Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age differences in risk taking: now you see them, now you don’t

ABSTRACT Older age has often, but not always, been associated with less risk taking. Inconsistencies may be due to diversity in the risk-taking measures used and/or individual differences in cognitive abilities. We investigated the robustness of age differences in risk taking across three measures, and tested whether age differences in risk taking remained after accounting for cognitive abilities. Younger (aged 25–36) and older (aged 60+) adults completed behavioral (i.e., Balloon Analogue Risk Task, BART) and self-report (i.e., framing tasks and Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire) measures of risk, as well as several measures of cognitive ability (i.e., analytic thinking, numeracy, processing speed, memory, and attention). Older adults showed significantly less risk taking than younger adults on the behavioral measure of risk, but not on the two self-report measures. Older adults also had significantly lower analytic thinking, slower processing speed, and worse executive control compared to younger adults. Less risk taking on the BART was associated with lower analytic thinking and numeracy, slower processing speed, and worse shifting of attention. Age differences in risk taking on the BART remained after accounting for older adults’ lower scores on tests of cognitive abilities. Implications for measuring age differences in risk taking are discussed.
On the Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in a Temperate Climate

An epidemiological model, which describes the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 under specific consideration of the incubation period including the population with subclinical infections and being infective is presented. The COVID-19 epidemic in Greece was explored through a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis framework, and the optimal values for the parameters that determined the transmission dynamics could be obtained before, during, and after the interventions to control the epidemic. The dynamic change of the fraction of asymptomatic individuals was shown. The analysis of the modelling results at the intra-annual climatic scale allowed for in depth investigation of the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 and the significance and relative importance of the model parameters. Moreover, the analysis at this scale incorporated the exploration of the forecast horizon and its variability. Three discrete peaks were found in the transmission rates throughout the investigated period (15 February–15 December 2020). Two of them corresponded to the timing of the spring and autumn epidemic waves while the third one occurred in mid-summer, implying that relaxation of social distancing and increased mobility may have a strong effect on rekindling the epidemic dynamics offsetting positive effects from factors such as decreased household crowding and increased environmental ultraviolet radiation. In addition, the epidemiological state was found to constitute a significant indicator of the forecast reliability horizon, spanning from as low as few days to more than four weeks. Embedding the model in an ensemble framework may extend the predictability horizon. Therefore, it may contribute to the accuracy of health risk assessment and inform public health decision making of more efficient control measures.
Latrunculin B facilitates gravitropic curvature of Arabidopsis root by inhibiting cell elongation, especially the cells in the lower flanks of the transition and elongation zones

ABSTRACT Gravitropism plays a critical role in the growth and development of plants. Previous reports proposed that the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton resulted in enhanced gravitropism; however, the mechanism underlying these phenomena is still unclear. In the present study, real-time observation on the effect of Latrunculin B (Lat B), a depolymerizing agent of microfilament cytoskeleton, on gravitropism of the primary root of Arabidopsis was undertaken using a vertical stage microscope. The results indicated that Lat B treatment prevented the growth of root, and the growth rates of upper and lower flanks of the horizontally placed root were asymmetrically inhibited. The growth of the lower flank was influenced by Lat B more seriously, resulting in an increased differential growth rate between the upper and lower flanks of the root. Further analysis indicated that Lat B affected cell growth mainly in the transition and elongation zones. Briefly, the current data revealed that Lat B treatment inhibited cell elongation, especially the cells in the lower flanks of the transition and elongation zones, which finally manifested as the facilitation of gravitropic curvature of the primary root.
Toxicological effects of zinc oxide nanoparticle exposure: an in vitro comparison between dry aerosol air-liquid interface and submerged exposure systems

Abstract Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly produced and used today, but health risks due to their occupational airborne exposure are incompletely understood. Traditionally, nanoparticle (NP) toxicity is tested by introducing NPs to cells through suspension in the growth media, but this does not mimic respiratory exposures. Different methods to introduce aerosolized NPs to cells cultured at the air-liquid-interface (ALI) have been developed, but require specialized equipment and are associated with higher cost and time. Therefore, it is important to determine whether aerosolized setups induce different cellular responses to NPs than traditional ones, which could provide new insights into toxicological responses of NP exposure. This study evaluates the response of human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) to zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs after dry aerosol exposure in the Nano Aerosol Chamber for In Vitro Toxicity (NACIVT) system as compared to conventional, suspension-based exposure: cells at ALI or submerged. Similar to other studies using nebulization of ZnO NPs, we found that dry aerosol exposure of ZnO NPs via the NACIVT system induced different cellular responses as compared to conventional methods. ZnO NPs delivered at 1.0 µg/cm2 in the NACIVT system, mimicking occupational exposure, induced significant increases in metabolic activity and release of the cytokines IL-8 and MCP-1, but no differences were observed using traditional exposures. While factors associated with the method of exposure, such as differing NP aggregation, may contribute toward the different cellular responses observed, our results further encourage the use of more physiologically realistic exposure systems for evaluating airborne ENM toxicity.
Triaging of Culture Conditions for Enhanced Secondary Metabolite Diversity from Different Bacteria

Over the past decade, the one strain many compounds (OSMAC) approach has been established for the activation of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), which mainly encode the enzymes of secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis pathways. These BGCs were successfully activated by altering various culture conditions, such as aeration rate, temperature, and nutrient composition. Here, we determined the biosynthetic potential of 43 bacteria using the genome mining tool antiSMASH. Based on the number of BGCs, biological safety, availability of deposited cultures, and literature coverage, we selected five promising candidates: Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM7, Corallococcus coralloides DSM2259, Pyxidicoccus fallax HKI727, Rhodococcus jostii DSM44719, and Streptomyces griseochromogenes DSM40499. The bacteria were cultivated under a broad range of OSMAC conditions (nutrient-rich media, minimal media, nutrient-limited media, addition of organic solvents, addition of biotic additives, and type of culture vessel) to fully assess the biosynthetic potential. In particular, we investigated so far scarcely applied OSMAC conditions to enhance the diversity of SMs. We detected the four predicted compounds bacillibactin, desferrioxamine B, myxochelin A, and surfactin. In total, 590 novel mass features were detected in a broad range of investigated OSMAC conditions, which outnumber the predicted gene clusters for all investigated bacteria by far. Interestingly, we detected mass features of the bioactive compounds cyclo-(Tyr-Pro) and nocardamin in extracts of DSM7 and DSM2259. Both compounds were so far not reported for these strains, indicating that our broad OSMAC screening approach was successful. Remarkably, the infrequently applied OSMAC conditions in defined medium with and without nutrient limitation were demonstrated to be very effective for BGC activation and for SM discovery.
MicroRNA-592 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion in colorectal cancer by directly targeting SPARC

Colorectal cancer (CRC), one of the most common cancer types, causes a large number of cancer-related mortalities annually worldwide. Dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) are closely associated with the malignant progression of CRC. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the expression and regulatory role of miR-592 in CRC. It was found that miR-592 expression was significantly elevated in CRC tissues and cell lines, and was associated with the prognosis of patients. Cellular phenotype assays demonstrated that miR-592 could promote CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that miR-592 mainly participated in the positive regulation of transcription, as well as the regulation of cell motility. Moreover, miR-592 targets were enriched in several signaling pathways, such as the ‘mTOR’ and ‘FoxO’ signaling pathways. In addition, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) was identified as a target of miR-592 in CRC. The present results suggested that miR-592 acts as an oncogene in CRC, in part, by directly inhibiting SPARC expression. Collectively, the present study provides a novel potential therapeutic strategy for CRC.
Electrochemical Processing and Thermal Properties of Functional Core/Multi-Shell ZnAl/Ni/NiP Microparticles

Electroless deposition on zinc and its alloys is challenging because of the negative standard potential of zinc, the formation of poor surface layers during oxidation in aqueous solutions, and extensive hydrogen evolution. Therefore, there are only few reports of electroless deposition on Zn and its alloys, neither of them on micro/nano powders. Here, we propose a two-step process that allows the formation of compact, uniform, and conformal Ni/NiP shell on Zn-based alloy microparticles without agglomeration. The process utilizes controlled galvanic displacement of Ni deposition in ethanol-based bath, followed by NiP autocatalytic deposition in an alkaline aqueous solution. The mechanism and effect of deposition conditions on the shell formation are discussed. Thermal stability and functional analysis of core-shell powder reveal a thermal storage capability of 98.5% with an encapsulation ratio of 66.5%. No significant morphological change of the core-shell powder and no apparent leakage of the ZnAl alloy through the Ni shell are evident following differential scanning calorimetry tests. Our two-step process paves the way to utilize electroless deposition for depositing metallic-based functional coatings on Zn-based bulk and powder materials.
Adequacy of Nutrient Intakes of Severely and Acutely Malnourished Children Treated with Different Doses of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food in Burkina Faso

ABSTRACT Background Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF) are designed to cover the daily nutrient requirements of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). However, with the transfer of uncomplicated SAM care from the hospital environment to the community level, children will be able to consume complementary and family foods (CFF) in addition to RUTF, and this might decrease the quantity of RUTF needed for recovery. Objectives Using an individually randomized clinical trial, we investigated the effects of a reduced RUTF dose on the daily energy and macronutrient intakes, the proportion of energy coming from CFF, and the mean probability of adequacy (MPA) of intake in 11 micronutrients of 516 children aged 6–59 mo who were treated for SAM in Burkina Faso. Methods The data were collected using a single 24-h multipass dietary recall, 1 mo after starting treatment, from December 2016 to August 2018, repeated on a subsample of 66 children. Differences between children receiving the reduced RUTF (intervention arm) and those receiving standard RUTF (control arm) were assessed by linear mixed models. Results Daily energy intake was lower (P < 0.01) in the intervention arm (mean ± SD 1321 ± 339 kcal) than in the control arm (1467 ± 319 kcal). CFF contributed to 40% of the daily energy intake in the intervention and 35% in the control arm. The MPA for 11 micronutrients was 0.89 ± 0.1 in the intervention arm and 0.95 ± 0.07 in the control arm (P = 0.06). Conclusions Reducing the dose of RUTF during SAM treatment had a negative impact on daily energy intake of the children. Despite this, children covered their recommended energy intake. The energy intake coming from CFF was similar between arms, suggesting that children's feeding practices did not change due to the reduction in RUTF in this context. This trial was registered at the IRSCTN registry as ISRCTN50039021.
Altered default mode network activity and cortical thickness as vulnerability indicators for SCZ: a preliminary resting state MRI study.

OBJECTIVE Alterations in brain function in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and other neuropsychiatric disorders are evident not only during specific cognitive challenges, but also from functional MRI data obtained during a resting state. Patients with chronic SCZ have shown deficits in default mood network (DMN) and gray matter volume in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). However, cortical thickness and surface area in first-episode schizophrenic patients have rarely been investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS In the present study, we applied independent component analysis (ICA) to a series of rs-fMRIs of 15 SCZ patients and 15 matched healthy controls. The data were analyzed using MELODIC of FMRIB's Software Library (FSL version 5.9; www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl) to identify large-scale patterns of temporal signal-intensity coherence. RESULTS Patients with SCZ showed significantly higher functional connectivity in the DMN, auditory network, and cerebellum network (p=0.049, p=0.05, and p=0.007, respectively) than matched healthy controls. The patients also exhibited significantly less cortical thickness, primarily in the bilateral prefrontal and parietal cortex, and higher thickness in the bilateral anterior temporal lobes, left medial orbitofrontal cortex, and left cuneus than the matched healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that significantly abnormal DMN connectivity and cortical thickness contribute to local functional pathology in patients with SCZ.
Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors Are Effective Anti-HIV Drugs

Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are currently recommended for the first line treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) infection. The first-generation INSTIs are effective but can select for resistant viruses. Recent advances have led to several potent second-generation INSTIs that are effective against both wild-type (WT) HIV-1 integrase and many of the first-generation INSTI-resistant mutants. The emergence of resistance to these new second-generation INSTIs has been minimal, which has resulted in alternative treatment strategies for HIV-1 patients. Moreover, because of their high antiviral potencies and, in some cases, their bioavailability profiles, INSTIs will probably have prominent roles in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Herein, we review the current state of the clinically relevant INSTIs and discuss the future outlook for this class of antiretrovirals.
SARS-CoV-2 infection induces protective immunity and limits transmission in Syrian hamsters

Using an aged Syrian hamster model, which develops severe morbidity upon SARS-CoV-2 infection including death, we demonstrated that the immunity induced by a natural infection not only protects hamsters from reinfection but also significantly limits transmission via close contact. A critical question in understanding the immunity to SARS-COV-2 is whether recovered patients are protected against re-challenge and transmission upon second exposure. We developed a Syrian hamster model in which intranasal inoculation of just 100 TCID50 virus caused viral pneumonia. Aged hamsters developed more severe disease and even succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, representing the first lethal model using genetically unmodified laboratory animals. After initial viral clearance, the hamsters were re-challenged with 105 TCID50 SARS-CoV-2 and displayed more than 4 log reduction in median viral loads in both nasal washes and lungs in comparison to primary infections. Most importantly, re-challenged hamsters were unable to transmit virus to naïve hamsters, and this was accompanied by the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Altogether, these results show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces protective immunity that not only prevents re-exposure but also limits transmission in hamsters. These findings may help guide public health policies and vaccine development and aid evaluation of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.
Tracking individual honeybees among wildflower clusters with computer vision-facilitated pollinator monitoring

Monitoring animals in their natural habitat is essential for advancement of animal behavioural studies, especially in pollination studies. Non-invasive techniques are preferred for these purposes as they reduce opportunities for research apparatus to interfere with behaviour. One potentially valuable approach is image-based tracking. However, the complexity of tracking unmarked wild animals using video is challenging in uncontrolled outdoor environments. Out-of-the-box algorithms currently present several problems in this context that can compromise accuracy, especially in cases of occlusion in a 3D environment. To address the issue, we present a novel hybrid detection and tracking algorithm to monitor unmarked insects outdoors. Our software can detect an insect, identify when a tracked insect becomes occluded from view and when it re-emerges, determine when an insect exits the camera field of view, and our software assembles a series of insect locations into a coherent trajectory. The insect detecting component of the software uses background subtraction and deep learning-based detection together to accurately and efficiently locate the insect among a cluster of wildflowers. We applied our method to track honeybees foraging outdoors using a new dataset that includes complex background detail, wind-blown foliage, and insects moving into and out of occlusion beneath leaves and among three-dimensional plant structures. We evaluated our software against human observations and previous techniques. It tracked honeybees at a rate of 86.6% on our dataset, 43% higher than the computationally more expensive, standalone deep learning model YOLOv2. We illustrate the value of our approach to quantify fine-scale foraging of honeybees. The ability to track unmarked insect pollinators in this way will help researchers better understand pollination ecology. The increased efficiency of our hybrid approach paves the way for the application of deep learning-based techniques to animal tracking in real-time using low-powered devices suitable for continuous monitoring.
The genomics of ecological flexibility, large brains, and long lives in capuchin monkeys revealed with fecalFACS

Significance Surviving challenging environments, living long lives, and engaging in complex cognitive processes are hallmark human characteristics. Similar traits have evolved in parallel in capuchin monkeys, but their genetic underpinnings remain unexplored. We developed and annotated a reference assembly for white-faced capuchin monkeys to explore the evolution of these phenotypes. By comparing populations of capuchins inhabiting rainforest versus dry forests with seasonal droughts, we detected selection in genes associated with kidney function, muscular wasting, and metabolism, suggesting adaptation to periodic resource scarcity. When comparing capuchins to other mammals, we identified evidence of selection in multiple genes implicated in longevity and brain development. Our research was facilitated by our method to generate high- and low-coverage genomes from noninvasive biomaterials. Ecological flexibility, extended lifespans, and large brains have long intrigued evolutionary biologists, and comparative genomics offers an efficient and effective tool for generating new insights into the evolution of such traits. Studies of capuchin monkeys are particularly well situated to shed light on the selective pressures and genetic underpinnings of local adaptation to diverse habitats, longevity, and brain development. Distributed widely across Central and South America, they are inventive and extractive foragers, known for their sensorimotor intelligence. Capuchins have among the largest relative brain size of any monkey and a lifespan that exceeds 50 y, despite their small (3 to 5 kg) body size. We assemble and annotate a de novo reference genome for Cebus imitator. Through high-depth sequencing of DNA derived from blood, various tissues, and feces via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (fecalFACS) to isolate monkey epithelial cells, we compared genomes of capuchin populations from tropical dry forests and lowland rainforests and identified population divergence in genes involved in water balance, kidney function, and metabolism. Through a comparative genomics approach spanning a wide diversity of mammals, we identified genes under positive selection associated with longevity and brain development. Additionally, we provide a technological advancement in the use of noninvasive genomics for studies of free-ranging mammals. Our intra- and interspecific comparative study of capuchin genomics provides insights into processes underlying local adaptation to diverse and physiologically challenging environments, as well as the molecular basis of brain evolution and longevity.
Small Pore-Forming Toxins Different Membrane Area Binding and Ca2+ Permeability of Pores Determine Cellular Resistance of Monocytic Cells †

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) form multimeric trans-membrane pores in cell membranes that differ in pore channel diameter (PCD). Cellular resistance to large PFTs (>20 nm PCD) was shown to rely on Ca2+ influx activated membrane repair mechanisms. Small PFTs (<2 nm PCD) were shown to exhibit a high cytotoxic activity, but host cell response and membrane repair mechanisms are less well studied. We used monocytic immune cell lines to investigate the cellular resistance and host membrane repair mechanisms to small PFTs lysenin (Eisenia fetida) and aerolysin (Aeromonas hydrophila). Lysenin, but not aerolysin, is shown to induce Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space and to activate Ca2+ dependent membrane repair mechanisms. Moreover, lysenin binds to U937 cells with higher efficiency as compared to THP-1 cells, which is in line with a high sensitivity of U937 cells to lysenin. In contrast, aerolysin equally binds to U937 or THP-1 cells, but in different plasma membrane areas. Increased aerolysin induced cell death of U937 cells, as compared to THP-1 cells, is suggested to be a consequence of cap-like aerolysin binding. We conclude that host cell resistance to small PFTs attack comprises binding efficiency, pore localization, and capability to induce Ca2+ dependent membrane repair mechanisms.