Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytological Studies on the Betulaceae. IV. Betula, Carpinus, Ostrya, Ostryopsis

1. Betula lutea from Minnesota is hexaploid as is the New England plant. 2. B. papyrifera and its varieties have interesting chromosome numbers. B. papyrifera has the haploid number of thirty-five; B. papyrifera var. cordifolia has twenty-eight; B. papyrifera var. subcordata has twenty-eight; B. papyrifera var. kenaica has thirty-five; B. papyrifera var. occidentalis has forty-two. It is hoped that this will help to explain the polymorphism in the group. 3. B. pumila var. glandulifera has twenty-eight pairs of chromosomes. 4. x B. purpusii (B. lutea x pumila var. glandulifera) presents another complete document, taxonomically and cytologically, of natural hybridization. 5. Carpinus, Ostrya, and Ostryopsis species have eight as the fundamental number of chromosomes. 6. Carpinus betulus var. fastigiata is octoploid with thirty-two chromosomes as the reduced number. 7. Carpinus cordata shows all the cytological characteristics of a hybrid and is accordingly suspected of having a heterozygotic ancestry. It may be a bigeneric hybrid. 8. The existence of polyploidy and irregular meioses in polymorphic plants, as here reported, furnishes more evidence for the theory that multiplication of species has come about to a considerable extent by hybridization.
The Social and Economic Factors Underlying the Impact of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in US Counties

This paper uncovers the socioeconomic and health/lifestyle factors that can explain the differential impact of the coronavirus pandemic on different parts of the United States. Using a dynamic panel model with daily reported number of cases for US counties over a 20-day period, the paper develops a Vulnerability Index for each county from an epidemiological model of disease spread. County-level economic, demographic, and health factors are used to explain the differences in the values of this index and thereby the transmission and concentration of the disease across the country. These factors are also used in a zero-inflated negative binomial pooled model to examine the number of reported deaths. The paper finds that counties with high per capita personal income have high incidence of both reported cases and deaths. The unemployment rate is negative for deaths implying that places with low unemployment rates or higher economic activity have higher reported deaths. Counties with higher income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient experienced more deaths and reported more cases. There is a remarkable similarity in the distribution of cases across the country and the distribution of distance-weighted international passengers served by the top international airports. Counties with high concentrations of non-Hispanic Blacks, Native Americans, and immigrant populations have higher incidence of both cases and deaths. The distribution of health risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, smoking are found to be particularly significant factors in explaining the differences in mortality across counties. Counties with higher numbers of primary care physicians have lower deaths and so do places with lower hospital stays for preventable causes. The stay-at-home orders are found to be associated with places of higher cases and deaths implying that they were perhaps imposed far too late to have contained the virus in the places with high-risk populations. It is hoped that research such as these will help policymakers to develop risk factors for each region of the country to better contain the spread of infectious diseases in the future.
Health Care WorkersMental Health During the First Weeks of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Switzerland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic poses various challenges for health care workers (HCWs), which may impair their mental health. First evidence from China suggests that HCWs are at risk for anxiety and depression. However, generalizability to western countries is limited. The current study aimed at exploring HCWs mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Switzerland. In addition, we conducted a network analysis to investigate the independent effect of risk and protective factors on HCWs mental health and their interplay. Methods: In an exploratory, cross-sectional, nation-wide online survey, we assessed demographics, work characteristics, COVID-19 exposure, and anxiety, depression, and burnout in 857 physicians and 553 nurses during the pandemic in Switzerland. At the time of data collection, Switzerland had among the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 cases in the world. Results: Overall symptom levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout were elevated. Women, nurses, frontline staff and HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients reported more symptoms than their peers. However, these effects were all small and, in the network analysis, most of them did not remain significant after controlling for the other factors. Whereas COVID-19 exposure was only partially associated with mental health, perceived support by the employer independently predicted anxiety and burnout. Conclusions: Our finding that HCWs had elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout underscores the importance to systematically monitor HCWs mental health during this ongoing pandemic. Because perceived support and mental health impairments were negatively related, we encourage the implementation of supportive measures for HCWs well-being during this crisis.
Progress in Blueberry Research in New Zealand

Blueberries were first introduced to New Zealand in the 1950s from North America and by 1970 around 30 cultivars had been imported. Selection for new material better suited to the New Zealand climate then began using F1 seedlings and open pollinated crosses. The Plant & Food Research Ltd blueberry breeding program (led by Dr. Jessica Scalzo) is currently run at three sites: at Hamilton and Motueka on the North and South Island, respectively, of New Zealand, and a smaller program at Dierking's Nursery in Germany. Plant & Food Research Ltd's breeding targets are to improve yield, ripening season, and disease resistance, as well as fruit quality traits, such as fruit size, firmness, flavor, color, and grittiness. Areas of research include molecular genetics, functional genomics, biochemical composition, and health, and in 2008, we joined the Speciality Crop Research Initiative project to generate genomic tools for blueberry improvement, led by Dr. Lisa Rowland. We present a summary of the microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphism-based markers we have developed as part of the Speciality Crop Research Initiative program, as well as an update on other blueberry research undertaken at Plant & Food Research Ltd. This will include anthocyanin composition studies, research into polyphenolics and skeletal muscle damage, as well as work on our expressed sequence tag library and candidate genes within the anthocyanin pathway. We will also discuss the impact of this research on the future of blueberry breeding at Plant & Food Research Ltd.
Phenomenological Modelling of COVID-19 epidemics in Sri Lanka, Italy and Hebei Province of China

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increasing number of infections and deaths on a daily basis. There is no specific treatment or vaccine identified and the focus has been preventive measures based on statistical and mathematical models. These have relied on analyzing the behavior of populations and characteristics of the infection and applying modelling techniques. The analysis of epidemiological curve fitting on number of daily infections across affected countries could give useful insights on the characteristics of the epidemic. A variety of phenomenological models are available to capture dynamics of disease spread and growth. Data for this study used the number of daily new infections and cumulative number of infections in COVID-19 in three selected countries, Sri Lanka, Italy and Hebei province of China, from the first day of appearance of cases to 20th April 2020. In this study Gompertz, Logistic and Exponential growth curves were fitted on cumulative number of infections across countries. Akaikes information criteria (AIC) was used in determining the best fitting curve for each country. Results revealed that the most appropriate growth curves for Sri Lanka, Italy and China-Hebei are Exponential, Gompertz and Logistic curves respectively. The overall growth rate and final epidemic size evaluated from best models for the three countries and short-term forecasts were also generated. Log incidences over time in each country were regressed before and after the identified peak time of the respective outbreaks of countries. Hence, doubling time/halving time together with daily growth rates and predictions were estimated. Findings altogether demonstrate that outbreak seems extinct in Hebei-China whereas further transmissions are possible in Sri Lanka. In Italy, current outbreak transmits in a decreasing rate. Keywords: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Phenomenological Models, Epidemiological Curve, Prediction
Effects of slurry application method and timing on grass silage quality

Small-scale silos (60-litre polyethylene barrels) were used to examine the chemical composition of grass silage after the application of slurry, at 40 m3/ha, at a range of timings, at two sites with contrasting rainfall; North Wyke, in Devon (high rainfall) and Reaseheath College, Cheshire (low rainfall). Grass plots (60 m2) received cattle slurry via surface broadcast (S), shallow injection (I) or surface placement by trailing shoe (T) techniques at 10, 6 or 2 weeks before an early silage (first) cut in May/June, and 6 or 2 weeks before a second cut in June/July. Control plots (C) received no slurry treatment. The harvested grass was compressed and sealed in the experimental silos and samples of the herbage at ensiling and of ensilage (after >100-day fermentation) were analysed for various chemical components. Herbage yield was measured when the harvests were taken. Wetter than average weather conditions in both years resulted in silages with variable DM content (range 140–277 g/kg) being made at both sites. Generally, silages were poorly preserved with high pH and NH4+-N and low lactic acid contents. In particular, the silages from treatment S where slurry was applied 2 weeks prior to harvest exhibited characteristics indicative of clostridial growth, with high pH (range 4·0–5·2) and NH4+-N (106–213 g/kg total N) and low lactic acid (16–86 g/kg DM) contents. Damage to herbage caused by the injection tines on taller swards (treatments I at 6 and 2 weeks before cutting) was evident and the injection process was impeded by tall grass. This contributed to herbage contamination with soil and slurry on these treatments and, consequently, to poor silage fermentation. Silages made with slurry application method T at all timings showed improved fermentation characteristics compared with the other treatments, particularly at North Wyke. The results indicate that silage quality is unlikely to be compromised by slurry applications made in early spring, during February, March or even in April, where these are at agronomically sensible rates. Such practice will enable better utilization of slurry nitrogen (N), reducing risks of nutrient losses via leaching or surface runoff. Furthermore, shallow injection and, particularly, trailing shoe slurry application techniques may be used to increase flexibility of slurry management by allowing more immediate spreading before cutting than with conventional surface broadcasting, without detriment to silage quality.
Evidence for the ancient origin of the NF-κB/IκB cascade: Its archaic role in pathogen infection and immunity

The evolutionary conservation of the NF-κB transcription factors, from Drosophila to humans, underscores its pivotal role in immune response. Unexpectedly, the canonical NF-κB signaling pathway is not functional in the immune system of Caenorhabditis elegans. Therefore, the ancient origin of the NF-κB signaling pathway is still unknown. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of a primitive and functional NF-κB/IκB pathway in the immune defense of a “living fossil,” the horseshoe crab, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. The ancient NF-κB/IκB homologues, CrNFκB, CrRelish, and CrIκB, share numerous signature motifs with their vertebrate orthologues. CrNFκB recognizes both horseshoe crab and mammalian κB response elements. CrIκB interacts with CrNFκB and inhibits its nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity. The activation of the CrNFκB is autoregulated by a feedback mechanism mediated by CrIκB, the natural inhibitor of CrNFκB. We further show that Gram-negative bacteria infection causes rapid degradation of CrIκB and nuclear translocation of CrNFκB. Infection also leads to an increase in the κB-binding activity and up-regulation of immune-related gene expression, like inducible nitric oxide synthase and Factor C, an LPS-activated serine protease. Altogether, our study shows that, although absent in C. elegans, the NF-κB/IκB signaling cascade remains well conserved from horseshoe crab to humans, playing an archaic but fundamental role in regulating the expression of critical immune defense molecules.
Structure-Function Relationship of Inclusion Bodies of a Multimeric Protein

High level expression of recombinant proteins in bacteria often results in their aggregation into inclusion bodies. Formation of inclusion bodies poses a major bottleneck in high-throughput recovery of recombinant protein. These aggregates have amyloid-like nature and can retain biological activity. Here, effect of expression temperature on the quality of Escherichia coli asparaginase II (a tetrameric protein) inclusion bodies was evaluated. Asparaginase was expressed as inclusion bodies at different temperatures. Purified inclusion bodies were checked for biological activities and analyzed for structural properties in order to establish a structure-activity relationship. Presence of activity in inclusion bodies showed the existence of properly folded asparaginase tetramers. Expression temperature affected the properties of asparaginase inclusion bodies. Inclusion bodies expressed at higher temperatures were characterized by higher biological activity and less amyloid content as evident by Thioflavin T binding and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Complex kinetics of proteinase K digestion of asparaginase inclusion bodies expressed at higher temperatures indicate higher extent of conformational heterogeneity in these aggregates.
Highly Efficient Deep Blue Luminescence of 2-Coordinate Coinage Metal Complexes Bearing Bulky NHC Benzimidazolyl Carbene

The structural, photophysical and electrochemical properties of three luminescent 2-coordinate coinage metal (i.e., M = Cu, Ag, Au) complexes bearing a sterically bulky benzimidazolyl carbene, 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1-H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-ylidene (BZI), and carbazolide (Cz) as the anionic ligand were investigated. All the complexes emit in the deep blue region (~430 nm) with relatively narrow spectra (full width at half maximum = 44 nm, 2,300 cm−1) characterized by vibronic fine structure in nonpolar media (methylcyclohexane at room temperature), and with high photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦPL > 80%) and radiative rate constants (kr ~ 7.8 × 105 s−1). The luminescence is solvatochromic, undergoing a red-shift in a polar solvent (CH2Cl2) at room temperature that are accompanied by a decrease in quantum yields (ΦPL < 23%) and radiative rate constants (kr < 4.0 × 104 s−1), whereas the non-radiative rate constants remain nearly constant (knr ~ 1.0 × 105 s−1). The radiative rate is controlled via thermally assisted delayed fluorescence (TADF) and temperature-dependent luminescence studies of the gold complex (AuBZI) in methylcyclohexane solution reveal an energy difference between the lowest singlet and triplet excited states of 920 cm−1. An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) fabricated using AuBZI as a luminescent dopant has an external quantum efficiency of 12% and narrow, deep-blue emission (CIE = 0.16, 0.06).
Being the Victim of Intimate Partner Violence in Virtual Reality: First- Versus Third-Person Perspective

Immersive virtual reality is widely used for research and clinical purposes. Here we explored the impact of an immersive virtual scene of intimate partner violence experienced from the victim’s perspective (first person), as opposed to witnessing it as an observer (third person). We are ultimately interested in the potential of this approach to rehabilitate batterers and in understanding the mechanisms underlying this process. For this, non-offender men experienced the scene either from the perspective of the victim’s virtual body (a female avatar), which moved synchronously with the participants’ real movements, or from the perspective of an observer, while we recorded their behavior and physiological responses. We also evaluated through questionnaires, interviews and implicit association tests their subjective impressions and potential pre/post changes in implicit gender bias following the experience. We found that in all participants, regardless of perspective, the magnitude of the physiological reactions to virtual threatening stimuli was related to how vulnerable they felt for being a woman, the sensation that they could be assaulted, how useful the scene could be for batterer rehabilitation, and how different it would have been to experience the scenario on TV. Furthermore, we found that their level of identification with the female avatar correlated with the decrease in prejudice against women. Although the first-person perspective (1PP) facilitated taking the scene personally, generated a sensation of fear, helplessness, and vulnerability, and tended to induce greater behavioral and physiological reactions, we show that the potential for batterer rehabilitation originates from presence and identification with the victim, which in turn is more easily, but not exclusively, achieved through 1PP. This study is relevant for the development of advanced virtual reality tools for clinical purposes.
Rapid and Culture Free Identification of Francisella in Hare Carcasses by High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry Proteotyping

Zoonotic pathogens that can be transmitted via food to humans have a high potential for large-scale emergencies, comprising severe effects on public health, critical infrastructures, and the economy. In this context, the development of laboratory methods to rapidly detect zoonotic bacteria in the food supply chain, including high-resolution mass spectrometry proteotyping are needed. In this work, an optimized sample preparation method for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteome profiling was established for Francisella isolates, and a cluster analysis, as well as a phylogenetic tree, was generated to shed light on evolutionary relationships. Furthermore, this method was applied to tissues of infected hare carcasses from Germany. Even though the non-informative data outnumbered by a manifold the information of the zoonotic pathogen in the resulting proteome profiles, the standardized evaluation of MS data within an established automated analysis pipeline identified Francisella (F.) tularensis and, thus, could be, in principle, an applicable method to monitor food supply chains.
Breathing New Life into the Mechanisms of Platinum Resistance in Lung Adenocarcinoma

1 ANZAC Research Institute, Concord, NSW, Australia, 2 The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 3 Research Institute in Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, Department of Internal Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, 5 St Vincent’s Hospital Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia, 6 The University of Sydney Concord Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Reductive Evolution Can Prevent Populations from Taking Simple Adaptive Paths to High Fitness

New functions requiring multiple mutations are thought to be evolutionarily feasible if they can be achieved by means of adaptive paths-successions of simple adaptations each involving a single mutation. The presence or absence of these adaptive paths to new function therefore constrains what can evolve. But since emerging functions may require costly over-expression to improve fitness, it is also possible for reductive (i.e., cost-cutting) mutations that eliminate over-expression to be adaptive. Consequently, the relative abundance of these kinds of adaptive paths--constructive paths leading to new function versus reductive paths that increase metabolic efficiency--is an important evolutionary constraint. To study the impact of this constraint, we observed the paths actually taken during long-term laboratory evolution of an Escherichia coli strain carrying a doubly mutated trpA gene. The presence of these two mutations prevents tryptophan biosynthesis. One of the mutations is partially inactivating, while the other is fully inactivating, thus permitting a two-step adaptive path to full tryptophan biosynthesis. Despite the theoretical existence of this short adaptive path to high fitness, multiple independent lines grown in tryptophan-limiting liquid culture failed to take it. Instead, cells consistently acquired mutations that reduced expression of the double-mutant trpA gene. Our results show that competition between reductive and constructive paths may significantly decrease the likelihood that a particular constructive path will be taken. This finding has particular significance for models of gene recruitment, since weak new functions are likely to require costly over-expression in order to improve fitness. If reductive, cost-cutting mutations are more abundant than mutations that convert or improve function, recruitment may be unlikely even in cases where a short adaptive path to a new function exists.