Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Barcode UK: A complete DNA barcoding resource for the flowering plants and conifers of the United Kingdom

DNA barcoding and metabarcoding provide new avenues for investigating biological systems. These techniques require well‐curated reference libraries with extensive coverage. Generating an exhaustive national DNA barcode reference library can open up new avenues of research in ecology, evolution and conservation, yet few studies to date have created such a resource. In plant DNA barcoding, herbarium collections provide taxonomically robust material but also pose challenges in lab processing. Here, we present a national DNA barcoding resource covering all of the native flowering plants and conifers of the United Kingdom. This represents 1,482 plant species, with the majority of specimens (81%) sourced from herbaria. Using Sanger sequencing of the plant DNA barcode markers, rbcL, matK, and ITS2, at least one DNA barcode was retrieved from 98% of the UK flora. We sampled from multiple individuals, resulting in a species coverage for rbcL of 96% (4,477 sequences), 90% for matK (3,259 sequences) and 75% for ITS2 (2,585 sequences). Sequence recovery was lower for herbarium material compared to fresh collections, with the age of the specimen having a significant effect on the success of sequence recovery. Species level discrimination was highest with ITS2, however, the ability to successfully retrieve a sequence was lowest for this region. Analyses of the genetic distinctiveness of species across a complete flora showed DNA barcoding to be informative for all but the most taxonomically complex groups. The UK flora DNA barcode reference library provides an important resource for many applications that require plant identification from DNA.
Clinical Trial Highlights - Kinase Inhibitors.

Protein kinases are a group of molecules that play a crucial role in regulating several cellular functions by modulating various protein structures. Kinases mainly act by phosphorylating specifi c amino acids of the target protein utilizing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a phosphate source. This brings about a conformational change turning the target proteins from inactive to active [1]. Such changes alter the signaling cascades, thus bringing the desired effect. Abnormal kinase activation is associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases, with most of the work done in oncology [2]. Preclinical and human studies have demonstrated the abnormal activity of various kinase systems playing a role in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis [2]. There are many kinase proteins implicated in PD pathogenesis like c-Jun N-terminal kinases, glycogen synthase kinase 3, colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2), and Abelson Murine Leukemia Viral Oncogene Homolog 1(c-Abl), to name a few [2]. Targeting kinase inhibition as disease modifi cation in PD has garnered increasing interest in the scientifi c community. Appraising all kinase systems is beyond the scope of the current review, and as such, the focus will be on LRRK2 and c-Abl kinases based on the molecules currently in trial.
Incorporation of a Poly-ε-Caprolactone Scaffold in a ;Circular Stapled End-To-End Small Intestine Anastomosis Does Not Have Any Adverse Effects Within 30 days: A Study in Piglets

Background. Incorporation of a poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) scaffold in circular stapled anastomoses has been shown to increase the anastomotic tensile strength on postoperative day (POD) 5 in a pig model. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of incorporation of a PCL scaffold in a circular stapled end-to-end small intestine anastomosis, with stricture formation and anastomotic histology as primary outcomes in a 30-day observation period. Methods. A total of 15 piglets were included. In each piglet, three circular stapled end-to-end anastomoses were made in the small intestines. Two were interventional and one was a control. On POD 10, 20, or 30, the anastomoses were subjected to in vivo intraluminal contrast study, and the index for anastomotic lumen was calculated. The anastomotic segment was resected and subjected to a tensile strength test and histological examination. Results. At POD 10, the mean ± SD value for anastomotic index was . 749 ± . 065 in control anastomoses and . 637 ± . 051 in interventional anastomosis (P = .0046), at POD 20, . 541 ± . 150 and . 724 ± . 07 (P = .051), and at POD 30, . 645 ± . 103 and . 686 ± . 057 (P = .341), respectively. No significant difference was observed in maximum tensile strength and histology at POD 30. Conclusions. The incorporation of a PCL scaffold in a circular stapled end-to-end small intestine anastomosis does not increase the risk of stricture or impair wound healing after 30 days.
Presentation and non-surgical endodontic treatment of two patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia: a case report.

AIM To describe two patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia presenting with spontaneous signs of pulpal necrosis in multiple intact teeth. The presentation and management are discussed, along with the diagnostic and endodontic treatment challenges. SUMMARY Two young male patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia were referred to the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the Edinburgh Dental Institute for management of dental infection. Both patients were referred due to their unusual clinical presentation and abnormal root canal morphology. They subsequently presented on multiple occasions with pain or sinus tracts over a 3- and 5-year period whilst under care. Clinical examination revealed intact teeth with buccal swellings, draining buccal sinuses and negative responses to sensibility testing. Radiographic examination, generally consisting of periapical radiographs, revealed intact teeth with a range of unusual morphological features including large pulp chambers, wide canals, short roots and open apices, all with associated periapical radiolucencies. Due to the unusual morphology, some teeth required apexification with a mineral trioxide aggregate plug. Patient 1 underwent root canal treatment on teeth 21 and 43 over a 3-year period. Patient 2 underwent root canal treatment on 10 permanent teeth over a 5-year period. At follow-up, both patients were asymptomatic and clinically the teeth had no signs of infection or periapical inflammation. Radiographic examination confirmed complete resolution of the apical radiolucencies on 11 out of 12 teeth. Favourable outcomes have been demonstrated up to a follow-up of 4.5-years. KEY LEARNING POINTS Patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia may present with 'spontaneous' signs of pulp necrosis in multiple teeth in the absence of caries and trauma posing a diagnostic challenge. Abnormal morphological features, including wide canals and open apices, may present challenges during endodontic treatment. Outcomes demonstrate that an appropriate root canal treatment protocol, including the application of apexification procedures, may be implemented to successfully manage such cases.
Perda de pressão estática em uma coluna de grãos de quinoa

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of air flow on the drop in static pressure in granular masses of the quinoa cultivar Real, with different levels of impurity and adjust the mathematical models to the obtained experimental data selecting those that best represent the phenomenon. The product was initially free of impurities and with moisture content of 17% on dry weight basis. To check the influence of impurities on resistance to air flow, additions of these impurities were made at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5%. Using a piece of equipment duly designed and built and air flows ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 m3 s-1 m-2, the static pressures of clean quinoa and quinoa with impurities were determined. The equations commonly used to describe the phenomenon were adjusted to the experimental data of pressure drop. The results permit to conclude that: a) static pressure in a column with quinoa grains increases with the increase in air flow; b) increase in the level of impurity lead to a reduction in the static pressure drop; c) the equations that best represent the experimental data of pressure drop inside the bed with quinoa grains, with and without impurities, were the Shedd and Guimaraes equations, respectively.
Gender Differences in the Circadian and Seasonal Variations in Patients with Takotsubo Syndrome: A Multicenter Registry at Eight University Hospitals in East Japan

Objective The aim of this study was to clarify the circadian and seasonal variations in addition to identify sex-based differences in Japanese patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Methods The authors conducted a retrospective observational study to analyse the differences between the groups based on sex. Patients The patients were registered out of each institute registry of the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) which contains a total of 10,622 cases in eight academic hospitals in east Japan. Results Data for 344 consecutive TTS (73 male and 271 female) were extracted from each hospital registry. In-hospital mortality was higher in the male group than in the female group (18% vs. 7%; p=0.005). With regard to the circadian variations in all study patients, TTS events occurred most often in the afternoon and least often during the night. Moreover, the patterns of circadian variations in the female and male groups were the same as that of all study patients. TTS events occurred most frequently in the autumn and least often in the spring in the whole study cohort. Moreover, the seasonal variation in the female group showed the same pattern as that of the whole cohort. However, there were no significant seasonal differences in the incidence of TTS in the male group. Conclusion In a multicenter study in Japan, seasonal variation was observed in the female group but not in the male group. Circadian variation was observed in both groups. These results suggested that the pathogenesis and clinical features of TTS might therefore differ according to sex.
Evolution of mammalian longevity: age-related increase in autophagy in bats compared to other mammals

Autophagy maintains cellular homeostasis and its dysfunction has been implicated in aging. Bats are the longest-lived mammals for their size, but the molecular mechanisms underlying their extended healthspan are not well understood. Here, drawing on >8 years of mark-recapture field studies, we report the first longitudinal analysis of autophagy regulation in bats. Mining of published population level aging blood transcriptomes (M. myotis, mouse and human) highlighted a unique increase of autophagy related transcripts with age in bats, but not in other mammals. This bat-specific increase in autophagy transcripts was recapitulated by the western blot determination of the autophagy marker, LC3II/I ratio, in skin primary fibroblasts (Myotis myotis, Pipistrellus kuhlii, mouse), that also showed an increase with age in both bat species. Further phylogenomic selection pressure analyses across eutherian mammals (n=70 taxa; 274 genes) uncovered 10 autophagy-associated genes under selective pressure in bat lineages. These molecular adaptations potentially mediate the exceptional age-related increase of autophagy signalling in bats, which may contribute to their longer healthspans.
Overexpression of both Rubisco and Rubisco activase rescues rice photosynthesis and biomass under heat stress.

Global warming threatens food security by decreasing crop yields through damage to photosynthetic systems, especially Rubisco activation. We examined whether co-overexpression of Rubisco and Rubisco activase improves the photosynthetic and growth performance of rice under high temperatures. We grew three rice lines-the wild-type (WT), a Rubisco activase-overexpressing line (oxRCA), and a Rubisco- and Rubisco activase-co-overexpressing line (oxRCA-RBCS)-and analyzed photosynthesis and biomass at 25 and 40°C. Compared with the WT, the Rubisco activase content was 153% higher in oxRCA and 138% higher in oxRCA-RBCS, and the Rubisco content was 27% lower in oxRCA and similar in oxRCA-RBCS. The CO2 assimilation rate (A) of WT was lower at 40°C than at 25°C, attributable to Rubisco deactivation by heat. On the other hand, that of oxRCA and oxRCA-RBCS was maintained at 40°C, resulting in higher A than WT. Notably, the dry weight of oxRCA-RBCS was 26% higher than that of WT at 40°C. These results show that increasing the Rubisco activase content without the reduction of Rubisco content could improve yield and sustainability in rice at high temperature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Safety and Efficacy of Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Combined with Gelatin Sponge Impregnated with Dexamethasone and No Drainage Tube after Surgery in the Treatment of Lumbar Degenerative Disease

The aim of the present study was to use a gelatin sponge impregnated with dexamethasone, combined with minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS‐TLIF) and no drainage tube after the operation for early postoperative recurrence of root pain caused by edema.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF PIDAN WHITE AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT DIVALENT AND MONOVALENT CATIONS

Changes in chemical composition,physical property and microstructure of pidan white weremonitoredduringpicklinginthepresenceofdifferentdivalent(CaCl2,MgCl2)and monovalent (KCl) cations at different levels (0.2 and 0.5%) up to 3 weeks, followed by aging for another 3 weeks. Pidan prepared following the commercial process, in which 0.2%PbO2or0.2%ZnCl2wasincorporated,wasalsotested.Hardness,cohesivenessand adhesiveness of pidan white gradually increased during pickling, but these parameters decreased during aging time (P < 0.05), regardless of cations used. Nevertheless, pidan white treated with 0.2% PbO2 retained hardness and cohesiveness but had a slight decrease in adhesiveness, when pickling/aging time increased up to week 6 (P < 0.05). Transmissionelectronmicroscopicstudiesindicatedthattheaggregationof eggproteins took place in pidan white gels treated with 0.2% PbO2, 0.2% ZnCl2 or 0.2% CaCl2 during pickling.However,the degree of aggregation varied with cations used.
Genetics and Molecular Biology

XRN2 is an evolutionarily conserved 5’-to-3’ exoribonuclease, which degrades or trims various types of RNA in the nucleus. Although XRN-2 is essential for embryogenesis, larval development and reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans, relevant molecular pathways remain unidentified. Here we create a germline-specific xrn-2 conditional mutant and perform a mutagenesis screen for suppressors of sterility. Loss-of-function alleles of dpy-10, osr-1, ptr6 and C34C12.2 genes are identified. Depletion of DPY-10, OSR-1 or PTR-6 increases expression of gpdh-1 that encodes a glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, thereby elevates glycerol accumulation to suppress sterility of the mutant. The C34C12.2 protein is predominantly localized in the nucleolus of germ cells and shows a similarity to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Net1, which is involved in rDNA silencing. Depletion of NRDE-2, a putative interacting partner of C34C12.2 and a component of the nuclear RNAi machinery, restores fertility to the xrn-2 conditional mutant. These results may help to identify an essential role of XRN-2 in germline development.
DRYING STUDY OF EUCALYTPTUS STAIGERIANA LEAVES BY MONITORING THE HUMIDITY OF THE DRYER DISCHARGE

The drying phenomenon can be treated as simultaneous heat and mass transfer in both the light and heavy phases. In the present case, the phenomenons evolution is normally observed through the heating of and moisture removal from the heavy phase. On the other hand, while the material is heating, the light phase is cooling and humidifying. The goal of the present work is to present discharge air humidification curves as a function of the drying time for Eucalyptus staigeriana leaves drying experiments. For the air humidification measurements, a dry bulb thermocouple and relative humidity transducer were installed at both the dryer inlet and outlet. The dryer was linked to a data acquisition system, which recorded the dry bulb temperature and the relative humidity with time. These data were later used to calculate the air moisture content at the dryer inlet and outlet. The data obtained by this methodology are compared with the ones from drying kinetic (moisture content removing of the heavy phase along time), acquired by the evolution of wet material weight through the use of an analytical scale.
Plant and Soil Relationships of Uranium and Thorium Decay Series Radionuclides—A Review

The behavior of radionuclides of the uranium (U) and thorium (Th) decay series in terrestrial systems is of interest because of environmental effects of mining and disposal activities related to nuclear power plant fuels. The soil-plant relationships of U, Th, and polonium (Pb), and some other daughter radionuclides, notably radium ({sup 226}Ra), are not well understood. Most studies have been concerned with relative uptake of these radionuclides by various plant species. Plant concentrations have been related to total contents of these radionuclides in the soil as a plant/soil concentration ratio (CR), even though the fraction of these radionuclides, which may be available to plants, is not well known. These CR values have been used to predict transport of radionuclides and other elements of interest through the food chain as well as for other purpose including biogeochemical exploration for U. Little information is available on uptake and transport mechanisms of radionuclides in plants. However, the mechanisms relating to Ca uptake and translocation in plants may be similar to those of some radionuclides, especially {sup 226}Ra. Son chemical reactions of these radionuclides also have not been studied as well as those of plant nutrients, although knowledge of the effects of soil pH,more » soil texture, and organic matter content on uptake, as well as mobility in soil of these radionuclides, has been gained in recent years. 45 refs., 13 tabs. « less
Crystallinity and Morphology of Superconducting Thin Films Prepared by Sputtering

HoBaCuO superconducting thin films were prepared on MgO substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. The crystallinity and morphology of the thin films have been investigated. An amorphous thin film was crystallized by postannealing at 900°C, while an epitaxial grown thin film was obtained by substrate heating at more than 600°C.
“I’m Not Afraid of Dying Because I’ve Got Nothing to Lose”: Young Men in South Africa Talk About Nonfatal Suicidal Behavior

First-person narratives of suicidal behavior may provide novel insights into how individuals with lived experience of suicide understand and narrate their behavior. Our aim was to explore the narratives of young men hospitalized following nonfatal suicidal behavior (NFSB), in order to understand how young suicidal men construct and understand their actions. Data were collected via narrative interviews with 14 men (aged 18–34 years) admitted to hospital following an act of NFSB in Cape Town, South Africa. Narrative analysis was used to analyze the data. Two dominant narratives emerged in which participants drew on tropes of the “great escape” and “heroic resistance,” performing elements of hegemonic masculinity in the way they narrated their experiences. Participants position themselves as rational heroic agents and present their suicidal behavior as goal-directed action to solve problems, assert control, and enact resistance. This dominant narrative is incongruent with the mainstream biomedical account of suicide as a symptom of psychopathology. The young men also articulated two counter-narratives, in which they deny responsibility for their actions and position themselves as defeated, overpowered, wary, and unheroic. The findings lend support to the idea that there is not only one narrative of young men’s suicide, and that competing and contradictory narratives can be found even within a dominant hyper-masculine account of suicidal behavior. Gender-sensitive suicide prevention strategies should not assume that all men share a common understanding of suicide. Suicide can be enacted as both a performance of masculinity and as a resistance to hegemonic gender roles.
Regulator-dependent temporal dynamics of a restriction-modification system's gene expression upon entering new host cells: single-cell and population studies

Abstract Restriction-modification (R-M) systems represent a first line of defense against invasive DNAs, such as bacteriophage DNAs, and are widespread among bacteria and archaea. By acquiring a Type II R-M system via horizontal gene transfer, the new hosts generally become more resistant to phage infection, through the action of a restriction endonuclease (REase), which cleaves DNA at or near specific sequences. A modification methyltransferase (MTase) serves to protect the host genome against its cognate REase activity. The production of R-M system components upon entering a new host cell must be finely tuned to confer protective methylation before the REase acts, to avoid host genome damage. Some type II R-M systems rely on a third component, the controller (C) protein, which is a transcription factor that regulates the production of REase and/or MTase. Previous studies have suggested C protein effects on the dynamics of expression of an R-M system during its establishment in a new host cell. Here, we directly examine these effects. By fluorescently labelling REase and MTase, we demonstrate that lack of a C protein reduces the delay of REase production, to the point of being simultaneous with, or even preceding, production of the MTase. Single molecule tracking suggests that a REase and a MTase employ different strategies for their target search within host cells, with the MTase spending much more time diffusing in proximity to the nucleoid than does the REase. This difference may partially ameliorate the toxic effects of premature REase expression.
Improved Prediction of Imminent Progression to Clinically Significant Memory Decline Using Surface Multivariate Morphometry Statistics and Sparse Coding.

BACKGROUND Besides their other roles, brain imaging and other biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have the potential to inform a cognitively unimpaired (CU) person's likelihood of progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and benefit subject selection when evaluating promising prevention therapies. We previously described that among baseline FDG-PET and MRI measures known to be preferentially affected in the preclinical and clinical stages of AD, hippocampal volume was the best predictor of incident MCI within 2 years (79%sensitivity/78%specificity), using standard automated MRI volumetric algorithmic programs, binary logistic regression, and leave-one-out procedures. OBJECTIVE To improve the same prediction by using different hippocampal features and machine learning methods, cross-validated via two independent and prospective cohorts (Arizona and ADNI). METHODS Patch-based sparse coding algorithms were applied to hippocampal surface features of baseline TI-MRIs from 78 CU adults who subsequently progressed to amnestic MCI in approximately 2 years ("progressors") and 80 matched adults who remained CU for at least 4 years ("nonprogressors"). Nonprogressors and progressors were matched for age, sex, education, and apolipoprotein E4 allele dose. We did not include amyloid or tau biomarkers in defining MCI. RESULTS We achieved 92%prediction accuracy in the Arizona cohort, 92%prediction accuracy in the ADNI cohort, and 90%prediction accuracy when combining the two demographically distinct cohorts, as compared to 79%(Arizona) and 72%(ADNI) prediction accuracy using hippocampal volume. CONCLUSION Surface multivariate morphometry and sparse coding, applied to individual MRIs, may accurately predict imminent progression to MCI even in the absence of other AD biomarkers.