Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
UDP-Glucosyltransferases Induced by Nosema bombycis Provide Resistance to Microsporidia in Silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Simple Summary Nosema bombycis (N. bombycis), an obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasite, is a virulent pathogen of the silkworm, that causes major economic losses. Although many studies have reported on B. mori host response to this pathogen, little is known about which genes are induced by N. bombycis. Our results showed that two B. mori uridine diphosphate-glucosyltransferases (UGTs) (BmUGT10295 and BmUGT8453) could be activated by N. bombycis and provide resistance to the microsporidia in silkworms. These results will contribute to our understanding of host stress reaction to pathogens and the two pathogen-induced resistant genes will provide a target for promoting pathogen resistance. Abstract As a silkworm pathogen, the microsporidian N. bombycis can be transovarially transmitted from parent to offspring and seriously impedes sericulture industry development. Previous studies found that Uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are involved in regulating diverse cellular processes, such as detoxification, pigmentation, and odorant sensing. Our results showed that BmUGT10295 and BmUGT8453 genes were specifically induced in infected silkworms, but other BmUGTs were not. Tissue distribution analysis of the two BmUGTs showed that the transcriptions of the two BmUGTs were mainly activated in the midgut and Malpighian tubule of infected silkworms. Furthermore, there were significantly fewer microsporidia in over-expressed BmUGTs compared with the control, but there were significantly more microsporidia in RNA interference BmUGTs compared with the control. These findings indicate that the two BmUGTs were induced by N. bombycis and provided resistance to the microsporidia.
Progress in Non-Traditional Processing for Fabricating Superhydrophobic Surfaces

When the water droplets are on some superhydrophobic surfaces, the surface only needs to be inclined at a very small angle to make the water droplets roll off. Hence, building a superhydrophobic surface on the material substrate, especially the metal substrate, can effectively alleviate the problems of its inability to resist corrosion and easy icing during use, and it can also give it special functions such as self-cleaning, lubrication, and drag reduction. Therefore, this study reviews and summarizes the development trends in the fabrication of superhydrophobic surface materials by non-traditional processing techniques. First, the principle of the superhydrophobic surfaces fabricated by laser beam machining (LBM) is introduced, and the machining performances of the LBM process, such as femtosecond laser, picosecond laser, and nanosecond laser, for fabricating the surfaces are compared and summarized. Second, the principle and the machining performances of the electrical discharge machining (EDM), for fabricating the superhydrophobic surfaces, are reviewed and compared, respectively. Third, the machining performances to fabricate the superhydrophobic surfaces by the electrochemical machining (ECM), including electrochemical oxidation process and electrochemical reduction process, are reviewed and grouped by materials fabricated. Lastly, other non-traditional machining processes for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces, such as ultrasonic machining (USM), water jet machining (WJM), and plasma spraying machining (PSM), are compared and summarized. Moreover, the advantage and disadvantage of the above mentioned non-traditional machining processes are discussed. Thereafter, the prospect of non-traditional machining for fabricating the desired superhydrophobic surfaces is proposed.
Active and Passive Immunization with Myelin Basic Protein as a Method for Early Treatment of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury; a Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), as a dangerous central nervous system damage, continues to threaten communities by imposing various disabilities and costs. Early adjustment of the immune system response using Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) immunization may prevent the SCI-related secondary damages. As a result, the current study is designed to review and analyse the evidence on active and passive immunization with MBP for treatment of traumatic SCI. Methods: Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched until the end of 2020. Criteria for inclusion in the current study included pre-clinical studies, which performed passive (injection of MBP-activated T cells) or active (administration of MBP or MBP-modified peptides) immunization with MBP after traumatic SCI. Exclusion criteria was defined as lack of a non-treated SCI group, lack of evaluation of locomotion, review studies, and combination therapy. Finally, analyses were conducted using STATA software, and a standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Results: Data from 17 papers were included in the present study. Finally, analysis of these data showed that passive immunization (SMD=0.87; 95%CI: 0.19-1.55; p=0.012) and active immunization (SMD=2.08, 95%CI: 1.42-2.73; p<0.001) for/with MBP both have good efficacy in improving locomotion following traumatic SCI. However, significant heterogeneity was observed in both of them. The most important sources of heterogeneity in active immunization were differences in SCI models, route of administration, time interval between SCI and transplantation, and type of vaccine used. In passive immunization, however, these sources were the model of SCI and the time interval between SCI and transplantation. Although, there was substantial heterogeneity among studies, subgroup analysis showed that active immunization improved locomotion after traumatic SCI in all tested conditions (with differences in injury model, severity of injury, method of administration, different time interval between SCI to vaccination, etc.). Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated that immunization with MBP, especially in its active form, could significantly improve motor function following SCI in rats and mice. Therefore, it could be considered as a potential treatment in acute settings such as emergency departments. However, the safety of this method is still under debate. Therefore, it is recommended for future research to focus on the investigation of safety of MBP immunization in animal studies, before conducting human clinical trials.
Efficacy of Combined Therapy with Drug-Eluting Beads-Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Followed by Conventional Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multi-Center Study

Simple Summary Drug-eluting beads-transcatheter chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) has recently been performed. However, local recurrence of HCC at the tumor margins is often observed. Conventional transcatheter chemoembolization (cTACE) comprises accumulating lipiodol-containing anticancer drugs into the drainage area, which is the first invasive site of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluate the therapeutic effect of DEB-TACE followed by cTACE in patients with intermediate stage HCC. HCC patients were divided into two groups: one group received DEB-TACE followed by cTACE (cTACE group) and the other group received only DEB-TACE (non-cTACE group). The complete response (CR) rate was significantly higher in the cTACE group than in the non-TACE group. The only factor that increased the complete response rate in the cTACE group was the number of tumors. The overall survival (OS) rate of CR patients was higher than that of non-CR patients in the cTACE group. cTACE group adverse events included severe thrombocytopenia but only in one patient. The combined therapy with DEB-TACE followed by cTACE may be useful for HCC patients. Abstract EB-TACE has recently been performed because of its lower hepatotoxicity compared to cTACE in less advanced HCC. However, local recurrence at the tumor margins is often observed after DEB-TACE. cTACE involves filling the intratumoral sinusoids with lipiodol-containing anticancer drugs and accumulating in the drainage area, which is the first site of HCC recurrence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effect of DEB-TACE followed by cTACE in HCC patients. Between 2014 and 2020, 65 patients with Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage B (intermediate stage) of HCC were enrolled and divided into two groups: one group received DEB-TACE followed by cTACE (cTACE group) and the other group received only DEB-TACE (non-cTACE group). Sixty-five patients were medically followed. The median observation time was 14 ± 13.1 months after the first DEB-TACE and outcomes were analyzed for multiple factors. Results: The complete response rate was significantly higher in the cTACE group than in the non-TACE group. The analysis showed that the only factor that increased the CR rate in the cTACE group was the total tumor number (less than four). The OS rate of CR patients was higher than that of non-CR patients in the cTACE group. Adverse events in the cTACE group included severe thrombocytopenia but only in one of twenty-seven patients. Conclusions: The combined therapy with DEB-TACE followed by cTACE may be a new effective therapeutic strategy for the intermediate stage of HCC patients.
High-Carbohydrate Diet Alleviates the Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis of Megalobrama amblycephala Following Dietary Exposure to Silver Nanoparticles

A 12-week feeding trial was performed to evaluate the effects of high-carbohydrate diet on oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis induced by silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in M. amblycephala. Fish (20.12 ± 0.85 g) were randomly fed four diets (one control diet (C, 30% carbohydrate), one control diet supplemented with 100 mg kg−1 Ag-NPs (CS), one high-carbohydrate diet (HC, 45% carbohydrate) and one HC diet supplemented with 100 mg kg−1 Ag-NPs (HCS)). The results indicated that weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), antioxidant enzyme (SOD and CAT) activities and expression of Trx, Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, CAT and GPx1 of fish fed CS diet were all remarkably lower than those of other groups, whereas the opposite was true for plasma IL 1β and IL 6 levels, liver ROS contents, hepatocytes apoptotic rate, AMP/ATP ratio, AMPKα, P 53 and caspase 3 protein contents and mRNA levels of AMPKα 1, AMPKα 2, TXNIP, NF-κB, TNFα, IL 1β, IL 6, P 53, Bax and caspase 3. However, high-carbohydrate diet remarkably increased WGR, SGR, liver SOD and CAT activities, AMPKα protein content and mRNA levels of antioxidant genes (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, CAT and GPx1), anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL 10) and anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl 2) of fish facing Ag-NPs compared with the CS group, while the opposite was true for liver ROS contents, hepatocytes apoptotic rate, P 53 and caspase 3 protein contents, as well as mRNA levels of TXNIP, NF-κB, TNFα, IL 1β, IL 6, P 53, Bax and caspase 3. Overall, high-carbohydrate diet could attenuate Ag-NPs-induced hepatic oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis of M. amblycephala through AMPK activation.
Updated methods for global locally interpolated estimation of alkalinity, pH, and nitrate

We have taken advantage of the release of version 2 of the Global Data Analysis Project data product (Olsen et al. ) to refine the locally interpolated alkalinity regression (LIAR) code for global estimation of total titration alkalinity of seawater (AT), and to extend the method to also produce estimates of nitrate (N) and in situ pH (total scale). The updated MATLAB software and methods are distributed as Supporting Information for this article and referred to as LIAR version 2 (LIARv2), locally interpolated nitrate regression (LINR), and locally interpolated pH regression (LIPHR). Collectively they are referred to as locally interpolated regressions (LIRs). Relative to LIARv1, LIARv2 has an 18% lower average AT estimate root mean squared error (RMSE), improved uncertainty estimates, and fewer regions in which the method has little or no available training data. LIARv2, LINR, and LIPHR produce estimates globally with skill that is comparable to or better than regional alternatives used in their respective regions. LIPHR pH estimates have an optional adjustment to account for ongoing ocean acidification. We have used the improved uncertainty estimates to develop LIR functionality that selects the lowest‐uncertainty estimate from among possible estimates. Current and future versions of LIR software will be available on GitHub at https://github.com/BRCScienceProducts/LIRs.
Associations between Maternal Diet, Body Composition and Gut Microbial Ecology in Pregnancy

Maternal body composition, gestational weight gain (GWG) and diet quality influence offspring obesity risk. While the gut microbiome is thought to play a crucial role, it is understudied in pregnancy. Using a longitudinal pregnancy cohort, maternal anthropometrics, body composition, fecal microbiome and dietary intake were assessed at 12, 24 and 36 weeks of gestation. Fecal samples (n = 101, 98 and 107, at each trimester, respectively) were utilized for microbiome analysis via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Data analysis included alpha- and beta-diversity measures and assessment of compositional changes using MaAsLin2. Correlation analyses of serum metabolic and anthropometric markers were performed against bacterial abundance and predicted functional pathways. α-diversity was unaltered by pregnancy stage or maternal obesity status. Actinobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus and Anaerotuncus abundances were associated with gestation stage. Maternal obesity status was associated with increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Bilophila, Dialister and Roseburia. Maternal BMI, fat mass, triglyceride and insulin levels were positively associated with Bilophila. Correlations of bacterial abundance with diet intake showed that Ruminococcus and Paraprevotella were associated with total fat and unsaturated fatty acid intake, while Collinsella and Anaerostipes were associated with protein intake. While causal relationships remain unclear, collectively, these findings indicate pregnancy- and maternal obesity-dependent interactions between dietary factors and the maternal gut microbiome.
Corrosion Properties of Mn-Based Alloys Obtained by Aluminothermic Reduction of Deep-Sea Nodules

Deep-sea manganese nodules are polymetallic oxidic ores that can be found on a seabed. Aluminothermic reduction is one of the possibilities of manganese nodules processing. This process obtains the polymetallic alloy with a high content of Mn and a varying content of Al, depending on the ratio between aluminum and nodules. The corrosion behaviors of three experimental Mn-based alloys produced by aluminothermic reduction with a content of Mn > 50 wt % were studied. The electrochemical testing in potable water and model seawater was used to explain the corrosion mechanism of Mn-based alloys. The results showed that the corrosion rate of experimental Mn-based alloy decreases with the increase in aluminum content in both potable water and model seawater. It was observed that the uniform corrosion of experimental Mn-based alloys is changed with an increase in aluminum content in alloy to localized corrosion, which was caused by microcells in an environment of model seawater. In contrast, the formation of a semi-protective layer of corrosion products was observed on the surface of Mn-based alloys with a higher content of aluminum in potable water. Moreover, the pitting corrosion of tested Mn-based alloys was observed neither in potable water nor in model seawater.
Percutaneous Edge-to-Edge Tricuspid Valve Repair in a Patient with Cor Triatriatum Dexter: A Case Report

Background: Tricuspid regurgitation is gaining importance due to its high morbidity and mortality. Especially in the elderly, novel technologies in percutaneous therapies have become valuable options due to the commonly present high surgical risk. Case presentation: We report a case of a 78-year-old female suffering from massive tricuspid regurgitation with repetitive right-sided heart failure hospitalizations. As the patient was very frail and deemed as high surgical risk, we used the TriClip® system to improve her symptomatic status. During diagnostic work-up, an additional membrane separating the right atrium, consistent with the definition of a cor triatriatum dexter, was found. Although increasing the complexity of the procedure, implantation of 3 clips with reduction of tricuspid regurgitation to a mild-to-moderate degree was achieved without any notable complications. The patient was discharged with ameliorated symptoms on the fourth postoperative day. Conclusions: Our case highlights the feasibility of percutaneous edge-to-edge tricuspid valve repair in an elderly woman with cor triatriatum dexter. Accurate echocardiographic visualization is an absolute requirement to gain access to the tricuspid valve without interacting with prevailing additional membranes.
Inflammatory Biomarker Score Identifies Patients with Six-Fold Increased Risk of One-Year Mortality after Pancreatic Cancer

Simple Summary For 20 years, the CA 19-9 blood test has been the only broadly used biomarker of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We lack easily available biomarkers to help differentiate patients between good, intermediate and poor survivors at the time of PDAC diagnosis. Using one of the largest studies of patients with PDAC, we found that a simple combination of blood tests, namely CRP, CA 19-9 and IL-6, into a single biomarker score was a better marker of one-year survival than the currently recommended CA 19-9 alone or any other combination of the four inflammatory biomarkers examined (CRP, CA 19-9, IL-6 and YKL-40). However, since this is the first study examining this inflammatory biomarker score, future validation studies are needed. Moreover, CRP outperformed CA 19-9 in the majority of patients, thus questioning the routine use of CA 19-9 in patients with PDAC. Abstract We examined whether elevated plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and YKL-40, individually or combined, can identify poor survivors among patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We measured CRP, CA 19-9, IL-6 and YKL-40 in 993 patients at the time of PDAC diagnosis. The biomarker score was the sum of biomarker categories, coded 0, 1 and 2 for low, intermediate and high plasma concentrations, respectively. High vs. low levels of CRP, CA 19-9 and IL-6 were each independently associated with a two-fold increased risk of one-year mortality. CRP performed best in patients with advanced and CA 19-9 in patients with low cancer stages. YKL-40 was not associated with mortality and, therefore, was not included in the biomarker score. Compared to the biomarker score = 0, the multifactorially adjusted hazard ratios for one-year mortality were 1.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.99–2.44) for score = 1, 2.22 (1.41–3.49) for score = 2, 3.44 (2.20–5.38) for score = 3, 5.13 (3.21–8.17) for score = 4 and 6.32 (3.84–10.41) for score = 5–6 (p-value for trend = 3 × 10−31). This score performed better than any single biomarker or combination of biomarkers when examined in similarly sized or other categories. In conclusion, a combination score of elevated CRP, CA 19-9 and IL-6 identified patients with six-fold higher one-year mortality.
Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins on Livestock Mammals’ Performances, Health, and Oxidative Status: A Review of the Literature in the Last 20 Years

In the last two decades, the interest in natural plant feed additives (PFA) as alternatives to synthetic vitamins in livestock nutrition has increased. After a systematic review, a total of 19 peer-reviewed papers published between 2000 and 2020 were retained to evaluate the antioxidant effects of PFA compared to synthetic antioxidant vitamins (mainly vitamin E; VitE) in livestock nutrition. These studies demonstrated that PFAs could be as efficient as VitE in counteracting oxidative stress in pigs, rabbits, and ruminants. However, PFAs only positively affected animals’ growth performance and feed efficiency in some monogastric studies. The PFA can affect antioxidant enzyme activity in a dose- and method of administration-dependent manner. The antioxidant capacity of both PFA and VitE were depressed in cows fed with diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Variability among studies could be related to species differences. Despite the interest of the feed industry sector in PFA, there are still very few studies evaluating their antioxidant effect in species other than poultry.
Methodological Development of a Multi-Readout Assay for the Assessment of Antiviral Drugs against SARS-CoV-2

Currently, human infections with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are accelerating the ongoing spread of the pandemic. Several innovative types of vaccines have already been developed, whereas effective options of antiviral treatments still await a scientific implementation. The development of novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates demands skillful strategies and analysis systems. Promising results have been achieved with first generation direct-acting antivirals targeting the viral polymerase RdRp or the protease 3CLpro. Such recently approved or investigational drugs like remdesivir and GC376 represent a basis for further development and optimization. Here, we establish a multi-readout assay (MRA) system that enables the antiviral assessment and mechanistic characterization of novel test compounds, drug repurposing and combination treatments. Our SARS-CoV-2-specific MRA combines the quantitative measurement of several parameters of virus infection, such as the intracellular production of proteins and genomes, enzymatic activities and virion release, as well as the use of reporter systems. In this regard, the antiviral efficacy of remdesivir and GC376 has been investigated in human Caco-2 cells. The readouts included the use of spike- and double-strand RNA-specific monoclonal antibodies for in-cell fluorescence imaging, a newly generated recombinant SARS-CoV-2 reporter virus d6YFP, the novel 3CLpro-based FRET CFP::YFP and the previously reported FlipGFP reporter assays, as well as viral genome-specific RT-qPCR. The data produced by our MRA confirm the high antiviral potency of these two drugs in vitro. Combined, this MRA approach may be applied for broader analyses of SARS-CoV-2-specific antivirals, including compound screenings and the characterization of selected drug candidates.