Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low serum free light chain is associated with risk of COPD exacerbation

Background Most exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are triggered by respiratory tract infections. Adaptive immunity via antibody production is important in preventing infections. Impaired antibody production is reported to be associated with an increased risk of exacerbations of COPD. In the present study, we elucidated whether reduced free light chains (FLCs), which are excessive amounts of light chains produced during antibody synthesis and can be used to estimate systemic antibody production, may be a promising biomarker to predict the risk of exacerbations of COPD. Methods We enrolled stable male patients with COPD and prospectively observed them for 2 years. At baseline, serum combined FLC (cFLC; sum of kappa and lambda values) and pulmonary function were evaluated. Exacerbation was defined as a worsening of symptoms requiring treatments with antibiotics, corticosteroids or both. Results 63 patients with stable COPD were enrolled (72.8±8.1 years, GOLD A/B/C/D=24/28/6/5), and 51 patients completed the 2-year follow-up. Serum cFLC was 31.1 mg·L−1 on average and ranged widely (1.4 to 89.9 mg·L−1). The patients with low cFLC (below the mean−sd, n=6) experienced a significantly shorter time to the first exacerbation of COPD (p<0.0001 by the log-rank test). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, including the COPD assessment test score, % predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 % pred), and number of previous exacerbations demonstrated that low cFLC and low FEV1 % pred were independently and significantly correlated with the risk for exacerbations of COPD. Conclusion Low cFLC may be a B-cell-associated novel biomarker associated with risk of COPD exacerbation. Impaired antibody production is associated with an increased risk for exacerbations of COPD. Low serum free light chain is a novel B-cell-associated biomarker for COPD exacerbations. https://bit.ly/35cgMTC
Salvage Therapy With Multikinase Inhibitors and Immunotherapy in Advanced Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma

Abstract Background Median overall survival is 12 to 15 months in patients with metastatic adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC). Etoposide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin with or without the adrenolytic agent mitotane is considered the best first-line approach in this context, but has limited activity and no curative potential; additional salvage therapeutic options are needed. Methods Fifteen total patients with recurrent/metastatic ACC were treated with single-agent multikinase inhibitors (MKI) (n = 8), single-agent PD-1 inhibition (n = 8), or cytotoxic chemotherapy plus PD-1 inhibition (n = 4) at our institution as later-line systemic therapies in efforts to palliate disease and attempt to achieve a therapeutic response when not otherwise possible using standard approaches. Results Two of 8 patients (25%) treated with single-agent MKI achieved a partial response (PR), including 1 PR lasting 23.5 months. Another 3 patients (38%) had stable disease (SD); median progression-free survival (PFS) with single-agent MKI was 6.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8—not reached). On the other hand, 2 of 12 patients (17%) treated with PD-1 inhibitors (either alone or in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy) attained SD or better, with 1 patient (8%) achieving a PR; median PFS was 1.4 months (95% CI 0.6-2.7). Conclusions Our single-institution experience suggests that select ACC patients respond to late-line MKI or checkpoint inhibition despite resistance to cytotoxic agents. These treatments may be attractive to ACC patients with limited other therapeutic options. The use of MKI and immunotherapy in ACC warrants prospective investigation emphasizing parallel correlative studies to identify biomarkers that predict for response.
I. Understanding membrane interactions of bacterial exoproteins; II. Identification and characterization of a novel mammalian cis-aconitate decarboxylase

Secreted phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase Cs (PI-PLCs) are often virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria. Understanding how these enzymes interact with target membranes may provide novel methods to control bacterial infections. In this work, two typical PI-PLC enzymes, from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Staphylococcus aureus (Sa), were studied and their membrane binding properties were examined and correlated with enzymatic activity. BtPI-PLC is kinetically activated by allosteric binding of a phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecule. MD simulations of the protein in solution suggested correlated loop and helix motions around the active site could regulate BtPI-PLC activity. Vesicle binding and enzymatic studies of variants of two proline residues, Pro245 and Pro254, that were associated with these motions showed that loss of the correlated motions between the two halves of PI-PLC were more critical for enzymatic activity than for vesicle binding. Furthermore, loss of enzyme activity could be rescued to a large extent with PC present
Role of Stem Cell-derived Extracellular RNA-carrying Vesicles in Cell Reprogramming

There is increasing evidence indicating that secreted RNA molecules may act as paracrine/endocrine mediators, capable of modifying the phenotype of target cells. Several studies have focused on transporters of extracellular RNAs, indicating that they may be present in biological fluids in a non-encapsulated form, or encapsulated within membrane vesicles. Cell-derived extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles, have recently emerged as a well-preserved evolutionary mechanism of cell-to-cell communication. It has been shown that extracellular vesicles can contain several species of RNAs, including mRNAs, microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs. Vesicleencapsulated extracellular RNAs are protected from degrading enzymes, and can be delivered after internalization or membrane fusion to target cells. The transfer of nucleic acids may induce epigenetic changes in the recipient cells with functional consequences. Here we discuss the role of extracellular vesicles in the cross talk between stem and injured cells, and in the resulting reprogramming of these cells.
A proposed methodology to standardize the determination of enzymic activities present in enzyme additives used in ruminant diets

There is increasing interest in using enzymes that degrade plant cell walls in ruminant diets to enhance production efficiency. Despite strong evidence from several studies suggesting a beneficial effect of enzyme supplementation on nutrient utilization and animal performance, overall the results have been somewhat inconsistent. One of the main problems faced by researchers is the lack of adequate biochemical characterization of the products used, which leads to a poor understanding of their mode of action. Of these biochemical characteristics, enzyme activities are the most important, but they are not always evaluated prior to use. Furthermore, as many arbitrary units of expression for these activities coexist, direct comparisons among studies are essentially impossible. In this paper, we propose a methodology that we feel accounts for the requirements of accuracy, simplicity and safety of use. In addition, a rationale for the standardization of the assays as a function of the conditions under which the .
Effect of vermicompost and bio-control agents on growth and flowering of gladiolus cv. J.V. GOLD.

grown throughout the world. It is native to tropical and southern Africa and belongs to family Iridaceac. Gladiolus with its long flower spikes having rich variations of colours and long vase life has ever increasing demand in the flower market. Vermicompost act as valuable organic manure and it is higher in content as compare to usual rural compost. Among biocontrol agents, Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudmonas fluorescens and Bacillus sultilis occupy significant place for their antagonistic property against Fusariun oxysporum f. sp. gladioli causing Fusarium wilt of gladiolus. Beneficial effect of organic manure and biocontrol agents has been well documented in various horticultural crops. Effect of vermicompost and biocontrol agents on growth and flowering of gladiolus has been reported earlier (Mishra and Mukhopadhyay, 2000; Sharma and Chandel, 2003; Bhalla et al., 2006; Dongardive et al., 2007.) In view of the Members of the Research Forum
APPLICATION OF EXTRACTED PEROXIDASE ENZYME FROM TURNIP ROOTS (BRASSICA NAPUS) IN CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC KIT

The peroxidase enzyme was extracted by juicing the turnip roots followed by centrifugation at 12000 rpm. Partial purification of the enzyme was carried out by precipitating of crude enzyme solution with solid (NH4)2SO4 and dialyzed against phosphate buffer saline (PBS) then fractionated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 column. The fractionation pattern of the pre-dialyzed enzyme illustrated that two peaks of protein content (absorbance at 280 nm) were present. The 1 st peak contained most of the peroxidase activity. The 2 nd peak contained other proteins. The enzyme activity showed 2.5 Ku/1ml when guaicol was used as a substrate. For glucose clinical diagnostic kit, two reagents were prepared: The 1 st was commercial glucose kit as control. The 2 nd was completely prepared using the extracted peroxidase (100 units/100ml reagent). The stability of the prepared kits was in agreement with those of commercial kit. They were stable up to one year when tested corresponding to the reference range of glucose; Normal: 74102 mg/dl and Pathogenic: 235-325mg/dl.
EFFECT OF STARVATION ON NADPH-DEPENDENT ENZYMES IN LIVER MICROSOMES OF MALE AND FEMALE RATS

Although liver microsomes from male rats metabolize most drugs more rapidly than do those from female rats, the magnitude of the sex difference varies markedly with the substrate. There is more than a 3-fold sex difference with substrates like aminopyrine and hexobarbital, but virtually no sex difference in the hydroxylation of aniline and zoxazolamine. The effects of starvation of male rats range from impairment of sex-dependent enzymes which metabolize aminopyrine and hexobarbital to enhancement of the sex-independent enzyme that hydroxylates aniline. In contrast, starvation of female rats increases the specific activity of the aminopyrine- and hexobarbital-metabolizing enzymes as well as aniline hydroxylase. Since the sex-dependent enzymes are impaired in fasted male rats but enhanced in fasted female rats, starvation diminishes if it does not abolish the sex difference in the metabolism of drugs by rat liver microsomes. Starvation does not alter the metabolism of hexobarbital and enhances the metabolism of aminopyrine by liver microsomes from castrated rats, but impairs the metabolism of these compounds by liver microsomes from castrated rats receiving methyltestosterone.
Effects of clipping on diversity and above‐ground biomass associated with soil fertility on an alpine meadow in the eastern region of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Abstract The objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that effects of different clipping regimes on diversity on an alpine meadow are due to soil fertility. Species richness should be greatest at an intermediate level of disturbance, e.g., clipping, since dominance is prevented and the pool of potential colonists is relatively large. We predict the effects of clipping on species richness, diversity and above‐ground biomass based on the disturbance hypothesis. Anatural pasture was used for the experiment that was a randomised complete block design with four levels of nutrient input annually from the 2001 growing season. During 2004, subplots were clipped to stubble heights of 2, 4 and 10 cm above the soil surface, with a control. Species richness declined to an average of 6 and 19 species per quadrat for the treatments that were heavily clipped twice, compared to an average of 11 and 31 species per quadrat in the undipped treatment receiving nutrient input of 120 g of fertiliser/m2 and control plots, respectively. Species richness was not altered by the other clipping treatments at any nutrient level. Species richness declined in plots with the highest nutrient input and in control plots with heavy clipping twice, but species richness had no obvious changes in those plots receiving the intermediate level clipping at all nutrient levels. Available phosphorus increased significantly with increased nutrient addition, however soil pH decreased. Available nitrogen and organic matter did not change significantly with nutrient addition. The clipping regime contributed to the dominance of gram inoids with increased nutrient input, and the dominant graminoids assimilated large amounts of available nitrogen and organic matter, which resulted in the minor changes in available nitrogen in soil.
Cohort Modeling Based App Category Usage Prediction

Smartphones utilize context signals, such as time and location, to predict users' app usage tailored to individual users. To be effective, such personalization relies on access to sufficient information about each user's behavioral habits. For new users, the behavior information may be sparse or non-existent. To handle these cases, app category usage prediction approaches can employ signals from users who are similar along one or more dimensions, i.e., those in the same cohort. In this paper, we describe a characterization and evaluation of the use of such cohort modeling to enhance app category usage prediction. We experiment with pre-defined cohorts from three taxonomies - demographics, psychographics, and behavioral patterns - independently and in combination. We also evaluate various approaches to assign users into the corresponding cohorts. We show, through extensive experiments with large-scale mobile app usage logs from a mobile advertising company, that leveraging cohort behavior can yield significant prediction performance gains than when using the personalized signals at the individual prediction level. In addition, compared to the personalized model, the cohort-based approach can significantly alleviate the cold-start problem, achieving strong predictive performance even with limited amount of user interactions.
The distribution of three eyeless Chaetozone species (Cirratulidae: Polychaeta) in the north-east Atlantic

Geographical information system analysis was applied to assist in the re-identification of records of Chaetozone setosa from the north-east Atlantic. Previously this species was considered to have a world-wide distribution. The aim of this study is to clarify and illustrate the distribution patterns associated with sediment and water characteristics of C. setosa and other Chaetozone species.
MORFOLOGIA DOS MÚSCULOS DA COXA DE MÃO-PELADA (Procyon cancrivorus) – Cuvier 1798

The Procyon cancrivorus is a wild animal, which belongs to the carnivore order, present in all Brazilian territory, some Central American countries, Uruguay and Argentina. Although this animal is not in the list of endangered species, there are few morphological data about this species. Only studies about the habits, habitat and some morphological data were found in Brazilian and world literature. The purpose of this study was to describe the proximal and distal insertions of the posterior and medial thigh muscles of the P. cancrivorus , comparing them with domestic carnivores literature data, such as dogs and cats. The five specimens were collected postmortem, victims of accidents on highways. The animals were fixed in formaldehyde (10%) and stored in opaque covered tanks. The description of the thigh musculature was made possible by the dissection technique, visualizing its proximal and distal insertions, irrigation and innervation. The results were documented with a digital camera and compared with literature data of the thigh muscles of domestic animals such as cats and dogs. Studies on the quadriceps femoris, sartorius, tensor fascia lata, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, adductor, semimembranosus, caudal crural abductor, twins, quadratus femoris, gracilis and pectineus were carried out and great similarity with the thigh muscles of carnivores such as cats and dogs were found. KEYWORDS: Anatomy, muscles of the thigh, Procyon cancrivorus , raccoon.
Testing high performance numerical simulation programs: experience, lessons learned, and open issues

High performance numerical simulation programs are widely used to simulate actual physical processes on high performance computers for the analysis of various physical and engineering problems. They are usually regarded as non-testable due to their high complexity. This paper reports our real experience and lessons learned from testing five simulation programs that will be used to design and analyze nuclear power plants. We applied five testing approaches and found 33 bugs. We found that property-based testing and metamorphic testing are two effective methods. Nevertheless, we suffered from the lack of domain knowledge, the high test costs, the shortage of test cases, severe oracle issues, and inadequate automation support. Consequently, the five programs are not exhaustively tested from the perspective of software testing, and many existing software testing techniques and tools are not fully applicable due to scalability and portability issues. We need more collaboration and communication with other communities to promote the research and application of software testing techniques.
Students' Uptake of Recasts in Classroom Interaction: a Study in a Lower-Education Context at the Same Level of Students' Proficiency

Student success in learning is caused by various factors in which one of them is teacher feedback. The success of teacher feedback relates to the extent of student uptake towards the correction from the teacher--- whether they are aware so that correcting their errors or mistakes immediately, or they are unaware then missing the teacher correction. The current study aims to find out the number of the students' uptake towards their teacher recasts as one of the types of feedback, and to investigate the students' cognition towards the notion of recasts performed by their teacher. This study involved two high school students in an EFL classroom. Both students' English proficiency was categorized at the intermediate level by the teacher based on the grammaticality judgment test and speaking test conducted at the beginning of the semester. The data were collected through a checklist format in classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews. The findings show that due to several intervening factors, both students only repaired around thirty percent of the overall recasts given by the teacher. Further, both students also explained their ignorance of the nature of recasts so that their uptake was not considerably obtained.
The intrinsic factors in the act of progression in the mammal

Whilst the act of progression is being performed, the several limbs exhibit rhythmic movements of flexion and of extension. When any limb is in contact with the ground, it extends, and thus serves to propel the animal forwards. At the end of this act the limb is lifted from the ground by a movement of flexion, is carried forward, and finally is again placed upon the ground to repeat the cycle. During these phasic acts the dynamic balance of the neural centres is disturbed by two different kinds of peripheral stimuli. In the first place, the discontinuous contact with the ground, and the synchronous distortion of the skin of the foot—determined by the weight of the animal then carried in part by that limb—produce changes in the activity of exteroceptive end-organs therein embedded, and discontinuous augmentations and diminutions of the stimuli originated in them.
What's in a User? Towards Personalising Transparency for Music Recommender Interfaces

We have become increasingly reliant on recommender systems to help us make decisions in our daily live. As such, it is becoming essential to explain to users how these systems reason to enable them to correct system assumptions and to trust the system. The advantages of explaining the recommendation process has been shown by a vast amount of research. Additionally, previous studies showed that personality affects users' attitudes, tastes and information processing. However, it is still unclear whether personality has an impact on the way users process and perceive explanations. In this paper, we report the results of a study that investigated differences between personal characteristics of the perception and the gaze pattern of a music recommender interface in the presence and absence of explanations. We investigated the differences between Need For Cognition, Musical Sophistication and the Big Five personality traits. Results show empirical evidence of the differences between Musical Sophistication and Openness on both perception and gaze pattern. We found that users with a high Musical Sophistication and a low Openness score benefit the most from explanations.
Never judge a book by its cover : comparative life history traits of two morphologically similar carcharhinid sharks in northern Australia.

As anthropogenic pressures including over-fishing and climate change intensify, high-order predators are being threatened within coastal communities. Predicting consequences hinges on our understanding of how species similarities and differences shape ecosystem function and resilience. I compared ecological similarity between two morphologically similar carcharhinids, bull (Carcharhinus leucas) and pigeye (C. amboinensis) sharks in northern Australia. Ecological similarity was measured by comparing a) age structure and growth dynamics, b) habitat use and c) genetic population structure and phylogeography. Age structure and growth dynamics were quantified by analysing vertebrae of 199 pigeye and 94 bull sharks. Model averaging results indicated female pigeye sharks matured at 13 years, lived > 30 years and with a growth coefficient (k) of 0.145 year –1. Male pigeye sharks matured slightly earlier (12 years), survived > 26 years and grew faster (k = 0.161 year –1) than females. Bull sharks matured at 9.5 years and displayed similar growth coefficient (k = 0.158 year –1) and survival (> 27 years) as pigeye sharks. Analysis of vertebral microchemistry identified unique elemental signatures in each of the freshwater bull shark nurseries, but these signatures did not occur in adult vertebrae. Furthermore, age-specific changes in microchemistry synonymous with known ontogenetic changes in patterns of habitat use were also evident. However, vertebral microchemistry could not discriminate among natal habitats of pigeye sharks and age-specific changes in vertebral microchemistry were absent. Inter-specific differences in vertebral microchemistry suggest species display different patterns of habitat use. Population genetic structure and phylogeography of pigeye sharks defined two populations within northern Australia on the basis of mitochondrial DNA evidence, but this result was not supported by nuclear microsatellite or RAG 1 markers. Phylogeography identified three distinct clades present in differing frequencies across northern Australia. Bull sharks displayed starkly different patterns. High genetic diversity among juveniles sampled from different rivers supported the hypothesis of female reproductive philopatry. Furthermore, phylogeography identified only one clade across northern Australia. Despite similar age and growth structure, different patterns of habitat use and genetic evolution confirm that morphological likeliness does not equate to similar ecologies in these large carcharhinid sharks.