Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Cuticle Waxes by Overexpression of WSD1 Improves Osmotic Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana and Camelina sativa

To ensure global food security under the changing climate, there is a strong need for developing ‘climate resilient crops’ that can thrive and produce better yields under extreme environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, and high temperature. To enhance plant productivity under the adverse conditions, we constitutively overexpressed a bifunctional wax synthase/acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (WSD1) gene, which plays a critical role in wax ester synthesis in Arabidopsis stem and leaf tissues. The qRT-PCR analysis showed a strong upregulation of WSD1 transcripts by mannitol, NaCl, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, particularly in Arabidopsis thaliana shoots. Gas chromatography and electron microscopy analyses of Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing WSD1 showed higher deposition of epicuticular wax crystals and increased leaf and stem wax loading in WSD1 transgenics compared to wildtype (WT) plants. WSD1 transgenics exhibited enhanced tolerance to ABA, mannitol, drought and salinity, which suggested new physiological roles for WSD1 in stress response aside from its wax synthase activity. Transgenic plants were able to recover from drought and salinity better than the WT plants. Furthermore, transgenics showed reduced cuticular transpirational rates and cuticle permeability, as well as less chlorophyll leaching than the WT. The knowledge from Arabidopsis was translated to the oilseed crop Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz. Similar to Arabidopsis, transgenic Camelina lines overexpressing WSD1 also showed enhanced tolerance to drought stress. Our results clearly show that the manipulation of cuticular waxes will be advantageous for enhancing plant productivity under a changing climate.
Physical, Cognitive and Social Rehabilitation in Relation to Sleep Quality and Cognitive Functions in the Elderly

The aim of the study was to assess cognitive functions and sleep quality after a 3-month holistic intervention including physical, social and cognitive rehabilitation in patients 65+. Twenty-nine people participated in the study. The study was divided into two stages. In the first stage, a self-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions was used, and cognitive functions were assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test, Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III (ACE III) test, Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA) and digit repetition test. All patients were also assessed for sleep quality using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). After three months, the patients were assessed for cognitive functions and sleep quality, which was the second stage of the study. Analysis of the results obtained by patients in the study showed a statistically significant improvement in sleep quality and cognitive function. Rehabilitation activities, including physical training, cognitive exercises and occupational therapy, reduce the severity of mild cognitive disorders and reduce insomnia.
Small RNAs in Seminal Plasma as Novel Biomarkers for Germ Cell Tumors

Simple Summary Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. It is rarely diagnosed at early stages, being only detected with a highly invasive procedure that presents notable side-effects. Circulating small RNAs have recently been identified as testicular tumor markers, but are unable to diagnose testicular cancer at an early pre-invasive stage. So far, studies have been limited to microRNAs, with other small RNAs remaining unexplored as likely biomarkers. By sequencing all small RNAs in semen samples from men with different stages of testicular cancer and healthy men, we identify signatures predictive of cancer, even at an early stage. Thus, our study provides great potential for non-invasive early diagnosis of testicular cancer. Extensive biological variance in small RNA levels across samples, together with small sample sizes, limit the power to detect single small RNA markers. Hence, larger studies are needed to confirm our findings and deduce their full diagnostic capacity. Abstract Circulating miRNAs secreted by testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) show great potential as novel non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis of TGCT. Seminal plasma (SP) represents a biofluid closer to the primary site. Here, we investigate whether small RNAs in SP can be used to diagnose men with TGCTs or the precursor lesions, germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS). Small RNAs isolated from SP from men with TGCTs (n = 18), GCNIS-only (n = 5), and controls (n = 25) were sequenced. SP from men with TGCT/GCNIS (n = 37) and controls (n = 22) were used for validation by RT-qPCR. In general, piRNAs were found at lower levels in SP from men with TGCTs. Ten small RNAs were found at significantly (q-value < 0.05) different levels in SP from men with TGCT/GCNIS than controls. Random forests classification identified sets of small RNAs that could detect either TGCT/GCNIS or GCNIS-only with an area under the curve of 0.98 and 1 in ROC analyses, respectively. RT-qPCR validated hsa-miR-6782-5p to be present at 2.3-fold lower levels (p = 0.02) in the SP from men with TGCTs compared with controls. Small RNAs in SP show potential as novel biomarkers for diagnosing men with TGCT/GCNIS but validation in larger cohorts is needed.
Orai3-Mediates Cisplatin-Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Enriching Cancer Stem Cell Population through PI3K/AKT Pathway

Simple Summary Lung cancer is recognized for having a very poor prognosis with an overall survival rate of 5-years not exceeding 15%. Platinum-doublet therapy is the most current chemotherapeutic treatment used to treat lung tumors. However, resistance to such drugs evolves rapidly in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is one of the major reasons behind therapy failure. Tumor recurrence due to chemoresistance is mainly attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) subpopulations. Thus, the identification of resistance actors and markers is necessary. The Orai3 channel has been recently identified as a predictive marker of metastasis and survival in resectable NSCLC tumors. Our results show, for the first time, that the Orai3 channel is able to induce chemoresistance by enriching CSCs population. Our findings present Orai3 as a promising predictive biomarker which could help with selecting chemotherapeutic drugs. Abstract The development of the resistance to platinum salts is a major obstacle in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Among the reasons underlying this resistance is the enrichment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) populations. Several studies have reported the involvement of calcium channels in chemoresistance. The Orai3 channel is overexpressed and constitutes a predictive marker of metastasis in NSCLC tumors. Here, we investigated its role in CSCs populations induced by Cisplatin (CDDP) in two NSCLC cell lines. We found that CDDP treatment increased Orai3 expression, but not Orai1 or STIM1 expression, as well as an enhancement of CSCs markers. Moreover, Orai3 silencing or the reduction of extracellular calcium concentration sensitized the cells to CDDP and led to a reduction in the expression of Nanog and SOX-2. Orai3 contributed to SOCE (Store-operated Calcium entry) in both CDDP-treated and CD133+ subpopulation cells that overexpress Nanog and SOX-2. Interestingly, the ectopic overexpression of Orai3, in the two NSCLC cell lines, lead to an increase of SOCE and expression of CSCs markers. Furthermore, CD133+ cells were unable to overexpress neither Nanog nor SOX-2 when incubated with PI3K inhibitor. Finally, Orai3 silencing reduced Akt phosphorylation. Our work reveals a link between Orai3, CSCs and resistance to CDDP in NSCLC cells.
Molecular Imprinting on Nanozymes for Sensing Applications

As part of the biomimetic enzyme field, nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes, or nanozymes, have been recognized as highly stable and low-cost alternatives to their natural counterparts. The discovery of enzyme-like activities in nanomaterials triggered a broad range of designs with various composition, size, and shape. An overview of the properties of nanozymes is given, including some examples of enzyme mimics for multiple biosensing approaches. The limitations of nanozymes regarding lack of selectivity and low catalytic efficiency may be surpassed by their easy surface modification, and it is possible to tune specific properties. From this perspective, molecularly imprinted polymers have been successfully combined with nanozymes as biomimetic receptors conferring selectivity and improving catalytic performance. Compelling works on constructing imprinted polymer layers on nanozymes to achieve enhanced catalytic efficiency and selective recognition, requisites for broad implementation in biosensing devices, are reviewed. Multimodal biomimetic enzyme-like biosensing platforms can offer additional advantages concerning responsiveness to different microenvironments and external stimuli. Ultimately, progress in biomimetic imprinted nanozymes may open new horizons in a wide range of biosensing applications.
Assessment of the Association of COPD and Asthma with In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with COVID-19. A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression Analysis

Together, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma account for the most common non-infectious respiratory pathologies. Conflicting preliminary studies have shown varied effect for COPD and asthma as prognostic factors for mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the association of COPD and asthma with in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 by systematically reviewing and synthesizing with a meta-analysis the available observational studies. MEDLINE, Scopus, and medRxiv databases were reviewed. A random-effects model meta-analysis was used, and I-square was utilized to assess for heterogeneity. In-hospital mortality was defined as the primary endpoint. Sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were performed. Thirty studies with 21,309 patients were included in this meta-analysis (1465 with COPD and 633 with asthma). Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with COPD had higher risk of death compared to those without COPD (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.79–2.93; I2 59.6%). No significant difference in in-hospital mortality was seen in patients with and without asthma (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.68–1.10; I2 0.0%). The likelihood of death was significantly higher in patients with COPD that were hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to patients without COPD. Further studies are needed to assess whether this association is independent or not. No significant difference was demonstrated in COVID-19-related mortality between patients with and without asthma.
Pharmacogenetics of the Central Nervous System—Toxicity and Relapse Affecting the CNS in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Simple Summary Despite recent improvements in cure rates, pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients remain at risk to develop relapse disease or suffer from therapy-associated side effects. Over 5% of adverse events appear in the central nervous system (CNS) and can impact survival or quality of life of the patients. Inherited genetic variations are possible predictive factors for these adverse events. This retrospective study aimed to investigate if inherited genetic variations in genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters localized in the blood-brain barrier are predictive for CNS events. Our results suggest that certain ABCB1, ABCG2 and GSTP1 gene polymorphisms influence CNS toxicity and CNS relapse. A more effective drug-clearance could lead to less toxicity but contribute to a higher chance of relapse and vice versa. Genetic variants in ABCB1, ABCG2 or GSTP1 genes are promising candidates for personalized medicine. Abstract Despite improving cure rates in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), therapeutic side effects and relapse are ongoing challenges. These can also affect the central nervous system (CNS). Our aim was to identify germline gene polymorphisms that influence the risk of CNS events. Sixty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 genes were genotyped in a Hungarian non-matched ALL cohort of 36 cases with chemotherapy related acute toxic encephalopathy (ATE) and 544 controls. Five significant SNPs were further analyzed in an extended Austrian-Czech-NOPHO cohort (n = 107 cases, n = 211 controls) but none of the associations could be validated. Overall populations including all nations’ matched cohorts for ATE (n = 426) with seizure subgroup (n = 133) and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES, n = 251) were analyzed, as well. We found that patients with ABCB1 rs1045642, rs1128503 or rs2032582 TT genotypes were more prone to have seizures but those with rs1045642 TT developed PRES less frequently. The same SNPs were also examined in relation to ALL relapse on a case-control matched cohort of 320 patients from all groups. Those with rs1128503 CC or rs2032582 GG genotypes showed higher incidence of CNS relapse. Our results suggest that blood-brain-barrier drug transporter gene-polymorphisms might have an inverse association with seizures and CNS relapse.
An Efficient Ensemble Binarized Deep Neural Network on Chip with Perception-Control Integrated †

Lightweight UAVs equipped with deep learning models have become a trend, which can be deployed for automatic navigation in a wide range of civilian and military missions. However, real-time applications usually need to process a large amount of image data, which leads to a very large computational complexity and storage consumption, and restricts its deployment on resource-constrained embedded edge devices. To reduce the computing requirements and storage occupancy of the neural network model, we proposed the ensemble binarized DroNet (EBDN) model, which implemented the reconstructed DroNet with the binarized and ensemble learning method, so that the model size of DroNet was effectively compressed, and ensemble learning method was used to overcome the defect of the poor performance of the low-precision network. Compared to the original DroNet, EBDN saves more than 7 times of memory footprint with similar model accuracy. Meanwhile, we also proposed a novel and high-efficiency hardware architecture to realize the EBDN on the chip (EBDNoC) system, which perfectly realizes the mapping of an algorithm model to hardware architecture. Compared to other solutions, the proposed architecture achieves about 10.21 GOP/s/kLUTs resource efficiency and 208.1 GOP/s/W energy efficiency, while also providing a good trade-off between model performance and resource utilization.
Emerging Technology for a Green, Sustainable Energy-Promising Materials for Hydrogen Storage, from Nanotubes to Graphene—A Review

The energetic and climate crises should pose a challenge for scientists in finding solutions in the field of renewable, green energy sources. Throughout more than two decades, the search for new opportunities in the energy industry made it possible to observe the potential use of hydrogen as an energy source. One of the greatest challenges faced by scientists for the sake of its use as an energy source is designing safe, usable, reliable, and effective forms of hydrogen storage. Moreover, the manner in which hydrogen is to be stored is closely dependent on the potential use of this source of green energy. In stationary use, the aim is to achieve high volumetric density of the container. However, from the point of view of mobile applications, an extremely important aspect is the storage of hydrogen, using lightweight tanks of relatively high density. That is why, a focus of scientists has been put on the use of carbon-based materials and graphene as a perspective solution in the field of H2 storage. This review focuses on the comparison of different methods for hydrogen storage, mainly based on the carbon-based materials and focuses on efficiently using graphene and its different forms to serve a purpose in the future H2-based economy.
Salmonella in Captive Reptiles and Their Environment—Can We Tame the Dragon?

Reptiles are considered a reservoir of a variety of Salmonella (S.) serovars. Nevertheless, due to a lack of large-scale research, the importance of Reptilia as a Salmonella vector still remains not completely recognized. A total of 731 samples collected from reptiles and their environment were tested. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Salmonella in exotic reptiles kept in Poland and to confirm Salmonella contamination of the environment after reptile exhibitions. The study included Salmonella isolation and identification, followed by epidemiological analysis of the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates. Implementation of a pathway additional to the standard Salmonella isolation protocol led to a 21% increase in the Salmonella serovars detection rate. The study showed a high occurrence of Salmonella, being the highest at 92.2% in snakes, followed by lizards (83.7%) and turtles (60.0%). The pathogen was also found in 81.2% of swabs taken from table and floor surfaces after reptile exhibitions and in two out of three egg samples. A total of 918 Salmonella strains belonging to 207 serovars and serological variants were obtained. We have noted the serovars considered important with respect to public health, i.e., S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and S. Kentucky. The study proves that exotic reptiles in Poland are a relevant reservoir of Salmonella.
Botanicals in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and the deterioration of bone microarchitecture leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Conventional anti-osteoporotic pharmaceutics are effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of osteoporosis, however they are associated with various side effects that push many women into seeking botanicals as an alternative therapy. Traditional folk medicine is a rich source of bioactive compounds waiting for discovery and investigation that might be used in those patients, and therefore botanicals have recently received increasing attention. The aim of this review of literature is to present the comprehensive information about plant-derived compounds that might be used to maintain bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal females.
High glucose treatment promotes extracellular matrix proteome remodeling in Mller glial cells

Background The underlying pathomechanisms in diabetic retinopathy (DR) remain incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to add to the current knowledge about the particular role of retinal Mller glial cells (RMG) in the initial processes of DR. Methods Applying a quantitative proteomic workflow, we investigated changes of primary porcine RMG under short term high glucose treatment as well as glycolysis inhibition treatment. Results We revealed significant changes in RMG proteome primarily in proteins building the extracellular matrix (ECM) indicating fundamental remodeling processes of ECM as novel rapid response to high glucose treatment. Among others, Osteopontin (SPP1) as well as its interacting integrins were significantly downregulated and organotypic retinal explant culture confirmed the selective loss of SPP1 in RMG upon treatment. Since SPP1 in the retina has been described neuroprotective for photoreceptors and functions against experimentally induced cell swelling, its rapid loss under diabetic conditions may point to a direct involvement of RMG to the early neurodegenerative processes driving DR. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD015879.
Gene Expression in Parthenogenic Maize Proembryos

Angiosperm plants reproduce both sexually and asexually (by apomixis). In apomictic plants, the embryo and endosperm develop without fertilization. Modern maize seems to have a broken apomixis-triggering mechanism, which still works in Tripsacum and in Tripsacum–maize hybrids. For the first time, maize lines characterized by pronounced and inheritable high-frequency maternal parthenogenesis were generated 40 years ago, but there are no data on gene expression in parthenogenic maize proembryos. Here we examined for the first time gene expression in parthenogenic proembryos isolated from unpollinated embryo sacs (ESs) of a parthenogenic maize line (AT-4). The DNA-methylation genes (dmt103, dmt105) and the genes coding for the chromatin-modifying enzymes (chr106, hdt104, hon101) were expressed much higher in parthenogenic proembryos than in unpollinated ESs. The expression of the fertilization-independent endosperm (fie1) genes was found for the first time in parthenogenic proembryos and unpollinated ESs. In parthenogenic proembryos, the Zm_fie2 gene was expressed up to two times higher than it was expressed in unpollinated ESs.
Blood Procalcitonin Level as a Diagnostic Marker of Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis in children are essential, due to the high mortality and morbidity rates. However, lumbar puncture is often difficult, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture takes time. This meta-analysis aims to determine the diagnostic accuracy of blood procalcitonin for detecting bacterial meningitis in children. We conducted a systematic search on electronic databases to identify relevant studies. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated, and a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were determined. Eighteen studies with 1462 children were included in the analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the DOR of blood procalcitonin for detecting bacterial meningitis were 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78–0.93); 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75–0.91), and 35.85 (95% CI: 10.68–120.28), respectively. The AUC for blood procalcitonin was 0.921. Blood procalcitonin also showed higher diagnostic accuracy for detecting bacterial meningitis than other conventional biomarkers, including serum C-reactive protein and leukocyte count, CSF leukocyte and neutrophil count, and CSF protein and glucose levels. Blood procalcitonin can be a good supplemental biomarker with high diagnostic accuracy in detecting bacterial meningitis in children.
Immunology of Acute and Chronic Wound Healing

Skin wounds greatly affect the global healthcare system, creating a substantial burden on the economy and society. Moreover, the situation is exacerbated by low healing rates, which in fact are overestimated in reports. Cutaneous wounds are generally classified into acute and chronic. The immune response plays an important role during acute wound healing. The activation of immune cells and factors initiate the inflammatory process, facilitate wound cleansing and promote subsequent tissue healing. However, dysregulation of the immune system during the wound healing process leads to persistent inflammation and delayed healing, which ultimately result in chronic wounds. The microenvironment of a chronic wound is characterized by high quantities of pro-inflammatory macrophages, overexpression of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and IL-1β, increased activity of matrix metalloproteinases and abundance of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, chronic wounds are frequently complicated by bacterial biofilms, which perpetuate the inflammatory phase. Continuous inflammation and microbial biofilms make it very difficult for the chronic wounds to heal. In this review, we discuss the role of innate and adaptive immunity in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic wounds. Furthermore, we review the latest immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies, including modifying macrophage phenotype, regulating miRNA expression and targeting pro- and anti-inflammatory factors to improve wound healing.