Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forest die-off following global-change-type drought alters rhizosphere fungal communities

Globally, forest die-off from global-change-type drought events (hotter droughts) are of increasing concern, with effects reported from every forested continent. While implications of global-change-type drought events have been explored for above-ground vegetation, below-ground organisms have received less attention, despite their essential contributions to plant growth, survival, and ecosystem function. We investigated rhizosphere fungal communities in soils beneath trees affected by a global-change-type drought in a Mediterranean climate-type ecosystem in southwestern Australia, quantifying how fungal richness, composition and functional groups varied along a drought impact gradient. Following a forest die-off three years previously, we collected soils beneath dead and alive trees within forest exhibiting high, minimal and relatively unaffected levels of forest die-off. Rhizosphere fungal DNA was extracted from soils, amplified and subjected to high throughput sequencing. Fungal community composition varied significantly (P < 0.001) along the drought impact gradient with less richness in drought affected stands. There was some evidence of community differentiation between dead versus alive trees (P = 0.09), and no difference in rarefied richness and diversity. When considered by functional group, die-off-impacted plots had more arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) and saprotrophs, and fewer ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM), compared with living trees from the unaffected plots. Further, within die-off plots, dead versus alive tree rhizosphere samples contained more AM, saprotrophs and pathogens, and fewer ECM. Disruptions to rhizosphere fungal communities, such as altered functional groups, can have implications for ecosystem persistence and function, particularly in regions projected to experience increased global-change-type drought events.
Immunomodulatory activities of alpha lipoic acid with a special focus on its efficacy in preventing miscarriage

ABSTRACT Introduction: Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an essential mitochondrial co-factor and, as a free molecule, it can exert multi-level immunomodulatory functions. Both ALA and its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), are believed to be able to chelate heavy metals, to regenerate essential antioxidants and to repair important molecules damaged by oxidation. The largest part of the effects of ALA/DHLA couple can be explained by a specific stimulatory activity on Nrf2-dependent gene transcription and by the inhibition of NF-kB activity. These features have prompted its use as a drug for several diseases. Areas covered: This article surveys the main features of ALA/DHLA and its therapeutic effects. Its complex and differentiated function cannot simply be reduced to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxifying action. We highlight its capability to finely modulate several physiological pathways when unbalanced. In particular, we focus our attention on pregnancy, in relation to ALA administration by oral route and by a new formulation for vaginal delivery, in patients with threatened miscarriage. Expert opinion: Future efforts should be devoted to explaining carefully ALA/DHLA mechanism of action to reactivate the physiological balance when modified during pregnancy. On the other hand, ALA safety in pregnant women and its pharmacokinetics by vaginal route, have to be studied in depth. Moreover, ALA efficacy has to be confirmed in a much larger sample of patients.
Image denoising method based on improved HDCS

According to the fact that digital images mainly contain Gauss and salt & pepper noise, an anisotropic hybrid diffusion model with source term was proposed in this paper. Traditional edge-enhancing and coherence-enhancing models had the contrast between coherent structures and the background decreased while having the image denoised. In this paper a source term was introduced into the diffusion equation, and its impacts on each term of diffusion system were fully considered. The improved model can not only perfectly denoise the noisy image, but also effectively maintain the contrast between coherent structures and the background. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method can achieve a desired result of denoising and restoring image texture information, and create a better visual effect.
In Vitro Reconstitution of the Complete Clostridium thermocellum Cellulosome and Synergistic Activity on Crystalline Cellulose

ABSTRACT Artificial cellulase complexes active on crystalline cellulose were reconstituted in vitro from a native mix of cellulosomal enzymes and CipA scaffoldin. Enzymes containing dockerin modules for binding to the corresponding cohesin modules were prepared from culture supernatants of a C. thermocellum cipA mutant. They were reassociated to cellulosomes via dockerin-cohesin interaction. Recombinantly produced mini-CipA proteins with one to three cohesins either with or without the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) and the complete CipA protein were used as the cellulosomal backbone. The binding between cohesins and dockerins occurred spontaneously. The hydrolytic activity against soluble and crystalline cellulosic compounds showed that the composition of the complex does not seem to be dependent on which CipA-derived cohesin was used for reconstitution. Binding did not seem to have an obvious local preference (equal binding to Coh1 and Coh6). The synergism on crystalline cellulose increased with an increasing number of cohesins in the scaffoldin. The in vitro-formed complex showed a 12-fold synergism on the crystalline substrate (compared to the uncomplexed components). The activity of reconstituted cellulosomes with full-size CipA reached 80% of that of native cellulosomes. Complexation on the surface of nanoparticles retained the activity of protein complexes and enhanced their stability. Partial supplementation of the native cellulosome components with three selected recombinant cellulases enhanced the activity on crystalline cellulose and reached that of the native cellulosome. This opens possibilities for in vitro complex reconstitution, which is an important step toward the creation of highly efficient engineered cellulases.
Applicability of an exaggerated forearm wash test for efficacy testing of two corticosteroids, tacrolimus and glycerol, in topical formulations against skin irritation induced by two different irritants

Background/Purpose: Alternatives to corticosteroids in the treatment of irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) are needed and may include glycerol and topical immunomodulators like tacrolimus. Because the efficacy of different treatments in experimentally induced ICD may vary depending on the irritant applied, we tested the efficacy of four anti‐irritant compounds using the two different irritants sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and nonanoic acid (NON).
Gender differences in muscle fatigue of the biceps brachii and influences of female menstrual cycle in electromyography variables

Several studies report gender differences in response to fatigue. Most results suggest that females have higher muscle endurance than males. Possible explanations lie on differences in muscle mass, substrate utilization, muscle morphology and neuromuscular activation. One relevant aspect not always considered is the hormonal fluctuations during the female menstrual cycle. The present work observed eighteen healthy and untrained adults (eight males, 26.9 ± 4.0 yr and ten females, 24.0 ± 2.8 yr) performing fatiguing isometric contractions to evaluate both the influence of menstrual cycle and gender differences in fatigability. Surface electromyographic signals were recorded from the biceps brachii using a linear electrode array of eight electrodes during 90 seconds at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction. Root mean square (RMS), mean frequency (MNF) the conduction velocity (CV) values were estimated using windows of 0.5 seconds. Female subjects showed overall lower fatigability, demonstrated by the lower mean CV decrease (1.494) compared to males (1.787). However, in periods of high decreases in hormones concentrations in females (the end of both the follicular and luteal phases), higher CV decreases were observed (1.921 and 2.183). These results indicate the need of considering the effects of hormonal fluctuations in females when observing gender effects on muscle fatigue.
Debt Pressure and Interactive Use of Control Systems: Effects on Cost of Debt

We study if debt pressure drives the choice of interactive control systems and its consequences. Simons (1990) argues that interactive use is determined by strategic uncertainties faced by top managers. We predict that financing pressures can threaten managerial vision by imposing constraints on firm strategic investment. This is particularly true in firms with limited access to public capital markets and that are subject to continuous monitoring by banks. To alleviate these pressures, managers are predicted to interactively use management accounting and control systems (MACS), thereby reducing information asymmetries between managers and lenders. Further, we argue that the choice of which individual MACS to use interactively has important consequences for the firm, as not all MACS have the same features, in terms of scope, aggregation, or timeliness. In particular, we expect that firms facing high (low) debt pressure will interactively use traditional (contemporary) control systems and that when individual MACS choice befits the level of debt pressure, firms will benefit by experiencing future decreases in their cost of debt. Using survey and archival data from 206 firms, we find evidence supporting our predictions. We show that debt pressure determines the interactive use of MACS, and we provide evidence of a beneficial impact on the cost of liabilities for firms that show a “fit” between their choice of the control system for interactive use and their debt pressure level.
Asthma: Versatile Treatment for a Variable Disease

Objective. This review describes factors contributing to the variable nature of asthma and the versatile treatment strategies required for the clinical management of the disease. Data Sources. A comprehensive review of the literature using MEDLINE was conducted. Study Selection. Included articles were selected for their relevance to variability or severity of asthma. Bibliographies of selected articles served as additional sources of considered publications. Results. Asthma severity can vary substantially among patients and within individual patients because of physiologic, environmental, or behavioral factors. Inhaled corticosteroids are an effective and versatile treatment option for special populations with asthma and for patients with varying degrees of asthma severity. Inhaled corticosteroids are now the preferred treatment for all three severity levels of persistent asthma, especially in young children and pregnant women. Treatment regimens may be adjusted up or adjusted down when appropriate to maintain optimal symptom control and limit potential adverse systemic effects. Conclusions. The clinical management of asthma is challenging given the day-to-day variability of the disease. Variability in pulmonary function and asthma symptoms may be minimized through increased awareness of the factors contributing to asthma variability as well as the effective use of inhaled corticosteroid therapy. Flexible treatment strategies that consider the different severities of asthma and account for variability within individual patients may be particularly useful in improving adherence and patient outcomes.
Upregulation of PD-L1 by EGFR Activation Mediates the Immune Escape in EGFR-Driven NSCLC: Implication for Optional Immune Targeted Therapy for NSCLC Patients with EGFR Mutation

Introduction: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status was reported to be associated with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. However, the molecular mechanism of PD-L1 regulation by EGFR activation and the potential clinical significance of blocking PD-1/PD-L1 in EGFR-mutant non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were largely unknown. Methods: Western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry were employed to explore the association between PD-L1 and EGFR activation. Then, we used EGFR-TKIs and downstream pathways inhibitors to clarify the detailed signaling pathway involved in PD-L1 regulation. Cell apoptosis, viability, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test were used to study the immune suppression by EGFR activation and immune reactivation by EGFR-TKIs and/or PD-1 blocking in tumor cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells coculture system. Results: We found that EGFR activation by EGF stimulation, exon-19 deletions, and L858R mutation could induce PD-L1 expression. EGFR activation upregulated PD-L1 through p-ERK1/2/p-c-Jun but not through p-AKT/p-S6 pathway. PD-L1 mediated by EGFR activation could induce the apoptosis of T cells through PD-L1/PD-1 axis in tumor cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells coculture system. Inhibiting EGFR by EGFR-TKIs could free the inhibition of T cells and enhance the production of interferon-&ggr;. Synergistic tumor cell killing effects were not observed with EGFR-TKIs and anti-PD-1 antibody combination treatment in coculture system. Conclusions: Our results imply that EGFR-TKIs could not only directly inhibit tumor cell viability but also indirectly enhance antitumor immunity through the downregulation of PD-L1. Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies could be an optional therapy for EGFR-TKI sensitive patients, especially for EGFR-TKIs resistant NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation. Combination of EGFR-TKIs and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies treatment in NSCLC is not supported by the current study but warrant more studies to move into clinical practice.
Entrepreneurial Behavior: A Reconceptualization and Extension Based on Identity Theory

Research summary Entrepreneurial behavior is core to our understanding of entrepreneurship. Yet, research progress is hindered because most studies adopt a traditional perspective of the construct that is embedded in economic rationality and focused on for-profit ventures. Drawing on identity theory, we propose a reconceptualization that emphasizes the “identity relevance” of entrepreneurial behaviors, allows for different meanings that founders associate with entrepreneurship, and views founders as behaving in ways that they deem appropriate. Importantly, this perspective accounts for the behaviors not only of entrepreneurs who start ventures strictly out of economic self-interest, but also those who launch ventures because of concern for others—either in their community or in society at large. We elaborate on this argument and discuss ideas for future research. Managerial summary We suggest that a concept of entrepreneurial behavior predicated on the purely rent-seeking entrepreneur ignores the increasing, and increasingly important, number of entrepreneurs who start enterprises for more than pure economic rent generation. Using identity theory permits us to parse modern entrepreneurs into three major types, namely the traditional seeker of rent, the entrepreneur who seeks to aid the community, and the entrepreneur who seeks to aid society at large. We show that using an identity perspective on entrepreneurial behavior allows us to explain very different economic and social outcomes by entrepreneur social identity type and posit the influence of entrepreneurial types in society on the evolution of a macroeconomic cycle. Copyright © 2017 Strategic Management Society.
Tourist motivation: an integral approach to destination choices

Purpose The purpose of this study is to discuss prevalent socio-psychological models which examine how tourists’ needs and motivations affect their destination choices by collectively considering Plog’s (1974) psychographic profiles, Cohen’s (1979) tourist typology and Peace’s (1988) travel career ladder. The current study argues that no single model can adequately explain tourists’ destination selection process as well as travel behaviors and introduces a new integrated perspective of existing psychological models. Design/methodology/approach Examining responses from 202 Hong Kong residents who have travel experience, this study divides the respondents’ psychographics into three types. Findings Using multinomial logit model (MNL) analysis, the study finds that tourists’ travel motivations and destination settings can be varied by their psychographics types. The findings also reveal that tourist’s psychographic types can be varied by demographics, travel type, frequencies, duration, purpose and destination setting. Originality/value The study provides implications for tourism marketers as well as the tourism literature by suggesting an integrative approach for a better understanding of tourist motivations.
Influence of partner support on an employed mother's intention to breastfeed after returning to work.

BACKGROUND Despite the increasing number of large companies complying with the demands for a breastfeeding-friendly workplace, providing on-site lactation support, some mothers still find continuing to breastfeed a challenge. We postulated that greater support and encouragement from the partner would be independently predictive of whether the mother would take advantage of workplace milk expression breaks and lactation rooms and continue to breastfeed after returning to work. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conducted a survey at a female labor-intensive electronics manufacturer in Taiwan. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Six hundred eight working mothers in an electronics manufacturing plant in Tainan Science Park in Southern Taiwan who had access to dedicated lactation rooms at the workplace were interviewed. Questionnaire content included female employee demographics, employment characteristics, partner-related characteristics, and breastfeeding behavior after returning to work following the birth of their most recently born child. RESULTS The partner's initial support of the choice to breastfeed and encouragement to use the lactation room and milk expression breaks and the mother's perception of the partner's support for baby care were significant predictors of the intention to continue to breastfeed after returning to work, after adjusting for the employed mother's demographics and employment characteristics, supporting our hypothesis. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that antenatal education or activities provided by the workplace should include the partner, which may improve workplace breastfeeding rates.
Sensation Seeking in a French Population of Pathological Gamblers: Comparison with Regular and Nongamblers

To test the hypothesis that pathological gamblers in the French general population who play games available in cafés score lower on sensation seeking than regular and nongamblers, the Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale was administered to 57 diagnosed pathological gamblers, 40 regular gamblers, and a control group of 97 nongamblers. Whereas pathological gamblers did not obtain a significantly lower Sensation Seeking mean than the regular and nongamblers groups, analysis indicated that those pathological gamblers seek different and multiple forms of games to reduce boredom, but they do not necessarily seek excitement-generating activities. One possible interpretation is that the types of games investigated in this study are “passive” forms of games that required low involvement from the gamblers.
Engagement During Reading Instruction for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Public Schools

An observational study of reading instruction was conducted in general education, resource, and self-contained classrooms, grades 1–4, in public schools. Participants included students who were deaf or hard of hearing and their reading teachers. Results indicated that time engaged in reading and/or academically responding varied significantly by grade level enrolled, reading curriculum grade level, and instructional setting, but not level of hearing loss or presence or absence of concomitant conditions. Students working with reading curriculum one grade level below spent significantly less time in reading instruction and reading than students working on grade level or two levels below. Students in general education settings spent significantly more time in reading instruction and reading silently than students in self-contained settings. The probability that students would engage in reading was significantly increased by several teacher and ecological conditions more likely to be observed in general education settings.
Factors influencing Macao nurses' intention to leave current employment.

AIMS To investigate factors associated with nurses' intention to leave current employment in Macao. BACKGROUND The shortage of nursing staff and nurses voluntarily leaving their jobs has continued to be a problem affecting the delivery of health care all over the world. One way to alleviate this shortfall is via recruitment, but this is not always successful. Another way is to reduce the rate at which nurses voluntarily leave their work places. DESIGN A descriptive survey was conducted and data were collected using a self-reported structured questionnaire. Nurses were recruited in the Health Bureau and one private hospital in Macao. The status of nurses' intention to leave current employment (yes vs. no) was the dependent variable and nurses' predisposing characteristics, organisational environments and five components on job satisfaction outcomes were independent variables. RESULTS Of 426 nurses, 166 (39.0%) indicated an intention to leave current employment. The results showed that age (p < 0.001), work experience (p < 0.001), workplace (p = 0.015) and job satisfaction: pay and benefits (p < 0.001) were significant risk factors to predict nurses' intention to leave current employment. CONCLUSIONS More than one-third of the nurses in Macao indicated an intention to leave current employment. This figure may be a cause of concern for the hospital management and highlights the need to implement strategies to improve the communication between nurses and the organisation, to enhance nurse job satisfaction and commitment to the organisation. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Our findings outline some issues contributing to this problem and provide the nurse manager with information regarding specific influences on nurses' turnover in Macao. Given the complexity of issues outlined in this analysis, nurse managers should assist their nursing staff to deal with those influences, make efforts to address the nursing shortage that will require additional communications and recognise the needs and values of their staff and empower them to create a better work environment. As a consequence, their commitment to the organisation can be fostered.