Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cryptococcus deuterogattii VGIIa infection associated with travel to the Pacific Northwest outbreak region in an anti-GM-CSF autoantibody positive patient in the United States

The Pacific Northwest (PNW), Vancouver Island, Oregon, and Washington have been the location of an ongoing Cryptococcus gattii outbreak since the 1990s, and there is evidence that the outbreak is expanding along the West Coast into California. Here we report a clinical case of a 69-year-old, HIV-negative man from North Carolina who was diagnosed with a fungal brain mass by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathology. He had traveled to Seattle and Vancouver three years earlier and Costa Rica four months prior to presentation. Phenotypic evidence shows the fungal mass isolated from the patient’s brain is C. gattii. In agreement with the phenotypic results, MLST provides genotypic evidence that assigns the infecting organism within in the C. gattii species complex and belonging to the C. deuterogattii VGIIa clade. Whole genome sequencing revealed >99.99% identity to the C. deuterogattii reference strain R265, indicating that the infecting strain is derived from the highly clonal outbreak strains in the PNW. We conclude the patient acquired the C. gattii infection during his travel to region three years prior and the infection was dormant for an extended period of time before causing disease. The patient tested positive for anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) autoantibodies, supporting earlier reports that implicate these autoantibodies as a risk factor a risk factor associated with C. gattii infection. Importance Mortality rates associated with C. gattii infections are estimated to be between 13% and 33% depending on an individual’s predisposition, and C. gattii has caused more at least 39 deaths in the PNW region. There have been four other international travel cases reported in patients from Europe and Asia with travel history to the PNW, but this study describes the first North American travel who acquired C. deuterogattii infection presenting within the United States, and the first case of a C. deuterogattii outbreak infection associated with anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies. Early and accurate diagnoses are important for disease prevention, treatment, and control of infectious diseases. Continual reporting of C. deuterogattii infections is necessary to raise awareness of the ongoing outbreak in the PNW and alert travelers and physicians to the endemic areas with potential risks.
Bioactive anthraquinones found in plant foods interact with human serum albumin and inhibit the formation of advanced glycation endproducts

The glycation of human serum albumin (HSA) plays a critical role in the development of many disorders. Herein, the anti-glycation effects of several natural dietary anthraquinone derivatives including aloin, aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, and rhein were evaluated. The anthraquinones at 100 μM reduced fructose-, methylglyoxal-, and glyoxal-induced HSA glycation by 21% (aloe-emodin) to 92% (aloin), 17% (physcion) to 94% (emodin), and 16% (anthraquinone) to 67% (emodin), respectively. These anthraquinone derivatives also protected HSA by maintaining its free amino acid residues and secondary protein structure as characterized by circular dichroism. The mechanisms of their anti-glycation effects were investigated using rhein as a representative anthraquinone. The interactions between rhein and HSA were evaluated by biophysical characterizations, namely, isothermal titration calorimetry and UV-vis spectroscopy as well as computational modeling. Our findings suggest that the anti-glycation effects of these anthraquinones may be attributed to their binding capacity and stabilization of the HSA protein structure.
10 ATP-Mediated Signaling in the Nervous System

ATP functions as a ubiquitous signaling substance in neuronal and nonneuronal tissues. It is synthesized and stored in the nerve terminals, glial cells, and postsynaptic target cells, and is released in response to neuronal activity and a variety of other stimuli (activation of pre‐ and postsynaptic receptors, metabolic distress, inflammation, hypoosmotic stimuli, and cellular damage). ATP acts on various subtypes of ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y receptors, which are widely distributed in the nervous system. P2X receptors mediate the fast transmitter action of ATP, which has been identified in a number of central and peripheral synapses. In addition, ATP modulates synaptic transmission pre‐ and postsynaptically, both in positive and negative directions via activation of P2X and P2Y receptors, respectively. Moreover, ATP acts as a transmitter not only in neuron–neuronal and neuro‐effector synapses, but also transmits signals between glial cells and neurons and within glial networks. Rapidly emerging data indicate that ATP plays an important role in sensory systems, that is, in the processing of the pain, in mechano‐ and chemosensory transduction and in the microglial response to inflammatory challenge. Finally, ATP might also act as a pathological mediator in acute and chronic neurodegeneration and in the following repair process. List of Abbreviations: Aβ, amyloid beta peptide; ABC, ATP binding cassette; ADP, adenosine 50-diphosphate; 2-AG, 2-arachidonoylglycerol; AMP, adenosine 50-monophosphate; AMPA, α-amino-5-hydroxy-3methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid; Ap4A, diadenosine tetraphosphate; Ap5A, diadenosine pentaphosphate; ATP, adenosine 50-triphosphate; CNS, central nervous system; CNT, concentrative nucleoside transporter; COX-2, cyclooxigenase-2; EEG, electroencephalography; E-NPPs, ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatases; ENT, equilibrative nucleoside transporter; E-NTPDases, ectonucleoside triphosphate diphospho-hydrolases; ERK/JNK, extracellular signal regulated protein kinase; GABA, γ-amino-butyric acid; GPI, glycosylphosphatidyl inositol; GTP, guanosine 50-triphosphate; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography; IFNγ, interferon–γ; IL-1α, interleukin-1α; IL-1β, interleukin-1β; IL-6, interleukin-6; IL-18, interleukin-18; IMP, inosine monophosphate; iNOS, inducible nitric oxide synthase; LPS, bacterial lypopolisaccharide; mRNA, messenger RNA; NBMPR, nitrobenzylthioinosine; NMDA, N-methyl-D-aspartate; NO, nitric oxide; NTS, nucleus tractus solitarii; 6-OHDA, 6-hydroxidopamine; p38MAPK, p38 mitogen activated protein kinase; PNS, peripheral nervous system; PPADS, pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-20,40disulphonic acid; ROI, reactive oxygen intermediates; siRNA, small interfering RNA; TNFα, tumor necrosis factor α; UDP, uridine 50-diphosphate; UTP, uridine 50-triphosphate
Driver fatigue analysis based on upper body posture and DBN-BPNN model

Aiming at the influence of fatigue on locomotive driver’s upper body posture, the image samples of locomotive driver’s upper body were collected by using monocular camera on the bridge of high-speed rail train. The coordinates of 12 feature points on locomotive driver’s upper body are extracted using OpenPose framework. After processing, 9-dimensional salient human pose feature vectors is obtained as feature sets of fatigue data. The unsupervised learning method of deep belief network is used to train the feature set of fatigue data. The optimal parameter values are obtained and the high-level distribution characteristics of fatigue feature data are extracted. BPNN is selected as the classifier, and the parameters of deep belief network output under unsupervised learning are used as the initial value of BPNN. After reversing optimization, the fatigue degree of locomotive drivers can be classified into two categories. The trained DBN-BPNN model is analyzed by using experimental samples for many times. The experimental results show that the average classification accuracy of the model can reach 92.7%, which verifies the effectiveness of this method.
Gyroton with the Corrugated Resonator

A new type of high-power electronic device—a gyroton with a corrugated resonator—is described and investigated. Spatial bunching of the electron beam does not occur in this device, however, highly efficient electron beam power conversion into the rotating electromagnetic field power is possible. The rectilinear electron beam deviates from the axis by the slow TM11 wave, then it gives up longitudinal energy to the same wave with more than 78% efficiency, and an output power up to 30 MW. The developed mathematical model of the interaction of the relativistic electron beam with an irregular circular waveguide and resonator fields presented in this article can be used to calculate and optimize the processes occurring in various microwave electronic devices, such as gyrotrons, gyrotons, TWT, Gyro-TWT, and BWT.
Divergent responses to climate change and disturbance drive recruitment patterns underlying latitudinal shifts of tree species

Climate change is expected to result in a reorganization of the continental distribution of tree species. Recent shifts in distribution patterns have been reported, but it is not always clear how climate change influences these patterns locally, especially in relation to other disturbances. We investigated latitudinal shifts of four ecologically important tree species between 1970 and 2014 within a study area that encompasses their northernmost range limit in northeastern North America (Quebec, Canada; ~761,000 km2). Changes in latitudinal limits were defined in relation to changes in tree saplings’ occurrence patterns within forest plots resampled over two time periods (1970–1977 and 2003–2014). By examining changes in the frequency of occurrences in different portions of the study area along a latitudinal gradient, we were able to identify spatially explicit patterns of loss or gain (sapling recruitment) resulting in the shifts observed. We then estimated the probability of observing a recruitment event in response to changes in climate, disturbance and their interaction, using a multimodel selection approach. Latitudinal limits of all four species shifted northward, but these shifts resulted from different patterns of plot occurrence changes, depending on the species and the location examined. Greater recruitment at northern locations than at southern ones drove shifts for Acer saccharum Marsh. , Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. and Acer rubrum L. , but less so for Betula alleghaniensis Britt. Climate variables indicating changes in early or late growing season conditions were most often selected in models. Warming tended to reduce recruitment probability in the south but increase it in the north, leading to divergent responses for a given species across the study area. Disturbance effects were generally less important than climate change effects, as was their interaction. Synthesis. Spatially explicit and divergent responses to climate change and disturbance drive recruitment patterns underlying latitudinal shifts of tree species. The importance of early‐ or late‐season climate variables points towards biological processes being affected at critical stages of the life cycle. Understanding the factors that influence species’ migration capacity in a changing climate is crucial to inform adaptive management and conservation practices.
The locomotor and predatory habits of unenlagiines (Theropoda, Paraves): inferences based on morphometric studies and comparisons with Laurasian dromaeosaurids

Unenlagiinae is mostly recognized as a subclade of dromaeosaurids. They have the modified pedal digit II that characterize all dromeosaurids, which is typically related to predation. However, derived Laurasian dromaeosaurids (eudromaeosaurs) differ from unenlagiines in having a shorter metatarsus and pedal phalanx II-1, and more ginglymoid articular surfaces in metatarsals and pedal phalanges. Further, unenlagiines have a subarctometatarsal condition, which could have increased the mechanical efficiency during locomotion. All these discrepancies possibly reflect different locomotor and predatory habits. To evaluate this we conducted morphometric analyses and comparisons of qualitative morphological aspects. The former consisted in two phylogenetic principal component analyses, one of them based on lengths of femur, tibia and metatarsus, and width of metatarsus, and the other based on lengths of pedal phalanges. The data sampling covered several coelurosaurian and non-coelurosaurian taxa. The first analysis showed the unenlagiines close to taxa with long tibiae and long and slender metatarsi, which are features considered to provide high cursorial capacities. Instead, eudromaeosaurs are close to taxa with shorter tibiae and shorter and wider metatarsi, which can be considered with low cursorial capacities. The second analysis showed that eudromaeosaurs and unenlagiines have similar phalangeal proportions. Moreover, they share the elongation of distal phalanges, which is a feature related to the capacity of grasping. The shorter and wider metatarsus, more ginglymoid articular surfaces and a shorter pedal phalanx II-2 of eudromaeosaurs possibly allowed them to exert a greater gripping strength. Thus, they had the potential of hunting large prey. Instead, the longer and slender subarctometatarsus, lesser ginglymoid articular surfaces and a longer pedal phalanx II-2 of unenlagiines possibly gave to them greater cursorial capacities and the ability to hunt smaller and elusive prey on the ground. Thus, the different morphological evolutionary paths of dromaeosaurids lineages seem to indicate different locomotor and predatory specializations.
Photoelectron spectroscopy : bulk and surface electronic structures

Introduction. - Theoretical Background. - Instrumentation and Methodology. - Bulk and Surface Sensitivity of Photoelectron Spectroscopy. - Examples of Angle Integrated Photoelectron Spectroscopy. - Angle-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy in HV-regions. - High Resolution Soft X-ray Angle-Integrated and -Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Correlated Electron Systems. - Very Low Photon Energy Photoelectron Spectroscopy. - Inverse Photoemission. - Photoelectron Diffraction. - Complementary Techniques for Studying Bulk Electronic Structures. - Surface Spectroscopy by Scanning Tunneling Microscope. - Outlook.
A Consensus-Based Approach for Visual Servo Control of Multiple Mobile Robots

This paper addresses a consensus-based approach for visual servo control of multiple mobile robots. The basic idea is to utilize single-integrator consensus techniques to design a image-based visual servo control algorithm for each robot under a certain network. The aim of this work is to extract common objects between different images captured by different robots and adjust the positions and orientations of robots to concentrate on common objects. We show that if the union of communication graphs has a directed spanning tree, the states of robots would achieve consensus based on the relative states. At the end of this paper we present experiments to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of proposed algorithms.
The postcranial skeleton of the basal tapinocephalid dinocephalian Tapinocaninus pamelae (Synapsida: Therapsida) from the South African Karoo Supergroup

Dinocephalians form an important component of the Guadalupian basal therapsid faunas of Pangaea. Most research undertaken on this clade has focused on the skull while postcranial research has lagged, largely because of the rarity of sufficiently complete specimens. The discovery of an almost complete skeleton of the basal tapinocephalid dinocephalian Tapinocaninus from the rocks of the lowermost Beaufort Group of South Africa for the first time provides an accurate vertebral count for a dinocephalian as well as morphological information on the appendicular skeleton. The long bones of Tapinocaninus pamelae are autapomorphic in several features within the dinocephalians, and the results enable discussion of some more general aspects of the appendicular skeleton of basal synapsids. Combined, the new data enable a new reconstruction of the posture of tapinocephalids. Although demonstrating several apomorphic characters, the skeleton retains pleisomorphic anatomical features previously known only in pelycosaur-grade synapsids, especially in the axial skeleton. The discovery greatly advances understanding of the postcranial morphology of tapinocephalid dinocephalians and will provide input on the enigmatic phylogenetic relationships of early therapsids.
Investigating a Photolytic Metabolite in the Nocturnal Grasshopper Schistocerca ceratiola (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract The rosemary grasshopper, Schistocerca ceratiola Hubbell and Walker (Orthoptera: Acrididae), is unusual because it is one of only two known species of monophagous grasshoppers in North America and is nocturnal. S. ceratiola is a specialist herbivore of Florida rosemary, Ceratiola ericoides Michuax. Ceratiolin, the most abundant secondary metabolite in the plant, represents the only known example of a photoactivated allelopathic compound. Ceratiolin decomposes in sunlight to yield hydrocinnamic acid and other undescribed breakdown products. Due to the monophagous behavior, ceratiolin is ingested every time S. ceratiola feeds. Coupled with the nocturnal behavior of S. ceratiola, a connection to the photolytic properties of ceratiolin warrants investigation. We hypothesize that the breakdown products of ceratiolin represent potentially noxious compounds and S. ceratiola may exhibit nocturnal feeding behavior to avoid ingesting ceratiolin in sunlight where it readily decomposes. To our knowledge, this is the first chemical ecology study of a specialist herbivore of C. ericoides and a possible connection between the nocturnal behavior of S. ceratiola and ceratiolin. Qualitative analysis by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was performed on the regurgitant, hemolymph, and frass of S. ceratiola to determine whether ceratiolin is confined to the gut or if it transports to the hemocoel. We also analyzed samples for the presence of hydrocinnamic acid to determine whether ceratiolin decomposes after it has been ingested. We detected ceratiolin in the regurgitant and frass. We did not detect hydrocinnamic acid in the regurgitant, hemolymph, or frass. Our results indicate that ceratiolin is confined to the grasshopper gut. We discuss more than one opportunity for future chemical ecology studies in this system.
Determinants of the population health distribution, or why are risk factor-body mass index associations larger at the upper end of the BMI distribution?

Most epidemiological studies examine how risk factors relate to average difference in outcomes (linear regression) or odds a binary outcome (logistic regression); they do not explicitly examine whether risk factors are associated differentially across the distribution of the health outcome investigated. This paper documents a phenomenon found repeatedly in the minority of epidemiological studies which do this (via quantile regression) -associations between a range of established risk factors and body mass index (BMI) are progressively stronger in the upper ends of the BMI distribution. In this paper, we document this finding and provide illustrative evidence of it in a single dataset (the 1958 British birth cohort study). Associations of low childhood socioeconomic position, high maternal weight, low childhood general cognition and adult physical inactivity with higher BMI are larger at the upper end of the BMI distribution, on both absolute and relative scales. For example, effect estimates for socioeconomic position and childhood cognition were around three times larger at the 90th compared with 10th quantile, while effect estimates for physical inactivity were increasingly larger from the 50th-90th quantiles, yet null at lower quantiles. We provide potential explanations for these findings and discuss possible research and policy implications. We conclude by stating that tools such as quantile regression may be useful to better understand how risk factors relate to the distribution of health -particularly so in obesity research given conventional reliance on cut-points -yet for other outcomes in addition given the continuous nature of population health.
Recent advances on the treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema

Breast cancer-related lymphedema is a chronic, progressive disease that occurs following axillary lymph node dissection. Treatment includes nonsurgical, surgical and biological engineering strategies. Conservative method are mainly used for prevention and in cases of subclinical lymphedema. Surgical options can be divided into two categories: reductive surgery and physiologic surgery. Biological engineering strategies use tissue engineering, stem cells and growth factors to automatically restore the lymphatic vessels. All the aforementioned techniques are not curative and, consequently, further research is imperative to establish a better regiman in management of lymphedema. Key words: Breast neoplasms; Lymphedema; Therapy
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Progress Update on Segmentation of Neutron Tomographic Images, 2018

The results from the application of the Chan–Vese multiphase level-set method with three level sets to a measured 3D image of a target consisting of a depleted uranium (DU) annulus, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) block, and a hollow lead cube is shown in Error! Reference source not found. In addition, tomographic slices through the bottom and top regions of the reconstruction data are shown in Error! Reference source not found. 3(a) and (c), with the segmentation results overlaid
Effect of Psyllium Supplementation on Insulin Resistance and Lipid Profile in Non-diabetic Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of infertility in women. In addition, the risk of type2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance is higher among women with PCOS. Psyllium can reduce the levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin resistance, and lipid profile. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of psyllium supplementation on insulin resistance and the lipid profile in non-diabetic women with PCOS. Materials and Methods: In this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 54 eligible non-diabetic women with PCOS aged 18-45 were recruited from an endocrinology clinic and divided into 2 groups based on their body mass index (BMI) through stratified-block randomization. Participants in intervention and placebo groups received 5 g of psyllium or cellulose microcrystalline twice a day for 8 weeks. Fasting insulin, FBS, and insulin resistance indicators including HOMA1-IR, HOMA2-IR, along with quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and the lipid profile were evaluated before and after the intervention. Results: In the psyllium group, the FBS, fasting insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), HOMA1-IR, and HOMA2-IR indicators decreased significantly (P<0.05) after 8 weeks, but the changes were not significant in the placebo group. The mean changes in LDL-C (0.28±0.58 and 0.11±0.67 in intervention and placebo groups, respectively, P=0.036) and QUICKI (0.01±0.03 and 0.02±0.06 in intervention and placebo groups, respectively, P=0.044) were significant between the two groups from the baseline. Conclusions: Psyllium supplementation decreased FBS, fasting insulin, and the lipid profile while improving insulin resistance in non-diabetic women with PCOS.