Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Specific microRNA library of IFN-τ on bovine endometrial epithelial cells

IFN-τ is specifically secreted by the conceptus in ruminants during early pregnancy, and it plays a vital role in the immunological function of pregnancy. However, its mechanism involving microRNA (miRNA) is still not well understood. Deep sequencing was used to explore the specific miRNA library of IFN-τ on bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs). The results showed that 574 known bovine miRNAs and 109 novel miRNAs were identified. We found 74 differentially expressed miRNAs, including 30 commonly expressed miRNAs in the experiment. Then, qPCR verification of six selected miRNAs showed that they corresponded with the sequencing data. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed significant enrichment of predicted target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs, including influenza A, herpes simplex infection, antigen processing and presentation, viral myocarditis, TNF signaling pathway, graft-versus-host disease, and allograft rejection. These results may provide important contributions to the immune response during early pregnancy in ruminants, but further studies are need to verify the proposed cellular/immunological effects and role of specific miRNA as biomarkers in vivo.
Genome-wide identification of RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED 1 binding sites in Arabidopsis reveals novel DNA damage regulators

Retinoblastoma (pRb) is a multifunctional regulator, which was likely present in the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes. The Arabidopsis pRb homolog RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED 1 (RBR1), similar to its animal counterparts, controls not only cell proliferation but is also implicated in developmental decisions, stress responses and maintenance of genome integrity. Although most functions of pRb-type proteins involve chromatin association, a genome-wide understanding of RBR1 binding sites in Arabidopsis is still missing. Here, we present a plant chromatin immunoprecipitation protocol optimized for genome-wide studies of indirectly DNA-bound proteins like RBR1. Our analysis revealed binding of Arabidopsis RBR1 to approximately 1000 genes and roughly 500 transposable elements, preferentially MITES. The RBR1-decorated genes broadly overlap with previously identified targets of two major transcription factors controlling the cell cycle, i.e. E2F and MYB3R3 and represent a robust inventory of RBR1-targets in dividing cells. Consistently, enriched motifs in the RBR1-marked domains include sequences related to the E2F consensus site and the MSA-core element bound by MYB3R transcription factors. Following up a key role of RBR1 in DNA damage response, we performed a meta-analysis combining the information about the RBR1-binding sites with genome-wide expression studies under DNA stress. As a result, we present the identification and mutant characterization of three novel genes required for growth upon genotoxic stress.
Skateboarding and the Ecology of Urban Space

Skateboarding poses a unique case study for considering the place of sport in human activity. The bulk of skateboarding scholarship argues that skateboarding is largely a subversion of rule governance, a view difficult to square with common and popular rule-governed skateboarding competitions, now including the Olympics. We attempt to resolve this tension by arguing for a kind of pluralism: skateboarding’s engagement in rule-governed competition is distinctly subversive, yielding the claim that skateboarding is both sport and subversion. This pluralism is examined in an “ecological” framework of emergent activities defined by push-pull interactive relationships between skateboarders and their environment that change the meaning of their spaces—whether domestic, urban, or competitive—to spaces that are both wild and spontaneous. We conclude with reflections on how skateboarding provides understanding of sport in the space of ecological meaning.
Gestational Age at Arrest of Development: An Alternative Approach for Assigning Time at Risk in Studies of Time-Varying Exposures and Miscarriage

The time between arrest of pregnancy development and miscarriage represents a window in which the pregnancy is nonviable and not developing. In effect, the pregnancy loss has already occurred, and additional exposure cannot influence its outcome. However, epidemiologic studies of miscarriage traditionally use gestational age at miscarriage (GAM) to assign time in survival analyses, which overestimates duration of exposure and time at risk. In Right From the Start, a pregnancy cohort study (2000-2012), we characterized the gap between estimated gestational age at arrest of development (GAAD) and miscarriage using transvaginal ultrasound in 500 women recruited from 3 states (North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas). We compared effect estimates from models using GAAD with GAM to assign time at risk through a simulation study of several exposure patterns with varying effect sizes. The median gap between GAAD and miscarriage was 23 days (interquartile range, 15-32). Use of GAAD decreased the bias and variance of the estimated association for time-varying exposures, whereas half the time using GAM led to estimates that differed from the true effect by more than 20%. Using GAAD to assign time at risk should result in more accurate and consistent characterization of miscarriage risk associated with time-varying exposures.
Exploring the Brain Lateralization in ADHD Based on Variability of Resting-State fMRI Signal

Objective: In this study, we investigate the brain lateralization in ADHD patients. Furthermore, we also explore the difference between male and female patients, and the difference among distinct ADHD subtypes, that is, ADHD–inattentive (ADHD-IA) and ADHD–combined (ADHD-C). Method: We employed the standard deviation to quantify the variability of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal and measure the lateralization index (LI). Results: ADHD patients showed significantly increased rightward lateralization in the inferior frontal gyrus (opercular), precuneus, and paracentral lobule, and decreased rightward lateralization in the insula. Compared with male patients, female patients showed significantly rightward lateralization in the putamen and lobule VII of cerebellar hemisphere. ADHD-C patients exhibited increased rightward lateralization in the inferior frontal gyrus (opercular), and decreased rightward lateralization in the inferior temporal gyrus, as compared with ADHD-IA. The LI was also found to be related to inattentive and hyper/impulsive scores. Conclusion: These key findings may aid in understanding the pathology of ADHD.
Trial Watch: Oncolytic viro-immunotherapy of hematologic and solid tumors

ABSTRACT Oncolytic viruses selectively target and kill cancer cells in an immunogenic fashion, thus supporting the establishment of therapeutically relevant tumor-specific immune responses. In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the oncolytic herpes simplex virus T-VEC for use in advanced melanoma patients. Since then, a plethora of trials has been initiated to assess the safety and efficacy of multiple oncolytic viruses in patients affected with various malignancies. Here, we summarize recent preclinical and clinical progress in the field of oncolytic virotherapy.
Molecular pathway analysis towards understanding tissue vulnerability in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1

The neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) affects the cerebellum and inferior olive, though previous research has focused primarily on the cerebellum. As a result, it is unknown what molecular alterations are present in the inferior olive, and whether these changes are found in other affected tissues. This study addresses these questions for the first time using two different SCA1 mouse models. We found that differentially regulated genes in the inferior olive segregated into several biological pathways. Comparison of the inferior olive and cerebellum demonstrates that vulnerable tissues in SCA1 are not uniform in their gene expression changes, and express largely discrete but some commonly enriched biological pathways. Importantly, we also found that brain-region-specific differences occur early in disease initiation and progression, and they are shared across the two mouse models of SCA1. This suggests different mechanisms of degeneration at work in the inferior olive and cerebellum.
Nonlinear Electrical Properties and Field Dependency of BST and Nano-ZnO-Doped Silicone Rubber Composites

Recently, composite materials with nonlinear dielectric or resistive properties performed well in electric field homogenization and space charge suppression in a high voltage transmission and distribution system. For the purpose of obtaining insulation materials with desirable dielectric and electrical resistance properties, we investigated several fillers with nonlinear electrical properties doped in silicon rubber composites, and their dependency on the temperature and field. The samples of silicone rubber composites with different components were prepared using barium strontium titanate (BST) and zinc oxide (ZnO) as the filler, and high temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (SiR) as the matrix. The investigations revealed that the BST-doped samples showed different dielectric properties compared to ZnO-doped composites, with an increase in the electric field, which was nonlinear. The resistivity of both doped samples was similar. Results demonstrated that it was possible to achieve higher values of permittivity, and lower values of tanδ and resistivity, with respect to unfilled silicone rubber composites over a wide electrical field and temperature range. Discussion of the results attributes these important functional behaviours to the spontaneous polarization of nonlinear nanoparticles and the interaction between the SiR chains and the nonlinear nanoparticles at the interfacial area.
MACROPHAGE-MELANOCYTE HETEROKARYONS

High yields of mouse macrophage-melanocyte heterokaryons and macrophage-macrophage homokaryons were obtained through the virus-induced fusion of cells spread on a glass surface. After fusion there was a striking reorganization of cellular architecture by means of a colcemid-sensitive process. Heterokaryons were isolated through the use of differential trypsinization and many underwent division to form melanocyte-like hybrids. The selective uptake of dextran sulfate by macrophages served as a useful cytoplasmic marker in identifying hybrids. Many characteristic macrophage properties were altered in the heterokaryons. Within an hour of fusion macrophage nuclei became swollen, nucleoli were more prominent, and increased nuclear RNA synthesis occurred. 3 hr after fusion, a wave of DNA synthesis took place in the previously dormant macrophage nuclei. The fate of typical macrophage markers was examined in both heterokaryons and homokaryons. Macrophage homokaryons continued to exhibit active phagocytosis of sensitized erythrocytes, whereas this capacity was lost irreversibly in heterokaryons. The loss of phagocytic activity of heterokaryons occurred at an exponential rate and was accelerated by high concentrations of calf serum. Another macrophage surface marker, a divalent cation-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), could be demonstrated histochemically on heterokaryons. Shortly after fusion, it was present in discrete regions, but it became more diffuse and disappeared within a day. Acid phosphatase-positive secondary lysosomes and retractile lipid droplets disappeared from heterokaryons but continued to accumulate in macrophage homokaryons. These observations indicate that typical macrophage properties cease to be expressed in heterokaryons, and melanocyte functions presumably predominate in heterokaryons and hybrids.
Molecular Identification of Enteroviruses from Cattle and Goat Feces and Environment in Thailand

Possible new EV-E and EV-G genotypes were identified for EVs detected in this study. The EV-E viruses were also successfully isolated from MDBK cells. The goat EV sequence analysis suggested the presence of an ovine/caprine-specific EV group that is different from EV-G of porcine origin. The significance of our research is that it identifies and characterizes possible novel EVs, thereby indicating that enteroviruses in animals are continually evolving. The facts that enteroviruses can persist in the environment, contaminate it for long periods, and be transmitted between animals raise serious concerns regarding this group of viruses as emerging livestock pathogens. ABSTRACT The identification and characterization of viruses of the genus Enterovirus in healthy and infected livestock, including cattle and goats, have been increasing. Enterovirus E (EV-E) and Enterovirus F (EV-F) are commonly found in cattle, whereas Enterovirus G (EV-G) is found in goats. In this study, molecular and phylogenetic analyses were performed to determine the prevalence of EVs in cattle and goat feces from Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. The presence of EVs in water samples and the feces of other animals collected from the areas surrounding cattle and goat farms was also investigated. By use of 5′-untranslated region (5′ UTR) real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), EVs were detected in 39.5% of cattle samples, 47% of goat samples, 35.3% of water samples, and one pool of chicken feces. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of EV-E and EV-F in cattle, EV-E and EV-G in goats, and EV-F in water samples and chicken feces. Analysis of enteroviral VP1 sequences from cattle revealed that the EV-E genotypes circulating in the study region were EV-E1, with a possible new genotype that is closely related to EV-E2. Analysis of enteroviral VP1 sequences from goats suggested the circulation of EV-G5 and a possible new genotype that is closely related to EV-G20. Sequence analyses also suggested that although the VP1 sequences from goats were closely related to those of EV-G, which were considered porcine enterovirus sequences, their 5′ UTRs form a separated cluster with sequences of sheep and goat origin, suggesting a new classification of the ovine/caprine-specific enterovirus group. IMPORTANCE Possible new EV-E and EV-G genotypes were identified for EVs detected in this study. The EV-E viruses were also successfully isolated from MDBK cells. The goat EV sequence analysis suggested the presence of an ovine/caprine-specific EV group that is different from EV-G of porcine origin. The significance of our research is that it identifies and characterizes possible novel EVs, thereby indicating that enteroviruses in animals are continually evolving. The facts that enteroviruses can persist in the environment, contaminate it for long periods, and be transmitted between animals raise serious concerns regarding this group of viruses as emerging livestock pathogens.
The Effect of Timing and Frequency of Push Notifications on Usage of a Smartphone-Based Stress Management Intervention: An Exploratory Trial

Push notifications offer a promising strategy for enhancing engagement with smartphone-based health interventions. Intelligent sensor-driven machine learning models may improve the timeliness of notifications by adapting delivery to a user’s current context (e.g. location). This exploratory mixed-methods study examined the potential impact of timing and frequency on notification response and usage of Healthy Mind, a smartphone-based stress management intervention. 77 participants were randomised to use one of three versions of Healthy Mind that provided: intelligent notifications; daily notifications within pre-defined time frames; or occasional notifications within pre-defined time frames. Notification response and Healthy Mind usage were automatically recorded. Telephone interviews explored participants’ experiences of using Healthy Mind. Participants in the intelligent and daily conditions viewed (d = .47, .44 respectively) and actioned (d = .50, .43 respectively) more notifications compared to the occasional group. Notification group had no meaningful effects on percentage of notifications viewed or usage of Healthy Mind. No meaningful differences were indicated between the intelligent and non-intelligent groups. Our findings suggest that frequent notifications may encourage greater exposure to intervention content without deterring engagement, but adaptive tailoring of notification timing does not always enhance their use. Hypotheses generated from this study require testing in future work. Trial registration number: ISRCTN67177737
Technical Progress and the Share of Labor Income

Changes in the labor share of national income affect inequality (Piketty 2014). This paper aims at investigating the relationship between the labor share and technical progress, based on provincial data of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1978 to 2012. Our main empirical results show that technical progress in the PRC had been mostly capital biased, contributing to the fast rises in income inequality in the PRC. However, the employment proportion of state-owned enterprises seems to have played a role in offsetting this negative effect, helping contain inequality. In recent years, both effects have become more significant and larger in absolute terms.
Testing Treatment Effect in Randomized Clinical Trials with Possible Non-proportional Hazards

Many randomized clinical trials include right censored time to event data, comparing an experimental treatment with a standard treatment or placebo control. In this comparison, one tests whether the two treatments have the same survival function or equivalently the same hazard function over a given time period in order to evaluate effect of treatment. The methodological development of survival analysis for randomized clinical trials with right-censored data that have had the most profound impact are the log-rank test for comparing the equality of two or more survival distributions, and the Cox proportional hazards model for examining the covariate(s) effects on the hazard function. However, when comparing treatments in terms of their time to event distribution, there may be reason to believe that the hazard curves will cross, and in such cases standard comparison techniques could lead to misleading results [16]. Hence, in this study, the performance of new methods for testing treatment effect on randomized clinical trials when the proportional hazards assumption is not satisfied was evaluated based on simulation studies and on two real datasets. New proposed methods are based on combination of early/late treatment effects obtained from stopped/left truncated Cox or equivalently from extended Cox and the overall treatment effect from Cox proportional hazards model. These methods were compared with Cox proportional hazards model [8], pseudo values regression approach based on mean restricted survival time [1, 13] and extended Cox for the time dependent treatment effect [20]. Type I error rate and power of the proposed tests were illustrated based on simulated data under five possible treatment effect. The results of simulations and real data examples on cancer clinical trials showed that the new proposed methods performed reasonably well in case of crossing survival curves compared to Cox proportional hazards model and pseudo values regression approach based on restricted mean survival time. However, they performed about the same compared to extended Cox model. Furthermore, they performed about the same compared to Cox proportional hazards model and extended Cox under the late treatment effect. Using the proposed methods under proportional hazards alternative did not generally yield dramatic decrease in power compared to the Cox model and they allow adjusting for covariate(s).
The effect of Agrobacterium densities and inoculation times on gene transformation efficiency in rubber tree

Rubber tree belonging to the genus Hevea is an economically important crop of Thailand and South-east Asia . To optimize its agronomical trait for glyphosate-resistant, in vitro gene transformation through Agrobacterium tumefaciens was investigated. The bacteria carrying plasmid pCAMBIA 1304, harboring gus as screenable marker genes and EPSPs gene was used. The shoot tips were immersed in A. tumefaciens suspension at optical densities (OD 600 ) at 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 for various times (15, 30 and 60 min). The results revealed that shoot explants immersed in A. tumefaciens suspension at OD 600 of 0.6 for 30 min gave the higher survival rate after being cultured on glyphosate containing MS medium for one and half months. Assessment of transformed shoots revealed positive results in GUS histochemical assay. The presence of the gus and EPSPs genes in transformed rubber tree were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, dot blot hybridization and Southern PCR hybridization. Specific primers for the gus and EPSPs genes were designed to amplify a 919 and 1,600 bps DNA fragment, respectively. Keywords: Transgenesis, glyphosate, inoculation time, Agrobacterium density, Hevea African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(23) 2321-2329
Testing the Granger Causality between the Dynamics of the Romanian Mutual Fund Market and the Economy

The paper tests and evaluates the causality between the dynamics of the Romanian mutual fund market and the economy. Using the Granger causality test, a regression analysis has been developed on quarterly data during 1998Q2 – 2012Q2 for the Romanian economy. Based on this relationship, we can emphasize that the controversial debate upon the economic growth and the mutual fund market has became a complex research subject. Therefore, due to its complexity, the timeliness and the continuous growth of the investment funds area, this paper complements the existing literature by identifying the causal linkage between the mutual fund market and the economy. According to the results of the study, there is no reciprocal causality relationship between economic growth and the mutual fund investments development in Romania.
Smile Detection Tool using OpenCV-Python to Measure Response in Human-Robot Interaction with Animal Robot PARO

Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a field of study that defines the relationship between humans and robot. In robot-assisted mental healthcare, there is still a lack in the methodology especially in evaluating the outcome. In this study, PARO; a robot in the shape of a cute baby seal is introduced as an adjunct therapy tool for six rehabilitation patients with poststroke depression. Currently, the therapy outcome is measured using psychological tools. When a robot is introduced, a new measurement tool is needed to analyse the patients’ response. Thus, this study constructs a tool using OpenCV-Python to detect the number of smiles when each patient interact with PARO. Smile is an indicator of positive emotion and that PARO helps to uplift patient’s mood. The results were then compared with psychological evaluations. Both tools show congruent results. The number of smiles increased when patients were holding PARO and PARO helped all patients to manage their psychological distress. This indicates that smile detection is an effective supporting tool to indicate respond in human-robot interaction. Keywords—Human-robot interaction; OpenCV; PARO