Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Indigenous food security revival strategies at the village level: The gender factor implications

This article is based on an evaluation concerning the practice of the Zunde raMambo concept (commonly referred to as Zunde) in four of Zimbabwe’s 52 districts; (Mangwe, Lupane, Guruve and Hwedza). Zunde is a social security system providing protection against food shortages to vulnerable families and is coordinated by chiefs. The Zunde concept identifies with Ndebele and Shona rural communities in Zimbabwe. Thus, this evaluation sought to determine the relevance and fulfilment of the Zunde project objectives, namely: efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability. The revived Zunde practice extends a long way in reducing food insecurity in vulnerable communities. Although the concept may be as old as the Zimbabwean culture, it had been abandoned as communities became urbanised. The Chief’s Council of Zimbabwe, in collaboration with the Nutrition Unit of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare have rekindled it. However, to revive this indigenous knowledge practice, there is need to assess the nature of existing social and economic structures, leadership, gender roles and the availability of resources such as land, inputs and implements. This article, which is based on both qualitative and quantitative data, collected between September 2013 and March 2014, goes on to reflect on policy issues surrounding disaster risk reduction (DRR) and survival strategies used by vulnerable communities in rural areas of Zimbabwe. It recommends that the gender factor approach offers the best means possible to understand peoples’ needs and challenges as well as how these can be satisfied and resolved respectively.
Asymptotically optimal minimizers schemes

Motivation The minimizers technique is a method to sample k-mers that is used in many bioinformatics software to reduce computation, memory usage and run time. The number of applications using minimizers keeps on growing steadily. Despite its many uses, the theoretical understanding of minimizers is still very limited. In many applications, selecting as few k-mers as possible (i.e. having a low density) is beneficial. The density is highly dependent on the choice of the order on the k-mers. Different applications use different orders, but none of these orders are optimal. A better understanding of minimizers schemes, and the related local and forward schemes, will allow designing schemes with lower density, and thereby making existing and future bioinformatics tools even more efficient. Results From the analysis of the asymptotic behavior of minimizers, forward and local schemes, we show that the previously believed lower bound on minimizers schemes does not hold, and that schemes with density lower than thought possible actually exist. The proof is constructive and leads to an efficient algorithm to compare k-mers. These orders are the first known orders that are asymptotically optimal. Additionally, we give improved bounds on the density achievable by the 3 type of schemes. Contact gmarcais@cs.cmu. edu ckingsf@cs.cmu. edu
A Plasma Biochemical Analysis of Acute Lead Poisoning in a Rat Model by Chemometrics-Based Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy: An Exploratory Study

In this work, we explored to use chemometrics-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to investigate the plasma biochemical changes due to acute lead poisoning (ALP) in a rat model. We first collected the FTIR spectra of the plasma samples from the rats with and without suffering from ALP. We then performed the chemometric analysis of these FTIR spectra using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). We found that the chemometrics-based FTIR spectroscopy can discriminate the rats with and without ALP. Further analysis on the PLS-DA regression coefficient revealed that the spectral changes, in particular, corresponding to the biochemical changes of proteins in the plasma may be used as potential spectral biomarkers for the diagnostics of lead poisoning. Our work demonstrates the potential of chemometrics-based FTIR spectroscopy as a promising tool for the biochemical analysis of plasma that could consequently enable an objective, convenient and non-destructive diagnostics of lead poisoning. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first application of chemometrics-based FTIR spectroscopy in the diagnostics of lead poisoning.
Development of a model for investigation of perennial ryegrass toxicosis in sheep

AIMS To develop a clinical model of perennial ryegrass toxicosis (PRGT) based on feeding a known dose of lolitrem B and ergotamine, and to produce a consistent clinical presentation for assessment of disease pathophysiology, neurological changes and neurohistopathology. METHODS Male lambs, aged between 10–12 months, were randomly assigned to either Treatment (n=9) or Control (n=9) groups. Lambs in the Treatment group received feed containing a novel endophyte-infested perennial ryegrass seed, commencing on Day 0 of the Feeding phase with a low induction dose, then increasing after 3 days to provide 0.16 mg/kg live bodywight (LBW)/day of lolitrem B and 0.054 mg/kg LBW/day ergotamine. Lambs were examined daily and when defined signs of PRGT were observed they were transferred to the Testing phase. Neurological examinations, assessment of gait, surface electromyography (EMG) and mechanosensory nociceptive threshold testing were carried out and blood samples collected during both phases of the trial, with a full necropsy, histopathological examination and measurement of faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) performed on Day 2 of the Testing phase. RESULTS Typical clinical signs of PRGT, including ataxia of vestibulocerebellar origin leading to stumbling, were observed in all Treatment lambs. The median interval from the start of the Feeding phase to entry into the Testing phase was 21 (min 18, max 34) days. Histopathological characterisation of neurological lesions included the presence of Purkinje cell vacuolation, pyknotic granular layer neurons and proximal axonal Purkinje cell spheroids. Lesions were most apparent within the vestibulocerebellum. Mean root-mean-square voltages from triceps EMG increased in Treatment lambs between Feeding phase Day 0 and Testing phase Day 2 (p<0.001). Daily water intake during the Testing phase for the Treatment group was less than in Control group lambs (p=0.002), and concentrations of FCM at necropsy were higher in Treatment compared to Control lambs (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Lolitrem B and ergotamine dosing in feed on a live weight basis combined with neurological/gait assessment provides an effective model for investigation of PRGT and potential therapeutics. Assessment of gait changes using defined criteria and RMS voltages from EMG appear to be useful tools for the assessment of the severity of neurological changes.
Delaying Anticancer Drug Delivery by Self-Assembly and Branching Effects of Minimalist Dendron-Drug Conjugates.

Self-assembly of a covalently-bound lipophilic drug to a dendronic scaffold for making organic nanoparticles is reported as a proof of concept in nanovectorization. A minimalist structural approach with a small PEG-dendron conjugated to paclitaxel (PTX), incorporating safe succinic and gallic acids, is efficient to provide the expected anticancer bioactivity, but also significantly retards and targets intracellular delivery of PTX in 2D and 3D lung cancer cell cultures. A branching effect of dendrons is crucial, when compared to linear PTX conjugates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light-scattering (DLS) studies indicate the formation of stable, low-disperse nanoparticles at 10-5 m in H2 0, which could also be responsible for the biological effects. An ultrasensitive LC-MS/MS method was used for the determination of intracellular PTX concentration over time, along with the survival rates of cancer cells. Similarly, cell survival assays were successfully correlated to a 3D cell culture with spheroids for mimicking tumors, when treated with PTX conjugates. Our work opens the way to a full evaluation program required for new chemical entities.
Intracellular attenuation of BMP signaling via CKIP-1/Smurf1 is essential during neural crest induction

The neural crest is induced at the neural plate border during gastrulation by combined bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and Wnt signaling. While intermediate BMP levels are critical for this induction, secreted BMP inhibitors are largely absent from the neural plate border. Here, we propose a morphogen model in which intracellular attenuation of BMP signaling sets the required intermediate levels to maintain neural crest induction. We show that the scaffold protein casein kinase interacting protein 1 (CKIP-1) and ubiquitin ligase Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1) are coexpressed with BMP4 at the chick neural plate border. Knockdown of CKIP-1 during a critical period between gastrulation and neurulation causes neural crest loss. Consistent with specific BMP modulation, CKIP-1 loss suppresses phospho-Smads 1/5/8 (pSmad1/5/8) and BMP reporter output but has no effect on Wnt signaling; Smurf1 overexpression (OE) acts similarly. Epistasis experiments further show that CKIP-1 rescues Smurf1-mediated neural crest loss. The results support a model in which CKIP-1 suppresses Smurf1-mediated degradation of Smads, uncovering an intracellular mechanism for attenuation of BMP signaling to the intermediate levels required for maintenance of neural crest induction.
Intramuscular Temperature of Rectus Femoris During Cold Water Immersion

Purpose: To establish a protocol for cold water immersion (CWI) temperature and duration based on adipose tissue thickness and desired cooling at 2 cm sub-adipose tissue of rectus femoris (RF) after exercise. Methods: Sixteen participants received a CWI treatment (10 °C) until either intramuscular thigh temperature (2 cm sub-adipose) decreased 7 °C below pre-exercise level or 30 minutes was reached. Temperature was recorded every 30 seconds using skin and implantable fine-wire thermocouples. Temperature reductions and cooling rates were analyzed. Results: Five out of the 16 participants cooled 7 °C below baseline within 30 min. Adipose thickness and percent body fat are significantly correlated with CWI cooling rate (M=0.27 °C/min) (p<.01). Intramuscular tissue continues to significantly cool post-CWI (p<.005) an average of 1.7°C for an average of 23 min. Minimal intramuscular tissue cooling is achieved after 10 and 15 min (M=2.5°C, M=4.0°C respectively). Discussion: CWI treatment protocols need to be based on adipose thickness and target tissue depth. Recommended cooling of acute injuries to reduce secondary hypoxia is likely greater than cooling needed for post-workout recovery to reduce EIMD. INTRODUCTION Cryotherapy, specifically cold water immersion (CWI), is the therapeutic use of cold. It is a widely used modality used to treat exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) (Ingram, Dawson, Goodman, Wallman, & Beilby, 2009; Jakeman, Macrae, & Easton, 2009; King & Duffield, 2009). Damage includes disruption of the sarcolemma, fragmentation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, lesions of the plasma membrane, cytoskeletal damage and swollen mitochondria (Eston & Peters, 1999). CWI is used to reduce tissue temperature. The reduction in tissue temperature decreases swelling by slowing blood flow to the affected area (Cochrane, 2004; Wilcock, Cronin, & Hing, 2006; Bailey et al., 2007; Jakeman et al., 2009),
Online Model Updating and Dynamic Learning Rate-Based Robust Object Tracking

Robust visual tracking is a significant and challenging issue in computer vision-related research fields and has attracted an immense amount of attention from researchers. Due to various practical applications, many studies have been done that have introduced numerous algorithms. It is considered to be a challenging problem due to the unpredictability of various real-time situations, such as illumination variations, occlusion, fast motion, deformation, and scale variation, even though we only know the initial target position. To address these matters, we used a kernelized-correlation-filter-based translation filter with the integration of multiple features such as histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) and color attributes. These powerful features are useful to differentiate the target from the surrounding background and are effective for motion blur and illumination variations. To minimize the scale variation problem, we designed a correlation-filter-based scale filter. The proposed adaptive model’s updating and dynamic learning rate strategies based on a peak-to-sidelobe ratio effectively reduce model-drifting problems by avoiding noisy appearance changes. The experiment results show that our method provides the best performance compared to other methods, with a distance precision score of 79.9%, overlap success score of 59.0%, and an average running speed of 74 frames per second on the object tracking benchmark (OTB-2015).
Galangin, a dietary flavonoid, ameliorates hyperglycaemia and lipid abnormalities in rats with streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia

Abstract Context: Galangin, a natural flavonoid, is found in honey and Alpinia officinarum Hance (Zingiberaceae). Galangin has antiviral, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and anticancer properties, without side effects. The effects of galangin on hyperglycaemia and lipid abnormalities are not known. Objective: To elucidate the effectiveness of galangin on hyperglycaemia-associated complications and lipid changes in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycaemia. Materials and methods: Diabetes was induced in adult Wistar rats by administering 40 mg/kg of STZ. In our previous study, galangin had no toxicity at concentrations up to 320 mg/kg. Therefore three doses of galangin (4, 8 or 16 mg/kg BW) or glibenclamide (600 µg/kg BW) were administered daily to diabetic rats orally for 45 days. Results: Diabetic rats showed a significant (p < 0.05) increased levels of plasma glucose (281.10 mg/dL) and decreased levels of insulin (6.01 μU/mL). Additionally, diabetic rats showed a significant (p < 0.05) increased levels of plasma lipid profiles such as total cholesterol (149.05 mg/dL), triglycerides (143.28 mg/dL), free fatty acids (139.37 mg/dL), phospholipids (127.53 mg/dL), plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (98.72 mg/dL), plasma very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (28.65 mg/dL), and significant (p < 0.05) decreased in plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (21.68 mg/dL). When galangin was administered to the hyperglycaemic rats, plasma glucose and insulin levels and lipid profiles reverted to levels similar to those in healthy control rats. Discussion and conclusions: Administration of galangin reduced hyperlipidaemia related to the risk of diabetic complications and could be beneficial for diabetic hyperlipidaemic patients. Further work detailing its mechanism-of-action for improving hyperglycaemic-associated lipid abnormalities is needed.
Life after loss: Comparing student service member/veteran and civilian mental health characteristics among individuals exposed to death by suicide

Abstract Objective: This study evaluated the mental health characteristics and beliefs of student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs) who have been exposed to another’s death by suicide. Participants: A total of 39 SSM/Vs exposed to suicide and 32 SSM/Vs not exposed to suicide were sampled from a larger, epidemiological survey. An age- and gender-matched group of 39 civilian (C) students was drawn from a larger sample of individuals exposed to suicide. Methods: Data were collected as part of an Internet-based, campus needs survey that occurred in Fall 2014. Participants were asked to complete measures about suicide-related behaviors, suicide prevention, help-seeking, and demographics. Results: SSM/Vs exposed to suicide had more positive mental health/suicide prevention beliefs than SSM/Vs not exposed to suicide. Cs exposed to suicide were not significantly different from either group. Unique help-seeking patterns were also identified. Conclusions: The current study identifies unique characteristics of SSM/Vs exposed to suicide that may inform prevention programming.
Chemical evolution of volatile organic compounds in the outflow of the Mexico City Metropolitan area

Abstract. The volatile organic compound (VOC) distribution in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) and its evolution as it is uplifted and transported out of the MCMA basin was studied during the 2006 MILAGRO/MIRAGE-Mex field campaign. The results show that in the morning hours in the city center, the VOC distribution is dominated by non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) but with a substantial contribution from oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs), predominantly from primary emissions. Alkanes account for a large part of the NMHC distribution in terms of mixing ratios. In terms of reactivity, NMHCs also dominate overall, especially in the morning hours. However, in the afternoon, as the boundary layer lifts and air is mixed and aged within the basin, the distribution changes as secondary products are formed. The WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry) model and MOZART (Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers) were able to approximate the observed MCMA daytime patterns and absolute values of the VOC OH reactivity. The MOZART model is also in agreement with observations showing that NMHCs dominate the reactivity distribution except in the afternoon hours. The WRF-Chem and MOZART models showed higher reactivity than the experimental data during the nighttime cycle, perhaps indicating problems with the modeled nighttime boundary layer height. A northeast transport event was studied in which air originating in the MCMA was intercepted aloft with the Department of Energy (DOE) G1 on 18 March and downwind with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) C130 one day later on 19 March. A number of identical species measured aboard each aircraft gave insight into the chemical evolution of the plume as it aged and was transported as far as 1000 km downwind; ozone was shown to be photochemically produced in the plume. The WRF-Chem and MOZART models were used to examine the spatial extent and temporal evolution of the plume and to help interpret the observed OH reactivity. The model results generally showed good agreement with experimental results for the total VOC OH reactivity downwind and gave insight into the distributions of VOC chemical classes. A box model with detailed gas phase chemistry (NCAR Master Mechanism), initialized with concentrations observed at one of the ground sites in the MCMA, was used to examine the expected evolution of specific VOCs over a 1–2 day period. The models clearly supported the experimental evidence for NMHC oxidation leading to the formation of OVOCs downwind, which then become the primary fuel for ozone production far away from the MCMA.
Towards Solving the Mixing Problem in the Decomposition of Geophysical Time Series by Independent Component Analysis

The useof the Principal ComponentAnalysis techniquefor the analysis of geophysicaltime serieshas beenquestionedin particular for its tendency to extract componentsthat mix severalphysical phenomenaevenwhen the signal is just their linear sum. We demonstrate with a data simulation experiment that the Independent ComponentAnalysis, a recently developedtechnique, is able to solve this problem. This new technique requires the statistical independenceof components,a stronger constraint, that useshigher-orderstatistics, instead of the classical decorrelation, a weakerconstraint, that usesonly second-orderstatistics. Furtherm,,re, ICA does not require additional a _priori information such as the localization cot straint used in Rotational Techniques.
Modern Endoscopic Imaging in Diagnosis and Surveillance of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

Endoscopy remains the most important diagnostic and monitoring modality in the management of inflammatory bowel disease. Advances in imaging have progressively added new tools into the armamentarium of endoscopists with the goal of more accurate, sensitive, and accessible visual diagnoses for the benefit of patients with gastrointestinal diseases. Here, we review the relevant literature regarding commonly used endoscopic techniques (dye-based and digital chromoendoscopy, high-definition endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, and endosonography), as well as advanced and experimental technologies (full-spectrum endoscopy, endocytoscopy, autofluorescence, laser endoscopy, and endomicroscopy, including molecular imaging), applicable to inflammatory bowel diseases and emerging for implementation into everyday practice. Additionally, we discuss future directions and techniques as candidates for a superior inflammation imaging in the diagnosis and prediction of therapeutic response.
Autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial plankton biomass in the NW Iberian upwelling: seasonal assessment of metabolic balance

Although it is assumed that small plankton cells prevail in the oligotrophic ocean and microplankton dominate in coastal upwelling zones, several signals point to a great importance of picoand nanoplankton in upwelling systems. We studied the size distribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial plankton biomass in shelf waters of the NW Iberian upwelling over an annual cycle. Both autotrophs and heterotrophs showed a seasonal evolution related to the hydrographic regime. The lowest total plankton biomass (3.8 ± 0.9 g C m−2) was recorded in winter associated with the Iberian Poleward Current, while highest values occurred during the spring onset (10.5 ± 3.4 g C m−2), summer upwelling (10.8 ± 3.8 g C m−2) and summer stratification (9.3 ± 2.0 g C m−2). Nanoand picoplankton dominated the microbial community, with the major variations in biomass occurring through the addition or disappearance of microplankton cells, mainly diatoms. Thus, the food web in this upwelling system should be considered multivorous, with the microbial loop (picoand nanoplankton) as a background to which a diatom-based food web is added during upwelling. The estimated metabolic balance showed that the microbial community was autotrophic only during upwelling and spring onset, coinciding with the presence of diatoms. Heterotrophy was basically located in the picoplankton fraction. These results and the threshold of carbon fixation (2.5 to 3.5 g C m−2 d−1) needed to maintain a balanced metabolism lead us to conclude that in a future scenario with low upwelling intensity and frequency, the microbial community in the NW Iberian upwelling would be heterotrophic.
Crystal Structure of LSD1 in Complex with 4-[5-(Piperidin-4-ylmethoxy)-2-(p-tolyl)pyridin-3-yl]benzonitrile

Because lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) regulates the maintenance of cancer stem cell properties, small-molecule inhibitors of LSD1 are expected to be useful for the treatment of several cancers. Reversible inhibitors of LSD1 with submicromolar inhibitory potency have recently been reported, but their exact binding modes are poorly understood. In this study, we synthesized a recently reported reversible inhibitor, 4-[5-(piperidin-4-ylmethoxy)-2-(p-tolyl)pyridin-3-yl]benzonitrile, which bears a 4-piperidinylmethoxy group, a 4-methylphenyl group, and a 4-cyanophenyl group on a pyridine ring, and determined the crystal structure of LSD1 in complex with this inhibitor at 2.96 Å. We observed strong electron density for the compound, showing that its cyano group forms a hydrogen bond with Lys661, which is a critical residue in the lysine demethylation reaction located deep in the catalytic center of LSD1. The piperidine ring interacts with the side chains of Asp555 and Asn540 in two conformations, and the 4-methylphenyl group is bound in a hydrophobic pocket in the catalytic center. Our elucidation of the binding mode of this compound can be expected to facilitate the rational design of more-potent reversible LSD1 inhibitors.