Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micropropagation and Production of Health Promoting Lignans in Linum usitatissimum

Linum usitatissimum commonly known as flax or linseed is an important medicinal plant, produces medicinally potent lignans, used in the treatment of several human diseases. Lignans limited production in the natural plants does not meet the increasing market demand. This study was conducted to establish an easy and rapid method for the in vitro micropropagation and production of potent lignans and antioxidant secondary metabolites in linseed. The results indicated that hypocotyl explants under the effects of thidiazuron (TDZ: 0.5 mg/L) + kinetin (Kn: 0.5 mg/L) in the basal growth media, resulted in the optimal shoot organogenesis parameters (shoot induction frequency: 86.87%, number of shoots: 6.3 ± 0.36 and shoots length: 6.5 ± 0.54 cm), in 4 weeks. Further, TDZ supplementation in the culture media efficiently activated the antioxidant system in the in vitro raised shoots, wherein maximum production of total phenolic content, TPC (34.33 ± 0.20 mg of GAE/g DW); total flavonoid content, TFC (8.99 ± 0.02 mg of QE/g DW); DPPH free radical scavenging activity (92.7 ± 1.32%); phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, PAL (8.99 ± 0.02 U/g FW); and superoxide dismutase expression, SOD (3.62 ± 0.01 nM/min/mg FW) were observed in the shoot cultures raised in presence of TDZ: 0.5 mg/L + Kn: 0.5 mg/L. Nonetheless, considerable levels of pharmacologically active lignans such as secoisolariciresinol (SECO: 23.13–37.10 mg/g DW), secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG: 3.32–3.86 mg/g DW) and anhydrosecoisolariciresinol diglucoside (ANHSECO: 5.15–7.94 mg/g DW) were accumulated in the regenerated shoots. This protocol can be scaled up for the commercial production of linseed to meet the market demands for lignans.
The Influence of Interlocking Directorates on the Propensity of Dividend Payout to the Parent Company

An examination was performed on whether director interlocks enabled the adoption of a dividend policy for the benefit of the parent company in the ownership structure. Specifically, the study investigated the dependence of the impact of the central position in the board network on the probability of dividend payment. Based on sample of firms listed on Polish capital market, it was observed that the more central the company’s position in the interlocking directorate network, the more likely it is to pay dividends to a subsidiary. This effect is related to the eigenvector centrality. The results obtained suggest that corporate financial policy can be spread across firms through the board network.
Effect of Phage-Antibiotic Synergism (PAS) in increasing antibiotic inhibition of bacteria caused of foodborne diseases.

INTRODUCTION Food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria is one of the most harmful things that can even threaten human life. Over time, these pathogenic bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Continuous use of synthetic preservatives will also have an adverse effect. This study was conducted to evaluate the synergy of bacteriophage and antibiotics in increasing antibiotics inhibition to the bacteria that cause foodborne disease. METHODOLOGY The test was performed by plaque assay and paper disc diffusion on NA medium in the same petri dish. The combination was incubated for 24 hours at 37ºC. An antibiotic inhibition on a non-bacteriophage test showed cefadroxil could only inhibit P21B bacteria. RESULTS Cefadroxil inhibition in the PAS test showed that these antibiotics could inhibit some other foodborne disease bacteria (Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli). The inhibitory observed from the clear zone located around the disc paper. CONCLUSION These results provide useful information to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans and foods.
Association of Benzodiazepines and Antidepressants With 180-Day Mortality Among Patients With Dementia Receiving Antipsychotic Pharmacotherapy: A Nationwide Registry-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE Antipsychotic drugs are known to increase mortality among patients with dementia. Many patients receive concomitant treatment with other psychotropic agents. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the impact of benzodiazepines and antidepressants on the risk of death in patients with dementia initiating antipsychotic drug treatment. METHODS Nationwide registry data on all incident dementia cases among individuals aged 65 years and older in Denmark between 2009 and 2013 for which antipsychotic treatment was initiated were used. The 180-day mortality was evaluated by crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs, including adjustment for somatic and psychiatric comorbidity, other prescription drugs, nursing home residency, and time since diagnosis), comparing periods of antipsychotic treatment with periods of concomitant treatment with benzodiazepines or antidepressants. RESULTS Among 41,494 incident dementia cases, antipsychotic treatment was initiated for 10,291 (24.8%). After 3,140 people were excluded due to recent antipsychotic drug use or hospitalization, 7,151 people were included in the analysis. The total follow-up time during current antipsychotic treatment was 1,146 person-years, and 831 died during antipsychotic treatment. Compared with antipsychotic treatment alone, the risk of death increased during antipsychotic treatment in combination with benzodiazepines (adjusted HR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.83-2.63), while there was a decreased risk of death during antipsychotic treatment in combination with antidepressants (adjusted HR = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.50-0.74). CONCLUSIONS The diverse impact of concomitant use of benzodiazepines and antidepressants on mortality may be due to a direct drug-related effect. Alternatively, the findings could reflect differential mortality associated with different indications for therapy. Although the results cannot prove causality, and there may be residual confounding, clinicians should be cautious when considering the combination of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in patients with dementia.
Response of five insect herbivores to multiple allelochemicals under fluctuating temperatures

Analysis of the combined effects of allelochemicals on insect herbivores is useful because there may be adverse additive or even synergistic effects. Analysis of the simultaneous effects of temperature and alleochemicals is also necessary because these factors may interact. We examined the effects of three allelochemicals found in tomato (chlorogenic acid, rutin and tomatine) and thermal regime (21:10 °C and 26:15 °C, representing spring and summer respectively) on five insect herbivores (a Solanaceae specialist, Manduca sexta, and the polyphagous Heliothis virescens, Pseudoplusia includens, Spodoptera frugiperda and Trichoplusia ni). There were allelochemical interactions and thermal regime‐allelochemical interactions for all species, and so the patterns were complex. In some cases, paired allelochemicals or the combination of three allelochemicals showed adverse additive effects on insect performance. But that was not always the case, and there were only a few examples of synergism. Negative effects of the allelochemicals were sometimes, but not always, damped by the cooler thermal regime. Comparing the growth rates of the five species in this study with those of a previous study (a total of seven species) revealed five patterns. For two of three pairs of closely‐related species, the paired species had distinctly different patterns. For example, for H. virescens, tomatine prevented development and chlorogenic acid slowed growth, whereas for Helicoverpa zea, tomatine just slowed growth and the phenolics had little effect. The specialist Manduca sexta had a pattern that was midway between patterns of the generalists; it was not the most tolerant of the allelochemicals.
Influence of resveratrol on germination of conidia and mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea and Phomopsis viticola.

After inoculation of agar substrates containing resveratorl (an inducible stilbene characteristic for Vitaceae) with low concentrations (500/cm2) of Botrytis spores, developing germ tubes showed malformations and growth stopped. High, density inoculations (10,000/cm2) resulted in apparently normal growth, but stress conditions were indicated by the formation of a large number of sclerotia after 14 days. By contrast, growth of Botrytis and Phomopsis colonies starting from pieces of mycelium was slowed down by resveratrol concentrations 50 ppm and stopped by higher concentrations. More than 500 ppm (suspensions) induced rhythmical growth; at the front of the mycelium a clear zone appeared, which was free fromstilbene crystals but exhibited a brownish pigmentation. In liquid cultures pigmentation but no growth inhibition was observed. It is assumed that resveratrol is oxidized by fungal laccases whose isoenzyme bands can be stained with resveratrol after isoelectric focusing. The different effects of this substrate on fungal growth in liquid and on solid media is explained by the localized action of laccases on solid substances where the radius of diffusion is limited. ZusammenfassungEinflus von Resveratrol auf Konidienkeimung und Myzelwachstum von Botrytis cinerea und Phomopsis vidcola Keimende Sporen von Botrytis cinerea zeigen auf Agarnahrmedien in Gegenwart von Resveratrol (induzierbares Stilben bei Vitaceen) bei geringer Sporendichte (500/cm2) eine Keitnschkuchverformung mit Wachstumsstop; hohere Sporendicbte (10 000/cm2) fuhren bei Stilbenkonzentrationen liber 50 ppm — bei zunachst normalem Wachstum — nach 14 Tagen zu einer starken Sklerotienbildung. Von Myzelstucken ausgehendes radiares Myzelwachstum von Botrytis cinerea und Phomopsis viticola wird dagegen bereits durch Konzentrationen von 10 ppm deutlich verlangsamt und kommt ab 50 ppm ganz zum Stillstand. Sehr boher Stilbengehalt (ab 500 ppm, teilweise wegen der geringen Loslichkeit als kristalline Suspension), fuhrt zu rhythmischem Wuchs, wobei an der Myzelfront stets eine kristallfreie, aber gelbbraun pigmentierte Zone zu beobachten ist. In Flussigmedien wurde Abbau des Resveratrols zu Pigment, aber keine Wuchshemmung beobachtet. Es ist wahrscheinlich, das Resveratroi in einer Entgiftungsreaktion durch die pilzeigenen Laccascn abgebaui wird, da deren Isoenzymbanden nach Elektrofokussierung mit Resvcratrol gefarbi werden konnen. Die unierschiedlichen Effektc der Substanz auf das Pilzwachstum in festen und auf flussigen Nahrmedien werden durch den geringen Diffusionsradius der Laccase auf festen Substraten interpretiert.
Allosteric control of hemoglobin S fiber formation by oxygen and its relation to the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease

Significance The root cause of pathology in sickle cell disease is the polymerization of the mutant hemoglobin S upon deoxygenation in the tissues to form fibers. Both the amount of fiber at equilibrium and the kinetics of fiber formation depend on the partial pressure of oxygen. We show that control of polymerization by oxygen at equilibrium can be better explained by a recent extension of the famous two-state allosteric model of Monod, Wyman, and Changeux. Because of the unusual kinetics, polymerization is far out of equilibrium, which explains why patients with the disease manage to survive, while those with high levels of fetal hemoglobin and those with sickle trait (the heterozygous condition) have relatively benign conditions. The pathology of sickle cell disease is caused by polymerization of the abnormal hemoglobin S upon deoxygenation in the tissues to form fibers in red cells, causing them to deform and occlude the circulation. Drugs that allosterically shift the quaternary equilibrium from the polymerizing T quaternary structure to the nonpolymerizing R quaternary structure are now being developed. Here we update our understanding on the allosteric control of fiber formation at equilibrium by showing how the simplest extension of the classic quaternary two-state allosteric model of Monod, Wyman, and Changeux to include tertiary conformational changes provides a better quantitative description. We also show that if fiber formation is at equilibrium in vivo, the vast majority of cells in most tissues would contain fibers, indicating that it is unlikely that the disease would be survivable once the nonpolymerizing fetal hemoglobin has been replaced by adult hemoglobin S at about 1 y after birth. Calculations of sickling times, based on a recently discovered universal relation between the delay time prior to fiber formation and supersaturation, show that in vivo fiber formation is very far from equilibrium. Our analysis indicates that patients survive because the delay period allows the majority of cells to escape the small vessels of the tissues before fibers form. The enormous sensitivity of the duration of the delay period to intracellular hemoglobin composition also explains why sickle trait, the heterozygous condition, and the compound heterozygous condition of hemoglobin S with pancellular hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin are both relatively benign conditions.
Novel Brown Coat Color (Cocoa) in French Bulldogs Results from a Nonsense Variant in HPS3

Brown or chocolate coat color in many mammalian species is frequently due to variants at the B locus or TYRP1 gene. In dogs, five different TYRP1 loss-of-function alleles have been described, which explain the vast majority of dogs with brown coat color. Recently, breeders and genetic testing laboratories identified brown French Bulldogs that did not carry any of the known mutant TYRP1 alleles. We sequenced the genome of a TYRP1+/+ brown French Bulldog and compared the data to 655 other canine genomes. A search for private variants revealed a nonsense variant in HPS3, c.2420G>A or p.(Trp807*). The brown dog was homozygous for the mutant allele at this variant. The HPS3 gene encodes a protein required for the correct biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles, including melanosomes. Variants in the human HPS3 gene cause Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome 3, which involves a mild form of oculocutaneous albinism and prolonged bleeding time. A variant in the murine Hps3 gene causes brown coat color in the cocoa mouse mutant. We genotyped a cohort of 373 French Bulldogs and found a strong association of the homozygous mutant HPS3 genotype with the brown coat color. The genotype–phenotype association and the comprehensive knowledge on HPS3 function from other species strongly suggests that HPS3:c.2420G>A is the causative variant for the observed brown coat color in French Bulldogs. In order to clearly distinguish HPS3-related from the TYRP1-related brown coat color, and in line with the murine nomenclature, we propose to designate this dog phenotype as “cocoa”, and the mutant allele as HPS3co.
A shift of dynamic equilibrium between the KIT active and inactive states causes drug resistance

Tyrosine phosphorylation, a highly regulated post‐translational modification, is carried out by the enzyme tyrosine kinase (TK). TKs are important mediators in signaling cascades, facilitating diverse biological processes in response to stimuli. TKs may acquire mutations leading to malignancy and are viable targets for anti‐cancer drugs. Mast/stem cell growth factor receptor KIT is a TK involved in cell differentiation, whose dysregulation leads to various types of cancer, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors, leukemia, and melanoma. KIT can be targeted by a range of inhibitors that predominantly bind to the inactive state of the enzyme. A mutation Y823D in the activation loop of KIT is known to be responsible for the loss of sensitivity to some drugs in metastatic tumors. We used all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the impact of Y823D on the KIT conformation and dynamics and compared it to the effect of phosphorylation of Y823. We simulated in total 6.4 μs of wild‐type, mutant and phosphorylated KIT in the active‐ and inactive‐state conformations. We found that Y823D affects the protein dynamics differently: in the active state, the mutation increases the protein stability, whereas in the inactive state it induces local destabilization, thus shifting the dynamic equilibrium towards the active state, altering the communication between distant regulatory regions. The observed dynamics of the Y823D mutant is similar to the dynamics of KIT phosphorylated at position Y823, thus we hypothesize that this mutation mimics a constitutively active kinase, which is not responsive to inhibitors that bind its inactive conformation.
A novel drug repurposing approach for non-small cell lung cancer using deep learning

Drug repurposing is an attractive and pragmatic way offering reduced risks and development time in the complicated process of drug discovery. In the past, drug repurposing has been largely accidental and serendipitous. The most successful examples so far have not involved a systematic approach. Nowadays, remarkable advances in drugs, diseases and bioinformatic knowledge are offering great opportunities for designing novel drug repurposing approach through comprehensive understanding of drug information. In this study, we introduced a novel drug repurposing approach based on transcriptomic data and chemical structures using deep learning. One strong candidate for repurposing has been identified. Pimozide is an anti-dyskinesia agent that is used for the suppression of motor and phonic tics in patients with Tourette’s Disorder. However, our pipeline proposed it as a strong candidate for treating non-small cell lung cancer. The cytotoxicity of pimozide against A549 cell lines has been validated.
Detection of Low RCS Supersonic Flying Targets with a High-Resolution MMW Radar

In this study, the detection of a low radar cross-section (RCS) target moving at a very high speed using a high-resolution millimeter-wave radar is presented. This real-time detection is based on the transmission of a continuous wave and heterodyning of the received signal reflected from the moving target. This type of detection enables one to extract the object’s movement characteristics, such as velocity and position, while in motion and also to extract its physical characteristics. In this paper, we describe the detection of a fired bullet using a radar operating at an extremely high-frequency band. This allowed us to employ a low sampling rate which enabled the use of inexpensive and straightforward equipment, including the use of small antennas that allow velocity detection at high resolution and with low atmospheric absorption.
Interventional MR Elastography for the monitoring of thermal ablations. (Élastographie par Résonance Magnétique (ERM) Interventionnelle pour le suivi des ablations thermiques)

Thermal ablation aims at damaging tumor cells by either heating or freezing tumoral tissue. MRI monitoring is a promising technique for ensuring the destruction of tumor cells while preserving the surrounding healthy tissue. Recently, the ICube team demonstrated the use of simultaneous realtime MR Elastography (MRE) and MR Thermometry (MRT). It allows monitoring temperature and mechanical properties of the targeted tissue simultaneously in realtime. In this Ph.D. thesis, we have presented two different developments in order to overcome some of the current limitations of interventional MRE and MRT, in terms of extending to the spatial coverage of the targeted region and developing a new method to monitor thermal ablations for all types of soft tissues, including fatty tissues. These contributions aim at improving the safety and efficiency of MR guided thermal ablation.
HRS/EHRA/APHRS/LAHRS/ACC/AHA worldwide practice update for telehealth and arrhythmia monitoring during and after a pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), started in the city of Wuhan late in 2019. Within a few months, the disease spread toward all parts of the world and was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The current health care dilemma worldwide is how to sustain the capacity for quality services not only for those suffering from COVID-19 but also for non-COVID-19 patients, all while protecting physicians, nurses, and other allied health care workers.
Safety and efficacy of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with percutaneous atrial septal closure device

Transseptal puncture (TSP) is challenging in patients with prior percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) occluder. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the safety and efficacy of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with percutaneous ASD occluder.
Laser-Synthesis of NV-Centers-Enriched Nanodiamonds: Effect of Different Nitrogen Sources

Due to the large number of possible applications in quantum technology fields—especially regarding quantum sensing—of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds (NDs), research on a cheap, scalable and effective NDs synthesis technique has acquired an increasing interest. Standard production methods, such as detonation and grinding, require multistep post-synthesis processes and do not allow precise control in the size and fluorescence intensity of NDs. For this reason, a different approach consisting of pulsed laser ablation of carbon precursors has recently been proposed. In this work, we demonstrate the synthesis of NV-fluorescent NDs through pulsed laser ablation of an N-doped graphite target. The obtained NDs are fully characterized in the morphological and optical properties, in particular with optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy to unequivocally prove the NV origin of the NDs photoluminescence. Moreover, to compare the different fluorescent NDs laser-ablation-based synthesis techniques recently developed, we report an analysis of the effect of the medium in which laser ablation of graphite is performed. Along with it, thermodynamic aspects of the physical processes occurring during laser irradiation are analyzed. Finally, we show that the use of properly N-doped graphite as a target for laser ablation can lead to precise control in the number of NV centers in the produced NDs.
Floral organogenesis of Echinodorus amazonicus Rataj and floral construction of the Alismatales

The primary trimerous pattern of the flower of Echinodorus amazonicus Rataj is clearly exhibited in the earliest developmental stages. After the inception of three sepals, theree alternisepalous petal-stamen complexes arise, each of which, at successively higher levels of the primordia, consists of a petal, a pair of stamens, and a single stamen. In alternation with these three petal-stamen complexes three groups of three pistil (carpel) primordia are formed. Subsequent pistil primordia are formed rapidly in alternation with the preceding ones. Teratological buds were observed in which one pistil primordium appeared to be replaced by a normal stamen primordium. General features of the flowers of the Alismatales are summarized in developmental fashion which includes the mature flower as a final stage. With the exception of Limnocharis and probably Wisneria, all alismatalean flowers appear to be characterized by antipetalous stamen (or staminodial) paris. In members studied thus far, the basic trimery differs radically from that found in certain taxa of the Magnoliidae.