Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stability of Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Grain Yield in Durum Wheat

Carbon isotope discrimination (A) has been proposed as an indirect selection criterion for transpiration efficiency and grain yield in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), with potential value for durum wheat (Triticum turgidum convar. durum Desf. MacKey). We evaluated the genetic variation for A, the relationship between Δ and grain yield, and the magnitude of genotype x year (G × Y) interactions in durum wheat. Field experiments were conducted under Mediterranean conditions on 144 durum wheat accessions during three successive years. Grain yield and carbon isotope discrimination of flag leaves (AF) and kernels (ΔK) were measured. Large genotypic and year variation was observed for ΔF and ΔK. Flag leaf Δ was correlated with grain yield in 2 yr characterized as having greater water limitation (r = 0.29 - 0.38, P < 0.001). Conversely, AK and grain yield were significantly correlated in all 3 yr (r = 0.49 - 0.52, P < 0.001). In addition, G x Y interactions were significant for ΔF, AK and grain yield. However, significant correlations (P < 0.001) were noted for ΔK across years. As a result, AK may serve as a better predictive criterion for higher grain yield under Mediterranean conditions.
Escherichia coli Antimicrobial Susceptibility Reduction amongst HIV-Infected Individuals at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Increased antimicrobial resistance among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected individuals to commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of gastroenteritis is a public health concern, especially in resource-limited settings. We set out to compare the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates from HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals at a tertiary hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Teaching Hospital from May 2019 to August 2019. Stool samples were screened, and 79 HIV-infected individuals matched by age and sex with 84 HIV-uninfected individuals that presented with E. coli associated gastroenteritis were studied. Demographics were collected from the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and stool samples were collected in a sterile leak-proof container. Samples were cultured and only those where E. coli was isolated were included in the study and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion technique. HIV-positive individuals were 3 times (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.17; 95% CI (1.51, 6.66); p < 0.001) more likely to be resistant to quinolones compared with their HIV-negative counterparts. Similarly, HIV-positive individuals were almost 4 times (AOR = 3.97, 95% CI (1.37, 11.46); p = 0.011) more likely to have multidrug-resistant E. coli compared with those who were HIV-negative. HIV infection was associated with reduced E. coli susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics, and most cases showed resistance.
Comparison of Maternal Functioning between Iranian Mothers with and without Depressive Symptoms: A Case-Control Study

Postpartum depression (PPD) has adverse effects on the mother’s ability to work, her relationships, performance in other roles, and caregiving ability. The aim of this study was to compare levels of maternal functioning between mothers with depression symptoms and those without. The participants of this case-control study included 80 postpartum women (n = 40 with depressive symptoms and n = 40 with no depressive symptoms) referred to health centers in Tabriz, Iran, in 2018–2019. The case and control groups were matched for the number of deliveries (first or second deliveries) and the type of delivery (vaginal or cesarean section). A sociodemographic questionnaire, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), and Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) were used for data collection. The relationship between maternal functioning and depression was assessed by conducting independent t-tests and Pearson correlation tests in bivariate analysis and applying the general linear model (GLM) in a multivariate analysis. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of sociodemographic information. The mean (SD) total scores of maternal functioning in the case (depressed) and control (non-depressed) groups were 63.4 (12.2) and 93.3 (13.0), respectively. According to the independent t-test, this value in the control group was significantly higher than that of the case group (mean difference: −30.0; 95% confidence interval: −35.6 to −24.3; p < 0.001). In terms of the domains of the BIMF, based on the independent t-test, the mean score of all domains in the control group was significantly higher than that of the case group, except for the mother-child interaction dimension (p = 0.219). Based on the Pearson correlation test, there was significant negative correlation between the PPD score and total score of BIMF (r = −0.79, p < 0.001) and its domains (r = −0.81 to −0.54, p < 0.001). In addition, based on the GLM with adjusting the sociodemographic and obstetrics characteristics, the score of maternal functioning was significantly lower in the case group compared to the control group [β = −30.1; 95% CI: −36.8 to −23.4; p = 0.001]. The results of this study indicate that women with depressive symptoms have lower maternal functioning. Depressed women may find it difficult to perform their maternal duties and take care of themselves and other family members due to the burden of the depressive symptoms. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of postpartum depression can play an important role in improving daily maternal functioning.
TRPV1: Structure, Endogenous Agonists, and Mechanisms

The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel is a polymodal protein with functions widely linked to the generation of pain. Several agonists of exogenous and endogenous nature have been described for this ion channel. Nonetheless, detailed mechanisms and description of binding sites have been resolved only for a few endogenous agonists. This review focuses on summarizing discoveries made in this particular field of study and highlighting the fact that studying the molecular details of activation of the channel by different agonists can shed light on biophysical traits that had not been previously demonstrated.
The Influence of Various N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands on Activity of Nitro-Activated Olefin Metathesis Catalysts

A set of nitro-activated ruthenium-based Hoveyda-Grubbs type olefin metathesis catalysts bearing sterically modified N-hetero-cyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been obtained, characterised and studied in a set of model metathesis reactions. It was found that catalysts bearing standard SIMes and SIPr ligands (4a and 4b) gave the best results in metathesis of substrates with more accessible C–C double bonds. At the same time, catalysts bearing engineered naphthyl-substituted NHC ligands (4d–e) exhibited high activity towards formation of tetrasubstituted C–C double bonds, the reaction which was traditionally Achilles’ heel of the nitro-activated Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst.
Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome Using Three-Item Recall Test and Its Associations with Fall-Related Outcomes: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome is originally defined as the presence of subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) and slow gait (SG). MCR is well known to be useful for predicting adverse health outcomes, including falls and dementia. However, around four out of five older Korean adults reported SCCs, thereby, it may not be discriminative to define MCR in Korea. We adopted the three-item recall (3IR) test, instead of SCCs, to define MCR. This cross-sectional analysis included 2133 community-dwelling older adults aged 70–84 years, without dementia or any dependence in activities of daily living from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. The newly attempted criteria of MCR using 3IR were met by 105 participants (4.9%). MCR using 3IR showed synergistic effects on fall-related outcomes, whereas the conventional definition of MCR using SCCs was not superior to SG only. MCR using 3IR was associated with falls (odds ratio [OR]: 1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16–3.16), recurrent falls (OR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.12–4.32), falls with injury (OR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.22–3.22), falls with fracture (OR: 2.51; 95% CI: 1.09–5.79), fear of falling (OR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.83–4.92), and low activities-specific balance confidence (OR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.57–6.25). We found that MCR using 3IR could be useful in predicting fall-related outcomes in a cultural background reporting more SCCs, such as Korea.
Retinal Microcirculation Defects on OCTA Correlate with Active Inflammation and Vision in Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada Disease

ABSTRACT Purpose: To analyze quantitative OCT-angiography (OCTA) measurements of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease at different disease stages. Methods: OCTA scans of 110 VKH patients in acute uveitic, convalescent and chronic recurrent stage were reviewed; posterior uveitis recurrent cases were excluded. Superficial and deep capillary plexus (SCP and DCP) vascular densities (VD) and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were compared. Results: DCP VD was significantly lower and SFCT higher in VKH than normal controls (NC) in all 3 stages (all p < .001). Anterior uveitis recurrent patients had lower SCP and DCP VDs and thicker SFCT than convalescent patients (p = .001, p < .001, and p = .003, respectively). DCP VD was significantly correlated with visual acuity (p < .05). Patients with history of anterior recurrence had lower retinal VDs in the convalescent stage than those without (p < .001). Conclusion: Retinal microcirculation is impaired in VKH. DCP VD might be a sensitive indicator of inflammatory status and appeared to be well associated with visual outcome.
Vulnerability Assessment of Buildings due to Land Subsidence Using InSAR Data in the Ancient Historical City of Pistoia (Italy)

The launch of the medium resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Sentinel-1 constellation in 2014 has allowed public and private organizations to introduce SAR interferometry (InSAR) products as a valuable option in their monitoring systems. The massive stacks of displacement data resulting from the processing of large C-B and radar images can be used to highlight temporal and spatial deformation anomalies, and their detailed analysis and postprocessing to generate operative products for final users. In this work, the wide-area mapping capability of Sentinel-1 was used in synergy with the COSMO-SkyMed high resolution SAR data to characterize ground subsidence affecting the urban fabric of the city of Pistoia (Tuscany Region, central Italy). Line of sight velocities were decomposed on vertical and E–W components, observing slight horizontal movements towards the center of the subsidence area. Vertical displacements and damage field surveys allowed for the calculation of the probability of damage depending on the displacement velocity by means of fragility curves. Finally, these data were translated to damage probability and potential loss maps. These products are useful for urban planning and geohazard management, focusing on the identification of the most hazardous areas on which to concentrate efforts and resources.
Chill-induced changes in fatty acid composition of tonoplast vesicles from hypocotyls of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the changes induced by chilling on fatty acid composition of tonoplast vesicles from hypocotyls of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. The 7 day-old control seedlings were grown at 25°C while treated seedlings were submitted to low temperatures (10°C and 4°C) for 4 days after 3 days germination. The chilling stress resulted in a differential inhibition of plant growth at 10°C and 4°C. Following chilling at 10°C and 4°C, the rate of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids increased under chilling stress. Our results suggest that the increase of unsaturated fatty acids content as well as the higher rate unsaturated/saturate fatty acidsmight be used by V. unguiculata plants as an adaptation mechanism likely to maintain the vacuolar membrane fluidity under low temperatures.
Feasibility of Improving BERT for Linguistic Prediction on Ukrainian Сorpus

What makes BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) different from other recently published language models is the fact that it supports numerous languages, including Ukrainian. The first purpose of this research is to look at how well the BERT model is actually trained taking into account that Ukrainian language is a low-resource one. The second one is to create a hand-picked dataset to further train the published model and to compare the results of two models. Training the model in this research is based on texts written in Ukrainian, including fairytales, novels and stories for kids. This specific dataset is chosen mainly because of the fact that stories for kids have not so big of a vocabulary considering its audience and the fact that those stories usually follow similar paths in their narration. Our model is trained on two tasks as in the original paper: masked token prediction and next sentence classification. The model shows a clear improvement for Ukrainian language compared to the original version.
Form and function in juvenile ascidians. I. Implications of early juvenile morphologies for performance

Newly settled marine invertebrates are typically less than 1 mm tall and face physical and biotic factors distinct from those facing adults, including a fluid environment dominated by high viscosity and deep boundary layers, and a size-specific suite of predators and competitors. If juveniles have distinct morphologies from adults, or morphologies that function differently at small scales, these differences could have important implications for juvenile performance. We compared the ontogenetic scaling of morphological parameters related to suspension feeding in 6 species of ascid- ians covering a wide taxonomic range. Many aspects of early juvenile morphology differed from those of conspecific adults, though not invariably in ways likely to improve feeding performance at small size. Some juvenile morphologies that are detrimental to efficient suspension feeding may serve other functions, whereas others are the result of commencing suspension feeding before the completion of metamorphosis. Thus, not all ascidian species appear specialized for higher rates of suspension feeding and early growth.
Two cases of imported respiratory diphtheria in Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2019

Abstract We report two cases of respiratory toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae infection in fully vaccinated UK born adults following travel to Tunisia in October 2019. Both patients were successfully treated with antibiotics and neither received diphtheria antitoxin. Contact tracing was performed following a risk assessment but no additional cases were identified. This report highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for re-emerging infections in patients with a history of travel to high-risk areas outside Europe.
Genetic and cytological divergence between colour morphs of the Mediterranean sponge Oscarella lobularis Schmidt (Porifera, Demospongiae, Oscarellidae)

The demosponge Oscarella lobularis (Schmidt, 1862) has been reported from various localities throughout the world and is abundant in many areas. It is considered to be morphologically very variable, and morphs of different colour or texture can be found living sympatrically. Samples of a soft violet morph and of cartilaginous blue, yellow and green morphs were collected from the Mediterranean Sea, near Marseilles. The genetic divergence of the four morphs was estimated by enzyme electrophoresis, and cytological differences were studied using light and transmission electron microscopy. The cartilaginous morphs were genetically practically identical, but the soft violet morph was diagnostically different from the sympatric samples of the blue and green morphs and from the allopatric yellow morph at most of the genetic loci studied (genetic identity, I ≈ 0·25). The high genetic divergence was associated with consistent differences in morphology and cytology between the violet morph and the other colour morph.
Molecular Characterization of an H5N3 Influenza Virus Isolated from Spot-Billed Duck

Among the 16 hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes of avian influenza virus (AIV), only the H5 and H7 subtypes have caused highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry. However, most H5 or H7 subtype viruses are categorized as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). Some AIVs, including the H5 and H7 HPAI viruses, have shown the ability to infect humans directly. In this study, we describe the biological and molecular characterization of an H5N3 AIV (SBD/KR/KNU SYG06/06) isolated from spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) in Korea. A phylogenetic analysis of the eight viral genes showed that the SBD/KR/KNU SYG06/06 isolate belongs to the Eurasian lineage and that the SBD/KR/KNU SYG06/06 isolate was clearly different from HPAI H5N1 strains, including human isolates and the Italian HPAI H5N2 strains. Additionally, no relationship was found between SBD/KR/KNU SYG06/06 and the Korean HPAI H5N1 isolates. The SBD/KR/KNU SYG06/06 isolate had avian specific receptor binding site residues in the HA protein and the four C-terminal amino acids in the NS1 protein. The HA protein of the SBD/KR/KNU SYG06/06 isolate exhibited the typical LPAI motif at the cleavage site and this virus produced no cytopathic effects in MDCK cells without trypsin. Given these results, we suggest that the H5N3 AIV isolated from the spot-billed duck should be considered an LPAI virus and should have no pathogenic effect in humans.
Herd immunity and a vaccination game: An experimental study

Would the affected communities voluntarily obtain herd immunity if a cure for COVID-19 was available? This paper experimentally investigates people’s vaccination choices in the context of a nonlinear public good game. A “vaccination game” is defined in which costly commitments (vaccination) are required of a fraction of the population to reach the critical level needed for herd immunity, without which defectors are punished by the natural contagion of epidemics. Our experimental implementation of a vaccination game in a controlled laboratory setting reveals that endogenous epidemic punishment is a credible threat, resulting in voluntary vaccination to obtain herd immunity, for which the orthodox principle of positive externalities fails to account. The concave nature of the infection probability plays a key role in facilitating the elimination of an epidemic.
Blood group P1 antigen–bearing glycoproteins are functional but less efficient receptors of Shiga toxin than conventional glycolipid-based receptors

Shiga toxin (STx) is a virulence factor produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. STx is taken up by mammalian host cells by binding to the glycosphingolipid (GSL) globotriaosylceramide (Gb3; Galα1-4Galβ1-4Glc-ceramide) and causes cell death after its retrograde membrane transport. However, the contribution of the hydrophobic portion of Gb3 (ceramide) to STx transport remains unclear. In pigeons, blood group P1 glycan antigens (Galα1-4Galβ1-4GlcNAc-) are expressed on glycoproteins that are synthesized by α1,4-galactosyltransferase 2 (pA4GalT2). To examine whether these glycoproteins can also function as STx receptors, here we constructed glycan-remodeled HeLa cell variants lacking Gb3 expression but instead expressing pA4GalT2-synthesized P1 glycan antigens on glycoproteins. We compared STx binding and sensitivity of these variants with those of the parental, Gb3-expressing HeLa cells. The glycan-remodeled cells bound STx1 via N-glycans of glycoproteins and were sensitive to STx1 even without Gb3 expression, indicating that P1-containing glycoproteins also function as STx receptors. However, these variants were significantly less sensitive to STx than the parent cells. Fluorescence microscopy and correlative light EM revealed that the STx1 B subunit accumulates to lower levels in the Golgi apparatus after glycoprotein-mediated than after Gb3-mediated uptake but instead accumulates in vacuole-like structures probably derived from early endosomes. Furthermore, coexpression of Galα1-4Gal on both glycoproteins and GSLs reduced the sensitivity of cells to STx1 compared with those expressing Galα1-4Gal only on GSLs, probably because of competition for STx binding or internalization. We conclude that lipid-based receptors are much more effective in STx retrograde transport and mediate greater STx cytotoxicity than protein-based receptors.
Loss and vulnerability of lowland forests in mainland Southeast Asia

Despite containing extraordinary levels of biodiversity, lowland (<200 m asl) tropical forests are extremely threatened globally. Southeast Asia is an area of high species richness and endemicity under considerable anthropogenic threat with, unfortunately, scant focus on its lowland forests. We estimated extent of lowland forest loss from 1998 to 2018, including inside protected areas and determined the vulnerability of this remaining forest. Maximum likelihood classification techniques were used to classify Landsat images to estimate lowland forest cover in 1998 and 2018. We used Bayesian belief networks with 20 variables to evaluate vulnerability of the forest that remained in 2018. Analyses were conducted at two spatial scales: landscape patch (analogous to ecoregion) and country level. Over 20 years, >120,000 km2 of forest (50% of forest present in 1998) was lost. Of the 14 lowland forest patches, 6 lost >50% of their area. At the country scale, Cambodia had the greatest deforestation (>47,500 km2). In 2018, 18% of the lowlands were forested, and 20% of these forests had some formal protection. Approximately 50% of the lowland forest inside protected areas (c. 11,000 km2) was also lost during the study period. Most lowland forest remaining is highly vulnerable; eight landscape patches had >50% categorized as such. Our results add to a growing body of evidence that the presence of protected areas alone will not prevent further deforestation. We suggest that more collaborative conservation strategies with local communities that accommodate conservation concessions specifically for lowland forests are urgently needed to prevent further destruction of these valuable habitats.
RAPD Analysis of Colletotrichum Species Isolated from Strawberry and the Design of Specific Primers for the Identification of C. fragariae

Strains of Colletotrichum species isolated fromdiseased strawberry plants fromdifferent countries were studied by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Grouping and variability shown by RAPD supported the results of previous molecular studies made of Colletotrichum species. The variability was larger with C. acutatum, in which 15 different RAPD patterns were observed. Cluster analysis (UPGMA) was used to divide the C. acutatum strains into two major groups that correlated with other molecular markers previously used. Strains belonging to the first group showed a high level of similarity despite their diverse geographical origins, which probably correspond to a clonal population that resulted froma rapid and wide expansion of the strawberry trade. On the contrary, strains belonging to the second group showed a high level of genetic diversity that could indicate that they belong to lineages of older origins and/or to sexual reproducing lines. Within C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides, two morphologically indistinguishable species, less genetic variability was observed, but both species were differentiated by RAPD patterns. A C. fragariae associated RAPD band was cloned, sequenced and used to design specific primers for this species. A PCR product of 580 bp was obtained only when DNA from C. fragariae strains was used, and this is proposed as a method for quickly and easily identifying C. fragariae strains.