Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Triacontanol Promotes the Fruit Development and Retards Fruit Senescence in Strawberry: A Transcriptome Analysis

Triacontanol (TA) is a non-toxic, pollution-free, low-cost, high-efficiency, broad-spectrum plant growth regulator that plays an important role in plant growth and development, but its regulation mechanism of strawberry (Sweet charlie, Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) fruit development is still unclear. In this study, we showed that TA treatment (50 μM) could promote fruit development by up-regulating factors related to fruit ripening-related growth and development. TA increased fruit sugar content and anthocyanin accumulation, and many stress-related enzyme activities. In the meantime, Illumina RNA-Seq technology was used to evaluate the effect of TA treatment on strawberry fruit senescence. The results showed that 9338 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained, including 4520 up-regulated DEGs and 4818 down-regulated DEGs. We performed gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of these DEGs. The results showed that TA treatment caused changes in transcript levels related to cellular processes, hormones and secondary metabolism, such as DNA metabolic processes, flavonoid synthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction. Bioinformatics analysis showed that many transcription factors were related to fruit maturity. Taken together, this study will provide new insights into the mechanism of strawberry development and postharvest response to TA treatment.
miRNA Reference Genes in Extracellular Vesicles Released from Amniotic Membrane-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Human amniotic membrane and amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) have produced promising results in regenerative medicine, especially for the treatment of inflammatory-based diseases and for different injuries including those in the orthopedic field such as tendon disorders. hAMSCs have been proposed to exert their anti-inflammatory and healing potential via secreted factors, both free and conveyed within extracellular vesicles (EVs). In particular, EV miRNAs are considered privileged players due to their impact on target cells and tissues, and their future use as therapeutic molecules is being intensely investigated. In this view, EV-miRNA quantification in either research or future clinical products has emerged as a crucial paradigm, although, to date, largely unsolved due to lack of reliable reference genes (RGs). In this study, a panel of thirteen putative miRNA RGs (let-7a-5p, miR-16-5p, miR-22-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-29a-5p, miR-101-3p, miR-103a-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-425-5p, miR-660-5p and U6 snRNA) that were identified in different EV types was assessed in hAMSC-EVs. A validated experimental pipeline was followed, sifting the output of four largely accepted algorithms for RG prediction (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ΔCt method). Out of nine RGs constitutively expressed across all EV isolates, miR-101-3p and miR-22-5p resulted in the most stable RGs, whereas miR-423-5p and U6 snRNA performed poorly. miR-22-5p was also previously reported to be a reliable RG in adipose-derived MSC-EVs, suggesting its suitability across samples isolated from different MSC types. Further, to shed light on the impact of incorrect RG choice, the level of five tendon-related miRNAs (miR-29a-3p, miR-135a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-337-3p, let-7d-5p) was compared among hAMSC-EVs isolates. The use of miR-423-5p and U6 snRNA did not allow a correct quantification of miRNA incorporation in EVs, leading to less accurate fingerprinting and, if used for potency prediction, misleading indication of the most appropriate clinical batch. These results emphasize the crucial importance of RG choice for EV-miRNAs in hAMSCs studies and contribute to the identification of reliable RGs such as miR-101-3p and miR-22-5p to be validated in other MSC-EVs related fields.
Evaluation of Repellent Effectiveness of Polyvinyl Alcohol/Eucalyptus globules Nanofibrous Membranes against Forcipomyia taiwana

This study aims to develop nanofibrous membranes where Eucalyptus globules oil (EGO) is wrapped in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The EGO-based nanofibrous membranes are then evaluated for the protection against Forcipomyia taiwana (F. taiwana). In the first stage, the PVA solutions are formulated with different concentrations and are measured for viscosity and electrical conductivity. In the next stage, PVA solution and EGO are blended at different ratios and electrospun into PVA/EGO nanofibrous membranes (i.e., EGO-based repellent). In this study, a PVA concentration of 14 wt% has a positive influence on fiber formation. Furthermore, the finest nanofibers of 291 nm are presented when the voltage is 15 kV. The repellent efficacy can reach 80% in a 60-min release when the repellent is composed of a PVA/oil ratio of 90/10. To sum up, the nanofibrous membranes of essential oil exhibit good repellent efficacy against F. taiwana and significant slow-release effect, instead of adversely affecting the cell viability.
Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) Condensed Tannins as Feed Additives to Lactating Dairy Cows

Simple Summary Plant compounds such as condensed tannins can be used to modulate ruminal fermentation, and to improve feed utilization and the final product quality in dairy cattle. In this study, we evaluated the inclusion of condensed tannins from Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) at levels up to 2% of the dry matter in the diets of dairy cows and its effects on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, milk production and composition. Condensed tannin inclusion in the diets did not affect feed or nutrient intake. Digestibility of diet dry matter and neutral detergent fiber was highest at inclusion levels of 1.22% and 1.14%, respectively. There was no effect of tannin inclusion on milk production; however, there was a reduction in milk casein concentration. Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of five levels of condensed tannins (CT) from black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) in the diets of lactating dairy cows on intake, nutrient digestibility, ruminal microbial protein synthesis, milk production, composition, oxidative profile, and blood metabolites. Five Holstein cows (88 ± 26.8 days in milk) were allocated in a 5 x 5 Latin square design for a period of 20 days (14 days of diet adaptation and six for sampling). Treatments were the inclusion levels of CT at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in the diet. There was no effect of CT on DM intake. The digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber changed quadratically, with the maximum values at 12.2 and 11.4 g/kg of DM, respectively. There was no effect on ruminal microbial protein synthesis and milk production; however, milk casein concentration was reduced linearly. There was no effect on the milk oxidative profile. Inclusion of CT at levels up to 20 g/kg of DM did not affect intake or microbial protein synthesis; however, added CT depressed the production of energy corrected milk and milk casein concentration.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in a Southeastern County of the United States: Child Characteristics and Maternal Risk Traits.

OBJECTIVE To detail the characteristic traits of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) and maternal risk factors in a southeastern U.S. County. METHODS Independent samples were drawn from 2 different cohorts of first-grade students. All consented children (49.8%) were measured for height, weight, and head circumference, and those ≤ 25th centile entered the study along with a random sample drawn from all enrolled students. Study children were examined for physical growth, dysmorphology, and neurobehavior, and their mothers were interviewed. RESULTS Total dysmorphology scores discriminated well the physical traits of children across the FASD continuum: fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) = 15.8, partial FAS (PFAS) = 10.8, alcohol-related neurobehavioral disorder (ARND) = 5.2, and typically developing controls = 4.4. Additionally, a neurobehavioral battery distinguished children with each FASD diagnosis from controls. Behavioral problems qualified more children for FASD diagnoses than cognitive traits. Significant proximal maternal risk variables were as follows: reports of prepregnancy drinking, drinking in any trimester, and comorbid use of other drugs in lifetime and during pregnancy, especially alcohol and marijuana (14.9% among mothers of children with FASD vs. 0.4% for controls). Distal maternal risks included reports of other health problems (e.g., depression), living unmarried with a partner during pregnancy, and a lower level of spirituality. Controlling for other drug use during pregnancy, having a child diagnosed with a FASD was 17.5 times greater for women who reported usual consumption of 3 drinks per drinking day prior to pregnancy than for nondrinking mothers (p < 0.001, 95% CI = 5.1 to 59.9). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of FASD by race, Hispanic ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. The prevalence of FASD was not lower than 17.3 per 1,000, and weighted estimated prevalence was 49.0 per 1,000 or 4.9%. CONCLUSION This site had the second lowest rate in the CoFASP study, yet children with FASD are prevalent.
Genetic Interactions of Histone Modification Machinery Set1 and PAF1C with the Recombination Complex Rec114-Mer2-Mei4 in the Formation of Meiotic DNA Double-Strand Breaks

Homologous recombination is essential for chromosome segregation during meiosis I. Meiotic recombination is initiated by the introduction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific genomic locations called hotspots, which are catalyzed by Spo11 and its partners. DSB hotspots during meiosis are marked with Set1-mediated histone H3K4 methylation. The Spo11 partner complex, Rec114-Mer2-Mei4, essential for the DSB formation, localizes to the chromosome axes. For efficient DSB formation, a hotspot with histone H3K4 methylation on the chromatin loops is tethered to the chromosome axis through the H3K4 methylation reader protein, Spp1, on the axes, which interacts with Mer2. In this study, we found genetic interaction of mutants in a histone modification protein complex called PAF1C with the REC114 and MER2 in the DSB formation in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Namely, the paf1c mutations rtf1 and cdc73 showed synthetic defects in meiotic DSB formation only when combined with a wild-type-like tagged allele of either the REC114 or MER2. The synthetic defect of the tagged REC114 allele in the DSB formation was seen also with the set1, but not with spp1 deletion. These results suggest a novel role of histone modification machinery in DSB formation during meiosis, which is independent of Spp1-mediated loop-axis tethering.
Combustion of Titanium–Carbon Black High-Energy Ball-Milled Mixtures in Nitrogen: Formation of Titanium Carbonitrides at Atmospheric Pressure

In this work, titanium carbonitrides were synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) in nitrogen. For the first time, the synthesis of titanium carbonitrides by combustion was realized in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. The synthesis was carried out by subjecting high-energy ball-milled titanium–carbon black powder mixtures to combustion in a nitrogen atmosphere. The influence of the ball milling time on the phase composition of the products of SHS conducted in the Ti+0.3C reaction mixture was studied. It was found that the titanium–carbon black mixtures need to be milled for a certain period of time for the combustion synthesis to yield a single-phase carbonitride product.
Inter-Observer Agreement of a New Endoscopic Score for Ulcerative Colitis Activity: Preliminary Experience

Ulcerative colitis (UC) endoscopic scores translate mucosal damage into values standardizing image analysis. Due to potential limits of current endoscopic activity indexes, we have elaborated on a new score, the “Extended Mayo Endoscopic Score (EMES),” and evaluated its inter-observer agreement in a multicenter endoscopy team, comparing concordance with the Mayo subscore. Sixteen UC consecutive patients underwent follow-up colonoscopy. Recorded videos were anonymously loaded on a web platform. Thirteen expert endoscopists evaluated UC activity using both Mayo and EMES. EMES was described in every colon segment: erythema (0: absent, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe), vascular pattern (0: normal, 1: reduction, 2: disappearance), erosions and ulcers (0: absent, 1: from 1 to 5, 2: 6 to 10, 3: >10). Weighted Fleiss’ kappa with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value defined inter-rater agreement. Global inter-observer agreement of EMES was moderate (kappa = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.46–0.67, p < 0.001). The evaluation of each colonic segment showed moderate agreement for all segments: ascending (kappa = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.32–0.60, p < 0.001), transverse (kappa = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.29–0.67, p < 0.001); descending (kappa = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.35–0.64, p < 0.001), sigmoid (kappa = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.39–0.65, p < 0.001) and rectum (kappa = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.42–0.69, p < 0.001). Mayo subscore agreement was similar to global EMES (kappa = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.39–0.66, p = 0.001). Therefore, our report emphasizes the importance of assessing inter-observer agreement for EMES, but also for other known scoring systems, including the Mayo subscore.
TeroKit: A Database-Driven Web Server for Terpenome Research

Natural products are the major resource of drug discovery, and terpenoids represent the largest family of natural products. Terpenome defines as all terpenoid-like and terpenoid-derived natural compounds, including the terpenoids, steroids and their derivatives. Herein, aiming to navigate the chemical and biological space of terpenome, the first comprehensive database dedicated to terpenome research has been developed by collecting over 110,000 terpenome molecules from various resources, distributing in 14351 species, belonging to 1109 families and showing activity against 1366 biological targets. Many publically available information or computationally predicted properties for each terpenome molecule are annotated and integrated into TeroKit (http://terokit.qmclab.com/), serving as free web-server for academic use. Moreover, several practical toolkits, such as target profiling and conformer generation modules, are also implemented to facilitate the drug discovery of terpenome.
Hydrogen improves cell viability partly through inhibition of autophagy and activation of PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway in a microvascular endothelial cell model of traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT Objective：Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Hydrogen (H2), a flammable, colorless, and odorless gas, has been observed to have preventive and therapeutic effects on brain trauma and other neurological disorders, but its exact mechanism has not been fully clarified. Methods: To further study the mechanism underlying the role of hydrogen gas in alleviating BBB damage after TBI, we performed the scratch injury model on cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3), which formed the microvascular endothelial barrier – an integral part of the highly specialized BBB. Results: In the case of TBI, hydrogen was able to improve the decline of cell viability induced by TBI. More importantly, inhibition of PI3 K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway or activation of autophagy reduced the protective effect of hydrogen on cell viability, indicating that such protective effect was regulated by PI3 K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway and was related to the inhibition of autophagy. Conclusion: So we concluded that hydrogen improved the cell viability in a microvascular endothelial cell model of TBI partly through inhibition of autophagy, and inhibitory effect of hydrogen on autophagy was exerted by activating PI3 K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway. These findings enriched our knowledge about the mechanism of hydrogen therapy against TBI.
Elbow Damage Identification Technique Based on Sparse Inversion Image Reconstruction

Continuous monitoring for defects in oil and gas pipelines is important for leakage prevention. This paper proposes a new kind of pipe elbow damage identification technique, which consists of three processes. First, piezoelectric sensors evenly arranged along the circumference of the pipeline in the turn generated ultrasonic guided wave signals in the elbow. Then, the wavefront flight time at each grid node in the known sound field were computed using the fast-marching algorithm. Finally, an elbow wall thickness map reconstruction technique based on the sparse inversion method was proposed to identify elbow defects. Compared with the traditional elbow defect identification technology, this technology can not only detect the existence of the defect but also accurately locate the defect position.
In Vitro Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Iron from Mature and Microgreen Fenugreek, Rocket and Broccoli

Iron deficiency is a global epidemic affecting a third of the world’s population. Current efforts are focused on investigating sustainable ways to improve the bioavailability of iron in plant-based diets. Incorporating microgreens into the diet of at-risk groups in populations could be a useful tool in the management and prevention of iron deficiency. This study analysed and compared the mineral content and bioavailability of iron from microgreen and mature vegetables. The mineral content of rocket, broccoli and fenugreek microgreens and their mature counterparts was determined using microwave digestion and ICP-OES. Iron solubility and bioavailability from the vegetables were determined by a simulated gastrointestinal in vitro digestion and subsequent measurement of ferritin in Caco-2 cells as a surrogate marker of iron uptake. Iron contents of mature fenugreek and rocket were significantly higher than those of the microgreens. Mature fenugreek and broccoli showed significantly (p < 0.001) higher bioaccessibility and low-molecular-weight iron than found in the microgreens. Moreover, iron uptake by Caco-2 cells was significantly higher only from fenugreek microgreens than the mature vegetable. While all vegetables except broccoli enhanced FeSO4 uptake, the response to ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) was inhibitory apart from the mature rocket. Ascorbic acid significantly enhanced iron uptake from mature fenugreek and rocket. Microgreen fenugreek may be bred for a higher content of enhancers of iron availability as a strategy to improve iron nutrition in the populace.
The Maryland Analysis of Developmental EEG (MADE) Pipeline

Compared to adult EEG, EEG signals recorded from pediatric populations have shorter recording periods and contain more artifact contamination. Therefore, pediatric EEG data necessitate specific preprocessing approaches in order to remove environmental noise and physiological artifacts without losing large amounts of data. However, there is presently a scarcity of standard automated preprocessing pipelines suitable for pediatric EEG. In an effort to achieve greater standardization of EEG preprocessing, and in particular for the analysis of pediatric data, we developed the Maryland Analysis of Developmental EEG (MADE) pipeline as an automated preprocessing pipeline compatible with EEG data recorded with different hardware systems, different populations, levels of artifact contamination, and length of recordings. MADE uses EEGLAB and functions from some EEGLAB plugins, and includes additional customizable features particularly useful for EEG data collected from pediatric populations. MADE processes event-related and resting state EEG from raw data files through a series of preprocessing steps and outputs processed clean data ready to be analyzed in time, frequency, or time-frequency domain. MADE provides a report file at the end of the preprocessing that describes a variety of features of the processed data to facilitate the assessment of the quality of processed data. In this paper we discuss some practical issues, which are specifically relevant to pediatric EEG preprocessing. We also provide custom-written scripts to address these practical issues. MADE is freely available under the terms of the GNU General Public License at https://github.com/ChildDevLab/MADE-EEG-preprocessing-pipeline.
The Clinical Potential of Circulating miRNAs as Biomarkers: Present and Future Applications for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Age-Associated Bone Diseases

Osteoporosis, related fracture/fragility, and osteoarthritis are age-related pathologies that, over recent years, have seen increasing incidence and prevalence due to population ageing. The diagnostic approaches to these pathologies suffer from limited sensitivity and specificity, also in monitoring the disease progression or treatment. For this reason, new biomarkers are desirable for improving the management of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis patients. The non-coding RNAs, called miRNAs, are key post-transcriptional factors in bone homeostasis, and promising circulating biomarkers for pathological conditions in which to perform a biopsy can be problematic. In fact, miRNAs can easily be detected in biological fluids (i.e., blood, serum, plasma) using methods with elevated sensitivity and specificity (RT-qPCR, microarray, and NGS). However, the analytical phases required for miRNAs’ evaluation still present some practical issues that limit their use in clinical practice. This review reveals miRNAs’ potential as circulating biomarkers for evaluating predisposition, diagnosis, and prognosis of osteoporosis (postmenopausal or idiopathic), bone fracture/fragility, and osteoarthritis, with a focus on pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical protocols used for their validation and thus on their clinical applicability. These evidences may support the definition of early diagnostic tools based on circulating miRNAs for bone diseases and osteoarthritis as well as for monitoring the effects of specific treatments.
Association between des-acyl ghrelin at fasting and predictive index of muscle derangement, metabolic markers and eating disorders: a cross-sectional study in overweight and obese adults

ABSTRACT Background: This study aimed to analyse the impact of des-acyl and acyl ghrelin (AG) on a wide range of muscular and metabolic markers and in order to discover the possible relationships and interactions of des-acylated ghrelin (DAG) on eating disorders. Materials & Methods: A total of 88 subjects (64 women and 24 men, with a mean age of 43 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 30.20 ± 3.27 kg/m2) were enrolled in the cross-sectional study. Results: The findings showed that for each unit of increase of free fat mass index (FFMI), levels of DAG decreased by −41.11 pg/mL (p < 0.05). Moreover, similar associations with DAG were found for insulin (β = −30.67; p < 0.001), leptin (β = −0.64; p < 0.05), body weight (β = −14.36; p < 0.001), and free fat mass (FFM) (β = −30.67; p < 0.001). In addition, associations were found between DAG and resting energy expenditure (REE) (β = −0.84; p = 0.05) and the binge eating scale (BES) in which a unit increase of the BES score Q3 (depression) correlated with a decrease of DAG levels (β = −9.98; p = 0.08). Further, a unit increase of AG/DAG ratio correspond with an increase in body weight (β = 12.20; p < 0.05), BMI (β = 4.70; p < 0.05) and fat mass (β = 7.30; p < 0.05). However, the AG/DAG ratio was not associated with FFMI (β = 2.61; p = 0.165) and FFML/BMI (β = −0,064; p = 0.625). Conclusion: This study suggests that higher levels of DAG at fasting are indices of poor muscle mass, insulin resistance and depression.