Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long non-coding RNA SNHG7 inhibits NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis by targeting the miR-34a/SIRT1 axis in liver cancer

Long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 7 (SNHG7) is involved in a variety of different types of cancer; however, the role of SNHG7 during liver cancer progression is not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the functional role and regulatory mechanism underlying SNHG7 during liver cancer. A total of 25 paired hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to detect the expression levels of SNHG7, microRNA (miR)-34a, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and pyroptosis-related targets. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to detect the expression of SNHG7 in HCC tissues. SNHG7 expression was upregulated in HCC tissues and liver cancer cells compared with normal tissues and normal liver cell lines. High expression of SNHG7 inhibited NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-dependent pyroptosis in HepG2 and SK-hep-1 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to investigate the interactions between miR-34a and SNHG7 or SIRT1. SNHG7 served as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-34a, and SIRT1 was identified as a direct target of miR-34a. Cell pyroptosis was evaluated by TUNEL and lactate dehydrogenase release assays. SNHG7 knockdown reduced SIRT1 expression, but increased the expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and interleukin-1β, leading to pyroptosis. SNHG7 knockdown-induced effects were enhanced by miR-34a upregulation. In summary, the present study indicated that the SNHG7/miR-34a/SIRT1 axis contributed to NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis during liver cancer.
PRANAS: A Process Analytics System Based on Process Warehouse and Cube for Supply Chain Management

Most organizations need to monitor and assess their business activities. In order to support the performance analysis of the business activities in a more systematic manner, in this research, we introduce a PRocess ANalytics System, called PRANAS. The system adopts process warehouses and process cubes to support process-oriented analysis, as well as data-oriented analysis. In this research, the process warehouse and cube were designed to assess business performances for supply chain management, specifically under the SCOR standard models. Furthermore, the process cube was constructed based on process-related dimensions such as time, case type, and event class to support process mining. Finally, we exemplify how the system can be applied to process analytics with three use cases of process discovery, data analytics, and decision point analysis. It is expected that the proposed system can be a helpful reference model when business process analyst designs process analytics systems in the process-oriented perspective, as well as in the data-oriented perspective.
Further Evaluation of Penglai Zircon Megacrysts as a Reference Material for (U‐Th)/He Dating

The α‐ejection‐corrected (U‐Th)/He dates of the widely used reference materials (e.g., Fish Canyon Tuff zircon) can be inaccurate for several reasons (e.g., inclusions, U‐Th zonation). There is a need for large, widely available, compositionally homogeneous mineral reference materials with accurately and precisely known ages. In this work, four individual Penglai zircon megacrysts are evaluated via interlaboratory (U‐Th)/He dating comparison, trace element analysis, U‐Pb dating and a range of characterisation methods. The (U‐Th)/He ages and 206Pb/238U ages are variable between Penglai megacrysts – 4.12 ± 0.10 Ma (1s) and 4.29 ± 0.05 Ma (1s) (PL1), 3.07 ± 0.25 Ma (1s) and 3.95 ± 0.05 Ma (1s) (PL2), 3.04 ± 0.24 Ma (1s) and 3.06 ± 0.07 Ma (1s) (PL4), and 4.49 ± 0.07 Ma (1s) (PL5; (U‐Th)/He age only), respectively. A single, cm‐sized megacryst (PL1) qualifies as a new (U‐Th)/He dating reference material, as it is structurally and chemically homogeneous, and yielded a highly reproducible and statistically indistinguishable (U‐Th)/He age of 4.12 ± 0.10 Ma from repeated analysis in multiple laboratories (slightly younger than the 206Pb/238U age of 4.29 ± 0.05 Ma). These results confirm Penglai zircon as a suitable reference material for (U‐Th)/He dating, on the proviso that some care needs to be taken to characterise individual megacrysts for trace element zonation, and to verify (U‐Th)/He (and U‐Pb ages, if double dating) prior to routine use. The 206Pb/238U ages and (U‐Th)/He ages obtained in this work provide constraints on the timing of Penglai megacryst crystallisation and eruption, and confirm at least two eruptive episodes during the Neogene in the Leiqiong area.
Spatial patterns in shallow-water crinoid communities on the central Great Barrier Reef

The crinoid communities of shallow-water areas (<12 m depth) of the central Great Barrier Reef were investigated on reefs at different locations on the continental shelf and in greater detail within one mid-shelf reef (Davies Reef). Overall, 43 comatulid crinoid species were identified, among which the family Comasteridae contributed 90% of the total number of collected specimens. High substratum complexity, in combination with high average water flows, characterized the most suitable environmental conditions for most of the crinoid species, whereas abundance and species richness were low in regions with high sedimentation rates and low current velocities. This set of environmental factors was correlated with crinoid community structures both on a local within-reef level and across the continental shelf. A few 'generalist' species (mostly comasterids) showed distribution ranges extending across the whole shelf, whereas many other species were found predominantly at the mid-shelf sites and only in low numbers, if at all, at both the inner and the outer shelf edges. Crinoid populations on reefs previously infested by Acanthaster planci were depleted in comparison with unaffected reefs. Observations suggest that the spangled emperor fish (Lethrinus nebulosus) is a major crinoid predator and that fatal predation occurs commonly among crinoids.
The effect of D‐glucose on milk clotting activity of Mucor miehei in a chemostat with biomass retention

In this study microbial production of rennin from a commercial strain of Mucor miehei (NRRL 3420) has been accomplished in a continuously fed fermenter. The effects of feed D-glucose concentration (2.5–30 g dm−3) on milk clotting activity and on other system variables were investigated at optimum mixing and dilution rates of 400 rpm and 0.0052 h−1, respectively, without pH control. Maximum milk clotting activity (1.24 IU cm−3) occurred when the feed D-glucose concentration was 7.5 g dm−3. Enzyme production continued for 500 h, producing a total milk clotting activity of 10 230 IU. At the maximum milk clotting activity point, total protein concentration, milk clotting and proteolytic activities were analysed and compared with those of a commercial rennet. The ratio of milk clotting activity to proteolytic activity, and specific milk clotting activity were determined as 1.55 × 10−3 IU PU−1 and 5.28 IU mg−1 medium protein, respectively, denoting similar characteristics to a commercial rennet after concentration of the fermentation medium. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
Enabling Privacy-Assured Fog-Based Data Aggregation in E-Healthcare Systems

Wearable body area network is a key component of the modern-day e-healthcare system (e.g., telemedicine), particularly as the number and types of wearable medical monitoring systems increase. The importance of such systems is reinforced in the current COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the need for a secure collection of medical data, there is also a need to process data in real-time. In this article, we design an improved symmetric homomorphic cryptosystem and a fog-based communication architecture to support delay- or time-sensitive monitoring and other-related applications. Specifically, medical data can be analyzed at the fog servers in a secure manner. This will facilitate decision making, for example, allowing relevant stakeholders to detect and respond to emergency situations, based on real-time data analysis. We present two attack games to demonstrate that our approach is secure (i.e., chosen-plaintext attack resilience under the computational Diffie–Hellman assumption), and evaluate the complexity of its computations. A comparative summary of its performance and three other related approaches suggests that our approach enables privacy-assured medical data aggregation, and the simulation experiments using Microsoft Azure further demonstrate the utility of our scheme.
A Novel High-Frequency Bipolar Pulsed Power Generator for Biological Applications

High-frequency bipolar high-voltage pulsed electric field can be used in tumor ablation to uniform the electric field distribution in the ablated region and inhibit muscle contraction effectively. Developing a high-frequency bipolar pulsed power generator (HBPPG) with wide range of specifications, such as voltage magnitude, waveform, repetition rate, and pulsewidth, is of great significance for promoting the clinical application of irreversible electroporation. Hence, in this article, a novel modular high-voltage HBPPG circuit topology is proposed for such application. Each module consists of an H-bridge and an isolated inductor. Theoretical analysis, simulation, and experimental results show that this generator perfectly combines the advantages of solid-state Marx and bridge circuit, with high stability and redundancy. The pulse frequency, pulse duration, and waveform can be flexibly adjusted by a controller software algorithm according to load parameters. The viability of the proposed HBPPG is demonstrated by PSpice simulation and equal-scale prototype. The key parameters of the developed HBPPG are as follows: voltage amplitude up to ±10 kV with 500 ns–5 μs pulsewidths, 500 kHz within the burst, and 10 kHz within the continuation limited by the input high-voltage dc power supply. All the pulse parameters can be programmed arbitrarily.
Australian thrips of the Haplothrips lineage (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

Keys are presented to the 11 genera and 50 species, including 21 new species, of Thysanoptera in Australia that are related to the worldwide genus Haplothrips Amyot and Serville. These taxa belong to what, in recent literature, has been called the “Haplothrips‐lineage”, that is, one of the three major radiations among the 2700 species and 350 genera of Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae. The group is redefined, and the available tribal name Haplothripini shown to be appropriate. The character states on which the definition is based are discussed, and a list given of the 34 genera worldwide that can be included. The Australian species in these genera exhibit a diversity of biologies. Three genera involve species that invade galls induced by other thrips: Androthrips monsterae (Moulton) from New Guinea is newly recorded from Australia; Mesothrips jordani Zimmermann from South‐East Asia is newly recorded from Australia, with two new synonyms; the Asia‐Pacific genus, Euoplothrips Hood, includes two species in northern Australia. Three haplothripine genera are associated with grasses: one widespread genus, Apterygothrips Priesner, considered polyphyletic, includes only one Australian species; the only known species of Dyothrips Kudo is Oriental but extends into tropical Australia; Podothrips Hood, a circum‐tropical genus of thrips predatory on grass‐living coccoids, has 11 Australian species, six newly described. One grass‐associated genus, Bamboosiella Ananthakrishnan, is excluded from the Haplothripini. An Oriental genus of leaf‐ and flower‐living species, Dolichothrips Karny, includes one species in northern Australia, D. reuteri (Karny); Membrothrips Bhatti in which this species has been placed is considered a synonym. Karnyothrips Watson includes two species introduced to Australia, both predators of coccoids. Priesneria Bagnall includes three species from Australia, of which one fungus‐feeding species is newly described. Xylaplothrips Priesner is a widespread but ill‐defined, polyphyletic genus that currently includes three little‐known Australian species. Haplothrips is the main focus of this study, and character state variation among the Australian species is discussed. In total 24 species of Haplothrips from Australia are recognised, 14 being new species. Also included are the following, one new generic synonym, four new species synonyms, and one new combination. The 250 species worldwide in the genus are usually associated with the flowers of Asteraceae and Poaceae. In Australia, several of the species are specific to flowers, particularly of Poaceae and Cyperaceae but not Asteraceae. Almost half of these Australian species are presumed to be predatory on other small arthropods, and two have unusual host associations—with salt marsh Chenopodiaceae, and with the sori of Dicksonia tree ferns.
Phylogenetic relationships among bumble bees (Bombus Latr.): a reappraisal of morphological evidence

Abstract. Cladistic analyses of morphological characters of adult bumble bees show significantly higher congruence among characters of the male genitalia than among other characters of males and females. Phylogenetic interpretations of groups supported by the combined morphological evidence (even with minimal assumptions) include (1) that the earliest diverging species belong to the para‐phyletic subgenus Mendacibombus, together with Bombus nevadensis and B.confusus; (2) that, in contrast, species of the subgenus Bombus (sensu stricto) share a relatively recent common ancestor with B.pressus and B.rufipes; and (3) that Psithyrus (the social parasites) is a monophyletic group, and the sister‐group of B.persicus. For genus‐group nomenclature a single genus Bombus (sensu lato) is recommended, to include Psithyrus as another subgenus. Names for sections and for groups of subgenera are synonymized with subgeneric names.
Online Rebellion: Self-Organized Criticality of Contemporary Protest Movements

The theory of self-organized criticality (SOC) is applicable for explaining powerful surges of protest activity on social media. The objects of study were two protest clusters. The first was a set of Facebook groups that promoted the impeachment of the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. The second was a set of groups on the social network Vkontakte that provided support for anti-government rallies in Armenia, referred to as Electric Yerevan. Numerous groups in the examined clusters were functioning in SOC mode during certain periods. Those clusters were able to generate information avalanches—seemingly spontaneous, powerful surges of creation, transmission, and reproduction of information. The facts are presented that supported the assumptions that SOC effects in social networks are associated with mass actions on the streets, including violence. The observations of SOC make it possible to reveal certain periods when the course of a sociopolitical system is least stable.
Brain metabolite rates in amygdala and hippocampus in vaginismus patients

Vaginismus has complex etiology. Regarding its clinical manifestation, it is a condition associated with anxiety and fear. The fact that hippocampus and amygdala are critical regions for the modulation of anxiety suggests that they might be playing a role in the neurobiology of vaginismus. In the present study, therefore, we aimed to investigate the concentrations of cerebral metabolites in both the amygdala and hippocampus in vaginismus patients and healthy controls via magnetic resonance spectroscopy method. A total of 39 vaginismus patients and 26 sexually active healthy controls were enrolled into the study. All the patients and healthy controls underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy procedure. Comparison of the groups revealed no difference in terms of concentrations of cerebral metabolites in the amygdala, whereas median Cholin (Cho) concentration in the hippocampus was significantly higher in the patient vs. the control group. High concentration of Cho in the hippocampus of vaginismus patients might be indicating the changes in myelination or signal transduction in the relevant region. Considering the role of the hippocampus in fear con-ditioning and fear memory, such changes in the patients are considered as the neurobiological reflections of fear conditioning. Repeated and further studies will further contribute to the clarification of this subject.
Use of genetics to investigate socially learned foraging behavior in free-ranging black bears

Abstract Investigating social learning in free-ranging mammals is gaining popularity among researchers. Natural experiments are ideal for studying social learning, but are rare compared to captive studies because of practical limitations and ethical concerns. Such experiments are often restricted or forbidden because they require manipulation of the environment, ecology, or behavior of free-ranging species. As a result, developing new methods to investigate social learning in the field is essential. The main goal of this study was to use genetic data and a new testing framework to determine if social learning from mothers to their offspring is at least partly responsible for free-ranging black bears foraging on human foods in Yosemite National Park. I estimated a relatedness coefficient and the most probable relationship for all combinations of 2 bears (n = 150) sampled in 2004–2007. I then grouped these pairs by their foraging behavior to test predictions deduced from asocial learning, transmission, genetic inheritance, and social learning hypotheses. Results from both analyses suggest that mother–offspring social learning is the primary mechanism responsible for black bears foraging on human food in Yosemite. In addition, results also suggest that some bears are innovators, learning to forage on human food as independents. I found no support for the genetic inheritance hypothesis.
Semi-recursive kernel conditional density estimators under random censorship and dependent data

Abstract In this work, we extend to the case of the strong mixing data the results of Khardani and Semmar. A kernel-type recursive estimator of the conditional density function is introduced. We study the properties of these estimators and compare them with Rosemblatt’s nonrecursive estimator. Then, a strong consistency rate as well as the asymptotic distribution of the estimator are established under an α-mixing condition. A simulation study is considered to show the performance of the proposed estimator.
Leading disciplines in tourism and hospitality research: a bibliometric analysis in Spain

ABSTRACT The study of tourism and hospitality has been carried out from different academic perspectives, disciplines and fields of knowledge. This paper has focused on the main disciplines in the Spanish tourism and hospitality. For this, the scientific output of the Spanish researchers in tourism and hospitality has been studied. The bibliometric analysis was performed using the Scopus database from 2002 to 2013. Findings showed that the fields of study in relation to Economics and Business stand out greatly in Spanish tourism and hospitality research. In particular, three relevant areas have been detected, such as Applied Economics, Marketing and Business Administration. However, no significant differences have been found between these three areas with respect to the bibliometric indicators used.
Vascular transport and soybean nodule function. III: Implications of a continual phloem supply of carbon and water

Abstract. In soybean, stores of carbon within the leaf have been demonstrated to support nodule metabolism under both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic conditions. Indeed, a net depletion of nodule starch is observed only under conditions of suboptimal rates of nodule metabolism. Therefore, maximal rates of nodule metabolism are associated with a continual supply of phloem sap to the nodule, delivering water, carbon and other solutes. A restriction of phloem supply to the nodule may result in changes in turgor between the apoplast of the export pathway and the symplast of the nodule. This change may cause the observed decrease in the permeability to gases and to the rate of product export from nodules deprived of a phloem supply. It is suggested that nodule metabolism is homeostatically regulated in terms of internal O2 levels by the delivery of phloem water and solutes.
Seed demography of three co-occurring Acer species in a Japanese temperate deciduous forest

Seed demography of three co-occurring Acer species in an old-growth mixed deciduous forest in Japan was studied. Almost all of the seeds of A. mono germinated in the first spring, while those of A. palmatum var. amoenum showed a delay in germination of almost one year. A. rufinerve showed a rather opportunistic germination habit. Both A. palmatum var. amoenum and A. rufinerve form short-term persistent seed banks, but without input of newly dispersed seeds they may become extinct in about one year. The seed bank for these two species is not as significant as for a typical pioneer species, and the seedling bank is important for all three species. Only a small proportion of the dispersed propagules contained viable embryos, mainly due to pollination failure or abortion (A. mono and A. palmatum var. amoenum), and invertebrate predation (A. rufinerve). For all three species, larger seed crops had a higher percentage of viable seeds. Even for these relatively small, wind-dispersed seeds, the predation pressure was very high. A large part of the dispersed seeds was eaten by wood mice during the first winter (30–80 %). Estimation from the 5-yr average of seed dispersal and seedling emergence showed that only 7–16 % of the dispersed viable seeds succeeded in germinating.
Structural change in an exploited fish community: a consequence of differential fishing effects on species with contrasting life histories

1. An understanding of the links between life histories and responses to exploitation could provide the basis for predicting shifts in community structure by identifying susceptible species and linking life-history tactics with population dynamics. 2. We examined long-term trends in the abundance of species in the North Sea bottom-dwelling (demersal) fish community. Between 1925 & 1996 changes in species composition led to an increase in mean growth rate, while mean maximum size, age at maturity and size at maturity decreased. The demersal fish community was increasingly heavily fished during this period. 3. Trends in mean life-history characteristics of the community were linked to trends in abundance of component species. An approach based on phylogenetic comparisons was used to examine the differential effects of fishing on individual species with contrasting life histories. 4. Those species that decreased in abundance relative to their nearest relative, matured later at a greater size, grew more slowly towards a greater maximum size and had lower rates of potential population increase. The phylogenetically based analyses demonstrated that trends in community structure could be predicted from the differential responses of related species to fishing. 5. This is the first study to link exploitation responses of an entire community to the life histories of individual species. The results demonstrate that fishing has greater effects on slower growing, larger species with later maturity and lower rates of potential population increase. The comparative approach provides a basis for predicting structural change in other exploited communities.
Plant Density and Leaf Area Index Effects on the Distribution of Light Transmittance to the Soil Surface in Maize

Published in Agron. J. 106:1828–1837 (2014) doi:10.2134/agronj14.0160 Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Agronomy, 5585 Guilford Road, Madison, WI 53711. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. ABSTRACT