Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Groundwater Arsenic Contamination in the Ganga River Basin: A Future Health Danger

This study highlights the severity of arsenic contamination in the Ganga River basin (GRB), which encompasses significant geographic portions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tibet. The entire GRB experiences elevated levels of arsenic in the groundwater (up to 4730 µg/L), irrigation water (~1000 µg/L), and in food materials (up to 3947 µg/kg), all exceeding the World Health Organization’s standards for drinking water, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s standard for irrigation water (100 µg/L), and the Chinese Ministry of Health’s standard for food in South Asia (0.15 mg/kg), respectively. Several individuals demonstrated dermal, neurological, reproductive, cognitive, and cancerous effects; many children have been diagnosed with a range of arsenicosis symptoms, and numerous arsenic-induced deaths of youthful victims are reported in the GRB. Victims of arsenic exposure face critical social challenges in the form of social isolation and hatred by their respective communities. Reluctance to establish arsenic standards and unsustainable arsenic mitigation programs have aggravated the arsenic calamity in the GRB and put millions of lives in danger. This alarming situation resembles a ticking time bomb. We feel that after 29 years of arsenic research in the GRB, we have seen the tip of the iceberg with respect to the actual magnitude of the catastrophe; thus, a reduced arsenic standard for drinking water, testing all available drinking water sources, and sustainable and cost-effective arsenic mitigation programs that include the participation of the people are urgently needed.
APOE ε4 and the associations of seafood and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids with cognitive decline

Objective: To examine the association between consumption of seafood and long-chain n-3 fatty acids with change in 5 cognitive domains over an average of 4.9 years. Methods: From an ongoing longitudinal, community-based epidemiologic study of aging and dementia (the Rush Memory and Aging Project), we included 915 participants (age 81.4 ± 7.2 years, 25% men) who had completed at least one follow-up cognitive assessment and dietary data. Diet was assessed by semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Scores for global cognitive function and 5 cognitive domains (episodic, semantic, and working memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability) were assessed using 19 cognitive tests. Mixed models adjusted for multiple risk factors of cognitive change were used to assess the associations. Results: Consumption of seafood was associated with slower decline in semantic memory (β = 0.024; p = 0.03) and perceptual speed (β = 0.020; p = 0.05) in separate models adjusted for age, sex, education, participation in cognitive activities, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, and total energy intake. In secondary analyses, APOE ε4 carriers demonstrated slower rates of decline in global cognition and in multiple cognitive domains with weekly seafood consumption and with moderate to high long-chain n-3 fatty acid intake from food. These associations were not present in APOE ε4 noncarriers. Higher intake levels of α-linolenic acid were associated with slower global cognitive decline, but also only in APOE ε4 carriers. Conclusions: These results suggest protective relations of one meal per week of seafood and long-chain n-3 fatty acids against decline in multiple cognitive domains. The role of APOE ε4 in this association needs further study.
The Role of Topical Thymoquinone in the Treatment of Acute Otitis Externa; an Experimental Study in Rats.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this experimental study was to compare the dose-related effect of topical thymoquinone (TQ) with other topical agents used in the management of acute otitis externa (AOE) in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-eight male Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups each with eight rats per group. Group I was the control group with no external otitis, whereas external otitis were created in the other five groups (study groups). Dexamethasone, 0.1% TQ, 0.4% TQ, ciprofloxacin, and 0.9% saline (NaCl) drops was applied once daily in Groups II-VI, respectively. The treatment was administered regularly for 10 days. Pathologic and microbiologic evaluation were performed. Pathologically, the thicknesses of the stroma and the epithelium in the external auditory canal (EAC) were measured using an occulometer. Edema in the stroma, density of inflammatory cells and blood vessels, presence of fibroblasts, and changes in collagen fibers in the EAC were evaluated in five different areas to obtain the area of highest concentration and classified into four grades (0=no change, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe). RESULTS The higher concentration of TQ (0.4%) was more effective than dexamethasone and 0.1% TQ with respect to antibacterial and the anti-inflammatory properties. CONCLUSION TQ, particularly at a concentration of 0.4%, may be considered for topical application alone in the treatment of AOE, without any requirement for a combined treatment.
Employment and Wage Insurance within Firms: Worldwide Evidence

Using a firm-level international panel dataset, we study if unemployment insurance offered by the government and by firms are substitutes. We exploit cross-country and time-series variation in public unemployment insurance as a shifter of workers’ demand for insurance within firms, and family vs. non-family ownership as a shifter of firms’ supply of insurance. Our evidence supports the substitutability hypothesis: employment stability in family firms is greater, and the wage discount larger, in countries and periods with less generous public unemployment insurance, while no such substitutability emerges for non-family firms.
Research on the PPP Pattern Housing Security System which Takes the Intermediate Organization as the Key Position

Traditional PPP pattern is not very good at cooperation and coordinated mechanism. The paper proposes the PPP system which takes the intermediate organization as the key position. Its emphases is not merely the cooperation between government and private organization, but the cooperation among the government, intermediate organization and private organization. Later explores system demand based on the case analysis in US, Singapore and so on. Finally suggests the profession association undertakes the acting role of intermediate organization.
Complete follow-the-leader kinematics using concentric tube robots

Concentric tube robots offer the capability of follow-the-leader motion, which is desirable when navigating in cluttered environments, such as in minimally invasive surgery or in-situ inspections. The follow-the-leader capabilities identified in the existing literature, however, are limited to trajectories with piecewise constant-curvature segments or piecewise helical segments. A complete study of follow-the-leader kinematics is, therefore, relevant to determine the full potential of these robots, and clarify an open question. In this paper, a general analysis of follow-the-leader motion is presented, and a closed-form solution to the complete set of trajectories where follow-the-leader is possible under the assumption of no axial torsion of the tubes composing the robot is derived. For designs with constant-stiffness tubes, the precurvatures required are found to be either circumference arcs, helices, or deformed helices with exponentially varying curvature magnitude. The analysis developed also elucidates additional motions of interest, such as the combination of follow-the-leader motion in a robot segment with general maneuvers in another part. To determine the applicability of the assumption regarding the tubes’ torsion, the general equilibrium of the robot designs of interest is considered, and a closed-form solution to torsion in two-tube robots with helical precurvatures is derived. Criteria to select a desired torsional behavior are then extracted. This enables one to identify stable trajectories where follow-the-leader is possible, for potential application to minimally invasive surgery. An illustrative case study involving simulation and experiment is conceived using one of these trajectories, and the results are reported, showcasing the research.
A fast and accurate chirp rate estimation algorithm based on the fractional Fourier transform

In this work, a fast and accurate chirp-rate estimation algorithm is presented. The algorithm is based on the fractional Fourier transform. It is shown that utilization of the golden section search algorithm to find the maximum magnitude of the fractional Fourier transform domains not only accelerates the process, but also increases the accuracy in a noisy environment. Simulation results validate the proposed algorithm and show that the accuracy of parameter estimation nearly achieves the Cramer-Rao lower bound for SNR values as low as −7dB.
Investigation into the Individualized Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine through a Series of N-of-1 Trials

Purpose To compare the efficacy of individualized herbal decoction with standard decoction for patients with stable bronchiectasis through N-of-1 trials. Methods We conducted a single center N-of-1 trials in 17 patients with stable bronchiectasis. Each N-of-1 trial contains three cycles. Each cycle is divided into two 4-week intervention including individualized decoction and fixed decoction (control). The primary outcome was patient self-reported symptoms scores on a 1–7 point Likert scale. Secondary outcomes were 24-hour sputum volume and CAT scores. Results Among 14 completed trials, five showed that the individualized decoction was statistically better than the control decoction on symptom scores (P < 0.05) but was not clinically significant. The group data of all the trials showed that individualized decoction was superior to control decoction on symptom scores (2.13 ± 0.58 versus 2.30 ± 0.65, P = 0.002, mean difference and 95% CI: 0.18 (0.10, 0.25)), 24 h sputum volume (P = 0.009), and CAT scores (9.69 ± 4.89 versus 11.64 ± 5.59, P = 0.013, mean difference and 95% CI: 1.95 (1.04, 2.86)) but not clinically significant. Conclusion Optimizing the combined analysis of individual and group data and the improvement of statistical models may make contribution in establishing a method of evaluating clinical efficacy in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine individual diagnosis and treatment.
Identification of Novel Physiological Substrates of Mycobacterium bovis BCG Protein Kinase G (PknG) by Label-free Quantitative Phosphoproteomics *

Mycobacterial Ser/Thr kinases play a critical role in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. Linking kinases to the substrates they phosphorylate in vivo, thereby elucidating their exact functions, is still a challenge. The aim of this work was to associate protein phosphorylation in mycobacteria with important subsequent macro cellular events by identifying the physiological substrates of PknG in Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The study compared the phosphoproteome dynamics during the batch growth of M. bovis BCG versus the respective PknG knock-out mutant (ΔPknG-BCG) strains. We employed TiO2 phosphopeptide enrichment techniques combined with label-free quantitative phosphoproteomics workflow on LC-MS/MS. The comprehensive analysis of label-free data identified 603 phosphopeptides on 307 phosphoproteins with high confidence. Fifty-five phosphopeptides were differentially phosphorylated, of these, 23 phosphopeptides were phosphorylated in M. bovis BCG wild-type only and not in the mutant. These were further validated through targeted mass spectrometry assays (PRMs). Kinase-peptide docking studies based on a published crystal structure of PknG in complex with GarA revealed that the majority of identified phosphosites presented docking scores close to that seen in previously described PknG substrates, GarA, and ribosomal protein L13. Six out of the 22 phosphoproteins had higher docking scores than GarA, consistent with the proteins identified here being true PknG substrates. Based on protein functional analysis of the PknG substrates identified, this study confirms that PknG plays an important regulatory role in mycobacterial metabolism, through phosphorylation of ATP binding proteins and enzymes in the TCA cycle. This work also reinforces PknG's regulation of protein translation and folding machinery.
Explorer 2-O Heparan Sulfate Sulfation by Hs 2 st Is Required for Erk / Mapk Signalling Activation at the Mid-Gestational Mouse Telencephalic

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear carbohydrate composed of polymerized uronateglucosamine disaccharide units that decorates cell surface and secreted glycoproteins in the extracellular matrix. In mammals HS is subjected to differential sulfation by fifteen different heparan sulfotransferase (HST) enzymes of which Hs2st uniquely catalyzes the sulfation of the 2-O position of the uronate in HS. HS sulfation is postulated to be important for regulation of signaling pathways by facilitating the interaction of HS with signaling proteins including those of the Fibroblast Growth Factor (Fgf) family which signal through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases Erk1/2. In the developing mouse telencephalon Fgf2 signaling regulates proliferation and neurogenesis. Loss of Hs2st function phenocopies the thinned cerebral cortex of mutant mice in which Fgf2 or Erk1/2 function are abrogated, suggesting the hypothesis that 2-O-sulfated HS structures play a specific role in Fgf2/Erk signaling pathway in this context in vivo. This study investigated the molecular role of 2-O sulfation in Fgf2/Erk signaling in the developing telencephalic midline midway through mouse embryogenesis at E12.5. We examined the expression of Hs2st, Fgf2, and Erk1/2 activity in wild-type and Hs2st mice. We found that Hs2st is expressed at high levels at the midline correlating with high levels of Erk1/2 activation and Erk1/2 activation was drastically reduced in the Hs2st mutant at the rostral telencephalic midline. We also found that 2-O sulfation is specifically required for the binding of Fgf2 protein to Fgfr1, its major cell-surface receptor at the rostral telencephalic midline. We conclude that 2-O sulfated HS structures generated by Hs2st are needed to form productive signaling complexes between HS, Fgf2 and Fgfr1 that activate Erk1/2 at the midline. Overall, our data suggest the interesting possibility that differential expression of Hs2st targets the rostral telencephalic midline for high levels of Erk signaling by increasing the sensitivity of cells to an Fgf2 signal that is rather more widespread. PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone. 0130147 June 15, 2015 1 / 16 OPEN ACCESS Citation: Chan WK, Howe K, Clegg JM, Guimond SE, Price DJ, Turnbull JE, et al. (2015) 2-O Heparan Sulfate Sulfation by Hs2st Is Required for Erk/Mapk Signalling Activation at the Mid-Gestational Mouse Telencephalic Midline. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0130147. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0130147 Academic Editor: Xin Zhang, Columbia University,
Cysteines Flanking the Internal Fusion Peptide Are Required for the Avian Sarcoma/Leukosis Virus Glycoprotein To Mediate the Lipid Mixing Stage of Fusion with High Efficiency

ABSTRACT We previously showed that the cysteines flanking the internal fusion peptide of the avian sarcoma/leukosis virus subtype A (ASLV-A) Env (EnvA) are important for infectivity and cell-cell fusion. Here we define the stage of fusion at which the cysteines are required. The flanking cysteines are dispensable for receptor-triggered membrane association but are required for the lipid mixing step of fusion, which, interestingly, displays a high pH onset and a biphasic profile. Second-site mutations that partially restore infection partially restore lipid mixing. These findings indicate that the cysteines flanking the internal fusion peptide of EnvA (and perhaps by analogy Ebola virus glycoprotein) are important for the foldback stage of the conformational changes that lead to membrane merger.
Relationship of Glucose Variability With Glycated Hemoglobin and Daily Mean Glucose: A Post Hoc Analysis of Data From 5 Phase 3 Studies

Background: The association of glucose variability (GV) with other glycemic measures is emerging as a topic of interest. The aim of this analysis is to study the correlation between GV and measures of glycemic control, such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and daily mean glucose (DMG). Methods: Data from 5 phase 3 trials were pooled into 3 analysis groups: type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with basal insulin only, T2D treated with basal-bolus therapy, and type 1 diabetes (T1D). A generalized boosted model was used post hoc to assess the relationship of the following variables with glycemic control parameters (HbA1c and DMG): within-day GV, between-day GV (calculated using self-monitored blood glucose and fasting blood glucose [FBG]), hypoglycemia rate, and certain baseline characteristics. Results: Within-day GV (calculated using standard deviation [SD]) was found to have a significant influence on endpoints HbA1c and DMG in all 3 patient groups. Between-day GV from FBG (calculated using SD), within-day GV (calculated using coefficient of variation), and hypoglycemia rate were found to significantly influence the endpoint HbA1c in the T2D basal-only group. Conclusions: Lower within-day GV was significantly associated with improvement in DMG and HbA1c. This finding suggests that GV could be a marker in the early phases of new antihyperglycemic therapy development for predicting clinical outcomes in terms of HbA1c and DMG.
Brazil or Germany - who will win the trophy? Prediction of the FIFA World Cup 2014 based on team-specific regularized Poisson regression

In this article an approach for the analysis and prediction of soc- cer match results is proposed. It is based on a regularized Poisson regression model that includes various potentially influential covariates describing the national teams' success in previous FIFA World Cups. Additionally, sim- ilar to Bradley-Terry-Luce models, dierences of team-specific eects of the competing teams are included. It is discussed that within the gener- alized linear model (GLM) framework the team-specific eects can either be incorporated in the form of fixed or random eects. In order to achieve variable selection and shrinkage, we use tailored Lasso approaches. Based on the three preceding FIFA World Cups, two competing models for the prediction of the FIFA World Cup 2014 are fitted and investigated. Keywords Football, FIFA World Cup 2014, Sports tournaments, Gener- alized linear model, Lasso, Variable selection.
LncRNA‐MALAT1 Promotes Angiogenesis of Thyroid Cancer by Modulating Tumor‐Associated Macrophage FGF2 Protein Secretion

Tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment have been associated with enhanced tumor progression. In this study, we investigated the role and molecular mechanisms of MALAT1 in TAMs derived from thyroid cancer. The expression of MALAT1 and FGF2 in thyroid cancer tissues and cells were measured by quantitative real‐time PCR and Western blot. TAMs were transfected with indicated constructs. Then the culture medium (CM) from TAMs was harvested for assay. Secreted FGF2 protein levels and TNF‐α, IL‐12, and IL‐10 levels were detected by ELISA. The cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of FTC133 cells were determined with a CCK‐8 assay and a Transwell assay, respectively. In addition, HUVEC vasculature formation was measured by matrigel angiogenesis assay. The higher levels of MALAT‐1 and FGF2 were observed in thyroid cancer tissues and in thyroid cancer cells compared to that in the control. Besides, in the presence of si‐MALAT1, the levels of TNF‐α and IL‐12 were significantly up‐regulated whereas IL‐10 was down‐regulated in the CM from TAMs. Moreover, down‐regulation of MALAT1 in TAMs reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion of FTC133 cells and inhibited angiogenesis. However, overexpression of FGF2 blocked the effects of MALAT1 siRNAs on cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Our results suggest that MALAT1‐mediated FGF2 protein secretion from TAMs inhibits inflammatory cytokines release, promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of FTC133 cells and induces vasculature formation. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 4821–4830, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mangrove-reef connectivity promotes the effectiveness of marine reserves across the western Pacific

Aim: To evaluate the potential of habitat connectivity to promote the effectiveness of marine reserves. We used heterogeneous reef seascapes as a model system to examine the potential interaction of reserves and mangrove-reef connectivity and compared the magnitude of these effects across the western Pacific Ocean. Location: The tropical and subtropical western Pacific, including the Solomon Islands, Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay, Australia. Methods: We quantified fish densities on coral reefs (38 sites) and in mangrove forests (19 sites) across seven marine reserves and twelve unprotected control locations. Fish assemblages were in seascapes supporting either adjacent reefs and mangroves or isolated reefs. For each reserve-control comparison, we evaluated the potential interactive effects of habitat connectivity on species richness and densities of harvested species, functional groups, families and individual species. We then examined the influence of spatial variation in reserve attributes, seascape heterogeneity and latitude on the magnitude of reserve-connectivity effects. Results: Snappers (Lutjanidae) and rabbitfish (Siganidae) were more abundant on reserve reefs close to mangroves in all regions. These interactive effects also enhanced the abundance of sweetlip (Haemulidae), bream (Sparidae), harvested fish, herbivores and piscivores and species richness in two of the three regions examined. Spatial variation in the magnitude of reserve-connectivity effects was explained by differences among reserves in seascape variables (i.e. area of mangroves and reef, duration of mangrove inundation and distance to rivers) but not by reserve attributes (i.e. age, size, poaching) or latitude. Main conclusions: Habitat connectivity improved the effectiveness of reserves across the western Pacific Ocean. We recommend that heterogeneous landscapes with high-habitat connectivity should be viewed as high priorities for conservation. By improving our understanding of connectivity, and through its explicit incorporation into conservation, we may have greater success in restoring biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems.