Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Influenza:Streptococcus pneumoniae synergistic disease and potential for disease alleviation via sphingolipid therapy

Influenza A virus (IAV) is generally associated with the seasonal malady that causes brief respiratory illness during the winter months, known simply as “the flu. ” Most otherwise healthy individuals will suffer from mild fever, congestion, headaches and myalgia that are resolved within 5-7 days of onset. However, there are nearly 500,000 influenza-related deaths that occur worldwide every year. Many of these casualties and patients hospitalized with influenza also test positive for bacterial pneumonia, the most common agent being Streptococcus pneumoniae. Although all individuals are subject to this viral:bacterial synergistic disease, the young, elderly, and immunocompromised are the most susceptible. Previous studies have shown that viral infection creates a prolonged hyper-responsive pro-inflammatory state in the lungs, which increases susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection. Lethality is due to detrimental pulmonary damage from a dysregulated host inflammatory response, known as the “cytokine storm. ” However, the nature of dual infection has not been well-studied in the elderly demographic. Therefore, we aim to better define this disease synergy in an aged mouse model and explore potential therapeutic alternatives that could be beneficial for the aged and other vulnerable populations. Sphingolipid modulation has emerged as a potential target to ameliorate the excessive inflammation (cytokine storm) elicited by highly pathogenic influenza. There is particular emphasis on sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling, as well as control of intracellular S1P levels
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF FRESH AND PROBIOTICATED FRUIT JUICES WITH LACTOBACILLUS CASEI

The objective of this study was to find out the suitability of different fruit juices for probiotication by using Lactobacillus casei . Phyto -chemical analysis of different fruit juices (mango, sapota, grape and cantaloupe) were carried out using the standard methods. The carbohydrates, flavoniods, tannins and glycosides were present where as the alkaloids and saponins were absent in all the above fruit juices. Qualitative and quantitative analysis by TLC and DPPH methods revealed the presence of antioxidants in all the fruit juices except cantaloupe. Probiotication of fruit juices with known Lactobacillus casei decreased the pH and increased the titratable acidity within 72 h. Physico -chemical properties were also determined at different time intervals (24, 48 and 72 h) of probiotication. Based on the above results, it was inferred that the beverage prepared from the probiotication of fruit juices with Lactobacillus casei could be useful in providing health benefits to the consumers.
How experiential service‐learning affects student perceptions of education in their careers and as a wildlife management activity

Wildlife education has long been critiqued for leaving students entering the workforce deficient in skills such as communication, public relations, and problem solving. This challenge may emerge from both curricula and instructional techniques focused on technical expertise rather than soft skills. Researchers have suggested several instructional techniques to address this challenge but have not empirically examined their effectiveness. This study examined how an environmental-education service-learning project affected undergraduate wildlife science students' perceptions of education as a possible career and how important they considered education as a wildlife management activity using a pre-posttreatment comparison between 36 wildlife students at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA, during spring 2014) participating in an environmental-education service-learning project and 23 wildlife students from the same cohort who were not. In the pretest, few (10.3%) students from either group saw K–12 education as a future career, but most (98.3%) saw education as an important wildlife management activity. Most (82.0%) students also predicted they would need educator skills in their careers, but more females than males saw this as likely. The treatment was positively related to students' belief they would use teaching skills in future careers and that a career in K–12 education would be fulfilling. These results suggest that service-learning projects may be an effective tool to boost interest in education both as a career and as a wildlife management activity among future wildlife professionals regardless of gender, but that especially high interest among females could provide guidance for training and recruitment efforts attempting to mitigate the gender gap among wildlife professionals. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Longitudinal clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging characterization of a kindred with a 12-octapeptide repeat insertion in PRNP: the next generation

ABSTRACT Background Highly penetrant inherited mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP) offer a window to study the pathobiology of prion disorders. Method Clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging characterization of a kindred. Results Three of four mutation carriers have progressed to a frontotemporal dementia phenotype. Declines in neuropsychological function coincided with changes in FDG-PET at the identified onset of cognitive impairment. Conclusions and relevance Gene silencing treatments are on the horizon and when they become available, early detection will be crucial. Longitudinal studies involving familial mutation kindreds can offer important insights into the initial neuropsychological and neuroimaging changes necessary for early detection.
smARTflight: An Environmentally-Aware Adaptive Real-Time Flight Management System

Multi-rotor drones require real-time sensor data processing and control to maintain flight stability, which is made more challenging by external disturbances such as wind. In this paper we introduce smartflight: an environmentally-aware adaptive real-time flight management system. smartflight adapts the execution frequencies of flight control tasks according to timing and safety-critical constraints, in response to transient fluctuations of a drone’s attitude. In contrast to current state-of-the-art methods, smartflight’s criticality-aware scheduler reduces the latency to return to a steady-state target attitude. The system also improves the overall control accuracy and lowers the frequency of adjustments to motor speeds to conserve power. A comparative case-study with a well-known autopilot shows that smartflight reduces unnecessary control loop executions under stable conditions, while reducing response time latency by as much as 60% in a given axis of rotation when subjected to a 15° step attitude disturbance. 2012 ACM Subject Classification Computer systems organization → Firmware
Preclinical Development of Artificial Tears Based on an Extract of Artemia Salina Containing Dinucleotides in Rabbits

ABSTRACT Purpose To evaluate the preclinical efficacy of eye drops based on an extract of Artemia salina on the ocular surface of rabbits. Tear secretion, tear break-up time and corneal staining were measured. Material and methods A preclinical and short-term prospective study was performed. Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into five groups, with four rabbits per group, each receiving a different concentration of Artemia salina. In each rabbit, an extract of Artemia salina (2%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10%) was randomly instilled in one eye and saline solution (negative control) in the other eye. Tear secretion, tear break-up time and corneal staining were measured before and after the instillation of five drops per eye (one drop per hour) on the same day. Results In tear secretion, there was an increase of 43.88 ± 6.73% with 4% Artemia salina in comparison with its baseline measurement (P = .049). The rest of the groups did not show differences (P ≥ 0.05). For tear break-up time, none of the groups showed differences (P ≥ 0.05), while for corneal staining score, there was an improvement of 0.88 ± 0.83 with 4% Artemia salina (P = .038) and a deterioration of 0.50 ± 0.83 with control solution (P = .008). Conclusions Short-term instillation of eye drops with 4% Artemia salina produced both stimulation of tear secretion and a slight improvement of physiological corneal staining. Besides, all the doses of up to 10% Artemia salina did not produce undesirable side effects on the ocular surface. Therefore, these eye drops are presented as a possible new treatment for dry eye due to their secretagogue properties and ocular surface regeneration.
Peeking at the relationship world of infant friends and caregivers

This qualitative study aimed to explore how infants share and experience friendships and examine the role of infant caregivers in social and friendship experiences among infants. The data were collected through classroom observation over a semester. Findings yielded complex and rich social relationships that both infant friends and caregivers collectively share. Infant friends exhibited strong preference toward each other and share caring, affective, playful, and humorous relationships. The findings also illustrated how infant caregivers play an important role in nurturing and supporting relationships among infants. Yet, it was also noticed that caregivers could easily miss the cues of infants or their intentions and thus hinder the further development of infants’ play and social interaction. Implications for practice were discussed.
A Capillary-Perfused, Nanocalorimeter Platform for Thermometric Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay with Femtomole Sensitivity

Enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions produce heat. We developed an enclosed, capillary-perfused nanocalorimeter platform for thermometric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (TELISA). We used catalase as enzymes to model the thermal characteristics of the micromachined calorimeter. Model-assisted signal analysis was used to calibrate the nanocalorimeter and to determine reagent diffusion, enzyme kinetics, and enzyme concentration. The model-simulated signal closely followed the experimental signal after selecting for the enzyme turnover rate (kcat) and the inactivation factor (InF), using a known label enzyme amount (Ea). Over four discrete runs (n = 4), the minimized model root mean square error (RMSE) returned 1.80 ± 0.54 fmol for the 1.5 fmol experiments, and 1.04 ± 0.37 fmol for the 1 fmol experiments. Determination of enzyme parameters through calibration is a necessary step to track changing enzyme kinetic characteristics and improves on previous methods to determine label enzyme amounts on the calorimeter platform. The results obtained using model-system signal analysis for calibration led to significantly improved nanocalorimeter platform performance.
THE COMPLETE MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCE OF THE NORTHERN SHRIMP, PANDALUS BOREALIS

Abstract The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence is now recorded for the commercially important shrimp northern, or pink, shrimp, Pandalus borealis. The 15,905 bp genome is circular and consists of the genes known for other metazoans and with the same gene order as for Penaeus and Drosophila among others.
Ultraconserved Non-coding DNA Within Diptera and Hymenoptera

This study has taken advantage of the availability of the assembled genomic sequence of flies, mosquitos, ants and bees to explore the presence of ultraconserved sequence elements in these phylogenetic groups. We compared non-coding sequences found within and flanking Drosophila developmental genes to homologous sequences in Ceratitis capitata and Musca domestica. Many of the conserved sequence blocks (CSBs) that constitute Drosophila cis-regulatory DNA, recognized by EvoPrinter alignment protocols, are also conserved in Ceratitis and Musca. Also conserved is the position but not necessarily the orientation of many of these ultraconserved CSBs (uCSBs) with respect to flanking genes. Using the mosquito EvoPrint algorithm, we have also identified uCSBs shared among distantly related mosquito species. Side by side comparison of bee and ant EvoPrints of selected developmental genes identify uCSBs shared between these two Hymenoptera, as well as less conserved CSBs in either one or the other taxon but not in both. Analysis of uCSBs in these dipterans and Hymenoptera will lead to a greater understanding of their evolutionary origin and function of their conserved non-coding sequences and aid in discovery of core elements of enhancers. This study applies the phylogenetic footprinting program EvoPrinter to detection of ultraconserved non-coding sequence elements in Diptera, including flies and mosquitos, and Hymenoptera, including ants and bees. EvoPrinter outputs an interspecies comparison as a single sequence in terms of the input reference sequence. Ultraconserved sequences flanking known developmental genes were detected in Ceratitis and Musca when compared with Drosophila species, in Aedes and Culex when compared with Anopheles, and between ants and bees. Our methods are useful in detecting and understanding the core evolutionarily hardened sequences required for gene regulation.
Leveraging health system telehealth and informatics infrastructure to create a continuum of services for COVID-19 screening, testing, and treatment

Abstract Objectives We describe our approach in using health information technology to provide a continuum of services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 challenges and needs required health systems to rapidly redesign the delivery of care. Materials and Methods Our health system deployed 4 COVID-19 telehealth programs and 4 biomedical informatics innovations to screen and care for COVID-19 patients. Using programmatic and electronic health record data, we describe the implementation and initial utilization. Results Through collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and strategic planning, 4 telehealth program initiatives have been deployed in response to COVID-19: virtual urgent care screening, remote patient monitoring for COVID-19–positive patients, continuous virtual monitoring to reduce workforce risk and utilization of personal protective equipment, and the transition of outpatient care to telehealth. Biomedical informatics was integral to our institutional response in supporting clinical care through new and reconfigured technologies. Through linking the telehealth systems and the electronic health record, we have the ability to monitor and track patients through a continuum of COVID-19 services. Discussion COVID-19 has facilitated the rapid expansion and utilization of telehealth and health informatics services. We anticipate that patients and providers will view enhanced telehealth services as an essential aspect of the healthcare system. Continuation of telehealth payment models at the federal and private levels will be a key factor in whether this new uptake is sustained. Conclusions There are substantial benefits in utilizing telehealth during the COVID-19, including the ability to rapidly scale the number of patients being screened and providing continuity of care.
Tissue-Engineered Models for Glaucoma Research

Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies characterized by the progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Patients with glaucoma generally experience elevations in intraocular pressure (IOP), followed by RGC death, peripheral vision loss and eventually blindness. However, despite the substantial economic and health-related impact of glaucoma-related morbidity worldwide, the surgical and pharmacological management of glaucoma is still limited to maintaining IOP within a normal range. This is in large part because the underlying molecular and biophysical mechanisms by which glaucomatous changes occur are still unclear. In the present review article, we describe current tissue-engineered models of the intraocular space that aim to advance the state of glaucoma research. Specifically, we critically evaluate and compare both 2D and 3D-culture models of the trabecular meshwork and nerve fiber layer, both of which are key players in glaucoma pathophysiology. Finally, we point out the need for novel organ-on-a-chip models of glaucoma that functionally integrate currently available 3D models of the retina and the trabecular outflow pathway.
Effects of anthropogenic chlorine on PM2.5 and ozone air quality in China.

China has large anthropogenic chlorine emissions from agricultural fires, residential biofuel, waste incineration, coal combustion, and industrial processes. Here we quantify the effects of chlorine on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone air quality across China by using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model with comprehensive anthropogenic emissions and detailed representation of gas-phase and heterogeneous chlorine chemistry. Comparison of the model to observed ClNO2, HCl, and particulate Cl- concentrations shows that reactive chlorine in China is mainly anthropogenic, unlike in other continental regions where it is mostly of marine origin. The model is successful in reproducing observed concentrations and their distributions, lending confidence in the anthropogenic chlorine emission estimates and the resulting chemistry. We find that anthropogenic chlorine emissions increase total inorganic PM2.5 by as much as 3.2 μg m-3 on an annual mean basis through the formation of ammonium chloride, partly compensated by a decrease of nitrate because ClNO2 formation competes with N2O5 hydrolysis. Annual mean MDA8 surface ozone increases by up to 1.9 ppb, mainly from ClNO2 chemistry, while reactivities of volatile organic compounds increase (by up to 48% for ethane). We find that a sufficient representation of chlorine chemistry in air quality models can be obtained from consideration of HCl/Cl- thermodynamics and ClNO2 chemistry, because other more complicated aspects of chlorine chemistry have a relatively minor effect.
Perspectives from Transgender and Gender Diverse People on How to Ask About Gender.

Purpose: When inquiring about the gender of research participants, most studies use self-generated questions about gender or questions prepared by researchers that have been evaluated for comprehension by transgender and gender diverse (TGD) and cisgender individuals. However, many gaps still exist in this area, including identifying how TGD people would like to see their gender represented in questions about gender identity. To address this issue, we explored the perspectives of TGD people regarding the construction of questions about gender. Methods: In this online study of 695 TGD people (Mage = 25.52), participants provided written suggestions for how to ask about gender and these responses were analyzed thematically. Data were collected between fall 2015 and summer 2017. Results: Three broad categories of responses emerged: (1) specific identities to include in response options; (2) specific questions to ask about gender; and (3) qualifiers/nuanced considerations. Conclusion: Participants provided a variety of suggestions for how to ask about gender and future research is needed to explore the implementation of these suggestions. Recommendations are provided for options that researchers can explore for how to ask about gender. These findings highlight the ways that TGD people would like their gender to be asked about, which is necessary information to ensure that questions about gender reflect TGD people's identities accurately.
LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS Characterization of Seaweed Phenolics and Their Antioxidant Potential

Seaweed is an important food widely consumed in Asian countries. Seaweed has a diverse array of bioactive compounds, including dietary fiber, carbohydrate, protein, fatty acid, minerals and polyphenols, which contribute to the health benefits and commercial value of seaweed. Nevertheless, detailed information on polyphenol content in seaweeds is still limited. Therefore, the present work aimed to investigate the phenolic compounds present in eight seaweeds [Chlorophyta (green), Ulva sp. , Caulerpa sp. and Codium sp. ; Rhodophyta (red), Dasya sp. , Grateloupia sp. and Centroceras sp. ; Ochrophyta (brown), Ecklonia sp. , Sargassum sp. ], using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total tannin content (TTC) were determined. The antioxidant potential of seaweed was assessed using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, a 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging assay and a ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Brown seaweed species showed the highest total polyphenol content, which correlated with the highest antioxidant potential. The LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS tentatively identified a total of 54 phenolic compounds present in the eight seaweeds. The largest number of phenolic compounds were present in Centroceras sp. followed by Ecklonia sp. and Caulerpa sp. Using high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (HPLC-PDA) quantification, the most abundant phenolic compound was p-hydroxybenzoic acid, present in Ulva sp. at 846.083 ± 0.02 μg/g fresh weight. The results obtained indicate the importance of seaweed as a promising source of polyphenols with antioxidant properties, consistent with the health potential of seaweed in food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
Essential Role of STAT3 in the Control of the Acute-Phase Response as Revealed by Inducible Gene Activation in the Liver

ABSTRACT We generated mice carrying a STAT3 allele amenable to Cre-mediated deletion and intercrossed them with Mx-Cre transgenic mice, in which the expression of Cre recombinase can be induced by type I interferon. Interferon-induced deletion of STAT3 occurred very efficiently (more than 90%) in the liver and slightly less efficiently (about 70%) in the bone marrow. Analysis of the induction of liver acute-phase genes in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide unequivocally identifies STAT3 as a fundamental mediator of their induction. The different degrees of defectiveness displayed by the various genes allowed us to differentiate them into three separate groups according to their degree of dependence on STAT3. Induction was totally defective for group I genes, defective at 24 h but almost normal at earlier time points for group II genes, and only slightly defective for group III genes. This division was in good agreement with the known structures of the respective promoters. We also found that the overall induction of the transcription factors C/EBPβ and -δ was only minimally defective in the absence of STAT3. Finally, even though corticosterone levels and action were found to be normal in the conditional-mutant mice, production of both proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines was increased and prolonged, probably as a result of STAT3 deletion in macrophages.