Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FLNC and MYLK2 gene mutations in a Chinese family with different phenotypes of cardiomyopathy

Background: Mutations in the sarcomeric protein filamin C (FLNC) gene have been linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), in which they increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden death. In this study, we identified a novel missense mutation of FLNC in a Chinese family with HCM and interestingly a second novel truncating mutation of MYLK2 in one family member with different phenotype. Methods: We performed whole-exome sequencing in a Chinese family with HCM of unknown cause. To validate the function of a novel mutation of FLNC, we introduced the mutant and wild-type gene into AC16 cells (human cardiomyocytes), and used western blotting to analyze the expression of FLNC in subcellular fractions, and confocal microscope to observe the subcellular distribution of the protein. Results: We identified a novel missense single nucleotide variant (FLNC c.G5935A [p.A1979T]) in the family, which segregates with the disease. FLNC expression levels were equivalent in both wild type and p.A1979T cardiomyocytes. However, expression of the mutant protein resulted in cytoplasmic protein aggregations, in contrast to wild type FLNC, which was distributed in the cytoplasm and did not form aggregates. Unexpectely, a second truncating mutation, NM_033118:exon8:c.G1138T:p.E380X of the MYLK2 gene, was identified in the mother of the proband with dilated cardiomyopathy, but absent in other subjects. Conclusion: We identified the FLNC A1979T mutation as a novel pathogenic variant associated with HCM in a Chinese family, as well as a second causal mutation in a family member with a distinct phenotype. The possibility of more than one causal mutations in cardiomyopathy warrants clinical attention, especially for patients with atypical clinical features.
Interpretable Artificial Intelligence for COVID-19 Diagnosis from Chest CT Reveals Specificity of Ground-Glass Opacities

Background The use of CT imaging enhanced by artificial intelligence to effectively diagnose COVID-19, instead of or in addition to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), can improve widespread COVID-19 detection and resource allocation. Methods 904 axial lung window CT slices from 338 patients in 17 countries were collected and labeled. The data included 606 images from COVID-19 positive patients (confirmed via RT-PCR), 224 images of a variety of other pulmonary diseases including viral pneumonias, and 74 images of normal patients. We developed, trained, validated, and tested an object detection model which detects features in three categories: ground-glass opacities (GGOs) for COVID-19, GGOs for non-COVID-19 diseases, and features that are inconsistent with a COVID-19 diagnosis. These collected features are passed into an interpretable decision tree model to make a suggested diagnosis. Results On an independent test of 219 images from COVID-19 positive, a variety of pneumonia, and healthy patients, the model predicted COVID-19 diagnoses with an accuracy of 96.80 % (95% confidence interval [CI], 96.75 to 96.86) , AUC-ROC of 0.9664 (95% CI, 0.9659 to 0.9671) , sensitivity of 98.33% (95% CI, 98.29 to 98.40) , precision of 95.93% (95% CI, 95.83 to 95.99), and specificity of 94.95% (95% CI, 94.84 to 95.05). On an independent test of 34 images from asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients, our model achieved an accuracy of 97.06% (95% CI, 96.81 to 97.06) and a sensitivity of 96.97% (95% CI, 96.71 to 96.97). Similarly high performance was also obtained for out-of-sample countries, and no significant performance difference was obtained between genders. Conclusion We present an interpretable artificial intelligence CT analysis tool to diagnose COVID-19 in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Further, our model is able to differentiate COVID-19 GGOs from similar pathologies suggesting that GGOs can be disease-specific.
The Effects of Prey Density on Capture Times and Foraging Success of Course-Hunting Adult Snail Kites

Abstract. Foraging-patch selection may be influenced by prey density, prey availability, and the energetic costs associated with searching for and capturing prey. Although prey density influences profitability, prey availability may be influenced by habitat and environmental characteristics. We made in situ observations of Snail Kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) foraging on their exclusive prey, apple snails (Pomacea paludosa), in selected habitats and environmental conditions. We measured the time to capture a snail at 10 sites on Florida lakes (two sites sampled twice over different years for 12 data points total) and five sites in wetlands of the Everglades. Capture times had an inverse asymptotic relationship to snail density. As snail density increased from ∼0.1 to 0.2m-2, capture times declined from ∼600 to 200 sec; capture times leveled off to ∼75 sec between 0.4 and 1.4 snails m-2. Densities of emergent plant stems and water depths, which may influence capture times, were controlled for by site selection; analyses verified these factors had no effects. Snail Kites were significantly more likely to abandon a foraging bout if snail density was <0.2m-2. We interpret the results in the context of foraging for inconspicuous prey. Our data and other reports indicate ∼0.1–0.2 snails m-2 as an approximate threshold below which flight costs increase dramatically and fewer kites tend to forage. Our observations contribute to the limited information available on what constitutes prey density sufficient for the Snail Kite, and we discuss associated conservation implications for this endangered dietary specialist.
The effects of cannabis use on cognitive function in healthy aging: A systematic scoping review

Middle-to-older-aged adults (>50 years) represent the fastest-growing cannabis-using population. Given aging and cannabis use are associated with cognitive decline, it is important to establish the effects of cannabis on cognitive function in this population. This systematic scoping review used PRISMA guidelines to critically examine the extent of literature on this topic and highlight areas for future research. A search of six databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, and CINAHL) for articles published by September 2019, yielded 1,014 unique results. Only six articles reported findings for middle-to-older-aged populations (three human and three rodent studies), highlighting the paucity of research. Available human studies revealed largely null results, likely due to several methodological limitations. Nevertheless, the better-controlled rodent studies indicated an age and dose-dependent relationship between {triangleup}9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cognitive function in aging. Extremely low doses of THC improved cognitive function in very old rodents. Somewhat higher chronic doses were required to improve cognitive function in moderately aged rodents. No studies examined the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) or high-CBD cannabis on cognition. Future research should examine the relevance of age and dose-dependent effects of THC in humans and the effects of CBD on cognitive function in aging.
Household Leverage and the Housing Wealth Effect

This paper investigates the effects on consumption of housing wealth, housing leverage, and their interaction, both empirically and theoretically. Empirically, we use microdata from New Zealand to estimate the marginal propensity to consume out of exogenous changes in housing wealth and how it is affected by the household leverage ratio. Our empirical finding suggests a weakening role of leverage on the marginal propensity to consume out of housing wealth. We use a theoretical model to understand mechanisms at work. We show both analytically and numerically that house price dynamics and risk-aversion of household preference matter for the interaction between leverage and the housing wealth effect.
PHYTOL CO-ADMINISTRATION FOR S. MANSONI INFECTED MICE LESSENS SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE AND IMPROVES LIVER FUNCTIONS IN A DOSE-DEPENDENT MANNER By

Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical areas. Praziquantel is the drug of choice but this drug showed its efficacy against adult only with no effect on juvenile stage and there was drug resistance. Natural drugs are safe. In this study phytol was used to evaluate its efficacy on schistosoma mansoni infected mice. Mice were grouped into 4 groups: Control healthy group included 15 mice, Positive control group included 15 infected animals and received no drugs. Group infected and treated with 40 mg/kg and group treated with 80 mg/kg for two successive days at 6 th week post infection Serum and liver homogenate were taken for all , Biochemical, Hematological and Serum hepatic enzymes . This study revealed that phytol administration improved liver enzymes and decreased Tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNFα) in dose
Spatial climate dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula

Spatial climate dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula since 15 000 Yr BP P. Tarroso, J. Carrión, M. Dorado-Valiño, P. Queiroz, L. Santos, A. Valdeolmillos-Rodríguez, P. Célio Alves, J. C. Brito, and R. Cheddadi InBio/CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, UMR CNRS 5554, 34090 Montpellier, France Department of Plant Biology, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain Research Group of Archaeobiology, History Institute, CCHS, CSIC, Albasanz 26-28, 28037 Madrid, Spain Terra Scenica, Centro para a criatividade partilhada das Ciências, Artes e Tecnologias, Lisboa Facultad de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, Campus A Zapateira, 15071 A Coruña, Spain C/Teniente Ruiz 5, 2B, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Effect of fish oil and monensin on milk composition in dairy cows

Four primparous Holstein cows were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square with 21-d periods to determine the effect of redfish oil and monensin sodium on milk composition. The four dietary treatments were a basal diet (control), the basal diet plus 14.5 mg monensin kg−1 dietary dry matter (M), 2% fish oil (FO), and a combination of fish oil and monensin (FO + M). Total DM intake, measured during the last week of each period was reduced on the two fish oil treatments but an interaction with monensin depressed intakes further. An additive inhibition of rumen fibre degradation is discussed. Differences in yields of milk and lactose were not shown to be significant among treatments. Milk fat content was reduced 29.8% by fish oil supplementation and protein content dropped 5.3%. Protein:fat ratios increased from 0.78 on the control ration to 1.08 on the fish oil treatments. Monensin, on the other hand, only caused a change in milk fat percentage, and that by a 7.5% decline. Fish oil increased the concentrations of 20- a.
Authentic Leadership and Its Relation to Structural Empowerment and Work Environment Among Nurses

Background: Nursing work environments often expose nurses to toxic behaviors. Today’s nurse leaders face many challenges and concerns in order to empower their staff through creating professional practice environment that require a new type of leadership in which authentic leadership is considered a positive relational-leadership approach, a. Aim: To examine nurses’ perspective of authentic leadership and its relation to structural empowerment and work environment in critical care units at Shebin El-Kom teaching hospital. Subjects and Methods: Non-experimental descriptive correlational research design was employed in the conduction of this study. A simple random sample (244) of nurses having minimum one year of experience composed the study sample. Three standardized questionnaires were utilized which are Authentic Leadership Inventory, Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire and Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Results: The current study declared that the majority (98.4%) of nurses considered their leaders to be practicing moderate to high authentic leadership. Moreover, (95.1%) of nurses experienced moderate to high levels of structural empowerment. Likewise, about three quarters (75.4%) of nurses perceived high level of work environment. Conclusion and Recommendations: There was a significant positive relation among authentic leadership, structural empowerment and work environment from nurses' perspective. This study can help policy makers, administrators, and nursing leaders to detect areas in need of improvement in nurses’ work environment and handle it, which leads to improvement in quality of nursing care and consequently patient outcomes.
Molecular Phylogeny of the Tribe Anthospermeae (Rubiaceae): Systematic and Biogeographic Implications

Phylogeny of the tribe Anthospermeae is estimated on the basis of nucleotide sequence variation in the ITS region (nuclear ribosomal DNA) and the rps16 intron (plastid DNA). It is concluded that it is dubious whether the tribe is monophyletic including Carpacoce. If Carpacoce does belong to the tribe, then it is the sister group of all other genera. There is no support for the traditional subdivision of the tribe into three subtribes. Anthospermum, Galopina, Nenax and Phyllis form one strongly supported subclade. Coprosma, Durringtonia, Leptostigma, Nertera, Normandia, Opercularia and Pomax form another subclade in all most parsimonious trees, but this subclade lacks jackknife support. Opercularia and Pomax, referred to the subtribe Operculariinae, form a basal grade of this second group. However, trees on which Operculariinae are monophyletic are only one step longer than the most parsimonious ones. Normandia is deeply nested within Coprosma. The subdivision of Coprosma into two subgenera is shown to be artificial. It is suggested that the ancestral area of Anthospermeae is Africa, and that the group was spread by long-distance dispersal to north-eastern Antarctica. It is further suggested that occurrences in Hawaii, Tristan da Cunha, and America are due to long-distance dispersal at a time much later than primary cladogenesis. Sndoo n s P o er C e e
The Cataleptic, Asymmetric, Analgesic and Brain Biochemical Effects of Parkinson’s Disease Can Be Affected by Toxoplasma Gondii Infection

Purpose. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with progressive motor defects. Therefore, the aim of the present investigation was to examine whether catalepsy, asymmetry, and nociceptive behaviors; the Nissl-body and neuron distribution; brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); malondialdehyde (MDA); total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels; and the percentage of dopamine depletion of striatal neurons in the rat model of Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be affected by Toxoplasma gondii (TG) infection. Methods. Fifty rats were divided into five groups: control (intact rats), sham (rats which received an intrastriatal injection of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF)), PD control (induction of PD without TG infection), TG control (rats infected by TG without PD induction), and PD infected (third week after PD induction, infection by TG was done). PD was induced by the unilateral intrastriatal microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and ELISA quantified dopamine, BDNF, MDA, and TAC in the striatum tissue. Cataleptic, asymmetrical, nociceptive, and histological alterations were determined by bar test, elevated body swing test, formalin test, and Nissl-body and neuron counting in the striatal neurons. Results. The results demonstrated that PD could significantly increase the number of biased swings, descent latency time, and nociceptive behavior and decrease the distribution of Nissl-stained neurons compared to the control and sham groups. TG infection significantly improved biased swing, descent latency time, nociceptive behavior, and the Nissl-body distribution in striatal neurons in comparison to the PD control group. The striatal level of BDNF in the PD-infected and TG control groups significantly increased relative to the PD control group. The striatal MDA was significantly higher in the PD control than other groups, while striatal TAC was significantly lower in the PD control than other groups. Conclusions. The current study indicates that TG infection could improve the cataleptic, asymmetric, nociceptive and behaviors; the level of striatal dopamine release; BDNF levels; TAC; and MDA in PD rats.
Screening for atrial fibrillation with the WatchBP device as compared to current clinical practice: a cost-analysis

Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. It affects over one percent of the general UK population and is related to one fifth of all strokes (European Heart Rhythm et al. 2010). For this reason it causes a major burden on healthcare: 0.62% of national healthcare expenditure in 1995 and increased to 0.97% in 2000. It is expected that the number of AF patients will increase by 40% in the coming two decades due to the ageing population and western lifestyle (Stewart, 2004). Many patients with AF have no symptoms (33%) and are not aware of its presence and therefore remain undiagnosed. If these patients “suffering with AF” could be diagnosed and treated at an early stage, the risk of stroke can be reduced by 68% (European Heart Rhythm et al., 2010).
Modulation of rabbit articular chondrocyte (RAC) proliferation by TGF‐β isoforms

We have previously shown that TGF‐β1 exerts a bifunctional effect on RAC proliferation. Added to quiescent cultures, it inhibits the entry of G0/G1 cells into S phase whereas in S phase synchronized populations, it stimulates the DNA replication rate with a delayed G2+ M phase and a subsequent transient increase of cell number. As TGF‐β2 and β3 isoforms are also expressed in bone and cartilage tissues, it was of interest to study their effect on RAC proliferation, in comparison to that of TGF‐β1.
The Efficacy and Safety of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Combination with Conventional Therapies for Advanced Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis

Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of immuno-oncology combinational therapy (IOCT) versus monotherapy with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors or conventional therapies, i.e., non-IOCT, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from January 2015 to October 2018 for eligible studies. We included randomized trials of IOCT with available hazard ratios (HR) for death. The random effects model was used to calculate pooled HR for death; heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. The main outcome measure was overall survival (OS). Results After screening 483 relevant articles, we identified twelve trials comprising 5388 patients for quantitative analysis. IOCT-treated patients had significantly higher tumor response rate (relative risk (RR): 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.82-3.47), prolonged progression-free survival (HR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.53-0.74), and OS (HR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.61-0.78), compared with non-IOCT–treated patients. Sensitivity analyses also demonstrated the OS advantage of IOCT across different combination modalities, intervention agents, malignancy types, and PD-L1 expression (all P < 0.05). Notably, there were higher odds of high-grade (grade ≥ 3) adverse events with IOCT (RR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.13-2.90), but the risk of treatment-related death (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.84–1.60) was not increased compared with non-IOCT. Conclusions IOCT is a preferable treatment option over PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy and conventional therapy for patients with advanced solid tumors. However, we should note the increased incidence rate of high-grade AEs in IOCT.
Studies on the biology of limpets: II. The breeding of Patella vulgata L. in Britain

Some preliminary observations in North Cornwall (Orton, 1946) showed that the periods of breeding of the three British species of limpets were different. In order to determine these differences more accurately, and to study the breeding cycle, samples of limpets from six localities in Britain were examined at regular intervals for 5 years. This paper gives the results obtained for the common limpet Patella vulgata, which was present at all the localities sampled and was the most intensively studied of the three species. Later papers will deal with the remaining species and with other aspects of the investigations.
Survival and Growth of Picea abies Regeneration after Shelterwood Removal with Single- and Double-grip Harvester Systems

Three stands in Sweden were followed for 7 yrs to study the survival and growth of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst. ] regeneration after shelterwood removal with single- and double-grip harvester systems. The height of all seedlings within circular plots was recorded before and after final cutting. The tallest seedling and one randomly selected seedling on each circular plot were permanently marked and their annual height growth was measured each year during the period 1993-1999. No significant differences between single- and double-grip harvester systems were found with respect to their effects on regeneration density, survival or annual height growth. The annual height growth of the individual seedlings after shelterwood removal was significantly correlated with seedling height before shelterwood removal. Significant differences were found in annual height growth between seedlings with high and low vitality. Logging damage did not affect the annual height growth. Several practical conclusions were drawn. First, the choice of harvester system does not affect seedling height growth or survival after shelterwood removal. Secondly, the removal of a 200 m3 shelterwood with 200 stems ha-1 does not seem to constitute a serious problem for seedling survival and growth. Finally, estimated vitality and seedling height both seem to be fairly good predictors of postrelease survival and growth.
Malformed offspring, sibling matings, and selection against inbreeding in the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis)

We demonstrated that sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) are more likely to have malformed offspring when they mate with siblings. Offspring with malformations, such as deformed limbs and heads, have zero survival in a natural population. Normal‐looking siblings of malformed hatchlings also had a reduced survival in the wild, compared to offspring from clutches in which all siblings appeared normal. The proportion of malformed hatchlings in the natural population was ca. 10%, in spite of differences in juvenile dispersal between males and females. Male juveniles disperse significantly further from their natal sites than do female juveniles.
Nest predation and the evolution of nestling begging calls

Begging by nestling birds can be conspicuous and loud. Such displays are thought to function in signalling nestling condition and securing parental care, but they also may inadvertently attract the attention of predators. We compared the structure of nestling begging calls to the risk of predation among 24 species of birds breeding in a forest community in central Arizona. After controlling for body size and phylogeny, we found that species subject to greater nest predation had calls with higher frequency (pitch) and lower amplitude (loudness) than species subject to lower rates of nest predation. As these acoustic features make it difficult for potential predators to pinpoint the source of a sound, our results suggest that an increased risk of predation has led to the evolution of begging calls that minimize locatability. The relationship between call structure and the risk of predation also supports the hypothesis that attracting predators is a direct cost of begging and that such costs can constrain any evolutionary escalation in the intensity of nestling begging.