Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In-vitro Propagation of Dendrobium chryseum Rolfe

Dendrobium chryseum is an endangered epiphytic and lithophytic orchid species having medicinal and ornamental value. The objective of the present study is to develop micropropagation protocol for D. chryseum. The immature seeds of D. chryseum were used as an explant for the micropropagation. Protocorms were developed within 90 days in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without plant growth regulators. Protocorms were differentiated into micro shoots after 30 days of transfer to MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L Benzyl amino purine (BAP), 1 mg/L kinetin and 10% coconut water. Among eleven different combinations of plant growth regulators (BAP, á-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), Adenine sulphate, Kinetin and coconut water) treated for shoot multiplication, maximum number of shoots were obtained in 0.5 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA (5.8 ± 0.53 SE shoots per explant). Longest shoot length was recorded in MS medium with Adenine sulphate (1 mg/L) (2.54 ± 0.03 cm SE). Root induction was carried out by using MS medium with different concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0 mg/L) of Indole butyric acid (IBA) and NAA. The highest numbers of roots and longest root length, both were observed at 2 mg/L IBA (4.63 ± 0.56 SE and 2.09 ± 0.25 cm SE respectively). 2 mg/L NAA showed poor response for root number (0.94 ± 0.21 SE) and root length (0.43 ± 0.07 cm SE). Successful acclimatization of in-vitro grown plantlets was done by wrapping the plantlet with moss kept on fine pine bark and the survival rate of plantlet was about 80% after 30 days. This protocol could be helpful for the effective mass propagation and ex situ conservation of D. chryseum.
Hair dye-incorporated poly-γ-glutamic acid/glycol chitosan nanoparticles based on ion-complex formation

Background p-Phenylenediamine (PDA) or its related chemicals are used more extensively than oxidative hair dyes. However, permanent hair dyes such as PDA are known to have potent contact allergy reactions in humans, and severe allergic reactions are problematic. Methods PDA-incorporated nanoparticles were prepared based on ion-complex formation between the cationic groups of PDA and the anionic groups of poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA). To reinforce PDA/PGA ion complexes, glycol chitosan (GC) was added. PDA-incorporated nanoparticles were characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier- transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Results Nanoparticles were formed by ion-complex formation between the amine groups of PDA and the carboxyl groups of PGA. PDA-incorporated nanoparticles are small in size (<100 nm), and morphological observations showed spherical shapes. FT-IR spectra results showed that the carboxylic acid peak of PGA decreased with increasing PDA content, indicating that the ion complexes were formed between the carboxyl groups of PGA and the amine groups of PDA. Furthermore, the intrinsic peak of the carboxyl groups of PGA was also decreased by the addition of GC. Intrinsic crystalline peaks of PDA were observed by XRD. This crystalline peak of PDA was completely nonexistent when nanoparticles were formed by ion complex between PDA, PGA, and GC, indicating that PDA was complexed with PGA and no free drug existed in the formulation. During the drug-release experiment, an initial burst release of PDA was observed, and then PDA was continuously released over 1 week. Cytotoxicity testing against HaCaT human skin keratinocyte cells showed PDA-incorporated nanoparticles had lower toxicity than PDA itself. Furthermore, PDA-incorporated nanoparticles showed reduced apoptosis and necrosis reaction at HaCaT cells. Conclusion The authors suggest that these microparticles are ideal candidates for a vehicle for decreasing side effects of hair dye.
A model to detect financial statement fraud in portuguese companies by the auditor

This study developed a model that can be used to differentiate between fraudulent and non-fraudulent reports and helps the auditor to identify and assess material misstatement risk due to fraud. This model was based on the three stages of the fraud triangle, as well as on the agency theory and stakeholder theory. To develop the model, we used a sample that consists on a group of Portuguese companies that show evidence of fraud and another group of companies without evidence of fraud. Logistic regression results showed a positive relation between fraudulent financial statements and: companies need of higher financing, that represented the pressure to commit fraud; operations ineffectiveness, when the relative weight of accounts receivable is greater when compared to assets, which constituted the opportunity to commit fraud; and higher management turnover, which was characterised by managers who showed predisposition to commit fraud (rationalisation).
Gut microbiome and reproductive endocrine diseases: a Mendelian randomization study

Background Observation studies have confirmed the association between the gut microbiome and reproductive endocrine diseases (REDs), namely, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and female infertility. However, their association has never been confirmed by a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods We conducted a two-sample MR analysis to evaluate the relationship between the gut microbiome and the three aforementioned REDs. In order to get more comprehensive results, two different thresholds were adopted to select instrumental variables (IVs): one was a locus-wide significance threshold (P <1.0×10–5) and the other was a genome-wide significance level (P< 5×10-8). Summary-level statistics for the gut microbiome and REDs were collected from public databases. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) was the main method used to estimate causality, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the MR results. Results At the locus-wide significance level, we identified that the genera Streptococcus (OR=1.52, 95%CI: 1.13-2.06, P=0.006) and RuminococcaceaeUCG005 (OR=1.39, 95%CI: 1.04-1.86, P=0.028) were associated with a high risk of PCOS, while Sellimonas (OR= 0.69, 95%CI: 0.58-0.83, P=0.0001) and RuminococcaceaeUCG011(OR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.60-0.95, P=0.017) were linked to a low PCOS risk. The genus Coprococcus2 (OR=1.20, 95%CI: 1.01-1.43, P=0.039) was correlated with an increased risk of female infertility, while Ruminococcus torques (OR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.54-0.88, P=0.002) were negatively associated with the risk of female infertility. The genera Olsenella (OR= 1.11, 95%CI: 1.01-1.22, P=0.036), Anaerotruncus (OR= 1.25, 95%CI: 1.03-1.53, P=0.025), and Oscillospira (OR= 1.21, 95%CI: 1.01-1.46, P=0.035) were linked to a high risk of endometriosis. However, the results showed that the gut microbiome did not possess a causal link with REDs risk based on the genome-wide significance level. Sensitivity analyses further confirmed the robustness of the MR results. Conclusion Our study provides evidence that gut microbiome is closely related with REDs. Subsequent studies should be conducted to promote microbiome-orientated therapeutic strategies for managing REDs.
Reconstruction May Benefit from Tailored Sampling Trajectories: Optimizing Non-Cartesian Trajectories for Model-based Reconstruction

This abstract explores non-Cartesian sampling trajectories that are optimized specifically for various reconstruction methods (CG-SENSE, penalized least-squares, compressed sensing, and unrolled neural networks). The learned sampling trajectories vary in the k-space coverage strategy and may reflect underlying characteristics of the corresponding reconstruction method. The reconstruction-specific sampling trajectory optimization leads to the most reconstruction quality improvement. This work demonstrates the potential benefit of jointly optimizing imaging protocols and downstream tasks (i.e., image reconstruction).
Primera contribución al conocimiento de la ortopterofauna (insecta: Orthoptera) del Parque Natural de la sierra de las Nieves (Málaga, Sur de la Peniínsula Ibérica)

Resumen: Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en el transcurso de una jornada de muestreo ortopterológico en el Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves (Málaga, España), primera contribución al conocimiento de su ortopterofauna. Se han observado un total de 21 especies pertenecientes a 11 subfamilias, cinco de ellas endemismos ibéricos y otras siete nuevas para la provincia de Málaga. Se comunica el descubrimiento de dos nuevas poblaciones del género Canariola Uvarov, 1940 (Tettigonioidea: Meconematinae) y la tribu Mogoplistini (Grylloidea: Mogoplistidae), cuyo material capturado queda pendiente de un futuro estudio taxonómico que permita verificar su identidad y posible pertenencia a dos especies no descritas. Palabras clave: Orthoptera, Mogoplistinae, Meconematinae, Canariola, faunística, Parque Natural Sierra de las Nieves, Málaga, sur de la Península Ibérica.
Real Options in the Brazilian Power Generation Sector: Are Domestic Equity Research Analysts Blind-Sighted or Is It Just a Temporary Glitch?

The Real Options theory (“ROT”) states firms should be approached as a combination of real assets and real options. Domestic equity research analysts do not seem to evaluate companies applying ROT. After reviewing 344 (from a total estimated 368) equity research reports or analyses on Brazilian listed power generation companies produced between December 31, 2020, and April 30, 2021, we find only discounted cash flow (“DCF”) techniques are applied. No single mention to ROT is made. To estimate the magnitude of potential misvaluations, we use the Black-Scholes method to price the growth plans made publicly available by each of those 15 companies in that period and compare the outcome with the analysts’ forecasted equity value upside per company. Our results suggest local analysts have ignored a sizeable intrinsic value to those companies by failing to apply ROT. Potential explanations range from behavioral biases to low power sector representativeness at IBOVESPA.
Differential Modulation of the Phosphoproteome by the MAP Kinases Isoforms p38α and p38β

The p38 members of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family mediate various cellular responses to stress conditions, inflammatory signals, and differentiation factors. They are constitutively active in chronic inflammatory diseases and some cancers. The differences between their transient effects in response to signals and the chronic effect in diseases are not known. The family is composed of four isoforms, of which p38α seems to be abnormally activated in diseases. p38α and p38β are almost identical in sequence, structure, and biochemical and pharmacological properties, and the specific unique effects of each of them, if any, have not yet been revealed. This study aimed to reveal the specific effects induced by p38α and p38β, both when transiently activated in response to stress and when chronically active. This was achieved via large-scale proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses using stable isotope labeling of two experimental systems: one, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) deficient in each of these p38 kinases and harboring either an empty vector or vectors expressing p38αWT, p38βWT, or intrinsically active variants of these MAPKs; second, induction of transient stress by exposure of MEFs, p38α−/−, and p38β−/− MEFs to anisomycin. Significant differences in the repertoire of the proteome and phosphoproteome between cells expressing active p38α and p38β suggest distinct roles for each kinase. Interestingly, in both cases, the constitutive activation induced adaptations of the cells to the chronic activity so that known substrates of p38 were downregulated. Within the dramatic effect of p38s on the proteome and phosphoproteome, some interesting affected phosphorylation sites were those found in cancer-associated p53 and Hspb1 (HSP27) proteins and in cytoskeleton-associated proteins. Among these, was the stronger direct phosphorylation by p38α of p53-Ser309, which was validated on the Ser315 in human p53. In summary, this study sheds new light on the differences between chronic and transient p38α and p38β signaling and on the specific targets of these two kinases.
SARS-CoV-2 infection in high-risk children following tixagevimab–cilgavimab (Evusheld) pre-exposure prophylaxis: a single-center observational study

From 8 December 2021 to 26 January 2023, tixagevimab–cilgavimab (T-C) was authorized for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19. During this period, we used a multidisciplinary team to communicate, screen, approach, and administer T-C to eligible patients. Twenty-seven patients were eligible. Of these, 24 (88.9%) received at least one dose of T-C and three patients received two doses. Majority of patients were White, non-Hispanic, and women. Only two patients had COVID-19 prior to receiving T-C. Seventeen (70.8%) had received two or more doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. No serious adverse events were noted. Seven patients developed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 180 days of receiving T-C (median 102 days; range 28–135), and only one patient developed severe COVID-19 requiring intensive mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit.
Proinflammatory role of monocytes in SARS-CoV-2 infection in chronic hemodialysis patients

Background Fully mature monocytes that express CD14, but not CD16, undergo phagocytosis within tissues, whereas non-classical monocytes, CD14-low CD16+, represent <11% of peripheral monocytes and have primary pro-inflammatory functions. Inflammation plays a major role in Covid-19 disease and adds to the inflammation caused by chronic hemodialysis. The aim of our study was to monitor monocyte subsets in five patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) over a 1-year period after a mild Covid-19 infection. Five ESKD patients with a mild Covid-19 infection were monitored using CD14, CD16, CD300e, HLA-DR, CD64, and CD45 panels using a BD FACS Canto flow cytometer. Results CD14-low CD16+ was dramatically (p=0,001) decreased in patients during Covid-19 infection, as previously described for patients without chronic renal failure. In addition, CD14-low CD16+ monocytes remained decreased for 10 months after recovery from Covid. Intermediate monocytes increased during Covid-19 infection and decreased 10 months after infection but this subtype of monocytes retained their inflammatory activity with a significant increase in HLA-DR expression after recovery from Covid infection. Conclusion Our study shows that ESKD patients had a pro-inflammatory profile induced by Covid 19, but this status was prolonged significantly over a 10-month period. Thus, advanced renal failure treated by hemodialysis did not dramatically change the inflammatory response against to SARS Covid 2. It seems that monocytes retain their inflammatory status for many months in ESKD patients after a Covid-19 infection.
Towards Unified Token Learning for Vision-Language Tracking

In this paper, we present a simple, flexible and effective vision-language (VL) tracking pipeline, termed \textbf{MMTrack}, which casts VL tracking as a token generation task. Traditional paradigms address VL tracking task indirectly with sophisticated prior designs, making them over-specialize on the features of specific architectures or mechanisms. In contrast, our proposed framework serializes language description and bounding box into a sequence of discrete tokens. In this new design paradigm, all token queries are required to perceive the desired target and directly predict spatial coordinates of the target in an auto-regressive manner. The design without other prior modules avoids multiple sub-tasks learning and hand-designed loss functions, significantly reducing the complexity of VL tracking modeling and allowing our tracker to use a simple cross-entropy loss as unified optimization objective for VL tracking task. Extensive experiments on TNL2K, LaSOT, LaSOT$_{\rm{ext}}$ and OTB99-Lang benchmarks show that our approach achieves promising results, compared to other state-of-the-arts.
Retained medullary cord and caudal lipoma with histopathological presence of terminal myelocystocele in the epidural stalk

Background: The retained medullary cord (RMC), caudal lipoma, and terminal myelocystocele (TMCC) are thought to originate from the failed regression spectrum during the secondary neurulation, and the central histopathological feature is the predominant presence of a central canal-like ependyma-lined lumen (CC-LELL) with surrounding neuroglial tissues (NGT), as a remnant of the medullary cord. However, reports on cases in which RMC, caudal lipoma, and TMCC coexist are very rare. Case Description: We present two patients with cystic RMC with caudal lipoma and caudal lipoma with an RMC component, respectively, based on their clinical, neuroradiological, intraoperative, and histopathological findings. Although no typical morphological features of TMCC were noted on neuroimaging, histopathological examination revealed that a CC-LELL with NGT was present in the extraspinal stalk, extending from the skin lesion to the intraspinal tethering tract. Conclusion: This histopathological finding indicates the presence of TMCC that could not be completely regressed and further supports the idea that these pathologies can be considered consequences of a continuum of regression failure during secondary neurulation.
Antifouling Behavior of Copper-Modified Titania Nanotube Surfaces

Titanium and its alloys are commonly used to fabricate orthopedic implants due to their excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. In recent years, orthopedic implant surgeries have considerably increased. This has also resulted in an increase in infection-associated revision surgeries for these implants. To combat this, various approaches are being investigated in the literature. One of the approaches is modifying the surface topography of implants and creating surfaces that are not only antifouling but also encourage osteointegration. Titania nanotube surfaces have demonstrated a moderate decrease in bacterial adhesion while encouraging mesenchymal stem cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, and hence were used in this study. In this work, titania nanotube surfaces were fabricated using a simple anodization technique. These surfaces were further modified with copper using a physical vapor deposition technique, since copper is known to be potent against bacteria once in contact. In this study, scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate surface topography; energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to evaluate surface chemistry; contact angle goniometry was used to evaluate surface wettability; and X-ray diffraction was used to evaluate surface crystallinity. Antifouling behavior against a gram-positive and a gram-negative bacterium was also investigated. The results indicate that copper-modified titania nanotube surfaces display enhanced antifouling behavior when compared to other surfaces, and this may be a potential way to prevent infection in orthopedic implants.
The Geology of Switzerland: An Introduction to Tectonic Facies

Kenneth Hsu's previous books have fascinated general audiences and served as accessible texts for students of geology. Here this leading earth scientist relates the study of the Alps to his theory of tectonic facies, thus demonstrating how the plate tectonics model can be used to understand the geology of mountains. Mountain chains have individualities, each one being different from the others, but they also share some common characteristics since they are all built according to the same body-plan ("Bauplan"). In this book Hsu looks at the geology of the Swiss Alps to explain that plan and to show how the Alps and other ancient mountain systems were constructed. "The Geology of Switzerland" will be invaluable for anyone taking a course in plate tectonics or structural geology, and it will be a useful guide for geologists, professional or amateur, traveling in the Alps. The first twelve chapters are a translation and revision of Hsu's popular German textbook "Geologie der Schweiz," while the last two formulate his facies concept and use it to discuss the classic mountain ranges of the world. "
Analysis of Tempering Effects on LDS-MID and PCB Substrates for HF Applications

Mechatronic Integrated Devices or Molded Interconnect Devices (MID) are three-dimensional (3D) circuit carriers. They are mainly fabricated by laser direct structuring (LDS) and subsequent electroless copper plating of an injection molded 3D substrate. Such LDS-MID are used in many applications today, especially antennas. However, in high frequency (HF) systems in 5G and radar applications, the demand on 3D circuit carriers and antennas increases. Electroless copper, widely used in MID, has significantly lower electrical conductivity compared to pure copper. Its lower conductivity increases electrical loss, especially at higher frequencies, where signal budget is critical. Heat treatment of electroless copper deposits can improve their conductivity and adhesion to the 3D substrates. This paper investigates the effects induced by tempering processes on the metallization of LDS-MID substrates. As a reference, HF Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) substrates are also considered. Adhesion strength and conductivity measurements, as well as permittivity and loss angle measurements up to 1 GHz, were carried out before and after tempering processes. The main influencing factors on the tempering results were found to be tempering temperature, atmosphere, and time. Process parameters like the heating rate or applied surface finishes had only a minor impact on the results. It was found that tempering LDS-MID substrates can improve the copper adhesion and lower their electrical resistance significantly, especially for plastics with a high melting temperature. Both improvements could improve the reliability of LDS-MID, especially in high frequency applications. Firstly, because increased copper adhesion can prevent delamination and, secondly, because the lowered electrical resistance indicates, in accordance with the available literature, a more ductile copper metallization and thus a lower risk of microcracks.
Investigating biodiversity trends in different mitigation scenarios with a national integrated assessment model

ABSTRACT The inclusion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in climate mitigation pathways is critical and can be reached by assessing their consequences through the deployment of appropriate indicators to that end. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) are important tools for understanding possible impacts caused by adopting new policies. We investigate terrestrial biodiversity trends (life on land: SDG 15) for three different climate mitigation scenarios for Brazil: (1) A scenario compatible with a world that maintains its current policies with current deforestation rates in the Amazon and the Cerrado biomes; (2) A scenario in which Brazil fulfils its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC); and (3) A scenario compatible with a world that limits warming to 1.5°C. We use the Brazilian Land-Use and Energy System model (BLUES), a national IAM, to show the implications of the transitions involved in the above-mentioned scenarios for the country up to 2050. We conduct a post-processing analysis using consolidated biodiversity indicators to emphasize how different IAM greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation solutions present distinct positive and negative potential impacts on biodiversity in Brazil. However, our analysis does not consider the impacts associated with climate change, but only the risks imposed by mitigation policies. Our results indicate that biodiversity loss decreases in the scenarios from (1) to (3), implying that stronger climate change mitigation actions could result in smaller biodiversity losses. We conclude that Brazil has the opportunity to align its biodiversity and climate goals through nature-based solutions (NBS), such as forest conservation, restoration, pasture recovery, and the use of crop-pasture and agroforestry systems.