Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DNA sequence-dependent epigenetic inheritance of gene silencing and histone H3K9 methylation

DNA sequence and inherited gene silencing Cell fate decisions require a gene's transcriptional status, whether on or off, to be stably and heritably maintained over multiple cell generations. For silenced genes, heterochromatin domains are associated with specific histone posttranslational modifications, and these histone marks are maintained during DNA replication and chromosome duplication (see the Perspective by De and Kassis). Laprell et al. show that parental methylated histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) nucleosomes in Drosophila are inherited in daughter cells after replication and can repress transcription, but that they are not sufficient to propagate the mark. Trimethylation of newly incorporated nucleosomes requires recruitment of the methyltransferase Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to neighboring cis-regulatory DNA elements. Coleman and Struhl demonstrate that H3K27 trimethylated nucleosomes play a causal role in transmitting epigenetic memory at a Drosophila HOX gene through anchoring of PRC2 at the Polycomb response element binding site. Wang and Moazed examine fission yeast and show that both sequence-dependent and chromodomain sequence-independent mechanisms are required for stable epigenetic inheritance of histone modifications and the epigenetic maintenance of silencing. These studies highlight the crucial role of DNA binding for heritable gene silencing during growth and development. Science, this issue p. 85, p. eaai8236, p. 88; see also p. 28 Specific DNA sequences work together with histone methyl marks to maintain epigenetic states of gene expression. Epigenetic inheritance mechanisms play fundamental roles in maintaining cellular memory of gene expression states. In fission yeast, histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) is methylated (H3K9me) at heterochromatic domains. These domains can be epigenetically inherited when epe1+, encoding an enzyme that promotes H3K9 demethylation, is deleted. How native epigenetic states are stably maintained in epe1+ cells remains unknown. Here, we developed a system to examine the role of DNA sequence and genomic context in propagation of a cis-heritable H3K9me-dependent silenced state. We show that in epe1+ cells, in addition to sequence-independent mechanisms that propagate H3K9me, epigenetic inheritance of silencing requires binding sites for sequence-dependent activating transcription factor (ATF)–adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) response element–binding protein (CREB) family transcription factors within their native chromosomal context. Thus, specific DNA sequences contribute to cis inheritance of H3K9me and silent epigenetic states.
Relationships between Caffeine Consumption, Cognitive Slips-Failures, Daily Stress, and Sleep

This article presents a study investigating the relationships between caffeine consumption, cognitive slips-failures, sleep and a short multidimensional self-report measure of daily stress state, the Short Stress State Questionnaire - Daily (SSSQ-D; Helton, Fields, & Thoreson, 2005). Thirteen participants filled out the SSSQ-D twice daily for approximately 14 days, once in the morning and once at night. They also reported daily cognitive slips-failures, caffeine consumption, and their sleep was recorded using actigraphs. Daily Distress and Worry correlated significantly with cognitive slips and sleep duration between-subjects. Until more is known, human operators should get the recommended 7–8hrs of sleep.
Nutrition Review: Lifestyle Approaches to Promoting Healthy Eating for Children

Healthy eating habits are vital to establish during childhood and sustain thereafter. Nourishing, well-balanced diets are essential for proper growth, immunity, physical and mental development, health and well-being, and reduced risk of chronic diseases later in life. Health care professionals, parents, and teachers should be aware of common nutrition-related concerns in children and teens, such as dental caries, allergies, anemia, growth retardation, eating disorders, and obesity, and watch for indicators that a child may be at risk for these. Foods that comprise a healthy diet for children include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, low-fat dairy products, and lean sources of protein. Foods and beverages with low nutrient density and high energy density should be consumed in moderation only, within a child's discretionary calorie allowance. Although children may need to eat more frequently than adults, they should be taught healthy snacking practices. Role modeling and nutrition education from adults in children's lives are critical in promoting lifelong healthy eating. Resources to facilitate these include Web sites from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetics Association, MyPyramid.gov/kids, and the US Dietary Guidelines.
An on/off Berry phase switch in circular graphene resonators

Flicking the Berry phase switch When an electron completes a cycle around the Dirac point (a particular location in graphene's electronic structure), the phase of its wave function changes by π. This so-called Berry phase is tricky to observe directly in solid-state measurements. Ghahari et al. built a graphene nanostructure consisting of a central region doped with positive carriers surrounded by a negatively doped background. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy revealed sudden jumps in conductivity as the external magnetic field was increased past a threshold value. The jumps occurred when electron orbits started encompassing the Dirac point, reflecting the switch of the Berry phase from zero to π. The tunability of conductivity by such minute changes in magnetic field is promising for future applications. Science, this issue p. 845 Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals a transition in the character of electron orbits in a graphene nanostructure. The phase of a quantum state may not return to its original value after the system’s parameters cycle around a closed path; instead, the wave function may acquire a measurable phase difference called the Berry phase. Berry phases typically have been accessed through interference experiments. Here, we demonstrate an unusual Berry phase–induced spectroscopic feature: a sudden and large increase in the energy of angular-momentum states in circular graphene p-n junction resonators when a relatively small critical magnetic field is reached. This behavior results from turning on a π Berry phase associated with the topological properties of Dirac fermions in graphene. The Berry phase can be switched on and off with small magnetic field changes on the order of 10 millitesla, potentially enabling a variety of optoelectronic graphene device applications.
Malaria among primigravid women attending antenatal clinics in Awka, Anambra State, south-east Nigeria

Two hundred and eighty-seven primigravid women attending antenatal clinic in private hospitals in Awka were sampled for malaria infection of the placenta in 2004. Thick blood films were prepared and examined using blood from the placenta, after delivery. The birth-weight of newborns by the primigravids were obtained and matched with the malaria status of the mother. The result showed that 189 (66.0%) were positive for placental malaria. The birth-weight of newborns from mothers positive for Plasmodium ranges from 1.9-3.2 kg with a mean of 2.7 kg, while that from mothers negative for Plasmodium ranges from 3.2-4.4 kg with a mean of 3.8 kg. There was significant difference between the birth-weight of newborns from mothers with placental malaria and those with no placental malaria. Placental malaria was therefore responsible to low birth-weight babies. There is therefore an urgent need to study and improve on intermittent preventive treatment of primigravids in other to limit adverse outcomes associated with placental malaria. Keywords : primigravid women, malaria infection of the placenta, newborns, low birth-weight babies. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 28 (1) 2007: pp.25-27
Open Reduction Assisted With an External Fixator and Internal Fixation With Calcaneal Locking Plate for Intra-articular Calcaneal Fractures

Background: The extensile lateral approach (ELA) has been considered to be a standard approach for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures (DICF) because it provides excellent exposure and allows direct reduction of the depressed posterior facet fragment. But continuous retraction during surgery needs sufficient manpower and may cause ischemia. Failure of rigid fixation of DICF will not allow for early weight bearing and may lead to a loss of reduction. To avoid these disadvantages, this study presents open reduction assisted with an external fixator and internal fixation with a calcaneal locking plate. Methods: A series of 58 patients with 62 DICFs were treated over a period of 49 months. All patients were clinically and radiologically followed up with a mean follow-up of 35 (range 29-42) months. Clinical follow-up included visual analog scale (VAS), the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score, and ability to work. Radiologic follow-up included axial and lateral radiographs and measurements of the Bohler angle and Gissane angle. Results: At the final follow-up, all fractures had healed. The mean VAS score was 2.9 (range 0 to 8, SD 1.9) and the average AOFAS score was 71 (range 55-85, SD 8.1). The mean postoperative Bohler angle immediately after the surgery was 28.3 degrees (range 13.0-44.6, SD 7.0), which decreased to 27.5 degrees (range 12.2-43.3, SD 7.0) at the final follow-up, and the mean postoperative Gissane angle after the surgery was 116.3 degrees (range 94.9-131.5, SD 9.0) which finally increased to 118.4 degrees (range 94.5-135.8, SD 9.3). No statistically significant differences regarding Bohler and Gissane angles were found between different Sanders fracture types (P>.05). Conclusion: The presented operative technique was found to provide comparable reduction of Sanders type II-IV injuries. Level of Evidence: Level III, case control study.
Satellites reveal contrasting responses of regional climate to the widespread greening of Earth

Increasing terrestrial biomass has important impacts on the climate that affects it. The vegetation-climate loop Just as terrestrial plant biomass is growing in response to increasing atmospheric CO2, climate change, and other anthropogenic influences, so is climate affected by those variations in vegetation. Forzieri et al. used satellite observations to analyze how changes in leaf area index (LAI), a measure of vegetation density, have influenced the terrestrial energy balance and local climates over the past several decades. An increase in LAI has helped to warm boreal zones through a reduction of surface albedo and to cool arid regions of the southern hemisphere by increasing surface evaporation. Furthermore, more densely vegetated areas displayed a greater capacity to mitigate the impact of rapid climate fluctuations on the surface energy budget. Science, this issue p. 1180 Changes in vegetation cover associated with the observed greening may affect several biophysical processes, whose net effects on climate are unclear. We analyzed remotely sensed dynamics in leaf area index (LAI) and energy fluxes in order to explore the associated variation in local climate. We show that the increasing trend in LAI contributed to the warming of boreal zones through a reduction of surface albedo and to an evaporation-driven cooling in arid regions. The interplay between LAI and surface biophysics is amplified up to five times under extreme warm-dry and cold-wet years. Altogether, these signals reveal that the recent dynamics in global vegetation have had relevant biophysical impacts on the local climates and should be considered in the design of local mitigation and adaptation plans.
Association Between Patient Factors and Outcome of Synthetic Cartilage Implant Hemiarthroplasty vs First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Arthrodesis in Advanced Hallux Rigidus

Background: We evaluated data from a clinical trial of first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ1) implant hemiarthroplasty and arthrodesis to determine the association between patient factors and clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients ≥18 years with hallux rigidus grade 2, 3, or 4 were treated with synthetic cartilage implant MTPJ1 hemiarthroplasty or arthrodesis. Pain visual analog scale (VAS), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) sports and activities of daily living (ADL) scores, and Short Form-36 Physical Function (SF-36 PF) subscore were obtained preoperatively, and at 2, 6, 12, 24, 52, and 104 weeks postoperatively. Final outcome data, great toe active dorsiflexion motion, secondary procedures, radiographs, and safety parameters were evaluated for 129 implant hemiarthroplasties and 47 arthrodeses. The composite primary endpoint criteria for clinical success included VAS pain reduction ≥30%, maintenance/improvement in function, no radiographic complications, and no secondary surgical intervention at 24 months. Predictor variables included hallux rigidus grade; gender; age; body mass index (BMI); symptom duration; prior MTPJ1 surgery; preoperative hallux valgus angle, range of motion (ROM), and pain. Two-sided Fisher exact test was used (P < .05). Results: Patient demographics and baseline outcome measures were similar. Success rates between implant MTPJ1 hemiarthroplasty and arthrodesis were similar (P > .05) when stratified by hallux rigidus grade, gender, age, BMI, symptom duration, prior MTPJ1 surgery status, and preoperative VAS pain, hallux valgus, and ROM. Conclusion: Synthetic cartilage implant hemiarthroplasty was appropriate for patients with grade 2, 3, or 4 hallux rigidus. Its results in those with associated mild hallux valgus (≤20 degrees) or substantial preoperative stiffness were equivalent to MTPJ1 fusion, irrespective of gender, age, BMI, hallux rigidus grade, preoperative pain or symptom duration. Level of Evidence: Level II, randomized clinical trial.
Criterion validity of a two‐kilometer walking test for predicting the maximal oxygen uptake of moderately to highly active middle‐aged adults

This work examined whether prediction models based on a 2‐km walking test are valid for predicting the Vo2max of middle‐aged, healthy, moderately to highly physically active adults. Sixty‐seven 35‐ to 45‐year‐old moderately active men and women and 44 35‐ to 55‐year‐old healthy men who participated regularly in marathon‐long sports competitions were studied. Vo2max was determined in an uphill walk‐run on a treadmill. The 2‐km walking test was conducted on a flat outdoor course. The subjects walked the distance as fast as they could. Walking time, heart rate at the end of the walk, age and body mass index were entered in the prediction formulas as established in the original study. The total errors of prediction and the correlation coefficients between the measured and predicted Vo2max (ml‐kg−1 min−1) for the moderately active women and men and for the competitors were 5.2, 5.7 and 7.7 ml kg−1 min−1 and 0.55, 0.79 and 0.60, respectively. The measured relative Vo2max was slightly underpredicted in all groups. The results suggest that the 2‐km walk test is a reasonably valid test of maximal aerobic power for moderately fit men and women, but less valid for very fit individuals.
Predicting human olfactory perception from chemical features of odor molecules

How will this molecule smell? We still do not understand what a given substance will smell like. Keller et al. launched an international crowd-sourced competition in which many teams tried to solve how the smell of a molecule will be perceived by humans. The teams were given access to a database of responses from subjects who had sniffed a large number of molecules and been asked to rate each smell across a range of different qualities. The teams were also given a comprehensive list of the physical and chemical features of the molecules smelled. The teams produced algorithms to predict the correspondence between the quality of each smell and a given molecule. The best models that emerged from this challenge could accurately predict how a new molecule would smell. Science, this issue p. 820 Results of a crowdsourcing competition show that it is possible to accurately predict and reverse-engineer the smell of a molecule. It is still not possible to predict whether a given molecule will have a perceived odor or what olfactory percept it will produce. We therefore organized the crowd-sourced DREAM Olfaction Prediction Challenge. Using a large olfactory psychophysical data set, teams developed machine-learning algorithms to predict sensory attributes of molecules based on their chemoinformatic features. The resulting models accurately predicted odor intensity and pleasantness and also successfully predicted 8 among 19 rated semantic descriptors (“garlic,” “fish,” “sweet,” “fruit,” “burnt,” “spices,” “flower,” and “sour”). Regularized linear models performed nearly as well as random forest–based ones, with a predictive accuracy that closely approaches a key theoretical limit. These models help to predict the perceptual qualities of virtually any molecule with high accuracy and also reverse-engineer the smell of a molecule.
Click chemistry enables preclinical evaluation of targeted epigenetic therapies

Are better drugs just a click away? Drugs that show promise in preclinical models often fail in the clinic, in part because of limited information on drug localization within cells and across tissues. In a proof-of-concept study, Tyler et al. applied click chemistry methods to study the localization of bromodomain inhibitors. These are cancer drugs that alter chromatin structure and gene expression. Clickable derivatives of the drugs localized within chromatin and showed that the drugs exhibit distinct modes of binding at responsive and unresponsive genes. In a mouse leukemia model, the click-probes revealed that the drugs accumulate to different extents in the spleen and bone marrow, which are two tissue sources of leukemic cells. Science, this issue p. 1397 Conversion of an epigenetic drug into a probe amenable to click chemistry allows visualization of the drug’s activity in vivo. The success of new therapies hinges on our ability to understand their molecular and cellular mechanisms of action. We modified BET bromodomain inhibitors, an epigenetic-based therapy, to create functionally conserved compounds that are amenable to click chemistry and can be used as molecular probes in vitro and in vivo. We used click proteomics and click sequencing to explore the gene regulatory function of BRD4 (bromodomain containing protein 4) and the transcriptional changes induced by BET inhibitors. In our studies of mouse models of acute leukemia, we used high-resolution microscopy and flow cytometry to highlight the heterogeneity of drug activity within tumor cells located in different tissue compartments. We also demonstrate the differential distribution and effects of BET inhibitors in normal and malignant cells in vivo. This study provides a potential framework for the preclinical assessment of a wide range of drugs.
Mortality among twin and single lambs

The effects of maternal age and birth weight on survival of twin lambs has been studied in a Blackface and a Welsh Mountain flock. The time of death was also investigated for both singles and twins. Twin mortality was higher than mortality of singles, mainly due to the lower average birth weight of twins. Twin mortality declined with increasing birth weight although it showed a tendency to increase at the top of the scale. Weight for weight, mortality was similar for singles and twins. Twin mortality declined with increasing age of ewe in a very similar pattern to single mortality. Lamb mortality was heavy at birth and during the first 14 days of life with only 30% of the mortality occurring after this age. Approximately 12% of the dead lambs were stillborn. Among singles a similar proportion died as a result of difficult births, but this cause of mortality was rare in twins. Stillbirth mortality rates were very high for very small birth weights and declined with increasing weight of lamb. Difficult births, on the other hand, increased with increasing birth weight. The association of birth weight with mortality was particularly important in the first 14 days of life but thereafter its significance was less. Although mortality in lambs of younger ewes was heavier than that of older ewes, similar causes of death operated. Younger ewes, however, having lower birth weights tended to have more stillbirths but few losses due to difficult lambings.
Insight Into a Generic Interconnect Resource Model for Xilinx Virtex and Spartan Series FPGAs

With increasing scale of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), the architecture of interconnect resources (IRs) in FPGAs is becoming more and more complicated. FPGAs become more vulnerable to defects during manufacturing or lifetime operation. IR testing plays an important role to guarantee correct functionality of FPGAs. This brief provides insight into a generic IR model that we developed. This IR model is a directed and weighted graph and can exhibit connection relationships among wire segments in FPGAs. Based on the generic IR model, a routing algorithm to automatically derive the minimal or near-minimal set of test configurations for IRs of Virtex and Spartan series FPGAs is also proposed. The generic IR model and associated routing algorithm are verified in Virtex, Virtex-II, Virtex-4, Virtex-5, Virtex-6, 7 Series, and Spartan series FPGAs, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed IR model with the accompanying routing algorithm is applicable to these FPGAs with IR full coverage achieved.
Unified Architecture for Double/Two-Parallel Single Precision Floating Point Adder

Floating point (F.P.) addition is a core operation for a wide range of applications. This brief presents an area-efficient, dynamically configurable, multiprecision architecture for F.P. addition. We propose an architecture of a double precision (DP) adder, which also supports a dual (two parallel) single precision (SP) computational feature. Key components involved in the F.P. adder architecture, such as comparator, swap, dynamic shifters, leading one-detector (LOD), mantissa adders/subtractors, and rounding circuit, have been redesigned to efficiently enable resource sharing for both precision operands with minimal multiplexing circuitry. The proposed design supports both normal and sub-normal numbers. The proposed architecture has been synthesized for OSUcells Cell 0.18 μm technology ASIC implementation. Compared to a standalone DP adder with two SP adders, the proposed unified architecture can reduce the hardware resources by ≈ 35%, with a minor delay overhead. Compared to previous works, the proposed dual mode architecture has 40% smaller area × delay, and has better area and delay overhead over only DP adder.
Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire Across the Adult Life Span

The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) is designed to assess a person's proneness to committing cognitive slips and errors in the completion of everyday tasks. Although the CFQ is a widely used instrument, its factor structure remains an issue of scientific debate. The present study used data of a representative sample (N = 1,303, 24-83 years of age) from the Maastricht Aging Study (MAAS) to test and compare factor solutions for the CFQ previously reported in the literature by means of confirmatory factor analysis of ordered categorical variables. A three-factor model of the CFQ from an exploratory factor analysis was tested for increasing levels of measurement invariance across six age groups. Factor (co-)variances remained stable across the age groups, mean differences were observed for the factor Forgetfulness with higher means for older participants, and the factor Distractibility where participants older than 60 years of age had lower means.