Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sca1+ cells as direct isolate (ex vivo) versus in vitro cultured exhibit differential proteomic signatures in murine skeletal muscle

Stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1) is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein that is expressed in a sub-population of muscle stem and progenitor cell types. Reportedly, Sca-1 regulates the myogenic property of myoblasts and Sca-1-/- mice exhibited defective muscle regeneration. Although the role of Sca-1 in muscle development and maintenance is well-acknowledged, molecular composition of muscle derived Sca-1+ cells is not characterized. Here, we applied a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based workflow to characterize the proteomic landscape of mouse hindlimb skeletal muscle derived Sca-1+ cells. Furthermore, we characterized the impact of the cellular microenvironments on the proteomes of Sca-1+ cells. The proteome component of freshly isolated (ex vivo) Sca-1+ cells was compared with that of Sca-1+ cells expanded in cell culture (in vitro). The analysis revealed significant differences in the protein abundances in the two conditions reflective of their functional variations. The identified proteins were enriched in various biological pathways. Notably, we identified proteins related to myotube differentiation, myotube cell development and myoblast fusion. We also identified a panel of cell surface marker proteins that can be leveraged in future to enrich Sca-1+ cells using combinatorial strategies. Comparative analysis implicated the activation of various pathways leading to increased protein synthesis under in vitro condition. We report here the most comprehensive proteome map of Sca-1+ cells that provides insights into the molecular networks operative in Sca-1+ cells. Importantly, through our work we generated the proteomic blueprint of protein abundances significantly altered in Sca-1+ cells under ex vivo and in vitro conditions.
Influence of Fermentation Time and an ‘Indigenous Tenderiser’ (Kanwa) on the Microbial Profile, Chemical Attributes and Shelf‐Life of Rice Masa (a Nigerian Fermented Product)

Investigations on the influence of fermentation time, 'Kanwa' (an indigenous tenderiser and a flavouring agent) and potassium sorbate (0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 g kg -1 ) were conducted by examining the microbial profile, chemical attributes and shelf-life of rice 'Masa' (a Nigerian fermented product). Various types of microorganisms occurred at the initial stages of rice slurry fermentation and these included fungi (Aspergillus spp, Penicillium spp, Saccharomyces spp, Rhizopus spp) and bacteria (Lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus spp, Enterobacter spp and Acetobacter spp). But beyond 8 fermentation time, fewer types of microorganisms (Lactobacillus spp, Saccharomyces spp and Rhizopus spp) were isolated. Total aerobic counts increased significantly (P = 0.05) as fermentation progressed (0, 6 or 12 h), with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts dominating and probably contributed to the sour-sweet spongy characteristic of the rice Masa. But after fermentation and baking process, the rice Masa became dominated and spoilt by Bacillus spp, Lactobacillus spp and Saccharomyces spp with storage time. Longer fermentation time resulted in a less acceptable product, being more acidic. Rice Masa produced from a 6h fermentation showed better sensory qualities (aroma and visual appearance). Use of Kanwa (Na 2 CO 3 . NaHCO 3 . 2H 2 O) improved aroma but was detrimental to visual appearance and spoilage was accelerated, probably due to higher pH. Potassium sorbate at higher concentrations (1.0 and 1.5 g kg -1 ) induced beneficial antimicrobial effects and reduced the microbial load thereby prolonging the shelf life of the rice Masa (treated with 1.5 g kg -1 ) by about 3 days.
The influence of temperature on the diffusion of 125I− in Beishan Granite

Abstract China has planned to deal with the high-level radioactive wastes (HLW) in the middle of this century with deep geologic disposal method. The release of heat from HLW may cause the rise of temperatures in the surrounding backfilling materials or even the host rock of a repository. This brings about the concerns that the temperature elevation in the host rock may change the diffusion characteristics of key radionuclides and have some unpredictable effects in the performance assessment. In this paper, the influence of temperature on the diffusion of 125I− in Beishan Granite is studied by through diffusion method. The effective diffusion coefficients (De) of 125I− in the granite from 27 to 50 °C are obtained and analyzed as a function of temperature. Our result indicated that the relationship between De and temperature can be described by the modified Nernst equation, and the formation factors (Ff) of the granite from 27 to 50 °C is constant with an average value of 1.03×10−4.
Perturbation of amygdala-cortical projections reduces ensemble coherence of palatability coding in gustatory cortex

Taste palatability is centrally involved in consumption decisions—we ingest foods that taste good and reject those that don’t. Gustatory cortex (GC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) almost certainly work together to mediate palatability-driven behavior, but the precise nature of their interplay during taste decision-making is still unknown. To probe this issue, we discretely perturbed (with optogenetics) activity in BLA→GC axons during taste deliveries. This perturbation strongly altered GC taste responses, but while the perturbation itself was tonic (2s), the alterations were not—changes preferentially aligned with the onset times of previously-described taste response epochs, and reduced evidence of palatability-related activity in the “late-epoch” of the responses without reducing the amount of taste identity information available in the “middle epoch. ” Finally, BLA→GC perturbations changed behavior-linked taste response dynamics themselves, distinctively diminishing the abruptness of ensemble transitions into the late epoch. These results suggest that BLA “organizes” behavior-related GC taste dynamics.
Model-based aversive learning in humans is supported by preferential task state reactivation

The human brain simulates the outcomes of actions to enable avoidance of danger. Harm avoidance is critical for survival, yet little is known regarding the neural mechanisms supporting avoidance in the absence of trial-and-error experience. Flexible avoidance may be supported by a mental model (i.e., model-based), a process for which neural reactivation and sequential replay have emerged as candidate mechanisms. During an aversive learning task, combined with magnetoencephalography, we show prospective and retrospective reactivation during planning and learning, respectively, coupled to evidence for sequential replay. Specifically, when individuals plan in an aversive context, we find preferential reactivation of subsequently chosen goal states. Stronger reactivation is associated with greater hippocampal theta power. At outcome receipt, unchosen goal states are reactivated regardless of outcome valence. Replay of paths leading to goal states was modulated by outcome valence, with aversive outcomes associated with stronger reverse replay than safe outcomes. Our findings are suggestive of avoidance involving simulation of unexperienced states through hippocampally mediated reactivation and replay.
Comparative Analysis of Antigen-Specific Anti–SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Isotypes in COVID-19 Patients

Key Points Ab responses in COVID-19 patients differ among Ags and their isotypes. IgG against RBD best correlates with virus-neutralizing activity and disease severity. Serological tests for detection of anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Abs in blood are expected to identify individuals who have acquired immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and indication of seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Many serological tests have been developed to detect Abs against SARS-CoV-2. However, these tests have considerable variations in their specificity and sensitivity, and whether they can predict levels of neutralizing activity is yet to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the kinetics and neutralizing activity of various Ag-specific Ab isotypes against SARS-CoV-2 in serum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients confirmed via PCR test. We developed IgG, IgM, and IgA measurement assays for each Ag, including receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike (S) protein, S1 domain, full-length S protein, S trimer, and nucleocapsid (N) domain, based on ELISA. The assays of the S protein for all isotypes showed high specificity, whereas the assays for all isotypes against N protein showed lower specificity. The sensitivity of all Ag-specific Ab isotypes depended on the timing of the serum collection and all of them, except for IgM against N protein, reached more than 90% at 15–21 d postsymptom onset. The best correlation with virus-neutralizing activity was found for IgG against RBD, and levels of IgG against RBD in sera from four patients with severe COVID-19 increased concordantly with neutralizing activity. Our results provide valuable information regarding the selection of serological test for seroprevalence and vaccine evaluation studies.
The indoor environment - a potential source for intact human-associated anaerobes

Background People in westernised countries spend most of their time indoors. A healthy human microbiome relies on the interaction with and exchange of microbes that takes place between the human body and its environment. For this reason, the built environment might represent a potent source of commensal microbes. Anaerobic microbes are of particular interest, as researchers have not yet sufficiently clarified how the human microbiome acquires oxygen-sensitive microbes, such as obligate or facultative anaerobes. Methods We sampled ten households and used propidium monoazide to assess the viability of the collected prokaryotes. We compared the microbiome profiles based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and confirmed our results by genetic and cultivation-based analyses. Results Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that most of the microbial taxa are of human origin. Less than 25% of the prokaryotic signatures found in built environment (BE) samples originate from intact – and thus potentially living – cells, indicating that aerobic and stress resistant taxa display an apparent survival advantage. Although the dominant microbial fraction identified on the bathroom floors is composed of aerobes, we confirmed the presence of strictly anaerobic taxa, including methanogenic archaea, in PMA-treated samples. As methanogens are regarded as highly sensitive to aerobic conditions, oxygen-tolerance experiments were performed with human-associated isolates to validate their survival. These results show that these taxa have a limited but substantial ability to survive in the BE. We determined that human-associated methanogens can survive oxic conditions for at least 6 h. Conclusions This study enabled us to collect strong evidence that supports the hypothesis that obligate anaerobic taxa can survive in the BE for a limited amount of time. This suggests that the BE serves as a potential source of anaerobic human commensals.
Redox protein Memo1 coordinates FGF23-driven signaling and small Rho-GTPases in the mouse kidney

Memo1 deletion in mice causes premature aging and an unbalanced metabolism partially resembling Fgf23 and Klotho loss-of-function animals. We report a role for Memo’s redox function in renal FGF23-Klotho signaling using mice with postnatally induced Memo deficiency in the whole body (cKO). Memo cKO mice showed impaired FGF23-driven renal ERK phosphorylation and transcriptional responses. FGF23 actions involved activation of oxidation-sensitive protein phosphotyrosyl phosphatases (PTP) in the kidney. Redox proteomics revealed excessive thiols of Rho-GDP dissociation inhibitor 1 (Rho-GDI1) in Memo cKO, and we detected a functional interaction between Memo’s redox function and oxidation at Rho-GDI1 Cys79. In isolated cellular systems, Rho-GDI1 did not directly affect FGF23-driven cell signaling, but we detected disturbed Rho-GDI1 dependent small Rho-GTPase protein abundance and activity in the kidney of Memo cKO mice. Collectively, this study reveals previously unknown layers in the regulation of renal FGF23 signaling and connects Memo with the network of small Rho-GTPases.
Nutraceutical profiles of apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) as a source of fruit quality traits for breeding

In a social context of increasingly concern about healthy diets, the development of new varieties with enhanced content in nutraceutical compounds is an increasingly important objective of the fruit breeding programs currently developed. In this sense, apricot is a fruit crop very appreciated by consumers due to its organoleptic characteristics, but also plays an important role in human nutrition due to its contain of phytocompounds as sugars, organic acids, vitamins and polyphenols. In this work, new selections from the apricot breeding program carried out at the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA) and traditional varieties have been analysed aimed at identifying sources of genetic variation for fruit quality. For this purpose, sugar content, organic acids and ascorbic acid were studied during two crop years. Results revealed sucrose and glucose as the major sugars, malic and citric acid as the main organic acids, and diverse ascorbic acid content among the cultivars studied. Results obtained pointed some accessions as potential sources to increase fruit quality. In addition, the study showed that apricot peel is an excellent source of nutraceutical compounds. Moreover, this study opens up new possibilities for future work to study the genetic control of these traits in apricot.
Retinotopic organization of visual cortex in human infants

Vision develops rapidly during infancy, yet how visual cortex is organized during this period is unclear. One possibility is that the retinotopic organization of visual cortex emerges gradually as perceptual abilities improve. This may result in a hierarchical maturation of visual areas from striate to extrastriate cortex. Another possibility is that retinotopic organization is present from early infancy. This early maturation of area boundaries and tuning could scaffold further developmental changes. Here we test the functional maturity of infant visual cortex by performing retinotopic mapping with fMRI. Infants aged 5–23 months had retinotopic maps, with alternating preferences for vertical and horizontal meridians indicative of area boundaries from V1 to V4, and an orthogonal gradient of preferences from high to low spatial frequencies indicative of growing receptive field sizes. Although present in the youngest infants, these retinotopic maps showed subtle agerelated changes, suggesting that early maturation undergoes continued refinement.
Glucosinolate profiles in the seeds, leaves and roots of rocket salad (Eruca sativa Mill.) and anti-oxidative activities of intact plant powder and purified 4-methoxyglucobrassicin

Abstract Six desulfo-glucosinolates (DS-GSLs), DS-glucoraphanin, DS-4-(β-d-glucopyranosyldisulfanyl)butyl GSL, DS-glucoerucin, DS-glucobrassicin, DS-dimeric 4-mercaptobutyl GSL and DS-4-methoxyglucobrassicin, were isolated from rocket salad (Eruca sativa Mill.) By using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by their retention times on HPLC and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) techniques. Total GSL contents were 125, 11 and 22 µmol g−1 dry weight (DW) in seeds, leaves and roots, respectively. Two DS-GSLs, namely DS-glucoraphanin and DS-glucoerucin, were the major GSLs in seeds and roots, while DS-glucoraphanin, DS-glucoerucin and DS-dimeric 4-mercaptobutyl GSL were the predominant GSLs in leaves (> 1 µmol g−1 DW or > 10% of the total GSL content). In addition, the anti-oxidant activity (n = 3) of intact leaf and root powders, whole DS-GSL eluates and purified DS-4-methoxyglucobrassicin were measured using the XYZ-dish method. DS-4-methoxyglucobrassicin showed the greatest anti-oxidant activity value (3.8 unit g−1 DW), and the value for whole DS-GSL eluates (1.6) was higher than that of intact leaves (1.5) and roots (0.87).
Impact of COVID-19 shielding on physical activity and quality of life in patients with COPD

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease that can cause severe respiratory illness, particularly in patients with pre-existing lung conditions such as COPD [1]. To prevent infection during the peak of the pandemic, patients considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable were instructed to “shield” at home, resulting in significant restrictions to usual daily activities and social interaction. In the absence of a preventative vaccine, these public health measures are imperative to reduce transmission of the virus. However, despite this positive aspect, there are likely to be harmful repercussions on people's physical and mental health. In response to #COVID19, healthcare professionals should scale up virtual consultations for assessing core patient-reported outcomes and providing home-based rehabilitation programmes #COPD https://bit.ly/30gQEpG
Developing Remote Metal Binding Sites in Heteropolymolybdates

Anderson-type polyoxomolybdates [MMo6O18{(OCH2)3CNH2}2]3− (M = MnIII, FeIII) were prepared and structurally characterized. The tris(alkoxo) ligands are bound to the central heteroatom via their oxygen atoms. The corresponding compounds with M = NiII or ZnII are not accessible since these cations have a preference for the amino functionality. The pendant amino groups of the manganese-containing derivative react with pyridinecarbaldehydes to give the corresponding imines. This provides new mono- and bidentate binding sites for metal cations. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)
Predictability of cortico-cortical connections in the mammalian brain

Despite a five-order magnitude range in size, the mammalian brain exhibits many shared anatomical and functional characteristics that should translate into cortical network commonalities. Here we develop a framework employing machine learning to quantify the degree of predictability of the weighted interareal cortical matrix. Data were obtained with retrograde tract-tracing experiments supplemented by projection length measurements. Using this framework with consistent and edge-complete empirical datasets in the macaque and mouse cortex, we show that there is significant amount of predictability embedded in the interareal cortical networks of both species. At the binary level, links are predictable with an Area Under the ROC curve of at least 0.8 for the macaque. At the weighted level, strengths of the medium and strong links are predictable with at least 85-90% accuracy in mouse and 70-80% in macaque, whereas weak links are not predictable in either species. These observations suggest that the formation and evolution of the cortical network at the mesoscale is to a large extent, rule-based, motivating further research on the architectural invariants of the cortical connectome.
Oil price fluctuations and their impact on the macroeconomic variables of Kuwait: a case study using a VAR model

In this study, a vector autoregression model (VAR) and a vector error correction model (VECM) were estimated to examine the impact of oil price fluctuations on seven key macroeconomic variables for the Kuwaiti economy. Quarterly data for the period 1984–1998 were utilized. Theoretically and empirically speaking, VECM is superior to the VAR approach. Also, the results corresponding to the VECM model are closer to common sense.
Inhibition of the occipital face area modulates the electrophysiological signals of face familiarity positively: a combined cTBS-EEG study

The occipital face area (OFA) is hierarchically one of the first stages of the face processing network. It has originally been thought to be involved in early, structural processing steps, but currently more and more studies challenge this view and propose that it also takes part in higher face processing, such as identification and recognition. Here we tested whether the OFA is involved in the initial steps of recognition memory and plays a causal role in the differential processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces. We used an offline, inhibitory continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) protocol over the right OFA and the vertex as control site. An electroencephalographic (EEG) recording of event-related potentials (ERPs), elicited by visually presented familiar (famous) and unfamiliar faces was performed before and after stimulation. We observed a difference in ERPs for famous and unfamiliar faces in a time-window corresponding to the N250 component. Importantly, this difference was significantly increased by cTBS of the right OFA, suggesting its causal role in the differential processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces. The enhancement occurred focally, at electrodes close to the right hemispheric cTBS site, as well as over similar occipito-temporal sites of the contralateral hemisphere. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing the causal role of the rOFA in the differential processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces, using combined cTBS and EEG recording methods. These results are discussed with respect to the nature of familiar face representations, supported by an extensive, bilateral network.
Crystal structure of 2-methoxy-N'-(3,5-dichloro-2- hydroxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide, C15H12Cl2N2O3

C15H12Cl2N2O3, monoclinic, C1c1 (no. 9), a = 10.845(2) A, b = 12.773(2) A, c = 10.853(2) A, * = 96.688(2)°, V = 1493.1 A, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.041, wRref(F ) = 0.081, T = 298 K.
Domain and Task Adaptive Pretraining for Language Models

All current state-of-the-art systems in NLP utilize transformer based language models trained on massive amounts of text. This paper discusses strategies to adapt these models to historical domains and tasks, typical for research in the Computational Humanities. Using two task-specific corpora from the same domain (literary texts from the 19th Century) and Bert [6] resp. Distilbert [22] as baselines, we can confirm results from a recent study that continuing pretraining on the domain and the task data substantially improves task performance. Training a model from scratch using Electra [5] is not competitive for our data sets.
Occurrence, surveillance, and control of mycotoxins in food in Cyprus for the years 2004–2013

Approximately a total of 4500 samples were analyzed for several mycotoxins for the period 2004–2013. The mycotoxins were determined by liquid–solid extraction, immunoaffinity column clean-up, and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence or photo diode array detection. The data have shown that 93 out of 362 nut samples and 34 out of 167 other foodstuffs have been found contaminated with Aflatoxins (AFs). AFB1 was the most prevalent toxin, with high incidence especially in peanuts and pistachio. Most of the samples with AFs above the levels of the EU legislation were imported (27%) and were prevented entering the Cyprus and EU market. The AFM1 levels in milk were below the limit 0.05 μg l−1. Dried fruits, especially raisins, coffee, wheat, and spices, were found to be the most contaminated with Ochratoxin A, while pasta and wheat presented higher incidence of deoxynivalenol. Only 4 out of 60 samples analyzed for zearalenone were found positive but at very low concentrations.