Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fibroblasts from metastatic sites induce broad-spectrum drug desensitization via modulation of mitochondrial priming

Due to tumor heterogeneity, most believe that effective treatments should be tailored to the features of an individual tumor or tumor subclass. It is still unclear what information should be considered for optimal disease stratification, and most prior work focuses on tumor genomics. Here, we focus on the tumor micro-environment. Using a large-scale co-culture assay optimized to measure drug-induced cell death, we identify tumor-stroma interactions that modulate drug sensitivity. Our data show that the chemo-insensitivity typically associated with aggressive subtypes of breast cancer is not cell intrinsic, but rather a product of tumor-fibroblast interactions. Additionally, we find that fibroblast cells influence tumor drug response in two distinct and divergent manners, which were predicable based on the anatomical origin from which the fibroblasts were harvested. These divergent phenotypes result from modulation of “mitochondrial priming” of tumor cells, caused by secretion of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL6 and IL8, from stromal cells.
A proposal for a standardized bacterial taxonomy based on genome phylogeny

Taxonomy is a fundamental organizing principle of biology, which ideally should be based on evolutionary relationships. Microbial taxonomy has been greatly restricted by the inability to obtain most microorganisms in pure culture and, to a lesser degree, the historical use of phenotypic properties as the basis for classification. However, we are now at the point of obtaining genome sequences broadly representative of microbial diversity by using culture-independent techniques, which provide the opportunity to develop a comprehensive genome-based taxonomy. Here we propose a standardized bacterial taxonomy based on a concatenated protein phylogeny that conservatively removes polyphyletic groups and normalizes ranks based on relative evolutionary divergence. From 94,759 bacterial genomes, 99 phyla are described including six major normalized monophyletic units from the subdivision of the Proteobacteria, and amalgamation of the Candidate Phyla Radiation into the single phylum Patescibacteria. In total, 73% of taxa had one or more changes to their existing taxonomy.
Studies on correlations between soil chemistry and bacterial population in rhizosphere of Bt and non-Bt cotton and characterization of rhizobacteria

The present study was planned to explore the relationship between soil chemistry with bacterial population of Bt and non-Bt cotton and their phenotypic and molecular characteristics. The pre-plant soil and rhizospheres of Bt and non-Bt cotton were collected and analyzed for some soil parameters and bacterial population. The bacterial isolates were analyzed for their morphological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics. Bacterial population showed a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation with clay content, electrical conductivity, organic matter, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus and potassium negative with correlation with pH. Bt cotton showed a non-significant effect on the soil parameters, significant decrease in bacterial population, change in the morphological and biochemical characteristics of rhizobacteria and replacement of four bacterial species with five new ones suggests the potential effect of Bt cotton on its rhizoflora. The rhizosphere of non-Bt cotton cultivated in the fertile agriculture field was found to be the best for bacterial growth.
Another poisonous species discovered in the genus Gyromitra: G. ambigua

HARMAJA, H. 1976: Another poisonous species discovered in the genus Gyromitra: G. ambigua. Karstenia 15 :36-37. A case of intoxication in Sweden caused by Gyromitra ambigua (Karst.) Harmaja (Ascomycetes: Pezizales), a species previously not known to be poisonous, is reported . The fresh fruit bodies were boiled but the boiling water was taken with the dish and eaten, too. Three other cases of poisoning, occurred in Alaska and Finland and caused by fruit bodies of G. infula (Fr.) Que! coli . (i.e., either G. ambigua or G. infula) which were fresh prepared for dish without boiling and rinsing , are also discussed. On the other hand, two different cases are known when fruit bodies of G. ambigua kept in boiling water (the water not being used for the dish) did not cause any effects of intoxication. Dried or boiled and rinsed fruit bodies of G. infula coli. apparently have never been reported to have caused poisonings. The symptoms of the present cases are very similar to those known to occur in intoxications caused by the famous relative species, G. esculenta (Pers.) Fr. These facts suggest that the toxically effective substance of G. ambigua is the same as (or chemically closely related to) that in G. esculenta, i.e. gyromitrine. G. infula s. str. is apparently intoxical.
Acoustic and Flow Aspects of Novel Synthetic Jet Actuator

The acoustic and flow aspects of the novel synthetic jet actuator (SJA) with fins inside the cavity were experimentally investigated for three types of enclosure design and two models of loudspeaker. The aim of the study is to find the parameter which connects the flow and acoustic properties of the SJA and allows us to choose the optimal solution in those regards. The hot wire anemometry was used for the velocity measurements and the sound pressure level was measured with a sound level meter. The model of the loudspeaker turned out to have a significantly stronger impact on the flow parameters and noise level than the shape of the fins in the cavity. The parameter that showed a dependence on the shape of the fins was the actuator’s efficiency. A ratio of the root-mean-square velocity at the orifice axis to the sound pressure level (U0.c/SPL) was used to connect the acoustic and flow properties of the tested actuators. This parameter was subsequently applied to determine the best configuration among the tested actuators.
Co-expression network analysis identified specific miRNAs and genes in association with slow-transit constipation

The pathogenesis of slow-transit constipation (STC) remains largely unclear, with the roles of microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs) yet to be determined. Co-expression network analysis of miRNAs in STC is crucial to elucidating potential underlying mechanisms. Weighted gene correlation network analysis was performed in the miRNA expression profile of STC (GSE57969). The key miRNA target genes were further functionally enriched by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO). A Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network was constructed, with a total of 12 color-clustered modules determined. Seven key miRNAs were established, including five miRNAs from the turquoise module (hsa-miR-20b, hsa-miR-128, hsa-miR-129-3p, hsa-miR-30b and hsa-miR-340), one miRNA from the blue module (hsa-miR-619) and one from the black module (hsa-miR-486-3p). A total of 2,077 key miRNA target genes were predicted. GO analysis revealed that the ‘protein modification process’ and ‘cellular protein modification process’ were the most significantly enriched processes in the ‘Biological Processes’ category, whereas the ‘nucleoplasm’ in ‘Cellular Components’ and ‘enzyme binding’ in ‘Molecular Functions’ were the most significantly enriched processes. The ‘cAMP signalling pathway’ was the top KEGG pathway. The hub genes identified from the PPI network included calmodulin (CALM)2, CALM1, histone deacetylase (HDAC)3, glycogen synthase kinase 3 β, HDAC9, heat-shock protein family A member 8, G-protein subunit γ (GNG)13, HECT domain and ankyrin repeat containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1, GNG10 and GNG7. This bioinformatics analysis demonstrated co-expressed miRNA networks with insightful genes and pathways associated with STC.
Mutation and selective constraint in the murid genome

A large proportion of the genome of many higher eukaryotes consists of apparently functionless noncoding DNA, the significance of which is a long­ standing puzzle in biology. The aim of this work was to quantify the extent to which both m utation and natu ra l selection have influenced molecular evolution in murid noncoding sequence. In particular, the m agnitude of and variation in selective constraint w ithin murid noncoding DNA was investigated. Selective constraint is defined as the proportion of all m utations occurring a t a locus or site which are strongly deleterious and therefore removed by natu ral selection. The approach adopted to estim ate selective constraint relies on the assum ption th a t we can quantify the past strength of purifying selection in a DNA sequence by comparison w ith nearby regions which are assumed to be evolving neutrally. To this end, work in this thesis deals both w ith m utational variation and bias (Chapters 2 and 3) as well as w ith selective constraint (Chapters 4 and 5) in noncoding DNA. Chapter 2 is concerned with the differential effects of context-dependent m utation (namely, CpG hyperm utability) a t fourfold synonymous and noncoding sites. Using simulations it was shown th a t a common m ethod of assigning ancestral CpG sta tu s often introduces a substantial level of bias into the estim ation of nucleotide substitution rates. The effects of this bias can easily be m isconstrued as the action of purifying selection at synonymous sites. C hapter 3 is concerned with m utational variation in the m urid genome. Nucleotide substitu tion rates in murid transposable elements were estim ated. It was assumed th a t the m ajority of m urid transposable elements were evolving neutrally and, therefore, th a t their molecular evolutionary rate was dictated by m utation alone. Under this assumption, variation in estim ated element substitu tion rates reflects sampling and m utational variation only. The results indicate th a t greater m utational variation occurs along the length of a chromosome th an between individual chromosomes, although the la tte r has been the prim ary focus in the literature. This result illustrates the im portance of accounting for m utational variation in studies of selective constraint and sequence conservation. In C hapter 4, the level of constraint in intergenic DNA adjacent to coding sequences and a m oderate distance inside first introns was estim ated in a
Stable Climates for Temperate Rocky Circumbinary Planets

Circumbinary planets may comprise a significant fraction of the temperate rocky planets in our galaxy. A wide range of previous work has explored the climate of circumbinary planets with one‐dimensional energy balance models, but studies utilizing three‐dimensional general circulation models (GCMs) have only explored gaseous or ocean‐covered planets. Recent GCM results from Wolf et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JE006576) determine the impact of the time‐varying stellar forcing on the climate of Earth‐like circumbinary planets in a broad range of 12 modeled systems with stellar spectral types from G2 to M0. The planets modeled are assumed to have the same continental and oceanic configuration as Earth and receive the same time‐averaged stellar instellation as Earth. In all cases the climate variability has a low amplitude, with local maximum temperatures never exceeding the wet bulb threshold for human life. As a result, Earth‐like life could persist on circumbinary planets that undergo large‐amplitude orbital variations in instellation, and such planets remain viable targets to search for biosignatures and other key habitability indicators.
Assessment of Dental Caries Status and Oral Hygiene Practices among 6–10-year-old Rural and Urban Schoolchildren in South Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract Dental caries is the most common disease affecting oral cavity. Despite credible scientific advances and the fact that dental caries is preventable, the disease continues to be a major public health problem. Aim To assess the dental caries status and oral hygiene practices among 6–10-year-old rural and urban schoolchildren in south Bengaluru. Materials and methods A total of 452 children from four schools which included one government school from rural and urban area and one private school from rural and urban area in south Bengaluru. Detailed pro forma was used, and information was recorded through an interview system. The examination for dental caries was made according to the dentition status and treatment needs as described by the World Health Organization (1997) using Community Periodontal Index Probe and Plane Mouth Mirror (type III examination), under natural day light in school premises. The examination was done by a single examiner and recorded by the trained personnel. Results Prevalence of dental caries was more in rural schoolchildren. More than five decayed teeth were documented in higher percentage of children in rural government school, while it was much less in children of other schools. Conclusion A comprehensive community-focused oral healthcare intervention that includes oral health education in elementary schools and homes is recommended to increase general oral health awareness. How to cite this article Chandregowda KY, Kumar VD, Shankarappa KB, et al. Assessment of Dental Caries Status and Oral Hygiene Practices among 6–10-year-old Rural and Urban Schoolchildren in South Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2020;13(4):348–354.
Managerial Discretion to Delay the Recognition of Goodwill Impairment: The Role of Enforcement

Under IFRS, managers can use two approaches to increase the estimated fair value of goodwill in order to justify not recognizing impairment: (1) make overly optimistic valuation assumptions, and (2) increase future cash flow forecasts by inflating current cash flows. Because enforcement constrains the use of optimistic valuation assumptions, we hypothesize that enforcement influences the relative use of these two choices. We test this hypothesis by comparing a sample of 1,958 firms from 36 countries that are likely to delay recognizing goodwill impairment (suspect firms) to a sample of control firms. First, we find that firms in high enforcement countries use a higher discount rate to test goodwill for impairment than firms in low enforcement countries. We also find a more positive association between discount rate and upward cash flow management for suspect firms than for control firms. This result is consistent with suspect firms substituting optimistic valuation assumptions with inflated current cash flows. Second, we find that, relative to control firms, suspect firms exhibit higher upward cash flow management in high enforcement countries than in low enforcement countries. Third, we show that suspect firms in high enforcement countries are more likely to eventually impair goodwill.
Effects of deoxynivalenol and fumonisins fed in combination on beef cattle: health and performance indices

Interactions between livestock management practices and toxicological outcomes of mycotoxin exposure may explain the range of tolerable toxin levels reported for various species. In the current study, we investigated the effect of concurrent mycotoxin exposure with a high starch diet in 12 beef steers in a partial cross-over experiment using a 21-day treatment period, followed by a 14-day clearance. During the treatment period, animals were assigned to one of two diets: a low mycotoxin control total mixed ration (TMR) (0.2±0.1 mg deoxynivalenol (DON) and 0.2±0.2 mg fumonisins (FUM)/kg TMR) and a high mycotoxin TMR treatment (1.7±0.2 mg DON and 3.5±0.3 mg FUM/kg TMR). We evaluated the impacts of these mycotoxins on performance, physiology and biochemistry; and the ability of the clearance period to return animals to a naïve state in the cross-over model. The lack of acute ruminal acidosis observed indicates that the animals were able to withstand the physiological stresses of the high starch diet, while toxicological outcomes were manifested in minor perturbations of biochemistry and outright performance of exposed animals. Aspartate aminotransferase, cholesterol, fibrinogen and leukocyte count were increased while sorbitol dehydrogenase, bile acids and mean corpuscular volume were decreased in treatment-fed steers, yet were not significantly different than those from control-fed animals. Fusarium toxin exposure significantly decreased ruminal fluid pH, with the clearance period returning animals to a naïve state, as it did for most of the molecular variables measured. Conversely, treatment-fed animals continued to exhibit significantly lower average weekly body weight throughout the treatment period and the first week of the clearance period. While the risk of adverse health effects to fattening cattle from similar doses of DON or FUM as used in the current study is considered low, additional work should be directed towards minimising production losses due to these feed contaminants.
Perception on the Effectiveness of Method in Teaching English as a Second Language to 21st Century Learners

Numerous studies revealed to us that rote memorization is an ineffective learning approach and the teacher-centered or traditional instruction, versus student-centered instruction, may not provide the most efficient outcomes for students‟ learning. The focus of this study was to assess the Perception on the Effectiveness of Method in Teaching English as a Second Language to 21st Century Learners. Using the descriptive-correlational research design, the study utilized a survey questionnaire as the main data gathering tool and a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire for the focus group discussion. It was revealed that the teachers are using Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) due to its effectiveness in managing large classes. The preference of 21st-century learners on CLT strengthens their use of the target language. Twenty-first century ESL students highly exposed to CLT improve their fluency, accuracy, and competence. The fundamental role of education is to prepare the 21st century learners to become assets and responsible members of our society. With the changes and improvements which come with time, this importance of education‟s role remains. Recommendations for future research were proposed.
The Dynamic Interrelationship of Environmental Factors and Foreign Direct Investment: Dynamic Panel Data Analysis and New Evidence from the Globe

Studies on the role of renewable energy consumption and other environmental factors in carbon emission have got considerable attention recently, and they are predicted to get exaggerated in the coming decades. Energy usage increases economic growth and development of a country and backs to global warming and carbon emission which affect the local environment. For the prosperity of a country, it is felt crucial to measure the unavoidable impacts which effect environmental quality. Consequently, the current study investigates the interrelationship of renewable energy consumption, carbon dioxide emission, foreign direct investment, and economic growth in 190 countries of the world for the period of 1980 to 2018. By employing both static and dynamic models, the findings indicate that carbon emission, renewable energy consumption, foreign direct investment, and economic growth affect each other significantly whereas renewable energy consumption has been found beneficial for environmental quality; however, it decreases the inflow of FDI. RE has a decreasing impact, while FDI and carbon emission promote economic growth. The study suggests the promotion of renewable energy resources and policies related to FDI to promote the quality of the environment and achieve economic growth as well.
Herding and BRICS markets: a study of distribution tails

PurposeThe present study looks into the mimicking behaviour in both normal and asymmetric scenarios. It, then, considers the contagion between the USA and the BRICS stock markets. Finally, it examines herd behaviour in the wake of a major banking policy change concerning the bloc under study.Design/methodology/approachThe current empirical analysis employs daily, weekly and monthly data points to estimate relevant herding parameters. Quantile regression specifications of Chang et al. (2000)'s dispersion method have been applied to detect herd activity. Also, dummy regression specifications have been used to examine the impact of various crises and strategically crucial events on the propensity to herd in the BRICS markets. The time period under consideration ranges from January 2011 until May 2019.FindingsThe relevant herding coefficients turn insignificant in most cases for normal and asymmetric scenarios except for China and South Africa. This can be traced to the anti-herding behaviour of investors, where individuals tend to diverge from the consensus. However, turbulence makes all stock markets to show some collective trading except Russia. Further, the Chinese stock market seems immune to the frictions in the US stock market. Finally, the Indian and South African markets witness significant herding during the formation of a common depository institution.Practical implicationsMost stock markets seem to herd during turbulence. This revelation is of strategic importance to the regulators and capital market managers. They have to be cautious during crises periods as the illusion of being secured with the masses ends up creating unprecedented frictions in the financial markets.Originality/valueThe present study seems to be the very first attempt to test the relevant distributions' tails for convergent behaviour in the BRICS markets.
Further Examining the Construct Validity of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Personality Disorder Spectra Scales

Abstract The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) Personality Disorder (PD) Spectra scales reflect a recent effort to dimensionally measure Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5-based personality disorders. Initial studies generally support the sound psychometric properties of most scales, although the need to continue cross-validating and expanding the known empirical correlates of these scales remains. The goal of the current investigation was to replicate and extend previous research on MMPI-2-RF PD Spectra scale scores and further examine their construct validity. Using a sample of 765 undergraduate students (69.3% female; Mage = 19.95; 73.3% White), zero-order correlations between scores on MMPI-2-RF PD Spectra scales and measures of personality and psychopathology variables were calculated. Median convergent and discriminant correlations were compared using Fisher’s r-to-z tests. Results indicated that hypothesized convergent associations were meaningfully stronger in magnitude than hypothesized discriminant ones, with exceptions to scales measuring Obsessive-Compulsive, Narcissistic, and Paranoid PDs. Findings generally supported the construct validity of MMPI-2-RF PD Spectra scale scores. Implications for clinical practice and research, methodological limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Scaling limit of triangulations of polygons

We prove that random triangulations of types I, II, and III with a simple boundary under the critical Boltzmann weight converge in the scaling limit to the Brownian disk. The proof uses a bijection due to Poulalhon and Schaeffer between type III triangulations of the $p$-gon and so-called blossoming forests. A variant of this bijection was also used by Addario-Berry and the first author to prove convergence of type III triangulations to the Brownian map, but new ideas are needed to handle the simple boundary. Our result is an ingredient in the program of the second and third authors on the convergence of uniform triangulations under the Cardy embedding.