Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extracellular Vesicles as Conveyors of Membrane-Derived Bioactive Lipids in Immune System

Over the last 20 years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been established as an additional way to transmit signals outside the cell. They are membrane-surrounded structures of nanometric size that can either originate from the membrane invagination of multivesicular bodies of the late endosomal compartment (exosomes) or bud from the plasma membrane (microvesicles). They contain proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids—namely miRNA, but also mRNA and lncRNA—which are derived from the parental cell, and have been retrieved in every fluid of the body. As carriers of antigens, either alone or in association with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and class I molecules, their immunomodulatory properties have been extensively investigated. Moreover, recent studies have shown that EVs may carry and deliver membrane-derived bioactive lipids that play an important function in the immune system and related pathologies, such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, specialized pro-resolving mediators, and lysophospholipids. EVs protect bioactive lipids from degradation and play a role in the transcellular synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Here, we summarized the role of EVs in the regulation of immune response, specifically focusing our attention on the emerging role of EVs as carriers of bioactive lipids, which is important for immune system function.
Fertility and fertility preservation: knowledge, awareness and attitudes of female graduate students

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the general knowledge of female graduate students on reproductive aging and fertility preservation options, as well as to investigate the perceptions, personal beliefs, and desires regarding fertility and preservation modalities. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional online survey study of female graduate students and medical trainees from academic institutions in Ohio was performed. Women were excluded if the online survey was incomplete or if they were >45 years. Results: Analysis of 590 surveys was performed (response rate of 26.3%). Ninety-four percent (557/590) of subjects were between 20 and 35 years. Our respondents tended to be nulliparous (87%), married or in a relationship (51%) and interested in future fertility (77%). The reasons cited for delaying childbearing were multi-factorial, with career building noted most commonly (69%). Nearly 60% of women reported they would consider fertility preservation in the future; however, the majority (87%) cited two or more barriers. When asked about their desire for information on fertility preservation, 28% desired to receive education on their choices and 36% wanted their Ob/Gyn to discuss fertility preservation options. Women >30 years were significantly more likely to desire future fertility, want more fertility preservation education and consider pursuing fertility preservation in the future. Conclusions: Graduate-level women often delay childbearing for professional pursuits. This study demonstrates a need for increased fertility preservation awareness and education, especially by Ob/Gyn providers.
Host ontogeny determines parasitoid use of a forest caterpillar

For most organisms, patterns of natural enemy‐mediated mortality change over the course of development. Shifts in enemy pressure are particularly relevant for organisms that exhibit exponential growth during development, such as juvenile insects that increase their mass by several orders of magnitude. As one of the dominant groups of insect herbivores in most terrestrial plant communities, larval lepidopterans (caterpillars) are host to a diverse array of parasitoids. Previous research has described how the frequency of herbivore parasitism varies among host plants or habitats, but much less is known about how parasitism pressure changes during host development. To test whether the two major parasitoid taxa, wasps and flies, differentially attack shared hosts based on host developmental stage, we simultaneously exposed early‐ and late‐instar Euclea delphinii Boisduval (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) caterpillars to parasitism in the field. We found strong evidence that parasitoids partition hosts by size; adult female wasps preferentially parasitized small caterpillars, whereas adult female flies preferred to attack large caterpillars. Our results demonstrate that host ontogeny is a major determinant of parasitoid host selection. Documenting how shifts in enemy pressure vary with development is important to understanding both the population biology and evolutionary ecology of prey species and their enemies.
Transmission of periodontal bacteria and models of infection.

BACKGROUND Bacteria play an essential role in the aetiology of periodontitis. Most bacterial species isolated from subgingival plaque are indigenous to the oral cavity. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis are detected infrequently in periodontal health, which makes these species prime candidates to study person-to-person transmission. The aim of the present study was to review the literature on transmission of these periodontal bacterial species. METHOD We review the literature on bacterial typing techniques and summarize the information on clonal distribution of A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis in family units based on different typing techniques in order to establish the likelihood for person-to-person transmission of these periodontal pathogens. RESULTS Vertical transmission of A. actinomycetemcomitans is estimated to be between 30% and 60%, whereas vertical transmission of P. gingivalis has rarely been observed. Horizontal transmission between spouses ranges between 14% and 60% for A. actinomycetemcomitans and between 30% and 75% for P. gingivalis. There is some evidence to show that cohabitation with a periodontitis patient influences the periodontal status of the spouse; however, substantially more information is needed to prove this hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS Transmission of putative periodontal pathogens between family members has been shown. The clinical consequences of these events have been poorly documented. Based on the current knowledge, screening for and prevention of transmission of specific virulent clones of A. actinomycetemcomitans may be feasible and effective in preventing some forms of periodontal disease. P. gingivalis is usually recovered from diseased adult subjects, and transmission of this pathogens seems largely restricted to adult individuals. Horizontal transmission of P. gingivalis may therefore be controlled by periodontal treatment involving elimination or significant suppression of the pathogen in diseased individuals and by a high standard of oral hygiene.
Iridoids from Pedicularis verticillata and Their Anti‐Complementary Activity

Three new iridoids named as pediverticilatasin A – C (1 – 3, resp.), together with five known iridoids (4 – 8, resp.) were isolated from the whole plants of Pedicularis verticillata. The structures of three new compounds were identified as (1S,7R)‐1‐ethoxy‐1,5,6,7‐tetrahydro‐7‐hydroxy‐7‐methylcyclopenta[c]pyran‐4(3H)‐one (1), (1S,4aS,7R,7aS)‐1‐ethoxy‐1,4a,5,6,7,7a‐hexahydro‐7‐hydroxy‐7‐methylcyclopenta[c]pyran‐4‐carboxylic acid (2), (1S,4aS,7R,7aS)‐1‐ethoxy‐1,4a,5,6,7,7a‐hexahydro‐7‐hydroxy‐7‐methylcyclopenta[c]pyran‐4‐carbaldehyde (3). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and compared with the NMR spectra data in the literature. All compounds were evaluated for their anti‐complementary activity on the classical pathway of the complement system in vitro. Among which, compounds 1, 3, and 6 exhibited anti‐complementary effects with CH50 values ranging from 0.43 to 1.72 mm, which are plausible candidates for developing potent anti‐complementary agents.
Are ResNets Provably Better than Linear Predictors?

A residual network (or ResNet) is a standard deep neural net architecture, with state-of-the-art performance across numerous applications. The main premise of ResNets is that they allow the training of each layer to focus on fitting just the residual of the previous layer's output and the target output. Thus, we should expect that the trained network is no worse than what we can obtain if we remove the residual layers and train a shallower network instead. However, due to the non-convexity of the optimization problem, it is not at all clear that ResNets indeed achieve this behavior, rather than getting stuck at some arbitrarily poor local minimum. In this paper, we rigorously prove that arbitrarily deep, nonlinear residual units indeed exhibit this behavior, in the sense that the optimization landscape contains no local minima with value above what can be obtained with a linear predictor (namely a 1-layer network). Notably, we show this under minimal or no assumptions on the precise network architecture, data distribution, or loss function used. We also provide a quantitative analysis of approximate stationary points for this problem. Finally, we show that with a certain tweak to the architecture, training the network with standard stochastic gradient descent achieves an objective value close or better than any linear predictor.
Weight Status, Body Image Perception and Physical Activity of Malay Female College Students in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

In Malaysia the rate overweight and obesity as one of the non-communicable disease factors have had a shocking growth. In 2007, a national study on 16,127 Malaysian adults showed that the rate of obesity was 12.3% and it has grown three times the growth rate of 4.4% that has been reported in the concluding report of the National Health and Morbidity Study (NHMS) II in 1996 [1]. In Malaysia, the prevalent obesity rate for males is between 21.6% and 36.5% and females, while for females it is between 17.8% and 41.8%. These figures are far ahead when compared with those of other developed Asian nations like Japan and Singapore, where the prevalent rates range from 1.3% to 1.8% for males and 1.5% to 1.9% for females [2]. These data show that obesity related diseases such as cardiac and pulmonary circulation diseases (15.7%), cancer (10.6%), and cerebrovascular diseases (hypertension and stroke 8.5%) are responsible for more than one-third of the medically treated diseases in Malaysia [3]. Currently, overweight and obesity are considered as the main worries of the communities not only in Asian countries, but also in western countries because it involves the problem of the well-being on nations [4]. Ogden et al. [5] reported that based on the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004, nearly one-third of the adult population in the United States are obese. Meanwhile overweight is prevalent in two-thirds of them (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2).
Importance of terrestrially-derived, particulate phosphorus to phosphorus dynamics in a west coast estuary

Allochthonous inputs of suspended particulate matter from freshwater environments to estuaries influence nutrient cycling and ecosystem metabolism. Contributions of different biogeochemical reactions to phosphorus dynamics in Tomales Bay, California, were determined by measuring dissolved inorganic phosphorus exchange between water and suspended particulate matter in response to changes in salinity, pH, and sediment redox. In serum bottle incubations of suspended particulate matter collected from the major tributary to the bay, dissolved inorganic phosphorus release increased with salinity during the initial 8 h; between 1–3 d, however, rates of release were similar among treatments of 0 psu, 16 psu, 24 psu, and 32 psu. Release was variable over the pH range 4–8.5, but dissolved inorganic phosphorus releases from sediments incubated for 24 h at the pH of fresh water (7.3) and seawater (8.1) were similarly small. Under oxidizing conditions, dissolved inorganic phosphorus release was small or dissolved inorganic phosphorus was taken up by particulate matter with total P content <50 μmoles P g−1; release was greater from suspended particulate matter with total phosphorus content >50 μmoles P g−1. In contrast, under reducing conditions maintained by addition of free sulfide (HS−), dissolved inorganic phosphorus was released from particles at all concentrations of total phosphorus in suspended particulate matter, presumably from the reduction of iron oxides. Since extrapolated dissolved inorganic phosphorus release from this abiotic source can account for only 12.5% of the total dissolved inorganic phosphorus flux from Tomales Bay sediments, we conclude most release from particles is due to organic matter oxidation that occurs after estuarine deposition. The abiotic, sedimentary flux of dissolved inorganic phosphorus, however, could contribute up to 30% of the observed net export of dissolved inorganic phosphorus from the entire estuary.
Isotopic Evidence for Enrichment of Salmon- Derived Nutrients in Vegetation, Soil, and Insects in Riparian Zones in Coastal British Columbia

Anadromous fishes such as salmonids link marine and terrestrial ecosystems in coastal watersheds of western North America. We examine here the extent of isotopic en- richment of salmon-derived nutrients in soil, vegetation, and terrestrial insects among six watersheds from coastal British Columbia that differ in the density of salmon spawning abundance. Results demonstrate a direct relationship between the salmon spawning den- sity and 15 N enrichment in humus soil, in riparian vegetation (Tsuga heterophylla, Vaccinium parvifolium, Rubus spectabilis), and in riparian insects including herbivorous and carnivo- rous Carabidae (Pterostichus, Scaphinotus, Zacotus). The results suggest broad cycling of salmon-derived nutrients into multiple trophic levels of terrestrial ecosystems. We also describe for the first time the detection of salmon-derived nitrogen in wood samples ex- tracted from old-growth riparian. This result suggests new opportunities for assessing rela- tive nutrient transfer and salmon abundance in past centuries.
Quantitative evaluation of retinal degeneration in royal college of surgeons rats by contrast enhanced ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography

This study presents a spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) using supercontinuum laser combined with a fundus photography for in vivo high-resolution imaging of retinal degeneration in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS-/- rat). These findings were compared with the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the corresponding histology. Quantitative measurements show that changes in thickness were not significantly different between SD control and young RCS retinas (4 weeks). However, in old RCS rats (55 weeks), the thickness of photoreceptor layer decreased significantly as compared to young RCS rats (both 4 weeks and 5 weeks). After contrast enhancement method, this platform will be useful for the quantitative evaluation of the degree of retinal degeneration, treatment outcome after therapy, and drug screening development in the future.
Oxygenation of the Immature Infant: A Commentary and Recommendations for Oxygen Saturation Targets and Alarm Limits

Background: For 70 years, there has been a search for the optimal oxygenation of premature infants. In spite of the lack of evidence, guidelines have successively reduced oxygenation targets during these years. Objectives: (1) To present a summary of previously published meta-analyses of 5 randomized studies (NeOProM) which tested a low (85–89%) versus a high (91–95%) oxygen saturation target the first weeks after birth on outcome of immature newborn infants. (2) To present international recommendations for oxygenation the first weeks after birth. Methods: Data were retrieved from meta-analyses and reviews of these studies. Results: Mortality and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) are significantly higher in patients with a low saturation target (relative risk, RR 1.16 and 1.24, respectively), while severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is reduced (RR 0.74), fortunately without a change in the rate of blindness. Severe intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (defined physiologically) were not significantly affected by the oxygen targets in the range of these studies. Based on these data, it is recommended that SpO2 targets from birth to 36 weeks postconceptional age for infants < 28 weeks gestational age (GA) should be between 90 and 94% (with alarm limits of 89 and 95%), respectively. It is recommended to keep infants small for GA well oxygenated within the suggested targets avoiding fluctuations. Conclusions: The ideal oxygen saturation targets for infants < 28 weeks GA are not known. Mortality, ROP, and NEC seem to be particularly oxygen-sensitive outcome variables. The optimal oxygen saturation for premature infants > 28 weeks GA has not been carefully studied.
An enhanced power factor via multilayer growth of Ag-doped skutterudite CoSb3 thin films

Skutterudite CoSb3 has emerged as one of the most studied candidate materials for thermoelectric applications. In this work, the multilayer inter-diffusion method for depositing Ag-doped CoSb3 thin films was used to improve its thermoelectric property. A microstructure study demonstrates that Ag enters into the lattice. By using first-principles calculations, it can be concluded that the Ag atoms will preferentially occupy the lattice voids, rather than substitute Sb or Co rings, leading to better thermoelectric performance. As expected, the increase of both Seebeck coefficient and electric conductivity is obtained after Ag doping through the multilayer diffusion method, indicating that this approach can resolve the conflict between these often-contractive thermoelectric factors. Due to this efficient combined action, the power factor has substantially been enhanced and the maximum value reaches 0.11 mW m−1 K−2 at 573 K, which is five times higher than that of the un-doped sample.
Opinion dynamics in two dimensions: domain coarsening leads to stable bi-polarization and anomalous scaling exponents

We study an opinion dynamics model that explores the competition between persuasion and compromise in a population of agents with nearest-neighbor interactions on a two-dimensional square lattice. Each agent can hold either a positive or a negative opinion orientation, and can have two levels of intensity—moderate and extremist. When two interacting agents have the same orientation they become extremists with persuasion probability p, while if they have opposite orientations they become moderate with compromise probability q. These updating rules lead to the formation of same-opinion domains with a coarsening dynamics that depends on the ratio r = p/q. The population initially evolves to a centralized state for small r, where domains are composed of moderate agents and coarsening is without surface tension, and to a bi-polarized state for large r, where domains are formed by extremist agents and coarsening is driven by curvature. Consensus in an extreme opinion is finally reached in a time that scales with the population size N and r as for small r and as for large r. Bi-polarization could be quite stable when the system falls into a striped state where agents organize into single-opinion horizontal, vertical or diagonal bands. An analysis of the stripe dynamics towards consensus allows us to obtain an approximate expression for τ, which shows that the exponent 1.64 is a result of the diffusion of the stripe interfaces combined with their roughness properties.
The occurrence of branchiobdellidans on stone crayfish (Austropotamobius torrentium) in the Czech Republic

The stone crayfish Austropotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803) is one of only two native crayfish species in the Czech Republic. Epibiotic branchiobdellidans present on this crayfish species have not been studied before in the Czech Republic. Here we evaluate the occurrence, and basic population characteristics of branchiobdellidans inhabiting A. torrentium in 12 small streams in the Czech Republic. Three Branchiobdella species were found: Branchiobdella parasita , and B. pentadonta dominated. B. hexadonta was found only exceptionally, as we did not focus on species inhabiting the gill chamber. The overall abundance varied between 0.3 and 17 individuals per crayfish. The mean length of B. parasita was 3.58 (1.1–7.1) mm, of B. pentadonta 2.00 (0.9–4.9) mm, and of B. hexadonta 1.73 (1.4–2.2) mm.
Latitudinal gradients in tree ring stable carbon and oxygen isotopes reveal differential climate influences of the North American Monsoon System

The arrival of the North American Monsoon System (NAMS) terminates a presummer hyperarid period in the southwestern United States (U.S.), providing summer moisture that is favorable for forest growth. Montane forests in this region rely on winter snowpack to drive much of their growth; the extent to which they use NAMS moisture is uncertain. We addressed this by studying stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in earlywood and latewood from 11 sites along a latitudinal gradient extending from Arizona and New Mexico to Utah. This study provides the first regional perspective on the relative roles of winter versus summer precipitation as an ecophysiological resource. Here we present evidence that Ponderosa pine uses NAMS moisture differentially across this gradient. 13C/12C ratios suggest that photosynthetic water use efficiency during latewood formation is more sensitive to summer precipitation at the northern than at the southern sites. This is likely due to the fact that NAMS moisture provides sufficiently favorable conditions for tree photosynthesis and growth during most years in the southern sites, whereas the northern sites experience larger summer moisture variability, which in some years is limiting growth. Cellulose δ18O and δ13C values revealed that photoassimilates in the southern sites were produced under higher vapor pressure deficit conditions during spring compared to summer, demonstrating a previously underappreciated effect of seasonal differences in atmospheric humidity on tree ring isotope ratios. Our findings suggest that future changes in NAMS will potentially alter productivity and photosynthetic water use dynamics differentially along latitudinal gradients in southwestern U.S. montane forests.
Comparison of human papillomavirus genotyping and cytology triage, COMPACT Study: Design, methods and baseline results in 14 642 women

Although cytology‐based screening programs have significantly reduced mortality and morbidity from cervical cancer, the global consensus is that primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for cervical screening increases detection of high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cancer. However, the optimal triage strategy for HPV‐positive women to avoid over‐referral to colposcopy may be setting specific. As Japan requires data that have been generated domestically to modify screening guidelines, we conducted a 3‐year prospective study, COMparison of HPV genotyping And Cytology Triage (COMPACT), to evaluate the potential role of HPV16/18 partial genotyping and cytology for primary HPV screening. In total, 14 642 women aged 20 to 69 years undergoing routine screening at 3 centers in Hokkaido were enrolled. Conventional cytology and HPV testing were carried out. Women with abnormal cytology or HPV16/18 positivity underwent colposcopy. Those with 12 other high‐risk (hr) HPV types underwent repeat cytology after 6 months. Primary study endpoints were detection of high‐grade cervical disease defined as CIN2/CIN3 or greater as determined by consensus pathology. Prevalence of cytological abnormalities was 2.4%. hrHPV, HPV 16, and HPV 18 were detected in 4.6%, 0.9%, and 0.3% of women, respectively. HPV16/18 were detected in all (8/8) invasive cervical cancers and in all (2/2) adenocarcinomas in situ. Both cytological abnormalities and hrHPV positivity declined with increasing age. This is the first Japanese study to investigate the role of partial genotyping and cytology in an HPV‐based screening program. Results should help policy‐makers develop guidelines for future cervical screening programs and management of cervical abnormalities based on HPV genotype.