Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soil water content as a key factor determining the source of nitrogen (NH4+ or NO3−) absorbed by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii) and the pattern of rhizosphere pH along its roots

Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco was grown on an acid sandy soil , fertilized with ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source (50 and 150 kg N•ha−1), and maintained at two soil water levels. At both nitrogen levels, ammonium uptake was much higher in the wet soil than in the dry soil, whereas nitrate uptake was not affected by soil water content. From calculation of the nitrogen supply at the root surface, it was concluded that P. menziesii preferentially took up ammonium. Under dry soil conditions, movement of ammonium in the soil was impeded, so that the ammonium preference could not manifest itself; thus a large part of the nitrogen absorbed was in the nitrate form. Proton excretion per unit organic nitrogen formed was greater in the wet soil than in the dry soil owing to a larger ammonium contribution to total nitrogen uptake. In all treatments, the rhizosphere at the root tip was more alkaline than the bulk soil, whereas along the older root zones, acidification of the rhizosphere occurred. The stron.
COVID-19-Hospitalized Patients in Karnataka: Survival and Stay Characteristics

The information on the clinical course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its correlates which are essential to assess the hospital care needs of the population are currently limited. We investigated the factors associated with hospital stay and death for COVID-19 patients for the entire state of Karnataka, India. A retrospective-cohort analysis was conducted on 445 COVID-19 patients that were reported in the publicly available media-bulletin from March 9, 2020, to April 23, 2020, for the Karnataka state. This fixed cohort was followed till 14 days (May 8, 2020) for definitive outcomes (death/discharge). The median length of hospital stay was 17 days (interquartile range: 15–20) for COVID-19 patients. Having severe disease at the time of admission (adjusted-hazard-ratio: 9.3 (3.2–27.3);P < 0.001) and being aged ≥ 60 years (adjusted-hazard-ratio: 11.9 (3.5–40.6);P < 0.001) were the significant predictors of COVID-19 mortality. By moving beyond descriptive (which provide only crude information) to survival analyses, information on the local hospital-related characteristics will be crucial to model bed-occupancy demands for contingency planning during COVID-19 pandemic.
Evidence for mutations in SARS‐CoV‐2 Italian isolates potentially affecting virus transmission

Italy is the first western country suffering heavy severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) transmission and disease impact after coronavirus disease‐2019 pandemia started in China. Even though the presence of mutations on spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid in Italian isolates has been reported, the potential impact of these mutations on viral transmission has not been evaluated. We have compared SARS‐CoV‐2 genome sequences from Italian patients with virus sequences from Chinese patients. We focussed upon three nonsynonymous mutations of genes coding for S(one) and N (two) viral proteins present in Italian isolates and absent in Chinese ones, using various bioinformatics tools. Amino acid analysis and changes in three‐dimensional protein structure suggests the mutations reduce protein stability and, particularly for S1 mutation, the enhanced torsional ability of the molecule could favor virus binding to cell receptor(s). This theoretical interpretation awaits experimental and clinical confirmation.
The life history and population biology of an intertidal aphid, Pemphigus trehernei Foster

SUMMARY 1 The fluctuations in the density and composition of populations of Pemphigus trehernei, an aphid that lives on the roots of the halophyte Aster tripolium, were followed on an area of saltmarsh on the north Norfolk coast between 1971 and 1973. 2 The aphid has a typical Pemphigus life-cycle, but the emphasis is on the non-sexual anholocycle. Many diapausing aphids overwinter on the marsh and relatively few alates fly to or from it. 3 The aphids are confined to the top 11 cm of soil and are highly aggregated: the dispersion of the population can be fitted to the negative binomial. The absolute density of the populations is relatively low, with a mean value of about 2000 aphids/m2 of available marsh area. 4 Temperature, host-plant growth and fungal attack are probably the most important factors affecting seasonal population fluctuations. Up to 50% of the populations may be infected with the fungus Metarrhizium anisopliae, which is widespread in the soil.
Oncogenic mutation or overexpression of oncogenic KRAS or BRAF is not sufficient to confer oncogene addiction

Oncogene addiction is a cellular property by which cancer cells become highly dependent on the expression of oncogenes for their survival. Oncogene addiction can be exploited to design molecularly targeted drugs that kill only cancer cells by inhibiting the specific oncogenes. Genes and cell lines exhibiting oncogene addiction, as well as the mechanisms by which cell death is induced when addicted oncogenes are suppressed, have been extensively studied. However, it is still not fully understood how oncogene addiction is acquired in cancer cells. Here, we take a synthetic biology approach to investigate whether oncogenic mutation or oncogene expression suffices to confer the property of oncogene addiction to cancer cells. We employed human mammary epithelium-derived MCF-10A cells expressing the oncogenic KRAS or BRAF. MCF-10A cells harboring an oncogenic mutation in a single-allele of KRAS or BRAF showed weak tumorigenic activity, but no characteristics of oncogene addiction. MCF-10A cells overexpressing oncogenic KRAS demonstrated the tumorigenic activity, but MCF-10A cells overexpressing oncogenic BRAF did not. Neither cell line exhibited any oncogene addiction properties. These results indicate that the introduction of oncogenic mutation or the overexpression of oncogenes is not sufficient for cancer cells to acquire oncogene addiction, and that oncogene addiction is not associated with tumorigenic potential.
Can Intraoperative Fluorescence Imaging Identify All Lesions While the Road Map Created by Preoperative Nuclear Imaging Is Masked?

Tracers can help visualize the lymphatic drainage patterns and sentinel nodes (SNs) of individual prostate cancer patients. To determine the role of nuclear medicine in surgical guidance, in particular the positional guidance of a SPECT/CT-based 3-dimensional imaging road map, in this process we studied to what extent fluorescence guidance underestimated the number of target lesions relative to radioguidance. Methods: SPECT/CT imaging was performed after intraprostatic tracer administration of either indocyanine green (ICG)-99mTc-nanocolloid (hybrid-tracer group) or 99mTc-nanocolloid to create a road map that depicted all SNs. Patients who received 99mTc-nanocolloid were injected with “free” ICG immediately before surgery. Before unmasking, fluorescence guidance was used for intraoperative SN identification. This was followed by extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND). After unmasking of the SPECT/CT images, the number of missed SNs was recorded and their resection was pursued when there was no risk of intraoperative complications. Results: Preoperative SPECT/CT revealed no differences in the SN identification rate between ICG-99mTc-nanocolloid and 99mTc-nanocolloid. However, fluorescence guidance allowed intraoperative removal of all SNs in only 40% of patients in the hybrid-tracer group and 20% of patients in the free-ICG group. Overall, 75.9% of the intraoperatively resected SNs in the hybrid-tracer group and 51.8% of the SNs in the free-ICG group were removed solely under fluorescence guidance. During ePLND, 22 additional SNs were resected (7 in the hybrid-tracer group and 15 in the free-ICG group). After unmasking, 18 remaining SNs were identified (6 in the hybrid group and 12 in the free-ICG group). In the free-ICG group, ex vivo evaluation of the excised specimens revealed that 14 SNs removed under ePLND or after unmasking contained radioactivity but no fluorescence. Conclusion: The preoperative imaging road map provided by SPECT/CT enhanced the detection of prostate SNs in more ectopic locations in 17 of the 25 patients, and the hybrid tracer ICG-99mTc-nanocolloid was shown to outperform free ICG. Overall, fluorescence-guided pelvic nodal surgery underestimated the number of SNs in 60%–80% of patients.
Community Integration and Quality of Life: Stroke Survivors as Recipients of Rehabilitation by Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) in Thailand

Abstract This study investigated the effectiveness of rehabilitation services provided by trained Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) on community integration and quality of life (QOL) for stroke patients in Thailand. Community integration and QOL were measured before receiving rehabilitation and at three months post-intervention. Twenty-five stroke subjects from four rehabilitation centers were recruited by purposive sampling. The statistics used were descriptive and paired t-test. The community integration scores increased significantly (p < .05) from pre-test (mean = 9.80 ± 3.96) to post-test (mean = 11.44 ± 4.68). The QOL scores also significantly (p < .05) increased from pre-test (mean = 71.44 ± 8.38) to post-test (mean = 84.88 ± 12.07). Results demonstrate that rehabilitation services provided by trained VHVs can promote community integration and QOL for stroke survivors.
Soroprevalência e variáveis epidemiológicas associadas à leishmaniose visceral canina em área endêmica no Município de São Luís, Maranhão, Brasil

This work aimed to determine the seroprevalence and epidemiological variables associated to Leishmania spp. infection in dogs from five locations of Tirirical District, in Sao Luis, Maranhao State, Brazil. Seventy-two houses were visited and samples of one hundred dogs were taken. A questionnaire was applied in order to investigate the possible factors related to the Leishmania infection. The following variables were used: forest proximity from the residence, livestock of domestic animals or shelter of wild animals, sex, age and breed. Clinical examination was also performed looking for clinical signs compatible to the infection. The serological analysis revealed that 67 samples were reactive. The clinical signs observed were focal lymphadenophaty, alopecia, weight loss, cutaneous ulcers, skin desquamation, keratoconjuntivitis and onycogrifosis. Animals from Cruzeiro de Santa Barbara and Cajupari, both locations near the forest, have 3.4 and 12.0 more chances of being reactive to Leishmania spp. than the ones in the other studied locations. No statistical relation was found between seropositive dogs and any other variables. KEYWORDS: Associated factors, canine visceral leishmaniasis, epidemiology, seroprevalence.
A Dual-Band Dual-Circularly Polarized Reflectarray for K/Ka-Band Space Applications

Reflectarrays (RAs) offer low-cost and low-profile solutions for reflector antennas that are polarization and frequency selective. These features augment their capabilities for point-to-point communications compared to conventional reflectors. Here, a dual-band dual-circularly polarized (CP) RA that can radiate independently shaped beams in the desired directions for each polarization in each band is proposed. The RA is composed of a dual-band dual-linearly polarized (LP) RA and a dual-band LP-to-CP polarizer. The proposed RA can be employed to reduce the number of the required apertures for a four-color multiple spot beam coverage implemented using a single-feed-per-beam configuration from four to two. The underlying unit cell of the proposed RA is designed for 18.3–18.8 GHz and 27.0–27.5 GHz. It provides a 323° phase shift in the lower band and 381° phase shift in the higher band while maintaining a cross-polarization level better than 15 dB in both bands and excellent decoupling between the two bands. An offset-fed RA is designed, fabricated, and measured.
Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Comparator (Darbepoetin Alfa) Study of Oral Roxadustat in CKD Patients with Anemia on Hemodialysis in Japan.

BACKGROUND Roxadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor approved in China for dialysis-dependent CKD anemia. METHODS This phase 3, 24-week, double-blind, double-dummy study evaluated roxadustat's noninferiority to darbepoetin alfa for hemodialysis-dependent CKD anemia. We randomly assigned Japanese patients to oral roxadustat three times weekly or to darbepoetin alfa injections once weekly, titrating doses to maintain hemoglobin between 10-12 g/dl. The primary end point was change of average hemoglobin from baseline to weeks 18-24 (∆Hb18-24). Secondary end points were average hemoglobin and proportion of patients with hemoglobin between 10-12 g/dl (maintenance rate) at weeks 18-24, and iron parameters. Safety assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events and adjudicated ophthalmologic findings. RESULTS We randomly assigned 303 patients to roxadustat (n=151) or darbepoetin alfa (n=152). The difference between roxadustat and darbepoetin alfa in ∆Hb18-24 was -0.02 g/dl (95% confidence interval, -0.18 to 0.15), confirming roxadustat's noninferiority to darbepoetin alfa. Average hemoglobin at weeks 18-24 with roxadustat was 10.99 g/dl (95% confidence interval: 10.88 to 11.10), confirming its efficacy. Among patients with one or more hemoglobin value during weeks 18-24, the maintenance rate was 95.2% with roxadustat and 91.3% with darbepoetin alfa. Serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation remained clinically stable with roxadustat; transferrin and total iron binding capacity increased through week 4 before stabilizing. Common treatment-emergent adverse events were nasopharyngitis, shunt stenosis, diarrhea, contusion, and vomiting. The proportion of patients with new or worsening retinal hemorrhage was 32.4% with roxadustat and 36.6% with darbepoetin alfa. We observed no clinically meaningful changes in retinal thickness groups. CONCLUSIONS Roxadustat maintained hemoglobin within 10-12 g/dl in patients on hemodialysis and was noninferior to darbepoetin alfa. Treatment-emergent adverse events were consistent with previous reports. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER A Study of Intermittent Oral Dosing of ASP1517 in Hemodialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Anemia, NCT02952092 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
Shoot and root biomass of desert grasses as affected by biosolids application

Abstract This research evaluated the effects of level and season of biosolids application and irrigation regime on shoot and root biomass production of blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag. ex Steud. ) and tobosagrass ( Hilaria mutica (Buckl.) Benth. ), two perennial, warm season grasses of Chihuahuan Desert rangelands. Plants of both species were transplanted to pots and maintained under a rain-out shelter. The plants were treated either in the spring or summer with biosolids at levels of 0, 7, 18, 34, and 90 dry Mg ha −1 and irrigated at 40% or 80% field capacity soil water content. In general, biosolids increased shoot biomass of both species, which was partly a result of the increased soil NO 3 -N concentrations that followed biosolids application. More biomass was allocated to the roots of the grasses when biosolids and irrigation levels were low. In contrast, more biomass was allocated to the shoots when biosolids and irrigation levels were high. Shoot biomass production and soil NO 3 -N concentrations were enhanced more by the spring application of biosolids than by the summer application. The season of application influences the beneficial effect of biosolids on desert grasses.
Volitional Control of Piloerection: Objective Evidence and Its Potential Utility in Neuroscience Research

The volitional control of piloerection has been previously reported in a small subset of individuals. Although this ability may be useful to study the mechanism underlying piloerection, there is little existing research on this ability, neither objective evidence at a group-level, nor information about its stability under experimental constraints. The present study aimed to validate existing findings of voluntarily generated piloerection (VGP) and to examine its potential contribution to neuroscientific research based on objective evidence of this ability. In Study 1, to confirm the characteristics of VGP reported in previous studies and identify individuals with VGP capability, an online survey of VGP candidates was conducted. In Study 2, 18 VGP holders participated in a mail-based piloerection measurement experiment, and the nature of VGP was examined based on the objective data obtained by image-based analysis (GooseLab). Study 1 largely confirmed the characteristics of VGP reported in previous studies, and Study 2 demonstrated VGP at a group-level and provided information about the temporal characteristics of this ability, which supports the utility of VGP in neuroscientific research. For some participants, VGP appeared to be emotionally promoted, which suggests that VGP has some relationship with the emotional nature of involuntary piloerection. Although the studies did not tightly control the environment in which VGP was elicited, the findings nonetheless demonstrate the possible contribution of VGP to elucidating the mechanism of involuntary emotional piloerection and the neural basis of piloerection itself.
In vitro assessment of wheat tolerance to drought

Analyzed in this paper were the in vitro effects of drought stress in 13 genotypes of winter wheat, one genotype of spring wheat, and three Triticale genotypes of different geographic origin. Callus tissue was induced from immature zygotic embryos (10-15 days after pollination) on a modified MS nutrient medium. After two weeks, callus tissue was transplanted onto the same medium enriched with 5% high-molecular polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000), which was used as the stress agent to produce the effect of drought chemically. A control group of calluses was grown on an identical medium but without PEG. After four weeks of growing calluses on these mediums, we assessed callus mass survival ability of the genotypes before the transplantation as well as percentage reduction of callus fresh weight after the transplantation onto the nutrient medium with 5% PEG. Statistically significant differences were found among the genotypes in their response to the induced stress. The best survival ability before the transplantation was found in the genotype Mexicol20 (83%), while the lowest was recorded in Slavija (11.3%). Culture growing under stress conditions significantly reduced callus fresh weight in all of the genotypes. The lowest decrease of the callus mass relative to control was recorded in Rozofskaja (14.4%) and the highest in Miranovska (58.4%), indicating the genotypes' tolerance levels towards drought stress.
PrPs

The best known attribute of the prion protein (PrP) is its tendency to misfold into a rogue isoform. Much less understood is how this misfolded isoform causes deadly brain illnesses. Although neurodegeneration in prion disease is often seen as the result of abnormal PrP function, amazingly little is known about the normal, physiological role of PrP. In particular, the absence of obvious phenotypes in PrP knockout mice has prevented scientists from answering this important question. Using knockdown approaches, we previously produced clear PrP loss-of-function phenotypes in zebrafish. Analysis of these phenotypes revealed that PrP can modulate E-cadherin-based cell adhesion, thereby controlling essential morphogenetic cell movements in the early embryo. Our data also showed that PrP itself can elicit homophilic cell-cell adhesion and trigger intracellular signaling via Src-related kinases. Here we discuss the use of the zebrafish in prion biology, and how these findings may advance our understanding of the roles of PrP in health and disease.
Fluvial Migration, Spawning, and Fecundity of Indus River Hilsa, Hilsa ilisha

Abstract Hilsa is a widely distributed anadromous fish occurring from the Persian Gulf to South Vietnam. The Indus is the only river in West Pakistan which supports a run of hilsa. These fish enter the Indus River each year, beginning about the middle of January, and in some years remain in the river as late as November. The bulk of hilsa, however, are found during June, July, and early August. Although increased stream flow does not appear to be the stimulus that attracts hilsa into the Indus, as reported for other streams, the peak of the run does occur during peak flows. Maturing hilsa entering the river range between 25 and 60 cm in length while a few immature fish enter that are as small as 22 cm. Most of the male fish appear to be in their 4th year of life, while the females are represented predominately by two age classes that appear to be their 4th and 5th respectively. Fecundity of hilsa varies between 755,000 and 2,917,000 eggs per female. There is no close correlation between length or weight a.
Use of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6 Clicks" Basic Mobility Inpatient Short Form and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale to Predict Hospital Discharge Disposition After Stroke.

OBJECTIVE Therapists in the hospital are charged with making timely discharge recommendations to improve access to rehabilitation after stroke. The objective of this study was to identify the predictive ability of the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care "6 Clicks" Basic Mobility Inpatient Short Form (6 Clicks mobility) score and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score for actual hospital discharge disposition after stroke. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from an academic hospital in the United States for 1543 patients with acute stroke and a 6 Clicks mobility score. Discharge to home, a skilled nursing facility (SNF), or an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) was the primary outcome. Associations among these outcomes and 6 Clicks mobility and NIHSS scores, alone or together, were tested using multinomial logistic regression, and the predictive ability of these scores was calculated using concordance statistics. RESULTS A higher 6 Clicks mobility score alone was associated with a decreased odds of actual discharge to an IRF or an SNF. The 6 Clicks mobility score alone was a strong predictor of discharge to home versus an IRF or an SNF. However, predicting discharge to an IRF versus an SNF was stronger when the 6 Clicks mobility score was considered in combination with the NIHSS score, age, sex, and race. CONCLUSION The 6 Clicks mobility score alone can guide discharge decision making after stroke, particularly for discharge to home versus an SNF or an IRF. Determining discharge to an SNF versus an IRF could be improved by also considering the NIHSS score, age, sex, and race. Future studies should seek to identify which additional characteristics improve predictability for these separate discharge destinations. IMPACT The use of outcome measures can improve therapist confidence in making discharge recommendations for people with stroke, can enhance hospital throughput, and can expedite access to rehabilitation, ultimately affecting functional outcomes.
Optimal Sizing and Profit Maximization of Clustered Microgrid using Game Theory Techniques

This paper proposes two different techniques of cooperative game theory to optimize the sizes of generation resources and batteries, and maximize the profit of clustered microgrid in grid-connected mode. To design the clustered system various combinations of generation resources like wind turbines and photovoltaic panels are made with batteries, and linked electric load and main grid. The optimization of generation resources and batteries will be carried out using game theory technique Nash equilibrium, and Shapely values are used to get maximum profit of selected clustered microgrid. An algorithm is developed to implement game theory techniques using a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in MATLAB.