Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outbreaks of a Disease Caused by Rickettsia-like Organism in Cultured Tilapias in Taiwan

An organism, measuring 0.86±0.32×0.63 ±0.24 μm, likely to be member of family Rickettsiaceae, was detected for the first time from an outbreak of a disease with mass mortality among pond-reared tilapia in Taiwan. The pathogen was demonstrated to be Gram-negative and stained positively with Liu's solution and to grow on To2 and EPC cell cultures but not on nine artificial media selected and the pathogenicity was confirmed by Koch's postulates. Haematocrit in affected fish was decreased to 16.1±5.2% versus 28.3±5.1% for normal value. Typical lesions in moribund fish included marked white nodules and microscopical granulomatous formation all over the organs. The spleen enlarged to 5-50 times of the normal organ. Horizontal transmission without parasite vectors occurred. The experimental infection showed higher mortality at 15°C than at 30°C. In vitro experiments revealed that oxytetracycline which is legally permitted would probably be an effective antibiotic to control this disease. A field test showed that oral administration of oxytetracycline at a dose of 30-50 mg per kg body weight for 10-14 days was effective to control the disease. Clinical signs, susceptibility of various fishes to the pathogen and transmission electron-microscopy findings are described.
Effects of hydrocolloids on the quality characteristics of cold-cut duck meat jelly

Abstract In this study, we examined the effects of various hydrocolloid (alginate, carrageenan, and konjac) treatments on the quality characteristics of cold-cut duck meat jelly. Seven different types of cold-cut duck meat jelly were prepared: control, without hydrocolloids; T1, 0.5% alginate; T2, 0.5% carrageenan; T3, 0.5% konjac; T4, 0.25% alginate + 0.25% carrageenan; T5, 0.25% carrageen + 0.25% konjac; and T6, 0.25% alginate + 0.25% konjac. The pH and moisture content of the cold-cut duck meat jelly with hydrocolloids was higher (p < 0.05) than that of the control. The highest lightness value was recorded for T4 and T6 (p < 0.05), and the hardness was lower (p < 0.05) in the meat jelly with hydrocolloids than in the control, except for T2 and T5. The springiness of the meat jelly was the highest (p < 0.05) in T1 and T4. The onset, peak, and end temperatures were the lowest (p < 0.05) in the control. The highest appearance score of the meat jelly was observed in T6, and its overall acceptability was higher (p < 0.05) than that of the control, indicating that, of all the treatments, 0.25% alginate + 0.25% konjac yielded the most desirable results. Thus, the combined use of duck skin and gelatin with alginate and konjac is potentially applicable for the development of new cold-cut duck meat products.
Psychological and Physiological Predictors of Resilience in Navy SEAL Training

Abstract This research examines resilience from both cognitive and physiological perspectives and the relative importance of resilience for progression within an extremely physical training environment for 116 individuals. Our study provides a unique contribution as an examination of the combined effects of psychological and physiological resilience in the success of individuals in the first phase of a military special operations training course, the Navy’s Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) course. Our study used the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) for the psychological assessment and a blood sample to measure the concentrations of cortisol, DHEA and BDNF, each associated with stress adaptation and neuronal integrity. Our contributions include: heeding the call for more extensive research for resilience, examining physiological markers as predictors in training situations, combining psychological and physiological resilience into a single metric to assess resilience, and providing empirical support for the vital role of resilience in both stamina and persistence in training. Our findings indicate that both psychological and physiological resilience can be important predictors of persistence individually, but combining the measures provides a more holistic view to predict the success of an individual in this intensive training program. The present study has implications not only for the military community, but also for those individuals seeking elite performance in a broad array of fields, like professional athletes, CEO’s, and emergency response workers.
Variation in Tillering and Geographical Distribution of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica P. Beauv.)

Detailed analysis of tillering in foxtail millet (Setaria italica P. Beauv.) was carried out. The tiller development in 16 strains was observed throughout the growing season. Strains were classified into four tillering types, Type I, Type II, Type 111 and Type IV. Type I strains had the largest number of tillers with many primary tillers on the main culm, and further secondary and tertiary tillers. This tillering pattern is very similar to that of green foxtail (S. viridis P. Beauv.), the probable ancestor of foxtail millet. Strains of Type 11 produced only one or two primary tillers and no secondary tillers. Type 111 strains were non-tiller-ing and produced only one panicle on the main culm. It is supposed that Type I, which having high tillering capacity, was the first type domesticated from green foxtail. Types II and 111 subsequently differentiated from Type I by obtain-ing strong apical dominance.
Extracellular vesicle–encapsulated IL-10 as novel nanotherapeutics against ischemic AKI

Using extracellular vesicles for targeted delivery of IL-10 is an efficient therapeutic strategy against ischemic AKI. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been attracting strong research interest for use as natural drug delivery systems. We report an approach to manufacturing interleukin-10 (IL-10)–loaded EVs (IL-10+ EVs) by engineering macrophages for treating ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI). Delivery of IL-10 via EVs enhanced not only the stability of IL-10, but also its targeting to the kidney due to the adhesive components on the EV surface. Treatment with IL-10+ EVs significantly ameliorated renal tubular injury and inflammation caused by ischemia/reperfusion injury, and potently prevented the transition to chronic kidney disease. Mechanistically, IL-10+ EVs targeted tubular epithelial cells, and suppressed mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, thereby promoting mitophagy to maintain mitochondrial fitness. Moreover, IL-10+ EVs efficiently drove M2 macrophage polarization by targeting macrophages in the tubulointerstitium. Our study demonstrates that EVs can serve as a promising delivery platform to manipulate IL-10 for the effective treatment of ischemic AKI.
The Comparative Immunological Characteristics of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Infections

Immune dysfunction and aberrant cytokine storms often lead to rapid exacerbation of the disease during late infection stages in SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV patients. However, the underlying immunopathology mechanisms are not fully understood, and there has been little progress in research regarding the development of vaccines, anti-viral drugs, and immunotherapy. The newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) is responsible for the third coronavirus pandemic in the human population, and this virus exhibits enhanced pathogenicity and transmissibility. SARS-CoV-2 is highly genetically homologous to SARS-CoV, and infection may result in a similar clinical disease (COVID-19). In this review, we provide detailed knowledge of the pathogenesis and immunological characteristics of SARS and MERS, and we present recent findings regarding the clinical features and potential immunopathogenesis of COVID-19. Host immunological characteristics of these three infections are summarised and compared. We aim to provide insights and scientific evidence regarding the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and therapeutic strategies targeting this disease.
Stability of Floodplain Subsurface Microbial Communities Through Seasonal Hydrological and Geochemical Cycles

Riparian floodplains represent an interaction zone between the terrestrial subsurface and rivers, where regional groundwater flows, infiltration, and evapotranspiration drive mixing of water and import/export of nutrients and contaminants. These dynamics create seasonally transient redox conditions that drive biogeochemical transformations, which strongly modify groundwater quality. Microbial responses to changing hydrological conditions are perhaps the critical step connecting hydrology to geochemical transformations and groundwater quality, yet are not well understood. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by monitoring seasonal transitions at the United States Department of Energy legacy uranium ore processing site in Riverton, WY, through spring-summer-fall hydrological transitions. Our goal was to characterize the microbial community throughout the soil profile, down to the saturated aquifer, and observe its response to wet-dry transitions across a full season and compare to changes in geochemistry and hydrology. Next-generation sequencing was employed to identify biogeochemically relevant microbial taxa based on the 16S rRNA gene; we found a broad diversity of microbial clades including taxa involved in sulfur and metal cycling, as well as nitrification. These data were paired with measurements of soil moisture, major nutrients and cations, and trace elements. Overall microbial community composition was dependent on soil depth or type, with seasonal effects only observed in the topsoil or subsurface aquifer. This finding indicates that microbial communities in the transiently reduced center of the soil profile at the Riverton, WY site are remarkably stable, despite moisture and redox inversions. In addition, these communities likely impact the communities in surrounding soil horizons through export of metabolites and solutes as the water table rises and falls throughout the season.
Feasibility of Measuring GABA Levels in the Upper Brainstem in Healthy Volunteers Using Edited MRS

Purpose To assess the feasibility of small-voxel MEGA-PRESS in detecting gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels of the upper brainstem in healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods Forty-two healthy volunteers, aged between 20 and 76 years were enrolled in this study, and underwent a 3.0T MRI scan using an eight-channel phased-array head coil. The MEGA-PRESS sequence was used to edit GABA signal from a 10x25x30 mm3 voxel in the upper brain stem. The detected signal includes contributions from macromolecules (MM) and homocarnosine and is therefore referred to as GABA+. All the data were processed using Gannet. Results Thirty-four cases were successful in measuring GABA in the upper brainstem and 8 cases failed (based on poor modeling of spectra). The GABA+ levels were 2.66 ± 0.75 i.u. in the upper brainstem of healthy volunteers, ranging from 1.50 to 4.40 i.u. The normalized fitting residual (FitErr in Gannet) was 12.1 ± 2.8%, ranging from 7.4% to 19.1%; it was below 15.5% in 30 cases (71%). Conclusions It is possible to measure GABA levels in the upper brainstem using MEGA-PRESS with a relatively small ROI, with a moderate between-subject variance of under 30%.
Major litterfall manipulation affects seedling growth and nutrient status in one of two species in a lowland forest in Panama

Abstract: Leaf litter is an important source of nutrients to tropical forest trees, but its importance for understorey seedling growth is not well understood. Seedlings of Licania platypus (n = 190) and Coussarea curvigemmia (n = 304) were transplanted into deeply shaded forest plots in Panama having received 2 y of litter addition or removal and 7 y of fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium combined, and their growth and foliar nutrients measured after 13 and 6 mo respectively. Licania platypus growing in litter addition and removal plots had faster height growth and slower leaf growth respectively than in control plots; C. curvigemmia showed no significant effects apart from lower survival in litter addition plots. These effects may be driven by soil nutrients, as suggested by differences in foliar nitrogen and potassium (but not phosphorus) concentrations, and by a pot experiment in a shadehouse using Ochroma pyramidale seedlings, which showed higher leaf area in soils from litter-addition plots, although seedling dry weight was higher only in fertilized soils. Overall, these results show that for one of two species, understorey seedling growth was increased by 2 y of doubled litterfall, and thus that they were probably nutrient limited even in the relatively fertile soils of this semi-deciduous tropical forest.
Internal friction controls active ciliary oscillations near the instability threshold

Internal friction in cilia dominates because fluid friction is small compared to elastic stresses caused by active motors. Ciliary oscillations driven by molecular motors cause fluid motion at micron scale. Stable oscillations require a substantial source of dissipation to balance the energy input of motors. Conventionally, it stems from external fluid. We show, in contrast, that external fluid friction is negligible compared to internal elastic stress through a simultaneous measurement of motion and flow field of an isolated and active Chlamydomonas cilium beating near the instability threshold. Consequently, internal friction emerges as the sole source of dissipation for ciliary oscillations. We combine these experimental insights with theoretical modeling of active filaments to show that an instability to oscillations takes place when active stresses are strain softening and shear thinning. Together, our results reveal a counterintuitive mechanism of ciliary beating and provide a general experimental and theoretical methodology to analyze other active filaments, both biological and synthetic ones.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Induces P53-Dependent Growth Inhibition in Transformed Colon and Lung Cell Lines Expressing Wildtype P53

Supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, both in dietary in vivo studies, as well as in vitro tissue culture models, has anti-proliferative effects on tumor cells. In the current study, the role of p53-dependent growth inhibition by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, is examined. Previous work has established that DHA is capable of growth inhibitory effects independent of p53 mutational status in colon carcinomas, however, one of the same studies showed an increase in the number of apoptotic cells (measured by Annexin V-FITC) only in the DHA- treated cells of the colon carcinoma with wildtype p53. To determine the potential role of p53 on the growth inhibition observed with DHA treatment of the human colon carcinomas COLO-205 (wildtype p53) and WiDr (mutant p53, His 237) and the human lung adenocarcinomas A549 (wildtype p53) and H441 (mutant p53, codon 158), p53-specific siRNA’s and a chemical inhibitor of p53, pifithrin-α, were employed in vitro . Significant increases in the number of DHA-treated cells by p53 siRNA or pifithrin-α addition were observed only in the COLO-205 and A549 cell lines expressing wildtype p53, and these correlated with a reduction in the percentage of apoptotic and necrotic cells. This data confirms a role for p53-dependent growth inhibition with DHA treatment.
The Benefit of Cross-Modal Reorganization on Speech Perception in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients Revealed Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Cochlear implants (CIs) are the most successful treatment for severe-to-profound deafness in children. However, speech outcomes with a CI often lag behind those of normally-hearing children. Some authors have attributed these deficits to the takeover of the auditory temporal cortex by vision following deafness, which has prompted some clinicians to discourage the rehabilitation of pediatric CI recipients using visual speech. We studied this cross-modal activity in the temporal cortex, along with responses to auditory speech and non-speech stimuli, in experienced CI users and normally-hearing controls of school-age, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Strikingly, CI users displayed significantly greater cortical responses to visual speech, compared with controls. Importantly, in the same regions, the processing of auditory speech, compared with non-speech stimuli, did not significantly differ between the groups. This suggests that visual and auditory speech are processed synergistically in the temporal cortex of children with CIs, and they should be encouraged, rather than discouraged, to use visual speech.
Causal Mediation Analysis in the Presence of Post-treatment Confounding Variables: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

In many disciplines, mediating processes are usually investigated with randomized experiments and linear regression to determine if the treatment affects the outcome through a mediator. However, randomizing the treatment will not yield accurate causal direct and indirect estimates unless certain assumptions are satisfied since the mediator status is not randomized. This study describes methods to estimate causal direct and indirect effects and reports the results of a large Monte Carlo simulation study on the performance of the ordinary regression and modern causal mediation analysis methods, including a previously untested doubly robust sequential g-estimation method, when there are confounders of the mediator-to-outcome relation. Results show that failing to measure and incorporate potential post-treatment confounders in a mediation model leads to biased estimates, regardless of the analysis method used. Results emphasize the importance of measuring potential confounding variables and conducting sensitivity analysis.
Longitudinal Electroencephalography Analysis in Subacute Stroke Patients During Intervention of Brain–Computer Interface With Exoskeleton Feedback

Background Brain–computer interface (BCI) has been regarded as a newly developing intervention in promoting motor recovery in stroke survivors. Several studies have been performed in chronic stroke to explore its clinical and subclinical efficacy. However, evidence in subacute stroke was poor, and the longitudinal sensorimotor rhythm changes in subacute stroke after BCI with exoskeleton feedback were still unclear. Materials and Methods Fourteen stroke patients in subacute stage were recruited and randomly allocated to BCI group (n = 7) and the control group (n = 7). Brain–computer interface training with exoskeleton feedback was applied in the BCI group three times a week for 4 weeks. The Fugl–Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) scale was used to assess motor function improvement. Brain–computer interface performance was calculated across the 12-time interventions. Sensorimotor rhythm changes were explored by event-related desynchronization (ERD) changes and topographies. Results After 1 month BCI intervention, both the BCI group (p = 0.032) and the control group (p = 0.048) improved in FMA-UE scores. The BCI group (12.77%) showed larger percentage of improvement than the control group (7.14%), and more patients obtained good motor recovery in the BCI group (57.1%) than did the control group (28.6%). Patients with good recovery showed relatively higher online BCI performance, which were greater than 70%. And they showed a continuous improvement in offline BCI performance and obtained a highest value in the last six sessions of interventions during BCI training. However, patients with poor recovery reached a platform in the first six sessions of interventions and did not improve any more or even showed a decrease. In sensorimotor rhythm, patients with good recovery showed an enhanced ERD along with time change. Topographies showed that the ipsilesional hemisphere presented stronger activations after BCI intervention. Conclusion Brain–computer interface training with exoskeleton feedback was feasible in subacute stroke patients. Brain–computer interface performance can be an index to evaluate the efficacy of BCI intervention. Patients who presented increasingly stronger or continuously strong activations (ERD) may obtain better motor recovery.
COVID-19 Therapy: Could a Chlorophyll Derivative Promote Cellular Accumulation of Zn2+ Ions to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 RNA Synthesis?

A range of tetrapyrrole derivatives are in development for their observed cytotoxicity (Kang et al., 2018; Singh et al., 2019). Non-toxic, water-soluble chlorophyll derivative compounds are a popular dietary supplement among health-conscious members of high-income countries. Many organometallic compounds derived from chlorophyll a or b are approved for human consumption. For instance, sodium copper chlorophyllin is promoted for both its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties (Ulbricht et al., 2014; Solymosi and Mysliwa-Kurdziel, 2017). It contains replacement ions of Cu instead of Mg, which aids its water solubility and intestinal absorption (Ferruzzi and Blakeslee, 2007; Mishra et al., 2011; Ulbricht et al., 2014). While most derivatives are not deemed suitable for non-prescribed ingestion, their use in the medical field, particularly for the treatment of cancers, is considered a far safer alternative to most conventional therapies (Solymosi and Mysliwa-Kurdziel, 2017). Intramuscular injection and intravenous infusion are common modes of drug delivery for compounds derived from chlorophyll a in a clinical setting (Yoshida et al., 1980; Wang et al., 2001; Kochneva et al., 2010; Ulbricht et al., 2014).
2,4-Dichlorophenol and MCPA in a V79 Test

Two industrial chemicals, 2,4-dichlorophenol and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), which have no toxic effects on the Chinese hamster cell line V79 alone, were tested for toxicity and mutagenicity in a cell-mediated test, where mixed-function oxidase (MFO) enzymes are active in the metabolism of xenobiotics. For 2,4-dichlorophenol, a dose-dependent toxicity as well as a slight mutagenicity could be shown when oxygenation enzymes were present. A similar degree of toxicity in a plant test system (the Allium test) indicates a similar risk of damage from exposure to dichlorophenol treatments in both these systems. MCPA did not induce any toxic or mutagenic effects at the concentrations tested. These results were not in agreement with previous results in plant material, where MCPA was clearly toxic at relatively low doses. However, since chlorophenols have been found in plants sprayed with phenoxyacetic acids, further investigations should be performed concerning potential risk to human beings.
In Vitro Cytotoxicity of 26 Coded Chemicals to HEp-2 Cells: A Validation Study

Twenty-six chemicals supplied coded by FRAME, were tested on HEp-2 cells. Three endpoints were used to measure the cytotoxicity of these compounds: total protein content, LDH release and total acid phosphatase content. The sensitivity of these parameters is discussed. The results are compared with those obtained by other groups participating in the validation scheme organised by FRAME.