Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction of Non-Native Pollinators Can Lead to Trans-Continental Movement of Bee-Associated Fungi

Bees are essential pollinators for many flowering plants, including agriculturally important crops such as apple. As geographic ranges of bees or their host plants change as a result of human activities, we need to identify pathogens that could be transmitted among newly sympatric species to evaluate and anticipate their effects on bee communities. We used PCR screening and DNA sequencing to evaluate exposure to potentially disease-causing microorganisms in a pollinator of apple, the horned mason bee (Osmia cornifrons). We did not detect microsporidia, Wolbachia, or trypanosomes, which are common pathogens of bees, in any of the hundreds of mason bees screened. We did detect both pathogenic and apathogenic (saprophytic) fungal species in the genus Ascosphaera (chalkbrood), an unidentified species of Aspergillus fungus, and a strain of bacteria in the genus Paenibacillus that is probably apathogenic. We detected pathogenic fungal strains in asymptomatic adult bees that therefore may be carriers of disease. We demonstrate that fungi from the genus Ascosphaera have been transported to North America along with the bee from its native range in Japan, and that O. cornifrons is exposed to fungi previously only identified from nests of other related bee species. Further study will be required to quantify pathogenicity and health effects of these different microbial species on O. cornifrons and on closely-related native North American mason bees that may now be exposed to novel pathogens. A global perspective is required for pathogen research as geographic ranges of insects and microorganisms shift due to intentional or accidental introductions.
Absorptive capacity and mass customization capability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of a manufacturer’s absorptive capacity (AC) on its mass customization capability (MCC). Design/methodology/approach – The authors conceptualize AC within the supply chain context as four processes: knowledge acquisition from customers, knowledge acquisition from suppliers, knowledge assimilation, and knowledge application. The authors then propose and empirically test a model on the relationships among AC processes and MCC using structural equation modeling and data collected from 276 manufacturing firms in China. Findings – The results show that AC significantly improves MCC. In particular, knowledge sourced from customers and suppliers enhances MCC in three ways: directly, indirectly through knowledge application, and indirectly through knowledge assimilation and application. The study also finds that knowledge acquisition significantly enhances knowledge assimilation and knowledge application, and that knowledge assimilation leads to kn.
Development and Evaluation of an Activity Rating Scale for Disorders of the Knee

Reports of clinical studies of patients with knee disorders should routinely include their activity levels to enable comparison of treatment groups and to allow generalizability. The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate a new rating scale to measure activity levels of patients. We assessed reliability by administering the scale to 40 subjects on 2 separate occasions, 1 week apart. Validity was evaluated by comparing the activity rating on the new scale with that from other instruments that use activity level scales (concurrent construct validity) and also by correlating the score on the new scale with age (divergent validity). Patients easily understood the scale and were able to complete it in 1 minute. The reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.97). The scale also correlated well with existing activity rating scales: Spearman correlation coefficient for Cincinnati score, 0.67; for Tegner scale, 0.66; for Daniel scale, 0.52. The activity score was significantly inversely correlated with age (P=0.002), indicating divergent validity. This instrument will facilitate generalizability of results and allow more accurate comparisons among patient groups in outcomes research in sports medicine.
Solving the freeloaders paradox: Genetic associations and frequency-dependent selection in the evolution of cooperation among nonrelatives

One of the enduring problems in the study of social evolution has been to understand how cooperation can be maintained in the presence of freeloaders, individuals that take advantage of the more cooperative members of groups they are eager to join. The freeloader problem has been particularly troublesome when groups consist of nonrelatives, and no inclusive fitness benefits accrue to individuals that contribute more heavily to communal activities. These theoretical difficulties, however, are not mirrored by the numerous examples of cooperative or even altruistic behaviors exhibited by groups of nonrelatives in nature (e.g., many human groups, communally nesting bees, multiple queen-founding ants, cellular slime molds, and social bacteria). Using a model in which cooperation and grouping tendencies are modeled as coevolving dynamical variables, I show that the freeloader problem can be addressed when group-size effects on fitness are considered explicitly. I show that freeloaders, whose presence is reflected in the development of linkage disequilibrium between grouping and cooperation, increase in frequency when rare, but are selected against when common due to the reduced productivity of the groups they overburden with their presence. Freeloader frequencies thus periodically rise and fall around an equilibrium shown here to be dynamic. These results highlight the importance of group-level effects in the origin and maintenance of sociality, illustrate the dynamic nature of equilibria when multiple levels of selection are involved, and provide a solution to the freeloaders paradox.
Evolution of the soritids-Symbiodinium symbiosis.

Coral reef ecosystems worldwide gather a myriad of invertebrates, including sponges, jellyfishes, anemones, corals, and mollusks that are hosts to a diverse group of dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium. Among protists, Symbiodinium endosymbionts have been . reported in ciliates and large soritid foraminifera. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies on the symbionts of soritids have revealed an extraordinary diversity of Symbiodinium lineages, most of which are specifically associated with this relatively small group of foraminifera. Additional ecological and evolutionary studies have shown that (1) the specificity between soritids and Symbiodinium is greater than previously thought and can also be found at a lower taxonomic level within Soritinae, (2) the diversity of soritid-specific Symbiodinium spp. is much greater in the Indo-Pacific than in Western Atlantic, hence correlates positively with the distribution of soritid diversity, (3) soritid symbionts did not present faster evolutionary rates compared to the Metazoan symbionts, suggesting that other factors such as the predominantly vertical transmission of symbionts and/or biogeographic isolation may be responsible for the host-symbiont specificity and diversity observed in Soritinae. Additionally, a relaxed molecular clock method was applied on 105 Symbiodinium rDNA sequences to estimate when the various clades diversified from each other. Our results suggested that the genus originated in early Eocene, and that the majority of extant lineages diversified since mid-Miocene, about 15 million years ago. Here we review the history of our research on soritid-Symbiodinium relationship and discuss its future perspectives.
Mitigating risk in global supplies to the maritime industry

The purpose of this study is to embed using dialogue to mitigate risk in a supply network context. A detailed case narrative is provided of a Norwegian machine parts importer's supply of goods from Shanghai to the maritime industry in Norway involving both shipbuilding and maintenance associated with shipping. The case shows how supply networks consist of tiers of suppliers working together. Risk is managed through an integrated effort involving how people communicate. Given that risk is perception, attention is directed to how risk may be conceived as boundary object; that through development of discourse, risk may be mitigated through dialogue in the supply network. This study provides insights for further conceptual development how to mitigate risk by integrating this conception as a dialogue element, a boundary object used to manage risk in the globalised physical distribution of parts in the maritime industry.
Trends in Population-Based Studies of Human Genetics in Infectious Diseases

Pathogen genetics is already a mainstay of public health investigation and control efforts; now advances in technology make it possible to investigate the role of human genetic variation in the epidemiology of infectious diseases. To describe trends in this field, we analyzed articles that were published from 2001 through 2010 and indexed by the HuGE Navigator, a curated online database of PubMed abstracts in human genome epidemiology. We extracted the principal findings from all meta-analyses and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with an infectious disease-related outcome. Finally, we compared the representation of diseases in HuGE Navigator with their contributions to morbidity worldwide. We identified 3,730 articles on infectious diseases, including 27 meta-analyses and 23 GWAS. The number published each year increased from 148 in 2001 to 543 in 2010 but remained a small fraction (about 7%) of all studies in human genome epidemiology. Most articles were by authors from developed countries, but the percentage by authors from resource-limited countries increased from 9% to 25% during the period studied. The most commonly studied diseases were HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis B infection, hepatitis C infection, sepsis, and malaria. As genomic research methods become more affordable and accessible, population-based research on infectious diseases will be able to examine the role of variation in human as well as pathogen genomes. This approach offers new opportunities for understanding infectious disease susceptibility, severity, treatment, control, and prevention.
Identification of Thioaptamer Ligand against E-Selectin: Potential Application for Inflamed Vasculature Targeting

Active targeting of a drug carrier to a specific target site is crucial to provide a safe and efficient delivery of therapeutics and imaging contrast agents. E-selectin expression is induced on the endothelial cell surface of vessels in response to inflammatory stimuli but is absent in the normal vessels. Thus, E-selectin is an attractive molecular target, and high affinity ligands for E-selectin could be powerful tools for the delivery of therapeutics and/or imaging agents to inflamed vessels. In this study, we identified a thiophosphate modified aptamer (thioaptamer, TA) against E-selectin (ESTA-1) by employing a two-step selection strategy: a recombinant protein-based TA binding selection from a combinatorial library followed by a cell-based TA binding selection using E-selectin expressing human microvascular endothelial cells. ESTA-1 selectively bound to E-selectin with nanomolar binding affinity (KD = 47 nM) while exhibiting minimal cross reactivity to P- and L-selectin. Furthermore, ESTA-1 binding to E-selectin on the endothelial cells markedly antagonized the adhesion (over 75% inhibition) of sLex positive HL-60 cells at nanomolar concentration. ESTA-1 also bound specifically to the inflamed tumor-associated vasculature of human carcinomas derived from breast, ovarian, and skin but not to normal organs, and this binding was highly associated with the E-selectin expression level. Similarly, intravenously injected ESTA-1 demonstrated distinct binding to the tumor vasculature in a breast cancer xenograft model. Together, our data substantiates the discovery of a thioaptamer (ESTA-1) that binds to E-selectin with high affinity and specificity, thereby highlighting the potential application of ESTA-1 for E-selectin targeted delivery.
Harmonic-Temporal Factor Decomposition Incorporating Music Prior Information for Informed Monaural Source Separation

For monaural source separation two main approaches have thus far been adopted. One approach involves applying non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to an observed magnitude spectrogram, interpreted as a non-negative matrix. The other approach is based on the concept of computational auditory scene analysis (CASA). A CASAbased approach called the “harmonic-temporal clustering (HTC)” aims to cluster the time-frequency components of an observed signal based on a constraint designed according to the local time-frequency structure common in many sound sources (such as harmonicity and the continuity of frequency and amplitude modulations). This paper proposes a new approach for monaural source separation called the “Harmonic-Temporal Factor Decomposition (HTFD)” by introducing a spectrogram model that combines the features of the models employed in the NMF and HTC approaches. We further describe some ideas how to design the prior distributions for the present model to incorporate musically relevant information into the separation scheme.
Ethnicity, gender and mental health

This paper reports on primary research that focused on men from specific black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. The project aimed to provide a better understanding of the men’s beliefs about mental health and their experiences of mental health services. The paper presents key findings and issues in interpreting the experiences of BME groups. It considers the complexities of men’s gendered identities and the interplay of these with ‘race’, ethnicity and cultural influences. Twelve focus groups, each consisting of men from specific BME groups, were convened in various locations in London and the West Midlands. The ethnic groups were as follows: two African-Caribbean groups, two African groups, two Indian groups, two Pakistani groups, two Bangladeshi groups and two Chinese groups. The findings include BME men’s narratives of well-being, which highlight the importance of relational and normative aspects and the influences of gender and ethnicity on aspirations, identity and values. Factors contributing to mental illness relate to gendered and racialised social expectations, economic factors, generational and gender issues, and experiences of services. The paper concludes that a complex mix ofgendered and racialised experiences, including social stigma, the coercive power of institutions, and men’s own perceptions of services, and vice versa, can contribute to cycles of disengagement and isolation for marginalised BMEmen with mental health problems. Specific recommendations are made for breaking out of the cycle. For research, it is suggested, the priority should now turn to identifying and assessing initiatives that address the issues, and in particular,identifying models of support towards recovery.
Titer estimation for quality control (TEQC) method: A practical approach for optimal production of protein complexes using the baculovirus expression vector system

The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is becoming the method of choice for expression of many eukaryotic proteins and protein complexes for biochemical, structural and pharmaceutical studies. Significant technological advancement has made generation of recombinant baculoviruses easy, efficient and user-friendly. However, there is a tremendous variability in the amount of proteins made using the BEVS, including different batches of virus made to express the same proteins. Yet, what influences the overall production of proteins or protein complexes remains largely unclear. Many downstream applications, particularly protein structure determination, require purification of large quantities of proteins in a repetitive manner, calling for a reliable experimental set-up to obtain the protein or protein complexes of interest consistently. During our investigation of optimizing the expression of the Mediator Head module, we discovered that the ‘initial infectivity’ was an excellent indicator of overall production of protein complexes. Further, we show that this initial infectivity can be mathematically described as a function of multiplicity of infection (MOI), correlating recombinant protein yield and virus titer. All these findings led us to develop the Titer Estimation for Quality Control (TEQC) method, which enables researchers to estimate initial infectivity, titer/MOI values in a simple and affordable way, and to use these values to quantitatively optimize protein expressions utilizing BEVS in a highly reproducible fashion.
A simple tool to predict admission at the time of triage

Aim To create and validate a simple clinical score to estimate the probability of admission at the time of triage. Methods This was a multicentre, retrospective, cross-sectional study of triage records for all unscheduled adult attendances in North Glasgow over 2 years. Clinical variables that had significant associations with admission on logistic regression were entered into a mixed-effects multiple logistic model. This provided weightings for the score, which was then simplified and tested on a separate validation group by receiving operator characteristic (ROC) analysis and goodness-of-fit tests. Results 215 231 presentations were used for model derivation and 107 615 for validation. Variables in the final model showing clinically and statistically significant associations with admission were: triage category, age, National Early Warning Score (NEWS), arrival by ambulance, referral source and admission within the last year. The resulting 6-variable score showed excellent admission/discharge discrimination (area under ROC curve 0.8774, 95% CI 0.8752 to 0.8796). Higher scores also predicted early returns for those who were discharged: the odds of subsequent admission within 28 days doubled for every 7-point increase (log odds=+0.0933 per point, p<0.0001). Conclusions This simple, 6-variable score accurately estimates the probability of admission purely from triage information. Most patients could accurately be assigned to ‘admission likely’, ‘admission unlikely’, ‘admission very unlikely’ etc., by setting appropriate cut-offs. This could have uses in patient streaming, bed management and decision support. It also has the potential to control for demographics when comparing performance over time or between departments.
Surgical Treatment of the Frontal Sinus Lateral Mucocele with Multiple Sinus Bony Wall Defects

Paranasal sinus mucocele is a cystic formation filled with mucus, resulting from the obstruction of sinus ostium. The most common place of mucocele localization is frontal sinus, which is due to its specific anatomical architecture and a narrow passage of the frontal recess. Approximately in 70% mucocele localizes in a frontal sinus [1]. Mucus production in mucocele leads to its enlargement, which results in expansion of sinus cavity. Generally, affected by the pressure, sinus margins become thin and fragile, sometimes, resulting in bony defect and extension of the mucocele into the adjacent anatomical structures [2]. In such cases reconstructive craniofacial surgery has to be performed to prevent intracranial complications and face aesthetic deformities [3]. Real case of such a process is described below.
Targeting the bioscience-practice nexus to facilitate learning in first year nursing students

A sound understanding of bioscience, and an ability to use knowledge in solving complex problems are required for proficient nursing practice. This paper describes the continuing development of a bioscience course designed specifically to engender these attributes in first year nursing students. Face to face teaching hours were divided equally between lectures (to introduce the topic to inexperienced learners) and problem based interactive tutorials (to teach the skill of applying knowledge of basic scientific concepts to clinical case scenarios). The difficulty of finding sufficient teaching staff with a strong scientific and clinical background was addressed by using a large group interactive format for tutorials, without any negative impact on the perceived level of support provided to students.
Can Yoga be an Effective Tool in Managing Psychological Stress

Today Medical science is giving more emphasis for prevention and maintenance of health. Man’s strongest desire is to live a healthy, happy and an inspired life. Of these three, health is primary because without it, one cannot feel happy or inspired. Because of the competitive world, stressful jobs and other stressful works, man is affected with high stress and in turn this stress creates an imbalance at physical, psychological and social levels of the individual leading to various physical and psychological disorders. Yoga, an Ancient science offers an effective method of managing and reducing stress, anxiety and depression and numerous studies demonstrate the efficacy of yoga on mood related disorders. Yoga, a form of mind-body exercise, has become an increasingly widespread therapy used to maintain wellness, and alleviate a range of health problems and ailments.
Electrostatic Interactions Guide the Active Site Face of a Structure-Specific Ribonuclease to Its RNA Substrate

Restrictocin, a member of the α-sarcin family of site-specific endoribonucleases, uses electrostatic interactions to bind to the ribosome and to RNA oligonucleotides, including the minimal specific substrate, the sarcin/ricin loop (SRL) of 23S−28S rRNA. Restrictocin binds to the SRL by forming a ground-state E:S complex that is stabilized predominantly by Coulomb interactions and depends on neither the sequence nor structure of the RNA, suggesting a nonspecific complex. The 22 cationic residues of restrictocin are dispersed throughout this protein surface, complicating a priori identification of a Coulomb interacting surface. Structural studies have identified an enzyme−substrate interface, which is expected to overlap with the electrostatic E:S interface. Here, we identified restrictocin residues that contribute to binding in the E:S complex by determining the salt dependence [∂ log(k2/K1/2)/∂ log[KCl]] of cleavage of the minimal SRL substrate for eight point mutants within the protein designed to disrupt contacts in the crystallographically defined interface. Relative to the wild-type salt dependence of −4.1, a subset of the mutants clustering near the active site shows significant changes in salt dependence, with differences of magnitude being ≥0.4. This same subset was identified using calculated salt dependencies for each mutant derived from solutions to the nonlinear Poisson−Boltzmann equation. Our findings support a mechanism in which specific residues on the active site face of restrictocin (primarily K110, K111, and K113) contribute to formation of the E:S complex, thereby positioning the SRL substrate for site-specific cleavage. The same restrictocin residues are expected to facilitate targeting of the SRL on the surface of the ribosome.
A Treatise of the Physical Aspects of Phosphenes and Single-Cell Selectivity in Retinal Stimulation

In recent years, epi-and subretinal implants have been developed [6-15]. Humayun et al., [6-9], Mahadevappa et al., [10], Rizzo III et al., [11, 12], Klauke et al., [13], Eger et al., [14] and Keserüet al., [15] and recent clinical trials [16, 17] have reported that blind patients perceived sensations of spots of light while the retina was electrically stimulated. These experiments clearly validated the viability of producing perception of light patterns in blind patients by electrically activating nearby retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). In recent years, Humayun et al., [7, 9], Keserü et al., [15], Dobelle et al., [18, 19], Zrenner et al., [20, 21], Brindley et al., [22, 23] and Hornig et al., [24] have reported the generation of recognizable symbols and simpleshapes from multiple stimulated phosphenes.