Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oral Delivery of Bacillus subtilis Expressing Chicken NK-2 Peptide Protects Against Eimeria acervulina Infection in Broiler Chickens

Chicken NK-lysin peptide 2 (cNK-2) is a natural lytic peptide with direct cytotoxicity against many apicomplexan parasites including Eimeria. Developing an effective oral delivery strategy to express cNK-2 in the intestine, where Eimeria parasites interact with the host's gut epithelial cells, may effectively reduce the fecundity of parasites and minimize intestinal damage. Furthermore, cNK-2 modulates gut immune responses to decrease local inflammation elicited by Eimeria infection in the intestine. Therefore, we developed a stable strain of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) that carries cNK-2 to the gut to determine its effectiveness in ameliorating the negative impacts of coccidiosis and to replace the use of antibiotics in controlling coccidiosis in commercial broiler chicken production. Chickens were randomly allocated into eight treatment groups: two control groups (NC: E. acervulina infected non-B. subtilis control; CON: non-infected control); three B. subtilis-empty vector (EV) groups (EV6: 106 cfu/day/bird; EV8: 108 cfu/day/bird; EV10: 1010 cfu/day/bird), and three B. subtilis-cNK-2 groups (NK6: 106 cfu/day/bird; NK8: 108 cfu/day/bird; NK10: 1010 cfu/day/bird). All chickens, except those in the CON group, were challenged with 5,000 freshly sporulated E. acervulina oocysts through oral gavage on day 15. Chickens were given an oral dose of B. subtilis on days 14, 15, and 16. Body weight, weight gains, and fecal oocyst shedding were measured. To investigate the efficacy of oral B. subtilis-cNK-2 against coccidiosis, gene expression of gut health-related biomarkers was measured using RT-PCR. Markers included SOD1, CAT, and HMOX1 for oxidative stress in the spleen and intestinal mucosa, OCLN, ZO-1, and JAM2 for tight junction proteins, and MUC2 for mucin gene expression in the gut. The results showed that oral treatment of young chickens with B. subtilis-cNK-2 improved growth performance, enhanced gut integrity, and reduced fecal oocyst shedding. Altogether, these results confirm B. subtilis-cNK-2 treatment as a promising and effective alternative strategy to replace antibiotics against coccidiosis based on its ability to reduce parasite survival, to reduce coccidiosis-induced body weight loss, and to decrease gut damage based on the enhanced expression of proteins associated with gut integrity and intestinal health.
Complex Interaction Networks Among Cyanolichens of a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot

Interactions within lichen communities include, in addition to close mutualistic associations between the main partners of specific lichen symbioses, also more elusive relationships between members of a wider symbiotic community. Here, we analyze association patterns of cyanolichen symbionts in the tropical montane forests of Taita Hills, southern Kenya, which is part of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. The cyanolichen specimens analyzed represent 74 mycobiont taxa within the order Peltigerales (Ascomycota), associating with 115 different variants of the photobionts genus Nostoc (Cyanobacteria). Our analysis demonstrates wide sharing of photobionts and reveals the presence of several photobiont-mediated lichen guilds. Over half of all mycobionts share photobionts with other fungal species, often from different genera or even families, while some others are strict specialists and exclusively associate with a single photobiont variant. The most extensive symbiont network involves 24 different fungal species from five genera associating with 38 Nostoc photobionts. The Nostoc photobionts belong to two main groups, the Nephroma-type Nostoc and the Collema/Peltigera-type Nostoc, and nearly all mycobionts associate only with variants of one group. Among the mycobionts, species that produce cephalodia and those without symbiotic propagules tend to be most promiscuous in photobiont choice. The extent of photobiont sharing and the structure of interaction networks differ dramatically between the two major photobiont-mediated guilds, being both more prevalent and nested among Nephroma guild fungi and more compartmentalized among Peltigera guild fungi. This presumably reflects differences in the ecological characteristics and/or requirements of the two main groups of photobionts. The same two groups of Nostoc have previously been identified from many lichens in various lichen-rich ecosystems in different parts of the world, indicating that photobiont sharing between fungal species is an integral part of lichen ecology globally. In many cases, symbiotically dispersing lichens can facilitate the dispersal of sexually reproducing species, promoting establishment and adaptation into new and marginal habitats and thus driving evolutionary diversification.
Establishing the Association between Quarterly/Seasonal Air Pollution Exposure and Asthma using Geospatial Approach

ABSTRACTAlthough it is known that air pollution may lead to increased asthma prevalence, no clear scientific evidence of direct association between air pollution and asthma rate has been reported. In the present study, a Geographical Information System (GIS) approach was developed to determine the association between asthma hospital discharge rate (ADR) and seasonal exposure to specific ambient air pollutants in eastern Texas, USA, during the period 2009 to 2011. Quarterly asthma data were obtained from Texas State Department of Health, National Asthma Survey surveillance of Texas State, USA. Quarterly mean concentrations of fine particular matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were determined from the corresponding measured daily data collected by various air quality monitoring stations distributed in different counties in the study area. Using Pearson correlation analysis, quarterly average of air pollutant concentrations was compared to quarterly Asthma discharge rate (ADR). The results revealed that the association between quarterly exposure of air pollution and ADR was not statistically significant in the study area. During the study period, a negative correlation coefficient was observed between the quarterly mean concentration of ozone and NO2 with the quarterly ADR. However, in most of the cases a positive correlation coefficient was observed between the quarterly mean concentration of PM2.5 and the quarterly ADR, indicating a probable association between ambient air pollution exposure and asthma prevalence.
DNA Metabarcoding for Quality Control of Basil, Oregano, and Paprika

Herbs and spices are some of the most vulnerable products in terms of fraud and adulteration in the food sector. Although standard analytical methods are accurate for quality control of specific lead or marker compounds, they cannot accurately assess the entire species composition of many marketed products. Complementary analytical approaches are thus often used for comprehensive screening of herbs and spices. In this study we evaluate DNA metabarcoding for the identification and authentication of 62 products, containing basil, oregano, and paprika collected from different retailers and importers in Norway. Our results show varying degrees of discrepancy between the constituent species and those listed on the product labels, despite high product authenticity. We suggest the false positives result from the sensitivity of DNA metabarcoding and filtering thresholds should be integrated into protocols to reduce false positives. Our results highlight how integrating DNA metabarcoding into the toolbox of analytical methods for quality control of fresh and/or processed plant-based food can improve product quality.
Molecular Traits and Functional Analysis of the CLAVATA3/Endosperm Surrounding Region-Related Small Signaling Peptides in Three Species of Gossypium Genus

The CLAVATA3/endosperm surrounding region-related (CLE) small peptides are a group of C-terminally encoded and post-translationally modified signal molecules involved in regulating the growth and development of various plants. However, the function and evolution of these peptides have so far remained elusive in cotton. In this study, 55, 56, and 86 CLE genes were identified in the Gossypium raimondii, Gossypium arboreum, and Gossypium hirsutum genomes, respectively, and all members were divided into seven groups. These groups were distinctly different in their protein characteristics, gene structures, conserved motifs, and multiple sequence alignment. Whole genome or segmental duplications played a significant role in the expansion of the CLE family in cotton, and experienced purifying selection during the long evolutionary process in cotton. Cis-acting regulatory elements and transcript profiling revealed that the CLE genes of cotton exist in different tissues, developmental stages, and respond to abiotic stresses. Protein properties, structure prediction, protein interaction network prediction of GhCLE2, GhCLE33.2, and GhCLE28.1 peptides were, respectively, analyzed. In addition, the overexpression of GhCLE2, GhCLE33.2, or GhCLE28.1 in Arabidopsis, respectively, resulted in a distinctive shrub-like dwarf plant, slightly purple leaves, large rosettes with large malformed leaves, and lack of reproductive growth. This study provides important insights into the evolution of cotton CLEs and delineates the functional conservatism and divergence of CLE genes in the growth and development of cotton.
Association Between Food Choices Motivators and Physical Activity in Body Image (dis)Satisfaction in Portuguese Adolescents

Concerns about weight and body image are common among adolescents since they are particularly vulnerable to body-image dissatisfaction due to the normal physiological, social, and psychological changes they are going through. This study aims to analyse the relationship between food choice motivations and physical activity in body-image perception among adolescents. Twelve to sixteen years old adolescents were recruited from three school districts. The Portuguese version of the Food Choices Questionnaire (FCQ) was used to assess food choice motivators, and the Quantification de l'Activité Physique en Altitude Chez les Enfants was used to assess physical activity and to calculate daily energy expenditure (DEE). Body image perception was measured using Collins' sequence of seven silhouettes. Body image (dis)satisfaction was estimated by the present body shape minus the desired body shape. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to compare groups, and the post-hoc Bonferroni test was used to compare target groups. A multinominal logistic regression was performed to analyse the association between gender, age, hours of sport's competition, FCQ, and body dissatisfaction. All analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The sample comprised 286 adolescents (51.4% females). Means of FCQ categories varied between 0.33 and 0.97 (range: −2 to 2). Regarding the categories of FCQ, statistically significant differences were found in the category of body satisfaction and weight control among the three groups (p = 0.004). A preventive effect was found of choosing food regarding body satisfaction and weight control, on body-image dissatisfaction.
Regression of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer by a Novel Compound HG122

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common aggressive disease worldwide which usually progresses into incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in most cases after 18–24 months treatment. Androgen receptor (AR) has been considered as a crucial factor involved in CRPC and the study of AR as a potential therapeutic target in CRPC may be helpful in disease control and life-cycle management. In this study, we identified a potent small molecule compound, HG122, that suppressed CRPC cells proliferation and metastasis, and inhibited tumor growth both in subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor model. In addition, HG122 reduced the mRNA expression of PSA and TMPRSS2 which are target genes of AR, resulting in cell growth inhibition and metastasis suppression of CRPC, without affecting the expression of AR mRNA level. Mechanically, HG122 promoted AR protein degradation through the proteasome pathway impairing the AR signaling pathway. In conclusion, HG122 overcomes enzalutamide (ENZ) resistance in CRPC both in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting HG122 is a potential candidate for the clinical prevention and treatment of CRPC.
Off-The-Shelf Stylus: Using XR Devices for Handwriting and Sketching on Physically Aligned Virtual Surfaces

This article introduces the Off-The-Shelf Stylus (OTSS), a framework for 2D interaction (in 3D) as well as for handwriting and sketching with digital pen, ink, and paper on physically aligned virtual surfaces in Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR, AR, MR: XR for short). OTSS supports self-made XR styluses based on consumer-grade six-degrees-of-freedom XR controllers and commercially available styluses. The framework provides separate modules for three basic but vital features: 1) The stylus module provides stylus construction and calibration features. 2) The surface module provides surface calibration and visual feedback features for virtual-physical 2D surface alignment using our so-called 3ViSuAl procedure, and surface interaction features. 3) The evaluation suite provides a comprehensive test bed combining technical measurements for precision, accuracy, and latency with extensive usability evaluations including handwriting and sketching tasks based on established visuomotor, graphomotor, and handwriting research. The framework’s development is accompanied by an extensive open source reference implementation targeting the Unity game engine using an Oculus Rift S headset and Oculus Touch controllers. The development compares three low-cost and low-tech options to equip controllers with a tip and includes a web browser-based surface providing support for interacting, handwriting, and sketching. The evaluation of the reference implementation based on the OTSS framework identified an average stylus precision of 0.98 mm (SD = 0.54 mm) and an average surface accuracy of 0.60 mm (SD = 0.32 mm) in a seated VR environment. The time for displaying the stylus movement as digital ink on the web browser surface in VR was 79.40 ms on average (SD = 23.26 ms), including the physical controller’s motion-to-photon latency visualized by its virtual representation (M = 42.57 ms, SD = 15.70 ms). The usability evaluation (N = 10) revealed a low task load, high usability, and high user experience. Participants successfully reproduced given shapes and created legible handwriting, indicating that the OTSS and it’s reference implementation is ready for everyday use. We provide source code access to our implementation, including stylus and surface calibration and surface interaction features, making it easy to reuse, extend, adapt and/or replicate previous results (https://go.uniwue.de/hci-otss).
A General Model for Biofilm-Driven Microbial Electrosynthesis of Carboxylates From CO2

Up to now, computational modeling of microbial electrosynthesis (MES) has been underexplored, but is necessary to achieve breakthrough understanding of the process-limiting steps. Here, a general framework for modeling microbial kinetics in a MES reactor is presented. A thermodynamic approach is used to link microbial metabolism to the electrochemical reduction of an intracellular mediator, allowing to predict cellular growth and current consumption. The model accounts for CO2 reduction to acetate, and further elongation to n-butyrate and n-caproate. Simulation results were compared with experimental data obtained from different sources and proved the model is able to successfully describe microbial kinetics (growth, chain elongation, and product inhibition) and reactor performance (current density, organics titer). The capacity of the model to simulate different system configurations is also shown. Model results suggest CO2 dissolved concentration might be limiting existing MES systems, and highlight the importance of the delivery method utilized to supply it. Simulation results also indicate that for biofilm-driven reactors, continuous mode significantly enhances microbial growth and might allow denser biofilms to be formed and higher current densities to be achieved.
Resting Theta/Beta Ratios Mediate the Relationship Between Motor Competence and Inhibition in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Despite that previous studies have supported relationships between motor ability and inhibitory function, and between resting brain theta/beta power ratios (TBR) and inhibition in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), little research has examined the mechanism within these relationships. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether TBR would mediate the relationship between motor ability and inhibitory function. A total of 71 children with ADHD were recorded resting electroencephalographic (EEG) data during eyes-open. Motor abilities were evaluated by Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and inhibitory ability were assessed by a modified Eriksen’s flanker task. The results of mediation analyses revealed that TBR could completely mediate the relationship between motor competence and response speed (indirect effect = −0.0004, 95% CI [−0.0010, −0.0001]) and accuracy (indirect effect = 0.0003, 95% CI [0.0000, 0.0010]) in the incongruent condition of the flanker task. This study suggests that TBR may be one of the mechanisms between motor ability and inhibition function in children with ADHD.
Differential microRNA Expression in Newcastle Disease Virus-Infected HeLa Cells and Its Role in Regulating Virus Replication

As an oncolytic virus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) can specifically kill tumor cells and has been tested as an attractive oncolytic agent for cancer virotherapy. Virus infection can trigger the changes of the cellular microRNA (miRNA) expression profile, which can greatly influence viral replication and pathogenesis. However, the interplay between NDV replication and cellular miRNA expression in tumor cells is still largely unknown. In the present study, we compared the profiles of cellular miRNAs in uninfected and NDV-infected HeLa cells by small RNA deep sequencing. Here we report that NDV infection in HeLa cells significantly changed the levels of 40 miRNAs at 6 h post-infection (hpi) and 62 miRNAs at 12 hpi. Among 23 highly differentially expressed miRNAs, NDV infection greatly promoted the levels of 3 miRNAs and suppressed the levels of 20 miRNAs at both time points. These 23 miRNAs are predicted to target various genes involved in virus replication and antiviral immunity such as ErbB, Jak-STAT, NF-kB and RIG-I-like receptor. Verification of deep sequencing results by quantitative RT-PCR showed that 9 out of 10 randomly selected miRNAs chosen from this 23-miRNA pool were consistent with deep sequencing data, including 6 down-regulated and 3 up-regulated. Further functional research revealed that hsa-miR-4521, a constituent in this 23-miRNA pool, inhibited NDV replication in HeLa cells. Moreover, dual-luciferase and gene expression array uncovered that the member A of family with sequence similarity 129 (FAM129A) was directly targeted by hsa-miR-4521 and positively regulated NDV replication in HeLa cells, indicating that hsa-miR-4521 may regulate NDV replication via interaction with FAM129A. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the dynamic cellular miRNA expression profile in tumor cells after NDV infection and may provide a valuable basis for further investigation on the roles of miRNAs in NDV-mediated oncolysis.
Antibacterial and Anti-biofilm Efficacy of Chinese Dragon’s Blood Against Staphylococcus aureus Isolated From Infected Wounds

Chinese dragon’s blood (CDB), a characteristic red resin, is an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and empiric therapy of infected wounds with CDB is performed in clinical settings. For the first time, we herein report the antibacterial and anti-biofilm efficacy of CDB against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, growth curve assay, time-kill curve assay, crystal violet biofilm assay, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, cell membrane tests, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used for this purpose. The results suggested that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of CDB against S. aureus ranged from 32 to 128 μg/mL. Growth curves and time-kill curves confirmed that CDB could inhibit the growth of S. aureus. The biofilm formation ability and the expression levels of saeR, saeS, and hla of S. aureus in the presence and absence of CDB were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The results of SEM analysis and cell membrane tests revealed that exposure to CDB had some destructive effects on S. aureus cells. In conclusion, CDB exhibits positive antibacterial activity against S. aureus. Moreover, CDB could reduce the biofilm formation and the virulence factors of S. aureus by downregulating the expression levels of saeR, saeS, and hla genes. These findings indicated that CDB has immense potential to serve as a viable alternative for the treatment of infected wounds caused by S. aureus in clinical settings.
Identification of a Sulfatase that Detoxifies Glucosinolates in the Phloem-Feeding Insect Bemisia tabaci and Prefers Indolic Glucosinolates

Cruciferous plants in the order Brassicales defend themselves from herbivory using glucosinolates: sulfur-containing pro-toxic metabolites that are activated by hydrolysis to form compounds, such as isothiocyanates, which are toxic to insects and other organisms. Some herbivores are known to circumvent glucosinolate activation with glucosinolate sulfatases (GSSs), enzymes that convert glucosinolates into inactive desulfoglucosinolates. This strategy is a major glucosinolate detoxification pathway in a phloem-feeding insect, the silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a serious agricultural pest of cruciferous vegetables. In this study, we identified and characterized an enzyme responsible for glucosinolate desulfation in the globally distributed B. tabaci species MEAM1. In in vitro assays, this sulfatase showed a clear preference for indolic glucosinolates compared with aliphatic glucosinolates, consistent with the greater representation of desulfated indolic glucosinolates in honeydew. B. tabaci might use this detoxification strategy specifically against indolic glucosinolates since plants may preferentially deploy indolic glucosinolates against phloem-feeding insects. In vivo silencing of the expression of the B. tabaci GSS gene via RNA interference led to lower levels of desulfoglucosinolates in honeydew. Our findings expand the knowledge on the biochemistry of glucosinolate detoxification in phloem-feeding insects and suggest how detoxification pathways might facilitate plant colonization in a generalist herbivore.
Testing the Associations Between Adult Playfulness and Sensation Seeking: A SEM Analysis of Librarians and Police Officers

Playfulness is an understudied personality trait in adults. We examined the relationships between facets of adult playfulness and sensation seeking (SS) in distant vocational groups, namely, librarians (N = 339) and police officers (N = 399). First, manifest and latent group comparisons (measurement invariance [MI] analysis) showed that police officers were higher in SS than librarians, while we found no group differences for playfulness. Second, structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses showed that playfulness was widely positively related to SS, and findings were replicated across groups. However, the effects were of small to moderate size, and playfulness and SS shared between 4 and 22% variance. Our findings indicate that playfulness is not redundant with SS. Our study extends the understanding of adult playfulness by clarifying its overlap and distinctiveness from SS.