Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Antidepressant Sertraline Induces the Formation of Supersized Lipid Droplets in the Human Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

The prevalence and increasing incidence of fungal infections globally is a significant worldwide health problem. Cryptococcosis, primarily caused by the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, is responsible for approximately 181,000 estimated deaths annually. The scarcity of treatments and the increasing resistance to current therapeutics highlight the need for the development of antifungal agents which have novel mechanisms of action and are suitable for clinical use. Repurposing existing FDA-approved compounds as antimycotic therapeutics is a promising strategy for the rapid development of such new treatments. Sertraline (SRT), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent with particular efficacy against C. neoformans. However, the effect of SRT on fungal physiology is not understood. Here, we report that SRT induces the formation of supersized lipid droplets (SLDs) in C. neoformans, and in Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Aspergillus fumigatus. SLDs were not induced in C. neoformans by treatment with the antifungal fluconazole (FLC), consistent with SRT and FLC acting differently to perturb C. neoformans physiology. The formation of SLDs in response to SRT indicates that this compound alters the lipid metabolism of C. neoformans. Moreover, the SRT-induced enlargement of LDs in other fungal species may indicate a common fungal response to SRT.
Successive Deprotonation Steering the Structural Evolution of Supramolecular Assemblies on Ag(111)

In this study, we demonstrate the structural evolution of a two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular assembly system, which is steered by the thermally activated deprotonation of the primary organic building blocks on a Ag(111) surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy revealed that a variety of structures, featuring distinct structural, chiral, and intermolecular bonding characters, emerged with the gradual thermal treatments. According to our structural analysis, in combination with density function theory calculations, the structural evolution can be attributed to the successive deprotonation of the organic building blocks due to the inductive effect. Our finding offers a facile strategy towards controlling the supramolecular assembly pathways and provides a comprehensive understanding of the 2D crystal engineering on surfaces.
Hypercholesterolemia Correlates With Glomerular Phospholipase A2 Receptor Deposit and Serum Anti-Phospholipase A2 Receptor Antibody and Predicts Proteinuria Outcome in Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy

Background The anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibody is a non-invasive diagnostic tool and prognosis predictor of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). Baseline hypercholesterolemia independently predicts proteinuria outcomes in IMN patients. Thus, we investigated whether hyperlipidemia is correlated with anti-PLA2R and pathological indicators. Methods A total of 495 IMN patients identified by kidney biopsy in Wuhan Tongji Hospital, China, from January 2016 through December 2020 were enrolled in this study. Data on clinical features, pathology findings, and outcomes were collected. Results Total cholesterol (TC), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were positively related to proteinuria, indicating damage to the renal glomerulus [Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient = 0.432, 0.462, 0.315, and 0.289, respectively, P < 0.001 for all]. In univariate logistic regression, low HDL-C [odds ratio (OR): 0.856; 95% CI: 0.778–0.939; P = 0.001] and high TG [OR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.006–1.044; P = 0.011] were correlated with tubular atrophy, suggesting lesions on tubules. Increased TC [adjusted OR: 1.285; 95% CI: 1.119–1.475; P < 0.001], non-HDL-C [adjusted OR: 1.284; 95% CI: 1.113–1.482; P = 0.001], and LDL-C [adjusted OR: 1.178; 95% CI: 1.009–1.376; P = 0.039] independently predicted glomerular PLA2R deposit; similar results were observed for lipids in predicting the seropositivity of anti-PLA2R antibodies. After treatment, increased HDL-C [adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.764; 95% CI: 1.241–2.507; P = 0.002] and decreased non-HDL-C [adjusted HR: 0.884; 95% CI: 0.795–0.983; P = 0.022] independently predicted proteinuria remission. Conclusion Hypercholesterolemia is a potentially useful biomarker for disease severity, serum anti-PLA2R antibody, glomerular PLA2R deposit, and proteinuria outcome of IMN.
The equatorial 30-60 day oscillation and the Arakawa-Schubert penetrative cumulus parameterization

Characteristics of the equatorial intraseasonal oscillation are studied with the use of a general circulation model which includes the Arakawa-Schubert (abbreviated as AS hereafter) model of penetrative cumulus convections. The AS model is modified by introducing the minimum value of cumulus entrainment rate of the environmental air, min, as * min=a/D, where D is the depth of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and a is a non-negative constant. The introduction of a positive a in the AS model suppresses the activity of deep penetrative cumulus in the area where D is not sufficiently thick, which allows, in turn, an accumulation of moist air in the large-scale low level convergence zone. This process is essential in maintaining the equatorial 30-60 day oscillations, and also in simulating the Pacific subtropical high during the northern summer. Experiments are performed by changing * from 0 (ie., the original AS model), to 00 (i.e., no penetrative cumulus convection) under an aqua-planet condition. When *=0, the 30-60 day oscillation does not appear in the tropics. Instead, there exists a quasi-10 day eastward propagating oscillation with zonal wavenumber 1, which resembles a neutral Kelvin wave. Moist air is not accumulated in the `low level east-west convergence longitude associated with the flow of zonal wavenumber 1 (LLCL)' due to the rapid response of the AS model to the evaporation and moisture flux convergence by small scale motions and also due to the resulting upward transport of water vapor by penetrative cumuli to the west of the LLCL before the moist air can be accumulated in the LLCL. When *=0.1, a quasi-30 day eastward propagating oscillation with zonal wavenumber 1 grows in the model, with the moist air and the major heating found around the LLCL. The change in the heating is mostly due to the increase of middle-level convection (i.e., moist convection between adjacent vertical layers within the free atmosphere) and to the decrease of deep penetrative cumuli to the west of the LLCL. Overall characteristics of the mode are close to the observed ones. When a=oo, a quasi-45 day eastward propagating oscillation grows in the model. The structure of the heating associated with the oscillation is similar to that of the quasi-30 day oscillation. Associated with the increase of *, the static stability decreases in the low latitudes. The maximum level of the zonally averaged heating lowers due to the suppression of deep penetrative cumulus and the increase in both the middle-level convection and large-scale condensation. The maximum amplitude level of the heating associated with the equatorial intraseasonal oscillation also lowers from 300mb for *=0 to 500mb for *=0.1-*. These changes seem to provide favorable conditions for the occurrence of the equatorial intraseasonal oscillation, in agreement with linear stability studies of a CISK model.
Problematic Smartphone Use Leads to Behavioral and Cognitive Self-Control Deficits

Excessive use of smartphones has been associated with a number of negative consequences for individuals. Some of these consequences relate to many symptoms of behavioral addiction. The present study aims to investigate whether participants with high levels of smartphone usage may have difficulty with their ability to wield the self-control that is needed to restrict smartphone usage compared to participants with lower levels of smartphone addiction. Specifically, we expect that people with high levels of smartphone usage may have problems in refraining from using a smartphone. In addition, we expect people with a high level of smartphone use may show deficiencies in cognitive tasks such as memory, executive control, and visual and auditory attention. An ABA design was applied to analyze the effects of smartphone withdrawal. The first A refers to baseline measurements: Visual RT, Auditory RT, Go/No-Go RT and N-Back RT and Eriksen flanker RT. The B refers to 3 days of smartphone withdrawal, whereas the second A refers to the same measurements used in the baseline. In addition, several standardized scales were administered, among them: Smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV), Fear of missing out scale (FoMOs), Procrastination scale, and Psychological General Well-Being Index. One hundred and eleven participants took part in the study. Based on median split they were divided into two groups: high level and low level smartphone users. Moreover, thanks to an app installed on the participants’ smartphones, it was possible to measure levels of compliance with the task. Results indicate that participants with low levels of smartphone usage show less difficulty in their ability to wield the self-control needed to withdraw smartphone use and faster reaction times on cognitive tests than participants with high levels of smartphone usage. Moreover, the profile of participants with high levels of smartphone usage shows higher scores on the FoMOs and Procrastination scale, and lower scores in the Psychological General Well-Being Index. The results are discussed in light of self-regulation theory.
Termite diversity is resilient to land‐use change along a forest‐cocoa intensification gradient in Ghana, West Africa

Cocoa is an important crop for Ghana's economy, contributing 25% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The crop, however, is mainly cultivated on forest‐derived soils and is a major cause of land‐use change. Termites are an important biological component of tropical ecosystems providing numerous ecosystem services. Previous studies have indicated that termites are sensitive to forest disturbance and decrease in richness and abundance across land‐use intensification gradients, with consequences for the essential services that they provide. Native shade trees are often used to improve cocoa cultivation and may reduce the detrimental effects of land‐use change on some aspects of biodiversity. The aim of this study was therefore to explore how termites respond to land‐use change along a shade‐tree gradient in Kakum National Park and surrounding cocoa farms in Ghana (from forest at 80% tree cover to cocoa with no shade cover, to the extreme of cultivated arable crop land). It was predicted that termite richness and abundance would decrease with decreasing shade cover, and with increasing distance from the forest edge. Thirty‐four species from 29 genera were sampled, with Ancistrotermes crucifer being found in all the locations (47% of all encounters). Species richness and abundance differed marginally across the land‐use gradient, as well as the distance from the forest edge; however, species richness did not show any significance with distance. All the same, termite communities were robust to the disturbance. Our findings suggest that though site influenced species richness and abundance, cocoa trees can play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and environmental quality in an agricultural landscape by providing a habitat for forest species that are not found in pastures or farm fields. However, we caution that the relatively low forest baseline of existing forest diversity may inflate the value of cocoa land, with those forests no longer representing undisturbed natural habitats: this highlights that shifting baselines may need to be accounted for when interpreting findings in the Anthropocene.
Deep learning–based resource allocation for secure transmission in a non-orthogonal multiple access network

Machine learning techniques, especially deep learning algorithms have been widely utilized to deal with different kinds of research problems in wireless communications. In this article, we investigate the secrecy rate maximization problem in a non-orthogonal multiple access network based on deep learning approach. In this non-orthogonal multiple access network, the base station intends to transmit two integrated information: a confidential information to user 1 (the strong user) and a broadcast information to user 1 and user 2. In addition, there exists an eavesdropper that intends to decode the confidential information due to the broadcast nature of radio waves. Hence, we formulate the optimization problem as a secrecy rate maximization problem. We first solve this problem by employing convex optimization technique, then we generate the training, validation, and test dataset. We propose a deep neural network–based approach to learn to optimize the resource allocations. The advantages of the proposed deep neural network are the capabilities to achieve low complexity and latency resource allocations. Simulation results are provided to show that the proposed deep neural network approach is capable of reaching near-optimal secrecy rate performance with significantly reduced computational time, when compared with the benchmark conventional approach.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Constitutive Loss of VCP (Valosin-Containing Protein) Impairs Proteostasis and Leads to Defective Striated Muscle Structure and Function In Vivo

Valosin-containing protein (VCP) acts as a key regulator of cellular protein homeostasis by coordinating protein turnover and quality control. Mutations in VCP lead to (cardio-)myopathy and neurodegenerative diseases such as inclusion body myopathy with Paget’s disease of the bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To date, due to embryonic lethality, no constitutive VCP knockout animal model exists. Here, we generated a constitutive CRISPR/Cas9-induced vcp knockout zebrafish model. Similar to the phenotype of vcp morphant knockdown zebrafish embryos, we found that vcp-null embryos displayed significantly impaired cardiac and skeletal muscle function. By ultrastructural analysis of skeletal muscle cells and cardiomyocytes, we observed severely disrupted myofibrillar organization and accumulation of inclusion bodies as well as mitochondrial degeneration. vcp knockout was associated with a significant accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, suggesting impaired proteasomal function. Additionally, markers of unfolded protein response (UPR)/ER-stress and autophagy-related mTOR signaling were elevated in vcp-deficient embryos, demonstrating impaired proteostasis in VCP-null zebrafish. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the successful generation of a stable constitutive vcp knockout zebrafish line that will enable characterization of the detailed mechanistic underpinnings of vcp loss, particularly the impact of disturbed protein homeostasis on organ development and function in vivo.
Assimilation, Organizational Support, and Impostor Syndrome as Predictors of GTAs’ Communicatively Restricted Organizational Stress (CROS)

This study extends research on Communicatively Restricted Organizational Stress (CROS) by documenting the impact of assimilation, organizational support, and impostor syndrome on CROS in a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) student population. Through a survey of 102 GTAs from U.S. universities, we found that higher levels of assimilation and organizational support, along with lower levels of impostor syndrome, predicted lower CROS Prevalence. Lower CROS Prevalence then predicted lower CROS Distress. Fellow graduate student familiarity, acculturation, and recognition appeared to play a more significant role in CROS Prevalence than other dimensions of assimilation. Our findings support the implementation of targeted socialization efforts for addressing graduate student mental health; we conclude with several recommendations based on our data.
A Gene Variation at the ZPR1 Locus (rs964184) Interacts With the Type of Diet to Modulate Postprandial Triglycerides in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: From the Coronary Diet Intervention With Olive Oil and Cardiovascular Prevention Study

Background and Aims rs964184 variant in the ZPR1 gene has been associated with blood lipids levels both in fasting and postprandial state and with the risk of myocardial infarction in high-risk cardiovascular patients. However, whether this association is modulated by diet has not been studied. Objective To investigate whether the type of diet (low-fat or Mediterranean diets) interacts with genetic variability at this loci to modulate fasting and postprandial lipids in coronary patients. Materials and Methods The genotype of the rs964184 polymorphism was determined in the Cordioprev Study population (NCT00924937). Fasting and Postprandial triglycerides were assessed before and after 3 years of dietary intervention with either a Mediterranean or a low-fat diet. Postprandial lipid assessment was done by a 4-h oral fat tolerance test (OFTT). Differences in triglycerides levels were identified using repeated-measures ANCOVA. Results From 523 patients (85% males, mean age 59 years) that completed the OFTT at baseline and after 3 years of intervention and had complete genotype information, 125 of them were carriers of the risk allele G. At the start of the study, these patients showed a higher fasting and postprandial triglycerides (TG) plasma levels. After 3 years of dietary intervention, G-carriers following a Mediterranean Diet maintained higher fasting and postprandial triglycerides, while those on the low-fat diet reduced their postprandial triglycerides to similar values to the population without the G-allele. Conclusion After 3 years of dietary intervention, the altered postprandial triglyceride response induced by genetic variability in the rs964184 polymorphism of the ZPR1 gene can be modulated by a low-fat diet, better than by a Mediterranean diet, in patients with coronary artery disease.
Magnetoresponsive Devices with Programmable Behavior Using a Customized Commercial Stereolithographic 3D Printer

The revolution of 4D printing allows combining smart materials to additive processes to create behavioral objects able to respond to external stimuli, such as temperature, light, electrical, or magnetic fields. Here, a modified commercial digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer is used to obtain complex macroscopic remotely controlled gear‐based devices. The fabrication process is based on the printing of magnetoresponsive polymers containing in situ self‐assembled microstructures, i.e., composed of oriented chains of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). First, it is demonstrated that magnetoresponsive hammer‐like actuators with different stiffness can be printed allowing both pure rotation or/and bending motions. Then, the microstructure to create a magnetoresponsive gear is exploited. In particular, this work shows that they can be successfully used to transfer torque to other gears, thereby converting a rotation movement into linear translation. Finally, it is demonstrated that magnetoresponsive gears can also be combined with other nonmagnetic elements to create complex assemblies, such as gear‐trains, linear actuators, and grippers that can be remotely controlled.
Substitution of Ride-Hailing Services for More Sustainable Travel Options in the Greater Boston Region

The recent and dramatic growth in ride-hailing activity is a bellwether of a coming transportation revolution driven by on-demand services. The impacts of ride-hailing services on the transportation system have been immediate and major. Yet, public agencies are only beginning to understand their magnitude because the private ride-hailing industry has provided limited amounts of meaningful data. Consequently, public agencies responsible for managing congestion and providing transit services are unable to clearly determine who uses ride-hailing services and how their adoption influences established travel modes, or forecast the potential growth of this emergent mode in the future. To address these pressing questions, an intercept survey of ride-hailing passengers was conducted in the Greater Boston region in fall 2017. Ten ride-hailing drivers, recruited and trained by the authors, asked passengers to complete surveys during their ride-hailing trip. The tablet-based survey instrument recorded nearly 1,000 passenger responses with regard to socioeconomic background, mobility options, and trip context. These responses, which enabled a robust description of ride-hailing passengers for the region, were used to analyze how new on-demand mobility services such as Uber and Lyft may be substituting travel by other modes. The study substantiates previous findings and advances knowledge of who is utilizing this new mobility option and what factors influence its adoption over public and active transportation modes. The results are intended to inform public policies ensuring that shared mobility technologies will complement existing multimodal landscapes and not worsen existing environmental concerns or equity gaps related to individual mobility.
The Effect of Self-Sacrificial Leadership on Employees’ Organisational Citizenship Behaviour for the Environment: A Moderated Mediation Model

In the face of increasing environmental pressures, environmentally friendly behaviour can help companies achieve truly sustainable growth. The issue of how to promote environmental behaviour among employees is a new challenge for leaders. However, studies do not systematically reveal the mechanisms of the effects of self-sacrificial leadership on employees’ organisational citizenship behaviour for the environment (OCBE). Based on social learning theory and the attitude–behaviour–context model, we investigated the impact of self-sacrificial leadership on employees’ OCBE by focusing on the mediating role of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) as perceived by employees, and the moderating role of the pro-environmental organisational climate (PEOC). The results of a field survey of 461 employees (small- and medium-sized enterprises) in China indicate that self-sacrificial leadership was positively related to employees’ OCBE; this relationship was partially mediated by employees’ perception of CSR. Moreover, PEOC strengthened the effect of employees’ perceived CSR on OCBE, and the mediating effect of employees’ perceived CSR on the relationship between self-sacrificial leadership and OCBE. Our findings not only help scholars understand the mechanism of the effect of self-sacrificial leadership on employees’ OCBE, but also provide insights for recommending integrated management models, social responsibility, and environmental protection.