Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sphingolipid regulation of lung epithelial cell mitophagy and necroptosis during cigarette smoke exposure

The mechanisms by which lung structural cells survive toxic exposures to cigarette smoke (CS) are not well defined but may involve proper disposal of damaged mitochondria by macro‐autophagy (mitophagy), processes that may be influenced by pro‐apoptotic ceramide (Cer) or its precursor dihydroceramide (DHC). Human lung epithelial and endothelial cells exposed to CS exhibited mitochondrial damage, signaled by phosphatase and tensin homolog‐induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) phosphorylation, autophagy, and necroptosis. Although cells responded to CS by rapid inhibition of DHC desaturase, which elevated DHC levels, palmitoyl (C16)‐Cer also increased in CS‐exposed cells. Whereas DHC augmentation triggered autophagy without cell death, the exogenous administration of C16‐Cer was sufficient to trigger necroptosis. Inhibition of Cer‐generating acid sphingomyelinase reduced both CS‐induced PINK1 phosphorylation and necroptosis. When exposed to CS, Pinkl‐deficient (Pink1−/−) mice, which are protected from airspace enlargement compared with wild‐type littermates, had blunted C16‐Cer elevations and less lung necroptosis. CS‐exposed Pink1−/− mice also exhibited significantly increased levels of lignoceroyl (C24)‐DHC, along with increased expression of Cer synthase 2 (CerS2), the enzyme responsible for its production. This suggested that a combination of high C24‐DHC and low C16‐Cer levels might protect against CS‐induced necroptosis. Indeed, CerS2−/− mice, which lack C24‐DHC at the expense of increased C16‐Cer, were more susceptible to CS, developing airspace enlargement following only 1 month of exposure. These results implicate DHCs, in particular, C24‐DHC, as protective against CS toxicity by enhancing autophagy, whereas C16‐Cer accumulation contributes to mitochondrial damage and PINKl‐mediated necroptosis, which may be amplified by the inhibition of C24‐DHC‐producing CerS2. — Mizumura, K. , Justice, M.J., Schweitzer, K.S. , Krishnan, S. , Bronova, I. , Berdyshev, E. V. , Hubbard, W.C. , Pewzner‐Jung, Y. , Futerman, A. H. , Choi, A. M. K. , Petrache, I. Sphingolipid regulation of lung epithelial cell mitophagy and necroptosis during cigarette smoke exposure. FASEB J. 32, 1880–1890 (2018). www.fasebj. org
COMPARE CPM-RMI Trial: Intramyocardial Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived CD133+ Cells and MNCs during CABG in Patients with Recent MI: A Phase II/III, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Objective: The regenerative potential of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (MNCs) and CD133+ stem cells in the heart varies in terms of their pro-angiogenic effects. This phase II/III, multicenter and double-blind trial is designed to compare the functional effects of intramyocardial autologous transplantation of both cell types and placebo in patients with recent myocardial infarction (RMI) post-coronary artery bypass graft. Materials and Methods: This was a phase II/III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial COMPARE CPM-RMI (CD133, Placebo, MNCs - recent myocardial infarction) conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki that assessed the safety and efficacy of CD133 and MNCs compared to placebo in patients with RMI. We randomly assigned 77 eligible RMI patients selected from 5 hospitals to receive CD133+ cells, MNC, or a placebo. Patients underwent gated single photon emission computed tomography assessments at 6 and 18 months post-intramyocardial transplantation. We tested the normally distributed efficacy outcomes with a mixed analysis of variance model that used the entire data set of baseline and between-group comparisons as well as within subject (time) and group×time interaction terms. Results: There were no related serious adverse events reported. The intramyocardial transplantation of both cell types increased left ventricular ejection fraction by 9% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.14% to 15.78%, P=0.01] and improved decreased systolic wall thickening by -3.7 (95% CI: -7.07 to -0.42, P=0.03). The CD133 group showed significantly decreased non-viable segments by 75% (P=0.001) compared to the placebo and 60% (P=0.01) compared to the MNC group. We observed this improvement at both the 6- and 18-month time points. Conclusion: Intramyocardial injections of CD133+ cells or MNCs appeared to be safe and efficient with superiority of CD133+ cells for patients with RMI. Although the sample size precluded a definitive statement about clinical outcomes, these results have provided the basis for larger studies to confirm definitive evidence about the efficacy of these cell types (Registration Number: NCT01167751).
Co-PP/EPDM Blend Optimization Using D-Optimal Design for Medical Applications

ABSTRACT This work focuses on the optimization and identification of blend with balanced mechanical properties of Co-PP/EPDM. The blending factors include time, temperature, screw speed, and blend ratio. Tensile strength and elongation at break were studied as the two responses. D-Optimal model was used to fit the regression line, which was validated using analysis of variance and “lack of fit” test. An average error of 10% (for tensile strength) and 3.2% (for elongation at break) was observed between the actual and predicted values. Further, the thermal stability, dynamic mechanical analysis, and phase morphology of the optimized blend were also investigated. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
VdCYC8, Encoding CYC8 Glucose Repression Mediator Protein, Is Required for Microsclerotia Formation and Full Virulence in Verticillium dahliae

Verticillium dahliae is the primary causal agent for Verticillium wilt disease on a diverse array of economically important crops, including cotton. In previous research, we obtained the low-pathogenicity mutant T286 from the T-DNA insertional mutant library of the highly virulent isolate Vd080 derived from cotton. In this study, the target disrupted gene VdCYC8 was identified by TAIL-PCR, encoding a homolog of CYC8 proteins involved in glucose repression. The deletion mutant ΔCYC8 exhibited several developmental deficiencies, including reduced microsclerotia formation, reduced sporulation, and slower growth. Moreover, compared with the wild type strain Vd080, the pathogenicity of strain ΔCYC8 was significantly decreased on cotton seedlings. However, the complementary mutants ΔCYC8-C led to restoration of the wild type phenotype or near wild type levels of virulence on cotton. Interestingly, pathogenicity of the strains was correlated with VdCYC8 gene expression levels in complemented mutants. Gene expression analyses in the wild type strain Vd080, the ΔCYC8-45 strain, and complemented strain ΔCYC8-C26 indicated that VdCYC8 regulates the transcription levels of several genes in V. dahliae that have roles in melanin and production.
Cardiac surgery risk scoring systems: In quest for the best

Over the last 3 decades, there has been a profusion in the number of cardiac surgery risk score systems available (approximately 20 in current adult cardiac surgery literature). 1 One common factor in these scoring systems is that they have all been proposed from either North America or Europe.1 The field of cardiac surgery is continuously evolving with changes in surgical indications, spectrum of diseases, surgical expertise, perioperative management and extensiveness of surgical audit. Consequently, newer scoring systems have been regularly published with the common objective of predicting surgical mortality and more recently, surgical morbidity. Search of literature reveals no scoring system from large population subgroups like Japan, South-east Asia or Africa. Several reports from these populations have employed the commonly used ‘western’ risk scoring systems like the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (Euroscore) I, Euroscore II, Parsonnet or the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) systems to their population. There are numerous studies which compare the performance of two or more different scoring systems on some subset of cardiac surgery patients (eg, low risk vs high risk coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), single/multivalve surgery, CABG+ valve surgery, aortic surgery and so on2 3). The conclusions commonly drawn indicate that Euroscore II and STS scores are most widely used; however, even these two scores give different predictions in different groups. Thus, these ‘western’ scores are seen to be relatively ‘off-the-mark’ in correctly predicting the operative mortality in eastern population, thus essentially being inaccurate to a variable extent4. The common ‘inaccuracies’ reported include variations between the subgroups of elective/semiurgent/emergency surgical procedures and low-risk/ high-risk surgical groups. These ‘discrepancies’ raise the following questions: 1. What is the utility of scoring systems? Should all cardiac surgeries at …
Phrenic motor neuron adenosine 2A receptors elicit phrenic motor facilitation

Although adenosine 2A (A2A) receptor activation triggers specific cell signalling cascades, the ensuing physiological outcomes depend on the specific cell type expressing these receptors. Cervical spinal adenosine 2A (A2A) receptor activation elicits a prolonged facilitation in phrenic nerve activity, which was nearly abolished following intrapleural A2A receptor siRNA injections. A2A receptor siRNA injections selectively knocked down A2A receptors in cholera toxin B‐subunit‐identified phrenic motor neurons, sparing cervical non‐phrenic motor neurons. Collectively, our results support the hypothesis that phrenic motor neurons express the A2A receptors relevant to A2A receptor‐induced phrenic motor facilitation. Upregulation of A2A receptor expression in the phrenic motor neurons per se may potentially be a useful approach to increase phrenic motor neuron excitability in conditions such as spinal cord injury.
Predator Presence and Vegetation Density Affect Capture Rates and Detectability of Litoria aurea Tadpoles: Wide-Ranging Implications for a Common Survey Technique

Trapping is a common sampling technique used to estimate fundamental population metrics of animal species such as abundance, survival and distribution. However, capture success for any trapping method can be heavily influenced by individuals’ behavioural plasticity, which in turn affects the accuracy of any population estimates derived from the data. Funnel trapping is one of the most common methods for sampling aquatic vertebrates, although, apart from fish studies, almost nothing is known about the effects of behavioural plasticity on trapping success. We used a full factorial experiment to investigate the effects that two common environmental parameters (predator presence and vegetation density) have on the trapping success of tadpoles. We estimated that the odds of tadpoles being captured in traps was 4.3 times higher when predators were absent compared to present and 2.1 times higher when vegetation density was high compared to low, using odds ratios based on fitted model means. The odds of tadpoles being detected in traps were also 2.9 times higher in predator-free environments. These results indicate that common environmental factors can trigger behavioural plasticity in tadpoles that biases trapping success. We issue a warning to researchers and surveyors that trapping biases may be commonplace when conducting surveys such as these, and urge caution in interpreting data without consideration of important environmental factors present in the study system. Left unconsidered, trapping biases in capture success have the potential to lead to incorrect interpretations of data sets, and misdirection of limited resources for managing species.
Security Crash Test - Practical Security Evaluations of Automotive Onboard IT Components

Modern vehicles consist of many interconnected, software-based IT components which are tested very carefully for correct functional be havior to avoid safety problems, e.g. that the brakes suddenly stop working. Ho wever, in contrast to safety testing systematic testing against potential security gaps is not y et a common procedure within the automotive domain. This however could eventually enable a malicious entity to be able to attack a safety -critical IT component or even the whole vehicle. Several real-world demonstra tions have already shown that this risk is not only academic theory [1] . Facing this challenge, the paper at hand first introduces some potential automotive security attacks and some important automotive security threats. It then explains in more detail how to identify and evaluate potential security threats for a ut motive IT components based on theoretical security analyses and practica l security testing. Lastly, we propose “automotive security evaluation assurance levels” (ASEAL) which define up to four discrete security testing levels.
No Effect of Host Species on Phenoloxidase Activity in a Mycophagous Beetle

Ecological immunology is an interdisciplinary field that helps elucidate interactions between the environment and immune response. The host species individuals experience have profound effects on immune response in many species of insects. However, this conclusion comes from studies of herbivorous insects even though species of mycophagous insects also inhabit many different host species. The goal of this study was to determine if fungal host species as well as individual, sex, body size, and host patch predict one aspect of immune function, phenoloxidase activity (PO). We sampled a metapopulation of Bolitotherus cornutus, a mycophagous beetle in southwestern Virginia. B. cornutus live on three species of fungus that differ in nutritional quality, social environment, and density. A filter paper phenoloxidase assay was used to quantify phenoloxidase activity. Overall, PO activity was significantly repeatable among individuals (0.57) in adult B. cornutus. While there was significant variance among individuals in PO activity, there were surprisingly no significant differences in PO activity among subpopulations, beetles living on different host species, or between the sexes; there was also no effect of body size. Our results suggest that other factors such as age, genotype, disease prevalence, or natal environment may be generating variance among individuals in PO activity.
University of Birmingham Efficient Resource Allocation in Cooperative Co-evolution for Large-scale Global Optimization

Cooperative Co-evolution (CC) is an explicit means of problem decomposition in multi-population evolutionary algorithms for solving large-scale optimization problems. For CC, subpopulations representing subcomponents of a large-scale optimization problem co-evolve, and are likely to have different contributions to the improvement of the best overall solution to the problem. Hence it makes sense that more computational resources should be allocated to the subpopulations with greater contributions. In this paper, we study how to allocate computational resources in this context and subsequently propose a new CC framework named CCFR to efﬁciently allocate computational resources among the subpopulations according to their dynamic contributions to the improvement of the objective value of the best overall solution. Our experimental results suggest that CCFR can make efﬁcient use of computational resources and is a highly competitive CC framework for solving large-scale optimization problems.
Engineering of an Anti-Steroid Antibody: Amino Acid Substitutions Change Antibody Fine Specificity from Cortisol Estradiol

Abstract Immunoassays are widely used for determination of the concentration of steroid hormones. However, obtaining specific anti-steroid monoclonal antibodies remains difficult. We used antibody engineering and phage display methods to change the specificity of an anti-cortisol monoclonal antibody towards estradiol. This work demonstrates that production of recombinant antibodies may be a valuable way of obtaining the high-specificity antibodies required for steroid immunoassays.
Notice of RetractionMonthly precipitation characteristic analysis by chaos theory

The chaotic behavior of monthly precipitation time series is investigated using the phase-space reconstruction technique and chaos theory. The precipitation time series of main weather station on the south-to-north transfer via western route in the water-exporting region is studied. Relationship between embedding dimension and correlation dimension is discussed and saturation correlation dimension, minimum embedding dimension are calculated, the result show that the correlation dimension will steady with the minimum embedding dimension exceeding 9, and the saturation correlation dimension is between 1.1 and 1.2, then, the precipitation time series is possibly chaotically, this research result can provides a scientific gist for precipitation forecasting by chaos theory.
An executable model for a family of election algorithms

Summary form only given. We present an executable model for a family of algorithms dealing with leader election in a ring topology. We follow the traditional approach of system family engineering. That is, we develop a feature model that captures variability across these algorithms. We then proceed to produce a generator. This generator receives as inputs specific values for each of the variation points (i.e., features) we identify. And it produces the behavior corresponding to the specific configuration of features at hand. Contrary to existing generative programming literature, we do not resort to C++ meta-programming but instead develop an executable model using Rational Rose RT. More precisely, we have designed a single state chart that can model all the algorithms of the family we studied. We focus here on how to obtain such a state chart, rather than on the identification of the features we used, or on ROSE-RT semantics. We do believe however that our approach can be reused to provide a semantically unified and executable modelling approach for other families of algorithms.
Minimum-Time Transitions between Thermal and Fixed Average Energy States of the Quantum Parametric Oscillator

In this article we use geometric optimal control to completely solve the problem of minimum-time transitions between thermal equilibrium and fixed average energy states of the quantum parametric oscillator, a system which has been extensively used to model quantum heat engines and refrigerators. We subsequently use the obtained results to find the minimum driving time for a quantum refrigerator and the quantum finite-time availability of the parametric oscillator, i.e., the potential work which can be extracted from this system by a very short finite-time process.
Intestinal Epithelial Stem Cells: Distinct Behavior After Surgical Injury and Teduglutide Administration

ABSTRACT Background: Previous studies suggest that intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESC), critical drivers of homeostasis and regeneration, include two subpopulations: crypt-based columnar and “position +4” stem cells, identified by Lgr5 and Bmi1 biomarkers, respectively. Teduglutide is an enterotrophic counterpart of glucagon-like peptide 2. This study aimed to investigate the response of putative IESC to surgical injury and teduglutide administration on an animal model of intestinal resection and anastomosis. Methods: Wistar rats (n = 59) were distributed into four groups: “Ileal Resection” versus “Laparotomy”, subsequently subdivided into “Postoperative Teduglutide Administration” versus “No Treatment”; and sacrificed at third or seventh days, with ileal sample harvesting. Flow cytometry was used to analyze epithelial stem cells with monoclonal antibodies against Lgr5, Bmi1 and also CD44, CD24, CD166, and Grp78 surface markers. Results: Surgical trauma induced an increase of epithelial stem cells population at third day (9.0 ± 0.3 versus 5.7 ± 0.3%, p = 0.0001), which was more intense and involved all subpopulations after ileal resection. At seventh day, teduglutide was significantly associated with higher proportion of Lgr5+/Bmi1− cells (5.8 ± 0.1 versus 2.9 ± 0.3%, p = 0.005) and, on the contrary, lower percentage of Lgr5−/Bmi1+ cells (0.03 ± 0.01 versus 1.9 ± 0.1%, p = 0.049) after ileal resection; and higher proportion of Lgr5+/Bmi1+ cells (1.7 ± 0.1 versus 1.1 ± 0.2%, p = 0.028) after isolated laparotomy. After surgery, Lgr5+/Bmi1− and Lgr5−/Bmi1+ subpopulations demonstrated an inverse correlation and both correlated negatively with Grp78 labeling index. Lgr5−/Bmi1+ and CD44+/CD24low/CD166+/Grp78+ cells proportions exhibited a high grade positive correlation. Conclusion: Those observations support the existence of two epithelial stem cells subpopulations with distinct behavior after surgical injury and teduglutide treatment.
A Laboratory Scale Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactor for Distillery Wastewater Treatment

In this study, Laboratory Scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor was constructed to treat distillery wastewater from Mandalay Winery and Distillery Plant. The design of the reactor was considered mainly based on the diameter and height of reactor, 10.16 cm and 142.24 cm. The effective volume of the reactor was 14L organic loading rate based on the average initiated COD concentration amount of 40389mg/L. Wastewater was fed continuously with a flow rate of 0.9 L/h and hydraulic retention time was 15.6 h. Effect of the volume ratio of starter to distillery wastewater on the laboratory scale UASB reactor was varied from 9:100, 11:100, 13:100 (v:v). The removal efficiency of COD was from 64%, 72% and 82 % at 56 h respectively.
Anti-Inflammatory Functions of Apolipoprotein A-I and High-Density Lipoprotein Are Preserved in Trimeric Apolipoprotein A-I

Raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels is proposed as an attractive target to treat cardiovascular disease. However, a number of clinical studies examining the effect of HDL-raising therapies have been prematurely halted due to futility. Therefore there is a need for alternative therapies. Infusion of reconstituted HDL (rHDL) particles is still considered as a viable approach to increasing HDL levels. In this study we have profiled the anti-inflammatory effects of a trimeric-HDL particle. We show that trimeric apoA-I and rHDL particles promote cholesterol efflux to a similar rate as native apoA-I particles in both ABCA1-dependent and -independent pathways. Trimeric particles inhibited ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression and the ability of the endothelium to capture monocytes under shear flow. Monocyte activation, CD11b-dependent adhesion, and monocyte recruitment under shear flow conditions were perturbed by the trimeric particles. Our data suggest that trimeric rHDL particles can be constructed without any loss of function, preserving the anti-inflammatory effects of HDL that are key to its in vivo actions.