Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non–clinical efficacy, safety and stable clinical cell processing of induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived anti–glypican‐3 chimeric antigen receptor‐expressing natural killer/innate lymphoid cells

The use of allogeneic, pluripotent stem‐cell‐derived immune cells for cancer immunotherapy has been the subject of recent clinical trials. In Japan, investigator‐initiated clinical trials will soon begin for ovarian cancer treatment using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐homozygous‐induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived anti–glypican‐3 (GPC3) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)‐expressing natural killer/innate lymphoid cells (NK/ILC). Using pluripotent stem cells as the source for allogeneic immune cells facilitates stringent quality control of the final product, in terms of efficacy, safety and producibility. In this paper, we describe our methods for the stable, feeder‐free production of CAR‐expressing NK/ILC cells from CAR‐transduced iPSC with clinically relevant scale and materials. The average number of cells that could be differentiated from 1.8‐3.6 × 106 iPSC within 7 weeks was 1.8‐4.0 × 109. These cells showed stable CD45/CD7/CAR expression, effector functions of cytotoxicity and interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) production against GPC3‐expressing tumor cells. When the CAR‐NK/ILC cells were injected into a GPC3‐positive, ovarian‐tumor‐bearing, immunodeficient mouse model, we observed a significant therapeutic effect that prolonged the survival of the animals. When the cells were injected into immunodeficient mice during non–clinical safety tests, no acute systemic toxicity or tumorigenicity of the final product or residual iPSC was observed. In addition, our test results for the CAR‐NK/ILC cells generated with clinical manufacturing standards are encouraging, and these methods should accelerate the development of allogeneic pluripotent stem cell‐based immune cell cancer therapies.
Inshore Records of Cetacea for Eastern Canada, 1949–68

New and previously published records are given for 19 species of Cetacea stranded naturally, netted, or shot on the coasts of eastern Canada from Cape Chidley, Labrador (60°30′N), to the United States border (45°N), from 1949 to 1968. The most commonly recorded species were Globicephala melaena, Phocoena phocoena, Balaenoptera physalus, and Delphinapterus leucas. Occurrence of Stenella coeruleoalba at Sable Island was confirmed. Four blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) stranded naturally, three of them in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence. Groups of fin whales (B. physalus) were twice stranded by ice in western Newfoundland. The greatest number of species stranded at Sable Island (44°N, 60°W).
Isolation of a drought-responsive alkaline α-galactosidase gene from New Zealand spinach

We isolated a cDNA clone encoding a New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) alkaline α-galactosidase that we designated TtAGA1. The clone was found by monitoring an up-regulated transcripts accumulation with the differential display reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction method during a treatment of New Zealand spinach shoots with drought. Deduced amino acid sequence suggests that the gene belongs to a family of plant-specific alkaline α-galactosidases. When detached shoots of New Zealand spinach were treated with abiotic stresses such as drought, administration of mannitol (150 mM), wounding, salinity (200 mM and 400 mM sodium chloride), dark, and cold (4°C), drought most enhanced the accumulation of the TtAGA1 transcripts. Treatments with mannitol, wounding, salinity, and dark increased the transcripts accumulation, but cold did not. It is supposed that the degradation of galactosyl saccharides may correlate with drought responses in New Zealand spinach growing in seashore areas.
XGBoost-based failure prediction method for metal additive manufacturing equipment

In order to overcome the complexity of failure modeling and limited health monitoring means of metal additive manufacturing equipment, a data-driven failure prediction system framework for metal additive manufacturing equipment is proposed, and a metal additive manufacturing equipment operational state data management platform is established. The proposed failure modeling method is validated by using the actual data of the Directed Energy Deposition equipment as an example, and the results show that the modeling method based on XGBoost algorithm can effectively the higher the depth value of the tree used, the faster the iterative convergence rate. Compared with other algorithms, the XGBoost-based modeling method can achieve higher prediction accuracy, and the accuracy of predicting the occurrence of failure after 1 minute and 30 seconds in advance for a given sample can reach more than 90%, which verifies the applicability and performance advantages of the method under large-scale conditions. The method's applicability and performance advantages under large-scale conditions are verified.
Water-holding capacity and characterization of protein interactions in processed cheese

Summary In order to predict the oozing susceptibility of heat-induced milk protein gels such as processed cheeses during storage, ultracentrifugation forces are required to accelerate the expulsion of water from the gel structure. Two predictive methods have been tested. Direct ultracentrifugation of processed cheese was used to study effects of centrifugal compression on the water-holding ability. The water release with optimal parameters (time, temperature and ultracentrifugation force) from a freshly manufactured processed cheese was correlated with visual assessment of oozing after 6 months storage. A second method was based on the susceptibility of gelled proteins to resist the dissociating action of solutions of chemical agents such as SDS, urea, EDTA and 2-mercaptoethanol. Most of the protein sedimented by ultracentrifugation in the presence of SDS represented that still in complexed form. This correlated with optimal water binding by the processed cheese. Response-surface methods, used to optimize the ultracentrifugation variables and the composition of the dissociation solutions, showed that the dissociation test was best with a dispersion of processed cheese in SDS solution (10 g/l) at a ratio of 1:6 (w/v) at 20°C, ultracentrifuged at 86000 g and 20°C for 25 min. Analysis of processed cheese cooked at 115°C and then dissociated in different solutions showed various protein–protein interactions in the gel network, whereas hydrophobic interactions were the most important stabilizers of the protein matrix of cheese cooked at higher temperature.
Harmonic Resonance Suppression Strategy for LCL Grid-Connected Inverter in Weak Grid

Under the weak grid, photovoltaic grid-connected inverter generates a lot of harmonics in the process of inverter, and the stable operation of system is affected by the inherent resonance phenomenon when LCL filter is used for filtering. In this paper, the traditional grid-connected current feedback(TGCCF) control method is firstly studied. At this time, the inherent resonance phenomenon is not effectively suppressed. Furthermore, a control method of inverter-current-feedback active damping (ICFAD) is proposed to effectively suppress the resonance. As there is only one current control, the inhibition effect needs to be improved. Based on this, a control method of inverter-and-capacitor-current-feedback active damping (IACCFAD) is proposed. It is beneficial to enhance the resonance suppression effect, improve robustness and stability of the inverter system, and improve current quality. The correctness of the above conclusions is verified by simulation.
Population Growth of Daphnia Pulex (Cladocera) on a Mixed Diet (Microcystis Aeruginosa with Chlorella or Scenedesmus)

We quantified population growth of Daphnia pulex on diets of Mlcrocystls aeruglnosa mixed with Chlorella vulgarts or Scenedesmus acutus (0, 25, 50, 75, or 100% cyanobacteria with either algal species, based on equal biomass (dry weight)). We also evaluated the possible adaptations of D. pulex to cyanobacteria when previously grown on a mixture of M. aeruglnosa and Chlorella or Scenedesmus. When offered alone, M. aeruglnosa did not support the population growth of D. pulex for long, while the two algal species promoted population abundance of the daphniid. In terms of population growth, S. acutus was the better of the two algal species. When mixed with C. vulgaris or S. acutus, M. aeruglnosa supported the population growth of Daphnia better than when offered alone. However, regardless of the proportion of the mixed diet, S. acutus with M. aeruglnosa supported population growth in D. pulex better than did a mixture of Chlorella and Mlcrocystls. The rate of population increase (r) per day obtained for D. pulex varied from 0.003 to 0.21, depending on the type of diet. When cultured on a mixed diet, regardless of the algal species involved, D. pulex showed decreased growth rates with an increasing proportion of Mlcrocystls. D. pulex, previously reared on a mixed diet (M. aeruglnosa with Chlorella or Scenedesmus in different proportions), did not grow when transferred to M. aeruglnosa alone, and even began to decline starting directly from the beginning of the experiment. Our results suggest that, together with a species of green alga, the single-celled, toxic M. aeruglnosa could be used for culturing D. pulex.
Incidence of bacteria inhibitory to Erwinia amylovora from blossoms in New Zealand apple orchards

Populations of total bacteria and Erwinia herbicola were monitored on apple blossom in selected orchards at two different geographical regions in New Zealand (Canterbury and Hawke's Bay). In all four orchards surveyed E. herbicola populations remained negligible (less than 50 cfu/blossom) throughout flowering, increasing rapidly at petal drop to reach levels of 1 x 10 3 cfu/blossom (Hawke's Bay) to 1 x 10 5 cfu/blossom (Canterbury). Total bacterial populations increased 100-fold at petal drop in both locations. Pseudomonas populations were predominant in Canterbury throughout all flowering stages and in Hawke's Bay after early flowering. When screened for inhibitory activity to E. amylovora, 26% of all isolates from Canterbury showed some inhibition in vitro, but none of the isolates from Hawke's Bay showed inhibition of E. amylovora in vitro. Two Canterbury isolates with strong in vitro inhibitory activity also inhibited E. amylovora in immature pear fruit. One isolate was identified as E. herbicola and one isolate as Pseudomonas fluorescens.
ISOTOPIC DELINEATION OF NORTH AMERICAN MIGRATORY WILDLIFE POPULATIONS: LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES

The ability to link breeding and wintering sites of declining or threatened species is fundamental to their effective conservation, but previous conventional methods such as banding have proved largely unsuccessful at the population level. New approaches to tracking migratory birds in North America, using stable isotope measurements of feathers, can assist in determining where feathers were grown and, hence, the origins of migrants on wintering grounds or stopover sites. Moreover, this approach is applicable to the use of metabolically inactive tissues of migratory animals other than birds. Here, we demonstrate how stable isotopes can be used to investigate the origins of a wintering population of a threatened species. The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is declining throughout most of its range, but various factors may operate on different subpopulations. We used the stable-carbon (813C) and hydrogen (8D) isotope values in the outer tail feather of Loggerhead Shrikes wintering in Texas (n = 70), Florida (n = 121), and Georgia (n = 24) in 1997-1998, and northern Mexico (n = 72) in 1999, in order to ascertain the minimum percentage of wintering birds that were northern migrants. For comparative purposes, we also measured stable isotopic compositions of feathers from nestling shrikes from Manitoba (n = 6) and from known resident shrikes from Texas (n = 16). As expected, shrikes from Manitoba were more depleted in deuterium than shrikes from Texas, providing a clear isotopic gradient with which to compare the wintering population structure. Of wintering shrikes in Florida, 10% were northern migrants, compared with 8% for the Mexican sample and only 4% of the Texas population. We detected no northern migrants in the Georgia population. Most U.S. wintering shrikes had AD values around-30%0, indicative of southern latitudes, but a broader range in AD values was found for shrikes in northern Mexico. Shrikes wintering in Mexico may be composed largely of individuals originating from the eastern Rockies and central regions of the breeding range. The considerable variation in bl3C values indicated a broad range of C3- to C4-based food webs used by shrikes. Our study indicates that the stable isotopic technique answers a number of long- standing and fundamental questions concerning the breeding or natal origins of wintering populations of Loggerhead Shrikes and thereby provides a template for isotopic approaches to ecological investigations of other migratory species.
Invasion of Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula in western Europe in 2004: a mix of local, ‘trumpeting’ birds and others of unknown origin

Capsule In east Jutland, Denmark, the invasion included individuals of a small-sized local race P. p. coccinea, as well as numbers of two larger forms, which consistently gave either ‘normal’ or ‘trumpeting’ calls on release and whose origins are unknown. Aim To determine the measurements, morphology, phenology of occurrence and abundance of the different forms of Bullfinch occurring during an invasion year in rural Denmark. Methods Seven years of ringing (including three years of colour-marking), recapture and resighting at a baited site provided information on voice, body size and mass dynamics of Bullfinches throughout the annual cycle. Results P. p. coccinea was most common during February and March, slightly less so in October and November, with fewer still at other times of year. Large P. p. pyrrhula were 30% heavier than coccinea and were rare winter visitors (mostly one to five individuals caught during November to March) in four years during 1998–2005. Exceptionally, 30 were captured during November 2004 to April 2005 and two autumn-caught birds wintered at the study site. Female: male sex ratio was higher amongst captured pyrrhula than coccinea. Proportions of first-winter birds amongst both races were not abnormally high. Most notable was the trumpet call (not reported from Denmark before) given by some large individuals in 2004/05, but never by coccinea, although some large birds gave normal calls, suggesting two origins for the large forms. Conclusion Unusually large numbers of three different forms of the Bullfinch in east Jutland from autumn 2004 suggested a general food shortage in their normal wintering areas. Rapid increases in body mass from about 30 g to over 40 g amongst the large Bullfinches immediately prior to their departure suggested an extended migration (potentially >1000 km) back to unknown breeding areas. By contrast, local coccinea birds showed modest declines in body mass at the same time. More research is needed to establish the origins of these birds and the precise cause of their exceptional appearance in that year.
Effect of Phosphorus Deficiency on Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence of Cotyledons of Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.)

The spectroscopic changes in reflectance and fluorescence caused by phosphorus (P) starvation in Brassica napus L. young plants were evaluated. P deficiency produced an important decrease in reflectance values between 500 and 650 nm for both intact leaves and cotyledons. Furthermore, cotyledons under P deficiency showed a Chl-F ratio in the red/far-red region (F red /F far-red ) lower than that of non-stressed plants (1.91 and 2.89 respectively). As minimal differences in F red /F far - red were detected in leaves, P deficiencies may be better perceived by measuring changes in Chl-F emission in cotyledons than in leaves. Stressed cotyledons also showed different emission spectra in the blue green (maxima at 470 and 560 nm) from those of non-stressed cotyledons. The results are explained in terms of higher anthocyanin and chlorophyll contents and of damage to photosystem II. We evaluate that measuring variations in fluorescence and reflectance data may be useful to detect early damages induced by P stress.
An integrated deterministic-stochastic approach for predicting the long-term trajectories of COVID-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is one of the major health emergencies in decades that affected almost every country in the world. As of May 10, 2020, it has caused an outbreak with more than 41,78,000 confirmed infections and more than 2,83,000 reported deaths globally. Due to the unavailability of an effective treatment (or vaccine) and insufficient evidence regarding the transmission mechanism of the epidemic, the world population is currently in a vulnerable position. The daily cases data sets of COVID-19 for profoundly affected countries represent a stochastic process comprised of deterministic and stochastic components. This study proposes an integrated deterministic-stochastic approach to predict the long-term trajectories of the COVID-19 cases for Italy and Spain. The deterministic component of the daily-cases univariate time-series is assessed by an extended SIR (SIRCX) model whereas its stochastic component is modeled using an autoregressive (AR) time series model. The proposed integrated SIRCX-AR (ISA) approach based on two operationally distinct modeling paradigms utilizes the superiority of both the deterministic SIRCX and stochastic AR models to find the long-term trajectories of the epidemic curves. Experimental analysis based on the proposed ISA model suggests that the estimated numbers of cases in Italy and Spain between 11 May, 2020 -- 09 June, 2020 will be 10982 (6383--15582) and 13731 (3395--29013), respectively. Additionally, the expected number of daily cases on 09 July, 2020 for Italy and Spain are estimated to be 30 (0--183) and 92 (0--602), respectively. These log-term forecasts for Italy and Spain of the coming outbreaks will be very useful for the effective allocation of health care resources to mitigate COVID-19.
SPLUNC1: a novel marker of cystic fibrosis exacerbations

Background Acute pulmonary exacerbations (AE) are episodes of clinical worsening in cystic fibrosis (CF), often precipitated by infection. Timely detection is critical to minimise morbidity and lung function declines associated with acute inflammation during AE. Based on our previous observations that airway protein short palate lung nasal epithelium clone 1 (SPLUNC1) is regulated by inflammatory signals, we investigated the use of SPLUNC1 fluctuations to diagnose and predict AE in CF. Methods We enrolled CF participants from two independent cohorts to measure AE markers of inflammation in sputum and recorded clinical outcomes for a 1-year follow-up period. Results SPLUNC1 levels were high in healthy controls (n=9, 10.7 μg·mL–1), and significantly decreased in CF participants without AE (n=30, 5.7 μg·mL–1; p=0.016). SPLUNC1 levels were 71.9% lower during AE (n=14, 1.6 μg·mL–1; p=0.0034) regardless of age, sex, CF-causing mutation or microbiology findings. Cytokines interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α were also increased in AE, whereas lung function did not decrease consistently. Stable CF participants with lower SPLUNC1 levels were much more likely to have an AE at 60 days (hazard ratio (HR)±se 11.49±0.83; p=0.0033). Low-SPLUNC1 stable participants remained at higher AE risk even 1 year after sputum collection (HR±se 3.21±0.47; p=0.0125). SPLUNC1 was downregulated by inflammatory cytokines and proteases increased in sputum during AE. Conclusion In acute CF care, low SPLUNC1 levels could support a decision to increase airway clearance or to initiate pharmacological interventions. In asymptomatic, stable patients, low SPLUNC1 levels could inform changes in clinical management to improve long-term disease control and clinical outcomes in CF. Sputum concentrations of the secreted airway protein SPLUNC1 decrease during CF exacerbations. Lower SPLUNC1 levels in stable participants portend a significantly increased risk of exacerbation which could inform therapeutic interventions. https://bit.ly/3uDGDzF
Cloning, characterization, and chromosomal localization of Pnck, a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase

Abstract Calcium is an important second messenger in eukaryotic cells. Many of the effects of calcium are mediated via its interaction with calmodulin and the subsequent activation of Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent (CaM) kinases. CaM kinases are involved in a wide variety of cellular processes including muscle contraction, neurotransmitter release, cell cycle control, and transcriptional regulation. While CaMKII has been implicated in learning and memory, the biological role of the other multifunctional CaM kinases, CaMKI and CaMKIV, is largely unknown. In the course of a degenerate RT-PCR protein kinase screen, we identified a novel serine/threonine kinase, Pnck. In this report, we describe the cloning, chromosomal localization, and expression of Pnck, which encodes a 38-kDa protein kinase whose catalytic domain shares 45–70% identity with members of the CaM kinase family. The gene for Pnck localizes to mouse chromosome X, in a region of conserved synteny with human chromosome Xq28 that is associated with multiple distinct mental retardation syndromes. Pnck is upregulated during intermediate and late stages of murine fetal development with highest levels of expression in developing brain, bone, and gut. Pnck is also expressed in a tissue-specific manner in adult mice with highest levels of expression detected in brain, uterus, ovary, and testis. Interestingly, Pnck expression in these tissues is restricted to particular compartments and appears to be further restricted to subsets of cells within those compartments. The chromosomal localization of Pnck, along with its tissue-specific and restricted pattern of spatial expression during development, suggests that Pnck may be involved in a variety of developmental processes including development of the central nervous system.
Survival of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Northern Italy: A Population-Based Cohort Study by the ITA-COVID-19 Network

Background COVID19 case fatality rate in hospitalized patients varies across countries and studies, but reliable estimates specific for age, sex, and comorbidities are needed to design trials for COVID19 interventions. Aim of this study is to provide population-based survival curves of hospitalized COVID19 patients. Methods A cohort study was conducted in Lombardy, Veneto, and Reggio Emilia using COVID19 registries linked to hospital discharge databases containing patient clinical histories. All patients with positive SARS CoV 2 RTPCR test on oral/nasopharyngeal swabs hospitalized from 21st February to 21st April 2020 were identified. Kaplan Meier survival estimates were calculated at 14 and 30 days for death in any setting, stratifying by age, sex and Charlson Index. Findings Overall 42,926 hospitalized COVID19 patients were identified. Patients' median age was 69 years (IQR: 57; 79), 62.6% were males, 69.4% had a Charlson Index of 0. In total, 11,205 (26.1%) patients died over a median follow-up of 24 days (IQR: 10; 35). Survival curves showed that 22.0% of patients died within 14 days and 27.6% within 30 days of hospitalization. Survival was higher in younger patients and in females. Younger patients with comorbidities had a lower survival than older ones with comorbidities. Interpretation Over 27% of hospitalized COVID19 patients died within one month in three areas of Northern Italy that were heavily affected by SARS CoV 2 infection. Such a high fatality rate suggests that trials should focus on survival and have follow-up of at least one month.