Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural basis for HCMV Pentamer receptor recognition and antibody neutralization

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) represents the viral leading cause of congenital birth defects and uses the gH/gL/UL128-130-131A complex (Pentamer) to enter different cell types, including epithelial and endothelial cells. Upon infection, Pentamer elicits the most potent neutralizing response against HCMV, representing a key vaccine candidate. Despite its relevance, the structural basis for Pentamer receptor recognition and antibody neutralization is largely unknown. Here, we determine the structures of Pentamer bound to neuropilin 2 (NRP2) and a set of potent neutralizing antibodies against HCMV. Moreover, we identify thrombomodulin (THBD) as a functional HCMV receptor and determine the structures of the Pentamer-THBD complex. Unexpectedly, both NRP2 and THBD also promote dimerization of Pentamer. Our results provide a framework for understanding HCMV receptor engagement, cell entry, antibody neutralization, and outline strategies for antiviral therapies against HCMV.
Cross‐trait prediction accuracy of summary statistics in genome‐wide association studies

In the era of big data, univariate models have widely been used as a workhorse tool for quickly producing marginal estimators; and this is true even when in a high‐dimensional dense setting, in which many features are “true,” but weak signals. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) epitomize this type of setting. Although the GWAS marginal estimator is popular, it has long been criticized for ignoring the correlation structure of genetic variants (i.e., the linkage disequilibrium [LD] pattern). In this paper, we study the effects of LD pattern on the GWAS marginal estimator and investigate whether or not additionally accounting for the LD can improve the prediction accuracy of complex traits. We consider a general high‐dimensional dense setting for GWAS and study a class of ridge‐type estimators, including the popular marginal estimator and the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) estimator as two special cases. We show that the performance of GWAS marginal estimator depends on the LD pattern through the first three moments of its eigenvalue distribution. Furthermore, we uncover that the relative performance of GWAS marginal and BLUP estimators highly depends on the ratio of GWAS sample size over the number of genetic variants. Particularly, our finding reveals that the marginal estimator can easily become near‐optimal within this class when the sample size is relatively small, even though it ignores the LD pattern. On the other hand, BLUP estimator has substantially better performance than the marginal estimator as the sample size increases toward the number of genetic variants, which is typically in millions. Therefore, adjusting for the LD (such as in the BLUP) is most needed when GWAS sample size is large. We illustrate the importance of our results by using the simulated data and real GWAS.
Transposable element insertion: a hidden major source of domesticated phenotypic variation in Brassica rapa

Summary Transposable element (TE) is prevalent in plant genomes. However, studies on their impact on phenotypic evolution in crop plants are relatively rare, because systematically identifying TE insertions within a species has been a challenge. Here, we present a novel approach for uncovering TE insertion polymorphisms (TIPs) using pan‐genome analysis combined with population‐scale resequencing, and we adopt this pipeline to retrieve TIPs in a Brassica rapa germplasm collection. We found that 23% of genes within the reference Chiifu‐401‐42 genome harbored TIPs. TIPs tended to have large transcriptional effects, including modifying gene expression levels and altering gene structure by introducing new introns. Among 524 diverse accessions, TIPs broadly influenced genes related to traits and acted a crucial role in the domestication of B. rapa morphotypes. As examples, four specific TIP‐containing genes were found to be candidates that potentially involved in various climatic conditions, promoting the formation of diverse vegetable crops in B. rapa. Our work reveals the hitherto hidden TIPs implicated in agronomic traits and highlights their widespread utility in studies of crop domestication.
Computed Tomographic Features of Non-Lame French Bulldog Elbows.

OBJECTIVE French Bulldogs are predisposed to humeral condylar fractures. Computed tomography (CT) in English Springer Spaniel elbows has allowed identification of humeral intracondylar fissures (HIF), which can cause lameness and predispose to condylar fractures. This study aimed to evaluate CT characteristics of non-lame French Bulldog elbows, to determine the presence of underlying elbow disease. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective evaluation of CT images from elbows of non-lame French Bulldogs from scans obtained for soft tissue or neurological evaluation was performed. Images were evaluated for the presence of HIF and other elbow abnormalities: condylar and supracondylar remodelling, humeral condylar sclerosis, elbow incongruency, medial coronoid process disease and elbow osteoarthritis. Descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS Computed tomographic scans from 37 dogs (74 elbows) were reviewed. No HIF were identified, although 28/74 elbows had an intracondylar sclerotic band. Medial coronoid process disease was noted in 16/74 elbows, and small osteophytes were present in 21/74 elbows, suggesting a degree of subclinical elbow disease. Widening of the caudolateral aspect of the radial incisure was identified (37/74) as a breed normal. Elbow incongruency was otherwise rare. CONCLUSION Non-lame French Bulldogs showed a low prevalence of occult elbow disease but a proportion had radial incisure widening. Although humeral intracondylar sclerosis was present in over a third of dogs, no HIF were identified and therefore no clear cause for their increased risk of humeral condylar fracture was identified.
Gut microbes and muscle function: can probiotics make our muscles stronger?

Evidence suggests that gut microbiota composition and diversity can be a determinant of skeletal muscle metabolism and functionality. This is true in catabolic (sarcopenia and cachexia) or anabolic (exercise or in athletes) situations. As gut microbiota is known to be causal in the development and worsening of metabolic dysregulation phenotypes such as obesity or insulin resistance, it can regulate, at least partially, skeletal muscle mass and function. Skeletal muscles are physiologically far from the gut. Signals generated by the gut due to its interaction with the gut microbiome (microbial metabolites, gut peptides, lipopolysaccharides, and interleukins) constitute links between gut microbiota activity and skeletal muscle and regulate muscle functionality via modulation of systemic/tissue inflammation as well as insulin sensitivity. The probiotics able to limit sarcopenia and cachexia or promote health performances in rodents are mainly lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. In humans, the same bacteria have been tested, but the scarcity of the studies, the variability of the populations, and the difficulty to measure accurately and with high reproducibility muscle mass and function have not allowed to highlight specific strains able to optimize muscle mass and function. Further studies are required on more defined population, in order to design personalized nutrition. For elderly, testing the efficiency of probiotics according to the degree of frailty, nutritional state, or degree of sarcopenia before supplementation is essential. For exercise, selection of probiotics capable to be efficient in recreational and/or elite athletes, resistance, and/or endurance exercise would also require further attention. Ultimately, a combination of strategies capable to optimize muscle functionality, including bacteria (new microbes, bacterial ecosystems, or mix, more prone to colonize a specific gut ecosystem) associated with prebiotics and other ‘traditional’ supplements known to stimulate muscle anabolism (e.g. proteins), could be the best way to preserve muscle functionality in healthy individuals at all ages or patients.
Intraoperative Redosing of Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Addition to Preoperative Prophylaxis Versus Single-dose Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infection

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) with additional intraoperative redosing compared to single-dose preoperative surgical antibiotic prophylaxis on the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI). Summary Background Data: Preoperative SAP is standard care for the prevention of SSI. During long surgical procedures, additional intraoperative redosing of SAP is advised, but there is great variability in redosing strategies and compliance rates. Methods: We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, CINAHL and CENTRAL on June 25th, 2021 according to PROSPERO registration CRD42021229035. We included studies that compared the effect of preoperative SAP with additional intraoperative redosing to single dose preoperative SAP (no redosing) on SSI incidence in patients undergoing any type of surgery. Two researchers performed data appraisal and extraction of summary data independently. Meta-analyses were stratified per study type. We used a generic inverse variance random-effects model to estimate a pooled odds ratio with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We included 2 randomized controlled trials (RCT) and 8 cohort studies comprising of 9470 patients. Pooled odds ratios for SSI in patients receiving intraoperative redosing compared to those without redosing were 0.47 (95% CI: 0.19–1.16. I2 = 36%) for RCTs and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.38–0.79, I2 = 56%) for observational cohorts. There was considerable clinical heterogeneity among antibiotics used and redosing protocols. GRADE-assessment showed overall low certainty of evidence. Conclusion: Intraoperative redosing of SAP may reduce incidence of SSI compared to a single dose preoperative SAP in any type of surgery, based on studies with considerable heterogeneity of antibiotic regimens and redosing protocols.
Assessing variability of aerosols generated from e-Cigarettes

Abstract While some in vitro and in vivo experiments have studied the toxic effects of e-cigarette (e-cig) components, the typical aerosol properties released from e-cigarettes have not been well characterized. In the present study, we characterized the variability in mass concentration and particle size distribution associated with the aerosol generation of different devices and e-liquid compositions in an experimental setup. The findings of this study indicate a large inter-day variability in the experiments, likely due to poor quality control in some e-cig devices, pointing to the need for a better understanding of all the factors affecting exposures in in vitro and in vivo experiments, and the development of standardized protocols for generation and measurement of e-cig aerosols.
The Mutual Influence of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Twitter Users During COVID-19: Network Agenda-Setting Analysis

Background Little is known about the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in communicating with the public on social media during a global health emergency. More specifically, there is no study about the relationship between the agendas of the WHO and Twitter users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective This study utilizes the network agenda-setting model to investigate the mutual relationship between the agenda of the WHO’s official Twitter account and the agenda of 7.5 million of its Twitter followers regarding COVID-19. Methods Content analysis was applied to 7090 tweets posted by the WHO on Twitter from January 1, 2020, to July 31, 2020, to identify the topics of tweets. The quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) was used to investigate the relationship between the WHO agenda network and the agenda network of the 6 Twitter user categories, including “health care professionals,” “academics,” “politicians,” “print and electronic media,” “legal professionals,” and the “private sector. ” Additionally, 98 Granger causality statistical tests were performed to determine which topic in the WHO agenda had an effect on the corresponding topic in each Twitter user category and vice versa. Results Content analysis revealed 7 topics that reflect the WHO agenda related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including “prevention,” “solidarity,” “charity,” “teamwork,” “ill-effect,” “surveillance,” and “credibility. ” Results of the QAP showed significant and strong correlations between the WHO agenda network and the agenda network of each Twitter user category. These results provide evidence that WHO had an overall effect on different types of Twitter users on the identified topics. For instance, the Granger causality tests indicated that the WHO tweets influenced politicians and print and electronic media about “surveillance. ” The WHO tweets also influenced academics and the private sector about “credibility” and print and electronic media about “ill-effect. ” Additionally, Twitter users affected some topics in the WHO. For instance, WHO followers affected “charity” and “prevention” in the WHO. Conclusions This paper extends theorizing on agenda setting by providing empirical evidence that agenda-setting effects vary by topic and types of Twitter users. Although prior studies showed that network agenda setting is a “one-way” model, the novel findings of this research confirm a “2-way” or “multiway” effect of agenda setting on social media due to the interactions between the content creators and audiences. The WHO can determine which topics should be promoted on social media during different phases of a pandemic and collaborate with other public health gatekeepers to collectively make them salient in the public.
Design of a targeted next‐generation DNA sequencing panel for pediatric T‐cell lymphoblastic lymphoma to unravel biology and optimize treatment

Low incidence and molecular heterogeneity of pediatric T‐cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T‐LBL) require an international, large‐scale effort to identify novel clinical biomarkers. The ongoing international clinical trial LBL2018 (NCT04043494) represents an ideal opportunity to implement a common analytic approach. Targeted next‐generation sequencing is well‐suited for this purpose; however, selection of relevant target genes for T‐LBL remains subject of ongoing debates. Our group has recently designed and evaluated a first target panel of 80 candidate genes for T‐LBL. The present study aimed at developing a novel optimized gene panel for large‐scale application and to promote an international agreement on a common core panel. Small sequence variants obtained from our former study were systematically analyzed and classified with regards to pathogenic relevance, to prioritize candidate genes. Additional genes were curated from literature and online databases for a more comprehensive analysis of relevant functions and signaling pathways. The new target panel TGP‐T‐LBL entails 84 candidate genes which are key actors in NOTCH, PI3K‐AKT, JAK–STAT, RAS signaling, epigenetic regulation, transcription, DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, and ribosomal function. From our former gene panel, 35 out of 80 candidate genes were selected for the novel panel. Forty‐six out of 84 genes are currently being analyzed in the ongoing international trial LBL2018. Exploratory analysis of prognostic relevance on mutation‐level suggested a potential association of PIK3CA variants c.1624G>A(p.Glu542Lys) and c.1633G>A(p.Glu545Lys) to occurrence of relapse, emphasizing particular relevance of mutation analysis in PI3K‐AKT signaling. Our approach promotes comprehensive and clinically relevant mutational profiling of pediatric T‐LBL.
Understanding recycling behaviour

This article is adapted from the executive summary of a technical monograph Understanding Recycling Behaviour, published by the University of Paisley. It summarises the results and conclusions from a five year research programme, sponsored by the Newspaper Industry, aimed at optimising the recovery of post-consumer newspapers. The research sets out a framework of model theories and rules that help explain household recycling behaviours and how they might change.
Maternal Testosterone Concentrations in Third Trimester and Offspring Handgrip Strength at 5 Years: Odense Child Cohort

Abstract Background Maternal testosterone in pregnancy may have conditioning effects on offspring muscle strength. Purpose To investigate possible associations between maternal testosterone concentrations in third trimester and offspring handgrip strength (HGS) at 5 years. Methods In the prospective, population-based Odense Child Cohort, total testosterone (TT) at gestational week 27-28 and 5-year HGS were measured in 1017 mother-child pairs. TT was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and free testosterone (FT) was calculated from TT and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Multivariable regression analyses were performed with HGS < 10th percentile as cutoff for low HGS. Results Third-trimester FT concentration was 0.004 (0.002-0.007) nmol/L, geometric mean (mean − SD; mean + SD). The mean (SD) 5-year HGS was 8.7 (1.8) kg in boys and 8.1 (1.7) kg in girls (P < 0.001). Higher FT concentrations were associated with lower HGS (β = −0.186, P = 0.048), after adjustment for maternal age, parity, offspring sex, and 5-year height and weight. FT > 0.004 nmol/L was associated with higher risk of 5-year HGS < 10th percentile with odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.58 (1.01, 2.47; P = 0.047; n = 1,017) and 1.69 (1.05, 2.74; P = 0.032) after further adjustment for children’s organized sports in subgroup analysis (n = 848). Lower HGS in relation to higher FT concentrations was found in all linear models but was not always statistically significant. HGS was not associated with maternal TT and SHBG levels. Conclusion Third trimester FT was inversely associated with offspring muscle strength assessed by HGS at 5 years of age, which may suggest a negative effect of maternal FT on offspring muscle strength.
Feature Re-Representation and Reliable Pseudo Label Retraining for Cross-Domain Semantic Segmentation

This paper presents a novel unsupervised domain adaptation method for semantic segmentation. We argue that a good representation of the target-domain data should keep both the knowledge from the source domain and the target-domain-specific information. To obtain the knowledge from the source domain, we first learn a set of bases to characterize the feature distribution of the source domain, then features from both the source and the target domain are re-represented as a weighted summation of the source bases. A discriminator is additionally introduced to make the re-representation responsibilities of both domain features under the same bases indistinguishable. In this way, the domain gap between the source re-representation and target re-representation is minimized, and the re-represented target domain features contain the source domain information. Then we combine the feature re-representation with the original domain-specific feature together for subsequent pixel-wise classification. To further make the re-represented target features semantically meaningful, a Reliable Pseudo Label Retraining (RPLR) strategy is proposed, which utilizes the consistency of the prediction by the networks trained with multi-view source images to select the clean pseudo labels on unlabeled target images for re-training. Extensive experiments demonstrate the competitive performance of our approach for unsupervised domain adaptation on the semantic segmentation benchmarks.
Sanal Kaytarma ve Demografik Özellikler Açısından Farklılıklar: Otel İşletmelerinde Bir Araştırma

Bilgisayar ve internet teknolojilerinin otel isletmelerinde yaygin kullanimi sonucu, calisanlarin sanal kaytarmafaaliyetlerinde bulunma egilimleri de artmaktadir. Calismanin amaci, otel isletmelerinde calisanlarin demografik ozellikleri acisindan sanal kaytarma faaliyetleri arasindaki farkliliklari ortaya koymaktir. Yazina dayali gelistirilen anketle Nevsehir yoresindeki dort ve bes yildizli otel isletmelerindeki calisanlara yonelik 278 anket gonderilmis, 211 gecerli geri donus elde edilmistir. Veri analizleri sonucunda calisanlarin egitim duzeyi, isletmedeki konumlari ve calisilan bolumler ile sanal kaytarma faaliyetleri arasinda anlamli farkliliklar oldugu belirlenmistir. Egitim duzeyi arttikca, onemsiz sanal kaytarma faaliyetlerinin de arttigi, ust kademelerde calisanlarin alt kademelerde calisanlara gore daha fazla ciddi sanal kaytarma faaliyetlerinde bulundugu ve on bolumlerde calisanlarin arka bolumlerde calisanlara gore daha fazla onemsiz sanal kaytarma faaliyetlerinde bulundugu belirlenmistir. ABSTRACT Nowadays businesses, including hotels, are increasingly using and adopting information and communication technology. Technology interaction with hotel staff has potential of personal use of technology and internet (which is called cyberloafing). The aim of this study is to analyze whether there are statistically significant differences among cyberloafing activities in hotel industry in terms of demographic features. Self-administered 278 questionnaires were distributed to four and five star hotel employees in Nevsehir region. Results of data analyses, based on 211 valid responses, indicated that there were significant differences between cyberloafing behavior and education level, position in the hotel, and department worked. The study showed that as education level increased, minor cyberloafing activities increased; as working position increased serious cyberloafing activities increased compared to lower level employees; and employees at housekeeping department revealed higher minor cyberloafing activities compared with the other departments.
Anisotropic large diamagnetism in Dirac semimetals ZrTe5 and HfTe5

Dirac semimetals, e.g., ZrTe5 and HfTe5, have been widely investigated and have exhibited various exotic physical properties. Nevertheless, several properties of these compounds, including diamagnetism, are still unclear. In this study, we measured the temperature- and field-dependent diamagnetism of ZrTe5 and HfTe5 along all three crystallographic axes (a-, b-, and c-axis). The temperature-dependent magnetization shows an anomaly, which is a characteristic of Dirac crossing. Diamagnetic signal reaches the highest value of 17.3 × 10−4 emu mol−1 Oe−1 along the van der Waals layers, i.e., the b-axis. However, the diamagnetism remains temperature-independent along the other two axes. The field-dependent diamagnetic signal grows linearly without any sign of saturation and maintains a large value along the b-axis. Interestingly, the observed diamagnetism is anisotropic like other physical properties of these compounds and is strongly related to the effective mass, indicating the dominating contribution of orbital diamagnetism in Dirac semimetals induced by interband effects. ZrTe5 and HfTe5 show one of the largest diamagnetic value among previously reported state-of-the-art topological semimetals. Our present study adds another important experimental aspect to characterize nodal crossing and search for other topological materials with large magnetic susceptibility.