Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of efficient RNAi methods in the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis, a promising application for pest control

BACKGROUND The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis is the main vector of three important stunting pathogens that affect maize production. The most common control strategy against this species is the use of insecticides that provide minimal, short-term protection. In this context, genomic-based technologies such as RNA interference (RNAi) could be a suitable approach to control this pest in a highly specific manner, avoiding the adverse effects associated with insecticide misuse. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to assess the application of RNAi on D. maidis through different dsRNA delivery methods and known the function of target gene, Bicaudal C (BicC). RESULTS We have identified and characterized the core components of the RNAi machinery in silico and established two methods of exogenous double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) delivery to D. maidis. BicC -an important regulator of insect oogenesis-dsRNA was successfully delivered via injection or ingestion to adult females, causing significant reductions in the transcript levels and ovipositions and observable phenotypes in the ovaries when compared to control females. The small doses of dsRNABicC administered were enough to trigger a strong RNAi response, demonstrating that D. maidis is highly sensitive to RNAi. CONCLUSION This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing RNAi application in D. maidis, a tool that can be used to advance towards a novel, insecticide-free control strategy against this pest.
Prediction of COVID-19 severity from clinical and biochemical markers: a single-center study from Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE It is known that the severity of COVID-19 is linked to the prognosis of patients; therefore, an early identification is required for patients who are likely to develop severe or critical COVID-19 disease. The purpose of this study is to propose a statistical method for identifying the severity of COVID-19 disease by using clinical and biochemical laboratory markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 48 clinically and laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 were obtained from King Fahad Hospital, Medina (KFHM) between 27th April 2020 to 25th May 2020. The patients' demographics and severity of COVID-19 disease were assessed using 39 clinical and biochemical features. After excluding the demographics, 35 predicting features were included in the analysis (diabetes, chronic disease, viral and bacterial co-infections, PCR cycle number, ICU admission, clot formation, cardiac enzymes elevation, hematology profile, sugar levels in the blood, as well as liver and kidney tests, etc.). Logistic regression, stepwise logistic regression, L-2 logistic regression, L-2 stepwise logistic regression, and L-2 best subset logistic regression were applied to model the features. The consistency index was used with kernel Support-Vector Machines (SVM) for the identification of associated markers. RESULTS L-2 best subset logistic regression technique outperformed all other fitted models for modeling COVID-19 disease severity by achieving an accuracy of 88% over the test data. Consistency index over L-2 best subset logistic regression identified 14 associated markers that can best predict the COVID-19 severity among COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS By combining a variety of laboratory markers with L-2 best subset logistic regression, the current study has proposed a highly accurate and clinically interpretable model of predicting COVID-19 severity.
A Composite of Hepatocyte Growth Factor- and 5α-Dihydrotestosterone-Gelatin Microspheres with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Enhances Wound Healing

Introduction: Reconstructing sebaceous glands is one goal of functionally healing patients who have suffered severe burns, instead of the simple pursuit of wound closure. Effective regeneration of skin appendages remains a challenge in skin wound management and research. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into sebaceous glands and clarified the involvement of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) in this process. Methods: This study used HGF- and 5α-DHT-gelatin microspheres to treat human ADSCs and investigated the reconstruction of sebaceous glands. HGF- and 5α-DHT-gelatin microspheres were constructed using microcapsule slow-release technology. A mice full-thickness skin-wound model was established to evaluate wound healing, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was utilized to determine the skin structure. Results: In vitro analyses found that HGF- and 5α-DHT-gelatin microspheres promoted migration of and tube formation by ADSCs. Furthermore, AKT/ERK signaling, which is related to sebocyte and sweat gland epithelial-cell growth, was activated after HGF and 5α-DHT treatment. An in vivo wound healing model demonstrated that ADSCs primed with amnion-loaded HGF- and 5α-DHT-gelatin microspheres promoted wound healing and increased sebaceous gland formation compared to the control group. Conclusions: This study confirms the efficacy of ADSCs treated with amnion and HGF- and 5α-DHT-gelatin microspheres in accelerating wound healing and effectively restoring sebaceous glands. This engineered tissue provides insight into and a novel therapeutic material for burns and full-thickness skin wounds.
Przedsiębiorcze zachowania studentów – stan i konsekwencje dla dydaktyki

The article contains an overview of the results of research conducted as part of the project GUESSS. Conducted for the first time in Poland by the University in St. Gallen, the research provides interesting information on the level of Polish students’ entrepreneurship and their determinants. Particularly significant are the references to the method of teaching entrepreneurship. A low percentage of students was engaged in the entrepreneurial process and a low percentage of business owners amongst the students forces to question the effectiveness of the teaching model. Interesting results come from the student responses to a question of the practicality of the knowledge shared. The research was conducted amongst over 11 thousand Polish students from 37 universities of various types.
Underground metabolism as a rich reservoir for pathway engineering

Abstract Motivation Bioproduction of value-added compounds is frequently achieved by utilizing enzymes from other species. However, expression of such heterologous enzymes can be detrimental due to unexpected interactions within the host cell. Recently, an alternative strategy emerged, which relies on recruiting side activities of host enzymes to establish new biosynthetic pathways. Although such low-level ‘underground’ enzyme activities are prevalent, it remains poorly explored whether they may serve as an important reservoir for pathway engineering. Results Here, we use genome-scale modeling to estimate the theoretical potential of underground reactions for engineering novel biosynthetic pathways in Escherichia coli. We found that biochemical reactions contributed by underground enzyme activities often enhance the in silico production of compounds with industrial importance, including several cases where underground activities are indispensable for production. Most of these new capabilities can be achieved by the addition of one or two underground reactions to the native network, suggesting that only a few side activities need to be enhanced during implementation. Remarkably, we find that the contribution of underground reactions to the production of value-added compounds is comparable to that of heterologous reactions, underscoring their biotechnological potential. Taken together, our genome-wide study demonstrates that exploiting underground enzyme activities could be a promising addition to the toolbox of industrial strain development. Availability and implementation The data and scripts underlying this article are available on GitHub at https://github.com/pappb/Kovacs-et-al-Underground-metabolism. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prevalence of Macular Microcystoid Lacunae in Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy Assessed With Adaptive Optics

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Background: To assess the prevalence of macular microcystoid lacunae in patients with autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) and its association with visual function and inner retinal morphology. Methods: The study included 140 participants with ADOA, with a mean age of 44 (SD ±19, range 7–82) years. Study participants with a genetically verified sequence variant in the OPA1 gene were examined with best-corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, optical coherence tomography (Spectralis, Heidelberg) and adaptive optics fundus photography (rtx1, Imagine Eyes). Optically empty microcystoid spaces in the ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer were mapped by inspection of the 2 sets of images. Data were analyzed with a mixed model adjusted for age and sex with family and individual as random effect. Results: Microcystoid lacunae were present in 32 of 140 participants (23%) including 18 males and 14 females. Microcystoid lacunae were associated with younger age (P = 0.0503) and a smaller nerve fiber layer volume (P = 0.035). No association was found between presence of microcystoid lacunae and visual acuity (P = 0.2), contrast sensitivity (P = 0.8), axial length (P = 0.7), or ganglion cell layer volume (P = 0.2). The analysis showed moderately reduced visual acuity in patients with microcystoid lacunae. Normal and severely impaired visual function were seen only in participants without microcystoid lacunae. Conclusion: In ADOA, macular microcystoid lacunae were found in 23% of the study participants and tended to be present in younger participants with moderate visual acuity reduction and a smaller nerve fiber layer volume. Further studies are needed to investigate whether cavities left by dead ganglion cells are predictors of decrease in visual function.
Apical extrusion of debris with root canal instrumentation in primary teeth: A systematic review

Aim: This study aimed to systematically review available literature of in vitro studies on apical extrusion of debris through rotary instrumentation in comparison to manual instrumentation in pediatric endodontics, and also to perform a comparison between various rotary instrumentation systems for assessment of debris extrusion. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar without any language restriction and year of publication. A planned search strategy was made for PubMed and applied to other databases. After full-text reading, 7 articles were selected for quantitative synthesis. Modified CONSORT checklist of items for reporting in vitro studies of dental materials was used for quality assessment of included studies. Results: Root canal preparation with rotary instrumentation led to lesser apical debris extrusion than manual instrumentation. Self-adjusting file system was associated with the least debris extrusion among all included studies, followed by ProTaper Next, Kedo-S, ProTaper, K3, Mtwo, Revo-S, and Wave One. Conclusion: More apical debris extrusion was seen with manual instrumentation than rotary instrumentation. Furtrhermore, variance in debris extrusion was seen with different rotary file systems.
Maternal and perinatal outcomes of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in unvaccinated pregnancies during Delta and Omicron waves

There is little evidence related to the effects of the Omicron severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) variant on pregnancy outcomes, particularly in unvaccinated women. This study aimed to compare pregnancy outcomes of unvaccinated women infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 during the pre‐Delta, Delta and Omicron waves.
Physical activity and obesity spectrum disorders in post-bariatric surgery patients: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives This systematic review and meta-analysis is based on randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of physical activity on weight loss in adults undergoing bariatric surgery. The study compared certain biomarkers for individuals with and without physical activity after bariatric surgery. Secondary, the study identified potential successful interventions for the target population. Method PubMed, Embase, OVID, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched from January 2000 to December 2020. Intervention studies on the effect of physical activity in adults after bariatric surgery were selected, included, and analyzed following the PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcome was weight loss followed by selected biomarkers. Results Two independent reviewers extracted data and conducted quality assessments. Of the 11 studies included, six reported BMI, two reported fat-free mass, three reported fat mass, two reported waist-hip ratio, and two reported waist circumference. Six studies measuring change from baseline BMI reported a significant intervention effect: SMD = −0.93 (-1.65;-0.20) with high heterogeneity of included trials (I2 = 72%). There was no significant difference between control and intervention groups for other outcomes. Conclusion BMI as a measure of physical activity positively impacts the target population. Large-scale studies with better criteria and a longer evaluation follow-up may finalize pronounced outcomes.
Chemoreceptor co-expression in Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons

Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons have long been thought to express only one chemosensory receptor gene family. There are two main olfactory receptor gene families in Drosophila, the odorant receptors (ORs) and the ionotropic receptors (IRs). The dozens of odorant-binding receptors in each family require at least one co-receptor gene in order to function: Orco for ORs, and Ir25a, Ir8a, and Ir76b for IRs. Using a new genetic knock-in strategy, we targeted the four co-receptors representing the main chemosensory families in D. melanogaster (Orco, Ir8a, Ir76b, Ir25a). Co-receptor knock-in expression patterns were verified as accurate representations of endogenous expression. We find extensive overlap in expression among the different co-receptors. As defined by innervation into antennal lobe glomeruli, Ir25a is broadly expressed in 88% of all olfactory sensory neuron classes and is co-expressed in 82% of Orco+ neuron classes, including all neuron classes in the maxillary palp. Orco, Ir8a, and Ir76b expression patterns are also more expansive than previously assumed. Single sensillum recordings from Orco-expressing Ir25a mutant antennal and palpal neurons identify changes in olfactory responses. We also find co-expression of Orco and Ir25a in Drosophila sechellia and Anopheles coluzzii olfactory neurons. These results suggest that co-expression of chemosensory receptors is common in insect olfactory neurons. Together, our data present the first comprehensive map of chemosensory co-receptor expression and reveal their unexpected widespread co-expression in the fly olfactory system.
Risk of Post-Resection Recurrence in Pediatric Crohn Disease

ABSTRACT Background: Ileocecectomy related to stricturing, fistula formation, or medically refractory disease is commonly required in patients with Crohn disease (CD). Limited research exists in endoscopic recurrence (ER) in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we sought to determine ER rates and the impact of therapy duration before surgery in pediatric patients with CD. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective review of patients with CD between the ages of 2 to 20 years who required ileocecectomy between January 2015 and December 2019 at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Follow-up endoscopies, laboratory values, medications, and sPCDAI scores were recorded at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post-resection wherever available. Modified Rutgeert scores (mRS) were independently assigned to post-resection colonoscopy images by 3 trained investigators. Post-resection outcomes were compared between patients on CD therapy >30 days before resection (late surgery) to those started on CD therapy <30 days before resection (early surgery). Results: A total of 48 patients underwent ileocecectomy, with a mean age at time of resection of 17 years (+/−2.3). In total, 88% of patients had a post-resection endoscopy and 57% had an endoscopy within 12 months of resection. Twenty-nine percentage had ER with a mRS ≥i2. There was no statistical difference in endoscopic and clinical outcomes after resection between the early and late surgery groups. Conclusions: Post-resection endoscopic recurrence after ileocecectomy was found in 29% of our center's pediatric CD population based on mRS. Post-resection outcomes were not affected by therapy duration before resection.
Coupling of Mouse Olfactory Bulb Projection Neurons to Fluctuating Odor Pulses

Odors are transported by turbulent air currents, creating complex temporal fluctuations in odor concentration that provide a potentially informative stimulus dimension. We have shown that mice are able to discriminate odor stimuli based on their temporal structure, indicating that information contained in the temporal structure of odor plumes can be extracted by the mouse olfactory system. Here, using in vivo extracellular and intracellular electrophysiological recordings, we show that mitral cells (MCs) and tufted cells (TCs) of the male C57BL/6 mouse olfactory bulb can encode the dominant temporal frequencies present in odor stimuli up to at least 20 Hz. A substantial population of cell-odor pairs showed significant coupling of their subthreshold membrane potential with the odor stimulus at both 2 Hz (29/70) and the suprasniff frequency 20 Hz (24/70). Furthermore, mitral/tufted cells (M/TCs) show differential coupling of their membrane potential to odor concentration fluctuations with tufted cells coupling more strongly for the 20 Hz stimulation. Frequency coupling was always observed to be invariant to odor identity, and M/TCs that coupled well to a mixture also coupled to at least one of the components of the mixture. Interestingly, pharmacological blocking of the inhibitory circuitry strongly modulated frequency coupling of cell-odor pairs at both 2 Hz (10/15) and 20 Hz (9/15). These results provide insight into how both cellular and circuit properties contribute to the encoding of temporal odor features in the mouse olfactory bulb. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Odors in the natural environment have a strong temporal structure that can be extracted and used by mice in their behavior. Here, using in vivo extracellular and intracellular electrophysiological techniques, we show that the projection neurons in the olfactory bulb can encode and couple to the dominant frequency present in an odor stimulus. Furthermore, frequency coupling was observed to be differential between mitral and tufted cells and was odor invariant but strongly modulated by local inhibitory circuits. In summary, this study provides insight into how both cellular and circuit properties modulate encoding of odor temporal features in the mouse olfactory bulb.
Instructions on Task Constraints Mediate Perceptual-Motor Search and How Movement Variability Relates to Performance Outcome

Abstract Movement variability has been postulated to afford perception of the perceptual motor workspace and to be directly linked to improved performance. Here, we investigated how instructions mediate the search process and the relation between performance outcome and movement variability. We used a novel bimanual force tracking task where zero error was achieved via proportional output between the hands. Participants were either instructed or not as to how to coordinate their force output to achieve this goal, but the goal to minimize error was explained to all participants. The provision of instructions restricted the overall area of the task space that was searched. Moreover, the time dependent properties of the search were influenced; where instructions increased the likelihood that participants would produce a higher force level over practice. Multiple regression revealed that variability was positively correlated with performance outcome, but the strength of this relation was dependent on instructions and individual search strategies. The findings are consistent with the view that information through instructions shapes individual emergent perceptual-motor search strategies that in turn mediate how movement variability relates to performance outcome.
Nanocomposite of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide and gold nanourchins for electrochemical DNA detection

Abstract A nanocomposite of graphene oxide and gold nanourchins has been used here to modify the surface of a screen‐printed carbon electrode to enhance the sensitivity of the electrochemical DNA detection system. A specific single‐stranded DNA probe was designed based on the target DNA sequence and was thiolated to be self‐assembled on the surface of the gold nanourchins placed on the modified electrode. Doxorubicin was used as an electrochemical label to detect the DNA hybridisation using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The assembling process was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and the EIS method. The high sensitivity of the proposed system led to a low detection limit of 0.16 fM and a wide linear range from 0.5 to 950.0 fM. The specificity of the DNA hybridisation and the signalling molecule (haematoxylin) caused very high selectivity towards the target DNA than other non‐specific sequences.
Corticosteroids reduce vascular ultrasound sensitivity in fast- track pathways (FTP): results from Coventry Multi-Disciplinary FTP for cranial Giant Cell Arteritis

Objectives This study aims to assess the feasibility of the Coventry ultidisciplinary fast-track cranial giant cell arteritis (FTGCA) pathway, which was set up in 2013 in collaboration with vascular physiology and ophthalmology to enable prompt multidisciplinary assessment, including ultrasound (US). This study also looks at the impact of prior corticosteroid (CS) use on the performance of US in real life. Method Data were collected retrospectively for patients who attended the Coventry FTGCA pathway between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2017. Patients were identified from US lists and clinical details were obtained from electronic medical records. Results In total, 620 eligible patients were included in this study. US had a sensitivity of 50%, which improved to nearly 56% in CS-naïve patients. The median duration of CS use prior to US was 2 days, and sensitivity was around 46% in this group. The specificity of US was > 96%, and CS use was avoided completely in 345 patients (56%). CSs natively impacted on the utility of US, with US more likely to be false negative. Conclusions This novel multidisciplinary pathway demonstrates excellent feasibility and minimizes the use of CSs in patients without giant cell arteritis. US was performed promptly, was cost effective- and had reassuring real-life sensitivity and specificity in this cohort, with excellent patient feedback. CS-naïve patients showed higher sensitivity for US despite the short duration of CS use.