Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biased Agonism at Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Receptors: A Structure Activity Study on N/OFQ(1–13)-NH2

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) controls different biological functions via selective stimulation of the N/OFQ peptide (NOP) receptor. The pleiotropic actions of N/OFQ may limit the development of NOP ligands as innovative drugs in different therapeutic areas. The pharmacological concept of functional selectivity (aka biased agonism) might be useful for amplifying beneficial actions and/or counteracting side effects. Thus, molecules with large bias factors toward G protein or β arrestin are required for investigating the translational value of NOP biased modulation. Herein, the biased behavior of a heterogeneous library of NOP-targeting peptide derivatives was evaluated in vitro with the aim to provide possible insights into the structural determinants that govern the selective activation of G protein versus β-arrestin. Our results demonstrate that lipidation of N/OFQ(1–13)-NH2 is a useful strategy for obtaining G protein biased agonists for the NOP receptor.
Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Anthocyanin-Rich Water-Soluble Aronia Dry Extracts

Aronia fruits contain many valuable components that are beneficial to human health. However, fruits are characterized by significant variations in chemical composition dependent on the growing conditions and harvesting period. Therefore, there is a need to formulate the extracts with a precisely defined content of health-promoting substances. Aronia dry extracts (ADE) were prepared from frozen pomace applying water extraction, followed by purification and spray-drying. Subsequently, the content of anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and polyphenols was determined. The high-quality chokeberry pomace enabled obtaining extracts with anthocyanin content much higher than the typical market standards. Moreover, it was found that the antioxidant capacity of aronia extracts exceeded those found in other fruit preparations. Antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties were evaluated using a 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy (DPPH-EPR) test and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation and the level of inflammatory markers have been also investigated using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264 cells. It was revealed that ADE standardized to 25% of anthocyanins depresses the level of markers of inflammation and lipid peroxidation (Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and malondialdehyde (MDA)) in in vitro conditions. Additionally, it was confirmed that ADE at all analyzed concentrations did not show any cytotoxic effect as demonstrated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
Light-Induced Electron Transfer and Energy Transfer Processes in a Flexible BODIPY-C60 Dyad.

A new donor-acceptor dyad comprised of a BODIPY (BDP) donor and a fullerene (C60) acceptor has been synthesized and characterized. This derivative has been prepared using a clickable fullerene building block that bears an alkyne moiety and a maleimide unit. The post-functionalization of the maleimide group by a BDP thiol lead to a BDP-C60 dyad, leaving the alkyne moiety for further functional arrangement. On the basis of the combination of semi-empirical and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, spectroelectrochemical experiments, steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopies, the photophysical properties of this new BDP-C60 Dyad were thoroughly studied. By using semi-empirical calculations, the equilibrium of three conformations of the BDP-C60 Dyad has been deduced, and their molecular orbital structures have been analyzed using DFT calculations. Two short fluorescence lifetimes were attributed to two extended conformers displaying variable donor-acceptor distances (17.5 and 20.0 Å). Additionally, the driving force for photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the singlet excited state of the BDP to the C60 moiety was calculated using redox potentials determined with electrochemical studies. Spectroelectrochemical measurements were also carried out to investigate the absorption profiles of radicals in the BDP-C60 Dyad, in order to assign the transient species in pump-probe experiments. Under selective photoexcitation of the BDP moiety, occurrence of both energy and electron transfers were demonstrated for the Dyad by femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopies. Photoinduced electron transfer occurs in the folded conformer while energy transfer is observed in extended conformers.
Reduced Growth Hormone Response to Anaerobic Exercise Among Children With Overweight and Obesity

Abstract Hejla, D, Dror, N, Pantanowitz, M, Nemet, D, and Eliakim, A. Reduced growth hormone response to anaerobic exercise among children with overweight and obesity. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2194–2197, 2022—The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of an anaerobic exercise test on growth hormone (GH) secretion in children with overweight and obesity compared with children with normal weight. Fifteen children with overweight (body mass index percentile [BMI%ile] ≥85 < 95) and obesity (BMI%ile ≥95) and 10 children with normal weight (BMI%ile >5 < 85) participated in the study. Subjects performed a modification of the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT), with 10 bouts of 15-second cycling separated by 1 minute of rest. Blood samples for GH and lactate were collected before and 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after the beginning of the exercise test. There was a significant increase in GH levels following the modified repeated WAnT in both groups, but the increase in GH levels was significantly greater among the normal weight children compared with those with overweight and obesity (p < 0.003). Seven of the 10 subjects with normal weight had GH increase above the threshold for GH sufficiency compared with only 2 subjects with overweight and obesity. Growth hormone response to the modified repeated WAnT was significantly reduced among children with overweight and obesity compared with those with normal weight. Anaerobic interval-type training may not be a sufficient exercise alternative to stimulate appropriate GH levels among children with obesity.
Motivation, Segmented Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Weight Status in Adolescents: A Path Analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships linking motivational variables with BMI percentile (BMI%) via segmented physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in adolescents using path analysis. Method: Secondary data analysis was performed using participants from the Family, Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) study. A non-probability panel balanced to the US population on sex, Census division, household income and size, and race/ethnicity were screened for eligibility. The final sample consisted of 1,643 adolescents (822 girls, 821 boys). Motivational variables consisted of PA enjoyment, self-efficacy, and peer social support. Mediator variables consisted of segmented weekly PA and SB assessed using the Youth Activity Profile (YAP). BMI% was the outcome. A recursive bootstrapped path analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between motivational variables, segmented PA and SB, and BMI% with indirect effects calculated via bootstrapped mediation analyses. Results: The relationships between motivational variables and segmented PA and SB were stronger than relationships between segmented PA and SB and BMI%. Three mediated paths were observed: self-efficacy and BMI% using sedentary YAP as the mediator (IE = −0.38, 95%CI: −0.65, −0.18), enjoyment and BMI% using weekend YAP as the mediator (IE = −0.62, 95%CI: −1.14, −0.12) and social support and BMI% using weekend YAP as the mediator (IE = −0.53, 95%CI: −1.00, −0.07). Conclusion: The relationship between adolescent motivational variables and segmented PA and SB is relatively strong and specific motivational variables’ relationships with BMI% is mediated through segmented PA and SB.
Direct Georeferencing for the Images in an Airborne LiDAR System by Automatic Boresight Misalignments Calibration

Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system and digital camera are usually integrated on a flight platform to obtain multi-source data. However, the photogrammetric system calibration is often independent of the LiDAR system and performed by the aerial triangulation method, which needs a test field with ground control points. In this paper, we present a method for the direct georeferencing of images collected by a digital camera integrated in an airborne LiDAR system by automatic boresight misalignments calibration with the auxiliary of point cloud. The method firstly uses an image matching to generate a tie point set. Space intersection is then performed to obtain the corresponding object coordinate values of the tie points, while the elevation calculated from the space intersection is replaced by the value from the LiDAR data, resulting in a new object point called Virtual Control Point (VCP). Because boresight misalignments exist, a distance between the tie point and the image point of VCP can be found by collinear equations in that image from which the tie point is selected. An iteration process is performed to minimize the distance with boresight corrections in each epoch, and it stops when the distance is smaller than a predefined threshold or the total number of epochs is reached. Two datasets from real projects were used to validate the proposed method and the experimental results show the effectiveness of the method by being evaluated both quantitatively and visually.
The Cl isotope composition and halogen contents of Apollo-return samples

Significance Chlorine isotopes are a sensitive tracer of degassing throughout planetary evolution that provide evidence for the universal depletion of volatiles in the Moon. We show that much of the chlorine in mare basalts is trapped in water-soluble phases from vapor deposition with low isotope values, with the remaining being isotopically heavy from degassing. We also use halogen concentrations and bulk-Cl isotope values to show that most lunar halogen loss and heavy Cl enrichment occurred during the Giant Impact—resulting in a 10× depletion of halogens relative to the Earth. Last, we conclude that lunar apatite has much higher δ37Cl values compared to the bulk rock, likely explained by localized degassing, making their use as direct probes of planetary-scale processes problematic. Lunar mare basalts are depleted in F and Cl by approximately an order of magnitude relative to mid-ocean ridge basalts and contain two Cl-bearing components with elevated isotopic compositions relative to the bulk-Earth value of ∼0‰. The first is a water-soluble chloride constituting 65 ± 10% of total Cl with δ37Cl values averaging 3.0 ± 4.3‰. The second is structurally bound chloride with δ37Cl values averaging 7.3 ± 3.5‰. These high and distinctly different isotopic values are inconsistent with equilibrium fractionation processes and instead suggest early and extensive degassing of an isotopically light vapor. No relationship is observed between F/Cl ratios and δ37Cl values, which suggests that lunar halogen depletion largely resulted from the Moon-forming Giant Impact. The δ37Cl values of apatite are generally higher than the structurally bound Cl, and ubiquitously higher than the calculated bulk δ37Cl values of 4.1 ± 4.0‰. The apatite grains are not representative of the bulk rock, and instead record localized degassing during the final stages of lunar magma ocean (LMO) or later melt crystallization. The large variability in the δ37Cl values of apatite within individual thin sections further supports this conclusion. While urKREEP (primeval KREEP [potassium/rare-earth elements/phosphorus]) has been proposed to be the source of the Moon’s high Cl isotope values, the ferroan anorthosites (FANs) have the highest δ37Cl values and have a positive correlation with Cl content, and yet do not contain apatite, nor evidence of a KREEP component. The high δ37Cl values in this lithology are explained by the incorporation of a >30‰ HCl vapor from a highly evolved LMO.
Cisplatin-loaded albumin nanoparticle and study their internalization effect by using β-cyclodextrin

Abstract The present study with aim at enhancing the therapeutic and anti-cancer properties of cisplatin (CPT)-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles. The BSA nanoparticles containing CPT (CPT-BSANPs) were successfully prepared by the desolvation technique. The physicochemical characterization of the CPT-BSANPs were used by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The particle size of CPT-BSANPs was found less than 200 nm with 75.02 ± 0.15% entrapment efficiency (EE), while zeta potential and PDI were −17.6 mV and 0.2, respectively. In vitro release behavior of the CPT from the carrier suggests that about 64% of the drug gets released after 48 hrs. The anti-cancer activities of the CPT-BSANPs were tested on MCF-7 cell lines. Our studies show that CPT-BSANPs nanoparticles showed specific targeting and enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 cells when compared to the bare CPT. Thus results suggest that CPT-BSANPs fallowed caveolae-mediated endocytosis, it may become better option for intracellular delivery of anticancer drug.
Prevalence of Depression in Retirees: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Retirement is a final life stage characterized by the ceasing of work and the loss of a routine, social relations, role, status, accomplishments, and aspirations, etc. Many times it is accompanied by negative feelings and can provoke different psychoemotional reactions such as depression, among others. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of depression, as well as its psychoeducational approach in retirees. Methods: A paired systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted in different databases—Medline, Scopus, CUIDEN, CINAHL, LILACS and PsycINFO. Original studies were included in English, Spanish and French that were published in the last 10 years, and which approached depression in retirees. Results: A total of 11 articles were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean value of the prevalence levels of depression in retirees obtained in the meta-analysis was 28%. Depression is more frequent in retirees, with mandatory retirement, retirement due to illness, and anticipated retirement presenting higher levels of this disease. The health role in the psychoeducational approach is highlighted in 41.6% (n = 5). Conclusions: With almost one-third of retirees suffering from depression, it is necessary to implement prevention and early detection measures to approach a public health problem.
On the occurrence of testate amoebae (Protozoa, Rhizopoda) in Brazilian inland waters. II. Families Centropyxidae, Trigonopyxidae and Plagiopyxidae

The purpose of this study is to provide a checklist and a synthesis of the geographic distribution of the species within Centropyxidae, Trigonopyxidae and Plagiopyxidae (Protozoa, Amoebozoa, Rhizopoda). A total of 24 infra-generic taxa were listed, of which 15 belong to the genus Centropyxis, 5 to Cyclopyxis, 2 to Bullinularia, 1 to Hoogenraadia and 1 to Trigonopyxis. Some taxonomic information is also provided. Centropyxis aculeata, C. constricta and C. marsupiformis presented widespread distribution in the freshwater environments in Brazil.
CSNOMA: Carrier Sense Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of the cross-layer design of a distributed random access scheme with considering physical (PHY) and multiple access control (MAC) layers, which utilizes the interference cancellation technique. In this regard, we propose a new multiple access protocol, named carrier sense non-orthogonal multiple access (CSNOMA). We consider the spatially randomly distributed interferers to realistically capture the effect of interference. The proposed protocol shows better area spectral efficiency than carrier sense multiple access (CSMA), as the node density increases. We also present a practical signaling design compatible with IEEE 802.11 DCF mode.
Short- and medium-term efficacy of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors for the treatment of type 1 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are insulin-independent and glucose-dependent anti-hyperglycaemic drugs that have shown potential as an adjuvant therapy to insulin for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The purpose of this meta-analysis is to systematically collect available data from randomised trials to determine SGLT-2 inhibitor efficacy in terms of glycaemic control, body mass index, and renal protection when compared with placebo. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were searched for randomised controlled trials and metaanalyses (without language restrictions) conducted from January 2010 to September 2019. RESULTS Seventeen randomised controlled trials with 7325 participants were included. Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 therapy significantly reduced the level of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (by 0.37%), body weight (by 2.88 kg), and estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) (by 0.67 mL/min/1.73 m²) when compared with placebo (all outcomes, p < 0.00001). Subgroup analysis by HbA1c levels showed significant differences between six and 12 months of treatment (p < 0.1). The magnitude of the HbA1c lowering effect waned with longer duration of treatment after six months (up to 12 months). Subgroup analysis by body weight showed significant differences between 1 and 3-4 months of treatment (p < 0.1). Weight loss plateaued after 3-4 months of treatment; subsequently, the weight remained relatively stable until 12 months. Subgroup analysis by eGFR showed significant differences between six and 12 months of treatment (p < 0.1). The magnitude of the eGFR lowering effect increased with longer duration of treatment after six months (up to 12 months). CONCLUSIONS Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors show significant therapeutic effects when compared with placebo. Although changes in HbA1c, body weight, and eGFR vary during treatment, the therapeutic effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors measured by these three outcomes can last up to 12 months. More long-term, randomised trials and extended studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of SGLT2 inhibitors as adjuvant therapy for T1DM patients.
Asymmetric responses of ecosystem productivity to rainfall anomalies vary inversely with mean annual rainfall over the conterminous United States

The CONterminous United States (CONUS) presents a large range of climate conditions and biomes where terrestrial primary productivity and its inter‐annual variability are controlled regionally by rainfall and/or temperature. Here, the response of ecosystem productivity to those climate variables was investigated across different biomes from 2010 to 2018 using three climate datasets of precipitation, air temperature or drought severity, combined with several proxies of ecosystem productivity: a remote sensing product of aboveground biomass, an net primary productivity (NPP) remote sensing product, an NPP model‐based product and four gross primary productivity products. We used an asymmetry index (AI) where positive AI indicates a greater increase of ecosystem productivity in wet years compared to the decline in dry years, and negative AI indicates a greater decline of ecosystem productivity in dry years compared to the increase in wet years. We found consistent spatial patterns of AI across the CONUS for the different products, with negative asymmetries over the Great Plains and positive asymmetries over the southwestern CONUS. Shrubs and, to a lesser extent, evergreen forests show a persistent positive asymmetry, whilst (natural) grasslands appear to have transitioned from positive to negative anomalies during the last decade. The general tendency of dominant negative asymmetry response for ecosystem productivity across the CONUS appears to be influenced by the negative asymmetry of precipitation anomalies. AI was found to be a function of mean rainfall: more positive AIs were found in dry areas where plants are adapted to drought and take advantage of rainfall pulses, and more negative AIs were found in wet areas, with a threshold delineating the two regimes corresponding to a mean annual rainfall of 200–400 mm/year.
Zika virus transmission by Brazilian Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus is virus dose and temperature-dependent

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged in the Pacific Ocean and subsequently caused a dramatic Pan‐American epidemic after its first appearance in the Northeast region of Brazil in 2015. The virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. We evaluated the role of temperature and infectious doses of ZIKV in vector competence of Brazilian populations of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Methodology/Principal findings Two Ae. aegypti (Rio de Janeiro and Natal) and two Ae. albopictus (Rio de Janeiro and Manaus) populations were orally challenged with five viral doses (102 to 106 PFU / ml) of a ZIKV strain (Asian genotype) isolated in Northeastern Brazil, and incubated for 14 and 21 days in temperatures mimicking the spring-summer (28°C) and winter-autumn (22°C) mean values in Brazil. Detection of viral particles in the body, head and saliva samples was done by plaque assays in cell culture for determining the infection, dissemination and transmission rates, respectively. Compared with 28°C, at 22°C, transmission rates were significantly lower for both Ae. aegypti populations, and Ae. albopictus were not able to transmit the virus. Ae. albopictus showed low transmission rates even when challenged with the highest viral dose, while both Ae. aegypti populations presented higher of infection, dissemination and transmission rates than Ae. albopictus. Ae. aegypti showed higher transmission efficiency when taking virus doses of 105 and 106 PFU/mL following incubation at 28°C; both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were unable to transmit ZIKV with virus doses of 102 and 103 PFU/mL, regardless the incubation temperature. Conclusions/Significance The ingested viral dose and incubation temperature were significant predictors of the proportion of mosquito’s biting becoming infectious. Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus have the ability to transmit ZIKV when incubated at 28°C. However Brazilian populations of Ae. aegypti exhibit a much higher transmission potential for ZIKV than Ae. albopictus regardless the combination of infection dose and incubation temperature.
Report of the Committee for Fungi: 12

The previous report of the Committee was published in Taxon 53: 1067-1069 (2004). Since then, the Committee for Fungi has again undergone some changes and now consists of J. L. Crane (Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, U.S.A.), V. Demoulin (Li? ge, Belgium, ehm.), W Gams (Utrecht, Netherlands, seer.), P. M. Kirk (Egham, Surrey, U.K.), T. Iturriaga (Caracas, Venezuela), P. M. Jorgensen (Bergen, Norway), T. May (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), L. Norvell (Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.), E. Parmasto (Tartu, Estonia), S. Redhead (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), S. Ryman (Uppsala, Sweden), G. J. Samuels (Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A.), H. J. Sipman (Berlin, Germany), and D. Triebel (M? n chen, Germany). Our member G. Redeuilh passed away and J. Melot (Reykjavik, Iceland) was co-opted in his place. E. Parmasto announced his resignation and so did P. M. Jorgensen for the period after Vienna. In their place, C. Printzen (Frankfurt/M, Germany) was voted into the Committee.