Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Megasphaera elsdenii inoculation in subacute ruminal acidosis in cattle

Two consecutive experiments were carried out to determine efficacy of Megasphaera elsdenii inoculation in alleviation of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). In the first experiment, SARA was induced by feeding corn- and wheat-based diets (20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of TMR, DM basis) in six ruminally cannulated heifers. Continuous pH was obtained using data loggers embedded in rumen. In corn (80%)- and wheat (60%)-based diets ruminal pH ranged from 5.2 to 5.6 for 7.77 and 5.93 hr. In the second experiment (5 day), M. elsdenii (200 ml; 2.4 x 1010 cfu/ml) was inoculated during the first two days. During the SARA induction period, M. elsdenii and S. bovis in rumen liquor were more abundant in wheat-based feeding (7.97 and 8.77) than in corn-based feeding (7.06 and 7.95 per ml, log basis; p < 0.0001 for both). M. elsdenii inoculation increased total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration when corn-based diet was fed, whereas it decreased total VFA concentration when wheat-based diet was fed (p < 0.004). There was a decrease in the propionic acid proportion (24.04%-19.08%; p < 0.002), whereas no alteration in lactate and ammonia concentrations was observed. M. elsdenii inoculation increased protozoa count (from 5.39 to 5.55 per ml, log basis; p < 0.009) and decreased S. bovis count (from 9.18 to 7.95 per ml, log basis; p < 0.0001). The results suggest that M. elsdenii inoculation may help prevent SARA depending on dietary grain through altering rumen flora as reflected by a decrease in S. bovis count and an increase in protozoa count.
Epigenetic Modifications of the Liver Tumor Cell Line HepG2 Increase Their Drug Metabolic Capacity

Although human liver tumor cells have reduced metabolic functions as compared to primary human hepatocytes (PHH) they are widely used for pre-screening tests of drug metabolism and toxicity. The aim of the present study was to modify liver cancer cell lines in order to improve their drug-metabolizing activities towards PHH. It is well-known that epigenetics is strongly modified in tumor cells and that epigenetic regulators influence the expression and function of Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes through altering crucial transcription factors responsible for drug-metabolizing enzymes. Therefore, we screened the epigenetic status of four different liver cancer cell lines (Huh7, HLE, HepG2 and AKN-1) which were reported to have metabolizing drug activities. Our results showed that HepG2 cells demonstrated the highest similarity compared to PHH. Thus, we modified the epigenetic status of HepG2 cells towards ‘normal’ liver cells by 5-Azacytidine (5-AZA) and Vitamin C exposure. Then, mRNA expression of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker SNAIL and CYP enzymes were measured by PCR and determinate specific drug metabolites, associated with CYP enzymes by LC/MS. Our results demonstrated an epigenetic shift in HepG2 cells towards PHH after exposure to 5-AZA and Vitamin C which resulted in a higher expression and activity of specific drug metabolizing CYP enzymes. Finally, we observed that 5-AZA and Vitamin C led to an increased expression of Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) and E-Cadherin and a significant down regulation of Snail1 (SNAIL), the key transcriptional repressor of E-Cadherin. Our study shows, that certain phase I genes and their enzyme activities are increased by epigenetic modification in HepG2 cells with a concomitant reduction of EMT marker gene SNAIL. The enhancing of liver specific functions in hepatoma cells using epigenetic modifiers opens new opportunities for the usage of cell lines as a potential liver in vitro model for drug testing and development.
Molecular insights into the master regulator CysB‐mediated bacterial virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major pathogen that causes serious acute and chronic infections in humans. The type III secretion system (T3SS) is an important virulence factor that plays essential roles in acute infections. However, the regulatory mechanisms of T3SS are not fully understood. In this study, we found that the deletion of cysB reduced the T3SS gene expression and swarming motility but enhanced biofilm formation. In a mouse acute pneumonia model, mutation of cysB decreased the average bacterial load compared to that of the wild‐type strain. Further experiments demonstrated that CysB contributed to the reduced T3SS gene expression and bacterial pathogenesis by directly regulating the sensor kinase RetS. We also performed crystallographic studies of PaCysB. The overall fold of PaCysB NTD domain is similar to other LysR superfamily proteins and structural superposition revealed one possible DNA‐binding model for PaCysB. Structural comparison also revealed great flexibility of the PaCysB RD domain, which may play an important role in bending and transcriptional regulation of target DNA. Taken together, these results expand our current understanding of the complex regulatory networks of T3SS and RetS pathways. The crystal structure of CysB provides new insights for studying the function of its homologs in other bacterial species.
Parents’ Child-Related Schemas: Associations With Children’s Asthma and Mental Health

The parent–child relationship, a key dyad of the family, can influence disease-related and psychological processes in children with asthma. Although the critical role of parenting behaviors in asthma outcomes is well established, less is known about the attitudes and beliefs underlying parents’ interactions with their children and how those attitudes may relate to asthma outcomes. Thus, this study aimed to identify profiles of parents’ schemas pertaining to their children with asthma and examine whether child mental and physical health outcomes differed by profile membership. Caregivers of children (n = 177; 5–12 years old) with asthma completed the Five Minute Speech Sample (Magaña et al., 1986), which was later coded for positive and negative attitudes and attributions about their children. Using a pattern-based approach, cluster analyses revealed three profiles of schemas: high negativity–low positivity, low negativity–low positivity, and low negativity–high positivity. Profiles differed in levels of externalizing and internalizing child symptoms, and lung function. Results support the growing body of research placing emphasis on the role of parenting in pediatric asthma outcomes. Caregiver schemas may constitute a point of intervention in families of children with asthma.
Oxidative stress-induced activation of Abl and Src kinases rapidly induces P-glycoprotein internalization via phosphorylation of caveolin-1 on tyrosine-14, decreasing cortisol efflux at the blood–brain barrier

Exposure of the brain to high levels of glucocorticoids during ischemia–reperfusion induces neuronal cell death. Oxidative stress alters blood–brain barrier (BBB) function during ischemia–reperfusion, and so we hypothesized that it might impair P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated efflux transport of glucocorticoids at the BBB. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify the molecular mechanism of this putative decrease of P-gp-mediated efflux function. First, we established that H2O2 treatment of a human in vitro BBB model (hCMEC/D3) reduced both P-gp efflux transport activity and protein expression on the plasma membrane within 20 min. These results suggested that the rapid decrease of efflux function might be due to internalization of P-gp. Furthermore, H2O2 treatment markedly increased tyrosine-14-phosphorylated caveolin-1, which is involved in P-gp internalization. A brain perfusion study in rats showed that cortisol efflux at the BBB was markedly decreased by H2O2 administration, and inhibitors of Abl kinase and Src kinase, which phosphorylate tyrosine-14 in caveolin-1, suppressed this decrease. Overall, these findings support the idea that oxidative stress-induced activation of Abl kinase and Src kinase induces internalization of P-gp via the phosphorylation of tyrosine-14 in caveolin-1, leading to a rapid decrease of P-gp-mediated cortisol efflux at the BBB.
Anion-Based Pseudocapacitance of the Perovskite Library La1- xSr xBO3-δ (B = Fe, Mn, Co).

We have synthesized a library of perovskite oxides with the composition La1- xSr xBO3-δ ( x = 0-1; B = Fe, Mn, Co) to systematically study anion-based pseudocapacitance. The electrochemical capacitance of these materials was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charging/discharging in 1 M KOH. We find that greater oxygen vacancy content (δ) upon systematic incorporation of Sr2+ linearly increases the surface-normalized capacity with a slope controlled by the B-site element. La0.2Sr0. 8MnO2.7 exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 492 F g-1 at 5 mV s-1 relative to the Fe and Co oxides. In addition, the first all-perovskite asymmetric pseudocapacitor has been successfully constructed and characterized in neutral and alkaline aqueous electrolytes. We demonstrate that the asymmetric pseudocapacitor cell voltage can be increased by widening the difference between the B-site transition metal redox potentials in each electrode resulting in a maximum voltage window of 2.0 V in 1 M KOH. Among the three pairs of asymmetric pseudocapacitors constructed from SrCoO2.7, La0.2Sr0. 8MnO2.7, and brownmillerite (BM)-Sr2Fe2O5, the BM-Sr2Fe2O5//SrCoO2.7 combination performed the best with a high energy density of 31 Wh kg-1 at 450 W kg-1 and power density of 10 000 W kg-1 at 28 Wh kg-1.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Related Functions in Web of Science and Scopus

This study compares the related functions in Web of Science and Scopus. The results indicate no significance difference in the effectiveness of the related functions by references of the two systems; within Scopus, the related function by references was found to be more effective than those by authors and keywords. Analyse comparative des fonctions similaires de Web of Science et de Scopus. Les resultats ne temoignent d'aucune difference significative dans l'efficacite des fonctions similaires des deux systemes pour les references. Dans Scopus, la fonction similaire pour les references etait plus efficaces que celles pour les auteurs ou pour les mots-cles.
Occlusion boundaries: low-level detection to high-level reasoning

The boundaries of objects in an image are often considered a nuisance to be “handled” due to the occlusion they exhibit. Since most, if not all, computer vision techniques aggregate information spatially within a scene, information spanning these boundaries, and therefore from different physical surfaces, is invariably and erroneously considered together. In addition, these boundaries convey important perceptual information about 3D scene structure and shape. Consequently, their identification can benefit many different computer vision pursuits, from low-level processing techniques to high-level reasoning tasks. While much focus in computer vision is placed on the processing of individual, static images, many applications actually offer video, or sequences of images, as input. The extra temporal dimension of the data allows the motion of the camera or the scene to be used in processing. In this thesis, we focus on the exploitation of subtle relative-motion cues present at occlusion boundaries. When combined with more standard appearance information, we demonstrate these cues' utility in detecting occlusion boundaries locally. We also present a novel, mid-level model for reasoning more globally about object boundaries and propagating such local information to extract improved, extended boundaries. Building on these methods, we also demonstrate enhancement of two high-level vision tasks by incorporating boundary information. First we employ boundary fragments to suggest multiple “hints” of a scene segmentation and then use these suggestions collectively to achieve more consistent and parsimonious delineation of generic whole objects. Second, we augment a popular feature-based recognition technique for specific objects (the Scale Invariant Feature Transform) with boundary information in order to yield a method more robust to changes in background and scale. This thesis thus contributes to research on occlusion at several levels, from low-level motion estimation and feature extraction; to mid-level reasoning, classification, and propagation; and finally to high-level segmentation and recognition. In addition, a new video dataset is presented to enable further research in this area.
Performance Standards of Comprehensive Airway Management for Emergency Medicine Residents

The Emergency Medicine (EM) Milestone Project provides guidance for assessment of resident trainee airway management proficiency (PC10). Although milestones provide a general structure for assessment, they do not define performance standards. The objective of this project was to establish comprehensive airway management performance standards for EM trainees at both novice and mastery levels of proficiency.
The small GTPase Rhb1 is involved in the cell response to fluconazole in Candida albicans

Abstract Candida albicans is an important fungal pathogen in humans. Rhb1 is a small GTPase of the Ras superfamily and is conserved from yeasts to humans. In C. albicans, Rhb1 regulates the expression of secreted protease 2, low nitrogen‐mediated morphogenesis, and biofilm formation. Moreover, our previous studies have indicated that Rhb1 is associated with the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway. In this study, we further explored the relationship between Rhb1 and drug susceptibility. The RHB1 deletion mutant exhibited reduced fluconazole susceptibility, and this phenotype occurred mainly through the increased gene expression and activity of efflux pumps. In addition, Mrr1 and Tac1 are transcription factors that can activate efflux pump gene expression. However, the RHB1 deletion, RHB1/MRR1 and RHB1/TAC1 double deletion mutants had no significant differences in efflux pump gene expression and fluconazole susceptibility, suggesting that Rhb1‐regulated efflux pump genes do not act through Mrr1 and Tac1. We also showed that membrane localization is crucial for Rhb1 activity in response to fluconazole. Finally, Rhb1 was linked not only to the TOR but also to the Mkc1 mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathway in response to fluconazole. In sum, this study unveiled a new role of Rhb1 in the regulation of C. albicans drug susceptibility.
Contribution of executive functioning to instrumental activities of daily living in older adults

Abstract The Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS) is a performance-based measure of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Executive dysfunction has been linked to impairment on other IADL measures but has not been thoroughly investigated with the TFLS. This study examined the contribution of executive functioning to IADLs on the TFLS among 228 older adults (M age =76.0 +/− 6.5 years; 59% females) who completed the TFLS as part of comprehensive assessment at an outpatient neuropsychology clinic. Executive functioning measures included the Trail Making Test (TMT) Part B, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-II (WASI-II) Matrix Reasoning and Similarities subtests. Results from a hierarchical regression model revealed that only TMT Part B (β = −.23, p = .023) and WASI-II Similarities (β = .32, p = .002) scores significantly predicted TFLS Total scores after controlling for the contributions of demographics (i.e., age, education, and gender), and intellectual functioning and capabilities in other neurocognitive domains (i.e., WASI-II Vocabulary and Block Design subtests, TMT Part A, and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status Coding subtest, and the Immediate Memory, Delayed Memory, and Visuospatial/Construction Indices).
Observations on the Life History and Geographic Range of the Giant Chemosymbiotic Shipworm Kuphus polythalamius (Bivalvia: Teredinidae)

Kuphus polythalamius (Teredinidae) is one of the world’s largest, most rarely observed, and least understood bivalves. Kuphus polythalamius is also among the few shallow-water marine species and the only teredinid species determined to harbor sulfur-oxidizing chemoautotrophic (thioautotrophic) symbionts. Until the recent discovery of living specimens in the Philippines, this species was known only from calcareous hard parts, fossils, and the preserved soft tissues of a single large specimen. As a result, the anatomy, biology, life history, and geographic range of K. polythalamius remain obscure. Here we report the collection and description of the smallest living specimens of K. polythalamius yet discovered and confirm the species identity of these individuals by using sequences of three genetic markers. Unlike previously collected specimens, all of which have been reported to occur in marine sediments, these specimens were observed burrowing in wood, the same substrate utilized by all other members of the family. These observations suggest that K. polythalamius initially settles on wood and subsequently transitions into sediment, where this species may grow to enormous sizes. This discovery led us to search for and find previously unidentified and misidentified wood-boring specimens of this species within museum collections, and it allowed us to show that the recent geographic range (since 1933) of this species extends across a 3000-mile span from the Philippines to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Heavy Metal Accumulation in Water, Soil, and Plants of Municipal Solid Waste Landfill in Vientiane, Laos

The municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill in Vientiane, Laos, which receives > 300 tons of waste daily, of which approximately 50% is organic matter, has caused serious environmental problems. This study was conducted to investigate the accumulated levels of heavy metals (HMs) (cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) in water (surface and groundwater), soil, and plants between dry and wet seasons according to the standards of the Agreement on the National Environmental Standards of Laos (ANESs), Dutch Pollutant Standards (DPSs), and the World Health Organization (WHO), respectively. Although no impact of pollution on the surface water was observed, the levels of Cr and Pb in the groundwater significantly exceeded the basics of ANESs and WHO in both seasons. The pollution caused by Cd and Cu reached the eco-toxicological risk level in the landfill soils and its vicinity. The vegetable Ipomoea aquatica, which is consumed by the nearby villagers, was seriously contaminated by Cr, Pb, Cu, and Zn, as the accumulation of these toxic metals was elevated to much greater levels as compared to the WHO standards. For the grass Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass), the quantities of HMs in all plant parts were extreme, perhaps due to the deeper growth of its rhizome than I. aquatica. This study is the first to warn of serious HM pollution occurring in the water, soil, and plants in the MSW landfill of Vientiane, Laos, which requires urgent phytoremediation. The indication of what sources from the MSW principally cause the pollution of HMs is needed to help reduce the toxicological risks on Lao residents and the environment in Vientiane as well.
Dyadic interactions in children exhibiting the broader autism phenotype: Is the broader autism phenotype distinguishable from typical development?

In families raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), infant siblings are at elevated risk for ASD and other developmental concerns, including elements of the broader autism phenotype (BAP). Typically, the BAP is indexed using standardized developmental assessments; however, these measures do not capture a number of social difficulties commonly associated with the BAP. The present study aims to expand our developmental understanding of the BAP by comparing children exhibiting the BAP to their typically developing peers on, (a) standardized measures of development, and (b) social behaviors exhibited during dyadic play interactions. As part of a prospective study, dyads were recruited from families with at least one older child with ASD (high‐risk, n = 36), and families with no history of ASD (low‐risk, n = 38). During laboratory visits at 12, 15, 18, and 24 months of age, infants completed a series of standardized assessments and a mother–child play interaction. Dyadic play interactions were micro‐analytically coded for gaze, positive affect, and vocalizations to create theory‐driven composites to index dyadic synchrony and responsiveness. Videos were also coded with an existing rating scheme for joint engagement and child responsiveness. Multilevel models revealed significant group differences on select constructs within the first 2 years. Language and cognitive differences emerged by 24 months of age, whereas dyadic differences were evident as early as 15 months. Recognizing the increasing demand for elevated‐risk interventions, these findings highlight several social constructs through which interventions may identify risk and promote optimal development. Autism Res 2019, 12: 469–481 © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cascading reproductive isolation: Plant phenology drives temporal isolation among populations of a host‐specific herbivore

All organisms exist within a complex network of interacting species, thus evolutionary change may have reciprocal effects on multiple taxa. Here, we demonstrate “cascading reproductive isolation,” whereby ecological differences that reduce gene flow between populations at one trophic level affect reproductive isolation (RI) among interacting species at the next trophic level. Using a combination of field, laboratory and common‐garden studies and long‐term herbaria records, we estimate and evaluate the relative contribution of temporal RI to overall prezygotic RI between populations of Belonocnema treatae, a specialist gall‐forming wasp adapted to sister species of live oak (Quercus virginiana and Q. geminata). We link strong temporal RI between host‐associated insect populations to differences between host plant budbreak phenology. Budbreak initiates flowering and the production of new leaves, which are an ephemeral resource critical to insect reproduction. As flowering time is implicated in RI between plant species, budbreak acts as a “multitrophic multi‐effect trait,” whereby differences in budbreak phenology contribute to RI in plants and insects. These sister oak species share a diverse community of host‐specific gall‐formers and insect natural enemies similarly dependent on ephemeral plant tissues. Thus, our results set the stage for testing for parallelism in a role of plant phenology in driving temporal cascading RI across multiple species and trophic levels.
An Internet-of-Things (IoT) Network System for Connected Safety and Health Monitoring Applications

This paper presents a hybrid wearable sensor network system towards the Internet of Things (IoT) connected safety and health monitoring applications. The system is aimed at improving safety in the outdoor workplace. The proposed system consists of a wearable body area network (WBAN) to collect user data and a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) to connect the WBAN with the Internet. The wearable sensors in the WBAN are exerted to measure the environmental conditions around the subject using a Safe Node and monitor the vital signs of the subject using a Health Node. A standalone local server (gateway), which can process the raw sensor signals, display the environmental and physiological data, and trigger an alert if any emergency circumstance is detected, is designed within the proposed network. To connect the gateway with the Internet, an IoT cloud server is implemented to provide more functionalities, such as web monitoring and mobile applications.