Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Concentrations and spatial patterns of organic contaminants in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs at United States and binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern, 2010–2015

Tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, were sampled across the Great Lakes basin in 2010 through 2015 to provide a system‐wide assessment of current exposure to organic contaminants. The results provide information identified as critical by regulators to assess the “bird or animal deformity or reproductive problems” beneficial use impairment. Eggs were collected from 69 sites across all 5 Great Lakes, including 27 Areas of Concern (AOCs), some with multiple sites, and 10 sites not listed as an AOC. Concentrations of organic contaminants in eggs were quantified and compared with background and reproductive effect thresholds. Approximately 30% of AOCs had geometric mean concentrations of total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at or below average background exposure (0.34 μg/g wet wt). Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was minimal, and only 3 of 27 AOCs and 1 non‐AOC had geometric mean concentrations that exceeded background for tree swallows (96 ng/g wet wt). Concentrations of both PCBs and PBDEs were 10 to 20 times below the lower limit associated with impaired hatching success. In contrast, geometric mean concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxin and furan (PCDD‐F) toxic equivalents (TEQs) at the Saginaw River and Bay AOC and Midland, Michigan, USA (a non‐AOC site), exceeded the lower limit for hatching effects (181 pg/g PCDD‐F TEQs). The rest of the sites had geometric mean concentrations of PCDD‐F TEQs below background levels (87 pg/g PCDD‐F TEQs). Other organic contaminants, including p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, mirex, heptachlor, and chlordane, were at or below background or adverse effect concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:3071–3092. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
A STUDY OF THE ROLE OF Lyβ FLUORESCENCE ON O i LINE STRENGTHS IN Be STARS

The possibility of the Lyβ fluorescence mechanism being operational in classical Be (CBe) stars and thereby contributing to the strength of the O i λ8446 line has been recognized for long. However, this supposition needs to be quantified by comparing observed and predicted O i line ratios. In the present work, optical and near-infrared spectra of CBe stars are presented. We analyze the observed strengths of the O i λ7774, λ8446, λ11287, and λ13165 lines, which have been theoretically proposed as diagnostics for identifying the excitation mechanism. We have considered and examined the effects of Lyβ fluorescence, collisional excitation, recombination, and continuum fluorescence on these O i line strengths. From our analysis it appears that the Lyβ fluorescence process is indeed operative in Be stars.
Investigation of targetable predictive and prognostic markers in gallbladder carcinoma.

Background Gallbladder carcinoma, uncommon in most of the world, is frequent in South East Asia. It presents in advanced stages with limited therapeutic options. We investigated targetable predictive and prognostic Markers in 268 cases including 233 primary site lesions and 35 metastatic gallbladder carcinoma. Methods EGFR, VEGF, HER2/Neu and p53 were assessed using immunohistochemistry. HER2/Neu was validated in a subset by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using tissue microarray (TMA). Broader spectrum of gene variation was screened in NGS in representative FFPE tissue using the Ion AmpliSeq cancer hotspot panel V2. Results Mean age was 49.5 years with female predominance (77.6%). Histological types included 221 cases of adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (NOS), 23 invasive papillary carcinoma, 11 mucinous adenocarcinoma, 8 adenosquamous, 1 signet ring, 3 neuroendocrine and 1 undifferentiated carcinoma. Majority (76.1%) presented with stage 3/4 disease. Overall positive expression of p53 was 44.8%, VEGF 79.4%, HER2/Neu 27.3% and EGFR 34.6%. Intratumoral heterogeneity was evident in HER2/Neu. Marker expression was not significantly associated with stage, grade, type and metastasis except VEGF which correlated with histological type (P=0.018) and tumor grade (P=0.027). NGS using Ion AmpliSeq cancer hotspot panel V2 revealed multiple non synonymous mutations, most frequent being TP53 and CDKN2A mutations and mutations in MET, KDR, PIK3CA, VHL, MPL, HER2 and SMARCB1 genes. Conclusions Predictive targetable markers like HER2/Neu, VEGF and EGFR are expressed in high proportion of gallbladder carcinoma. Significant expression of RAS pathway molecules suggests that interactions take place among the different members of the ErbB family during tumor development.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Vriesea reitzii (Bromeliaceae), a species from the Southern Brazilian Highlands

Abstract The Southern Brazilian Highlands are composed by a mosaic of Mixed Ombrophilous Forest (MOF) and grassland formations, an interesting landscape for the study of population structure. We analyzed the genetic diversity within and among populations of the MOF-endemic bromeliad Vriesea reitzii by genotyping seven nuclear microsatellite loci in 187 individuals from six populations. We characterized levels of genetic diversity and assessed the genetic structure among populations. Vriesea reitzii populations showed high levels of genetic variation (number of alleles 28 - 43, allelic richness 3.589 - 5.531) and moderate levels of genetic differentiation (F ST = 0.123, R ST = 0.096). The high levels of genetic diversity may be explained by species life-history traits, such as habit and mating system. The moderate structure may be a product of the combination of ancient and contemporary gene flow, resulting from the expansion of the forest in the Holocene, and/or due to facilitated dispersal mediated by the MOF’s mosaic landscape. The genetic results indicated no imminent threat to this bromeliad. However, the species is highly associated with the MOF, putting landscape conservation at the center of conservation efforts for the species’ maintenance.
Summarising Academic Presentations using Linguistic and Paralinguistic Features

We present a novel method for the automatic generation of video summaries of academic presentations using linguistic and paralinguistic features. Our investigation is based on a corpus of academic conference presentations. Summaries are first generated based on keywords taken from transcripts created using automatic speech recognition (ASR). We augment spoken phrases by incorporating scores for audience engagement, comprehension and speaker emphasis. We evaluate the effectiveness of our summaries generated for individual presentations by performing eye-tracking evaluation of participants as they watch summaries and full presentations, and by questionnaire of participants upon completion of eye-tracking studies. We find that automatically generated summaries tend to maintain the user’s focus and attention for longer, with users losing focus much less often than for full presentations.
Characterizing 3D Shapes: A Complex Network-Based Approach

In the past few years, 3D models have emerged as the focus of many new applications. This recent popularity of 3D models has stimulated researchers to investigate the problems of 3D shape retrieval and to develop more efficient search and retrieval methods. Aiming to contribute to the recent literature, this work proposes a novel 3D shape characterization method using the complex network theory. By modeling a 3D shape object as a complex network we are able to effectively represent, characterize and analyze the object is terms of the topological properties of the complex network. Comparison with two other known methods for 3D model description, shape histograms and shape distributions, on a 3D models data set shows that the proposed technique is a feasible approach to efficiently perform 3D shape characterization and discrimination.
The role of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 in abnormal development of ovarian follicles caused by high testosterone concentration

The present study aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) signaling pathway within normal follicle development and in hyperandrogenism-induced abnormal follicle growth. To achieve this, murine primary follicles, granulosa cells (GCs) and theca-interstitial cells (TICs) were isolated, cultured in vitro and treated with a high concentration of androgens. A concentration of 1×10−5 mol/l testosterone was considerable to induce hyperandrogenism by MTT assay. All cells were divided into four groups, as follows: Control group, testosterone group, androgen receptor antagonist-flutamide group and flutamide + testosterone group. Flutamide was used in the present study as it blocks the effects of the androgen receptor. The mRNA expression levels of FBP1 were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels and localization of FBP1 were analyzed by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. The experimental results demonstrated that androgen presence stimulated follicle development, whereas excessive testosterone inhibited development. FBP1 was identified as being mainly expressed in follicles; FBP1 protein was significantly expressed in GCs of the 14-day-cultured follicle, as well as in the cytoplasm and nuclei of GCs and TICs in vitro. Testosterone increased FBP1 expression during a specific range of testosterone concentrations. Testosterone increased the expression of FBP1 within GCs. Furthermore, FBP1 and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) mRNA expression was increased in GCs treated with testosterone, whereas forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α mRNA expression was significantly decreased in the testosterone group. In TICs, testosterone and flutamide inhibited the mRNA expression levels of FOXO1 and glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme, and promoted the expression of PCK1. These results suggested that the FBP1 signaling pathway may serve an important role in normal follicle growth and hyperandrogenism-induced abnormal development, which may be associated with abnormal glucose metabolism induced by high concentrations of testosterone.
Nonrandom network connectivity comes in pairs

Overrepresentation of bidirectional connections in local cortical networks has been repeatedly reported and is a focus of the ongoing discussion of nonrandom connectivity. Here we show in a brief mathematical analysis that in a network in which connection probabilities are symmetric in pairs, Pij = Pji, the occurrences of bidirectional connections and nonrandom structures are inherently linked; an overabundance of reciprocally connected pairs emerges necessarily when some pairs of neurons are more likely to be connected than others. Our numerical results imply that such overrepresentation can also be sustained when connection probabilities are only approximately symmetric. AUTHOR SUMMARY Understanding the specific connectivity of neural circuits is an important challenge of modern neuroscience. In this study we address an important feature of neural connectivity, the abundance of bidirectionally connected neuron pairs, which far exceeds what would be expected in a random network. Our theoretical analysis reveals a simple condition under which such an overrepresentation of bidirectionally connected pairs necessarily occurs: Any network in which both directions of connection are equally likely to exist in any given pair of neurons, but in which some pairs are more likely to be connected than others, must exhibit an abundance of reciprocal connections. This insight should guide the analysis and interpretation of future connectomics datasets.
Omega‐3 fatty acids modulate the lipid profile, membrane architecture, and gene expression of leiomyoma cells

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids or myomas) are the most common benign tumors of premenopausal women and new medical treatments are needed. This study aimed to determine the effects of omega‐3 fatty acids on the lipid profile, membrane architecture and gene expression patterns of extracellular matrix components (collagen1A1, fibronectin, versican, or activin A), mechanical signaling (integrin β1, FAK, and AKAP13), sterol regulatory molecules (ABCG1, ABCA1, CAV1, and SREBF2), and mitochondrial enzyme (CYP11A1) in myometrial and leiomyoma cells. Myometrial tissues had a higher amount of arachidonic acid than leiomyoma tissues while leiomyoma tissues had a higher level of linoleic acid than myometrial tissues. Treatment of primary myometrial and leiomyoma cells with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) reduced the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content and increased the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in both cell types. Myometrial and leiomyoma cell membranes were in the liquid‐crystalline phase, but EPA‐ and DHA‐treated cells had decreased membrane fluidity. While we found no changes in the mRNA expression of ECM components, EPA and DHA treatment reduced levels of ABCG1, ABCA1, and AKAP13 in both cell types. EPA and DHA also reduced FAK and CYP11A1 expression in myometrial cells. The ability of omega‐3 fatty acids to remodel membrane architecture and downregulate the expression of genes involved in mechanical signaling and lipid accumulation in leiomyoma cells offers to further investigate this compound as preventive and/or therapeutic option.
Accumulation of Intraneuronal β-Amyloid 42 Peptides Is Associated with Early Changes in Microtubule-Associated Protein 2 in Neurites and Synapses

Pathologic aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide and the axonal microtubule-associated protein tau protein are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence supports that Aβ peptide accumulation precedes microtubule-related pathology, although the link between Aβ and tau remains unclear. We previously provided evidence for early co-localization of Aβ42 peptides and hyperphosphorylated tau within postsynaptic terminals of CA1 dendrites in the hippocampus of AD transgenic mice. Here, we explore the relation between Aβ peptide accumulation and the dendritic, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) in the well-characterized amyloid precursor protein Swedish mutant transgenic mouse (Tg2576). We provide evidence that localized intraneuronal accumulation of Aβ42 peptides is spatially associated with reductions of MAP2 in dendrites and postsynaptic compartments of Tg2576 mice at early ages. Our data support that reduction in MAP2 begins at sites of Aβ42 monomer and low molecular weight oligomer (M/LMW) peptide accumulation. Cumulative evidence suggests that accumulation of M/LMW Aβ42 peptides occurs early, before high molecular weight oligomerization and plaque formation. Since synaptic alteration is the best pathologic correlate of cognitive dysfunction in AD, the spatial association of M/LMW Aβ peptide accumulation with pathology of MAP2 within neuronal processes and synaptic compartments early in the disease process reinforces the importance of intraneuronal Aβ accumulation in AD pathogenesis.
Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering: Biological Design, Materials and Fabrication

Tissue engineering: strategies, stem cells and scaffoldsTissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine3D-Printed PCL Scaffolds Coated with Nanobioceramics Advanced Hydrogels for Cartilage Tissue Engineering Overview of Tissue Engineering Verywell HealthAntonios Mikos | Faculty | The People of Rice | Rice Galatea Surgical Scaffolds | Monofilament Surgical Collagen Nanoparticle Preparation for Tissue EngineeringTissue engineering WikipediaBiomaterials National Institute of Biomedical Imaging Tissue Engineering an overview | ScienceDirect TopicsNSF/CASIS Collaboration on Tissue Engineering and Activating an adaptive immune response from a hydrogel Journal of Biological Engineering | Home pageTatiana Segura | Duke Biomedical EngineeringJournal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Three-Dimensional Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Effects of nutrient depletion on tissue growth in a tissue Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing InstituteScaffold Techniques and Designs in Tissue Engineering Tissue culture WikipediaBiomaterials & scaffolds for tissue engineering Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue EngineeringPolymeric Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering Application: A Artificial membranebinding proteins stimulate oxygenation Department of Biomedical Engineering < Case Western 3D bioprinted silk fibroin hydrogels for tissue engineeringAvian Egg: A Multifaceted Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering
Optimal Shape Design of Shell Structures

Shell structures are extensively used in all fields of engineering. Examples include architectural structures, hydraulic structures, containers, automobiles, spacecraft, aircraft, ships, machine parts, instruments, etc. We can find them in nature such as an egg, sea-shells, insects. Although shell structures are thin and light, they span over large areas, and have high load-carrying capacity. In the design of a shell structure, it is important to optimize its shape in order to make the structure light with the minimum amount of material, satisfying the various mechanical characteristics, functions and sometimes beautiful form.
Correspondence Driven Saliency Transfer

In this paper, we show that large annotated data sets have great potential to provide strong priors for saliency estimation rather than merely serving for benchmark evaluations. To this end, we present a novel image saliency detection method called saliency transfer. Given an input image, we first retrieve a support set of best matches from the large database of saliency annotated images. Then, we assign the transitional saliency scores by warping the support set annotations onto the input image according to computed dense correspondences. To incorporate context, we employ two complementary correspondence strategies: a global matching scheme based on scene-level analysis and a local matching scheme based on patch-level inference. We then introduce two refinement measures to further refine the saliency maps and apply the random-walk-with-restart by exploring the global saliency structure to estimate the affinity between foreground and background assignments. Extensive experimental results on four publicly available benchmark data sets demonstrate that the proposed saliency algorithm consistently outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods.
Effective teaching and motivation: application of self-determination theory

Developing quality and effective future teachers is a cornerstone of all teacher-education programs. An area of inquiry that has been identified as influential within the teacher development process is the concept of motivation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine if there were differences between elements of effective teaching based on preservice teachers (PTs) motivation toward teaching. 68 (Male=44; Female=24) undergraduate Physical and Health Education PTs were recruited within this study. PT data were collected on their motivation toward teaching and elements of effective teaching. Results indicated that motivation was associated with elements of effective teaching.
Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy after switching from reference infliximab to biosimilar SB2 compared with continuing reference infliximab and SB2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results of a randomised, double-blind, phase III transition study

Objectives Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity results from the phase III study of SB2, a biosimilar of reference infliximab (INF), were previously reported through 54 weeks. This transition period compared results in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who switched from INF to SB2 with those in patients who maintained treatment with INF or SB2. Methods Patients with moderate to severe RA despite methotrexate treatment were randomised (1:1) to receive SB2 or INF at weeks 0, 2 and 6 and every 8 weeks thereafter until week 46. At week 54, patients previously receiving INF were rerandomised (1:1) to switch to SB2 (INF/SB2 (n=94)) or to continue on INF (INF/INF (n=101)) up to week 70. Patients previously receiving SB2 continued on SB2 (SB2/SB2 (n=201)) up to week 70. Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity were assessed up to week 78. Results Efficacy was sustained and comparable across treatment groups. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 responses between weeks 54 and 78 ranged from 63.5% to 72.3% with INF/SB2, 66.3%%–69.4% with INF/INF and 65.6%–68.3% with SB2/SB2. Treatment-emergent adverse events during this time occurred in 36.2%, 35.6% and 40.3%, respectively, and infusion-related reactions in 3.2%, 2.0% and 3.5%. Among patients who were negative for antidrug antibodies (ADA) up to week 54, newly developed ADAs were reported in 14.6%, 14.9% and 14.1% of the INF/SB2, INF/INF and SB2/SB2 groups, respectively. Conclusions The efficacy, safety and immunogenicity profiles remained comparable among the INF/SB2, INF/INF and SB2/SB2 groups up to week 78, with no treatment-emergent issues or clinically relevant immunogenicity after switching from INF to SB2. Trial registration number NCT01936181; EudraCT number: 2012-005733-37.
Computational Prediction of High Thermoelectric Performance in Hole Doped Layered GeSe

Thermoelectric materials enable direct conversion between thermal and electrical energy and provide a viable route for power generation and electric refrigeration. In this paper, we use first-principles based methods to predict a very high figure of merit (ZT) performance in hole doped GeSe crystals along the crystallographic b-axis, with maximum ZT ranging from 0.8 at 300 K to 2.5 at 800 K. This extremely high thermoelectric performance is due to a threefold synergy of properties in this material: (1) the exceptionally low lattice thermal conductivity in GeSe due to anharmonicity of vibrational modes, (2) the increased electrical conductivity due to hole doping and increased carrier concentration, and (3) an enhanced Seebeck coefficient via a multiband effect induced by hole doping. The predicted ZT results of hole-doped GeSe are higher than that of hole doped SnSe, which we have recently reported as having experimentally observed record-breaking thermoelectric efficiency. The overall ZT of hole doped Ge.
Statins and venous thromboembolism: do they represent a viable therapeutic agent?

ABSTRACT Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an important cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. Though anticoagulants are effective in preventing VTE, they are associated with major bleeding risk. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (known as statins), are well established for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease via their lipid-lowering properties. Emerging evidence suggests that statins may play a role in the prevention of VTE, but the evidence has been uncertain. Areas covered: This review summarizes the available epidemiological and interventional evidence on the role of statins in VTE prevention; the postulated biologic mechanisms involved; outlines areas of outstanding uncertainty; and the implications for clinical practice. Expert commentary: The body of evidence indicates statins may also play a potential role in the primary and secondary prevention of VTE. Further evidence is however warranted. There is insufficient evidence to recommend the use of statins to replace anticoagulants in VTE prevention. However, guideline bodies should review the overall evidence and consider including statin therapy as an adjunct to anticoagulant therapy in VTE prevention in specific patient populations. Statin therapy instead of anticoagulants may be considered in patients who are not candidates for anticoagulant therapy and in some low VTE risk patients.