Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The physics and ecology of mining carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by ecosystems

Reforesting and managing ecosystems have been proposed as ways to mitigate global warming and offset anthropogenic carbon emissions. The intent of our opinion piece is to provide a perspective on how well plants and ecosystems sequester carbon. The ability of individual plants and ecosystems to mine carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as defined by rates and cumulative amounts, is limited by laws of physics and ecological principles. Consequently, the rates and amount of net carbon uptake are slow and low compared to the rates and amounts of carbon dioxide we release by fossil fuels combustion. Managing ecosystems to sequester carbon can also cause unintended consequences to arise. In this paper, we articulate a series of key take‐home points. First, the potential amount of carbon an ecosystem can assimilate on an annual basis scales with absorbed sunlight, which varies with latitude, leaf area index and available water. Second, efforts to improve photosynthesis will come with the cost of more respiration. Third, the rates and amount of net carbon uptake are relatively slow and low, compared to the rates and amounts and rates of carbon dioxide we release by fossil fuels combustion. Fourth, huge amounts of land area for ecosystems will be needed to be an effective carbon sink to mitigate anthropogenic carbon emissions. Fifth, the effectiveness of using this land as a carbon sink will depend on its ability to remain as a permanent carbon sink. Sixth, converting land to forests or wetlands may have unintended costs that warm the local climate, such as changing albedo, increasing surface roughness or releasing other greenhouse gases. We based our analysis on 1,163 site‐years of direct eddy covariance measurements of gross and net carbon fluxes from 155 sites across the globe.
Brain responses to other people's pain in fibromyalgia: a magnetoencephalography study.

OBJECTIVES We investigated whether the central pain symptoms in fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) are related to defective top-down sensorimotor regulation. The pain matrix was activated in a top-down manner by presenting pictures of painful situations while recording brain activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG). We investigated alpha desynchronisation in FM patients and healthy controls in response to pictures depicting pain. METHODS 19 FM patients and 14 age-matched healthy controls (age 20-60) were recruited. Participants were shown photographs of right hands and feet in situations depicting pain or of control situations with no depiction of pain. MEG was recorded in a whole-head 248-sensor system as subjects laid supine. RESULTS In healthy controls exposure to pictures depicting painful situations elicited a decrease in alpha activity (10Hz) at 100-500ms post-stimulus, which was significantly more pronounced than the one elicited by non-painful content mostly on sensors above the right sensorimotor cortex. However, FM patients did not show significant differences in alpha activity between responses to pain and no-pain pictures. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with previous findings, healthy participants displayed stronger alpha desynchronisation for pain pictures, indicating automatic disinhibition of the sensorimotor cortices in response to the observation of pain in others. We found evidence for a deficient modulation of sensorimotor cortex in FM patients. The lack of differential response suggests that they perceived relatively neutral pictures as potentially painful, at least in this setting. Our findings suggest that defective top-down regulation may play a role in the pathogenesis of FM.
Binding of the Magnaporthe oryzae Chitinase MoChia1 by a Rice Tetratricopeptide Repeat Protein Allows Free Chitin to Trigger Immune Responses

Magnaporthe oryzae–secreted chitinase suppresses chitin triggered immune response; however, rice plants mount immune response by deploying a tetratricopeptide-repeat protein or by direct recognition of this chitinase. To defend against pathogens, plants have developed complex immune systems, including plasma membrane receptors that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as chitin from fungal cell walls, and mount a defense response. Here, we identify a chitinase, MoChia1 (Magnaporthe oryzae chitinase 1), secreted by M. oryzae, a fungal pathogen of rice (Oryza sativa). MoChia1 can trigger plant defense responses, and expression of MoChia1 under an inducible promoter in rice enhances its resistance to M. oryzae. MoChia1 is a functional chitinase required for M. oryzae growth and development; knocking out MoChia1 significantly reduced the virulence of the fungus, and we found that MoChia1 binds chitin to suppress the chitin-triggered plant immune response. However, the rice tetratricopeptide repeat protein OsTPR1 interacts with MoChia1 in the rice apoplast. OsTPR1 competitively binds MoChia1, thereby allowing the accumulation of free chitin and re-establishing the immune response. Overexpressing OsTPR1 in rice plants resulted in elevated levels of reactive oxygen species during M. oryzae infection. Our data demonstrate that rice plants not only recognize MoChia1, but also use OsTPR to counteract the function of this fungal chitinase and regain immunity.
Smart hydrogels with high tunability of stiffness as a biomimetic cell carrier

Human tissues are sophisticated ensembles of various distinct cell types encapsulated in the biomechanical cues of the extracellular matrix. It has been known matrix stiffness plays a pivot role in cellular events and tissue‐scale biological processes. Thus, materials that can mimic mechanical environments of tissues in vitro and possess wide, physiologically relevant elasticity are highly desirable. Hydrogels provide a good cell platform to mimic native cellular environment. However, the limited stiffness tunability, and hinders the efforts to reproduce the biomechanical microenvironment of many in vivo progresses. These problems have been addressed by the recently emerged great quantity of exquisitely designed smart hydrogels. Smart hydrogels that respond sensitively to external stimuli are good choices due to the convenience in regulating their mechanical properties. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in the development of stimuli‐responsive hydrogels as a cell carrier (platform for cell culture) which spans a wide range of stiffness. Different kinds of smart hydrogels corresponding to various stimuli, including pH, temperature, light, metal ions, and forces, are introduced and their stiffness modulation through physicochemical procedures are reported.
Diversity, Dynamics, and Distribution of Bdellovibrio and Like Organisms in Perialpine Lakes

This study highlights the abundance, distribution, and diversity of a poorly known microbial compartment in natural aquatic ecosystems, the Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs). These obligate bacterial predators of other bacteria may have an important functional role. This study shows the relative quantitative importance of the three main families of this group, with the design of a new primer pair, and their diversity. While both the diversity and the abundances of these BALOs were globally low, it is noteworthy that the abundance of the Peredibacteraceae could reach important values. ABSTRACT Microbes drive a variety of ecosystem processes and services, but many of them remain largely unexplored because of a lack of knowledge on both the diversity and functionality of some potentially crucial microbiological compartments. This is the case with and within the group of bacterial predators collectively known as Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs). Here, we report the abundance, distribution, and diversity of three families of these obligate predatory Gram-negative bacteria in three perialpine lakes (Lakes Annecy, Bourget, and Geneva). The study was conducted at different depths (near-surface versus 45 or 50 m) from August 2015 to January 2016. Using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and cloning-sequencing approaches, we show that the diversity of BALOs is relatively low and very specific to freshwaters or even the lakes themselves. While the Peredibacteraceae family was represented mainly by a single species (Peredibacter starrii), it could represent up to 7% of the total bacterial cell abundances. Comparatively, the abundances of the two other families (Bdellovibrionaceae and Bacteriovoracaceae) were significantly lower. In addition, the distributions in the water column were very different between the three groups, suggesting various life strategies/niches, as follows: Peredibacteraceae dominated near the surface, while Bdellovibrionaceae and Bacteriovoracaceae were more abundant at greater depths. Statistical analyses revealed that BALOs seem mainly to be driven by depth and temperature. Finally, this original study was also the opportunity to design new quantitative PCR (qPCR) primers for Peredibacteraceae quantification. IMPORTANCE This study highlights the abundance, distribution, and diversity of a poorly known microbial compartment in natural aquatic ecosystems, the Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs). These obligate bacterial predators of other bacteria may have an important functional role. This study shows the relative quantitative importance of the three main families of this group, with the design of a new primer pair, and their diversity. While both the diversity and the abundances of these BALOs were globally low, it is noteworthy that the abundance of the Peredibacteraceae could reach important values.
A novel long noncoding RNA AK016739 inhibits osteoblast differentiation and bone formation

The incidence of postmenopausal osteoporosis research 50% in middle‐aged and older women, however, effects of existing therapy are not ideal. Emerging evidence have proved that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) was correlated with multiple physiological and pathology processes including development, carcinogenesis, and osteogenesis. However, reports on lncRNAs regulating bone formation were relatively limited. In this study, we screened osteogenic lncRNAs through mRNA/lncRNA microarray combined with gene coexpression analysis. The biological function of the screened lncRNA was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. The effects of the lncRNA on osteogenic transcription factors were also evaluated. We identified AK016739, which was correlated with osteogenic differentiation and enriched in skeletal tissues of mice. The expression levels of AK016739 in bone‐derived mesenchymal stem cells were increased with age and negatively correlated with osteogenic differentiation marker genes. Experiments showed that AK016739 inhibited osteoblast differentiation, and in vivo inhibition of AK016739 by its small interfering RNA would rescue bone formation in ovariectomized osteoporosis mice model. In addition, AK016739 suppressed both expression levels and activities of osteogenic transcription factors. This newly identified lncRNA AK016739 has revealed a new mechanism of osteogenic differentiation and provided new targets for treatment of skeletal disorders.
Long-term effectiveness of maxillary sinus floor augmentation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM To assess the long-term effectiveness (≥5 years) of maxillary sinus floor augmentation (MSFA) procedures applying the lateral window technique and to determine possible differences in outcome between simultaneous and delayed implant placement, partially and fully edentulous patients and grafting procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS MEDLINE (1950-May 2018), EMBASE (1966-May 2018) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1800-May 2018) were searched. Inclusion criteria were prospective studies with follow-up ≥5 years and a residual bone height ≤6 mm. Outcome measures included implant loss, peri-implant bone level change, suprastructure survival, patient-reported outcome measures and overall complications. Data were pooled and analysed using a random effects model. RESULTS Out of 2,873 selected articles, 11 studies fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis revealed a weighted annual implant loss of 0.43% (95% CI: 0.37%-0.49%). Meta-regression analysis did not reveal significant differences in implant loss neither between edentulous and dentate patients nor implants placed simultaneously with or delayed after MSFA, nor implants placed in MSFA using solely autologous bone or bone substitutes. The results of the other outcome measures were favourable, and overall complications were low. CONCLUSION MSFA is a reliable procedure in the partially and fully edentulous maxilla for support of dental implants.
Qualitative study investigating the underlying motivations of healthy participants in phase I clinical trials

Objectives If patients are to reap the benefits of continued drug development, an understanding of why healthy participants take part in phase I clinical trials is imperative. The current study aimed to explore the nature of these underlying motivations which may, in turn, improve the overall participant experience and assist in the development of more effective recruitment and retention strategies. Design This study used a qualitative design based on the theory of planned behaviour. Specifically, it explored healthy participants’ underlying behavioural, control and normative beliefs which influence their participation in phase I clinical trials. Setting This study took place at a company that specialises in conducting phase I and phase II clinical trials in the Australian state of Queensland. Participants Participants (n=31) were either currently undergoing a phase I clinical trial or had previously taken part in a phase I clinical trial. Results Results showed that the motivations were varied and not solely centred on financial gains. Reported advantages of participation included altruism, while inconvenience was most often reported as a disadvantage. Friends were reported as those most likely to approve, while one’s mother was reported as most likely to disapprove. Having a suitable time frame/flexible scheduling and feeling comfortable taking part in the trial were both the most commonly reported facilitators, while inflexible scheduling/time commitment was the most commonly reported barrier. Conclusions Practical implications included the need for organisations involved in clinical trials to be mindful of inflexible scheduling and exploring the possibility of making educational materials available to family members who may be concerned about the risks associated with participation. Overall, it is anticipated that the results of this study will improve the understanding of factors that influence phase I clinical trial participation which may, ultimately, help develop new therapeutics to improve patient health.
Relational Mobility and Cultural Differences in Analytic and Holistic Thinking

We hypothesized that individuals in cultures typified by lower levels of relational mobility would tend to show more attention to the surrounding social and physical context (i.e., holistic vs. analytic thinking) compared with individuals in higher mobility cultural contexts. Six studies provided support for this idea. Studies 1a and 1b showed that differences in relational mobility in cultures as diverse as the U.S., Spain, Israel, Nigeria, and Morocco predicted patterns of dispositional bias as well as holistic (vs. analytic) attention. Study 2 demonstrated that, for Americans and Japanese, relational mobility offered better predictive validity of these cognitive tendencies than related cultural constructs; moreover, Studies 1b and 2 showed that relational mobility mediated cross-cultural differences in perception and attribution. Studies 3a and 3b showed that lower relational mobility induces a weaker sense of internal locus of control and a stronger sense of external locus of control, which led to more holistic (vs. analytic) cognition. Last, Study 4 replicated these results in an experimental setting and demonstrated the causal effect of relational mobility on analytic/holistic cognition. Overall, we suggest that relational mobility may be an important socioecological factor that can help explain robust cognitive differences observed across cultures.
Impaired chromaffin cell excitability and exocytosis in autistic Timothy syndrome TS2‐neo mouse rescued by L‐type calcium channel blockers

Tymothy syndrome (TS) is a multisystem disorder featuring cardiac arrhythmias, autism and adrenal gland dysfunction that originates from a de novo point mutation in the gene encoding the Cav1.2 (CACNA1C) L‐type channel. To study the role of Cav1.2 channel signals in autism, the autistic TS2‐neo mouse has been generated bearing the G406R point‐mutation associated with TS type‐2. Using heterozygous TS2‐neo mice, we report that the G406R mutation reduces the rate of inactivation and shifts leftward the activation and inactivation of L‐type channels, causing marked increase of resting Ca2+ influx (‘window’ Ca2+ current). The increased ‘window current’ causes marked reduction of NaV channel density, switches normal tonic firing to abnormal burst firing, reduces mitochondrial metabolism, induces cell swelling and decreases catecholamine release. Overnight incubations with nifedipine rescue NaV channel density, normal firing and the quantity of catecholamine released. We provide evidence that chromaffin cell malfunction derives from altered Cav1.2 channel gating.
Quantitative disclosure of DNA knot chirality by high-resolution 2D-gel electrophoresis

Abstract The characterization of knots formed in duplex DNA has proved useful to infer biophysical properties and the spatial trajectory of DNA, both in free solution and across its macromolecular interactions. Since knotting, like supercoiling, makes DNA molecules more compact, DNA knot probability and knot complexity can be assessed by the electrophoretic velocity of nicked DNA circles. However, the chirality of the DNA knots has to be determined by visualizing the sign of their DNA crossings by means of electron microscopy. This procedure, which requires purifying the knotted DNA molecules and coating them with protein, is semi-quantitative and it is impracticable in biological samples that contain little amount of knotted DNA forms. Here, we took advantage of an earlier observation that the two chiral forms of a trefoil knot acquire slightly different electrophoretic velocity when the DNA is supercoiled. We introduced a second gel dimension to reveal these chiral forms in DNA mixtures that are largely unknotted. The result is a high-resolution 2D-gel electrophoresis procedure that quantitatively discerns the fractions of positive- and negative-noded trefoil knots formed in vitro and in vivo systems. This development in DNA knot analysis may uncover valuable information toward disclosing the architecture of DNA ensembles.
A Microbial Transformation Model for Simulating Mammal Metabolism of Artemisinin

Artemisinin (ART) is a highly effective antimalarial agent isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Qinghao. Metabolism of ART and its derivatives in the body is one of the most pressing issues for pharmaceutical scientists. Herein, an efficient in vitro microorganism model for simulation of metabolism of ART in vivo was developed employing Cunninghamella elegans. Metabolites in the microbial transformation system and plasma of mice pre-administrated ART orally were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF)-mass spectrometry (MSE) combined with UNIFI software. Thirty-two metabolites were identified in vitro and 23 were identified in vivo. After comparison, 16 products were found to be common to both models including monohydroxylated ART, dihydroxylated ART, deoxyartemisinin, hydroxylated deoxyartemisinin, hydroxylated dihydroartemisinin (DHA), and hydroxylated deoxy-DHA. These results revealed that C. elegans CICC 40250 functioned as an appropriate model to mimic ART metabolism in vivo. Moreover, an overall description of metabolites of ART from C. elegans CICC 40250 has been provided. Notably, DHA was detected and identified as a metabolite of ART in mouse plasma for the first time.
Experimental Study for Damage Identification of Storage Tanks by Adding Virtual Masses

This research proposes a damage identification approach for storage tanks that is based on adding virtual masses. First, the frequency response function of a structure with additional virtual masses is deduced based on the Virtual Distortion Method (VDM). Subsequently, a Finite Element (FE) model of a storage tank is established to verify the proposed method; the relation between the added virtual masses and the sensitivity of the virtual structure is analyzed to determine the optimal mass and the corresponding frequency with the highest sensitivity with respect to potential damages. Thereupon, the damage can be localized and quantified by comparing the damage factors of substructures. Finally, an experimental study is conducted on a storage tank. The results confirm that the proposed method is feasible and practical, and that it can be applied for damage identification of storage tanks.
The Effect of Dexamethasone, Adrenergic and Cholinergic Receptor Agonists on Phospholipid Metabolism in Human Osteoarthritic Synoviocytes

Phospholipids (PLs) possess the unique ability to contribute to synovial joint lubrication. The aim of our study was to determine for the first time the effect of dexamethasone and some adrenergic and cholinergic agonists on the biosynthesis and release of PLs from human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Osteoarthritic human knee FLS were treated with dexamethasone, terbutaline, epinephrine, carbachol, and pilocarpine, or the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU 486. Simultaneously PL biosynthesis was determined through the incorporation of stable isotope-labeled precursors into PLs. Radioactive isotope-labeled precursors were used to radiolabel PLs for the subsequent quantification of their release into nutrient media. Lipids were extracted and quantified using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry or liquid scintillation counting. Dexamethasone significantly decreased the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), PE-based plasmalogen, and sphingomyelin. The addition of RU 486 abolished these effects. A release of PLs from FLS into nutrient media was not recognized by any of the tested agents. None of the adrenergic or cholinergic receptor agonists modulated the PL biosynthesis. We demonstrate for the first time an inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on the PL biosynthesis of FLS from human knees. Moreover, our study indicates that the PL metabolism of synovial joints and lungs are differently regulated.
Plasma and Nanomaterials: Fabrication and Biomedical Applications

Application of plasma medicine has been actively explored during last several years. Treating every type of cancer remains a difficult task for medical personnel due to the wide variety of cancer cell selectivity. Research in advanced plasma physics has led to the development of different types of non-thermal plasma devices, such as plasma jets, and dielectric barrier discharges. Non-thermal plasma generates many charged particles and reactive species when brought into contact with biological samples. The main constituents include reactive nitrogen species, reactive oxygen species, and plasma ultra-violets. These species can be applied to synthesize biologically important nanomaterials or can be used with nanomaterials for various kinds of biomedical applications to improve human health. This review reports recent updates on plasma-based synthesis of biologically important nanomaterials and synergy of plasma with nanomaterials for various kind of biological applications.