Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between the Content of β-D-Glucans and Infection with Fusarium Pathogens in Oat (Avena sativa L.) Plants

In human nutrition, oats (Avena sativa L.) are mainly used for their dietary fiber, β-D-glucans and protein content. The content of β-D-glucans in oat grain is 2–7% and is influenced by genetic and/or environmental factors. High levels of this cell walls polysaccharide are observed in naked grains of cultivated oat. It the work, the relationship between the content of β-D-glucans in oat grain and the infection with Fusarium graminearum (FG) and Fusarium culmorum (FC) was analyzed. The hypothesis was that oats with higher content of β-D-glucans are better protected and the manifestation of artificial inoculation with Fusarium strains is weaker. In the 22 oat samples analyzed, the content of β-D-glucans was 0.71–5.06%. In controls, the average content was 2.15% for hulled and 3.25% for naked grains of cultivated oats. After the infection, a decrease was observed in all, naked, hulled and wild oats. As an evidence of lower rate of infection, statistically significant lower percentage of pathogen DNA (0.39%) and less deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxin (FC infection 10.66 mg/kg and FG 4.92 mg/kg) were observed in naked grains compared to hulled where the level of pathogen DNA was 2.09% and the average DON level was 21.95 mg/kg (FC) and 5.52 mg/kg (FG).
A bioprinted composite hydrogel with controlled shear stress on cells

In recent decades, three dimensional (3D) bio-printing technology has found widespread use in tissue engineering applications. The aim of this study is to scrutinize different parameters of the bioprinter – with the help of simulation software – to print a hydrogel so much so that avoid high amounts of shear stress which is detrimental for cell viability and cell proliferation. Rheology analysis was done on several hydrogels composed of different percentages of components: alginate, collagen, and gelatin. The results have led to the combination of percentages collagen:alginate:gelatin (1:4:8)% as the best condition which makes sol-gel transition at room temperature possible. The results have shown the highest diffusion rate and cell viability for the cross-linked sample with 1.5% CaCl2 for the duration of 1 h. Finally, we have succeeded in printing the hydrogel that is mechanically strong with suitable degradation rate and cell viability.
Quantitative Measurement of Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid-β Species by Mass Spectrometry

Background: High sensitivity liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was recently introduced to measure amyloid-β (Aβ) species, allowing for a simultaneous assay that is superior to ELISA, which requires more assay steps with multiple antibodies. Objective: We validated the Aβ1-38, Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, and Aβ1-43 assay by LC-MS/MS and compared it with ELISA using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to investigate its feasibility for clinical application. Methods: CSF samples from 120 subjects [8 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with dementia (ADD), 2 mild cognitive dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (ADMCI), 14 cognitively unimpaired (CU), and 96 neurological disease subjects] were analyzed. Aβ species were separated using the Shimadzu Nexera X2 system and quantitated using a Qtrap 5500 LC-MS/MS system. Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels were validated using ELISA. Results: CSF levels in CU were 666±249 pmol/L in Aβ1-38, 2199±725 pmol/L in Aβ1-40, 153.7±79.7 pmol/L in Aβ1-42, and 9.78±4.58 pmol/L in Aβ1-43. The ratio of the amounts of Aβ1-38, Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, and Aβ1-43 was approximately 68:225:16:1. Linear regression analyses showed correlations among the respective Aβ species. Both Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 values were strongly correlated with ELISA measurements. No significant differences were observed in Aβ1-38 or Aβ1-40 levels between AD and CU. Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-43 levels were significantly lower, whereas the Aβ1-38/1-42, Aβ1-38/1-43, and Aβ1-40/Aβ1-43 ratios were significantly higher in AD than in CU. The basic assay profiles of the respective Aβ species were adequate for clinical usage. Conclusion: A quantitative LC-MS/MS assay of CSF Aβ species is as reliable as specific ELISA for clinical evaluation of CSF biomarkers for AD.
Segmented Generative Networks: Data Generation in the Uniform Probability Space

Recent advancements in generative networks have shown that it is possible to produce real-world-like data using deep neural networks. Some implicit probabilistic models that follow a stochastic procedure to directly generate data have been introduced to overcome the intractability of the posterior distribution. However, the ability to model data requires deep knowledge and understanding of its statistical dependence—which can be preserved and studied in appropriate latent spaces. In this article, we present a segmented generation process through linear and nonlinear manipulations in the same-dimensional latent space where data are projected to. Inspired by the known stochastic method to generate correlated data, we develop a segmented approach for the generation of dependent data, exploiting the concept of copula. The generation process is split into two frames: one embedding the covariance or copula information in the uniform probability space, and the other embedding the marginal distribution information in the sample domain. The proposed network structure, referred to as a segmented generative network (SGN), also provides an empirical method to sample directly from implicit copulas. To show its generality, we evaluate the presented approach in three application scenarios: a toy example, handwritten digits, and face image generation.
Loneliness Trajectories: Evidence for Staged Intervention Among Chinese Bereaved Parents

Losing an only child affects the mental health of many older adults in China, placing them at a higher risk of loneliness. However, few studies explore the long-term effects of losing an only child on loneliness trajectories among older Chinese bereaved parents. Adopting a qualitative, grounded theory approach, this study investigates how experiences of loneliness among bereaved parents evolve and the implications for staged intervention. Twenty-seven in-depth interviews were conducted with people who lost their only child in Shanghai and Wuhan. A multistep data analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that trajectories of perceived loneliness have three distinct stages and follow a U-shape in their frequency and intensity. Interventions of psychological consultation, social network restoration, and improved old-age support should be emphasized at each stage.
A Novel Eye Center Localization Method for Head Poses With Large Rotations

Eye localization is undoubtedly crucial to acquiring large amounts of information. It not only helps people improve their understanding of others but is also a technology that enables machines to better understand humans. Although studies have reported satisfactory accuracy for frontal faces or head poses at limited angles, large head rotations generate numerous defects (e.g., disappearance of the eye), and existing methods are not effective enough to accurately localize eye centers. Therefore, this study makes three contributions to address these limitations. First, we propose a novel complete representation (CR) pipeline that can flexibly learn and generate two complete representations, namely the CR-center and CR-region, of the same identity. We also propose two novel eye center localization methods. This first method employs geometric transformation to estimate the rotational difference between two faces and an unknown-localization strategy for accurate transformation of the CR-center. The second method is based on image translation learning and uses the CR-region to train the generative adversarial network, which can then accurately generate and localize eye centers. Five image databases are employed to verify the proposed methods, and tests reveal that compared with existing methods, the proposed method can more accurately and robustly localize eye centers in challenging images, such as those showing considerable head rotation (both yaw rotation of −67.5° to +67.5° and roll rotation of +120° to −120°), complete occlusion of both eyes, poor illumination in addition to head rotation, head pose changes in the dark, and various gaze interaction.
Development and evaluation of a new dietary index assessing nutrient security by aggregating probabilistic estimates of the risk of nutrient deficiency in two French adult populations

Abstract Although micronutrient deficiencies affect 2 billion people worldwide, no index focuses on measuring the risk of overt nutrient deficiency. We aimed to develop an index that could capture the nutrient dimension of nutritional security, a nutrient security index (named SecDiet), and evaluate its apparent validity. The SecDiet (range: 0–1) is based on the square-weighted average of the probabilities that the intake of twelve critical nutrients exceeds the threshold value associated with a risk of overt deficiency. Using adult populations from a French representative survey (INCA3, n 1774) and a large cohort (NutriNet-Santé, n 104 382), the content and construct validity of the SecDiet was evaluated by estimating associations of the SecDiet with its components and with relevant socio-demographic characteristics. The SecDiet was high in the overall population (0·93 (SD 0·09) in INCA3) and markedly skewed towards 1 (i.e. lower risk of insufficient intake). It correlated positively with its twelve components (r 0·17–0·78, all P < 0·001). The SecDiet was associated with monthly income (P = 0·002), perception of financial situation, professional situation, food insufficiency and security statuses (all P < 0·001) in the INCA3 population and with monthly income, professional situation and level of education (all P < 0·001) in the NutriNet-Santé population. Unlike a broader nutrient-based quality index taken as comparison, the SecDiet mean decreased and the tail of its distribution notably extended downwards in at-risk sub-populations, thus revealing its specific sensitivity. The SecDiet could be used to screen sub-groups or study the determinants of nutrient insecurity in large population surveys.
The association between living in socially fragmented neighbourhoods and psychological distress among immigrant and non-immigrant people aged 45 and over in NSW, Australia

Objective: Immigrants’ mental health is a growing public health concern. Neighbourhood characteristics in the host society may contribute to the poor mental health observed among immigrants. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between neighbourhood-level social fragmentation and socioeconomic characteristics with psychological distress among immigrants and non-immigrants living in Australia. Methodology: We conducted cross-sectional secondary data analysis of 228,039 participants from the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study, with psychological distress measured with the Kessler 10 (K10) and area-level social fragmentation and economic advantage/disadvantage measured at the statistical area level 1 (areas containing approximately 400 people). Multilevel logistic models were used to examine the extent to which differences across the least and most fragmented and economic advantage/disadvantage neighbourhoods contributed to the prevalence of high psychological distress (K10 score ⩾ 22). Results: Immigrants accounted for about 23% of the sample. Slightly more immigrants (34.8%) compared to non-immigrants (32.9%) lived in fragmented areas. Although immigrants were over represented in areas with socioeconomic advantage (40% vs 33.9%), the prevalence of high psychological distress in neighbourhoods with higher social fragmentation and socioeconomic disadvantage was higher in immigrants than non-immigrants. Immigrants had 17% (95% confidence interval = [12%, 22%]) higher odds of having high psychological distress compared to non-immigrants. There was no evidence of an interaction between social fragmentation or socioeconomic disadvantage and immigrant status. Living in fragmented or socioeconomically disadvantaged areas was associated with higher psychological distress among immigrants and non-immigrants. English as a second language and low annual income were significant predictors of psychological distress in immigrants over and above area-level characteristics. Conclusion: Immigrants are vulnerable to mental health issues, but the characteristics of the area they live in are also important. Helping immigrants settle into well-integrated and economically advantaged areas may decrease the possibility of mental health issues.
Clinicopathologic Analysis of Cathepsin B as a Prognostic Marker of Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer incidence has increased worldwide; however, investigations of thyroid cancer-related factors as potential prognosis markers remain insufficient. Secreted proteins from the cancer secretome are regulators of several molecular mechanisms and are, thereby, ideal candidates for potential markers. We aimed to identify a specific factor for thyroid cancer by analyzing the secretome from normal thyroid cells, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cells, and anaplastic thyroid cancer cells using mass spectrometry (MS). Cathepsin B (CTSB) showed highest expression in PTC cells compared to other cell lines, and CTSB levels in tumor samples were higher than that seen in normal tissue. Further, among thyroid cancer patients, increased CTSB expression was related to higher risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) and advanced N stage. Overexpression of CTSB in thyroid cancer cell lines activated cell migration by increasing the expression of vimentin and Snail, while its siRNA-mediated silencing inhibited cell migration by decreasing vimentin and Snail expression. Mechanistically, CTSB-associated enhanced cell migration and upregulation of vimentin and Snail occurred via increased phosphorylation of p38. As our results suggest that elevated CTSB in thyroid cancer induces the expression of metastatic proteins and thereby leads to LNM, CTSB may be a good and clinically relevant prognostic marker.
Building Blocks to Design Liposomal Delivery Systems

The flexibility of liposomal carriers does not just simply rely on their capability to encapsulate various types of therapeutic substances, but also on the large array of components used for designing liposome-based nanoformulations. Each of their components plays a very specific role in the formulation and can be easily replaced whenever a different therapeutic effect is desired. It is tempting to describe this by an analogy to Lego blocks, since a whole set of structures, differing in their features, can be designed using a certain pool of blocks. In this review, we focus on different design strategies, where a broad variety of liposomal components facilitates the attainment of straightforward control over targeting and drug release, which leads to the design of the most promising systems for drug delivery. The key aspects of this block-based architecture became evident after its implementation in our recent works on liposomal carriers of antisense oligonucleotides and statins, which are described in the last chapter of this review.
Performance and meat quality of lambs fed detoxified castor meal.

Objective The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the performance and meat quality of lambs fed diets containing four levels of substitution (0, 33, 67, and 100 %) of soybean meal for detoxified castor meal (CM). Methods Twenty-four sheep (18.5 ± 2.71 kg initial body weight) were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replicates. Results The intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy were not affected (p > 0.05) by the CM levels. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake increased linearly (p < 0.05) and the non-fiber carbohydrates intake (NFC) had a linear decrease (p < 0.05). Final body weight and average daily gain had a decreasing linear effect (p < 0.05) with the inclusion of the CM levels in the diet. Effects of the inclusion of CM were not observed (p > 0.05) on the percentage of total lipids of the lamb meat, but the inclusion of CM in the concentrate had a positive quadratic (p < 0.05) the oleic acid (C18:01n9) in lipids of the lamb meat. Conclusions Inclusion of detoxified castor meal in the concentrate impairs the productive performance, however it contributed to increase monounsaturated fatty acids content in the meat of lambs. Replacing up to 33% soybean meal with detoxified castor meal is recommended.
The Effect of Baking Heat Treatment on the Fatigue Strength and Life of Shot Peened 4340M Landing Gear Steel

In this study, the effect of baking heat treatment on fatigue strength and fatigue life was evaluated by performing baking heat treatment after shot peening treatment on 4340M steel for landing gear. An ultrasonic fatigue test was performed to obtain the S–N curve, and the fatigue strength and fatigue life were compared. The micro hardness of shot peening showed a maximum at a hardened depth of about 50 μm and was almost uniform when it arrived at the hardened depth of about 400 μm. The overall average tensile strength after the baking heat treatment was lowered by about 80–111 MPa, but the yield strength was improved by about 206–262 MPa. The five cases of specimens showed similar fatigue strength and fatigue life in high cycle fatigue (HCF) regime. However, the fatigue limit of the baking heat treated specimens showed an increasing tendency rather than that of shot peening specimens when the fatigue life was extended to the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime. The effect of baking heat treatment was identified from improved fatigue limit when baking heat was used to treat the specimen treated by shot peening containing inclusions. The optimum temperature range for the better baking heat treatment effect could be constrained not to exceed maximum 246 °C.
A regression for estimating metabolizable glucose in diets of weaned piglets for optimal growth performance

Objective Two experiments were conducted to provide a new approach for evaluating feed nutritional value by metabolizable glucose (MG) in piglet diets with different levels of starch and crude fiber. In Exp 1, a regression equation for MG was generated. In Exp 2, the equation was verified, and the optimal growth performance of piglets under appropriate MG levels was tested. Methods In Exp 1, 20 weaned piglets (7.74±0.81 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments, including the basal diet containing different levels of MG (starch, 25.80%, 31.67%, 45.71%, 49.36%; crude fiber, 1.23%, 1.35%, 1.80%, 1.51%). The piglets were implanted with an ileal fistula, cannulation of the carotid artery, portal vein, and mesenteric artery. The chyme from the ileum fistula and blood samples were collected. In Exp 2, 30 weaned piglets (8.96±0.50 kg BW) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments, including the experimental diets with different levels of MG (37.6, 132.5, 300.0, 354.3, and 412.5 g/kg). The piglets’ BW, and feed consumption were recorded to calculate growth performance during the 28-d experiment. Results In Exp 1, the MG levels in 4 diets were 239.62, 280.68, 400.79, and 454.35 g/kg. The regression equation for the MG levels and dietary nutrients was: Y (MG) = 12.13×X1 (starch)+23.18×X2 (crude fiber)−196.44 (R2 = 0.9989, p = 0.033). In Exp 2, treatments with 132.5 and 300.0 g/kg MG significantly (p<0.05) increased average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency of weaned piglets, increased digestibility of crude fat, and had no effect on digestibility of crude protein compared to 300.0 to 412.5 g/kg MG. Conclusion The pig model combining the ileum fistula and cannulation of blood vessels was successfully used to determine the dietary MG levels. The recommended MG level in weaned pig diets is 132.5 to 300.0 g/kg.
Novel Sc(OTf)3/3-HQD Catalyst for Morita–Baylis–Hillman Reaction

Abstract A novel and efficient catalytic system of the Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction between aromatic aldehyde and activated alkenes has been developed. The novel system of a combination of Sc(OTf)3 and 3-hydroxyquinuclidine (3-HQD) showed a high catalytic activity for the MBH reaction.
Associations of Alcohol Consumption, Sexual Assault History, Severity, and Revictimization With College Women’s Bystander Behaviors in Alcohol-involved Settings

Sexual assault victimization (SAV) histories may impede, increase, or have no effect on women’s risk recognition. Yet, even though risk recognition is a component of bystander intervention, the effect of SAV on bystander behaviors is understudied. For example, how different SAV histories, such as the severity of the assault and if women were revictimized since entering college, have not been examined with bystander behaviors; we intended to address this gap in the literature. Building on recent work, we also examined the potential interactive effects of alcohol consumption and SAV history in predicting bystander behaviors. College women (n = 560) completed a web-based survey on alcohol consumption, SAV experiences since entering college, and bystander behaviors in alcohol-involved settings. We found that the effect of SAV history on bystander behavior varied based on alcohol consumption. As women’s alcohol consumption increased so did their self-reported engagement in bystander behaviors. For non-victims, increased alcohol consumption had a greater positive effect on their bystander behaviors than victims. However, after a certain quantity of alcohol was consumed, both victims and non-victims reported decreased bystander behavior. Finally, alcohol consumption did not interact with severity of SAV or revictimization status in predicting bystander behavior. Findings suggest alcohol consumption may be more influential on bystander behaviors for women with no history of SAV; however, consuming a greater quantity of alcohol is related to a decrease in bystander behavior—regardless of SAV history. Given these findings, more work is needed to explore when and how alcohol impedes, and potentially encourages, bystander behavior. How SAV histories relate to bystander behaviors also warrants further research.
Bayesian penalized cumulative logit model for high‐dimensional data with an ordinal response

Many previous studies have identified associations between gene expression, measured using high‐throughput genomic platforms, and quantitative or dichotomous traits. However, we note that health outcome and disease status measurements frequently appear on an ordinal scale, that is, the outcome is categorical but has inherent ordering. Identification of important genes may be useful for developing novel diagnostic and prognostic tools to predict or classify stage of disease. Gene expression data are usually high‐dimensional, meaning that the number of genes is much larger than the sample size or number of patients. Herein we describe some existing frequentist methods for modeling an ordinal response in a high‐dimensional predictor space. Following Tibshirani (1996), who described the LASSO estimate as the Bayesian posterior mode when the regression coefficients have independent Laplace priors, we propose a new approach for high‐dimensional data with an ordinal response that is rooted in the Bayesian paradigm. We show that our proposed Bayesian approach outperforms existing frequentist methods through simulation studies. We then compare the performance of frequentist and Bayesian approaches using a study evaluating progression to hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C infected patients.