Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ladybird communities in rural woodlands: Does an invader dominate?

The invasive alien species Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was first observed in the UK in 2004. Previous studies have demonstrated the adverse effects on other species of H. axyridis during its early stages of establishment. However, habitat factors are important in determining distribution and population trends of ladybirds. Whilst the abundance of H. axyridis is well known in the UK within urban and other managed habitats, much less is known about its abundance in the wider countryside. Here we present the results of surveys from rural woodland habitats to assess whether or not H. axyridis dominates coccinellid communities in these rural habitats. Additionally, we explored the relationship between coccinellid and aphid abundance within these habitats. All field sites were in Cambridgeshire or Suffolk, East Anglia, UK and were surveyed between May and October 2016 and 2017. Three deciduous sites and three coniferous sites were included in the study. Surveys were conducted using a standardised approach involving sweep-netting within grass margins and tree beating to sample ladybirds from trees. Three distinct vegetation structures or layers were surveyed within both the coniferous and deciduous sites; tree, shrub and herb layer. All captured coccinellids were identified to species-level. Seventeen species of coccinellid and over 1300 individuals were recorded during the study period from two distinct site types (deciduous, coniferous). Species richness was lower at deciduous sites (n = 12) in comparison to coniferous (n = 16) sites. The coccinellid community also did not appear to be dominated by H. axyridis at rural sites, in contrast to urban areas. Deciduous woodland appeared to be a lesser preferred habitat of H. axyridis than coniferous woodland. Additionally, there was a distinct difference in the coccinellid community in relation to vegetation structure (across the tree, shrub and herb layers) between coniferous and deciduous sites. Our results indicate that there appear to be distinct native coccinellid communities at deciduous and coniferous sites. We discuss the way in which rural woodlands could act as a refuge for some native coccinellids.
Two‐Stage Reliability Tests with Technological Evolution: A Bayesian Analysis

The reliability of equipment is of interest to manufacturers. Frequently minor modifications are made to devices and there is insufficient time to test these modified devices fully before they must enter service. The problem of interest here is how we can use the information already obtained from the testing of a device before modification to help us to evaluate the reliability of the modified device. A Bayesian analysis allows the flexibility to use any available prior information in the analysis. In this paper we consider two different types of prior information that may be available and the resulting analyses
Biostimulants induce positive changes in the radish morpho-physiology and yield

An ever-increasing population has issued an open challenge to the agricultural sector to provide enough food in a sustainable manner. The upsurge in chemical fertilizers to enhance food production had resulted in environmental problems. The objective of the current study is to assess the utilization of biostimulants for sustainable agricultural production as an alternative to chemical fertilization. For this purpose, two pot experiments were conducted to examine the response of radish against individual and combined applications of biostimulants. In the first experiment, the effects of chemical fertilizer (CK), glycine (G), lysine (L), aspartic acid (A), and vitamin B complex (V) were studied. The results demonstrated that V significantly improved the transpiration rate (81.79%), stomatal conductance (179.17%), fresh weight (478.31%), and moisture content (2.50%). In the second experiment, tested treatments included chemical fertilizer (CK), Isabion® (I), glycine + lysine + aspartic acid (GLA), moringa leaf extract + GLA (M1), 25% NPK + M1 (M2). The doses of biostimulants were 5g L−1 glycine, 1g L−1 lysine, 2g L−1 aspartic acid, and 10 ml L−1 moringa leaf extract. The photosynthetic rate improved significantly with GLA (327.01%), M1 (219.60%), and M2 (22.16%), while the transpiration rate was enhanced with GLA (53.14%) and M2 (17.86%) compared to the Ck. In addition, M1 increased the stomatal conductance (54.84%), internal CO2 concentration (0.83%), plant fresh weight (201.81%), and dry weight (101.46%) as compared to CK. This study concludes that biostimulants can effectively contribute to the sustainable cultivation of radish with better growth and yield.
Thirty years of research on physical activity, mental health, and wellbeing: A scientometric analysis of hotspots and trends

The sheer volume of research publications on physical activity, mental health, and wellbeing is overwhelming. The aim of this study was to perform a broad-ranging scientometric analysis to evaluate key themes and trends over the past decades, informing future lines of research. We searched the Web of Science Core Collection from inception until December 7, 2021, using the appropriate search terms such as “physical activity” or “mental health,” with no limitation of language or time. Eligible studies were articles, reviews, editorial material, and proceeding papers. We retrieved 55,353 documents published between 1905 and 2021. The annual scientific production is exponential with a mean annual growth rate of 6.8% since 1989. The 1988–2021 co-cited reference network identified 50 distinct clusters that presented significant modularity and silhouette scores indicating highly credible clusters (Q = 0.848, S = 0.939). This network identified 6 major research trends on physical activity, namely cardiovascular diseases, somatic disorders, cognitive decline/dementia, mental illness, athletes' performance, related health issues, and eating disorders, and the COVID-19 pandemic. A focus on the latest research trends found that greenness/urbanicity (2014), concussion/chronic traumatic encephalopathy (2015), and COVID-19 (2019) were the most active clusters of research. The USA research network was the most central, and the Chinese research network, although important in size, was relatively isolated. Our results strengthen and expand the central role of physical activity in public health, calling for the systematic involvement of physical activity professionals as stakeholders in public health decision-making process.
Fabrication of multifunctional alginate microspheres containing hydroxyapatite powder for simultaneous cell and drug delivery

Novel alginate-hydroxyapatite hybrid microspheres were developed for simultaneous delivery of drugs and cells as a multifunctional bone substitute for osteoporotic bone tissue regeneration. The microspheres were used to enhance osteogenesis and to carry and deliver quercetin, a representative phytoestrogen that controls bone tissue regeneration metabolism in osteoporosis patients, through sustained release over a long period. To overcome quercetin’s hydrophobicity and low solubility in aqueous environments, we added it to the surface of hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles before mixing them with an alginate solution. The homogeneous distribution of the HAp nanoparticles in the alginate solution was essential for preventing nozzle clogging and achieving successfully fabricated hybrid microspheres. To this end, a 3D ultrasonic treatment was applied. Electrostatic microencapsulation was then used to fabricate hybrid alginate-HAp microspheres containing quercetin and cells. The microspheres were approximately 290.7 ± 42.5 μm (aspect ratio of 1). The sustained release of quercetin was confirmed during a test period of 20 weeks. The cells in the hybrid microspheres maintained good cell viability during the entire testing period, and their osteogenic differentiation behavior was boosted by the presence of HAp. Thus, osteogenic differentiation could be greatly improved by adding quercetin. These novel multi-biofunctional hybrid microspheres have great potential for the regeneration of osteoporotic bone tissue at indeterminate defect sites.
Piglets' acute responses to procaine-based local anesthetic injection and surgical castration: Effects of two volumes of anesthetic

Surgical castration of piglets is painful, but practiced routinely in commercial pig production. Procaine-based local anesthetics are used to mitigate piglet pain during castration in some countries. Yet, effects of the volume of anesthetic injected remain under-studied. The volume of drug administered may modulate the pain mitigating effect via variation in intra-testicular pressure at injection, potentially leading to pain or discomfort, as well as variation in the dose of active ingredient administered. The present study investigated the effects of injection with two volumes of a procaine-based local anesthetic, 0.3 vs. 0.5 mL per testis, on acute responses of 3–4 day old piglets. A total of 290 piglets were divided into 5 treatment groups: castration without anesthesia, castration after intra-testicular injection of 0.5 or 0.3 mL of drug per testis, and sham handling with one or two stays in a castration bench. Acute responses to drug injection, castration and sham handling were evaluated based on quantification of intra-procedural vocalizations and foreleg movements, as well as saliva cortisol concentrations before and after castration. Regardless of the volume, injection of anesthetic as well as castration led to significantly stronger responses than sham handling. Responses to the two drug volumes did not differ significantly, and responses to castration following injection of 0.3 mL did not differ from piglets castrated without anesthesia. All treatments, including sham handling, led to a significant increase in saliva cortisol, and no difference was found between anesthesia treatments and sham handling. Overall, the results suggested that injection of 0.5 mL led to better pain mitigation at castration compared to injection of 0.3 mL, but even when the local anesthetic was used, the combined procedures of injection and castration led to intra-procedural signs of pain and stress.
Orchid diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the central Balkans

Understanding patterns of species diversity along an altitudinal gradient is the major topic of much biogeographical and ecological research. The aim of this study was to explore how richness and density of orchid species and subspecies in terms of different categories of underground organ systems and pollination systems vary along an altitudinal gradient in the central Balkans. The altitudinal gradient of the study area was divided into 21 100-m vertical intervals. Data were analyzed using both non-linear and linear regressions with three data sets (total orchids, orchids of forest habitats, orchids of non-forest habitats) in the case of species richness and three data sets (total orchids—total area, forest orchids—forest area, and orchids of non-forest habitats—non-forest area) in the case of species density. The results showed a hump-shaped pattern of orchid richness and density, peaking at 900–1,000 m. The richness and density of orchids of forest habitats are generally slightly greater than the richness and density of orchids of non-forest habitats in lowland areas, whereas the orchids of herbaceous vegetation types dominating at high altitudes. Tuberous orchids dominate in low and mid-altitude areas, orchids with palmately lobed and fusiform tubers (“intermediate orchids”) dominate at high altitudes, while rhizomatous orchids are predominate in mid-altitude forest stands. Both deceptive and self-pollinated orchids show a unimodal trend with a peak at mid-altitude areas. This study underlines the importance of low and mid-altitude areas for the survival of deceptive orchids and the importance of mid- and high-altitude areas for the survival of rewarding orchids. In addition, forest habitats at mid-altitudes have been shown to be crucial for the survival of self-pollinated orchids. The results suggest that the altitudinal patterns of orchid richness and density in the central Balkans are determined by mechanisms related to land area size and habitat cover, partially confirming the species-area relationship (SAR) hypothesis. This study contributes significantly to a better understanding of the potential impacts of habitat changes on orchid diversity, thereby facilitating more effective conservation planning.
Fluorescent signatures of autochthonous dissolved organic matter production in Siberian shelf seas

The East Siberian Sea is an area of high biogeochemical activity caused by multiple factors, such as an influence of river runoff, Atlantic, and Pacific waters, formation and melting of sea ice, and internal circulation. Extensive amounts of carbon are accumulated in sub-sea permafrost within the Arctic shelf in East Siberia. Thawing permafrost and resulting microbial decomposition of frozen carbon pool is a potential feedback process affected global climate dynamics. Several studies of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) distribution in the East Siberian Sea have demonstrated untypical for other Arctic shelf seas pronounced non-conservative DOC behavior. Using seawater samples from the 69th cruise of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh conducted in the Laptev and East Siberian seas in September 2017, this study examines the distribution of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) along the shelf-crossing transects including the areas affected by the Khatanga, Lena, Indigirka, and Kolyma river runoff. The set of 137 excitation-emission matrices (EEMs), analyzed with Parallel Factor analysis (PARAFAC), was described by a 4-component model demonstrating Tucker’s congruence coefficient above the 0.95 threshold. Spectral characteristics of the resulting components allowed identifying them as well-known humic-like A and C, protein-like B/T, and marine humic-like M fluorophores. Component C1 (A fluorophore) showed a good correlation with salinity for different river plume influenced regions. As well as chromophoric DOM (CDOM) absorption, it can be used as marker of input of terrestrial DOM to the Arctic Ocean. A distinctive feature of the East Siberian Sea shelf waters in comparison with the Laptev Sea is the higher content of the C2 and C4 components, exhibiting protein-like and marine humic-like fluorescence. Component C3 (C fluorophore) which is usually identified as terrestrial-derived material, was found to be produced locally on the East Siberian Sea shelf and in the continental slope region of the Khatanga transect. Destruction of dead algae cells, production of marine biota and dissolved organic matter (DOM) reworking are considered as possible autochthonous FDOM sources in the Siberian shelf seas.
Time Domains of Hypoxia Responses and -Omics Insights

The ability to respond rapidly to changes in oxygen tension is critical for many forms of life. Challenges to oxygen homeostasis, specifically in the contexts of evolutionary biology and biomedicine, provide important insights into mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation and tolerance. Here we synthesize findings across varying time domains of hypoxia in terms of oxygen delivery, ranging from early animal to modern human evolution and examine the potential impacts of environmental and clinical challenges through emerging multi-omics approaches. We discuss how diverse animal species have adapted to hypoxic environments, how humans vary in their responses to hypoxia (i.e., in the context of high-altitude exposure, cardiopulmonary disease, and sleep apnea), and how findings from each of these fields inform the other and lead to promising new directions in basic and clinical hypoxia research.
Dengue virus NS4B protein as a target for developing antivirals

Dengue virus is an important pathogen affecting global population while no specific treatment is available against this virus. Effort has been made to develop inhibitors through targeting viral nonstructural proteins such as NS3 and NS5 with enzymatic activities. No potent inhibitors entering clinical studies have been developed so far due to many challenges. The genome of dengue virus encodes four membrane-bound nonstructural proteins which do not possess any enzymatic activities. Studies have shown that the membrane protein-NS4B is a validated target for drug discovery and several NS4B inhibitors exhibited antiviral activities in various assays and entered preclinical studies. Here, we summarize the recent studies on dengue NS4B protein. The structure and membrane topology of dengue NS4B derived from biochemical and biophysical studies are described. Function of NS4B through protein-protein interactions and some available NS4B inhibitors are summarized. Accumulated studies demonstrated that cell-based assays play important roles in developing NS4B inhibitors. Although the atomic structure of NS4B is not obtained, target-based drug discovery approach become feasible to develop NS4B inhibitors as recombinant NS4B protein is available.
Day 1 neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) predicts stroke outcome after intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy

Background The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a biomarker reflecting the balance between inflammation (as indicated by the neutrophil count) and adaptive immunity (as indicated by the lymphocyte count). We aimed to estimate ability of NLR at admission and at day 1 for predicting stroke outcome after two reperfusion therapies: intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who received recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (IVT) and/or underwent MT for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Wenzhou, China) from January 2018 to December 2020. Blood samples were taken on admission to hospital and on day 1 after stroke onset. Binary logistic regression models were applied to investigate potential associations between NLR at admission or day 1 and the following outcomes: symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), dependence, and mortality at 90 days. The ability of NLR to predict AIS outcome was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Data for 927 patients (576 IVT and 351 MT) were reviewed. High admission NLR was associated with dependence in IVT treatment [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–1.23] and 90-day mortality in MT patients (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04–1.13). In IVT patients, high NLR at day 1 predicted dependence (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02–1.11), sICH (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.12), and 90-day mortality (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.15). In MT patients, high NLR at day 1 also predicted dependence (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02–1.11) and sICH (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.09). ROC analysis confirmed that NLR at day 1 could predict dependence (cut-off 4.2; sensitivity 68.7%; specificity 79.6%), sICH (cut-off 5.1; sensitivity 57.9%, specificity 73.5%), and death (cut-off 5.4; sensitivity 78.8%; specificity 76.4%) in IVT patients. Z values of area under the curves were compared between admissioin and day 1 NLR in IVT patients and showed day 1 NLR can better predict dependence (Z = 2.8, p = 0.004) and 90-day death (Z = 2.8, p = 0.005). Conclusions NLR is a readily available biomarker that can predict AIS outcome after reperfusion treatment and day 1 NLR is even better than admission NLR.
A Stable Chemokine Gradient Controls Directional Persistence of Migrating Dendritic Cells

Navigation of dendritic cells (DCs) from the site of infection to lymphoid organs is guided by concentration gradients of CCR7 ligands. How cells interpret chemokine gradients and how they couple directional sensing to polarization and persistent chemotaxis has remained largely elusive. Previous experimental systems were limited in the ability to control fast de novo formation of the final gradient slope, long-lasting stability of the gradient and to expose cells to dynamic stimulation. Here, we used a combination of microfluidics and quantitative in vitro live cell imaging to elucidate the chemotactic sensing strategy of DCs. The microfluidic approach allows us to generate soluble gradients with high spatio-temporal precision and to analyze actin dynamics, cell polarization, and persistent directional migration in both static and dynamic environments. We demonstrate that directional persistence of DC migration requires steady-state characteristics of the soluble gradient instead of temporally rising CCL19 concentration, implying that spatial sensing mechanisms control chemotaxis of DCs. Kymograph analysis of actin dynamics revealed that the presence of the CCL19 gradient is essential to stabilize leading edge protrusions in DCs and to determine directionality, since both cytoskeletal polarization and persistent chemotaxis are abrogated in the range of seconds when steady-state gradients are perturbed. In contrast to Dictyostelium amoeba, DCs are unable to decode oscillatory stimulation of soluble chemokine traveling waves into a directional response toward the wave source. These findings are consistent with the notion that DCs do not employ adaptive temporal sensing strategies that discriminate temporally increasing and decreasing chemoattractant concentrations in our setting. Taken together, in our experimental system DCs do not depend on increasing absolute chemokine concentration over time to induce persistent migration and do not integrate oscillatory stimulation. The observed capability of DCs to migrate with high directional persistence in stable gradients but not when subjected to periodic temporal cues, identifies spatial sensing as a key requirement for persistent chemotaxis of DCs.
The cytoplasmic LSm1-7 and nuclear LSm2-8 complexes exert opposite effects on Hepatitis B virus biosynthesis and interferon responses

Despite many studies on host or viral gene expression, how the cellular proteome responds to internal or external cues during the infection process remains unclear. In this study, we used a Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) replication model and performed proteomic analyses to understand how HBV evades innate immunity as a function of cell cycle progression. Specifically, we performed proteomic analyses of HBV-replicating cells in G1/S and G2/M phases, as a function of IFN-α treatment. We identified that the conserved LSm (Like-Sm1-8) proteins were differentially regulated in HBV replicating cells treated with IFN-α. Specifically, in G2/M phase, IFN-α increased protein level of LSm1, the unique subunit of cytoplasmic LSm1-7 complex involved in mRNA decay. By contrast, IFN-α decreased LSm8, the unique subunit of nuclear LSm2-8 complex, a chaperone of U6 spliceosomal RNA, suggesting the cytoplasmic LSm1-7 complex is antiviral, whereas the nuclear LSm2-8 complex is pro-viral. In HBV replication and infection models, siRNA-mediated knockdown of LSm1 increased all viral RNAs. Conversely, LSm8 knockdown reduced viral RNA levels, dependent on N6-adenosine methylation (m6A) of the epsilon stem-loop at the 5′ end of pre-Core/pregenomic (preC/pg) RNA. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) assays demonstrated reduced viral RNA methylation by LSm8 knockdown, dependent on the 5’ m6A modification, suggesting the LSm2-8 complex has a role in mediating this modification. Interestingly, splicing inhibitor Cp028 acting upstream of the LSm2-8 complex suppressed viral RNA levels without reducing the 5’ m6A modification. This observation suggests Cp028 has novel antiviral effects, likely potentiating IFN-α-mediated suppression of HBV biosynthesis.