Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Screening of gamma-aminobutyric acid-producing lactic acid bacteria and its application in Monascus-fermented rice production.

BACKGROUND Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), with an antidepressant effect, and Monacolin K, with a cholesterol-lowering effect, are the main bioactive ingredients in Monascus-fermented rice (MFR). The simultaneous enrichment of both ingredients can effectively enhance the health benefits of MFR. However, the capacity of Monascus spp. to produce GABA is limited. METHODS Seventeen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were preliminarily screened for GABA-producing by whole-cells bioconversion of L-glutamate, followed by rescreening through fermentation with the addition of the precursor L-glutamic acid. Subsequently, the bioconversion conditions (temperature, metal ions, and pH) for the conversion of L-monosodium glutamate (MSG) were investigated. Additionally, the GABA-producing LAB was co-inoculated with a monacolin K producing strain Monascus anka 20-2, and the ratio of M. anka 20-2 to LAB in microbial consortia was optimized for MFR production. RESULTS The strain Lactobacillus plantarum 8014 was screened out for its ability to produce GABA. At an optimal temperature of 33°C and pH 7.5, with the addition of 0.05 g/L ZnSO4, the strain showed an L-glutamate conversion rate of 100%. The ratio optimization of M. anka 20-2 to L. plantarum 8014 in microbial consortia showed that when the dry cell ratio was 2:1, the content of monacolin K and GABA in the MFR simultaneously reached 2.22 mg/g and 29.9 mg/g, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A two-stage fermentation using microbial consortia containing M. anka 20-2 and L. plantarum 8014 was developed for the production of bioactive MFR, in which the active ingredients monacolin K and GABA were simultaneously enriched, with good consumer acceptability due to the aromatic scent produced by lactic acid bacteria.
Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) lectin fraction provokes reversible adverse effects on rats' digestive tract.

The Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) lectin fraction (TBLF) exhibits differential cytotoxicity on colon cancer cells and inhibition of early tumorigenesis in the colon (50 mg/kg, three times per week, for 6 weeks). TBLF showed low toxicity with the ability to activate the immune system; however, some adverse effects are the loss in body weight gain, intestinal atrophy, and pancreatic hyperplasia. After a recovery period of 2 weeks after treatment, reversion of pancreatic hyperplasia but no recovery of intestinal atrophy was observed. As TBLF has shown anticancer effects on the colon, it is important to characterize the adverse effects and how they can be reversed. Sprague Dawley rats were administered with TBLF (50 mg/kg) for 6 weeks, three times per week, and then allowed to recover for 6 weeks post-treatment. After TBLF administration, small intestine atrophy, villus atrophy, and cryptic hyperplasia were confirmed, as well as increased intestinal mucus production, increased permeability and a decrease in the apparent ileal digestibility of crude proteins. The colon showed damage in the simple prismatic tissue and decreased crypt depth, and changes in microbiota and a decrease in the apparent fecal digestibility of crude protein were determined. Our results show that the adverse effects provoked by TBLF were partially reversed after 6 weeks of recovery post-treatment, suggesting that increasing the recovery period it could be possible to reverse all adverse effects observed.
Influence of self-management exercise intervention on the cancer related fatigue severity and self-management efficacy of patients with non-small cell lung cancer after operation.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of self-management exercise intervention on postoperative cancer-related fatigue severity and self-management efficacy of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS Seventy patients with non-small cell lung cancer were selected in Pidu district people's hospital from January 2018 to January 2019 and randomised into 2 groups with the random number table, including control group (35 cases) and experimental group (35 cases). The control group received conventional intervention, while the experimental group was intervened by self-management exercise based on the conventional intervention. The baseline clinical characteristics, simple fatigue scale scores, self-efficacy indicators, and physical and mental health scores of 2 groups were compared. RESULTS The simple fatigue scale score of both groups were measured six weeks after surgery. The experimental group was significantly lower than that of control group (P<0.05). The self-efficacy scores of continuous walking for 30 minutes six weeks after the operation in both groups continuously increased with time and the result of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.05). Similarly the postoperative balance ability self-efficacy scores of both groups were on the rise with time but the score of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group after 6 weeks of surgical treatment (P<0.05). The postoperative health scores of both groups improved with time and the physical and mental health scores of experimental group were significantly higher than those of control group after 6 weeks of surgical treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Self-management exercise intervention can effectively alleviate postoperative cancer-related fatigue of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, enhance self-management efficiency and contribute to improving the status of body functions.
Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient During COVID-19: An Expert Consensus Document From the ACC Cardio-Oncology and Imaging Councils

Abstract In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Cardio-Oncology and Imaging Councils of the American College of Cardiology offers recommendations to clinicians regarding the cardiovascular care of cardio-oncology patients in this expert consensus statement. Cardio-oncology patients—individuals with an active or prior cancer history and with or at risk of cardiovascular disease—are a rapidly growing population who are at increased risk of infection, and experiencing severe and/or lethal complications by COVID-19. Recommendations for optimizing screening and monitoring visits to detect cardiac dysfunction are discussed. In addition, judicious use of multimodality imaging and biomarkers are proposed to identify myocardial, valvular, vascular, and pericardial involvement in cancer patients. The difficulties of diagnosing the etiology of cardiovascular complications in patients with cancer and COVID-19 are outlined, along with weighing the advantages against risks of exposure, with the modification of existing cardiovascular treatments and cardiotoxicity surveillance in patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impact of sodium phenylbutyrate treatment in acute management of maple syrup urine disease attacks: a single-center experience

Abstract Objectives Accurate management of metabolic decompensation in maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) has a crucial role, as acute attacks can cause neurological sequels and can be life threatening. Here, we aimed to evaluate effect of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPBA) in acute management of MSUD attacks. Methods Episodes with an initial plasma leucine (Leu) level above 750 µmoL/L and that require hospitalization due to clinical findings of Leu neurotoxicity and/or feeding difficulties were included to the study. Patients who had no molecular diagnosis and a regular follow-up were excluded. Clinical findings, laboratory results and therapy responses were reviewed, retrospectively. Results Ten patients who experienced 19 distinct episodes of MSUD attacks were enrolled. Initial median Leu level was 901.67 (range 756–1989.11) and 33.9 µmoL/L (range 7.91–347.3 µmoL/L) at the end of therapy. None of our patients underwent extracorporeal toxin removal during the course of attack. In patients with serial plasma quantitative amino acid sampling, mean Leu reduction rate was calculated to be 529.68 ± 250.08 µmoL/L/day at the 24th h of treatment and 318.72 ± 191.52 µmoL/L/day at the 48th h of treatment. Conclusions This study is the first original study that investigates the effect of NaPBA in management of acute attacks of MSUD patients from Turkey. We suggest that NaPBA treatment in MSUD attacks can ameliorate clinical and biochemical findings. This therapeutic option should be considered especially in smaller centers without the toxin removal chance and for patients who were not appropriate for extracorporeal toxin removal like hemodynamic instability.
Expected values for gastrointestinal and pancreatic hormone concentrations in healthy volunteers in the fasting and postprandial state

Background Gastrointestinal hormones regulate intestinal transit, control digestion, influence appetite and promote satiety. Altered production or action of gut hormones, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and peptide YY (PYY), may contribute to the biological basis of obesity and altered glucose homeostasis. However, challenges in analytical methodology and lack of clarity on expected values for healthy individuals have limited progress in this field. The aim of this study was to describe expected concentrations of gastrointestinal and pancreatic hormones in healthy volunteers following a standardized meal test (SMT) or 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Methods A total of 28 healthy volunteers (12 men, 16 women; mean age 31.3 years; mean body mass index 24.9 kg/m2) were recruited to attend a hospital clinic on two occasions. Volunteers had blood sampling in the fasting state and were given, in randomized order, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and standardized mixed liquid meal test with venepuncture at timed intervals for 4 h after ingestion. Analytical methods for gut and pancreatic hormones were assessed and optimized. Concentrations of gut and pancreatic hormones were measured and used to compile ranges of expected values. Results Ranges of expected values were created for glucose, insulin, glucagon, GLP-1, GIP, PYY and free fatty acids in response to a standardized mixed liquid meal or OGTT. Intact proinsulin and C-peptide levels were also measured following the OGTT. Conclusions These ranges of expected values can now be used to compare gut hormone concentrations between healthy individuals and patient groups.
An Effective Multi-Label Protein Sub-Chloroplast Localization Prediction by Skipped-Grams of Evolutionary Profiles Using Deep Neural Network

Chloroplast is one of the most classic organelles in algae and plant cells. Identifying the locations of chloroplast proteins in the chloroplast organelle is an important as well as a challenging task in deciphering their functions. Biological-based experiments to identify the Protein Sub-Chloroplast Localization (PSCL) is time-consuming and cost-intensive. Over the last decade, a few computational methods have been developed to predict PSCL in which earlier works assumed to predict only single-location; whereas, recent works are able to predict multiple-locations of chloroplast organelle. However, the performances of all the state-of-the-art predictors are poor. This article proposes a novel skip-gram technique to extract highly discriminating patterns from evolutionary profiles and a multi-label deep neural network to predict the PSCL. The proposed model is assessed on two publicly available datasets, i.e., Benchmark and Novel. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed work outperforms significantly when compared to the state-of-the-art multi-label PSCL predictors. A multi-label prediction accuracy (i.e., Overall Actual Accuracy) of the proposed model is enhanced by an absolute minimum margin of 6.7 percent on Benchmark dataset and 7.9 percent on Novel dataset when compared to the best PSCL predictor from the literature. Further, result of statistical t-test concludes that the performance of the proposed work is significantly improved and thus, the proposed work is an effective computational model to solve multi-label PSCL prediction. The proposed prediction model is hosted on web-server and available at https://nitkit-vgst727-nppsa.nitk. ac.in/deeplocpred/.
Global bounded solution in three-dimensional chemotaxis-Stokes model with arbitrary porous medium slow diffusion

         nt + u · ∇n = ∆n − χ∇ · (n∇c), ct + u · ∇c − ∆c = −cn, ut + ∇π = ∆u + n∇φ, divu = 0, in a bounded domain Ω ⊂ R with zero-flux boundary conditions and no-slip boundary condition. In recent ten years, many efforts have been made to find the global bounded solutions of chemotaxis-Stokes system in three dimensional space. Although some important progress has been carried out in some papers [5, 15, 17, 18], as mentioned by some authors, the question of identifying an optimal condition on m ≥ 1 ensuring global boundedness in the three-dimensional framework remains an open challenge. In the present paper, we put forward a new estimation technique, completely proved the existence of global bounded solutions for arbitrary slow diffusion case m > 1, and partially answered the open problem proposed by Winkler.
Modeling of photosynthesis and respiration rate for microalgae–bacteria consortia

In this article, the influence of culture conditions (irradiance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen) on the photosynthesis and the respiration rates of microalgae–bacteria consortia in wastewater treatment was analyzed. Specifically, some short photo‐respirometric experiments, simulating outdoor raceway reactors, were performed to evaluate the response of microalgae, heterotrophic bacteria, and nitrifying bacteria to variations in environmental parameters. Results demonstrate that irradiance is the most dominant variable to determine microalgae photosynthesis rates. However, reduction in microalgae activity was not observed at higher irradiance, ruling out the existence of photoinhibition phenomena. Related to heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria, their activities were strongly affected by the influence of temperature and pH. Moreover, the effect of dissolved oxygen concentrations on microalgae, and bacteria activities was studied, displaying a reduced photosynthetic rate at dissolved oxygen concentrations above 20 mg/L. Data have been used to develop an integrated model for each population (microalgae, heterotrophic bacteria, and nitrifying bacteria) based on considering the simultaneous influence of irradiance, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. The models fit the experimental results in the range of culture conditions tested, and they were validated using data obtained by the simultaneous modifications of the variables. These individual models serve as a basis for developing a global biologic microalgae–bacteria model for wastewater treatment to improve the optimal design and management of microalgae‐based processes, especially outdoors, where the cultures are subject to variable daily culture conditions.
The impact of water deficit and heat stress combination on the molecular response, physiology and seed production of soybean

A combination of drought and heat stress, occurring at the vegetative or reproductive growth phase of many different crops, can have a devastating impact on yield. In soybean (Glycine max), a considerable effort has been made to develop genotypes with enhanced yield production under conditions of drought or heat stress. However, how these genotypes perform in terms of growth, physiological responses and most importantly seed production, under conditions of drought and heat combination is mostly unknown. Here, we studied the impact of water deficit and heat stress combination on the physiology, seed production and yield per plant of two soybean genotypes, Magellan and Plant Introduction (PI) 548313, that differ in their reproductive responses to heat stress. Our findings reveal that although PI 548313 produced more seeds than Magellan under conditions of heat stress, under conditions of water deficit and heat stress combination its seed production decreased. Because number of flowers and pollen germination of PI 548313 remained high under heat or water deficit and heat combination, the reduced seed production exhibited by PI 548313 under the stress combination could be a result of processes that occur at the stigma, ovaries and/or other parts of the flower following pollen germination. Highlight Tolerance to heat stress was found not to confer tolerance to a combination of water deficit and heat stress in soybean, highlighting the need for breeding strategies targeting the stress combination.
A revised classification for the predominantly eastern Australian Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus sections Maidenaria, Exsertaria, Latoangulatae and related smaller sections (Myrtaceae).

A revised classification for E. sections Maidenaria, Exsertaria, Latoangulatae and five related smaller sections (Liberivalvae, Racemus, Incognitae, Similares and Pumilio) (herein referred to as ‘MEL+5’ lineage for convenience) is provided, based on evidence from a recent phylogenetic study of this group (Jones et al. 2016) and on observations and data from other sources, including our extensive field observations, study of herbarium collections, common garden trials and the findings of other phylogenetic studies. We recognise 153 species and 184 terminal taxa in the ‘MEL+5’ lineage, and classify this group into 6 sections, 23 series and 8 subseries. This new classification mainly involved the repositioning of various terminal taxa into existing higher-level taxonomic groups, as we have attempted to achieve an accurate and useful classification while minimising taxonomic disruption of existing names. Nevertheless, nine new higher-level taxa (eight series and one subseries) are newly described. A full classification of the ‘MEL+5’ lineage is provided, which includes all terminal taxa, taxon authorships, type species, the natural distribution of recognised terminal taxa, and taxonomic and nomenclatural synonyms.
Recent Advances in Medical Image Processing

Background: Application and development of the artificial intelligence technology have generated a profound impact in the field of medical imaging. It helps medical personnel to make an early and more accurate diagnosis. Recently, the deep convolution neural network is emerging as a principal machine learning method in computer vision and has received significant attention in medical imaging. Key Message: In this paper, we will review recent advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep convolution neural network, focusing on their applications in medical image processing. To illustrate with a concrete example, we discuss in detail the architecture of a convolution neural network through visualization to help understand its internal working mechanism. Summary: This review discusses several open questions, current trends, and critical challenges faced by medical image processing and artificial intelligence technology.
Modeling aortic diseases using induced pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer an effective platform for studies of human physiology and have revealed new possibilities for disease modeling at the cellular level. These cells also have the potential to be leveraged in the practice of precision medicine, including personalized drug testing. Aortic diseases result in significant morbidity and mortality and pose a global burden to healthcare. Their pathogenesis is mostly associated with functional alterations of vascular components, such as endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. Drugs that have been proven to be effective in animal models often fail to protect patients from adverse aortic events in clinical studies, provoking researchers to develop reliable in vitro models using human cells. In this review, we summarize the patient iPSC‐derived aortic cells that have been utilized to model aortic diseases in vitro. In advanced models, hemodynamic factors, such as blood flow‐induced shear stress and cyclic strain, have been added to the systems to replicate cellular microenvironments in the aortic wall. Examples of the utility of such factors in modeling various aortopathies, such as Marfan syndrome, Loeys‐Dietz syndrome, and bicuspid aortic valve‐related aortopathy, are also described. Overall, the iPSC‐based in vitro cell models have shown the potential to promote the development and practice of precision medicine in the treatment of aortic diseases.
Can safe and radical resection of all types of parasagittal meningiomas be achievable? —the introduction of a simplified surgical strategy

ABSTRACT Background: Surgery of parasagittal meningiomas (PSMs) is still technically challenging, for the balance between radical resection and preservation of venous circulation. In this article, we’d systemically introduce the technical nuances of a simplified strategy for radical resection of all types of PSMs. All the cases were operated by one single neurosurgeon from a single institution. Methods: Clinical charts of patients with PSMs between 2014 and 2020were retrospectively reviewed. A simplified classification method was adopted, which was based on the relationship between the tumor and superior sagittal sinus (SSS). Surgery aiming at radical resection and venous flow preservation was performed. Only in case of total occlusion of SSS, we performed tumor resection without reconstruction of the venous sinus. Results: Clinical data obtained in 55 consecutive patients (47 primary and 8 recurrent cases) were analyzed, among which 20 were with patent sinus, 27 were with partially occluded sinus and 8 were with completely occluded sinus. Forty-two (76.4%) and 13 patients (23.6%) had the same and improved functional status as compared to that of pre-operation, respectively. Four patients (7.3%) experienced transient neurological deterioration but improved to the normal level in the long-term follow-up. All patients achieved Simpson I/II radical resection. No patients suffered from post-operative recurrence in the follow-up duration of 27.05 ± 19.55 (2–91) months. Conclusion: Radical and safe resection of all types of PSMs is achievable and not difficult if the simplified surgical strategy mentioned in the article is adopted, no matter to which extent the sinus is invaded.
Impact of COVID-19 on women and children and the need for a gendered approach in vaccine development

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented health and socioeconomic challenges on public health, disrupting it on a global scale. Given that women and children are widely considered the most vulnerable in the times of emergency, whether in war or during a pandemic, the current pandemic has also severely disrupted access to reproductive and child health services. Despite this, data on the effect of the pandemic on pregnant women and newborns remain scarce, and gender-disaggregated indicators of mortality and morbidity are not available. In this context, we suggest the implementation of a gendered approach to ensure the specific needs of women and their newborns are considered during the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Taking into account gender-based biological differences, the inclusion of pregnant and lactating mothers in clinical trials for the development of COVID-19 vaccines is of vital importance.