Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Old and new ways to probe plant cell-wall architecture

Wall structure has been analysed by a process of careful demolition, in which chemical extractants are used to remove specific polymers for sugar and linkage analysis, gel-permeation or ion-exchange chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sequence-dependent endoglycanases cleave certain polysaccharides into oligomers that can be sequenced completely and give a clear picture of the repetitive units used to make fundamental polymers. We have also developed and adapted new chemical procedures and pulse-labelling techniques to give more information on the ways that wall polymers are subtly modified during growth. In this report, we review these conventional means of carbohydrate analyses together with newer methods of selective enzymic hydrolysis, separation of large oligosaccharides by high pH anion-exchange chromatography, and detection of molecular mass of several thousand daltons by electrospray mass spectrometry. These new technologies have already given much valuable information about the polymeric building blocks, but little information on how these polymers are arranged in space. For this, we adapted new cryopreservation techniques for electron microscopy that can image the wall in as close to the in vivo state as possible. In addition to defining anomeric linkages and linkage structures in preparations of native polymers, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy can also determine the relative mobility of particular polymers within the structure of hydrated cell walls. The generation of antibodies to particular cell wall epitopes has enabled us to define architectural differences among species, among tissue types, and even among domains within a single wall. Our awareness of the diversity and complexity of primary cell wall architecture has driven a search for methodologies such as Fourier transform infrared and Fourier transform Raman microspectroscopies, which are suitable for analysis at the single cell wall level.
An artificial diet for larvae of the potato tuber moth.

Potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea ( = Gnorimoschema) operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), was reared from egg to adult for 3 generations on an artificial diet. At 30±2°c with a 16‐h photoperiod the total life cycle was completed in 23 days, compared with 18.5 days on potato tubers. Average life cycle data from the 3 generations reared on diet (with corresponding data from tubers in parentheses) are: larval period, 13.0(11.8) days; pupal period, 5–6(4–5) days; survival to adult, 76.1(100)%; fecundity, 102(169) eggs/? ; pupal wt‐ ? 8.3(11.4) mg, ? 7.7(9.1) mg.
Lejeuneaceae (Marchantiophyta) share an indel in chloroplast rps4 gene

as Microlejeunea ramulosa). The species epithet is dedicated to the late Prof. Ming-Jou Lai (194922007) who was a bryologist and lichenologist in Taiwan. Owing to its minute size Lejeunea laii was placed originally in the genus Microlejeunea by Herzog and Noguchi (1955). Microlejeunea is a controversial genus which was treated as a subgenus of Lejeunea (Schuster, 1963). Some authors admitted generic rank to Microlejeunea, which is characterized by dioecy, the presence of basal ocelli in the leaf lobes, small size, stems with only three rows of medullary cells, and female bracts with long keels showing a tendency to develop wings (cf. Jones 1979; Grolle, 1995). But as in the typical members of Lejeunea, Microlejeunea ramulosa lacks ocelli in leaf lobes and wings at female bracts, and it also has larger leaves and over three rows of medullary cells of the stem. Microlejeunea ramulosa, thus, is no doubt a member of typical Lejeunea s. str. A new name, Lejeunea laii, is needed owing to existence of an earlier taxon with this name, Lejeunea ramulosa Spruce. As shown in Herzog & Noguchi (1955), Lejeunea laii is characterized by: (1) very small size (only 0.4 mm wide with leaves), (2) densely branched stems, (3) small underleaves with very narrow lobes, and (4) obtuse or rounded-obtuse apex of the leaf lobes. Lejeunea ramulosa Spruce, known from Brazil, Costa Rica and Ecuador (Dauphin 2005; Reiner-Drehwald, 1999, 2007), is immediately distinguished from Lejeunea laii by its dioecy, large underleaves 324 times as wide as stem, acute to acuminate apex of the leaf lobes, and more or less dentate keels of the perianth. In the autoicous sexuality, deeply bilobed underleaves, obovate perianths with five keels, and usually reduced leaf lobules, Lejeunea laii is very similar to depauperate plants of Lejeunea anisophylla Mont. common in Taiwan and tropical Asia as well as Oceania, but the latter differs in the rounded apex of leaf lobes, large trigones of leaf cells, and larger size of the plant. In its obtuse to obtuse-rounded apex of leaf lobes, small size and deeply bilobed underleaves, Lejeunea laii may be confused with Lejeunea cocoes Mitt. , known from China, Indonesia (Java), Malaysia (Sarawak), and Papua New Guinea (cf. Zhu & So, 1999). The latter, however, is separated by its dioecy, strongly or slightly caducous leaves, and the presence of regenerants at the leaf margin.
Using Wearable Inertial Sensors to Estimate Kinematic Parameters and Variability in the Table Tennis Topspin Forehand Stroke

The study examined kinematic parameters and their inter- and intrasubject variability in the topspin forehand of seven top-level table tennis players. A wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU) system measured the movement of the playing hand to analyze the Ready position, Backswing, and Forward events, and a racket-mounted piezoelectric sensor captured the racket-ball Contact. In a four-phase cycle (Backswing, Hitting, Followthrough, and Back to Ready position), body sensors recorded the cycle and phase duration; angles in the sagittal plane at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist of the playing hand and at the knee joints; and acceleration of the playing hand at the moment of racket-ball contact. The coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated to determine the variability of kinematic parameters within and between players. The observed variability in stroke time duration was low (CV < 20%) indicating constancy. The small-to-medium intraindividual variability of angles (CV < 40%) indicates that each player used a broadly repeatable technique. The large intraindividual variability in movement was probably functional (i.e., motor adjustment and injury avoidance). Interindividual and intraindividual variability of knee and elbow angles was low; wrist extension was the most variable parameter (CV > 40%) for all tasks, and shoulder joint variability was medium-to-large. Variability in hand acceleration was low (CV < 20%). Individual players achieved relatively constant hand acceleration at the moment of contact, possibly because angular changes at one joint (e.g., shoulder) could be compensated for by changes at another (e.g., wrist). These findings can help to guide the teaching-learning process and to individualize the training process.
Rare Disease Detection and Physician Targeting: A Factor Graph Machine Learning Approach for Niche Market Targeting

A rare disease is any disease that affects a small percentage of the population. The extremely low incidence rate of rare diseases makes it particularly difficult to recognize and diagnose them. A major challenge in the rare disease market is how to target physicians who are potentially involved with patients with a specific rare disease. The existing detection and targeting methods, such as segmentation and profiling, have been developed under an assumption of a large mass market and are thus not suitable for the rare disease market where the classification classes are extremely imbalanced. This paper proposes a factor graphical model approach to predict rare disease physician targets by jointly modeling physician and patient features from different data spaces and explicitly incorporating physician-patient relationship. Through an empirical application in detecting physicians treating hereditary angioedema using big medical claims and prescription data, the proposed approach demonstrates better performances than various benchmark models according to different performance metrics. The graph representation also allows for visual interpretation of the relationship between physicians and patients. This paper contributes to the literature on exploring the benefits of utilizing relational dependencies among entities in healthcare industry.
Diagnostic Value of miR-103 in Patients with Sepsis and Noninfectious SIRS and Its Regulatory Role in LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response by Targeting TLR4

Background Sepsis is a life-threatening condition and a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) driven by infection. This study aimed at investigating the expression of microRNA-103 (miR-103) in sepsis patients, evaluating its diagnostic value, and exploring the regulatory effect of miR-103 on LPS-induced inflammation in monocytes. Methods Expression of miR-103 was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. A receiver operating characteristics curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic vale of miR-103. Serum and cell supernatant levels of proinflammatory cytokines were analyzed using ELISA. The interaction between miR-103 and Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) was analyzed using luciferase reporter assay. The effect of miR-103 on inflammation was examined in LPS-treated monocytes. Results Serum expression of miR-103 was decreased in noninfectious SIRS and sepsis patients compared with healthy controls, and the lowest expression value was observed in sepsis patients (all P < 0.05). Serum levels of miR-103 have considerable diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing sepsis patients from SIRS patients and healthy controls. A negative correlation was found between miR-103 and inflammatory responses in sepsis patients. TLR4 was demonstrated to be a direct target of miR-103 and was negatively regulated by miR-103 in monocytes. The promoted inflammatory responses by LPS in monocytes were reversed by the overexpression of miR-103. Conclusion All the data revealed that serum decreased miR-103 in sepsis patients serves as a promising noninvasive diagnostic biomarker and may be involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis by regulating inflammatory responses via targeting TLR4.
Evaluating Provitamin A Carotenoids and Polar Metabolite Compositions during the Ripening Stages of the Agung Semeru Banana (Musa paradisiaca L. AAB)

Banana cultivars that are rich in provitamin A carotenoids and other nutrients may offer a potential food source to help alleviate vitamin A deficiencies, particularly in developing countries. The local plantain type banana, Agung Semeru (Musa paradisiaca L.), was investigated, in order to analyse the changes in the compositions of the provitamin A carotenoids and metabolite compounds, including the amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, during the ripening stage as this banana is widely processed for food products in either the unripe, ripe, or overripe stages. The bananas that had reached the desired ripening stages were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, and the results indicated that the total provitamin A carotenoid concentrations ranged between 4748.83 μg/100 g dry weight (dw) and 7330.40 μg/100 g dw, with the highest level of vitamin A activity at 457.33 ± 5.18 μg retinol activity equivalents (RAE)/100 g dw. Compared to the Cavendish variety, which is consumed worldwide, the Agung Semeru banana had vitamin A activity that was 40 to 90 times higher, dependent on the stage of ripening. The breakdown of the starch during the ripening stages resulted in an increase of its sugar compounds, such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose, as well as its dominant organic acids, such as malic acid, oxalic acid, and citric acid, which were observed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) during the ripening stages. The findings of this study show that the Agung Semeru banana is a promising fruit that could be widely produced as a nutritional and energy food resource, due to its high levels of vitamin A activity and sugars.
A PROCEDURE BASED ON CONDITIONAL PROBABILITIES TO ESTIMATE PROPORTIONS AND DENSITIES OF TISSUES FROM X-RAY IMAGES OF QUERCUS PETRAEA SAMPLES

This paper describes a procedure to estimate within-ring proportions and densities of earlywood vessels, fibres and parenchyma, and then validates the procedure for each tissue type. The procedure uses conditional probabilities for these estimates. It was developed using 16 annual growth rings of contrasting anatomy sampled from five mature sessile oaks (Quercus petraea Liebl.). The X-ray images of the sampled rings were converted into density maps and the two components of the rings (i.e. earlywood and latewood) were delimited manually. First, mean tissue densities of individual rings were estimated from anatomical characteristics combined with a simple analysis of the frequency histograms of density in earlywood and latewood. Second, the procedure used the radial position and density of each point of a digitised ring to calculate a probability for a point belonging to either vessels, multiseriate wood rays, fibres or axial parenchyma. The procedure was evaluated using i) measurements of tissue proportions from anatomical sections and ii) measurements of tissue densities performed on X-ray images. The validation demonstrates that the procedure provides an accurate estimation of the proportion and density of earlywood vessels, fibres and axial parenchyma in earlywood and latewood. However, it also demonstrates that the procedure is not sufficiently effective to estimate the proportion of multiseriate wood rays.
Fluid Structure Interaction on Paravalvular Leakage of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Related to Aortic Stenosis: A Patient-Specific Case

This study investigated the impact of paravalvular leakage (PVL) in relation to the different valve openings of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) valve using the fluid structure interaction (FSI) approach. Limited studies were found on the subject of FSI with regards to TAVI-PVL condition, which involves both fluid and structural responses in coupling interaction. Hence, further FSI simulation with the two-way coupling method is implemented to investigate the effects of hemodynamics blood flow along the patient-specific aorta model subjected to the interrelationship between PVL and the different valve openings using the established FSI software ANSYS 16.1. A 3D patient-specific aorta model is constructed using MIMICS software. The TAVI valve identical to Edward SAPIEN XT 26 (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California), at different Geometrical Orifice Areas (GOAs), is implanted into the patient's aortic annulus. The leaflet opening of the TAVI valve is drawn according to severity of GOA opening represented in terms of 100%, 80%, 60%, and 40% opening, respectively. The result proved that the smallest percentage of GOA opening produced the highest possibility of PVL, increased the recirculatory flow proximally to the inner wall of the ascending aorta, and produced lower backflow velocity streamlines through the side area of PVL region. Overall, 40% GOA produced 89.17% increment of maximum velocity magnitude, 19.97% of pressure drop, 65.70% of maximum WSS magnitude, and a decrement of 33.62% total displacement magnitude with respect to the 100% GOA.
Decreased Mortality with Beta-Blocker Therapy in HFpEF Patients Associated with Atrial Fibrillation

Background There are no proven effective treatments that can reduce the mortality in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), probably due to its heterogeneous nature which will weaken the effect of therapy in clinical studies. We evaluated the effect of beta-blocker treatment in HFpEF patients associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a homogeneous syndrome and has seldom been discussed. Methods This retrospective cohort study screened 955 patients diagnosed with AF and HFpEF. Patients with a range of underlying heart diseases or severe comorbidities were excluded; 191 patients were included and classified as with or without beta-blocker treatment at baseline. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality and rehospitalization due to heart failure. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate the differences in outcomes. Results The mean follow-up was 49 months. After adjustment for multiple clinical risk factors and biomarkers for prognosis in heart failure, patients with beta-blocker treatment were associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.405, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.233–0.701, p=0.001) compared with those without beta-blocker treatment. However, the risk of rehospitalization due to heart failure was increased in the beta-blocker treatment group (HR = 1.740, 95% CI = 1.085–2.789, p=0.022). There was no significant difference in all-cause rehospitalization between the two groups (HR = 1.137, 95% CI = 0.803–1.610, p=0.470). Conclusions In HFpEF patients associated with AF, beta-blocker treatment is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality, but it increased the risk of rehospitalization due to heart failure.
Low levels of extra-pair paternity in southern emu-wrens (Aves : Maluridae)

The frequency of extra-pair paternity (EPP) among birds varies considerably, with the highest rates (56–76%) reported in several species of fairy-wren (Maluridae). According to the ‘constrained female’ hypothesis, such high frequencies arise when females are emancipated from constraints on mate choice because they have access to alternative sources of parental care (cooperative breeding). We investigated the genetic mating system of a close relative of the fairy-wrens within the Maluridae, the southern emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus). Southern emu-wrens share several life-history attributes with the fairy-wrens, but show relatively low levels of cooperation, providing an opportunity to assess how the frequency of cooperative breeding correlates with the frequency of EPP. We assessed paternity for 50 offspring within 27 emu-wren broods using species-specific microsatellite markers. Overall, only 12% of genotyped offspring resulted from extra-pair paternity, and 15% of broods contained at least one extra-pair offspring. We argue that opportunities for mate choice by female emu-wrens are restricted by their dependence on paternal care for offspring survival, as suggested by the constrained female hypothesis. The low occurrence of cooperative breeding in the southern emu-wren may thus help explain the extreme variation in the frequency of extra-pair paternity within this family.
Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Narrative Literature Review

Lateral epicondylitis, also termed as “tennis elbow,” is the most common cause of elbow pain and dysfunction, mainly resulting from repetitive gripping or wrist extension during various activities. The exact pathogenesis remains largely elusive with putative tendinosis, a symptomatic degenerative process of the local tendon. It is usually diagnosed by clinical examinations. Sometimes, additional imaging is required for a specific differential diagnosis. Although most cases can be self-healing, the optimal treatment strategy for chronic lateral epicondylitis remains controversial. This article presents a landscape of emerging evidence on lateral epicondylitis and focuses on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management, shedding light on the understandings and treatment for healthcare professionals.
Iron-Manganese Nodules Harbor Lower Bacterial Diversity and Greater Proportions of Proteobacteria Compared to Bulk Soils in Four Locations Spanning from North to South China

The bacterial abundance and community composition in four types of soils and their associated Fe-Mn nodules from Queyu (QY) in Shandong Province, Zaoyang (ZY), Wuhan (WH) in Hubei Province and Guiyang (GY) in Hunan Province, China were investigated using real-time PCR, cloning and sequencing approaches. It was found that the bacterial 16S rRNA gene copy numbers in the soils were almost 3 magnitudes greater than those in their corresponding nodules and positively correlated with OM. The bacterial diversity as indicated by Simpson and Shannon indices, were significantly lower in the nodules than in the soils. Remarkable divergence in bacterial community structure was observed between the soils and the nodules, and the difference was the mainly explained by OM. In contrast, the differences within the soils and within the nodules were minor, suggesting significant habitat filtering for the bacterial community composition in the nodules. Acidobacteria was the most abundant group (accounting for 28.6%–51.6%) in soil bacterial community while nodule bacterial community was predominated by Proteobacteria (accounting for 62.8%– 90.5%). A number of clones closely related to well-known Mn-oxidizing, Fe-oxidizing and Fe-reducing bacteria within Proteobacteria were retrieved mainly from nodules.
Quality Indicators of Pharmaceutical Care in Palestinian Integrative Healthcare Facilities: Findings of a Qualitative Study among Stakeholders

Background Recently, there has been shifts from providing large volumes to providing higher quality of healthcare services. This qualitative exploratory study was conducted to explore the views of different stakeholders on activities and services that could serve as quality indicators of pharmaceutical care in Palestinian integrative healthcare facilities. Methods A judgmental sampling technique was used to invite and recruit stakeholders for this study. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with the stakeholders. Data collected during the interviews were qualitatively analyzed using the interpretive description methodology. Themes, subthemes, and patterns were recognized using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. The data were coded using RQDA software. Results Interviews (n = 22) were conducted with 9 complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, 8 pharmacists, 2 physicians, 2 nurses, and 1 risk/quality assurance manager. The interview median duration was 41 with an IQR of 22 min. Following the thematic analysis adopted to achieve the objectives of this study, six major themes emerged from the data collected from the interviews. The themes emerged from the data were (1) provision of collaborative, direct, and comprehensive patient care services; (2) common services and activities at the time of admission, during stay, at transition between wards/services/hospitals, and at discharge to home or community care; (3) screening for, identifying, and resolving problems; (4) collaboration with other healthcare providers; (5) professional development; and (6) performance and efficiency. Conclusions Quality indicators are invaluable for informing decisions relevant to justifying allocation of scarce resources, securing funds, and demonstrating value in activities and services within integrative healthcare facilities. Further studies are still needed to develop a set of measurable indicators to measure the impact of pharmaceutical care in integrative healthcare facilities.
Phosphate transport in fertilized sea urchin eggs. I. Kinetic aspects

Properties of the fully developed phosphate transport system in the fertilized egg of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, were investigated. The rates of phosphate transport at concentrations of external phosphate of 1 to 44 μM, both in the absence and in the presence of 100 μM arsenate, exhibit typical saturation kinetics. At sea water concentrations of 2 μM phosphate, the rate of uptake is about 2 × 10−9 μm/egg/minute at 15°C. Arsenate is a competitive inhibitor of phosphate transport, fully and immediately reversible in its effects, yielding Ki values ranging from 10.5 to 14.1 × 10−6 M in comparison to the corresponding apparent KM (Michaelis‐Menten) constants for phosphate of 5.6 to 7.5 × 10−6 M (pH 8.0, 15°C).