differentiated between the majority of gastric adenocarcinoma and control serum samples in the training/test set with high accuracy (RF 79.0%, SVM 83.8%, logistic regression 76.2%). These algorithms also differentiated the samples in the validation set (accuracy: RF 82.5%, SVM 86.1%, logistic regression 78.7%). Conclusion: A panel of combinatorial biomarkers comprising VEGF, ADAM8, IgG to H. pylori, serum pepsinogen I, and pepsinogen II were developed. The use of biomarkers is a less invasive method for the diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma. They may supplement clinical gastroscopic evaluation of symptomatic gastric cancer patients and enhance the diagnostic accuracy.
Design of a wind tunnel scale model of an adaptive wind turbine blade for active aerodynamic load control experiments

Within wind energy research there is a drive towards the development of a “smart rotor”; a rotor of which the loading can be measured and controlled through the application of a sensor system, a control system and an aerodynamic device. Most promising solutions from an aerodynamic point of view are trailing edge flaps, either hinged or continuously deformable. An experiment was considered necessary in which the effectiveness of such a system, with the interaction between dynamics, aerodynamics and control was tested. In order to perform this experiment, a blade needed to be constructed that had the scaled dynamics of a full scale blade as well as sufficient actuation power and sensors for measurements as well as feedback control. A blade was designed and tested with sufficient strength for high wind speed as well as an eigenfrequency (12.5Hz) that was close to the initial value (19.2Hz), derived from scaling the dynamics. Finally adapting the airspeed set the right dynamics. System identification was performed and a controller designed with which a significant reduction in vibrations was attained.
CryoSat‐2 estimates of Arctic sea ice thickness and volume

Satellite records show a decline in ice extent over more than three decades, with a record minimum in September 2012. Results from the Pan‐Arctic Ice‐Ocean Modelling and Assimilation system (PIOMAS) suggest that the decline in extent has been accompanied by a decline in volume, but this has not been confirmed by data. Using new data from the European Space Agency CryoSat‐2 (CS‐2) mission, validated with in situ data, we generate estimates of ice volume for the winters of 2010/11 and 2011/12. We compare these data with current estimates from PIOMAS and earlier (2003–8) estimates from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ICESat mission. Between the ICESat and CryoSat‐2 periods, the autumn volume declined by 4291 km3 and the winter volume by 1479 km3. This exceeds the decline in ice volume in the central Arctic from the PIOMAS model of 2644 km3 in the autumn, but is less than the 2091 km3 in winter, between the two time periods.