Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The main component of the scent of Senecio madagascariensis flowers is an attractant for Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes

Abstract Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the main vectors of arboviruses, including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. It almost exclusively inhabits urban areas. Both sexes feed on plant carbohydrates, although for males, this is their only food source. In the case of floral nectars, mosquitoes locate plant sugar sources assisted by volatile compounds. In this work, we found that the floral scent of Senecio madagascariensis elicited a behavioral response in males; therefore, we focused on identifying the volatiles emitted by these flowers. The terpenes (±)-α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, and phellandrene and 1-alkenes 1-undecene, and 1-nonene were identified. To determine which compounds are bioactive, pure synthetic lures were assessed using an olfactometer. Only the main compound 1-nonene was an attractant for males. Since our goal was the introduction of synthetic floral-based attractants in toxic sugar-baited traps, we formulated 1-nonene in solid paraffin and stearin matrices to obtain a controlled release system. The bioassay with a toxicological end point showed that the incorporation of a feeding attractant to the toxic sugar trap increased overall mortality. These results suggest that it is possible to use plant volatile compounds or flower cuttings as male Ae. aegypti attractants to improve the efficacy of baited traps.
Cells and soft tissues in fossil bone: A review of preservation mechanisms, with corrections of misconceptions

In the most recent three decades, there has been an outpouring of research on the preservation of cells and soft tissues within fossil bones. Cells and soft tissues that are documented to have been preserved in fossil bones include osteocytes, chondrocytes, blood vessels, nerve fibers, nerves, and the sheets of collagen in bone matrix. Recent studies identify Fenton reactions as a plausible preservation mechanism for cells and soft tissues within bones, document the chemical signatures of Fenton reactions in the cells and soft tissues of fossil bones, and indicate that such preservation occurs early in diagenesis and is facilitated by oxidizing depositional environments and by protection via external concretions and other factors. Additionally, recent advances in the study of archaeological bone have identified a suite of factors that enable a bone and its cellular and soft tissue contents to survive into the fossil record. Despite these advances, two unfortunate situations persist. One is that there is little connection between the literature on archaeological bone and the literature on fossil bone. The other is that the literature of science voices numerous misconceptions regarding the preservation of cells and soft tissues in fossil bones, many of which are rooted in young-Earth creationist (YEC) opposition to the hypothesized role of Fenton reactions. To alleviate these problems, this review corrects misconceptions and links studies of archaeological bone to studies of fossil bone, to elucidate the mechanisms by which cells and soft tissues are preserved in bones for hundreds, then thousands, then millions of years. Philip J. Senter. Department of Biological and Forensic Sciences, Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28301, U.S.A, psenter@uncfsu.edu
Ultralow power consumption gas sensors based on self-heated individual nanowires

Dissipated power in metal oxide nanowires (rNW<45 nm) often causes important self-heating effects and as a result, undesired aging and failure of the devices. Nevertheless, this effect can be used to optimize the sensing conditions for the detection of various gaseous species, avoiding the requirement of external heaters. In this letter, the sensing capabilities of self-heated individual SnO2 nanowires toward NO2 are presented. These proof-of-concept systems exhibited responses nearly identical to those obtained with integrated microheaters, demonstrating the feasibility of taking advantage of self-heating in nanowires to develop ultralow power consumption integrated devices.
Gravity in brane world

We present a brief review on gravity in brane world. We mainly focus on the Randall‐Sundrum (RS) infinite brane world and Dvali‐Gabadadze‐Porrati (DGP) brane world. Our interest is in non‐linear effect in respective models. In RS model, in particular, we focus on the aspect related to the AdS/CFT correspondence. Based on the AdS/CFT correspondence, a conjecture made that black holes may evaporate in a classical manner in this setup. Following this conjecture, we also mention the developments in constructing the initial data and the solutions for static black holes localized on the brane numerical. As for DGP model, it is known that this model has self‐acceleration branch. However, this cosmological solution contains a spin‐2 ghost. We study the possibility of avoiding the appearance of the ghost by slightly modifying the model, introducing the second brane. We find that one can erase the spin‐2 ghost, but this can be achieved only at the expense of the appearance of a spin‐0 ghost instead. We also discuss.
Mapping the Relationship between Northern Hemisphere Winter Surface Air Temperature and the Madden-Julian Oscillation

AbstractA regression-based modeling approach is described for mapping the dependence of atmospheric state variables such as surface air temperature (SAT) on the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). For the special case of a linear model the dependence can be described by two maps corresponding to the amplitude and lag of the mean atmospheric response with respect to the MJO. In this sense the method leads to a more parsimonious description than traditional compositing, which usually results in eight maps, one for each MJO phase. Another advantage of the amplitude and phase maps is that they clearly identify propagating signals, and also regions where the response is strongly amplified or attenuated. A straightforward extension of the linear model is proposed to allow the amplitude and phase of the response to vary with the amplitude of the MJO or indices that define the background state of the atmosphere–ocean system. Application of the approach to global SAT for boreal winter clearly shows the propagation of.
The probabilistic nature of dune collisions in 2D

Abstract. Dunes are bedforms of different size and shape, appearing throughout aeolian, subaqueous and extraterrestrial environments. Collisions between dunes drive dune field evolution, and are a direct result of interacting dunes of different heights, travelling at different speeds. We perform 2D cellular automaton simulations of collisions between dune pairs migrating in a steady flow. Modelled collisions can result in either ejection, where dunes exchange mass before separating, or downstream- or upstream-dominant coalescence (merging of dunes). For each of these three elementary types of interaction, we identify the mass exchange mechanism and the distinctive intermediate morphologies. Surprisingly, we show that the collision outcome depends probabilistically on the initial dune area ratio r and can be described by a narrow sigmoidal function centred on r=1/2. Finally, we compare our simulations with laboratory experiments of dune collisions, finding good agreement concerning the intermediate morphology and the collision outcome. Our results can motivate further observational or experimental studies that validate our probabilistic collision predictions and fully determine the controls on the coalescence–ejection transition.
Don’t trust, verify: The economics of scams in initial coin offerings∗

Losses from fraud and financial scams are estimated to exceed U.S. $5 trillion annually. To study the economics of financial scams, we investigate the market for initial coin offerings (ICOs) using point-in-time data snapshots of 5,935 ICOs. Our evidence indicates that ICO issuers strategically screen for näıve investors by misrepresenting the characteristics of their offerings across listing websites. Misrepresented ICOs have higher scam risk, and misrepresentations are unlikely to reflect unintentional mistakes. Using on-chain analysis of Ethereum wallets, we find that investors in misrepresented ICOs tend to be less sophisticated. Overall, our findings highlight the use of screening strategies to target victims in financial scams and reinforce the importance of conducting due diligence.
The role of boundary layer processes in summer-time Arctic cyclones

Abstract. Arctic cyclones are the most energetic weather systems in the Arctic, producing strong winds and precipitation that present major weather hazards. In summer, when the sea ice cover is reduced and more mobile, Arctic cyclones can have large impacts on ocean waves and sea ice. While the development of mid-latitude cyclones is known to be dependent on boundary layer (BL) turbulent fluxes, the dynamics of summer-time Arctic cyclones and their dependence on surface exchange processes have not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to characterise the BL processes acting in summer-time Arctic cyclones and understand their influence on cyclone evolution. The study focuses on two cyclone case studies, each characterised by a different structure during growth in the Arctic: (A) low-level-dominant vorticity (warm-core) structure and (B) upper-level-dominant vorticity (cold-core) structure, linked with a tropopause polar vortex. A potential vorticity (PV) framework is used to diagnose the BL processes in model runs from the ECMWF Integrated Forecasting System model. Both cyclones are associated with frictional Ekman pumping and downward sensible heat fluxes over sea ice. However, a third process, the frictional baroclinic generation of PV, acts differently in A and B due to differences in their low-level temperature structures. Positive PV is generated in Cyclone A near the bent-back warm front, like in typical mid-latitude cyclones. However, the same process produces negative PV tendencies in B, shown to be a consequence of the vertically aligned axisymmetric cold-core structure. This frictional process also acts to cool the lower troposphere, reducing the warm-core anomaly in A and amplifying the cold-core anomaly in B. Both cyclones attain a vertically aligned cold-core structure that persists for several days after maximum intensity, which is consistent with cooling from frictional Ekman pumping, frictional baroclinic PV generation, and downward sensible heat fluxes. This may help to explain the longevity of isolated cold-core Arctic cyclones with columnar vorticity structure.
Flexibility of in vitro cortical circuits influences resilience from microtrauma

Background Small clusters comprising hundreds to thousands of neurons are an important level of brain architecture that correlates single neuronal properties to fulfill brain function, but the specific mechanisms through which this scaling occurs are not well understood. In this study, we developed an in vitro experimental platform of small neuronal circuits (islands) to probe the importance of structural properties for their development, physiology, and response to microtrauma. Methods Primary cortical neurons were plated on a substrate patterned to promote attachment in clusters of hundreds of cells (islands), transduced with GCaMP6f, allowed to mature until 10–13 days in vitro (DIV), and monitored with Ca2+ as a non-invasive proxy for electrical activity. We adjusted two structural factors–island size and cellular density–to evaluate their role in guiding spontaneous activity and network formation in neuronal islands. Results We found cellular density, but not island size, regulates of circuit activity and network function in this system. Low cellular density islands can achieve many states of activity, while high cellular density biases islands towards a limited regime characterized by low rates of activity and high synchronization, a property we summarized as “flexibility. ” The injury severity required for an island to lose activity in 50% of its population was significantly higher in low-density, high flexibility islands. Conclusion Together, these studies demonstrate flexible living cortical circuits are more resilient to microtrauma, providing the first evidence that initial circuit state may be a key factor to consider when evaluating the consequences of trauma to the cortex.
Prognostic prediction and immune infiltration analysis based on ferroptosis and EMT state in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Ferroptosis is one of the main mechanisms of sorafenib against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in the heterogeneity, tumor metastasis, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and drug resistance of HCC. However, there are few studies looking into the relationship between ferroptosis and EMT and how they may affect the prognosis of HCC collectively. Methods We downloaded gene expression and clinical data of HCC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases for prognostic model construction and validation respectively. The Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression was used for model construction. The predictive ability of the model was assessed by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We performed the expression profiles analysis to evaluate the ferroptosis and EMT state. CIBERSORT and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) methods were used for immune infiltration analysis. Results A total of thirteen crucial genes were identified for ferroptosis-related and EMT-related prognostic model (FEPM) stratifying patients into two risk groups. The high-FEPM group had shorter overall survivals than the low-FEPM group (p<0.0001 in the TCGA cohort and p<0.05 in the ICGC cohort). The FEPM score was proved to be an independent prognostic risk factor (HR>1, p<0.01). Furthermore, the expression profiles analysis suggested that the high-FEPM group appeared to have a more suppressive ferroptosis status and a more active EMT status than the low- FEPM group. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and regulatory T cells (Tregs) were highly enriched in the high-FEPM group. Finally, a nomogram enrolling FEPM score and TNM stage was constructed showing outstanding predictive capacity for the prognosis of patients in the two cohorts. Conclusion In conclusion, we developed a ferroptosis-related and EMT-related prognostic model, which could help predict overall survival for HCC patients. It might provide a new idea for predicting the response to targeted therapies and immunotherapies in HCC patients.
Mirror waves downstream of the quasi‐perpendicular bow shock

We analyze data of the AMPTE/IRM spacecraft downstream of a supercritical, quasi-perpendicular bow shock with an upstream β (ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure) greater than unity. The observed ion temperature anisotropy (Tp⊥ > Tp‖) satisfies the mirror instability criterion, and the mirror growth rate is positive. We investigate the low-frequency magnetic fluctuations and find that several minutes downstream of the shock ramp the compressive mode dominates in two frequency intervals below the local proton gyrofrequency. Band-pass filtering of the two frequency ranges shows that the particle pressure and magnetic pressure vary in antiphase, as is typical for the mirror mode. In addition, we estimate the proton compressibility, that is, the ratio of the relative fluctuations of proton density and magnetic field, and the Alfven ratio, that is, the ratio of fluctuations of the bulk velocity and the Alfven velocity. Combining these results, we find strong indications for the existence of mirror waves in the region downstream of the bow shock. The observed spectrum of the mirror waves has a two-banded structure.
The usefulness of serial ultrasound in thyroid mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Background Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is an extranodal lymphoma with an indolent natural course. The thyroid gland is an uncommon site of involvement. We aimed to investigate serial ultrasound features and the disease progression during the clinical course of thyroid MALT lymphoma. Methods We searched our hospital’s pathology database (5,418 patients with thyroid malignancy) between January 2000 and July 2022. The medical records and serial ultrasounds of 11 patients with 12 thyroid MALT lymphoma foci were analyzed retrospectively. Results An enlarging neck mass, dyspnea, B symptoms, and neck lymphadenopathy were seen at diagnosis in 9 (9/11, 81.8%), 3 (3/11, 27.3%), 2 (2/11, 18.2%), and 9 (9/11, 81.8%) cases, respectively. Eleven cases were concomitant Hashimoto thyroiditis. Common ultrasound features included bilateral or unilateral asymmetric goiter or large, solid, and very hypoechoic nodules (11/12, 91.7%) interspersed with linear, reticular hyperechoic, and enhanced posterior echoes (11/12, 91.7%), and neck lymph node involvement (10/11, 90.9%). The Thyroid Imaging and Reporting Data System (TIRADS) categories showed higher diagnostic accuracy (11/12, 91.7%) than real-time ultrasound (2/12, 16.7%) in evaluating thyroid lesions for recommendation of fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Serial ultrasound showed self-limiting changes in three cases, relapse in three cases after subtotal thyroidectomy and chemotherapy, large cell transformation (LCT) in one case after left lobectomy, partial remission in one case, and complete remission after chemo/radiation in four cases; progression to enlarged thyroid nodules occurred in three cases without treatment, with no obvious change observed after diagnosis. Three patients died during follow-up. Conclusion On sonograms, solid large thyroid nodules or goiter with very hypoechoic and enhanced posterior echoes in the setting of Hashimoto thyroiditis should raise suspicion for MALT lymphoma. TIRADS categories can improve the ultrasound diagnostic efficacy for malignancy. Serial ultrasound examinations demonstrated self-limiting and indolent natures of thyroid MALT lymphoma.
Behavioral factors to modulate immunotherapy efficacy in cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapies, are used to (re)activate the immune system to treat cancer. Despite promising results, a large group of patients does not respond to checkpoint inhibition. In the vulnerability-stress model of behavioral medicine, behavioral factors, such as stress, exercise and classical pharmacological conditioning, predict cancer incidence, recurrence and the efficacy of conventional cancer treatments. Given the important role of the immune system in these processes, certain behavior may be promising to complement immune checkpoint inhibition therapy. Here, we discuss the preliminary evidence and suitability of three behavioral mechanisms, i.e. stress modulation, exercise and classical pharmacological conditioning for the benefit of immunotherapy. It is crucial to study the potential beneficial effects of behavioral strategies that support immunotherapeutic anti-tumor effects with rigorous experimental evidence, to exploit behavioral mechanisms in improving checkpoint inhibition efficacy.
Distinct pathological changes of osteochondral units in early OVX-OA involving TGF-β signaling

Introduction Different opinions exist about the role of subchondral bone in osteoarthritis (OA), probably because subchondral bone has different effects on cartilage degeneration in OA induced by different pathologies. Animal studies to illustrate the role of subchondral bone in cartilage degeneration were mostly based on post-traumatic OA (PT-OA). Postmenopausal women experience a much higher occurrence of OA than similar-aged men. The physiological changes and pathogenesis of the osteochondral unit in ovariectomy-induced OA (OVX-OA) might be distinct from other types of OA. Methods The osteochondral alterations of post-traumatic OA (PT-OA) and OVX-OA at week 9 after surgery were compared. Then the alterations of osteochondral units in OVX-OA rats were tracked over time for the designed groups: Sham, OVX and OVX rats treated with estrogen (OVX+E). DXA, micro-CT, and histochemical staining were performed to observe alterations in osteochondral units. Results Rapid cartilage degeneration and increased bone formation were observed in PT-OA, while only mild cartilage erosion and significant bone loss were observed in OVX-OA at week 9 after surgery. Subchondral bone degradation preceded cartilage degeneration by 6 weeks in OVX-OA. TGF-β expression was downregulated in the osteochondral unit of OVX rats. Estrogen supplementation inhibited subchondral bone loss, cartilage degradation and TGF-β expression decrease. Discussion This research demonstrated the distinct behaviors of the osteochondral unit and the critical role of subchondral bone in early OVX-OA compared with PT-OA. Inhibiting subchondral bone catabolism at the early stage of OVX-OA could be an effective treatment for post-menopausal OA. Based on the results, estrogen supplementation and TGF-β modulation at the early stage are both potential therapies for post-menopausal OA.
Identification of a small molecule 0390 as a potent antimicrobial agent to combat antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli

Introduction Antibiotic resistance has posed a serious challenge to global public health. With the increasing resistance emergence of E. coli and mortality caused by drug-resistant E. coli infections, it is urgent to develop novel antibiotics. Methods By high-throughput screening assay, we found a bioactive molecule, 0390 (6056–0390), which demonstrated antimicrobial effects against E. coli. The antimicrobial effects of 0390 alone or in combination with conventional antibiotics were assessed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, drug combination assay, and growth inhibition assay. In addition, we investigated the antimicrobial efficacy in subcutaneous infection model in vivo Results 0390 showed significant synergistic antimicrobial effects in combination with SPR741, a polymyxin B derivative, against E. coli standard strain and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) clinical isolates, and the combination exhibited good safety property in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that the combinational treatment of 0390 and SPR741 exhibited a considerable antibacterial activity in vivo, and no tissue damage or other toxicity was observed after the therapeutic dose treatment. Discussion To confront the issue of the infectious diseases related to E. coli and its multidrug resistant strains, potential approaches, such as new antibacterial agents with different structures from conventional antibiotics and drug combinations, are urgently needed. In this study, we have determined the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial potential of 0390 alone or in combination with SPR741, which might be used as a treatment option for E. coli related infections.
Tinnitus is associated with improved cognitive performance and speech perception–Can stochastic resonance explain?

COPYRIGHT © 2022 Schilling and Krauss. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Tinnitus is associated with improved cognitive performance and speech perception–Can stochastic resonance explain?